Parliamentary Committees

Notes

Parliamentary committees are appointed or elected by the House or nominated by the Speaker/Chairman, work under their direction and report to the House or the Presiding Officer. They draw their authority from Art. 105 (privileges) and Art. 118 (rules of procedure).

Two types: Standing committees (permanent, constituted annually or periodically) and Ad hoc committees (temporary, dissolve after reporting).

A. Financial committees

Public Accounts Committee (PAC): 22 members (15 from the Lok Sabha, 7 from the Rajya Sabha), elected by single transferable vote. First formed in 1921 (Montagu-Chelmsford reforms). Chair is from the Opposition (convention since 1967). A minister cannot be a member. Examines the CAG's audit reports and appropriation accounts; checks wasteful expenditure. The CAG is its "friend, philosopher and guide". It conducts a post-mortem of expenditure.
Estimates Committee: 30 members, all from the Lok Sabha. Formed in 1950 on John Mathai's recommendation. Suggests economies; known as a "continuous economy committee". Chair from the ruling party.
Committee on Public Undertakings (COPU): 22 members (15 LS, 7 RS). Formed in 1964 on V.K. Krishna Menon Committee's recommendation. Examines PSUs and reports of the CAG on them.

B. Departmentally Related Standing Committees (DRSCs)

Created in 1993; restructured in 2004: 24 committees, each with 31 members (21 from Lok Sabha and 10 from Rajya Sabha). Term: one year. Ministers cannot be members.
They examine Demands for Grants of ministries, Bills referred to them, annual reports and policy documents. Their recommendations are not binding.

C. Other standing committees

Business Advisory Committee, Committee on Petitions, Committee of Privileges, Committee on Subordinate Legislation, Committee on Government Assurances, Rules Committee, House Committee, Library Committee, Committee on Welfare of SC/ST, Committee on Empowerment of Women (1997), Committee on Absence of Members.

D. Ad hoc committees

Select Committees on specific Bills; Joint Committee on Bills; Joint Parliamentary Committees (JPC) on matters of public concern: Bofors (1987), Securities Scam (1992), Ketan Parekh scam (2001), Pesticides in soft drinks (2003), 2G spectrum (2011).

Chairmanship: Lok Sabha committees are headed by chairmen appointed by the Speaker; Rajya Sabha committees by the Chairman.

Key Points

PAC: 22 members (15 LS + 7 RS); chaired by the Opposition; examines CAG reports.
Estimates Committee: 30 members, only Lok Sabha.
COPU: 22 members; examines PSUs.
DRSCs: 24 committees (21 LS + 10 RS); formed 1993, restructured 2004.
JPCs are ad hoc, formed for specific issues.

MCQs

Q1. The Public Accounts Committee consists of: (a) 22 members (15 LS, 7 RS) (b) 30 members (all LS) (c) 22 members all from the Lok Sabha (d) 31 members Ans: (a).

Q2. The Estimates Committee consists of members only from: (a) Rajya Sabha (b) Lok Sabha (c) Both houses equally (d) Joint sitting Ans: (b). 30 members.