22 SEPTEMBER 2022 – MAINS DAILY QUESTIONS & MODEL ANSWERS:
Q1. What are the powers and duties conferred to the Speaker of the Lok Sabha?
- Paper & Topic: GS II Parliament related issues
- Model Answer:
- About:
- The Office of the Speaker in India is a dynamic organisation that responds to the needs and problems that Parliament actually encounters while doing its tasks.
- Article 93 of the Constitution specifies that both the Speaker and Deputy Speaker are elected.
- The Speaker serves as the House’s ceremonial and legal leader.
- Each House of Parliament has a distinct presiding officer.
- There is a Speaker and Deputy Speaker for the Lok Sabha, and a Chairman and Deputy Chairman for the Rajya Sabha.
- History:
- The Speaker and Deputy Speaker institutions debuted in India in 1921 as per the provisions of the Government of India Act of 1919. (Reforms of Montague and Chelmsford).
- Up to 1947, the Speaker and Deputy Speaker were known to as the President and the Deputy President, respectively.
- The Government of India Act of 1935 changed the titles of Speaker and Deputy Speaker from President and Deputy President, respectively.
- Speaker’s office in the Lok Sabha:
- The Speaker, who is in charge of the daily operations of the House, is chosen by the Lok Sabha, the nation’s highest legislative body.
- The Lok Sabha Speaker is chosen as one of the first tasks for any newly elected House.
- Election for Speaker of the House:
- According to the Indian Constitution, the Speaker must be a member of the house.
- Although there are no specific prerequisites established for being elected as the Speaker, knowledge of the Constitution and the laws of the country is considered to be a key advantage for the office’s incumbent.
- Usually, the Speaker is selected from among the members of the ruling party. The ruling party nominates its candidate in accordance with a process that has evolved over the years after informal consultations with the leaders of other parties and groupings in the House.
- By adhering to this custom, the Speaker will earn the respect of the entire House once they have been selected.
- Voting: The Speaker (together with the Deputy Speaker) is chosen from among the Lok Sabha members by a simple majority of the MPs present and voting in the House.
- After a decision has been reached, the Prime Minister or the Minister of Parliamentary Affairs frequently suggests the candidate’s name.
- Speaker’s Tenure: The Speaker’s term in office lasts from the day of his or her election to the day before the first meeting of the following Lok Sabha (for 5 years).
- The speaker can run for reelection after being chosen.
- Whenever the Lok Sabha is dissolved, the Speaker continues to serve until the newly-elected Lok Sabha meets.
- Speaker’s abilities and duties:
- He or she has the last say in the House over how the Indian Constitution’s articles, the Lok Sabha’s rules of procedure, and parliamentary precedents should be read.
- He or she frequently makes judgments in matters affecting the application of these laws that are regarded by members and have legal weight.
- He or she is responsible for directing a joint meeting of the two Houses of Parliament.
- Such a meeting is called by the President to break a deadlock over a bill between the two Houses.
- A tenth of the members of the House must be present in order to adjourn or suspend a session of the House (called the quorum).
- Voting: When the House is evenly divided on a matter, the Speaker has the authority to cast the deciding vote. In the first instance, the Speaker abstains from voting.
- A casting vote, which is used to break ties, is one of several types of votes.
- Money Measure: This person makes the final determination of whether or not a bill is a money bill.
- Disqualification of Members: The speaker decides whether to disqualify a Lok Sabha member for defecting in accordance with the provisions of the Tenth Schedule.
- According to the 52nd amendment to the Indian Constitution, the Speaker has these authority.
- The Speaker’s decision in this case is subject to judicial scrutiny, according to a 1992 Supreme Court ruling.
- The Indian Parliamentary Group (IPG), which acts as a bridge between the Indian Parliament and the numerous other parliaments throughout the world, has him or her as its ex-officio chairman.
- He also represents the nation as the conference of presiding officers of legislative bodies’ ex-officio chairman.
- Members of the House Committees, who operate under the Speaker’s overall direction, are appointed by the Speaker.
- The Chairmen of each parliamentary committee are chosen by him or her.
- The Rules Committee, the Business Advisory Committee, and the General Purposes Committee are under his direct chairmanship.
- House privileges: The Speaker is in charge of defending the rights of the House’s Committees, Members, and privileges.
- At the sole discretion of the Speaker, any matter of privilege may be referred to the Committee of Privileges for evaluation, investigation, and a report.
- With very few instances, the Speaker is in office for the full Lok Sabha session. The speaker may, however, be required to leave the office earlier under the following situations:
- if he decides to leave the Lok Sabha.
- if he submits a written resignation to the Deputy Speaker.
- if a majority of the Lok Sabha members vote in favour of a move to oust him.
- Notice: Only 14 days’ notice is required to move a resolution of this kind.
- When the House is debating a resolution to remove the Speaker, the Speaker may attend the meeting but is not permitted to preside.
Q2. Write a short note on POSHAN Abhiyaan?
- Paper & Topic: GS II à Government Policies and Interventions
- Model Answer:
- With a budget of Rs. 1.31 trillion, the Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman, also known as PM-POSHAN, was approved by the Union Cabinet in September 2021 with the goal of providing one hot cooked meal at government and government-aided schools.
- The Mid-day Meal Scheme, a national initiative that provided lunch in schools, was replaced by the programme.
- It was implemented for a five-year trial period (2021-22 to 2025-26).
- What features distinguish the PM Poshan Scheme?
- Coverage:
- Primary (1–5) and upper primary (6–8) students are currently each entitled to 100 grammes and 150 grammes of dietary grains in order to ensure a minimum of 700 calories per working day.
- Balvatika students who are enrolled in pre-primary classes are also included (children between the ages of 3 and 5).
- Nutrient-dense gardens:
- To boost local economic development, the use of locally produced, nutrient-dense food will be encouraged from “school nutrition gardens.” The execution of the programme will include involve Women Self Help Groups and Farmers Producer Organizations (FPO).
- Supplemental Nutrition:
- The programme provides a provision for extra nutrition for children living in rich areas and those whose anaemia prevalence is high.
- The Center’s requirement to restrict funding to only wheat, rice, pulses, and vegetables is lifted.
- Currently, if a state decides to add a menu item like milk or eggs, the Centre is not liable for paying any additional expenses. That restriction has been lifted.
- Theory of Tithi Bhojan:
- Participants in the community participation programme TithiBhojan give kids special food during holidays and other occasions.
- Direct Benefits Transfer (DBT):
- The Center has ordered the states and UTs to switch to the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) system in order to pay the cooks and helpers engaged under the programme.
- By doing this, it will be made sure that neither the district administration nor other governmental levels have any leaks.
- Expert in nutrition:
- A nutritionist will be employed by each school to oversee the management of matters such as haemoglobin levels, weight, and Body Mass Index (BMI).
- The social audit for the programme:
- Since no state had previously conducted a social audit of the programme to evaluate its implementation, every school in every state is now required to do so.
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