Previous Year Question
Who among the following is the first woman Speaker in Lok Sabha?
Meira Kumar
Urmila Singh
Pratibha Patil
Sushma Swaraj
Correct Answer: A
Detailed Solution
Meira Kumar became the first woman Speaker of the Lok Sabha in 2009. She was unanimously elected Speaker of the 15th Lok Sabha on 3 June 2009. It was the first time in the history of the Indian Parliament that a woman was elected to the office of Speaker of the Lok Sabha.
According to Article 93 of the Constitution, the Lok Sabha chooses two of its members to be the Speaker and Deputy Speaker respectively. Thus, the Speaker is not appointed by the President; the Lok Sabha itself elects its Speaker.
Meira Kumar served as the Speaker of the 15th Lok Sabha. Her election was also significant because she was elected unanimously by the House.
Among the other options, Pratibha Patil was the first woman President of India, but she was not the Speaker of the Lok Sabha. Similarly, Urmila Singh and Sushma Swaraj were not the first woman Speaker of the Lok Sabha.
For examination purposes, remember—First woman Speaker of Lok Sabha = Meira Kumar; Year = 2009; Lok Sabha = 15th Lok Sabha.