Q. Consider the following statements with respect to the Speaker of the Lok Sabha:
1.The office of the Speaker of the Lok Sabha is never left vacant.
2.The term ‘pro tem speaker’ is mentioned in the Constitution of India.
3.The Speaker certifies a Bill to be a Money Bill.
4.The election of the Speaker is held on a date fixed by the Prime Minter of India.
5.The Tenth Schedule allows Speaker to resign from their political party on being elected to their office.
How many of the statements given above are correct?
Explanation –
Statements 1, 2 and 4 are incorrect. The office of the Speaker can be vacant due to absence, resignation, or removal. In such cases, the Deputy Speaker or a member appointed by the President performs the duties of the Speaker. However, the office of the Speaker is never left vacant between the dissolution of one Lok Sabha and the first meeting of the next. Hence, Om Birla who was the Speaker of the 17th Lok Sabha continues in that post till June 24 when the first meeting of the 18th Lok Sabha is scheduled. The Constitution does not explicitly mention the term “pro tem speaker”; it is a convention used to appoint a temporary Speaker. The President of India sets the date for the election of the Speaker.
Statements 3 and 5 are correct. The Speaker of the Lok Sabha has the authority to certify whether a bill is a Money Bill, and this decision is final. The Tenth Schedule provides an exemption for the Speaker to resign from their political party upon being elected to maintain impartiality, although it has never been done in practice.
Source: The Hindu
