Current Affairs

Parliamentary Standing Committees Reshuffle Alters Panel Leadership

Source:Indian Express ↗

આ શા માટે મહત્વનું છે

The functioning and composition of Parliamentary Standing Committees are central to legislative oversight in India. Changes in committee chairmanships and political disputes over allocations directly impact executive accountability and the representation of opposition parties in parliamentary democracy.

સારાંશ

The recent reshuffle of Parliamentary Standing Committees led to the Trinamool Congress (TMC) losing its chairperson positions, triggering a political spat between TMC leader Derek O'Brien and BJP's Sudhanshu Trivedi. This highlights the significance of committee allocations, legislative oversight, and the broader functioning of India's parliamentary committee system.

મુખ્ય મુદ્દા

  • Trinamool Congress (TMC) lost its chairperson berths in the recent reshuffle of Parliamentary Standing Committees.
  • TMC leader Derek O'Brien wrote a letter protesting the move, which sparked a political debate with BJP spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi.
  • Parliamentary Standing Committees play a vital role in legislative scrutiny, financial control, and administrative accountability.
  • The allocation of committee chairpersons reflects political equations and proportional representation norms in Parliament.

મહત્વપૂર્ણ શબ્દો

Parliamentary Standing Committees

Permanent and regular committees constituted from time to time to examine bills, budgets, and policies of ministries, ensuring legislative oversight and executive accountability in the Indian Parliament.

UPSC context

UPSC GS Paper II: Parliament and State Legislatures - Structure, Functioning, Conduct of Business, Powers & Privileges and Issues Arising out of These.

Source
Rajya Sabha

The upper house of the Indian Parliament, representing the states and union territories, with specific constitutional powers distinct from the Lok Sabha.

UPSC context

UPSC GS Paper II: Structure, organization and functioning of the Executive and the Judiciary Ministries and Departments of the Government.

Trinamool Congress

A prominent national political party in India, recognized as a regional and national player, primarily based in the state of West Bengal.

UPSC context

UPSC GS Paper II: Salient features of the Representation of People's Act, political parties, and pressure groups.

પ્રિલિમ્સ ટ્રેપ

The allocation of committee chairpersons reflects strict statutory rules rather than evolving political equations and proportional strength norms.

Aspirants often assume Parliamentary Standing Committee chairpersonship allocations are statutory mandates tied strictly to fixed proportional math, when political consensus and party strengths in both Houses play a major negotiating role.

સંલગ્ન સ્થિર ખ્યાલો

Indian Polity and Governance

What are the key differences between Department-related Standing Committees (DRSCs) and Financial Committees in the Indian Parliament?

  • Number & Scope: There are 24 DRSCs scrutinizing specific ministries, whereas the 3 main financial committees are PAC, Estimates Committee, and Committee on Public Undertakings.
  • Composition Rule: DRSCs include members from both Lok Sabha (max 21) and Rajya Sabha (max 10); the Estimates Committee consists exclusively of 30 Lok Sabha members.
  • Core Mandate: DRSCs examine bills, demands for grants, and annual reports; PAC examines the CAG audit reports on appropriation and finance accounts.

આંતર-વિષય પેટર્ન

  • Standing Committees vs Executive Overreach

    Committee allocations and opposition representation highlight the executive-legislative balance and the evolving nature of cooperative federalism and parliamentary oversight.

UPSC loves questions on the composition, powers, and non-binding nature of recommendations of Parliamentary Standing Committees.

સંલગ્ન PYQ · 3

સંલગ્ન PYQ · 3

  • 2018MainsGS2

    Why do you think the committees are considered to be useful for parliamentary work? Discuss, in this context, the role of the Estimates Committee.

  • 2021MainsGS2

    Do Department-related Parliamentary Standing Committees keep the administration on its toes and inspire reverence for parliamentary control? Evaluate the working of such committees with suitable examples.

  • 2023MainsGS2

    Explain the structure of the Parliamentary Committee system. How far have the financial committees helped in the institutionalisation of Indian Parliament?