NDA (I) 2021 General Ability Test · Question 139 of 149

Correct — B, the Speaker does not cast a vote in the first instance. Article 100(1) says questions are decided by a majority of the members present and voting, and it expressly excludes the presiding officer from that first round of voting; the Speaker votes only to break a tie, exercising a casting vote. So 'will cast vote in the first instance' describes something the Speaker cannot do, which is exactly what the question asks for. The other three are genuine powers.

• (a)Speaker shall preside over the House of the People — This is a core power — the Speaker presides over sittings of the Lok Sabha and regulates its business, so it is a real power, not the exception being sought.
• (c)Speaker will have power to maintain order within the House of the People — Maintaining order and enforcing discipline in the House is one of the Speaker's principal functions, so this is a valid power.
• (d)Speaker can adjourn the House or suspend the meeting till there is a quorum — Under Article 100(3) the quorum is one-tenth of the total membership; if it is lacking, the Speaker adjourns or suspends the sitting — a genuine power.

The Speaker is the presiding officer of the Lok Sabha, elected by the House from among its members. The Speaker presides over sittings, decides points of order, maintains discipline, certifies Money Bills and normally does not vote — retaining only a casting vote to break a tie (Article 100).

The trap is that the Speaker clearly has a vote in some sense, so option (b) looks plausible. The distinction is when: an ordinary member votes 'in the first instance', but the Speaker stays out of that first round and steps in only if the result is a tie. Read 'in the first instance' carefully and (b) becomes the odd one out.

• Article 100(1): a presiding officer does not vote in the first instance but has a casting vote to break a tie.
• Article 100(3): the quorum for either House is one-tenth of its total membership.
• The Speaker is elected by the Lok Sabha and vacates office if he/she ceases to be a member of the House.
• The Speaker decides whether a Bill is a Money Bill, and that decision is final.

• Assuming the Speaker votes like any member — the Speaker only breaks ties.
• Confusing 'casting vote' (a tie-breaker) with a normal first-instance vote.

Usually framed as 'which is / is not a power of the Speaker', with the voting rule (casting vote vs first-instance vote) as the deciding trap.

• practice — not a real PYQ

  In the Lok Sabha, the Speaker exercises a vote only

  • (a)in the first instance like every member
  • (b)in the case of an equality of votes (a tie)
  • (c)on money bills alone
  • (d)never, under any circumstances

  Answer(b) in the case of an equality of votes — this is the Speaker's casting vote under Article 100(1).

• practice — not a real PYQ

  What is the quorum to constitute a sitting of either House of Parliament?

  • (a)One-third of the total members
  • (b)One-half of the total members
  • (c)One-tenth of the total members
  • (d)One-fifth of the total members

  Answer(c) One-tenth of the total members — Article 100(3); the Speaker adjourns the House if it is lacking.