In-Depth: Parliamentary Committees | 28 September, 2024

Sansad TV

28 Sept 202409:03

Summary

TLDRThis video offers an in-depth look at the role of parliamentary committees in India's legislative system. It explains how these committees handle complex issues by engaging with experts and government officials, ensuring thorough scrutiny of policies. The video highlights recent changes in committee chairmanships and describes how members are appointed. With 24 standing committees, these bodies contribute significantly to governance by discussing matters that cannot be fully addressed in Parliament sessions. The video also touches on the history of parliamentary committees, tracing their origins to the British Parliament.

Takeaways

🏛️ The Parliament of India has a supreme legislative body with visible work televised during the budget, Monsoon, and winter sessions.
🔍 Parliamentary committees are crucial forums for in-depth discussion on complex matters with technical expertise, often behind closed doors.
📈 There are 24 departmentally-related parliamentary standing committees, each overseeing a set of Ministries and examining policy issues.
🛠️ These committees were first established in 1993 to help Parliament manage the growing complexity of governance.
🗣️ Parliamentary committees are critical as they allow for detailed discussion and scrutiny, which is not always possible in the full Parliament due to the large number of members.
📝 Each standing committee consists of up to 31 members, with 10 nominated by the chairman from the Rajya Sabha and 21 by the speaker from the Lok Sabha.
📑 Committees review demands for Grants, examine bills, consider annual reports, and long-term policy documents related to their Ministries.
🔄 Recent changes have been made in the membership of several parliamentary committees, with new chairpersons appointed.
👥 The nomination process for committee members involves mutual agreement among parties, with leaders submitting names for consideration by the presiding officers.
📜 The practice of parliamentary committees has roots in the British Parliament, with the first committee formed in 1571 and the Public Accounts committee in 1861.

Q & A

What is the primary function of parliamentary committees in India?
-Parliamentary committees in India provide a forum for members to engage with domain experts and government officials, helping them to better understand complex matters that often require technical expertise. They also help in building consensus across political parties and are critical for scrutinizing and preparing detailed discussions on various subjects.
How often does the Indian Parliament meet?
-The Indian Parliament meets for three sessions in a year: the budget, monsoon, and winter sessions.
What are the closed-door meetings of parliamentary committees used for?
-Closed-door meetings of parliamentary committees allow members to freely question and discuss issues without the public eye, facilitating open and frank discussions.
How many departmentally related parliamentary standing committees are there in India?
-There are 24 departmentally related parliamentary standing committees in India.
When were the parliamentary standing committees first set up in India?
-The parliamentary standing committees were first set up in 1993 in India.
What is the maximum number of members allowed in each standing committee of the Indian Parliament?
-Each standing committee of the Indian Parliament consists of not more than 31 members.
Who nominates the members of the standing committees from the Rajya Sabha?
-The Chairman of the Rajya Sabha nominates 10 members from the Rajya Sabha to each standing committee.
What are the responsibilities of the standing committees regarding the related Ministries and departments?
-The standing committees are responsible for considering and reporting on the demands of Grants of the related Ministries and departments, examining bills, and considering annual reports and policy documents referred to them.
Who was appointed as the chairman of the committee on education, women, children, sports, and youth affairs?
-Digvijay Singh was appointed as the chairman of the committee on education, women, children, sports, and youth affairs.
What is the process for nominating members to the parliamentary committees?
-The parties mutually agree and leaders submit names of members for consideration by the presiding officers. The presiding officers then nominate members to the committees, ensuring that a member doesn't serve on a committee for more than two terms in a row.
What is the origin of the institution of parliamentary committees?
-The institution of parliamentary committees has its origins in the British Parliament, with the first parliamentary committee constituted in 1571 and the Public Accounts committee established in 1861.

Outlines

00:00

🏛️ Parliament's Committees: An Overview

The script introduces the role of parliamentary committees in India, which are crucial for handling complex matters requiring technical expertise. These committees provide a platform for members to engage with experts and officials, and they help build consensus across parties. They operate behind closed doors, allowing for open discussion and scrutiny of policy issues. There are 24 department-related standing committees, each overseeing a set of ministries. Established in 1993, they examine policy issues and make suggestions to the government. The script also explains the composition of these committees, with members nominated by the chairman and the speaker, and their responsibilities, which include examining bills, annual reports, and policy documents.

