Ans: (b)

12. Parliamentary Committees

The Parliament cannot give close attention to all the legislative and other matters before it. This is owing to the varied, complex and voluminous nature of the work. Hence, part of its work is transacted in Committees of the House, known as Parliamentary Committees. Parliamentary Committee means a Committee which

i) Is appointed or elected by the House or nominated by the Speaker/Chairman

ii) Works under the direction of Speaker/Chairman

iii) Presents its report to the House or to the Speaker/Chairman

iv) Has a secretariat provided by the Lok Sabha/Rajya Sabha Secretariat

Both Houses of Parliament have a similar committee structure, with a few exceptions. The appointment, terms of office, functions and procedure of conducting business are regulated as per rules made by the two Houses under Article 118(1) of the Constitution.

By their nature, Parliamentary Committees are of two kinds:

♤ Standing Committees: Standing Committees are permanent and regular committees, which are constituted from time to time in pursuance of the provisions of an Act of Parliament or Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business. The work of these Committees is of continuous nature. Among the Standing Committees, the three Financial Committees i.e. Committees on Estimates, Public Accounts and Public Undertakings keep a tight eye over Government expenditure and performance. While members of the Rajya Sabha are associated with Committees on Public Accounts and Public Undertakings, the members of the Committee on Estimates are drawn entirely from the Lok Sabha. Besides the three Financial Committees, there are 24 Department Related Standing Committees (DRSCs).

♤ Ad hoc Committees: These are appointed for a specific purpose and they cease to exist when they finish the task assigned to them and submit a report. Ad hoc committees can be further divided into two categories:

o Committees which are constituted from time to time, by either of the two Houses on a motion adopted in that behalf or by Speaker/Chairman to inquire into and report on specific subjects. E.g., Committees on the Conduct of certain Members during President's Address, Committee on Members of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme etc.

o Select or Joint Committees on Bills which are appointed to consider and report on a particular Bill. These Committees are distinguishable from the other ad hoc committees to the extent that they are concerned with Bills and the procedure to be followed by them as laid down in the Rules of Procedure and Directions by the Speaker/Chairman. Joint Parliamentary Committees are set up by a motion passed in one House and agreed to by the other House.