Parliamentary Committees Notes
Parliamentary Committees help in detailed scrutiny of bills, budgets,
policies, and administration. They are essential for legislative efficiency
and accountability.
What Are Parliamentary Committees?
-
Committees appointed/elected by Parliament.
- Present reports to Parliament.
-
Function under Speaker (Lok Sabha) or Chairperson (Rajya Sabha).
- Drawn from both Houses (except a few).
-
Not executive bodies – they aid and advise Parliament.
Classification of Committees
| Type |
Sub-type |
Examples |
|
Standing Committees (Permanent)
|
Financial Committees Departmental Standing Committees Others
|
PAC, Estimates Committee, DRSCs |
|
Ad Hoc Committees (Temporary)
|
Inquiry Committees Advisory Committees
|
JPCs, Select/Joint Committees on Bills |
Standing Committees – Details
A. Financial Committees
|
Committee
|
Headed By
|
Key Role |
|
Public Accounts Committee (PAC)
|
Lok Sabha MP (Opposition)
|
Examines CAG reports, audits government expenditure
|
|
Estimates Committee
|
Lok Sabha MP
|
Suggests economy in public expenditure, examines estimates
|
|
Committee on Public Undertakings (COPU)
|
Lok Sabha MP
|
Examines CAG reports on PSUs |
B. Departmentally Related Standing Committees (DRSCs)
| Feature |
Description |
| Number |
24 Committees |
|
Composition
|
31 members (21 LS + 10 RS) |
| Tenure |
1 year |
| Purpose |
Examine demands for grants, bills, and annual reports of ministries
|
C. Other Standing Committees
|
Committee
|
Function |
|
Committee on Petitions
|
Examines petitions from the public |
|
Committee on Subordinate Legislation
|
Scrutinizes rules/regulations framed under Acts
|
|
Committee on Government Assurances
|
Checks if assurances by ministers in Parliament are fulfilled
|
|
Committee on Welfare of SC/STs
|
Monitors implementation of constitutional safeguards
|
|
Committee on Papers Laid on Table
|
Ensures proper presentation of papers/documents
|
Ad Hoc Committees
|
Committee
|
Purpose |
|
Select Committee (LS) / Select Committee (RS)
|
Detailed scrutiny of a particular bill |
|
Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC)
|
Formed for major national issues, includes members from both Houses
|
Significance of Committees
| Benefit |
Explanation |
|
Efficient Workload Sharing
|
Parliament can’t discuss every detail—committees divide the work
|
|
Expertise-Based Scrutiny
|
Members spend time in deep analysis |
|
Accountability Mechanism
|
Brings ministries under check |
|
Bipartisan Nature
|
Reduces party politics during scrutiny |
Comparison Table – PAC vs Estimates vs COPU
| Feature |
PAC |
Estimates
|
COPU |
| Function |
Examines accounts post-expenditure
|
Suggests improvements before expenditure
|
Focuses on PSU performance |
|
Headed by
|
Opposition LS MP
|
Ruling party LS MP
|
LS MP |
|
CAG Reports
|
Yes |
No |
Yes (for PSUs) |
|
Rajya Sabha members
|
Yes (7) |
No |
Yes (7) |
Committees vs Legislature
| Feature |
Parliament
|
Committee |
| Size |
Large |
Small (15–45 members) |
|
Functioning
|
Open, public, political
|
Closed, detailed, technical |
|
Debate Style
|
Party-dominated
|
Usually bipartisan |
|
Scrutiny Level
|
General |
In-depth |
How Committees Work
-
Chairperson appointed by Speaker/Chairman.
-
Meet in private – discussions confidential.
-
Submit reports – not binding but influential.
-
Ministries respond with Action Taken Reports (ATR).
Key UPSC Points
| Topic |
Note |
|
PAC is the most important
|
Examines CAG Reports |
|
Estimates Committee is the oldest
|
Formed in 1950 |
|
DRSCs = Department-focused
|
Created in 1993 |
|
JPC = Formed by Parliamentary motion
|
Specific, temporary issues |
|
Speaker plays major role
|
Appoints members, chairpersons (Lok Sabha)
|
Quick Revision Table
|
Committee Type
|
Permanent?
|
Includes RS?
|
Role |
| PAC |
Yes |
Yes |
Audit government expenditure |
|
Estimates
|
Yes |
No |
Suggest economic reforms |
| COPU |
Yes |
Yes |
Examine PSU reports |
| DRSC |
Yes |
Yes |
Departmental scrutiny |
| JPC |
No |
Yes |
Major issue-specific inquiry |
