During a joint sitting of both Houses of the Indian Parliament, if the Speaker of the Lok Sabha is absent, who among the following presides over the session?
Parliament, Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha & Legislative Procedure — question ID 709
Options
A.
B.
Explanation
According to the Rules of Procedure, a joint sitting of Parliament is presided over by the Speaker of the Lok Sabha. In the Speaker's absence, the Deputy Speaker of the Lok Sabha presides. If the Deputy Speaker is also absent, the Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha presides. Note that the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha (the Vice-President of India) never presides over a joint sitting because he is not a member of Parliament.