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II. Committees under Lok Sabha
9. Committee on Agriculture (1) Agriculture and
Farmers’ Welfare
(2) Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairing
(3) Food Processing Industries
10. Committee on Information Technology
(1) Communication
(2) Electronics & Information Technology
(3) Information & Broadcasting
11. Committee on Defence Defence
12. Committee on Energy (1) New and Renewable
Energy
(2) Power
13. Committee on External Affairs
External Affairs
14. Committee on Finance (1) Finance
(2) Corporate Affairs
(3) Planning (4) Statistics and Programme Implementation | |
15. Committee on Food, Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution | Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution |
16. Committee on Labour | (1) Labour & Employment (2) Skill Development & Entrepreneurship (3) Textiles |
17. Committee on Petroleum & Petroleum and Natural Gas Natural Gas | |
18. Committee on Railways | Railways |
19. Committee on Urban Development | Housing and Urban Affairs |
20. Committee on Water Resources | Jal Shakti |
21. Committee on Chemicals and Fertilizers | Chemicals and Fertilizers |
22. Committee on Rural Development | (1) Rural Development (2) Panchayati Raj |
23. Committee on Coal and Steel | (1) Coal (2) Mines (3) Steel |
24. Committee on Social Justice and Empowerment | (1) Social Justice and Empowerment (2) Tribal Affairs (3) Minority Affairs |
(ii) They should not generally consider the matters which are considered by other parliamentary committees.
It should be noted here that the recommendations of these committees are advisory in nature and hence not binding on the Parliament.
The following procedure shall be followed by each of the standing committees in their consideration of the demands for grants, and making a report thereon to the Houses.
(a) After general discussion on the budget in the Houses is over, the Houses shall be adjourned for a fixed period.
(b) The committees shall consider the demands for grants of the concerned ministries during the aforesaid period.
(c) The committees shall make their report within the period and shall not ask for more time.
(d) The demands for grants shall be considered by the House in the light of the reports of the committees.
(e) There shall be a separate report on the demands for grants of each ministry.
The following procedure shall be followed by each of the standing committees in examining the bills and making report thereon.
(a) The committee shall consider the general principles and clauses of bills referred to it.
(b) The Committee shall consider only such bills as introduced in either of the Houses and referred to it.
(c) The Committee shall make report on bills in a given time.
The merits of the standing committee system in the Parliament are:
(1) Their proceedings are devoid of any party bias.
(2) The procedure adopted by them is more flexible than in the Lok Sabha.
(3) The system makes parliamentary control over executive much more detailed, close, continuous, in-depth and comprehensive.
(4) The system ensures economy and efficiency in public expenditure as the ministries / departments would now be more careful in formulating their demands.
(5) They facilitate opportunities to all the members of Parliament to participate and understand the functioning of the government and contribute to it.
(6) They can avail of expert opinion or public opinion to make the reports. They are authorised to invite experts and eminent
persons to testify before them and incorporate their opinions in their reports.
(7) The opposition parties and the Rajya Sabha can now play a greater role in exercising financial control over the executive.