NAME:- TRIPTI JAIN

ROLL NO.:- 0832

COURSE- BA(H) POLITICAL SCIENCE
SUBMITTING TO – KANCHAN KUMARI MA’AM
SEMESTER- 4TH

INDIAN
PARLIAMENTARY
COMMITTEES
INTRODUCTION :- The Parliament looks into the matter that are complex in nature and by
this virtue it requires technical advice and expertise to work upon such complex issues.
These Committees as such offer a better understanding the subject matter which later is
finalised in the report. The Parliamentary Committees in India play a vital role of acting as a
bridge between the Parliament, Executive and the public. It tries to embody and measure
on the yardstick the public policy that is formulated and implemented so as to address the
socio-economic issues in India. The requirement for the Committees arises out of two
factors :- 1. Need for a watch dog on the Legislature and the Executive , 2. Entrusting
certain functions so as to dispose off the voluminous work within a limited time span. It
assists in the discharge of the duties and delivery of the functions more efficiently,
effectively and zealously.
In such Parliamentary Committees, the public participation is direct or indirect depending upon the
memoranda of the suggestions received. The Committees arrive at the conclusion on the basis of the
oral evidence taken. These Committees have a salutary influence on the executive branch of the State.
The rationale behind the Committee system is to consider its influence, advisory nature, accountability
to avoid weakening of the administration. Also, the Committees provide a forum with the incentive to
build the consensus across the political parties. The recommendations of the Committee are not binding
in nature, still hold significance owing to the well interrogated and expert advice .
GENESIS OF PARLIAMENTARY COMMITTEES
The roots of the Parliamentary Committees in the Indian Parliamentary democracy can be traced to the
British Parliament. The antecedent of the legislative committees was contained in the Montague
Chelmsford Reforms of 1919, which recommended the establishment of Committees. Standing
committees initially germinated in the provinces and had reached the centre by 1922.

These committees were “formal, elected and powerful bodies.” “Each consisted of five members elected
for a term of one year, two from the Council of States and three from the Legislative Assembly. They
considered all bills, including major questions of policy, and issued annual reports.

In independent India, the Public Accounts Committee was constituted in April, 1950. The Parliamentary
Committees derive their power from Article 105 that discusses the privileges of the Parliament members
and Article 118 that discusses the Parliament’s authority to make rules for regulating conduct of
business and procedures.

SIGNIFICANCE OF PARLIAMENTARY COMMITTEES

The Parliament is involved in voluminous work that is varied in nature. Since it meets only for around
100 days for 3 sessions each year, it fails to give consideration to the details of legislation. Parliamentary
committees provide as backbone to carry out the functions of the parliament :-

1. INSTRUMENT FOR DETAILED SCRUTINY: The Committee reports provide value addition and well
researched information on Bills referred to the Committees.These Committees also provide the expert
advice and even evoke the Public opinion.

2. INTER-MINISTERIAL CO-ORDINATION: The Parliamentary Committees are set to engage with the inter
related departments and the ministries to examine Bills, consider the annual reports and long-term
plans and even prepare report to the Parliament.

3. ACTING AS MINI-PARLIAMENT: The Parliamentary Committees also act as mini Parliament as it

comprises of MPs from both the Houses that has members from different political parties. This even
opens space for the ethos of deliberations and discussions.

TYPES OF PARLIAMENTARY COMMITTEES

The Parliamentary Committees provide guidelines and suggestions to the Parliament so as to formulate
the policies. The constitution makes a mention of these committees at different places,but without
making any specific provisions regarding their composition, tenure , functions etc. All these matters are
dealth by the two houses.

CONSULTATIVE COMMITTEE:- It is different from the parliamentary committees in following ways :-

1. They consists of members from both the houses of parliament .

2. Chairman of the committee - ministers or ministers of State in charge concerned with the ministry of
that minister.

3. It acts as a bridge between members of parliament and ministers on government policies.

4.Membership - voluntary and may vary. Maximum members can be 30 and minimum is 10.

5. Formation - constituted with the commencement of Lok Sabha and dissolved with end of lok sabha.

The Parliamentary Committees can be broadly categorised into Ad hoc, Standing and Other
Committees:-

1. Ad-hoc committee :- The Ad hoc Committees are set up for the specific purpose and are later
dissolved after the completion of the task. The Parliament has the privilege to pass a bill to a
selected category or to the joint Parliamentary Committees of both the houses. The Joint
Parliamentary Committee can receive oral and written evidence of experts, associations,
interested parties or public bodies. The JPC was constituted for the first time in 1987 to
investigate the Bofors scandal.

