MPPSC 2019 Prelims Q17: Who was the Speaker of previous Madhya Pradesh Assembly

Q: What is the answer to MPPSC 2019 Prelims Q17?

C. Correct — C, Dr. Sitasaran Sharma. He was the Speaker of the 14th Madhya Pradesh Vidhan Sabha — the House elected in the 2013 assembly polls — and presided from 2014 until 2018.

MPPSC 2019 Prelims Paper-I · Question 17 of 99

Verified against the official question paper. Answer as per the official MPPSC answer key.

Who was the Speaker of previous Madhya Pradesh Assembly (2014-2018) ?

(a)Pt. Kunjilal Dubey
(b)Shri Ishwardas Rohani
(c)Dr. Sitasaran Sharma
(d)Shri Rajender Singh

Answer

Why

Correct — C, Dr. Sitasaran Sharma. He was the Speaker of the 14th Madhya Pradesh Vidhan Sabha — the House elected in the 2013 assembly polls — and presided from 2014 until 2018.

Why the others are wrong

(a)Pt. Kunjilal Dubey — Wrong — Pandit Kunjilal Dubey was the very first Speaker of the MP Legislative Assembly (from 1956), decades before the 2014-2018 House.
(b)Shri Ishwardas Rohani — Wrong — Ishwardas Rohani was an MP Assembly Speaker in the 2000s, not during the 2014-2018 term.
(d)Shri Rajender Singh — Wrong — he was not the Speaker of the 2014-2018 Madhya Pradesh Assembly.

Concept

The Speaker presides over a State Legislative Assembly, is elected by the members from among themselves (Article 178), and holds office through the life of that Assembly. Each MP Vidhan Sabha therefore has its own Speaker; the 14th Assembly (constituted 2014) was presided over by Dr. Sitasaran Sharma.

All four are plausible MP political names, so it is a 'which term' recall test. Peg each name to its Assembly: Kunjilal Dubey was the first (1950s-60s); Sitasaran Sharma was the Speaker of 2014-2018.

Key facts

A State Assembly Speaker is elected by the MLAs under Article 178
Pandit Kunjilal Dubey was the first Speaker of the MP Legislative Assembly (1956)
Dr. Sitasaran Sharma, an MLA from Hoshangabad, was Speaker of the 14th MP Vidhan Sabha (2014-2018)
The Speaker holds office for the duration of that Assembly

Study next

Office of the Speaker — election, powers and the anti-defection role (10th Schedule)Articles 178-181 — Speaker and Deputy Speaker of a State AssemblyFirst office-holders of Madhya Pradesh (Speaker, Chief Minister, Governor)Composition and term of the MP Vidhan SabhaPresiding officers: Speaker vs Chairman of the Legislative Council

Common traps

Mixing up the first Speaker (Kunjilal Dubey) with the 2014-2018 Speaker
Assuming the most famous or longest-serving name is the answer

MPPSC repeatedly asks 'who was the (first) Speaker of the MP Assembly'; UPSC tests the Speaker's constitutional role rather than the names.

Related PYQs

MPPSC_2023_PRE_PaperI_Q202023Open & attempt →

Who amongst the following was the first Speaker of the Madhya Pradesh Legislative Assembly?

(a) Bhagwantrao Mandloi
(b) Dwarka Prasad Mishra
(c) Shankar Dayal Sharma
(d) Pandit Kunjilal Dubey

Answer(d) Pandit Kunjilal Dubey

Same institution — the MP Assembly Speakership. It pins down Kunjilal Dubey as the first Speaker, which is exactly why he (option A here) cannot be the 2014-2018 Speaker.

Practice

practice — not a real PYQ
Under which Article are the Speaker and Deputy Speaker of a State Legislative Assembly provided for?
- (a)Article 178
- (b)Article 165
- (c)Article 213
- (d)Article 243
Answer(a) Article 178.
practice — not a real PYQ
Who was the first Speaker of the Madhya Pradesh Legislative Assembly?
- (a)Dr. Sitasaran Sharma
- (b)Pandit Kunjilal Dubey
- (c)Ishwardas Rohani
- (d)Shankar Dayal Sharma
Answer(b) Pandit Kunjilal Dubey.