Article 186 Of The Indian Constitution

Article 186 of the Indian Constitution takes into account the earnings of the Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the Legislative Assembly and the Chairman and Deputy Chairman of the Legislative Council.

Have you ever wondered about the earnings and allowances of top most positions of the legislative bodies? Do you want to know what and where is the salary and allowances of the highest in power of the Legislative Assembly and the Legislative Council defined?

If you have an inquisitive mind and are seeking answers to these questions, then you are at the correct place. This is an important topic of Indian Polity syllabus for UPSC aspirants. Read ahead to learn about Article 186 of the Indian Constitution.

Article 186 Of The Indian Constitution: A Glimpse

The following paragraph is taken from the Constitution of India as it is. Let us take a look at what the Constitution of India contains in the form of Article 186:

“186. Salaries and allowances of the Speaker and Deputy Speaker and the Chairman and Deputy Chairman.—There shall be paid to the Speaker and the Deputy Speaker of the Legislative Assembly, and to the Chairman and the Deputy Chairman of the Legislative Council, such salaries and allowances as may be respectively fixed by the Legislature of the State by law and, until provision in that behalf is so made, such salaries and allowances as are specified in the Second Schedule.”

Digging Deeper Into Article 186 Of The Indian Constitution

To understand this article better, we must first acquaint ourselves with the history of the article first and then try to analyse what the article is all about. The background and explanation of Article 186 has been briefly mentioned in the following sections.

Background Of Article 186 Of The Indian Constitution

Draft Article 163 for Article 186 of the Indian Constitution was introduced in the Constituent Assembly. This was done on June 2, 1949.

It was targeted at regulating the salaries of the Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the Legislative Assembly or the Vidhan Sabha. It also regulated the salary and allowances of the Chairman and Deputy Chairman of the Legislative Council or Vidhan Parishad. 

This Draft Article was readily accepted by the members of the Constituent Assembly. There was no debate held and it was accepted in its original form on the same date as it was introduced in the Constituent Assembly, that is, June 2, 1949.

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Explanation Of Article 186 Of The Indian Constitution

Article 186 of the Indian Constitution exclusively covers in its purview the earnings and special privileges granted to the highest authorities of the Legislative Assembly and the Legislative Council. These are the Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the former and the Chairman and Deputy Chairman of the latter.

It further explains that according to law, the Legislature of the State shall define a fixed salary and certain benefits to be paid to the highest presiding officers of the Legislative Assembly and the Legislative Council.

Specifically, these salaries and benefits are for the Speaker and the Deputy Speaker of the Legislative Assembly (Vidhan Sabha) and for the Chairman and the Deputy Chairman of the Legislative Council (Vidhan Parishad). 

The Second Schedule of the Indian Constitution specifies the salaries as well as the allowances to be assigned to the designations mentioned above. It is to be noted here that until provisions in that regard are put in place, the salaries and allowances specified in the Schedule are to be followed with utmost sincerity.

Summing Up

Taking everything into account, as a final observation it can be said that Article 186 of the Indian Constitution defines the earnings and benefits to be allotted to some specified high ranking officials of the Legislative Assembly and the Legislative Council. 

This article defines the salary to be paid and the benefits to be rendered to the Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the Legislative Assembly and the Chairman and Deputy Chairman of the Legislative Council. The Legislature of the State has the responsibility of fixing this amount by taking reference from law. The Second Schedule is to be followed for the payment and accordance of allowances to the above-mentioned officials until anything other than what is already specified is recommended.

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