PROCEDURE OF PARLIAMENT.B.ILL.....

1. PARLIAMENTARY COMMITTEES IN INDIA
Overview
Since Parliament needs to perform substantial functions in limited time, it cannot go into the
details of every legislative and other matter that comes before it
For this reason, Parliamentary Committees are constituted to study in detail the legislative
and other matters that come before Parliament
Committees can be appointed in both Houses of Parliament, and their roles and functions are
more or less similar
Functions of the Committees
To consider the Demand for Grants of various Departments/Ministries and make reports to
the Houses
To examine Bills that are referred to the Committee by the Lok Sabha or the Rajya Sabha
To study annual reports of various Ministries and Departments
To consider policy documents presented to the Houses if/when referred to the Committee by
the Lok Sabha or Rajya Sabha
TYPES OF COMMITTEES
Ad hoc Committees
They are appointed for a specific purpose and cease to exist when the task is finished
They can either belong to one particular Parliament House or be a joint committee
There are two types of Ad hoc committees
o Committees appointed either by a motion in Parliament or by the Speaker/Chairman to
enquire into a specific subject
o Select or Joint Committees on Bills. These Committees are constituted to study and report on
specific Bills
Examples of Ad hoc Committees: Committees on Draft Five Year Plans, Railway Convention
Committee, Fertilizer Pricing Committee etc
Standing Committees
Standing Committees are Committees appointed every year or periodically, and their work
goes on in a continuous basis
The three most important Standing Committees (which deal with finance) are worth special
mention
o Committee on Estimates
o Committee on Public Accounts
o Committee on Public Undertakings
Additionally, there are 24 Departmentally Related Standing Committees that deal with
affairs of a specific Department/Ministry

2. IMPORTANT COMMITTEES
Departmentally Related Standing Committees
There are a total of 24 Departmentally Related Standing Committees (DRSC)
The DRSCs were first introduced in 1993 in a batch of 17, and a further 7 were added in 2004
Each of these Committees consists of no more than 45 members. 30 are to be nominated from
the Lok Sabha and 15 from the Rajya Sabha
Ministers are not eligible to be nominated to these Committees
The term of the Committee is one year
Committee on Estimates
Consists of 30 members elected from the Lok Sabha
Ministers are not eligible for election to this Committee
The term of the Committee is one year
Primary functions include
o report what improvements in organisation, efficiency or administration can be made
o suggest policies to bring about improvements in efficiency and economy
the Committee can select and study estimates pertaining to any Ministry or government body
as it may see fit
Committee can also examine matters of special interest that come up or are referred to it by
the Speaker
Committee on Public Accounts
Consists of 22 members: 15 elected from the Lok Sabha and 7 from the Rajya Sabha
Ministers are not eligible for election to this Committee
Term of office is one year
Primary function is to determine if money granted by the Parliament has been spent by the
Government within the scope of the Demand
The Committee bases its examinations on the Appropriation Accounts of the Government and
the Audit Reports presented by the Comptroller and Auditor General
The Committee is not concerned with policy, but only with execution of the policy and its
results
Committee on Public Undertakings
Consists of 22 members: 15 elected from the Lok Sabha and 7 from the Rajya Sabha
Ministers are not eligible for election to this Committee
Term of office is one year
Functions of the Committee include
o Examine reports and accounts of Public Undertakings
o Examine reports of the CAG on Public Undertakings
o Examine whether Public Undertakings are being managed with sound business principles and
prudent commercial practices

3. The Committee does not examine government policy or day-to-day administration of the
Undertakings
Other important Committee House of Function(s) Notes
committees S. Parliament/
No. Composition
1 Business Advisory Lok Sabha Recommends the The Speaker is
Committee 15 (including amount of time the ex-officio
Speaker) to be allotted Chairman
for business in Members are
Parliament nominated by
the Speaker
Committee
generally meets
at the beginning
of each Session
2 Committee on Lok Sabha Allot time to The Deputy
Private 15 (including Dy Private Speaker is the ex-
Members’ Speaker) Members’ Bills officio Chairman
Bills and and Resolutions Members are
Resolutions Examine Private nominated by
Members’ Bills the Speaker
seeking to amend
the Constitution
before
introducing them
in Lok Sabha
Examine all
Private
Members’ Bills
after they are
introduced
but before they
are taken up for
consideration
Classify the Bills
based on their
matter, urgency
into
Category A or
Category B
3 Rules Committee Lok Sabha Considers The Speaker is
(15 including matters of the ex-officio
Speaker) procedure and Chairman
conduct of Members are
business in the nominated by
House the Speaker
Recommends

4. amendments to
the Rules of
Procedure and
Conduct
of Business in Lok
Sabha
4 Committee of Lok Sabha Examines every Members are
Privileges 15 question nominated by
regarding breach the Speaker
of privilege of the
House
or of members of
any Committee
Determines
whether breach
of privilege was
involved and
makes
Recommendatio
ns
5 Committee on Lok Sabha Examine all Members are
Papers Laid 15 papers laid on nominated by
on the Table the table of the the Speaker
House by
Ministers
Report to the
House whether
there has been
compliance of
the
Constitution
Report whether
there has been
unreasonable
delay