THE CONTEXT: With fewer parliamentary sittings, standing committees have become crucial for examining bills, demands for grants, and policy matters when Parliament is not in session. There are 24 Departmentally Related Standing Committees (DRSCs), each consisting of 31 members from both houses.
THE ISSUES:
- Decline in parliamentary sittings: The average number of days Parliament sits annually has decreased from 135 days in the first Lok Sabha to just 55 days in the 17th Lok Sabha (2019-24). This significant reduction limits the time available for debate and scrutiny of legislation in the main houses.
- Undermining committee effectiveness: Despite their importance, governments have undermined these committees by being less open to deliberation and debate. This is evidenced by:
- Reduced referral of bills: In the 15th Lok Sabha, 70% of bills were sent to committees for scrutiny. This dropped to just 20% in the 17th Lok Sabha.
- Rushed legislation: Bills are now passed after an average of only nine sittings, with complex legislation like the three Criminal Law Bills discussed in just 12 sittings.
- Poor attendance: Some MPs attended only one or two out of 16 meetings of the Committee on Social Justice and Empowerment in 2023.
- Lack of diversity in committee leadership: Only two out of 24 committees are chaired by women. The Standing Committee on Education, Women, Children, Youth, and Sports hasn’t had a woman chairperson in two decades.
- Delayed constitution of committees: The Standing Committee on Women Empowerment has not yet been constituted for the 18th Lok Sabha.
- Issues with report tabling and discussion: Committee reports are not regularly tabled and discussed in Parliament. The Committee on Papers Laid on The Table has repeatedly flagged delays in tabling reports.
- Political interference: In 2018, the Committee on External Affairs had its findings on the Doklam issue stalled for months due to opposition from ruling party MPs.
- Short tenures affecting expertise: MPs serve on committees for just one year, leading to constant reshuffling and lack of subject matter expertise.
- Inadequate pre-budget scrutiny: Following the constitution of Lok Sabhas in 2014, 2019, and 2024, Demands for Grants were not sent to Standing Committees for examination. There is no dedicated parliamentary committee to examine the overall state of the national economy.
THE WAY FORWARD:
- Mandatory referral of bills to committees: Amend the Rules of Procedure in both Houses to make it mandatory for all significant bills to be referred to the relevant standing committee, similar to practices in Sweden and Finland. Establish a Bill Selection Committee, as in Australia, comprising members from both ruling and opposition parties to determine which bills require committee scrutiny.
- Increase committee tenures: Extend MP tenures on committees from the current one year to at least 2-3 years to build expertise. Former Vice President Venkaiah Naidu suggested this would allow MPs to “benefit from the experience gained and to provide continuity.
- Increase transparency: Make committee proceedings more accessible to the public by releasing detailed minutes and allowing live streaming of non-sensitive meetings. The National Commission to Review the Working of the Constitution recommended “greater interaction between the committees and professional bodies/experts and NGOs.
- Empower committee recommendations: While committee recommendations cannot be made binding, introduce a mechanism requiring the government to provide detailed responses to committee reports within a specified timeframe. The UK Parliament has a similar system where the government must respond to committee reports within 60 days.
- Strengthen opposition role: Ensure that opposition members chair a significant number of committees, particularly those overseeing finance and key ministries. In the UK, convention dictates that the Public Accounts Committee is always chaired by an opposition member.
THE CONCLUSION:
The decline in parliamentary sitting days and reduced scrutiny of bills by standing committees highlight a concerning trend in India’s legislative process. To address these issues, reforms such as shorter response times for government recommendations, longer committee tenures, and the establishment of specialized committees are needed to enhance parliamentary oversight and deliberation.
UPSC PAST YEAR QUESTION:
Q. Explain the structure of the Parliamentary Committee system. How far have the financial committees helped in the institutionalization of Indian Parliament? 2023
MAINS PRACTICE QUESTION:
Q. “The functioning of Parliamentary Standing Committees has been undermined in recent years, leading to a decline in legislative scrutiny and deliberation”. Examine
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