Appointment of Speaker

The Speaker, as well as the Deputy Speaker of Lok Sabha, are elected within the lower house on the basis of a simple majority. The simple majority refers to voting in the favour by more than 50 per cent of parliamentarians present. There are no specific qualifications required in order to become a Speaker. The major prerequisites for a speaker are as follows:

1. He/she must be a citizen of India.
2. People of unsound minds are barred from such a position.
3. He/she should be above 25 years of age.
4. People holding any profitable office under the Central or the State Government are prevented from the position of Speaker.

• The Speaker holds the office as long as the House survives. When the term of Lok Sabha members comes to an end, the Speaker’s term of office also ends. However, the speaker is eligible to get re-elected in the next term of the lower house.
• The Speaker can deliberately end his/her term beforehand through a formal resignation handed over to the Deputy Speaker. He/she can also be impeached from the position due to the below-mentioned reasons.

1. He/she may be removed as a Member of Parliament. Losing this membership also requires withdrawal from the position of Speaker.
2. The Speaker may also be removed by passing a resolution in the House. The notice of such a resolution is passed prior to 14 days minimum. If such a resolution is supported by majority members (through the concept of simple majority), the Speaker has to retrieve from his/her position. It is also important to note that during the course of impeachment, the Speaker is prevented from presiding over the lower house. However, he/she is welcome to take part in the general proceedings of the house.

Article 178 and 179 of the Indian constitution defines the Speaker, who presides over the highest legislative body called the Lok Sabha. It is the endeavour for the speaker to oversee the day-to-day functioning of the House of Parliament. Constitutional provisions with respect to the office of Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the house are enlisted in Articles 93, 94, 95, and 96 of the Indian Constitution. Appointment of the speaker is one of the foremost acts of any fresh Lok Sabha that has been constituted.