Rajasthan Legislative Assembly: Formation, Procedure, Committees and Speaker
Additional information
- Term and Emergency: The Assembly normally lasts five years. During a national Emergency, Parliament may extend it by law for one year at a time. The fifth Assembly lasted from March 1972 to April 1977, beyond five years.
- Casting vote: The Speaker does not ordinarily vote but uses a casting vote when the votes are tied.
- Committees: Committees examine government work in detail. The Public Accounts Committee scrutinises public expenditure.
- Anti-defection: The Speaker decides disqualification petitions under the Tenth Schedule, subject to judicial review.
- Pro-tem Speaker: Presides after a new Assembly is elected, administers members' oaths and conducts the election of the permanent Speaker.
1. Constitutional framework and development
1.1 Constitutional provisions
Part VI, Articles 168โ212 of the Constitution cover state legislatures. Rajasthan has a unicameral legislature consisting of the Governor and the Legislative Assembly.
| Article | Provision |
|---|---|
| 168 | Composition of the state legislature: Governor and Assembly in Rajasthan. |
| 170 | Assembly members are directly elected; ordinarily 60โ500 members. Rajasthan has 200. |
| 172 | Ordinary term is five years from the first sitting; Parliament may extend it during a national Emergency, one year at a time. |
| 173 | An Assembly member must be an Indian citizen and at least 25 years old. |
| 174 | Governor summons and prorogues sessions and may dissolve the Assembly; the interval between sessions cannot exceed six months. |
| 178 | Assembly elects a Speaker and Deputy Speaker from its members. |
| 179 | Vacancies, resignations and removal of Speaker and Deputy Speaker; removal requires 14 days' notice and a majority of all then members. |
| 180 | Deputy Speaker or another person performs the Speaker's duties when necessary. |
| 181 | Speaker or Deputy Speaker does not preside while a resolution for their removal is considered. |
| 188 | Members take the oath before the Governor or a person authorised by the Governor. |
| 189 | Decisions are by a majority of members present and voting; Speaker has a casting vote. Quorum is ten members or one-tenth of total membership, whichever is greater: 20 in Rajasthan. |
| 194 | Powers, privileges and immunities of legislatures and members. |
| 208 | Legislature may make rules regulating its procedure and conduct of business. |
1.2 Membership over time
The first general election was held in January 1952. The first sitting took place on 29 March 1952 at Sawai Man Singh Town Hall in Jaipur.
| Assembly | Years | Seats | SC / ST seats | Exam fact |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| First | 1952โ57 | 160 initially; 190 in 1956 | 16 / 5 | Merger of Ajmer-Merwara's 30 seats, Abu Dilwara and Sunel Tappa on 1 November 1956. |
| Second | 1957โ62 | 176 | 28 / 20 | Delimitation reduced strength from 190. |
| Third | 1962โ67 | 176 | 28 / 20 | Strength remained unchanged. |
| Fourth | 1967โ72 | 184 | 31 / 21 | Increase based on the 1961 Census; first President's Rule in 1967. |
| Fifth | 1972โ77 | 184 | 31 / 21 | Term extended beyond five years during the Emergency. |
| Sixth | 1977โ80 | 200 | 33 / 24 | First Assembly with 200 members, based on 1971 Census delimitation; first non-Congress government under Bhairon Singh Shekhawat. |
| Seventhโfifteenth | 1980โ2023 | 200 | 34 / 25 after 2008 delimitation | Seat total frozen until the first Census after 2026 under the 84th Amendment, 2001. |
| Sixteenth | 2023โpresent | 200 | 34 / 25 | Constituted in December 2023. |
1.3 Old and new buildings
| Feature | Old Town Hall | New Assembly building |
|---|---|---|
| Location | Sawai Man Singh Town Hall, near Hawa Mahal and Badi Chaupar, Jaipur | Jyoti Nagar, Lal Kothi, Jaipur |
| Use | 1952โ2000, about 49 years | From 2001 |
| Opening | Palace built in the era of Maharaja Sawai Man Singh II | Inaugurated on 6 November 2001 by President K. R. Narayanan |
| Character | Historic Kachwaha-style building with insufficient space for 200 members | Modern and Rajasthani architecture, including Jodhpur stone, jharokhas, chhatris and baradari; chamber capacity of 260 |
2. Procedure and conduct of business
Rajasthan's Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business are made under Article 208.
2.1 Daily sequence
- Question Hour, 11 a.m.โnoon: First hour of a sitting, when members question the government about policy and administration. Starred questions receive oral replies and allow supplementary questions. Unstarred questions receive written replies without supplementary questions. Short-notice questions concern urgent public matters and seek oral replies with shorter notice than the ordinary 21 days.
- Zero Hour, from noon: Between Question Hour and regular business, members raise urgent public matters. It developed in Indian parliamentary practice from 1962 and is not formally specified in the rules.
- After lunch: Legislative and government business such as bills, budget, resolutions and debates.
