Parliamentary Committees

Parliamentary Committees

• Constitution of India makes a mention of these committees at different places.
• It didn’t make any specific provisions regarding their composition, tenure, functions, etc.
• All these matters are dealt by the rules of two Houses.
• Parliamentary committee means a committee
  • Is appointed or elected by the House or nominated by the Speaker / Chairman
  • Works under the direction of the Speaker / Chairman
  • Presents its report to the House or to the Speaker / Chairman
  • Has a secretariat provided by the Lok Sabha / Rajya Sabha
• The consultative committees, which also consist of members of Parliament, are not parliamentary committees as they do not fulfill above four conditions.
• A minister cannot be elected as a member of any committee.

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Parliamentary Committees

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Classifications of Parliamentary Committees

• Parliamentary committees are of two kinds
  • Standing Committees – permanent and constituted every year or periodically.
  • Ad Hoc Committees – temporary.

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Standing Committees

• On the basis of the nature of functions can be classified into six categories
• Financial Committees
  • Public Accounts Committee – 22 (15+7)
  • Estimates Committee – 30, 0
  • Committee on Public Undertakings – 22 (15+7)
• Departmental Standing Committees (24) – 31 (21+10)
• Committees to Inquire
  • Committee on Petitions – 15, 10
  • Committee of Privileges – 15, 10
  • Ethics Committee

• Committees to Scrutinise and Control
  • Committee on Government Assurances – 15, 10
  • Committee on Subordinate Legislation – 15, 15
  • Committee on Papers Laid on the Table – 15, 10
  • Committee on Welfare of SCs and STs – 30 (20+10)
  • Committee on Empowerment of Women – 30 (20+10)
  • Joint Committee on Offices of Profit – 15 (10+5)

• Committees Relating to the Day-to-Day Business
  • Business Advisory Committee – 15, 11
  • Committee on Private Members’ Bills and Resolutions – 15, 10
  • Rules Committee – 15, 16
  • Committee on Absence of Members from Sittings of the House – 15, 0

• House-Keeping Committees or Service Committees
  • General Purposes Committee
  • House Committee
  • Library Committee – 9 (6+3)
  • Joint Committee on Salaries and Allowances of Members – 15 (10+5)

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Ad Hoc Committees

• Ad hoc committees can be divided into two categories, that is, Inquiry Committees and Advisory Committees
• Inquiry Committees are constituted by two Houses on a motion adopted in that behalf, or by the Speaker / Chairman, to inquire into and report
  • Committee on Draft Five-Year Plan
  • Committee on Members of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS)
  • Joint Committee on Stock Market Scam
• Advisory Committees include select or joint committees on bills, which are appointed to consider and report on particular bills.
• Select or Joint Committee considers the Bill clause by clause just as the two Houses do.
• Amendments to various clauses can be moved by members of the Committee.
• After the Bill has thus been considered, the Committee submits its report to the House.

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Financial Committees

• The members are elected by the Parliament from its members
• Term is 1 year
• Elected by proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote.
• All parties get due representation in it.
• The chairman of the committee is appointed from amongst its members by the Speaker.

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Public Accounts Committee

• It is the oldest committee, set up in 1921 under Government of India Act of 1919.
• Public Accounts Committee consists of 22 members
  • 15 from Lok Sabha
  • 7 from Rajya Sabha
• Since 1967 the chairman of the committee is selected from Opposition.
• Committee examine the annual audit reports of the (CAG), which are laid before the Parliament by the President.
• CAG submits 3 audit reports to the President
  • audit report on appropriation accounts
  • audit report on finance accounts
  • audit report on public undertakings
• It also examine the money spent on any service during a financial year in excess of the amount granted by the Lok Sabha for that purpose

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Estimates Committee

• The origin of this committee can be traced to the standing financial committee set up in 1921.
• first Estimates Committee in the post-independence era was  constituted in 1950
• Recommended by John Mathai, finance minister.
• In 1956 its membership was raised to 30.
• All the thirty members are from Lok Sabha only.
• It suggests about economic improvements in organisation, efficiency and administrative reform, alternative policies, examine whether the money is well laid out.
• Its recommendations are advisory and not binding on the ministries
• Its work is in the nature of a post-mortem.

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Committee on Public Undertakings

• This committee was created in 1964 on the recommendation of the Krishna Menon Committee.
• In 1974, its membership was raised to 22 (15 from the Lok Sabha and 7 from the Rajya Sabha)
• It examine the reports and accounts of public undertakings
• It examine the reports of the CAG on public undertakings
• It examine the autonomy and efficiency of public undertakings
• It cannot take up the examination of more than ten to twelve public undertakings in a year.
• Chairman selected from Lok Sabha only by the Speaker.

