Parliamentary Committees: Function, Classification, and Significance

TOPIC CLASSIFICATION

Subject: Indian Polity & Governance Sub-area: Parliament — Structure, Functioning, Privileges & Committees Difficulty: Medium Weightage: Moderate (2–3 Prelims questions + 1 Mains question every 2–3 years)

EXAMINER REASONING

1. Trap: Assuming all parliamentary committees are statutory (many are ad hoc).
2. Most confused: Departmentally Related Standing Committees (DRSCs) vs Joint Parliamentary Committees (JPC) — distinction of scope and permanence.
3. Key anchor: Article 118 (power to regulate procedure) is the constitutional basis, not any single dedicated Article.
4. Current affairs hook: DRSC reports on Demolition of Properties Bill 2025, Waqf Amendment Bill scrutiny.
5. Mains hinge: "Parliamentary committees are the sinews of legislative oversight. Analyse their effectiveness in ensuring executive accountability."

Core Concept

Parliamentary Committees are committees appointed/elected by the House, nominated by the Speaker/Chairman, or constituted by the President (Joint Sitting rules) to study matters in detail. They act as a mini-parliament, enabling detailed scrutiny that the full House cannot perform due to time constraints.

Constitutional Basis: Article 118 (Rules of Procedure), Article 105 (Privileges committee matters). However, most committees derive existence from the Rules of Procedure of Lok Sabha/Rajya Sabha, not directly from the Constitution.

Classification