NOTES AND REFERENCES‌

1. A Minister is not eligible for election or nomination to the Financial Committees, Departmental Standing Committees, and Committees on Empowerment of Women, Government Assurances, Petitions, Subordinate Legislation and Welfare of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.

2. Consultative Committees are explained at the end of this Chapter.

3. A joint committee consists of members of both the Houses of Parliament.

4. The Railway Convention Committee, 1949 was the first Committee after independence. This Committee and subsequent Committees confined themselves to determining the Rate of Dividend payable by the Railways to General Revenues. Since 1971, the Railway Convention Committees have been taking up subjects which have a bearing on the working of the Railways and Railway Finances.

5. Ashok Chanda: Indian Administration, George Allen & Unwin Ltd, London, 1967, P. 180.

6. In 1989, three Standing Committees were constituted which dealt with Agriculture, Science & Technology and Environment & Forests. In 1993, they were superseded by the Departmentally-Related Standing Committees (DRSCs).

7. While inaugurating the Standing Committee system in the Central Hall of Parliament on 31st March 1993, the then Vice-President of India and the Chairman of Rajya Sabha, K.R. Narayanan observed that the main purpose of these Committees is: "to ensure the accountability of Government to Parliament through more detailed consideration of measures in these Committees. The intention is not to weaken or criticise the administration but to strengthen it by investing it with more meaningful Parliamentary support”.

8. Till 13th Lok Sabha, each Standing Committee consisted of not more than 45 members - 30 to be nominated by the Speaker from amongst the members

of Lok Sabha and 15 to be nominated by the Chairman from amongst the members of Rajya Sabha. However, with restructuring of DRSCs in July 2004, each DRSC consists of 31 members - 21 from Lok Sabha and 10 from Rajya Sabha.

9. The procedure regarding constitution and functioning of DRSCs, serviced by Lok Sabha, has been enumerated in Rules 331C to 331Q of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Lok Sabha. Rules 268 to 277 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Rajya Sabha govern DRSCs serviced by Rajya Sabha.