2.2 Major motions
| Motion | Rule / support | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Adjournment | Rule 50; support of 20 members | Interrupts scheduled business to discuss a recent, definite and urgent matter of public importance. |
| Calling attention | Rule 131; one member with Speaker's permission | Draws the relevant minister's attention to an urgent matter and obtains an official statement. |
| No-confidence | Rule 143; support of at least 20 members | Opposition challenges the entire Council of Ministers; no reason must be stated. Government resigns if motion passes. |
| Confidence | Procedural rules | Government or Chief Minister demonstrates majority support in the Assembly. |
| Privilege | Rule 157; one member | Raises a breach of the House's or members' privileges, such as misleading information; may go to the Privileges Committee. |
| Cut motion | Budget procedure | Seeks to reduce a demand for grant: disapproval of policy reduces it to โน1; economy cut specifies a reduction; token cut reduces it by โน100. |
3. Parliamentary committees
The Assembly does not meet year-round, so committees examine complex business in detail. The supplied notes describe more than 20 standing committees, including four financial committees. Each financial committee has 15 members, elected annually by proportional representation through the single transferable vote, with a one-year term. Ministers cannot be members.
| Financial committee | Main work | Chair |
|---|---|---|
| Public Accounts Committee | Examines CAG audit reports and whether money was spent for the purposes approved by the Assembly; called the House's financial eyes and ears and the twin of the Estimates Committee. | By convention, a senior opposition member. |
| Estimates Committee A | Reviews estimates, economy in spending, administrative reforms and financial justification for departments such as Home, General Administration, Finance, Revenue and Police. | Nominated by Speaker. |
| Estimates Committee B | Reviews estimates and development spending of other departments, including Health, Education, Irrigation, Agriculture, Construction and Social Welfare. | Nominated by Speaker. |
| Committee on Public Undertakings | Reviews accounts, profits, losses and CAG reports of state enterprises such as RSRTC, power distribution companies, RIICO and RSMM. | Nominated by Speaker. |
Other committees include:
- Business Advisory Committee: Up to 15 members including the Speaker, its ex-officio chair; allocates time for legislative and government business.
- Rules Committee: 15 members including the Speaker as ex-officio chair; recommends changes to procedure rules.
- Privileges Committee: 15 members; examines breaches of privilege and recommends action.
- Ethics Committee: Monitors members' ethical and conduct standards.
- Committee on Subordinate Legislation: Checks whether executive-made rules and bylaws stay within the parent Act.
4. Presiding officers
4.1 Speaker
The Speaker presides over the House, maintains order, interprets procedure, certifies money bills under Article 199(3), decides anti-defection cases under the Tenth Schedule, uses a casting vote under Article 189(1) when votes tie, and supervises committees. The Speaker chairs the Business Advisory and Rules Committees. Anti-defection decisions are subject to judicial review under the 1992 Kihoto Hollohan judgment.
4.2 Pro-tem Speaker
The Governor appoints a pro-tem Speaker for the first sitting of a newly elected Assembly under the arrangements of Articles 180(1) and 188. Convention favours the senior-most newly elected member. The Governor administers the oath. The pro-tem Speaker administers members' oaths and oversees election of the permanent Speaker; the temporary role then ends. Sangram Singh was Rajasthan's first pro-tem Speaker in 1952. Kalicharan Saraf served for the sixteenth Assembly in December 2023.
5. Speakers of the Rajasthan Legislative Assembly
| No. | Assembly | Speaker | From | To | Exam fact |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | First | Narottam Lal Joshi | 31 Mar 1952 | 25 Apr 1957 | First Speaker; MLA from Jhunjhunu and freedom fighter. |
| 2 | Second | Ram Niwas Mirdha | 25 Apr 1957 | 2 Mar 1962 | Youngest Speaker, aged 33. |
| 3 | Third | Ram Niwas Mirdha | 3 Mar 1962 | 3 May 1967 | Longest continuous service, about ten years from 1957 to 1967; later a Union minister. |
