Current Affairs Topics Archive
International Relations Economics Polity & Governance Environment & Ecology Science & Technology Internal Security Geography Social Issues Art & Culture Modern History

Watch: The ruling party and the opposition must rise above partisanship | The Hindu Editorial

March 16, 2026 5 min read Polity & Governance GS2
On This Page ▼

What Happened

  • The Lok Sabha rejected by voice vote a resolution moved under Article 94(c) of the Constitution seeking the removal of Speaker Om Birla from office.
  • Over 100 MPs from the INDIA bloc (Congress-led opposition) moved the resolution, alleging partisan conduct, denial of speech to the Leader of Opposition (Rahul Gandhi), and unwarranted allegations against women MPs.
  • The opposition also objected to the Speaker's ruling that prevented the Leader of Opposition from quoting former Army Chief M.M. Naravane's unpublished memoir.
  • The motion was defeated by voice vote in what was described as a hostile debate.
  • No motion to remove a Lok Sabha Speaker has ever succeeded in India's parliamentary history.
  • The editorial commentary called on both the ruling party and the opposition to rise above partisanship in conduct and proceedings.

Static Topic Bridges

Article 94(c) — Procedure for Removal of the Lok Sabha Speaker

Article 94 of the Constitution governs the vacation of office by the Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the Lok Sabha. Clause (c) of Article 94 provides that the Speaker may be removed from office by a resolution of the House passed by a majority of all the then members of the House — known as effective majority. For the current House of 543 MPs, this requires 272 votes.

  • Article 94(c): Removal by resolution of the House — majority of ALL then-members (effective majority, not simple majority)
  • "All then members" means total membership minus vacancies — not a majority of members present and voting
  • Effective majority for 543-member Lok Sabha: 272 (assuming no vacancies)
  • Procedural requirement: 14 days' written notice must be given to the Secretary-General (Rules 200–203 of Lok Sabha Rules of Procedure)
  • Motion must be moved during a session; the Speaker presides over all other business but another member chairs when the removal motion is being debated
  • No Lok Sabha Speaker has ever been removed through this procedure

Connection to this news: The opposition's motion was procedurally valid — filed with the required notice and moved in session — but was defeated by voice vote because the ruling NDA commands a majority in the House. The motion illustrated both the constitutional safeguard for the Speaker's independence and its practical limitations when the Speaker belongs to the ruling coalition.

The Office of the Lok Sabha Speaker — Constitutional Status and Conventions

The Speaker of the Lok Sabha is the presiding officer of the lower house of Parliament. Elected by members of the Lok Sabha from among themselves under Article 93, the Speaker holds office during the life of the Lok Sabha. The position carries both constitutional authority (conduct of proceedings, certification of Money Bills under Article 110, anti-defection decisions under the Tenth Schedule) and conventional authority derived from parliamentary traditions inherited from Westminster.

  • Article 93: Election of Speaker and Deputy Speaker
  • Article 94: Vacation of office — Speaker vacates seat if ceasing to be an MP; may resign to Deputy Speaker; removed under Article 94(c)
  • Article 110: Speaker certifies a Bill as a Money Bill — decision is final and not subject to judicial review (Nabam Rebia case, 2016 modified this in the context of anti-defection)
  • Tenth Schedule: Speaker (or in Rajya Sabha, the Chairman) decides anti-defection cases; Supreme Court has held such decisions are subject to judicial review (Kihoto Hollohan v. Zachillhu, 1992)
  • Convention: The Speaker is expected to be impartial after election; UK convention has the Speaker resign party membership — India has no such legal requirement

Connection to this news: The opposition's core allegation was that Speaker Birla violated the convention of impartiality — denying the floor to the Leader of Opposition and making politically colored comments. The motion, even when defeated, places the convention of Speakerly neutrality on record as a parliamentary issue.

Types of Parliamentary Majorities in the Indian Constitution

Different constitutional provisions require different types of majority, and the distinction is tested frequently in UPSC examinations. The removal of the Speaker requires effective majority — a category distinct from simple majority, absolute majority, and special majority.

  • Simple majority: More than 50% of members present and voting (e.g., ordinary legislation, no-confidence motion against the Council of Ministers under Article 75)
  • Absolute majority: More than 50% of total membership (272 of 543) — rarely used as a standalone requirement
  • Effective majority: More than 50% of all then-members (total membership minus vacancies) — required for removal of Speaker (Art. 94c), Deputy Speaker, Deputy Chairman of Rajya Sabha
  • Special majority (Article 368): Two-thirds of members present and voting AND more than half of total membership — required for constitutional amendments
  • Special majority (Article 61): Impeachment of the President — two-thirds of total membership of each House
  • Rajya Sabha Chairman (Vice President) removal: Special majority of all members of Rajya Sabha (Article 67(b)) — differs from Speaker removal

Connection to this news: The removal of the Lok Sabha Speaker requires effective majority — a threshold the opposition (with approximately 230+ seats) cannot reach without significant NDA defections. This constitutional design makes Speaker removal procedurally possible but practically very difficult for any minority opposition.

Key Facts & Data

  • Article 94(c) invoked for the removal motion — effective majority (272 of 543) required
  • Rules 200–203 of Lok Sabha Rules of Procedure: Minimum 14 days' written notice required before moving a Speaker removal motion
  • The motion was moved by Congress MP Dr. Mohammad Jawed
  • Voice vote outcome: Motion defeated — NDA commands approximately 290+ seats in the current Lok Sabha
  • Historical record: No Lok Sabha Speaker has ever been removed in India's parliamentary history
  • Rajya Sabha Chairman (Vice President of India) is removed under Article 67(b) by a special majority resolution of Rajya Sabha after 14-day notice — different procedure from Lok Sabha Speaker removal
  • The Speaker decides anti-defection cases under the Tenth Schedule (added by 52nd Constitutional Amendment, 1985); decisions are judicially reviewable (Kihoto Hollohan v. Zachillhu, 1992)