2. standing committees:- Quite different from the Ad hoc Committees, the standing committees
are regular in nature and not dissolved after a task. They are constituted under the Act of
Parliament or Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business from time to time. Rajya Sabha and
the Lok Sabha have their own Standing Committees. In 1993, 17 department related Standing
Committees were formed which in 2004 were added to make 24 in total. Out of the total 24
Committees, eight are controlled by the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha that includes
Commerce, Industry, Home Affairs, Human Resource Development, Transport, Culture and
Tourism, Family Welfare and Personnel, Law and Justice, Public Grievances and Science and
Technology. On the other hand, the rest of the Committees like Committees on Agriculture,
Forests, Energy, Coal and Steel, Defence, External Affairs, Information Technology, Food
Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution, Social Justice and Empowerment are controlled by
the Lok Sabha formed which in 2004 were added to make 24 in total.
STRUCTURE OF STANDING COMMITTEES:- The Standing Committees cannot comprise
of more than 45 members. Lok Sabha speaker on the other hand can nominate 30 members from
the lower house for the term of a year. A minister cannot be a part of such Committees via
nominations. The Rajya Sabha even choose 15 other members from the upper house for the term
of one year.
FUNCTIONS OF STANDING COMMITTEES:- The Standing Committees selected by the
Upper and the Lower house of the Parliament aim to examine bills. They even consider the
demands for grants and Annual Reports. Many times, they even perform submission of the
annual reports and consider the demands for grants.

3. OTHER COMMITTEES :- The other committees perform the task of watchdogs over the
executive. The various committees falling under this category are as follows:-

1. committee on estimates – this committee was established in 1950 and consists of the 30
members from the lower house with the objective of the analysing the economic and
administrative policies. They even provide recommendations and suggestions to bring efficiency
in administration.
Term- one year
Chairman- appointed by speaker and he is invariably from the ruling party.
Limitation – It post mortems reports after laid in parliament and decisions are advisory and
importantly they do not have assistance from CAG.
FUNCTIONS – to report if the budget estimates affect economic improvements in organisation ,
efficiency and administrative reforms consistent with policies, bring efficiency in economy and
governmental administration, suggests alternative policies, examines whether the money is well-
laid out within the limits of the policy implied within the estimates.

2. committee on public undertakings:- it was introduced in 1964 on the recommendation of the

Krishna Menon Committee and was introduced to expand parliamentary control over public
sector undertakings.
Composition:- this committee has 22 members out of which 15 are from Lok Sabha and 7 are
from Rajya Sabha.
FUNCTIONS – reports and accounts of public sector undertaking are examined by this
committee, CAG’s report on PSU also taken up by the committee, it checks upon the credibility
of the business of PSU. This committee takes the responsibility of assessing the reports and
accounts of the undertakings by the public. It keeps a check whether the public entities are
managed as per the sound business principles or not.

3.committee on public accounts :- it was introduced in 1981 after its first mention in GOI Act
1919. It is also known as MONFORD REFORMS.
COMPOSITION – consists of 15 members elected by the lok sabha and 7 members of rajya
sabha.
Term – one year
Chairman- appointed by the speaker and he is invariably from opposition.
Functions :- These Committees act as a watchdog for the various departments of the government so as to
examine whether the money granted by the Parliament has been used within the scope of the demand or
not. It analyses the Appropriation Accounts of the government and the Audit reports as prepared by the
Comptroller and Auditor General for reference. The committee is not concerned with questions of policy.
It is concerned only with the execution of the policy laid down by parliament and its results.
Limitation :- it is not and executive body and decisions are advisory in nature.

4. COMMITTEES TO INQUIRE
(a) committee on petitions - The Committee on Petitions scrutinises the petitions presented in
the House and ensures that all the individuals and representations are covered under the rules.
Composition – 15 members in lok sabha and 10 members in rajya sabha.
(b) committee on privileges - The Committee of Privileges refers to those cases which consider
the breach of privilege by the members. The Committee refers to the questions and scrutinises
whether it breaches the privileges or not and propose it for the recommendations in the report.
Composition- 15 members in the lok sabha and 10 members in the rajya sabha.
(c) ethics committee – it is engaged in maintaining discipline and decorum in parliament . it
examines the cases of misconduct and recommends appropriate action.

