PRESIDING OFFICER OF LOK SABHA

Speaker and Deputy Speaker of Lok Sabha

The Speaker is the chief presiding officer of the Lok Sabha. The Speaker presides over the meetings of the House and his rulings on the proceedings of the House are final. The Speaker and Deputy Speaker may be removed from their offices by a resolution passed by the House by an effective

majority of the House after a prior notice of 14 days to them. The Speaker, to maintain impartiality of his office, votes only in case of a tie i.e to remove a deadlock and this is known as the Casting Vote.

Special powers of the Speaker

There are certain powers which belong only to the Speaker of Lok Sabha while similar powers are not available to his counterpart in time upper house, i.e. the Chairman of Rajya Sabha. 

These are-

1. Whether a Bill is Money Bill or not is certified only by the Speaker and his decision in this regard is final and binding.

2. The Speaker, or in his absence, the Deputy Speaker, presides over the joint-sittings of the parliament.

3. The committees of parliament function essentially under the Speaker and their chairpersons are also appointed or

4. nominated by him. Members of the Rajya Sabha are also present in some of these committees.

5. If the Speaker is a member of any committee, he is the ex-officio chairman of such a committee.

Special position of the Speaker

The Constitution has given a special position to the office of the Speaker.

1. Though he is an elected member of the Lok Sabha, he continues to hold his office even after the dissolution of the

2. House till a new Lok Sabha is constituted. This is because he not only presides and conducts the parliamentary proceedings but also acts as the Head of the Lok Sabha Secretariat which continues to function even after the House is dissolved.

3. The Speaker presides over the joint sitting of the two Houses of the Parliament

4. Speaker certifies a Bill as Money Bill and his decision is final in this regard.

5. The Speaker is ex-officio President of Indian Parliamentary Group which in India functions as the national group of Inter-parliament Union.