UPSC Previous Year Questions (Prelims): Parliamentary Committees & Forums

Correct Answer is Option (b)

• Committee on government assurances- checks the assurances, promises and undertakings given by ministers from time to time on the floor of the House and reports on the extent to which they have been carried through. In the Lok Sabha, it consists of 15 members and in the Rajya Sabha, it consists of 10 members. It was constituted in 1953.
• Committee on Subordinate legislation examines and reports to the House whether the powers to make regulations, rules, sub-rules and bye-laws delegated by the Parliament or conferred by the Constitution to the Executive are being properly exercised by it. In both the Houses, the committee consists of 15 members. It was constituted in 1953.
• Rules committee considers the matters of procedure and conduct of business in the House and recommends necessary amendments or additions to the rules of the House. The Lok Sabha committee consists of 15 members including the Speaker as its ex-officio chairman. In the Rajya Sabha, it consists of 16 members including the Chairman as its ex-officio chairman
• Business advisory committee regulates the programme and time table of the House. It allocates time for the transaction of legislative and other business brought before the House by the government. The Lok Sabha committee consists of 15 members including the Speaker as its chairman. In the Rajya Sabha, it has 11 members including the Chairman as its ex-officio chairman.
  
  

Correct Answer is Option (a)
Parliamentary Committees are formed to dispose off the large volume of work in time but with detailed scrutiny. Their appointment, terms of office as well as functions etc are regulated by provisions under Article 118(1). These are of 2 kinds: Standing Committees and Ad-hoc Committees.

Ans: The Department-related Parliamentary Standing Committee have been formed to cover all the Ministries/ Departments of the Government of India. Each of these Committees consists of 31 Members - 21 from Lok Sabha and 10 from Rajya Sabha to be nominated by the Speaker, Lok Sabha and the Chairman, Rajya Sabha, respectively. The term of Office of these Committees does not exceed one year.
Functions of Department-related Parliamentary Standing Committee:

• To consider the Demands for Grants of the related Ministries/Departments and report thereon. The report shall not suggest anything of the nature of cut motions; 
• To examine Bills, pertaining to the related Ministries/Departments, referred to the Committee by the Chairman or the Speaker, as the case may be, and report thereon; 
• To consider the annual reports of the Ministries/Departments and report thereon; and 
• To consider national basic long term policy documents presented to the Houses, if referred to the Committee by the Chairman or the Speaker, as the case may be, and report thereon.

Significance of Department-related Parliamentary Standing Committees

• Emphasis on long-term plans, policies guiding the working of the Executive, these Committees are providing necessary direction, guidance and inputs for broad policy formulations and in achievement of the long-term national perspective by the Executive. 
• It is easier to examine a topic in depth by a committee of 30 than by an assembly of 700. 
• The work put in by the total 24 DRSCs in examining the Demands for Grants of all the ministries equals 30 days of functioning of the Parliament. 
• They enable input from experts and those who may be directly affected by a policy or legislation. 
• Being outside direct public glare allows members to discuss issues and reach consensus without worrying about constituency or party pressures. 
• Overall, secure more accountability of the executive towards the legislature.

Issues/Challenges of Standing committees

• Meetings happen behind closed doors of which the minutes are never published creating the issue of transparency in the working of the committee. 
• The committee's recommendations are not binding in nature. This leads to bypassing the result of detailed scrutiny of the bill. 
• Lack of standing research support. There is an absence of dedicated researchers associated. 
• All the bills are not referred to the departmental standing committees. 
• One year tenure leads very little time for specialization 
• Attendance of MPs at the committee meetings is weak. Also, one committee had to deal with too many ministries.