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Parliamentary Committee

IAS Current Affairs

Parliamentary Committee

GS II: Parliament and State Legislatures – structure, functioning, conduct of business, powers & privileges and issues arising out of these

Overview

  • A Parliamentary Standing Committee in India is a committee consisting of Members of Parliament (MPs) that is established to examine and report on various matters related to the functioning of the government, legislation, policies, and other important issues.
  • These committees play a crucial role in scrutinizing the government’s work, ensuring accountability, and making recommendations for improvements.

About Parliamentary Committee

  • A group of MPs known as a Parliamentary Committee is one that is either appointed, elected, or suggested by the Speaker or Chair of the House.
  • The committee operates under the chairmanship of the Speaker and submits its findings to the Speaker or to the House.
  • The British Parliament is where the concept of a parliamentary committee first emerged.
  • Parliamentary committees are of two kinds
    • Standing Committees
      • The Standing Committees are permanent and work on a continuous basis.
    • Ad Hoc Committees
      • Committees are temporary and cease to exist on completion of the task assigned to them.
  • Chairperson
    • Each committee has a chairperson who is a senior MP selected by the Speaker of the Lok Sabha or the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha.
    • The chairperson is typically from the ruling party or coalition in the Lok Sabha.
  • Confidentiality
    • The proceedings of these committees are usually confidential.
    • This allows members to have frank discussions and evaluate issues without political pressure or public scrutiny.
  • Tenure
    • The tenure of members in these committees is usually one year.
    • Members can be reappointed for multiple terms.
Standing Committees
  • Standing committees can be classified into the following six categories
    • Financial Committees
      1. Public Accounts Committee
      2. Estimates Committee
      3. Committee on Public Undertakings
    • Departmental Standing Committees
    • Committees to Enquire
      1. Committee on Petitions
      2. Committee of Privileges
      3. Ethics Committee
    • Committees to Scrutinise and Control
      1. Committee on Government Assurances
      2. Committee on Subordinate Legislation
      3. Committee on Papers Laid on the Table
      4. Committee on Welfare of SCs and STs
      5. Committee on Empowerment of Women
      6. Joint Committee3 on Offices of Profit
    • Committees Relating to the Day-to-Day Business of the House
      1. Business Advisory Committee
      2. Committee on Private Members’ Bills and Resolutions
      3. Rules Committee
      4. Committee on Absence of Members from Sittings of the House
    • House-Keeping Committees
      1. General Purposes Committee
      2. House Committee
      3. Library Committee
      4. Joint Committee on Salaries and Allowances of Members
Ad Hoc Committees
  • Ad hoc committees can be divided into two categories
    • Inquiry Committees
      • Inquiry Committees are constituted from time to time.
      • It is either by the two Houses on a motion adopted in that behalf, or by the Speaker / Chairman.
      • Its purpose is to inquire into and report on specific subjects.
    • Advisory Committees
      • Select or joint committees on legislation, which are constituted to examine and report on specific measures, are examples of advisory committees.
      • These committees can be distinguished from other ad hoc committees in that they deal with bills, and the procedures they must follow are outlined in the Rules of Procedure and the Speaker’s or Chairman’s directions.

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