UPSC Essentials | Mains answer practice — GS 2 | Questions on Iran-Israel conflict and deputy speaker (Week 47)

QUESTION 2

How is the deputy speaker of the Lok Sabha elected? What does the constitution say about the position of Deputy Speaker?

General points on the structure of the answers

Introduction

QUESTION 1: What is India’s stake in the Iran-Israel conflict? Discuss why India does not want to escalate the tensions.

Introduction:

Iran-Israel conflict

— The Iran-Israel relationship has not always been as fraught as it is today. Iran was one of the first countries in the region to recognise Israel after its formation in 1948. It was only after 1979 that their diplomatic ties ended.

— In 1948, the opposition of Arab states to Israel led to the first Arab-Israeli war. Iran was not a part of that conflict, and after Israel won, it established ties with the Jewish state.

— Following the overthrow of the Shah of the Pahlavi dynasty in the 1979 Islamic Revolution, Iran formed a religious state.

— Israel and Iran have never fought in open military conflict; instead, they have attempted to inflict damage on each other through proxies and limited strategic attacks.

— In the early 2010s, Israel targeted multiple Iranian sites and nuclear experts in an effort to prevent them from building nuclear weapons.

— Iran recently claimed to have damaged an Israeli military site.

Body:

You may incorporate some of the following points in the body of your answer:

India’s stake

— India has strategic relations with both Iran and Israel, and for decades has managed to strike a balance between the two. However, if the disagreement escalates, it will be difficult for it to retain an ambivalent posture.

— India has a very strong strategic connection with Israel, particularly in terms of defence and security cooperation.

— Israel has developed as a major defence provider, alongside the United States, France, and Russia. Israel has stepped up to assist India during times of crisis, such as the Kargil conflict in 1999.

— India has managed to maintain a strategic connection with Iran, as Tehran has been a significant source of crude oil, which has experienced setbacks due to sanctions.

— India and Iran share similar worries about the Taliban’s treatment of minorities and the absence of an inclusive and representative administration in Kabul.

— Chabahar is another strategic economic development project that serves as a gateway to Afghanistan and Central Asia.

Why India does not want to escalate the tensions?

— A potential escalation as a result of the tension means an impact on mainly three accounts: its people, its economic interests and strategic needs.

— There are about 18,000 Indians in Israel and about 5,000-10,000 Indians in Iran, about 90 lakh people are living and working in the Gulf and West Asia region. Expanding conflict can pose a risk to the Indian community that is based in the region.

— India’s economic interests are tied to energy security — the West Asia region contributes to India’s 80 per cent of oil supplies, which a potential conflict will impact.

— India has invested in a strategic relationship with major Arab countries, Iran, and Israel.

— India has been working with all sides in the turbulent region to push for the India-Middle-East-Europe Economic corridor, which has strategic as well as economic benefits.

— There should be “immediate de-escalation” and “step back from violence” and “return to the path of diplomacy” which is, therefore, crucial to India’s national interest.

(Source: A short history of Iran-Israel ties and why they soured after 1979 by Rishika Singh, India’s stakes in Iran-Israel conflict — and why it does not want tensions to escalate by Shubhajit Roy)

Points to Ponder

Places in news in Iran-Israel region

IMEC

Map work: Middle east countries

Related Previous Year Questions

Indian diaspora has scaled new heights in the West. Describe its economic and political benefits for India. (2023)

“India’s relations with Israel have, of late, acquired a depth and diversity, which cannot be rolled back.” Discuss. (2018)

QUESTION 2: How is the deputy speaker of the Lok Sabha elected? What does the constitution say about the position of Deputy Speaker?

Introduction:

— Article 93 for Lok Sabha and Article 178 for state Assemblies state that these Houses “shall, as soon as may be”, choose two of its members to be Speaker and Deputy Speaker.

— The Constitution neither sets a time limit nor specifies the process for these elections and leaves it to the legislatures to decide how to hold these elections.

— In Lok Sabha and state legislatures, the President/Governor sets a date for the election of the Speaker, and it is the Speaker who decides the date for the election of the Deputy Speaker.

Body:

You may incorporate some of the following points in the body of your answer:

What does the constitution say about the position of Deputy Speaker?

— The election of the Deputy Speaker usually takes place in the second session — and is generally not delayed further in the absence of genuine and unavoidable constraints.

— Rule 8 of The Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in Lok Sabha says the election of Deputy Speaker “shall be held on such date as the Speaker may fix”.

— The Deputy Speaker is elected once a motion proposing his name is carried in the House. Once elected, the Deputy Speaker usually continues in office for the entire duration of the House.

— Under Article 94 (Article 179 for state legislatures), the Speaker or Deputy Speaker “shall vacate his office if he ceases to be a member of the House.

Conclusion:

— The Deputy Speaker is independent of the Speaker, not subordinate to him, as both are elected from among the members of the House.

— In addition to presiding over the House in the absence of the Speaker, the Deputy Speaker chaired committees both inside and outside of Parliament.

— The Deputy Speaker ensures the continuity of the Speaker’s office by acting as the Speaker when the office becomes vacant.

(Source: Explained: How are a Speaker and Deputy Speaker elected? by Chakshu Roy, The missing Deputy Speaker: What is the post, and what does the Constitution say by Liz Mathew and Khadija Khan)

Points to Ponder

How did the post of Deputy Speaker emerge?

Who was the first deputy speaker of Lok Sabha?

Related Previous Year Question

Once a Speaker, Always a Speaker’! Do you think this practice should be adopted to impart objectivity to the office of the Speaker of Lok Sabha? What could be its implications for the robust functioning of parliamentary business in India? (2020)

Previous Mains Answer Practice

UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 1 (Week 45)

UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 1 (Week 46)

UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 2 (Week 45)

UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 2 (Week 44)

UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 3 (Week 47)

UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 3 (Week 46)

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