PARLIAMENTARY STANDING COMMITTEE

Subject : Polity

Context : Opposition dials VP Naidu, seeks virtual meetings of Parliamentary standing committees

Concept :

The Constitution of India makes a mention of these committees at different places, but without making any specific provisions regarding their composition, tenure, functions, etc. All these matters are dealt by the rules of two Houses.

Accordingly, a parliamentary committee means a committee that:

Is appointed or elected by the House or nominated by the Speaker / Chairman
Works under the direction of the Speaker / Chairman
Presents its report to the House or to the Speaker / Chairman
Has a secretariat provided by the Lok Sabha / Rajya Sabha
The introduction of 17 department-related standing committees (DRSCs) on March 31, 1993 was a significant innovation that increased parliamentary scrutiny and gave MPs a larger role in examining legislation and important decisions of the day.
There are 24 DRSCs — 16 from Lok Sabha and 8 from Rajya Sabha. Each committee has 21 MPs from Lok Sabha and 10 from Rajya Sabha.
The role: Given the volume of legislative business and the time constraints it is not possible for MPs to discuss and scrutinise all bills in the House.
Parliamentary committees, either formed for a specific bill (select committee) or permanent (standing committees that are reconstituted annually) allow for a scrutiny with the possibility of tapping subject experts from outside and other stakeholders in an environment where MPs are not bound by party positions or whips.