Previous Year Question
Who is generally appointed as a Protem Speaker?
The speaker of the outgoing Lok Sabha
The Dy. Speaker of the outgoing Lok Sabha
One of the seniors most members of the newly elected Lok Sabha
The leader of the opposition party in the outgoing Lok Sabha
Correct Answer: C
Detailed Solution
After a General Election, at the time of the first meeting of the new Lok Sabha, a regular Speaker has not yet been elected. In such a situation, under Article 95(1), the President may appoint a member of the Lok Sabha to perform the duties of the Speaker. The member so appointed is conventionally known as the Speaker Pro Tem.
According to parliamentary convention, one of the senior-most members of the newly elected Lok Sabha is normally chosen as Speaker Pro Tem. Therefore, the office does not necessarily go to the outgoing Speaker, outgoing Deputy Speaker or outgoing Leader of Opposition.
The two important initial functions of the Speaker Pro Tem are to administer oath/affirmation to newly elected members and to conduct the proceedings for the election of the regular Speaker. The temporary role ends after the Speaker is elected by the House.
A useful additional fact is that the Speaker Pro Tem himself takes the oath as a Member of the Lok Sabha before the President before taking the Chair. He then presides over the oath-taking of newly elected members.
Importantly, being the “senior-most member” is a parliamentary convention rather than a mandatory constitutional qualification; constitutionally, the appointment is made by the President.