Consider the following statements regarding the leader of the oppositi...
- The criteria for leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha was spelt out initially by GV Mavalankar, the first Lok Sabha speaker. He had ruled in the Lok Sabha that the strength of the main Opposition party, to be officially recognised as such, must be equal to the quorum of the house which is equivalent to 10 per cent of the members.
- Subsequently, the statutory definition of the leader of opposition, however, came with the Salary and Allowances of Leader of Opposition Act of 1977. It said the Leader of Opposition will be from the Opposition party having the greatest numerical strength and recognised as such by the Lok Sabha Speaker or the Rajya Sabha Chairperson in the respective houses. While this act did not set the 10 per cent condition but Mavalankar‘s was a ruling of the Speaker and was enforceable as law. Mavalankar rule was finally incorporated in Direction 121(1) in Parliament (Facilities) Act 1998. This rule remains unchanged. Consequently, leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha must be from a opposition party having at least 10 percent of the seats in the house and recognized as such by the Lok Sabha Speaker. Hence, statement 1 is not correct.
- The leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha is a member of committees entrusted with the responsibility of selecting Central Vigilance Commissioner (CVC), Chief Information Commissioner (CIC), Director of CBI and Lokpal. In addition, the committees for selection of CVC and CIC also provide for the inclusion of the leader of the largest opposition party in case there is no recognized leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha. Hence, statement 2 is correct.
- The leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha were recognized for the first time in the year 1969. Hence, statement 3 is not correct.
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Consider the following statements regarding the leader of the oppositi...
Explanation:
The leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha plays a crucial role in the functioning of the house. Let's analyze each statement given in the question:
Statement 1: It is defined as the leader of the opposition party having the greatest numerical strength and recognized as such by the Presiding officer.
This statement is correct. According to the rules of Lok Sabha, the leader of the opposition is recognized as such by the Presiding officer. The opposition party with the greatest numerical strength is given the status of the leader of the opposition. This recognition allows the leader of the opposition to have certain privileges and responsibilities in the functioning of the Lok Sabha.
Statement 2: He is a member of the committee to select the Chief Information Commissioner.
This statement is incorrect. The leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha is not a member of the committee to select the Chief Information Commissioner. The committee to select the Chief Information Commissioner consists of the Prime Minister, the leader of the opposition in the Rajya Sabha, and a Union Cabinet Minister nominated by the Prime Minister.
Statement 3: The leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha were recognized for the first time in the year 1969 and 1952 respectively.
This statement is incorrect. The leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha were recognized for the first time in the year 1977 and 1969 respectively. The recognition of the leader of the opposition is important as it allows for effective functioning of the parliamentary democracy by providing a platform for the opposition to voice their concerns and opinions.
In conclusion, statement 1 is correct, statement 2 is incorrect, and statement 3 is incorrect. Therefore, the correct answer is option C (2 only).
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