Hectic negotiations on for control of House panels
(Source – The Hindu, International Edition – Page No. – 5)
| Topic: GS2 – Indian Polity |
| Context |
| ● The constitution of Parliamentary Standing Committees for the 18th Lok Sabha is delayed due to disagreements between the government and the Opposition.
● The contentious committees include External Affairs, Finance, and Defence. ● These differences have resulted in a political deadlock. |
| Parliamentary Standing Committees: |
| ● Parliamentary Standing Committees are permanent committees in the Indian Parliament, constituted to examine bills, budgets, and policies of various ministries and departments.
● There are 24 Department-related Parliamentary Standing Committees, 16 under the Lok Sabha and 8 under the Rajya Sabha. ● These committees play a crucial role in scrutinising government work, providing expert opinions, and ensuring detailed legislative analysis. ● Members include MPs from both Houses, with proportional representation of parties ● Their recommendations, though not binding, help shape parliamentary debates and decisions by allowing more detailed discussions on complex issues than in full parliamentary sessions. |
Significance of Parliamentary Standing Committees:
- In-depth scrutiny: Provide detailed analysis of bills, budgets, and policies.
- Non-partisan discussions: Foster consensus-building across party lines.
- Expert inputs: Involve expert witnesses for specialised knowledge.
- Accountability: Enhance government accountability through questioning.
- Efficiency: Reduce Parliament’s workload by examining issues in smaller groups.
- Transparency: Facilitate greater transparency in the legislative process.
- Legislative quality: Improve the quality of legislation through recommendations.
Challenges:
- Political influence: Committees may face political pressure, reducing their independence.
- Limited time: Tight schedules often restrict thorough examination of bills and policies.
- Non-binding recommendations: Governments are not obligated to implement committee suggestions.
- Lack of expertise: Some committee members may lack domain-specific knowledge, affecting quality.
- Delayed constitution: Delay in forming committees can hinder legislative oversight and scrutiny.
- Resource constraints: Limited research and technical support affect in-depth analysis.
Way Forward:
- Strengthen independence: Committees should operate without political interference for unbiased recommendations.
- Enhance expertise: Include domain experts or provide training to members.
- Timely formation: Ensure timely constitution of committees to avoid delays in legislative scrutiny.
- Make recommendations binding: Consider making certain committee recommendations mandatory.
- Increase resources: Provide committees with better research and technical support for detailed analysis.
- Public engagement: Encourage transparency and citizen participation in committee discussions.
| PYQ: Explain the structure of the Parliamentary Committee system. How far have the financial committees helped in the institutionalisation of Indian Parliament? (250 words/15m) (UPSC CSE (M) GS-2 2023) |
| Practice Question: Discuss the role of Parliamentary Standing Committees in enhancing the legislative process and ensuring government accountability. How do their recommendations impact policymaking? (250 Words /15 marks) |