5. COMMITTEES TO SCRUTINIZE AND CONTROL

(a) committee on government assurances - The Committee on Government Assurances
observes whether the promises undertaken by the ministers have been delivered within the
stipulated time for the need of the purpose.
Composition- 15 members in the lok sabha and 10 members in the rajya sabha. A minister is not
nominated to this committee.
(b) committee on subordinate legislation - The Committee scrutinises the rules and regulations
conferred by the Indian Constitution or delegated by the Parliament to the executive. The
Committee ensures its proper exercise and submits the report in the House.
Composition- 15 members in both the houses.
(c) committee on papers laid on the table – its function is to examine all papers laid on the
table of the house by Ministers and to report to the house.
Composition- 15 members in the lok sabha and 10 members in the rajya sabha.
(d) committee on empowerment of women – this committee came into being on 29th
April,1997,as a consequence of identical resolutions adopted by both the houses of parliament on
the occasion of INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY on 8th March ,1996.
Composition- consists of 30 members- 20 from lok sabha and 10 from rajya sabha.
Term- one year
Functions - to review the actions of the government towards the equality, dignity of the
government. It even ensures enough measures to be taken by the committee for emancipation of
the women, to examine the measures taken by the union government for comprehensive
education and adequate representation of women in legislative bodies/services and other fields.
(e) committee on welfare of SCs and STs –
Composition :- consists of 30 members – 20 members from lok sabha and 10 from rajya sabha.
Term – one year
Functions- The Committee ensures the welfare of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes by
closely examining the measures undertaken by the government. It sees that the SC and ST are
well represented across the various functions by the government. It then submits report to the
National Commission for the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.
(f) joint committee on offices of profit –
Composition- consists of 15 members -10 are elected from lok sabha and 5 from rajya sabha
Term- for the duration of each lok sabha
Functions- Formed for the duration of each Lok Sabha, the Committee examines the composition
and character of those Committees that are appointed by the Union and State Governments

5. COMMITTEES RELATING TO DAY TO DAY BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE:-

(a) business advisory committee –

BAC of lok sabha onsists of 15 members and BAC of rajya sabha consists 11 members.
Functions - This Committee aims at the checking of the utility of the time allotted for the discussion of
the legislative matters taken in the lower house. It can even independently provide suggestions on the
allocation of time to the government to take the matters on priority for the discussion. The decisions
reached by the committee are always unanimous in character and representative of the collective view of
the house.
The committee generally meets at the beginning of each session and thereafter as and when necessary.
(b) committee on private members’ bills and resolutions –
Composition- consists of 15 members and Deputy Speaker is its chairman.
Functions- Just like the Business Advisory Committee, the Committee on Private Members’ Bills and
Resolutions allots the on Private Member Bills and Resolutions and even examines them before their
consideration in the Lower House of the Parliament. The Committee even categorises the bill on the
basis of the nature and importance. There is no such committee in rajya sabha.

AD HOC COMMITTEES : TWO TYPES OF THEM – INQUIRY AND ADVISORY COMMITTEES

 INQUIRY COMMITTEE- they are constituted from time to time , either by the two houses on a
motion adopted in that behalf or by the speaker or chairman to inquire into and report on specific
subjects.
 ADVISORY COMMITTEE- they include select or joint committees on bills which are appointed
to consider and report on particular bills. The procedure to be followed by this committee is laid
down in rules of procedure and directions of speaker. In this way they are different from other ad
hoc committee.

IMPORTANCE OF PARLIAMENTARY COMMITTEES:-

1. to provide a specialised forum for deliberation on policy issues
2. it ensures the the deliberations are not constrained by the limited number of sitting days as in case of
parliament.
3. deliberations are technical in nature as they require time and stretch for few months
4. main purpose is to ensure the accountability of government to parliament through more detailed
consideration.
5. to strengthen the administration by investing it with more meaningful parliamentary support
6. the committee, over the years, has worked well in strengthening the country’s legislative process.
7. when a bill is referred to a committee , its legislative journey slows down which provides the much
needed time in building consensus, despite being a source of continued tension between the ruling party
and opposition.

CRITICISM
However, inspite of playing such important role, the parliamentary committees are criticised
on the basis of not retaining the traditional non-party basis, rather it is often questioned to
function on the basis of political posturing. Under the Rule 311, the final report of the
committees is even provided with the opportunity of express their disagreement. But
according to Verma there have been various cases when the ruling party stopped the
committees to take issues for discussion. This way the role of parliamentary committees remain
restrictive in nature. It fails to deliver its objective. Also, The recommendations in the reports are
advisory in nature instead of being compulsory.

CONCLUSION
Still the parliamentary committees hold an important position in the Indian democracy. It
assists in lessening the burden of voluminous legislature and in making well thought and
informed decisions.