Panel of Chairpersons and Vice-Chairpersons

The panel of chairpersons is a set of Lok Sabha members nominated by the Speaker to preside over the House whenever both the Speaker and the Deputy Speaker are away; the Rajya Sabha has a matching arrangement called the panel of vice-chairpersons, nominated by the Chairman. Neither panel is a constitutional office — both exist under the Rules of Procedure of the respective House — but they perform an important housekeeping function: keeping the Chair occupied so that proceedings never come to a standstill.

Why the Panels Exist

A sitting of either House needs someone presiding at all times to maintain order, decide points of procedure, and put questions to a vote. The Speaker and Deputy Speaker (or the Chairman and Deputy Chairman) cannot always be physically present — they may be attending to other duties, be on leave, or simply be out of the chamber. Rather than let business stall, each House keeps a standing panel of members ready to step into the chair.

Panel of Chairpersons — Lok Sabha

Under the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in Lok Sabha, the Speaker nominates a panel of not more than ten members from among sitting MPs to act as chairpersons. Key features:

• Any member of the panel may preside over the House when both the Speaker and the Deputy Speaker are absent.
• While presiding, a panel member exercises the same powers as the Speaker.
• A panel member continues in that role until a fresh panel is nominated by the Speaker.
• If no panel member is present either, the House itself determines who will act as Speaker for that sitting.
• A panel member cannot preside if the office of the Speaker or the Deputy Speaker is itself vacant (as opposed to the office-holder being merely absent). In that situation, the President appoints a member of the House to perform the Speaker's duties until a new Speaker or Deputy Speaker is elected.

Panel of Vice-Chairpersons — Rajya Sabha

The Rajya Sabha follows a parallel scheme under its own Rules of Procedure. The Chairman nominates a panel of vice-chairpersons from among Rajya Sabha members. Any one of them can preside in the absence of both the Chairman and the Deputy Chairman, wielding the same powers as the Chairman for that sitting. Like its Lok Sabha counterpart, the panel holds office until a new one is nominated, the House itself decides who presides if no panel member is available, and a panel member cannot take the chair if the office of the Chairman or Deputy Chairman is vacant — again, the President steps in to appoint someone to discharge the Chairman's duties.

Lok Sabha vs Rajya Sabha: A Quick Comparison

Feature	Lok Sabha	Rajya Sabha
Panel name	Panel of Chairpersons	Panel of Vice-Chairpersons
Nominated by	Speaker	Chairman
Maximum size	Not more than ten members	Fixed by the Chairman under Rajya Sabha Rules
Steps in when	Speaker and Deputy Speaker both absent	Chairman and Deputy Chairman both absent
Powers while presiding	Same as Speaker	Same as Chairman
Presides when office (not just person) is vacant?	No — President appoints a member instead	No — President appoints a member instead

Role Beyond Presiding

Members of the panel of chairpersons or panel of vice-chairpersons are also drawn upon for other House business. For instance, they are typically included, along with the presiding officer, the deputy, chairpersons of departmental standing committees, and leaders of recognised parties, in committees such as the General Purposes Committee, which handles matters not falling within the jurisdiction of any other parliamentary committee.

UPSC Relevance

Prelims

• The Lok Sabha panel of chairpersons has a maximum strength of ten members, nominated by the Speaker.
• A panel member cannot preside if the office of Speaker/Deputy Speaker (or Chairman/Deputy Chairman) itself is vacant — only if the office-holder is temporarily absent.
• When no panel member is available, the House determines who presides.

Mains

• Discuss how institutional arrangements like the panel of chairpersons ensure continuity of parliamentary proceedings and uphold the principle that the House must never be without a presiding authority.
• Examine the distinction between temporary absence and vacancy of a presiding office, and why this distinction matters for who can step in.

FAQ

Q1. What is the panel of chairpersons? It is a group of up to ten Lok Sabha members nominated by the Speaker who may preside over the House when the Speaker and Deputy Speaker are both absent.

Q2. Is the panel of chairpersons a constitutional body? No. It is created under the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in Lok Sabha, not by any Article of the Constitution.

Q3. What is the Rajya Sabha equivalent called? The panel of vice-chairpersons, nominated by the Chairman of Rajya Sabha under that House's own Rules.

Q4. Can a panel member preside if the Speaker's post is vacant? No. The panel can only substitute for temporary absence. If the office itself is vacant, the President appoints a member to perform the Speaker's duties.

Q5. What powers does a presiding panel member have? The same powers as the Speaker (or Chairman, for Rajya Sabha) for as long as that member occupies the chair.

Quick Revision

• Panel of chairpersons (Lok Sabha) — nominated by Speaker, max 10 members.
• Panel of vice-chairpersons (Rajya Sabha) — nominated by Chairman.
• Steps in only when both presiding officer and deputy are absent.
• Cannot act if the presiding office itself is vacant — President appoints someone instead.
• Not a constitutional office; created under House Rules of Procedure.

Sources

• Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in Lok Sabha, Lok Sabha Secretariat.
• Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Council of States, Rajya Sabha Secretariat.

Further Reference

For deeper reading on this topic and the wider polity syllabus, these standard works are recommended:

• M. Laxmikanth, Indian Polity (McGraw Hill) — the standard UPSC handbook.
• D.D. Basu, Introduction to the Constitution of India (LexisNexis) — authoritative constitutional-law treatment.
• The Constitution of India — Bare Act — the official text.