2020 · GS Paper 2 · Q5 · 10 marks
Once a speaker, Always a speaker! Do you think the practice should be adopted to impart objectivity to the office of the Speaker of Lok Sabha? What could be its implications for the robust functioning of parliamentary business in India.
In short
The Westminster convention of a party-free Speaker would make the Lok Sabha chair more objective, but only if paired with a bar on later office and an independent defection tribunal. Former Speakers such as Shivraj Patil later becoming Union ministers shows why such safeguards matter.
Model answer
Ghissu Editorial · Verified 4 Oct 2026 · 291 words
Removes the re-nomination incentive
Freed from the party ticket, a Speaker could certify Money Bills under Article 110(3) and decide defection petitions without fear, a concern raised by the Aadhaar Act's certification in 2016.
Indian precedents
N. Sanjiva Reddy left the Congress on becoming Speaker in 1967, and Somnath Chatterjee accepted expulsion from the CPI(M) in 2008 rather than vacate the chair before a trust vote.
Practical hurdles
Parties may still contest the seat, constituents lose an active MP, and Speakers like Shivraj Patil later became ministers.
Opposition trust
A neutral chair would defuse walkouts over adjournment and suspension decisions.
Credible adjudication
Defection rulings, delayed so often that the Supreme Court set a three-month norm in 2020, would gain legitimacy.
Institutional memory
A long-serving Speaker masters procedure and committee management.
Risk of entrenchment
A Speaker without electoral accountability could grow complacent, and conventions cannot bind unwilling parties.
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This chapter in the exam
Parliament — Structure3 questions
Asked in 2 of 14 sittings since 2013
- 2026Examine whether the constitutional office of the Lok Sabha Speaker has become vulnerable to partisan politics under the current anti-defection regime. What institutional changes are required to ensure the neutrality of the Lok Sabha Speaker in managing a polarised House ?
- 2020In the last few decades, Rajya Sabha has transformed from a 'useless stepney tyre' to a most useful supportive organ. Highlight the factors and the areas where this transformation could be visible.
Question from the official UPSC Civil Services (Main) Examination 2020 paper. Answer written by Ghissu's engine and checked against our editorial standards. Found an error? Tell us and we correct it within 48 hours.