SSC
The salary and allowances of the Leaders of Opposition in Parliament are governed by an Act first passed in:
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Answer: Option B — 1977
Detailed Solution
The Salary and Allowances of Leaders of Opposition in Parliament Act was passed in 1977. It gave statutory recognition to the Leader of the Opposition in both Houses of Parliament.
What the Act provides:
It defines the Leader of the Opposition as the member of the House who is the leader of the party in opposition to the government having the greatest numerical strength, and who is recognised as such by the Speaker (in the Lok Sabha) or the Chairman (in the Rajya Sabha).
It provides salary, allowances and other facilities to the Leader of the Opposition, equivalent to those of a Cabinet Minister.
The "one-tenth" practice:
By convention, the Speaker has recognised the leader of the largest opposition party as the Leader of the Opposition only if that party has at least one-tenth of the total membership of the House, which is also the quorum.
Because of this, there was no recognised Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha from 2014 to 2024.
In 2024, Rahul Gandhi became the Leader of the Opposition in the 18th Lok Sabha.
History of the post:
Ram Subhag Singh of the Congress (O) became the first recognised Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha in 1969.
Role of the Leader of the Opposition:
- The Leader of the Opposition is often called the "shadow Prime Minister" in the Westminster system.
- The LoP is a member of several high-level selection committees, such as those for the Central Vigilance Commissioner, the Lokpal and the Director of the CBI.
Status in the Constitution:
The post of Leader of the Opposition is not mentioned in the Constitution; it is statutory.
Why not the other options?
- ✗1952 was the year of the first Lok Sabha.
- ✗1969 was the year the first Leader of the Opposition was recognised.
- ✗1985 was the year of the anti-defection law.
Quick tip
Remember: Leaders of Opposition Salary Act = 1977; rank of a Cabinet Minister; first LoP in the Lok Sabha = Ram Subhag Singh (1969).
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Parliament — Preparation
This question tests your understanding of Parliament, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.
This topic covers the Parliament of India: the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, their composition, powers and officers, sessions, the law-making process, money bills, joint sittings, parliamentary committees, and devices such as question hour, zero hour and the various motions. Typical questions ask about the maximum strength of each house, the minimum age for members, who certifies a money bill (the Speaker), who presides over a joint sitting, and which committee is chaired by a member of the opposition (the Public Accounts Committee, by convention). Note the special powers of the Rajya Sabha under Articles 249 and 312. Practise the Parliament questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.