India’s President, Draupadi Murmu, appointed Bhartruhari Mahtab as the pro-tem speaker of the Lok Sabha on June 20. This appointment is as per Article 95(1) of the Constitution. 

The pro-tem speaker will perform the duties of the Speaker until the election of the Speaker. Kiren Rijiju, the Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, announced that several Members of Lok Sabha have also been appointed to assist the Speaker Protem in administering the oath to the newly elected Members of the 18th Lok Sabha until the election of the Speaker. 

The first session of the newly constituted Lok Sabha is scheduled to be held from June 24 to July 3. The election of the Speaker is set for June 26, and the BJP aims to retain this position despite not having a majority. Om Birla, the BJP’s Kota MP, was the Speaker in the 17th Lok Sabha.

The pro-tem Speaker will administer the oath of office to the newly-elected MPs before the Speaker is chosen.

During the time before a new Speaker is elected, a pro-tem Speaker is chosen to carry out the duties of the Speaker, including administering the oath to Members of Parliament. The term ‘pro-tem’ means ‘for the time being’ or ‘temporarily’. 

Although the ‘pro-tem’ post is not mentioned in the Constitution, the ‘Handbook on the Working of Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs’ outlines the process for appointment and swearing in of the Speaker pro-tem of the Lok Sabha.