Parliamentary Committees & Comptroller And Auditor General | Indian Polity for UPSC CSE PDF Download

Recent News

• The Parliamentary Committee on Subordinate Legislation recently convened to evaluate the fulfillment of legislative responsibilities and adherence to Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) standards.
• This committee is tasked with scrutinizing and presenting reports to the House on the proper exercise of authorities granted by the Constitution or delegated by Parliament to formulate regulations, rules, sub-rules, and bye-laws.
• Comprising 15 members from both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, individuals are nominated by the Speaker or Chairman as appropriate, with ministers ineligible to serve on this committee.
• The Committee's Chairman is selected from its members by the Speaker or Chairman, and in discussions, the Chairman holds only a casting vote.

Types of Parliamentary Committees

Ad Hoc Committees

Ad hoc Committees are established periodically to investigate specific matters. They are not explicitly designated in the Rules of Procedure and disband once their designated task is concluded and a report is submitted.

These committees are temporary and fall into two main categories:

• Inquiry Committees: These are created by either house or the speaker to conduct thorough inquiries or reports on specific subjects. Examples include the joint committee on the maintenance of heritage and the committee on the violation of protocol norms.
• Advisory Committees: Appointed to provide reports on particular bills.

Explore the significant committees in the Indian Constituent Assembly for competitive exams here.

Standing Committees

Various types of standing committees exist, encompassing financial committees, departmental standing committees, committees for inquiry, scrutiny and control, housekeeping committees, and service committees. In the Indian Parliament, six distinct types of standing committees are recognized and outlined below.

Functions of Parliamentary Committees

Financial Committees

• The Public Accounts Committee scrutinizes the annual reports of the government and the reports of the Comptroller and Auditor General, which the President presents to Parliament.
• The Estimates Committee evaluates the government's proposed budget expenditure forecasts and provides recommendations for potential savings in government expenditures.
• The Committee on Public Undertakings examines the reports and accounts of public undertakings.

Departmental Standing Committee

Day to Day Business of House:

• The Business Advisory Committee manages the schedule of the House.
• The Private Members' Committee categorizes legislation and allocates time for debates on private member bills and resolutions.
• The Rules Committee proposes changes to the House rules when necessary.
• The Committee on Members' Absences examines all requests for leave submitted by members of the houses.

Committee to Scrutinize and Control

• The Committee on Government Assurance evaluates the implementation of promises, assurances, or undertakings made by ministers in the Lok Sabha. With 15 members in the Lok Sabha and 10 in the Rajya Sabha, it examines the extent to which these commitments have been fulfilled.
• The Committee on Subordinate Legislation scrutinizes whether the executive branch is appropriately exercising its powers to formulate regulations, rules, sub-rules, and bye-laws delegated by Parliament or the Constitution.
• The Committee for the Welfare of SCs and STs, comprised of 30 members (20 in the Lok Sabha and 10 in the Rajya Sabha), receives reports from the National Commission for SCs and the National Commission for STs.
• The Committee on Paper Laid on the Table, with 15 members in the Lok Sabha and 10 in the Rajya Sabha, assesses the validity and conformity of papers presented by ministers with the constitutional stipulations.
• The Committee on Women’s Empowerment reviews the report of the National Commission on Women.
• The Joint Committee on Office of Profit examines the composition and nature of committees and other bodies appointed by federal, state, and union territory administrations. It provides recommendations on whether individuals serving on these bodies should be disqualified from running for Parliament.

Committee to inquire:

• The Committee on Petitions reviews legislative petitions or matters of significant public concern.
• The Committee on Privileges, with a semi-judicial aspect, investigates and suggests appropriate actions if a member of the house breaches the code of conduct. It comprises 15 Lok Sabha members and ten Rajya Sabha members.
• The Ethics Committee probes instances of misbehavior or indiscipline by a member of the House of Representatives and imposes necessary sanctions.

House-keeping Committees and Service Committees

• The General Purposes Committee oversees matters that fall outside the purview of other legislative committees.
• The Library Committee is responsible for the management of the library and its associated facilities in the houses.

Consultative Committees:

• These committees are affiliated with different government departments or ministries.
• Ministers and committee members convene informally to deliberate on government policies, programs, and their implementation.
• The appointment of these committees falls under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs.
• The committee's composition can range from a minimum of 10 members to a maximum of 30.

Consultative Committees:

• These committees are formed either through a resolution passed by both houses or upon the request of the speaker or chairman for a report on a specific subject.
• Functioning as bill select or joint committees, their mandate involves investigating and reporting on particular bills.
• These committees furnish details and insights regarding specific bills.