Courses
Courses for Kids
Free study material
Offline Centres
More
Store Icon
Store

Lok Sabha Speakers

Reviewed by:
ffImage
hightlight icon
highlight icon
highlight icon
share icon
copy icon
SearchIcon

List of Lok Sabha Speakers of India

Before we proceed directly to the conclusion, and that is the list of Lok Sabha speakers right from the beginning, it will be a smart choice to know a bit more about the constitution to make an easier understanding.


(Image will be Uploaded soon)


Who is the Lok Sabha Speaker?

The speaker of the Lok Sabha is technically known as the presiding officer of Lok Sabha. It is considered the House of the People and is also counted as Parliament of India’s lower house. The practice has been transferred from the foregoing ages when there used to be Diwan E Khaas and Diwan E Aam. To this day, there have been 16 presiding officers altogether who have served as the speaker of Lok Sabha. Ganesh Vasudev Mavalankar was the first Lok Sabha speaker. In the Indian Constitution of Article 79, it is stated that it is mandatory to have a Parliament for the Union. This should include the two houses of Rajya Sabha in the form of the council of the states, the President of India and the Lok Sabha.


How is the Speaker Elected?

The speaker is a Member of Parliament (MP) who is elected by other Members of Parliament at the starting of every new session of Parliament. It is the speaker who is responsible for conducting the assembly functions, maintaining the rules and procedures of the Parliament and also ensuring that others are maintaining the same. He/she also takes care of the parliamentary privileges and guides or takes care of the debates votes conducted in the Lok Sabha. 


The Members of Parliament propose a name to the Pro team speaker. The President of India is then notified about the names. The President then, along with his/her Secretary-General, announces the date of the election. During the election, MPs vote for their respective candidates to elect a speaker for the Lok Sabha. The candidate that wins the voting system is elected as the present Lok Sabha speaker of India. However, if in case only a single name has been proposed to the President, then he/she is elected as a speaker without the need for any formal voting.


The tenure of each speaker is five years. Traditionally, this post used to be given to a member of the ruling party. The present Lok Sabha speaker of India is Om Birla, representing the Kota constituency.


List of Lok Sabha Speakers of India

The list of Lok Sabha speakers, along with the name of the first Lok Sabha speaker, are as follows:


  1. Ganesh Vasudev Mavalankar: 1952 to 1956 (Party – Indian National Congress)

  2. M.A. Ayyangar: 1956 to 1962 (Party – Indian National Congress)

  3. Sardar Hukum Singh: 1962 to 1967 (Party – Indian National Congress)

  4. Neelam Sanjeeva Reddy: 1967 to 1969 (Party – Indian National Congress)

  5. Gurdial Singh Dhillon: 1969 to 1975 (Party – Indian National Congress)

  6. Bali Ram Bhagat: 1976 to 1977 (Party – Indian National Congress)

  7. Neelam Sanjeeva Reddy: 1977 (Janatha Party)

  8. K. S. Hegde: 1977 to 1980 (Janatha Party)

  9. Balram Jakhar: 1980 to 1989 (Party – Indian National Congress)

  10. Rabi Ray: 1989 to 1991 (Janatha Party)

  11. Shivraj Patil: 1991 to 1996 (Party – Indian National Congress)

  12. P. A. Sangma: 1996 to 1998 (Party – Indian National Congress)

  13. G. M. C. Balayogi: 1998 to 2002 (Party – Telugu Desam Party)

  14. Manohar Joshi: 2002 to 2004 (Shiv Sena)

  15. Somnath Chatterjee: 2004 to 2009 (Communist Party of India)

  16. Meira Kumar: 2009 to 2014 (Party – Indian National Congress)

  17. Sumitra Mahajan: 2014 to 2019 (Party – Bharatiya Janata Party)

  18. Om Birla: 2019 to Present (Party – Bharatiya Janata Party)


Role of the Speaker

Do you know that the Indian governmental system follows the model of Westminster, and that is why the proceedings of the Parliament are headed by the presiding officer? It is the speaker’s responsibility to ensure the smooth functioning of both houses. As the Lok Sabha is the highest legislative body in our country, it is capable of choosing the speaker who can preside over the daily functioning of the house. 


