Shimla: Students of Auckland House School visited the Himachal Pradesh Vidhan Sabha Secretariat on Wednesday morning, where they had an interactive session with Assembly Speaker Kuldeep Singh Pathania. The students asked insightful questions about parliamentary procedures, the functioning of the Assembly, and the election of the Speaker, to which the Speaker provided detailed explanations.
During the session, Pathania also quizzed the students on India's democratic system, the Constitution, and the history of the Himachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly, encouraging them to actively participate in the discussion.
Explaining India's parliamentary system, the Speaker highlighted that the country follows a federal structure, with both the Union and State governments. He elaborated on the multi-party system, where political parties field candidates in elections, and elected representatives raise issues concerning their constituencies during Assembly sessions. He further explained that the Himachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly has 68 seats, and any party securing 35 or more seats forms the government. The Council of Ministers, including the Chief Minister, is then appointed, and the Governor functions on their advice.
Detailing the election process of the Speaker, Pathania described how the senior-most member (Protem Speaker) conducts the election. If only one candidate is nominated, they are elected unopposed; otherwise, a secret ballot is held, and the candidate with the majority vote becomes the Speaker.
To give students a real-time experience of legislative proceedings, the Speaker invited them to observe the ongoing Assembly session. He also extended his best wishes to the students, encouraging them to contribute to nation-building.