Who among the following leaders served as the first Speaker of the Lok Sabha, the lower house of the Parliament of India, after Independence?

Introduction / Context:
In the Indian parliamentary system, the Speaker of the Lok Sabha plays a critical constitutional role as the presiding officer of the lower house. Knowing who served as the first Speaker after Independence is an important historical fact frequently tested in general knowledge and polity examinations. This question aims to check your knowledge of early parliamentary history and your familiarity with key personalities who shaped the functioning of the Lok Sabha in its formative years.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The question is about the first Speaker of the Lok Sabha in independent India.
• The options list four well known Indian political leaders associated with parliamentary offices.
• We assume that the learner knows that the Lok Sabha is the House of the People.
• The answer requires matching the correct name with the first Speaker position.

Concept / Approach:
The office of the Speaker is mentioned in the Constitution of India, and historically the first Lok Sabha was constituted in the early 1950s. Ganesh Vasudev Mavalankar, often referred to as G. V. Mavalankar, was elected as the first Speaker of the Lok Sabha. He had previously served as the Speaker of the Constituent Assembly and then seamlessly continued into the new role. The approach to solving the question is simply to recall this fact and distinguish it from the names of other leaders who later served as Speaker or held other high offices such as President or Vice President.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall that the first general elections in independent India were held in 1951 to 1952, leading to the formation of the first Lok Sabha. Step 2: Remember that Ganesh Vasudev Mavalankar, who had been Speaker of the Constituent Assembly, was elected as the first Speaker of the newly formed Lok Sabha. Step 3: Examine option C, Ganesh Vasudev Mavalankar. This matches the historical record for the first Speaker of the Lok Sabha. Step 4: Consider option A, M. A. Ayyangar, who indeed later served as a Speaker but was not the first Speaker. Step 5: Consider option B, N. Sanjiva Reddy, who became a Speaker of the Lok Sabha and later the President of India, but also was not the first Speaker. Step 6: Consider option D, Sardar Hukam Singh, another later Speaker of the Lok Sabha, again not the first. Step 7: Thus only option C correctly names the first Speaker of the Lok Sabha.

Verification / Alternative check:
To verify, you can connect the timeline of Indian political history. The Constituent Assembly drafted the Constitution and G. V. Mavalankar was its Speaker. After the Constitution came into force on 26 January 1950 and the first general elections were conducted, the first Lok Sabha took shape. Since Mavalankar was already experienced as Speaker of the Assembly, it made institutional sense to elect him as the first Speaker of the Lok Sabha. This historical continuity supports the correctness of option C. Cross checking with standard Indian polity textbooks will also confirm that Mavalankar is always listed as the first Speaker of the Lok Sabha.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option A: M. A. Ayyangar did serve as Speaker but he followed Mavalankar, therefore he cannot be the first Speaker.
Option B: N. Sanjiva Reddy was a later Speaker and eventually became the President of India, so he is not the first Speaker of the Lok Sabha.
Option D: Sardar Hukam Singh is another later Speaker in the sequence and not the inaugural holder of the office.

Common Pitfalls:
A frequent mistake is to confuse the first Speaker with a more famous later Speaker or to mix up the roles of Speaker, President and Prime Minister. Learners may also remember that N. Sanjiva Reddy was both Speaker and President and mistakenly assume he was the first Speaker. To avoid such errors, it is helpful to memorise early office holders in sequence, for example, first President, first Vice President, first Prime Minister, and first Speaker of the Lok Sabha. Recognising that G. V. Mavalankar also presided over the Constituent Assembly makes it easier to recall his pioneering role in the Lok Sabha as well.

Final Answer:
Ganesh Vasudev Mavalankar.