| 4 | Fourth | Niranjan Nath Acharya | 3 May 1967 | 20 Mar 1972 | Scholar and freedom fighter from Mewar. |
| 5 | Fifth | Ramkishore Vyas | 20 Mar 1972 | 18 Jul 1977 | Speaker during the Emergency. |
| 6 | Sixth | Maharawal Laxman Singh | 18 Jul 1977 | 20 Jun 1979 | First non-Congress Speaker; former ruler of Dungarpur, during Janata Party government. |
| 7 | Sixth | Gopal Singh | 25 Sep 1979 | 7 Jul 1980 | Served during Janata Party rule. |
| 8 | Seventh | Poonamchand Vishnoi | 7 Jul 1980 | 20 Mar 1985 | Earlier Deputy Speaker, 1967โ71, and pro-tem Speaker. |
| 9 | Eighth | Hira Lal Devpura | 20 Mar 1985 | 16 Oct 1985 | Only person to serve as both Chief Minister, for 16 days, and Speaker. |
| 10 | Eighth | Giriraj Prasad Tiwari | 31 Jan 1986 | 11 Mar 1990 | Senior MLA from Bayana, Bharatpur. |
| 11 | Ninth | Harishankar Bhabhra | 16 Mar 1990 | 21 Dec 1993 | Senior BJP leader. |
| 12 | Tenth | Harishankar Bhabhra | 30 Dec 1993 | 5 Oct 1994 | Resigned and became Deputy Chief Minister, 1994โ98. |
| 13 | Tenth | Shantilal Chaplot | 7 Apr 1995 | 18 Mar 1998 | MLA from Mavli, Udaipur; active in Commonwealth Parliamentary Association. |
| 14 | Tenth | Samarth Lal Meena | 24 Jul 1998 | 4 Jan 1999 | MLA from Rajgarh, Alwar; short tenure. |
| 15 | Eleventh | Parsaram Maderna | 6 Jan 1999 | 15 Jan 2004 | Farmer leader from Marwar; former Revenue and Home Minister. |
| 16 | Twelfth | Sumitra Singh | 16 Jan 2004 | 1 Jan 2009 | First woman Speaker; nine-time MLA from Jhunjhunu. |
| 17 | Thirteenth | Deependra Singh Shekhawat | 2 Jan 2009 | 21 Jan 2014 | MLA from Srimadhopur, Sikar. |
| 18 | Fourteenth | Kailash Chandra Meghwal | 22 Jan 2014 | 15 Jan 2019 | Oldest Speaker, aged over 80; first Scheduled Caste Speaker. |
| 19 | Fifteenth | C. P. Joshi | 16 Jan 2019 | 20 Dec 2023 | Former Union Cabinet Minister and MLA from Nathdwara; linked with Digital Bal Mela. |
| 20 | Sixteenth | Vasudev Devnani | 21 Dec 2023 | Incumbent | MLA from Ajmer North; former Education Minister. |
Deputy Speakers
Lal Singh Shaktawat was the first Deputy Speaker, 1952โ57. Tara Bhandari was the first woman Deputy Speaker, in the twelfth Assembly, and represented Sirohi. Other notable Deputy Speakers include Niranjan Nath Acharya, Poonamchand Vishnoi, Ramchandra and Rao Rajendra Singh.
6. Quick revision
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Nature of Rajasthan legislature | Unicameral. |
| Seats since 1977 | 200. |
| Reserved seats | 34 SC and 25 ST; 59 reserved and 141 general. |
| Quorum | 20 members under Article 189. |
| First sitting | 29 March 1952 at Sawai Man Singh Town Hall, Jaipur. |
| New building inauguration | 6 November 2001 by President K. R. Narayanan. |
| First and longest-serving Speakers | Narottam Lal Joshi; Ram Niwas Mirdha. |
| First non-Congress and first woman Speakers | Maharawal Laxman Singh; Sumitra Singh. |
| First woman Deputy Speaker | Tara Bhandari. |
| Speaker who was also Chief Minister | Hira Lal Devpura. |
| Speaker who became Deputy Chief Minister | Harishankar Bhabhra. |
| First and sixteenth-Assembly pro-tem Speakers | Sangram Singh; Kalicharan Saraf. |
| Current Speaker | Vasudev Devnani. |
| Minimum support for adjournment and no-confidence motions | 20 members. |
| Public Accounts Committee chair | By convention, a senior opposition member. |
| Ex-officio chair of Business Advisory and Rules Committees | Speaker. |
Final Revision Table
| Topic | Key Point | Exam Importance |
|---|---|---|
| Nature of Assembly | Unicameral | โ โ โ โ โ |
| Total Members | 200 | โ โ โ โ โ |
| SC/ST Seats | 34 / 25 | โ โ โ โ โ |
| First Meeting | 29 March 1952 | โ โ โ โ โ |
| New Building Inaugurated | 6 Nov 2001 | โ โ โ โ โ |
| First Speaker | Narottam Lal Joshi | โ โ โ โ โ |
| Longest Serving Speaker | Ram Niwas Mirdha | โ โ โ โ โ |
| First Woman Speaker | Sumitra Singh | โ โ โ โ โ |
| First Non-Congress Speaker | Maharawal Laxman Singh | โ โ โ โ โ |
| CM and Speaker Both | Heera Lal Devpura | โ โ โ โ โ |
| Speaker who became Deputy CM | Harishankar Bhabhra | โ โ โ โ โ |
| Financial Committees | 4 | โ โ โ โ โ |
| No-Confidence Motion Rule | Rule 143 | โ โ โ โ โ |
| Adjournment Motion Rule | Rule 50 | โ โ โ โ โ |
| Calling Attention Motion Rule | Rule 131 | โ โ โ โ โ |
| Privilege Motion Rule | Rule 157 | โ โ โ โ โ |
| Quorum | 20 members | โ โ โ โ โ |
| Ex-officio Chairman of BAC | Speaker | โ โ โ โ โ |
| Current Speaker | Vasudev Devnani | โ โ โ โ โ |
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