Himachal: School students interact with Assembly Speaker in New Shimla

During the interaction held at the Himachal Pradesh Vidhan Sabha Secretariat in the forenoon, the students sought information about the parliamentary system, the structure of the Assembly, and the process of electing the Speaker, to which the Speaker responded in detail.

Addressing the students, Pathania said that India's parliamentary system is based on a federal structure comprising the Centre and the states. He noted that the country follows a multi-party system in which political parties field their candidates in elections, and the people elect them through voting.

He said that MLAs raise issues related to their constituencies in the House through questions and various procedural rules, to which the government responds. While some members are satisfied with the replies, others may remain dissatisfied.

The Speaker informed that the Himachal Pradesh Assembly has a total of 68 seats, and a party securing 35 or more seats forms the government. He added that the Council of Ministers, including the Chief Minister and other ministers, is constituted after the formation of the government.

Explaining the process of electing the Speaker, he said that the Speaker is elected by the members of the Assembly. The process is initiated by the protem speaker. If there is only one candidate, the Speaker is elected unopposed; if there are multiple candidates, voting is conducted by secret ballot, and the candidate securing the highest votes is elected.

On the occasion, the Speaker also asked students questions related to the democratic system, the Constitution, and the history of the Himachal Pradesh Assembly, which the students attempted to answer.

At the end of the program, he invited the students to witness the proceedings of the House and encouraged them to contribute to nation-building. (ANI)