In the case of Rajya Sabha, it is the Vice President who takes care of the responsibility of a speaker in our country. The functioning is very similar to that of the Lok Sabha Speaker. However, the nomenclature is a bit different. Therefore, in both houses, it is the speaker who takes forward the functioning of legislation and ensures that it is done peacefully. He is responsible for maintaining harmony in the houses. The Speaker is, therefore, considered the ultimate guardian of Indian Parliamentary Democracy. The names mentioned in the list of Lok Sabha speakers have all played the role quite responsibly and helped to strengthen the pillars of democracy. 


Powers of the Speaker

As per the Constitution of India, a Speaker has immense power regarding discretionary and administrative roles. Some of them are mentioned below:


  1. The speaker maintains decorum among the Members of Parliament. He/she is responsible for guarding the privileges and rights of the members. 

  2. A speaker (depending on the situation) can use his/her valuable vote to end in a deadlock conclusion. This means the speaker doesn’t cast his/her vote at the initial stage, but when the house initiates a vote, and the result ends in a draw, the speaker has the power to cast a single vote and come up with the result. 

  3. If there is no quorum in the house, it is the Speaker’s duty to adjourn the house or even suspend a meeting. The agenda is decided by the Speaker, which must be discussed in the meeting between the Members of the Parliament. 

  4. The Speaker has the power to interpret the Rules of procedure. This means as he/she is the presiding officer, along with being a member of the house, he/she can ensure the discipline of the house. 

  5. The Speaker has the power to punish an MP/s for unruly behaviour. He/she can also disqualify an MP from the house on the basis of defection. 

  6. The various parliamentary procedures are within the power of a Speaker. These include the motion of no confidence, the motion of adjustment, the motion of censure, and others. 

  7. When a Money Bill is transmitted from the Lower House to the Upper House, it is the sole responsibility of the Speaker for endorsing the certificate on the Bill. That states that the Speaker has the pivotal power for deciding whether the Bill is a Money Bill. The decision is considered as the last call, and all the procedures are followed accordingly. 

  8. It is within the power of the Speaker to control various Parliamentary Committees, including the Business Advisory Committee, the Rules Committee and the General Purposes Committee. 

  9. The Speaker has the power to nominate a number of Chairmen of various Committees. He/she can also look at the procedural hindrances of the functionalities of the Committees if there is any. 

  10. Apart from heading the Lok Sabha, he/she is also the ex officio President of the Indian Parliamentary Group. The Speaker has the power to act in the capacity of Chairman of the Conference of Presiding Officers of Legislative Bodies in India. 

  11. As the administrative role is under the Speaker’s duty, he or she is also the head of the Lok Sabha Secretariat.


Interesting Facts of Speakers in India

  1. Meira Kumar is the first female Speaker in Indian Parliamentary history. She presided over the 15th Lok Sabha session.

  2. The first Speaker of India, G. V. Mavlankar, is known as the Father of Lok Sabha due to his immense contribution in redesigning the Parliamentary proceedings without any impartiality.

  3. Balram Jakhar was the only Speaker who presided over two consecutive terms in Parliament.

  4. Rabi Ray, the Speaker from 1989 to 1991, was called the Son of the Soil as he maintained immense straightforwardness and eye for detail during his tenure.

  5. P. A. Sanga is one of the most eloquent speakers in Indian Parliamentary history to this day.

FAQs on Lok Sabha Speakers

1. As per the list of Lok Sabha speakers of India, who presided over two consecutive terms?

Balram Jakhar, from 1980 to 1989, chosen by the Indian National Congress, presided over two consecutive terms in the Parliament. 

2. Mention two key roles of the Speaker in India?

If there is no quorum in the house, it is the Speaker’s duty to adjourn the house or even suspend a meeting. The agenda is decided by the Speaker, which must be discussed in the meeting between the Members of the Parliament.