Parliamentary Committee power to summon

Subject: Polity

Context:

The information technology (IT) parliamentary committee is divided on summoning Facebook executives to clarify reports of bias towards the BJP in censoring hate speech.

Concept:

• Committees are formed to see that Parliament functions effectively, discuss Bills referred to them by the presiding officers.
• These MPs assemble during and between sessions, invite officials as well as experts, and are not bound by the party whips when it comes to discussion of a Bill, unlike in the House.
• Department-related Standing Committees consider demands for grants for the ministry, and take up any subject based on Annual Reports and long-term policy documents relating to the ministries/departments under their jurisdiction
• The committee has the powers to send a letter to any institution — asking it to appear and give an explanation on a subject.
• The committee or chairman does not have executive powers, but calling a particular person or an institution as witness is possible.
• An invitation to appear before a Parliamentary Committee is equivalent to a summons from a court: If one cannot come, he or she has to give reasons which the panel may or may not accept.
• However, the chairman should have the support of the majority of the members. Any member can call for a meeting to discuss this, and if the majority of the members do not agree, the chairman may have to cancel the summoning.