Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla paid tributes to Shri Ganesh Vasudev Mavalankar, India’s first Lok Sabha Speaker, on his birth anniversary.

About G. V. Mavalankar

• Early Life and Education:
  • Birth: He was born on 27 November 1888 at Baroda (present Gujarat), into a family originating from Mavalange in Ratnagiri district.
  • Education: He completed his early education in Bombay Presidency schools and earned a B.A. in Science from Gujarat College, Ahmedabad in 1908.
  • Legal Training: He qualified for the law examination in First Class in 1912, and soon emerged as a leading lawyer in Ahmedabad. 
• Association with Freedom Movement:
  • Leadership Roles: He served as Secretary of the Gujarat Provincial Congress Committee (1921–22) and later as Reception Committee Secretary for the 36th Congress Session (Ahmedabad, 1921).
  • Mass Campaigns: He played a major role in the ‘Khaira No-Rent’ campaign.
• Legislative Career before Independence
  • Entry into Legislature: Mavalankar entered the legislature in 1937 as a member representing Ahmedabad. 
  • Speaker of Bombay Assembly: He served as Speaker of the Bombay Legislative Assembly (1937–1946) and earned cross-party respect for impartiality and firmness.
• Role in the Central Legislative Assembly:
  • Presiding Officer (1946–47): He became Speaker of the Central Legislative Assembly in January 1946.
  • Transition to Independence: He guided the Assembly during India’s transition under the Indian Independence Act, 1947.
• Constituent Assembly (Legislative) Speaker:
  • Crucial Committee Headship: In August 1947, he headed the committee that recommended separating the Constitution-making role from the legislative role, paving the way for a dedicated Speaker for the Legislative Assembly.
  • Speaker: He served as Speaker of the Constituent Assembly (Legislative) until the Constitution came into force in November 1949.
• Speaker of the Lok Sabha: Jawaharlal Nehru proposed his name, and he was elected Speaker of the First Lok Sabha on 15 May 1952.

Key Contributions to Parliamentary Procedures

• Question Hour: He institutionalised the Question Hour as a meaningful tool for accountability.
• Committee System: He revamped Parliamentary Committees and established new bodies like Rules Committee, Committee of Privileges, Business Advisory Committee, Committee on Subordinate Legislation etc.
• Innovations: He promoted Short-Notice Questions, Half-Hour Discussions, and systematic debate on the President’s Address.
• Rulings: His rulings shaped the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business, influencing Indian parliamentary functioning for decades.
• Vision for Parliamentary Independence:
• • Independent Secretariat: He insisted on creating an independent Parliament Secretariat, free from executive influence, to protect legislative supremacy. 
  • Ethics of Parliamentary Staff: He emphasised values of freedom, objectivity, faith, and promptitude in parliamentary administration.

Inter-Parliamentary Diplomacy

• International Representation: He represented India at the opening of the new House of Commons (1950) and attended the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II (1953).
• Global Cooperation: He actively promoted India’s engagement with the Inter-Parliamentary Union and Commonwealth Parliamentary Association

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Legacy and Death

• Statesmanship: Leaders across party lines hailed him as the “Father of the Lok Sabha”( by Pt. Nehru) and the “Sheet Anchor of Parliamentary Democracy.”
• Death: He continued public service until he passed away on 27 February 1956 in Ahmedabad

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