**PARLIAMENTARY COMMITTEES IN INDIA**

**PARLIAMENTARY COMMITTEES IN INDIA**
Overview
Since Parliament needs to perform substantial functionsin limited time, it cannot go into the details of every legislative and other matter that comes before it
For this reason, Parliamentary Committees areconstituted 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 documentspresented to the Houses if/when referred to the Committee by the Lok Sabha or Rajya Sabha
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TYPES OF COMMITTEES
1.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
Committees appointed either by a motion in Parliament or by the Speaker/ Chairman to enquire into a specific subject
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
2.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
Committee on Estimates
Committee on Public Accounts
Committee on Public Undertakings
Additionally, there are 24 Departmentally Related Standing Committees that dealwith affairs of a specific Department/ Ministry
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IMPORTANT COMMITTEES
1. 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
2. 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
report what improvements in organisation, efficiency or administration can be made
suggest policies to bring about improvements in efficiency and economy
the Committee can select and study estimates pertaining toany 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
3. 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 theGovernment 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
4. 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
Examine reports and accounts of Public Undertakings
Examine reports of the CAG on Public Undertakings
Examine whether Public Undertakings are being managed with sound business principles and prudent commercial practices
The Committee does not examine government policy or day-to-day administrationof the Undertakin