Parliamentary Committees

Departmental Standing Committees

• On the recommendation of the Rules Committee, 17 Departmentally Related Standing Committees (DRSCs) were set up in 1993.
• In 2004, increased from 17 to 24
• The main objective of the standing committees is to secure more accountability of the Executive, particularly financial accountability.
• Assist the Parliament in debating the budget more effectively.
• The 24 standing committees cover under their jurisdiction all the ministries / departments of the Central Government.
• Each standing committee consists of 31 members (21 from Lok Sabha and 10 from Rajya Sabha).
• They are nominated by the Speaker or Chairman
• 8 work under the Rajya Sabha and 16 under the Lok Sabha.
• It consider the demands for grants of the concerned ministries / departments before they are discussed and voted
• It consider annual reports of ministries / departments
• It consider national basic long-term policy documents presented to the Houses

Parliamentary Committees

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Committees to Inquire

Committee on Petitions

• This committee examines petitions on bills and on matters of general public importance.
• It also entertains on matters pertaining to Union subjects.

Committee of Privileges

• This committee are semi-judicial in nature.
• It examines the cases of breach of privileges and take action

Ethics Committee

• This committee was constituted in Rajya Sabha in 1997 and in Lok Sabha in 2000.
• It enforces the code of conduct of members of Parliament.
• It examines the cases of misconduct

Parliamentary Committees

Committees to Scrutinise & Control

Committee on Government Assurances

• Examines the assurances, promises and undertakings given by ministers on the floor of the House
• It was constituted in 1953.

Committee on Subordinate Legislation

• Examines whether the powers to make regulations, rules laws delegated by the Parliament to the Executive are being properly exercised
• It was constituted in 1953.

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Committee on Papers Laid on the Table

• This committee was constituted in 1975.
• It examines all papers tabled by ministers, comply with provisions of the Constitution, or the related Act or Rule.
• It does not examine statutory notifications and orders that fall under the jurisdiction of the Committee on Subordinate Legislation.

Committee on Welfare of SCs and STs

• It consider the reports of the National Commission for the SCs and the National Commission for the STs
• It examine all matters relating to the welfare of SCs and STs

Committee on Empowerment of Women

• This committee was constituted in 1997
• It considers the reports of the National Commission for Women
• It examines the measures taken by the Union Government to secure status, dignity and equality for women

Joint Committee on Offices of Profit

• It examines all committees and other bodies appointed by the Central, state and union territory governments
• It recommends whether a persons should be disqualified or not.

Parliamentary Committees

Committees Relating to the Day-to-Day Business of the House

Business Advisory Committee

• It regulates the programme and time table of the House.
• Lok Sabha committee includes the Speaker as chairman.
• Rajya Sabha, includes Chairman as its ex–officio chairman

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Committee on Private Members’ Bills & Resolutions

• This committee classifies bills and allocates time for the discussion on bills and resolutions introduced by private members
• Only for Lok Sabha and includes the Deputy Speaker as its chairman.
• Same function in the Rajya Sabha is performed by the Business Advisory Committee of that House.

Rules Committee

• It recommends necessary amendments or additions to the rules of the House.
• Committee includes Speaker and Chairman as ex-officio chairman

Committee on Absence of Members

• It considers all applications from members for leave of absence
• Check who have been absent for a period of 60 days or more without permission.
• Only for Lok Sabha
• In the Rajya Sabha and all such matters are dealt by the House itself.

Parliamentary Committees

House-Keeping Committees

General Purposes Committee

• This committee considers and advises on matters concerning affairs of the House, which do not fall within the jurisdiction of any other parliamentary committee.
• It consists of the presiding officer (Speaker / Chairman) as its ex-officio chairman

Parliamentary Committees

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Consultative Committees

• Consultative committees are attached to various ministries / departments of the Central Government.
• They consist of members of both the Houses of Parliament.
• The Minister / Minister of State in charge of the Ministry concerned acts as the chairman of the consultative committee of that ministry.
• Provide a forum for informal discussions between the ministers and the members of Parliament on policies
• These committees are constituted by the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs.
• Maximum member of a committee is 30 and minimum is 10
• These committees are normally constituted after the new Lok Sabha is constituted

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Note

• Speaker is the chairman of the Business Advisory Committee, the Rules Committee and the General Purpose Committee

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