Speaker vs Chairman: Comparing Powers of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha Presiding Officers

Quick Answer: The Lok Sabha Speaker holds wider powers than the Rajya Sabha Chairman. The Speaker is an elected MP who certifies Money Bills under Article 110, adjudicates anti-defection cases, and presides over joint sittings under Article 118(4). The Chairman, being the Vice-President, is not even a member of Rajya Sabha and votes only to break a tie. However, the Chairman enjoys greater security of tenure, as his removal is more elaborate.

Quick Answer: Speaker vs Chairman at a Glance

• Election: Speaker is elected from among Lok Sabha MPs; Chairman is the Vice-President, ex-officio and not an RS member.
• Removal: Speaker removed by Lok Sabha (14 days’ notice + majority of all then members); Chairman removed only through the Vice-President’s removal process.
• Money Bill: Only the Speaker certifies; the Chairman has no such power.
• Joint sitting: Speaker presides (Article 118(4)); the Chairman never does.
• Casting vote: Both exercise only a casting vote on a tie; neither votes in the first instance.
• Anti-defection: Speaker decides for Lok Sabha; Chairman decides for Rajya Sabha.

Constitutional Provisions: Articles 89–93 and 93–96

The Rajya Sabha’s presiding machinery is governed by Articles 89–93: Article 89 makes the Vice-President of India the ex-officio Chairman of the Council of States and provides for a Deputy Chairman; Articles 90–91 cover the Chairman’s and Deputy Chairman’s removal and election; Articles 92–93 deal with the member presiding in their absence.

The Lok Sabha Speaker’s office flows from Articles 93–96: Article 93 mandates election of a Speaker and Deputy Speaker; Article 94 provides for vacation and removal of the Speaker (on a resolution supported by a majority of all the then members, after at least 14 days’ notice); Article 95 empowers the Deputy Speaker (or another member) to act in the Speaker’s absence; Article 96 covers the Speaker presiding over their own removal resolution. For the original text, refer to the Constitution on indiacode.nic.in and parliamentary procedure resources at loksabha.nic.in and rajyasabha.nic.in.

Election: How the Speaker and Chairman Are Chosen

The Speaker is elected by the members of Lok Sabha from among themselves, usually on the date fixed for the first meeting of a new House (Article 93). The election follows the procedure of “election by division” unless cancelled by consensus. The Speaker continues in office until immediately before the first meeting of the next Lok Sabha — the post does not vacate on dissolution.

The Chairman is not elected by Rajya Sabha at all. By Article 89, the Vice-President of India is the ex-officio Chairman — elected indirectly by an electoral college of both Houses of Parliament (Article 66) — and, crucially, is not a member of Rajya Sabha. Rajya Sabha elects only its Deputy Chairman from among its members.

Removal: Notice Period and Majority Requirements

Under Article 94, the Speaker can be removed by a resolution passed by a majority of all the then members of Lok Sabha (an effective majority), after at least 14 days’ written notice. During consideration of such a resolution, the Speaker does not preside but may speak and vote (Article 96).

The Vice-President’s removal as Chairman (Article 67(b)) requires a resolution of Rajya Sabha passed by an effective majority, agreed to by Lok Sabha by a simple majority. No grounds need to be stated, and there is no impeachment provision — unlike the President. Notice requires at least 14 days. This makes the Chairman’s removal procedurally harder — he cannot be removed by Rajya Sabha alone.

Exam-Ready Comparison Table: All Powers Side by Side

Casting Vote and Ordinary Vote Rules

Article 100 provides that the person presiding shall not vote in the first instance but shall have and exercise a casting vote in the case of an equality of votes. For the Speaker, this means he abstains from ordinary voting (a departure from the British Speaker’s strict neutrality, since the Indian Speaker remains a party MP). For the Chairman, the position is structurally identical: as a non-member, he cannot vote at all except to resolve a tie.

Adjudication Powers: Money Bill and Anti-Defection

Two adjudicatory powers set the Speaker apart:

• Money Bill certification (Article 110(3)): The Speaker’s decision on whether a Bill is a Money Bill is final on the face of it — a power the Rajya Sabha Chairman simply does not possess. Famous instances include the Aadhaar Act, 2016, certified as a Money Bill.
• Tenth Schedule disqualification: Under Paragraph 6 of the Tenth Schedule, the Speaker decides disqualification questions for Lok Sabha MPs; the Chairman does the same for Rajya Sabha MPs. In Kihoto Hollohan v. Zachillhu (1992), the Supreme Court upheld this role but made both officers’ decisions subject to judicial review.

