RAS question
The pro-tem Speaker of the Rajasthan Legislative Assembly is appointed by:
Correct answer: (D) Governor.
The pro-tem Speaker of the Rajasthan Legislative Assembly is appointed by the Governor.
Explanation
After a general election, the Governor appoints a pro-tem Speaker, usually the senior-most member, to preside over the first sitting of the newly constituted Rajasthan Legislative Assembly. The role is temporary: the pro-tem Speaker administers the oath to newly elected members and conducts the election of the regular Speaker. The constitutional basis is the Governor's power, when the office of Speaker is vacant and the Deputy Speaker's office is also vacant, to appoint a member of the Assembly to perform the Speaker's duties for that purpose. This is why the appointing authority is the Governor, not an elected office-bearer from the previous Assembly or an election-management body.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) The Chief Minister heads the Council of Ministers but the appointment of a member to perform the Speaker's duties when the Speaker's office is vacant is tied to the Governor's constitutional role.
- (B) The outgoing Speaker does not appoint the pro-tem Speaker; the temporary arrangement is made for the newly constituted Assembly under the Governor's authority.
- (C) The Election Commission conducts elections, but it has no role in appointing a member to preside over the Assembly's first sitting or perform the Speaker's duties.
Concept
This tests the constitutional procedure for forming a newly elected State Legislative Assembly. RAS frequently asks such points because they connect Rajasthan polity with the Governor's formal powers and Assembly procedure.