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Supporting The Legislative

Parlimentary committee formation

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27 views4 pages

Supporting The Legislative

Parlimentary committee formation

Uploaded by

amlanbm
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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4

SUPPORTING THE LEGISLATIVE


COMMITTEES

Dr. Harish Chandra

Introduction
You all familiar with Parliament as a
are
the state dealing with law
major organ of
making. Parliament is also the
authority tocheck the Executive
(government). Every
Executive is answerable to the Parliament. Our discussion
and analysis on Parliament will be
incomplete if we don't
touch the Parliamentary Committees. These are
committees,
with MPs as members, for specialized work on behalf of the
entire Parliament.

Why Parliamentary Committees?


The work done by the Parliament in modern times is
considerable in volume and varied in nature. The time at its
disposal is limited (Remember that our Parliament normally
meets only for 3 sessions, that tøo only for around 100
days
each year). It cannot, therefore, give close consideration to
the details of all the legislative and other matters that come
up before it. Hence Parliamentary Committees are necessary
for detailed study on
specific matters
Functions of Department Related Standing Committees
The newly constituted departmentally related Standing
Committee System is a path-breaking endeavour of the
rarlamentary survillance over administration. With the
upnasis of their functioning to concentrate on long-termn
Paans, policies and the philosophies guiding the working or

97
98/ Legislative Support
privileged

the Executive, these Committees will be in a very


position to provide necessary direction. guidance ana long
long-
for broad policy formulations and in achievementorence to to reference

With
cutive.
term national perspective by the ctions
the funcud
the Ministries/ epartments under their purview,
of these committees are.
Grants.
Consideration of Demands for
the Chairman,
referred to by
of Bills as the case
Lok Sabha
Examination

the Speaker,
Rajya Sabha or

may be.
Consideration of Annual Reports.
national basic long term policy
Consideration of referred to the
the House and
documentspresented to Sabha or the
Chairman, Rajya
Committee by the
as the case may be.
Speaker, Lok Sabha,
matters of day-to-dav
These Committees do not consider
Ministries/Departments.
concerned
administration of the

Committees in India
Types of Parliamentary
Parliament are as diverse as the
Responsibilities of Indian
it has to tackle multiple
nation itself. As an executive body,
This is where the
issues within a stipulated time period.
parliamentary committees come into play. They are set up

not only to take of crucial tasks but also to provide


care

to the government while


necessary guidance and suggestions
are
formulating long-tèrmpolicies. Parliamentary Committees
Other
broadly categorised into Ad- hoc, Standing and
Committees.
Ad-hoc Committees
s p e c i f i c

TheAd-hoc Committees are set up to work 1or aF


Supporting the Leglslative
are
and. dissolved once it's completed. The Committees/999
askk Committees on bills are considered the Select and
Joim
main comnittees
nder this category.

Parliament as the
privilege of referring a bill to
SelectCom
Committee orto ajoint parliamentary
committee (JPC)
a

Sedh thehouses.
ofboth
of
The committee is formed only when motion
is dopted by one house and supported by the other. A JPC
htain both written and oral "evidence of experts, public
can o b t

bodies, associations, individuals or interested parties suomotu


e on requests made by them". It can also call for documents
in Connection
on
with a matter under its consideration. The first
JPC was formed in August 1987 to investigate the before
scandal. The latest one was formed to probe VVIP Chopper
scam (2013).
Standing Committees

Unlike the Ad Hoc committees, the standing committees


arepermanent and regular in nature. They are constituted from
of
time to time according to the provisions of an Act
Business.
Parliament or Rules of Procedure and Conduct of
Both the Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha have a standing
committee of their own.
related standing
It was back in 1993, when 17 department
seven more such
committees were constituted. In July 2004,
total to 24. All the
Committees were added, taking the under
come
government
ministries and departments of Indian
the jurisdiction of these committees.
are within the
of the 24 Committees, eight
Out of Rajya Sabha and
administrative jurisdiction of Chairman Committees
rest are administered by the Lok Sabha Speaker.
include Commerce
serviced by the ajya Sabha
Secretariat
Resource
Development,

Industry, Home Affairs, Human Science & Technology


Tansport, Culture re and
Tourism,
100/ Legislative Support
Health and Family Welfare and Personnel, and Public
Grievances, Law and Justice.
Committees on Agriculture, Forests, Energy, Coal & Steel
Petroleum & Natural Gas, Chemicals & Fertilizers
Commerce, Finance, Defence, External Affairs, Information
Technology, Food, Consumer Affairs and Public Distributiqn
Labeur, Railways, Urban Development, Rural Development
and Social Justice & Empowerment aregoverned by the lower
house
Each standing committee comprises not more than 45
members. Lok Sabha speaker nominates 30 members from
the lower house. Similarly, it's the Chairman of Rajya Sabha
who chooses 15 others from the upper house. A minister can't
be nominated to any of these Committees. The term for each
member expires after one year.
Functions of Standing Committees
One of the foremost tasks that these standing committees
are expected to execute is a thorough examination of Bills
referred to by the Chairman of Rajya Sabha or the Speaker of
Lok Sabha. Amidst other functions, they consider Demands
for Grants and Annual Reports. Sometimes, these commites
also have to scrutinise national policy documents
present
to either of the House and referred to them
by the Chairma
or
Speaker. However, the matters
the to the
pertaining d
to-day administration of the concerned Ministries do notc
under their ambit.
rliament

The various Standing Committees of the


are mentioned below:
ra

Committee on Public Accounts the

bers elected by
This Committee consists of 15 membeio

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