Business Advisory Committee

Subject: Polity

Context:

The Congress and other opposition parties raised demands of discussion on issues of national security like the border situation with China, handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, economy and GST compensation to states in the first business advisory committee (BAC) meeting for Lok Sabha.

Concept:

• The Business Advisory Committee of Lok Sabha consists of 15 members including the Speaker who is the ex-officio Chairperson.
• The members are nominated by the Speaker.
• In practice, a new Committee after being nominated by the Speaker is constituted and assumes office in the first week of June every year.
• Casual vacancies are filled by nomination of new members for the unexpired term of the Committee.
• The Committee generally meets at the beginning of each Session and thereafter as and when necessary.
• Almost all sections of the House are represented on the Committee.
• The function of the Committee is to recommend the time that should be allotted for the discussion of such government legislative and other business as the Speaker, in consultation with the Leader of the House, may direct to be referred to the Committee.
• The Committee, on its own initiative, may also recommend to the Government to bring forward particular subjects for discussion in the House and recommend allocation of time for such discussions.
• The decisions reached by the Committee are always unanimous in character and representative of the collective view of the House.