Suspension and Discipline of Members

The Speaker can order withdrawal of a disorderly member under Rule 373, suspend for the remainder of the session under Rule 374, and — for gross disorderly conduct — automatically suspend for five consecutive sittings or the remainder of the session, whichever is less, under Rule 374A, without a motion being adopted. The Rajya Sabha Chairman’s equivalents are Rules 255 and 256 (withdrawal and suspension for the remainder of the session) — there is no Rule 374A-style automatic suspension in the Upper House. Deputy Chairman rules mirror the Chairman’s disciplinary powers.

Joint Sitting: Who Presides and Why

Under Article 118(4), the President may summon a joint sitting of both Houses to resolve a deadlock over an ordinary Bill, and it is the Speaker who presides — named specifically by the Constitution. The Deputy Speaker (or Deputy Chairman of Rajya Sabha, if the Deputy Speaker is absent) presides in that order. The Chairman never presides over a joint sitting. The logic reflects the Lok Sabha’s numerical dominance — with roughly 543 members against 245, joint sittings are effectively decided by the Lower House.

Committee Appointments and Other Key Powers

• The Speaker appoints the chairpersons of key parliamentary committees, including Public Accounts, Estimates, and Committee on Public Undertakings.
• The Speaker heads the Business Advisory Committee and the Rules Committee of Lok Sabha.
• The Speaker’s prior recommendation is needed for introduction of Money Bills and Bills involving expenditure from the Consolidated Fund (Articles 110, 117).
• The Speaker decides whether a Bill is a Money Bill and presides when a resolution for their own removal is discussed only for debate, not for presiding.
• The Chairman exercises parallel powers within Rajya Sabha — appointing RS committee chairpersons and regulating RS business — but the Money Bill certification and joint sitting presiding powers remain exclusively the Speaker’s.

Previous Year UPSC and SSC Questions on This Topic

1. UPSC Prelims 2017: “The Speaker of the Lok Sabha may be removed from office by…?” — answer: a resolution passed by a majority of all then members of Lok Sabha after 14 days’ notice.
2. UPSC Prelims 2008: Question on the Speaker’s casting vote in the first instance — the presiding officer votes only on a tie.
3. UPSC Prelims 2018: Question involving the Money Bill and the Speaker’s certification power under Article 110(3).
4. SSC CGL: “Who presides over a joint sitting of Parliament?” — the Speaker of Lok Sabha (Article 118(4)).

Memory Tricks and Quick Revision Points

• “Speaker SPEAKS on Money” — Money Bill certification is the Speaker’s alone.
• “14-14” — 14 days’ notice for both the Speaker’s removal and the Vice-President’s removal resolution.
• “Chairman = Vice-President = outsider” — not an RS member, so only a casting vote.
• “LS 374A, RS 256” — automatic suspension exists only in Lok Sabha.
• “Joint = Speaker’s show” — Article 118(4) names the Speaker.
• “Kihoto = Court review” — anti-defection decisions of both Speaker and Chairman are judicially reviewable.
• “No impeachment for VP” — removal by RS resolution + LS agreement, that’s all.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Can the Rajya Sabha Chairman vote in the House?

No — the Vice-President is not a member of Rajya Sabha, so he cannot vote in the first instance. He exercises only a casting vote when there is an equality of votes, under Article 100.

Q: Is the impeachment process applicable to the Vice-President as Chairman?

No. There is no formal impeachment like the President’s. The Vice-President is removed under Article 67(b) — a Rajya Sabha resolution by effective majority (14 days’ notice), agreed to by Lok Sabha by simple majority. No grounds need to be stated.

Q: Who decides disqualification under the anti-defection law in Rajya Sabha?

The Chairman, mirroring the Speaker’s role in Lok Sabha under Paragraph 6 of the Tenth Schedule. Under Kihoto Hollohan (1992), such decisions are subject to judicial review.

Q: Why does the Speaker and not the Chairman preside over joint sittings?

Article 118(4) specifically names the Speaker. It also reflects the Lok Sabha’s numerical dominance — the Lower House’s greater strength effectively decides joint sitting outcomes.

Q: What is the notice period for removing the Speaker?

Fourteen days’ written notice under Article 94, followed by a resolution passed by a majority of all the then members of Lok Sabha (effective majority).

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