Parliamentary Committees – Part 2

Types of Parliamentary Committees

Standing Committees

Part 2

Departmental Standing Committees

• There are 24 Departmental Standing Committees with 16 of them under the jurisdiction of the speaker of the Lok Sabha, while 8 are under the jurisdiction of the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha.
• Each Departmental Standing Committee has 31 members, 21 from Lok Sabha and 10 from Rajya Sabha.
• The first Departmental Standing Committee was set up in 1989.

Committees To Inquire

There are three types of Committees to Inquire, they are

Committee on Petitions

• This committee examines whenever there is a petition on a bill or if there is any matter of general public importance

Committee of Privilege

• This committee comes into action when any member of the house breaches the code of it and it proposes a suitable action.
• This committee is semi-judicial in nature and has 15 members in Lok Sabha and 10 members in Rajya Sabha.

Committee on Ethics

• This committee comes into action when any member of the house misconducts and shows indiscipline and decides suitable action.

Committees to Scrutinize and Control

Committees to Scrutinize and Control can be divided into six parts, they are

Committee on government assurances

• This committee investigates the extent to which the promise, assures and undertaking in the Lok Sabha taken by ministers were carried out.
• The committee consists of 15 Lok Sabha members and 10 Rajya Sabha members.

Committee on subordinate Legislation

• It examines the executive branch’s creation of regulations, rules, sub-rules, and bye-laws that have been delegated by Parliament or bestowed by the Constitution.
• The committee was constituted in 1953 and consists of 15 members.

Committee on Papers laid on the table

• This committee examines the credibility of any paper placed on the table by ministers, and check if it complies with the constitution’s provisions.
• The committee consists of 15 Lok Sabha members and 10 Rajya Sabha members.

Committee on the welfare of SC’s and ST’s

• This committee considers the reports given by the National Commission for SCs and the National Commission for STs.
• The committee consists of 20 Lok Sabha members and 10 Rajya Sabha members.

Committee on Empowerment of Women

• This committee considers the reports given by the National Commission on Women in order to secure status, dignity and equality for women in all fields.

Joint Committee on Offices of Profit

• It examines the composition and character of committees and other bodies created by the union, state, and union territory governments.
• It also makes recommendations on whether or not a person who holds these positions is eligible for being elected to Parliament.
• The committee consists of 10 Lok Sabha members and 5 Rajya Sabha members.