05:02

📜 Recent Changes in Parliamentary Committees

This part of the script details recent changes in the membership of various parliamentary committees. New chairpersons have been appointed to committees on subjects such as personal public grievances, law and justice, commerce, home affairs, health and family welfare, education, industry, science, technology, environment, agriculture, chemicals and fertilizers, coal and steel, defense, energy, external affairs, finance, food and public distribution, communications and information technology, labor, textiles, skill development, petroleum and natural gas, railways, rural development, social justice and empowerment, urban development, and water resources. The script also explains the process of nominating members to these committees, which involves mutual agreement between parties and the submission of names by leaders for consideration by the presiding officers. The script concludes with a brief historical note on the origin of parliamentary committees in the British Parliament.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Parliament

Parliament refers to the supreme legislative body of India, which is responsible for making laws and representing the will of the people. In the context of the video, it is highlighted that Parliament operates not only through public sessions but also through various committees that work behind the scenes. The video discusses recent changes in the membership of these committees.

💡Parliamentary Committees

These are specialized groups within the Parliament that handle specific areas of governance. They are crucial for in-depth discussions and scrutiny of policies, bills, and other matters that may be too complex for full parliamentary debate. The video emphasizes the importance of these committees and mentions recent changes in their membership.

💡Monsoon Session

The Monsoon Session is one of the three sessions of the Indian Parliament that takes place during the monsoon season. It is a period when Parliament convenes to discuss and pass legislation. The script mentions the televised sessions, including the Monsoon Session, as a way the public can observe parliamentary proceedings.

💡Rajasabha

Rajasabha, also known as the Council of States, is the upper house of the Parliament of India. The video script mentions that members of the Rajasabha nominate 10 members to each standing committee, highlighting the bicameral nature of India's legislative process.

💡Lok Sabha

Lok Sabha is the lower house of the Parliament of India, directly elected by the people. The speaker of the Lok Sabha nominates 21 members to each standing committee, as stated in the script, emphasizing the role of the Lok Sabha in the committee nomination process.

💡Standing Committees

These are permanent committees that are constituted under rule 268 and consist of not more than 31 members. They oversee specific areas such as health, education, and defense. The video discusses the reconstituted committees and the new chairpersons appointed to them.

💡Reconstituted

Reconstituted in this context means that changes have been made to the membership or leadership of the parliamentary committees. The script provides a list of new chairpersons appointed to various committees, indicating a reshuffling or renewal of the committees' composition.

💡Public Accounts Committee

The Public Accounts Committee is a key parliamentary committee that scrutinizes public spending. The script mentions that KC Venu Gopal has been appointed as its chairman, indicating a focus on financial oversight and accountability.

💡Presiding Officers

Presiding Officers, such as the Speaker of the Lok Sabha and the Chairman of the Rajasabha, play a crucial role in the nomination of committee members. The script explains that they receive names from party leaders and approve nominations, demonstrating their influence in the parliamentary process.

💡Parliamentary Bulletin

The Parliamentary Bulletin is a formal publication that notifies the nominated members of various committees. The script mentions that members are notified in part two of this bulletin, showing how official communications are disseminated within the parliamentary system.

💡British Parliament

The British Parliament is the origin of the parliamentary committee system that India adopted. The script notes that the first parliamentary committee was constituted in 1571 in Britain, and the Public Accounts Committee in 1861, illustrating the historical roots of India's parliamentary practices.

Highlights

Parliament is the supreme legislative body of India and its work is divided into televised sessions and parliamentary committees.

Parliamentary committees provide a forum for members to engage with domain experts and government officials.

Committees have closed-door meetings allowing members to freely question and discuss issues.

There are 24 departmentally related parliamentary standing committees overseeing a set of Ministries.

Parliamentary standing committees were first set up in 1993 to help Parliament keep pace with governance complexity.

Committees are critical as they allow for more detailed discussion than the full Parliament.

Each standing committee consists of not more than 31 members, with 10 nominated by the chairman and 21 by the speaker.

Committees consider and report on the demands of Grants of related Ministries and departments.

They also examine bills and annual reports of ministries, as well as long-term policy documents.

Recent changes were made in the membership of several parliamentary committees.

Brijlal was appointed as chairman of the committee on personnel, public grievances, law, and justice.

Radha Mohan Singh has been appointed as chairman of the committee on home affairs.

Ram Gopal Yadav is the new chairman of the committee on health and family welfare.

Digvijay Singh is now the chairman of the committee on education, women, children, sports, and youth affairs.

The process of nominating members to committees involves mutual agreement among parties and leaders submitting names.

The presiding officers nominate members to the committees, ensuring a fair representation.

The institution of parliamentary committees has its origins in the British Parliament, dating back to 1571.

The Public Accounts committee, a key parliamentary committee, was established in 1861.

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