Previous Year Question

Meira Kumar was the first woman Speaker of the Lok Sabha in India. She was unanimously elected Speaker of the 15th Lok Sabha on 3 June 2009. She held the office from 2009 to 2014. Her election marked an important event in Indian parliamentary history, as it was the first time since independence that a woman had been elected Speaker of the Lok Sabha.

Meira Kumar was born on 31 March 1945 in Patna, Bihar. She is the daughter of freedom fighter and former Deputy Prime Minister Babu Jagjivan Ram. She joined the Indian Foreign Service (IFS) in 1973 and entered politics in 1985. Before becoming Speaker, she had held responsibilities in Union ministries such as Social Justice and Empowerment and Water Resources.

The office of the Speaker of the Lok Sabha is provided for under Article 93 of the Constitution. The Speaker presides over the proceedings of the Lok Sabha, maintains discipline in the House, and ensures compliance with parliamentary rules. Ganesh Vasudev Mavalankar was the first Speaker of the Lok Sabha, serving from 15 May 1952 to 27 February 1956.

Among the other options, Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit became the first woman President of the United Nations General Assembly in 1953. Sarojini Naidu was the first woman Governor of independent India, appointed Governor of the United Provinces (present-day Uttar Pradesh) in 1947. Indira Gandhi was India's first woman Prime Minister, assuming office on 24 January 1966.