Presiding Officer of the Parliament: Role, Powers and Functions

Introduction

In Indian Parliament, there is huge importance of Presiding Offer for regulating, controlling and ensuring the proceedings of the Parliament should have conducted in orderly manner. Even for Competitive exams, the role of presiding officer is more important.

If you are looking for gaining the all the knowledge about presiding officer of the parliament, then please stay with us till the end of this article, because we are going to provide you all the related information about the same.

So, let's start-

Who is Presiding Officer of the Parliament?

The presiding officer of the Parliament of India depends on the chamber in question.

In the Lok Sabha (House of the People), the presiding officer is the Speaker. The Speaker is elected by the members of the Lok Sabha from among themselves.

In the Rajya Sabha (Council of States), the presiding officer is the Chairman or Chairperson. The Vice President of India is the ex-officio Chairman or Chairperson of the Rajya Sabha. In the absence of the Vice President, the Deputy Chairman or the panel of Vice Chairmen presides over the proceedings of the Rajya Sabha.

The presiding officer's role is to ensure that the proceedings of the Parliament are conducted in an orderly manner and that the rules and procedures of the respective Houses are followed.

Roles of the Presiding Officer of the Parliament

Following are the roles of the Presiding officer of the parliament:

• Chairing and directing the proceedings of the House.
• Maintaining order and discipline in the House.
• Ensuring that the rules of the House are followed.
• Protecting the rights and privileges of Members of Parliament.
• Adjudicating on points of order and parliamentary procedure.
• Representing the House in its external relations.
• Signing bills and other official documents.
• Administering oaths and affirmations to Members of Parliament.
• Calling Members to order if they breach parliamentary privilege.
• Overseeing the management and maintenance of parliamentary buildings and facilities.

Powers of the Presiding Officer of the Parliament

Here we have added a few of most important powers of the Presiding Officer of the Parliament, often referred to as the Speaker:

• Presiding over debates and discussions in the House of Parliament.
• Maintaining order and decorum in the House of Parliament.
• Deciding who has the right to speak during debates.
• Ruling on points of order and parliamentary procedure.
• Enforcing the rules and procedures of the House of Parliament.
• Suspending or expelling Members of Parliament (MPs) who breach parliamentary privilege.
• Interpreting and applying the Standing Orders (rules of the House).
• Admitting strangers (non-MPs) to the House of Parliament.
• Summoning MPs to the House of Parliament.
• Resolving disputes between MPs.
• Certifying bills that have been passed by the House of Parliament.
• Declaring vacancies in the House of Parliament.
• Representing the House in its external relations.
• Appointing and overseeing the work of House officials, such as the Clerk and the Sergeant-at-Arms.
• Making administrative decisions relating to the management of parliamentary facilities and services.

Functions of the Presiding Officer of the Parliament

These are the functions of Presiding officers of the parliament that are expected to be done by the presiding officer of the parliament:

• Presiding over the debates and discussions in the House of Parliament.
• Maintaining order and discipline in the House of Parliament.
• Ensuring that parliamentary procedures and rules are followed.
• Making rulings on points of order and parliamentary procedure.
• Enforcing parliamentary privilege and protecting the rights and privileges of MPs.
• Determining which MPs have the right to speak during debates and discussions.
• Managing the parliamentary agenda and ensuring that parliamentary business is conducted efficiently.
• Representing the House in its external relations, such as with other branches of government, international organizations, and foreign dignitaries.
• Signing bills and other official documents that have been passed by the House of Parliament.
• Administering oaths and affirmations to new MPs when they are elected to the House.
• Calling MPs to order if they breach parliamentary privilege.
• Resolving disputes between MPs.
• Certifying bills that have been passed by the House of Parliament.
• Admitting strangers (non-MPs) to the House of Parliament.
• Summonsing MPs to the House of Parliament.
• Overseeing the work of House officials, such as the Clerk and the Sergeant-at-Arms.
• Making administrative decisions relating to the management of parliamentary facilities and services.
• Advising the government and opposition on parliamentary procedures and practices.
• Representing the House at public events and ceremonies.

FAQ's

Q1. Who elects the Presiding Officer in the Parliament?

Ans: The Presiding Officer is typically elected by MPs in the House of Parliament.

Q2. Can the Presiding Officer vote in parliamentary proceedings?

Ans: In most cases, the Presiding Officer is not allowed to vote in parliamentary proceedings, except in the case of a tied vote.

Q3. Can the Presiding Officer be removed from office?

Ans: Yes, the Presiding Officer can be removed from office through a vote of no confidence by the MPs in the House of Parliament.

Q4. What is parliamentary privilege?

Ans: Parliamentary privilege is a set of legal immunities and privileges that are granted to MPs in order to protect their ability to carry out their parliamentary duties without interference or obstruction.

Q5. What is a point of order in parliamentary procedure?

Ans: A point of order is a question or objection raised by an MP during parliamentary proceedings relating to the interpretation or application of parliamentary rules or procedures.