MPPSC 2021 Prelims Paper-I · Question 78 of 100

Correct — A, Ramkishore Shukla. Records of the Madhya Pradesh Legislative Assembly show Shukla served as Deputy Speaker on two separate occasions (spanning periods between 1968 and 1984), and later as Speaker (1984–85), in addition to serving as Pro-tem Speaker — making him the one figure among these four documented as having held all three offices. He also held Cabinet portfolios including Finance and Law & Legislative Affairs.

• (b)Kunjilal Dube — Kunji Lal Dubey was Madhya Pradesh's first and longest-serving Speaker (1956–1967) — the state's founding Speaker — but is not documented as having also held the Deputy Speaker or Pro-tem Speaker offices.
• (c)Kashiprasad Pandey — Kashi Prasad Pandey served as the Assembly's 2nd Speaker (1967–1972), but is not documented as having also held the Deputy Speaker or Pro-tem Speaker offices.
• (d)Tejlal Tembhre — Tejlal Tembhre served as the Assembly's 3rd Speaker for a brief term of under five months in 1972, but is not documented as having also held the Deputy Speaker or Pro-tem Speaker offices.

The Madhya Pradesh Legislative Assembly, like other state Houses, has three related but distinct presiding offices: the Pro-tem Speaker (a temporary presiding officer who administers the oath to newly elected members and oversees the election of the regular Speaker right after a fresh Assembly is constituted), the Speaker (the House's permanent presiding officer, elected by its members), and the Deputy Speaker (who presides in the Speaker's absence). Very few individuals go on to hold all three across a single career — most MLAs who reach the Speaker's chair are elected directly to it, or serve only as Deputy Speaker.

MPPSC likes to test which one Madhya Pradesh politician accumulated all three related presiding offices across a career, against others who reached only one of them (usually just Speaker) — a 'spot the fuller CV' pattern.

• Kunjilal Dubey — MP's first Speaker (1956–1967), the state's longest-serving Speaker
• Kashiprasad Pandey — MP's 2nd Speaker (1967–1972)
• Tejlal Tembhre — MP's 3rd Speaker, for a brief term of under five months in 1972
• Ramkishore Shukla — Deputy Speaker (twice) and Speaker (1984–85); the only one of the four also on record as Pro-tem Speaker

• Assuming the first/longest-serving Speaker (Kunjilal Dubey) must be the 'most offices held' answer — longevity in one office is not the same as holding all three
• Confusing the Pro-tem Speaker (a temporary role at the start of a new Assembly) with the regular Speaker

MPPSC frequently drills exact Madhya Pradesh Assembly office-holder trivia (who held offices X, Y and Z) — build a quick mental table of Speakers and Deputy Speakers rather than trusting name recognition.

No directly related past PYQ was found.

• practice — not a real PYQ

  The Pro-tem Speaker of a State Legislative Assembly is appointed by the:

  • (a)Governor
  • (b)outgoing Speaker
  • (c)Chief Minister
  • (d)President

  Answer(a) Governor.

• practice — not a real PYQ

  Who administers the oath to newly elected members of a State Legislative Assembly before a regular Speaker is elected?

  • (a)the Governor
  • (b)the Pro-tem Speaker
  • (c)the Chief Secretary
  • (d)the Deputy Speaker

  Answer(b) the Pro-tem Speaker.