Parliament Reorganizes 22 Standing Committees

A Parliamentary Committee is a group of Members of Parliament (MPs) either appointed or elected by the House or nominated by the Speaker/Chairman. These committees function under the guidance of the Speaker/Chairman, presenting their reports back to them or the House. The concept of Parliamentary Committees has its roots in the British Parliament, drawing authority from Articles 105 and 118 of the Indian Constitution.

Article 105 safeguards the privileges of MPs, while Article 118 allows Parliament to make rules regulating its procedure and conduct of business. With limited time available for in-depth discussions and legislative complexities, a lot of significant business is conducted within these Committees.

Types of Parliament Committees

The Indian Parliament comprises multiple committees, categorizable based on their work, membership, and tenure duration. Broadly, there are two types of Parliamentary Committees – Standing Committees and Ad Hoc Committees.

Standing Committees are permanent, constituted periodically, and function continuously. They can be further classified into six categories: Financial Committees, Departmental Standing Committees, Committees to Enquire, Committees to Scrutinise and Control, Committees Relating to the Day-to-Day Business of the House, and House-Keeping Committees.

On the other hand, Ad Hoc Committees are temporary and cease to exist after completing their assigned task. These are typically subdivided into Inquiry Committees and Advisory Committees, with principal ones being the Select and Joint Committees on Bills.

The Role of Parliamentary Committees

Parliamentary Committees play a crucial role in the legislative process by offering expertise. As most MPs are not subject matter experts, these committees allow them to seek expert opinions and deliberate over issues in detail.

Moreover, these committees operate as a mini-parliament. They have representation from different parties, elected through a single transferable vote in proportion to their strength in Parliament. They provide a platform for thorough scrutiny of bills and invite input from various stakeholders, thereby enhancing the quality of legislation.

Concerns Over the Sidelining of Parliamentary Committees

The undermining of the role of Parliamentary Committees could lead to a weakening of the parliamentary system of democracy. In such a system, there is a fusion of powers between Parliament and the executive, with Parliament entrusted with maintaining oversight of the Government.

However, bypassing committees in passing important legislation risks affording unchecked power to the Government. This concern is particularly pronounced in instances where discretionary power is granted to the Chair, potentially leading to enforcing brute majority.

The Way Forward: Strengthening the Parliamentary Committee System

Ensuring stringent scrutiny of significant bills is not an obstacle to the legislative process. Instead, it is pivotal to uphold legislation quality and, consequently, governance quality. As such, fortifying the Parliamentary Committee system is crucial to maintain Parliament’s sanctity in law-making.

Understanding the Committees: UPSC Civil Services Examination, Previous Year Questions (PYQs)

A 2018 Civil Services Examination question asked which Parliamentary Committees scrutinize and report to the House whether the powers to make regulations, rules, sub-rules, by-laws, etc., conferred by the Constitution or delegated by the Parliament are being properly exercised by the Executive within the delegation’s scope. The correct answer was the Committee on Subordinate Legislation, a 15-member body for both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha that scrutinizes and reports on these regulations.