Opposition’s Demand for Appointing Deputy Speaker

• The position of Deputy Speaker was vacant for the entire duration of the 17th Lok Sabha (LS) (2019-24).

About Deputy Speaker

Election

• Elected by the members of LS after the election of the Speaker.
• The date of election of the Deputy Speaker is fixed by the Speaker (date of election of the Speaker is fixed by the President).
• The institutions of Speaker and Deputy Speaker originated in India in 1921 under the provisions of the Government of India Act of 1919 (Montague-Chelmsford Reforms).
  • At that time, the Speaker and the Deputy Speaker were called the President and Deputy President respectively and the same nomenclature continued till 1947.
• Tenure and Removal
• Remains in office usually during the life of the Lok Sabha (5 years).
• He/She may vacate his/her office earlier in any of the following three cases:
  • If he/she ceases to be a member of the Lok Sabha.
  • If he/she resigns by writing to the Speaker.
  • If he/she is removed by a resolution passed by a majority of all the then members of the Lok Sabha.
• Such a resolution can be moved only after giving 14 days’ advance notice.

Responsibilities and Powers

• Under Article 95 of the Constitution, the Deputy Speaker performs the duties of the Speaker’s office when it is vacant.
• He/She also acts as the Speaker when the latter is absent from the sitting of the House.
• He/She also presides over the joint sitting of both the Houses of Parliament, in case the Speaker is absent from such a sitting.
• The Deputy Speaker has one special privilege, that is, whenever he/she is appointed as a member of a parliamentary committee, he/she automatically becomes its chairman.

Om Birla Re-elected as Lok Sabha Speaker

• Om Birla is elected as the Speaker of the 18th Lok Sabha for a second consecutive term.

Speaker of Lok Sabha

• S/he is the Presiding Officer of the Lower House of Parliament of India – the Lok Sabha.
• The Speaker is the constitutional and ceremonial head of the Lok Sabha.
• The Speaker is responsible for maintaining order and decorum in the house, conducting its business, and ensuring that the legislative process is carried out smoothly.

Election

• The Speaker of Lok Sabha is elected by its members from among themselves.
• Only current Lok Sabha members are eligible for election as Speaker.
• The President of India determines the election date for the Speaker.
• The election is scheduled as soon as possible after the House's first sitting.

Tenure and Removal

• The Speaker serves for the duration of the Lok Sabha's term but must vacate the office under any of the following conditions:
  • if he ceases to be a member of the Lok Sabha.
  • if he resigns by writing to the Deputy Speaker.
  • if he is removed by a resolution passed by a majority of all then members of the Lok Sabha.
    • Such a resolution can be moved only after giving 14 days’ advance notice.
    • When a resolution for the removal of the Speaker is under consideration of the House, he cannot preside at the sitting of the House, though he may be present.
    • However, he can speak and take part in the proceedings of the House at such a time and vote in the first instance, though not in the case of an equality of votes.
• Note: When the Lok Sabha is dissolved, the Speaker does not vacate his office and continues till the newly elected Lok Sabha meets.

First Pilot Project for Underground Coal Gasification in Jharkhand

• This project is launched by the Ministry of Coal.
• Aim: Revolutionize the coal industry by using in-situ coal gasification to convert it into valuable gases such as methane, hydrogen, carbon monoxide, and carbon dioxide.
• By-products: Synthetic natural gas, chemical feedstocks for fuels, fertilizers, explosives, and other industrial applications.

What is Coal Gasification?

• It is a process in which coal is partially oxidised with air, oxygen, steam or carbon dioxide to form a fuel gas.
• This gas is then used instead of piped natural gas, methane and others for deriving energy.
• In-situ gasification of coal or Underground Coal Gasification is the technique of converting coal into gas while it is still in the seam and then extracting it through wells.

International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking 2024

• Each year, 26^th June is observed as the "International Day against Drug Abuse & Illicit Trafficking.
• To commemorate the occasion of International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking the Department of Social Justice & Empowerment is organizing a programme on 26th June 2024 at Dr. Ambedkar International Centre, 15 Janpath, New Delhi.
• This year theme for the day is “The Evidence is Clear: Invest in Prevention”

5. China’s Chang’e-6 Probe Successfully Returns to Earth

• China’s Chang’e-6 lunar module was successfully retrieved in Inner Mongolia.
• It is the first spacecraft to bring back samples from far side of the moon (the part the Earth never gets to see).
• The rock and soil samples, gathered from the South Pole-Aitken Basin by the probe, have been sent to Beijing for further analysis.