Parliamentary Committees Part 1

Parliamentary Committees – Part 1

  • Like many things in the Indian Parliament, Parliamentary Committees also have their origins in the British Parliament.
  • A Parliamentary Committee consists of a committee of MPs who are elected by the House or nominated by the presiding officer, and works under the direction of the presiding officer.
  • Their work and powers are determined by each House of Parliament according to Article118 of Indian Constitution.
  • The Constitution does not contain any specific provisions regarding their composition, tenure, functions etc, since these matters are dealt by the rules of procedure of the houses.

Types of Parliamentary Committees

  • Parliamentary Committees can be broadly classified into two, Standing Committees and Ad Hoc Committees.

Standing Committees

Part 1

  • Standing Committees are permanent in nature which means they are constituted every year or periodically and work on a continuous basis.
  • Standing Committees can be further divided into 6 categories based on the work they do. They are:

Financial Committees

  • There are three financial committees in the parliament, they are
Public Accounts Committee
  • Public Accounts Committee was introduced in 1921 under the provisions of the Government of India Act, 1919.
  • It is given the responsibility to examine the government’s yearly reports as well as the Comptroller and Auditor General’s reports.
  • However, the committee is not responsible for scrutinising the policy and can only check for wastages in its implementation.
  • It consists of 22 members (15 from Lok Sabha and 7 from Rajya Sabha) who are elected by Parliament every year with proportional representation by means of a single transferable vote.
  • The Chairman of PAC is appointed by the speaker from amongst its members.
Estimates Committee
  • Estimates Committee was set up in 1950 on the recommendations of the then Finance Minister John Mathai.
  • Its purpose is to examines the estimates in the budget and suggests ‘economies’ in public expenditure.
  • It consists of 30 members (from Lok Sabha) who are elected by Lok Sabha with proportional representation by means of a single transferable vote.
  • The Chairman of Estimates Committee is appointed by the speaker from amongst its members.
Committee on Public Undertakings
  • Committee on Public Undertakings was set up in 1964 on the recommendation of Krishna Menon Committee.
  • It evaluates the reports and accounts of Public Sector Undertakings (PSU).
  • It consists of 22 members (15 from Lok Sabha and 7 from Rajya Sabha) who are elected by Parliament every year with proportional representation by means of a single transferable vote.
  • The Chairman of Committee on Public Undertakings is appointed by the speaker from amongst its members.

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