Functioning Of Parliamentary Committees To Be Reviewed – Free PDF Download

 
Q) Consider the following statements. Which among them is/are correct?

1. Standing Committees are the permanent committees that are  constituted on a regular basis
2. Ad hoc committees are temporary committees that are dissolved  when the task is completed.
3. Committee of Agriculture is an ad-hoc committee.

1. Only II
2. Only I and II
3. Only I and III
4. Only III

ORIGIN OF PARLIAMENTARY COMMITTEES

• The first Parliamentary  Committee was constituted in  1571 in Britain.
• In India, the first Public Accounts  Committee was constituted in 1921  under the provisions of the Government  of India Act of 1919.

STANDING COMMITTEES

• Unlike the Ad Hoc committees, the standing committees are permanent and regular in nature.
• Most Bills, after their introduction, get referred to department-related standing committees.
• There are 24 standing committees, each dealing with specific subjects such as commerce, home affairs, HRD,  defence, health etc.
• It was back in 1993, when 17 department related standing committees were constituted.
• In July 2004, seven more such committees were added, taking the total to 24.

• Out of the 24 Committees, 8 are within the administrative jurisdiction of Chairman of Rajya Sabha and rest are  administered by the Lok Sabha
• Each standing committee has 31 members — 21 from the Lok Sabha and 10 from the Rajya Sabha — nominated  by the Speaker and the Chairman.
• Tenure?

• For the first time since they were introduced in 1993, Lok  Speaker Om Birla has asked for a comprehensive review of the committee system.
• Lok Sabha speaker sought an opinion whether there was a  need for changes in the manner in which the panels operate.
• This comes in the backdrop of efforts by both the Lok Sabha  and Rajya Sabha secretariats to hold online meetings of the  committees, after pressure from the Opposition parties.
• The Parliament session abruptly ended on March 23.
• None of the department related standing committees  (DRSCs) have met since then.
• The Rajya Sabha secretariat had done a similar analysis.
• Briefing the House, Chairman Venkaiah Naidu, on March 1,  pointed out that-
• A total of 95 MPs did not attend a single meeting of the eight  DRSCs that reviewed allocations for 18 Ministries after the  presentation of the 2020-21 Union Budget on February 1.
• The decision is important as the introduction of 17  department-related standing committees during the tenure of  Congress’s Shivraj Patil as Speaker was a significant  innovation that increased parliamentary scrutiny and gave  MPs a larger role in examining legislation and important  decisions of the day
• The committee system, however, has been affected by delays  in preparing reports and worrying incidence of absenteeism.

ADVANTAGES OF PARLIAMENTARY COMMITTEES

• Detailed scrutiny of the bills.
• Obtaining public feedback and building political consensus.
• Committees perform their functions without the cloud of political positioning.
• Function through the year.
• Increase the efficiency and expertise of Parliament.

Q) Consider the following statements. Which among them is/are correct?

1. Standing Committees are the permanent committees that are constituted on a regular basis
2. Ad hoc committees are temporary committees that are dissolved when the task is completed.
3. Committee of Agriculture is an ad-hoc committee.

1. Only II
2. Only I and II
3. Only I and III
4. Only III

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