What are merits of Departmental Standing Committees?
Q. Which of the following is/are true regarding Departmental Standing Committees?
1) The committees shall make their report regarding budget of their concerned ministries within the period and shall not ask for more time.
2)They cannot avail public opinion to make the reports.- Published on 03 Mar 17a. Only 1
b. Only 2
c. Both 1 and 2
d. Neither 1 nor 2
ANSWER: Only 1
The procedure followed by standing committees in their consideration of the demands for grants, and making a report to the Houses is as follows -
1. After general discussion on the budget in the Houses is over, the Houses shall be adjourned for a fixed period.
2. The committees shall consider the demands for grants of the concerned ministries during the aforesaid period.
3. The committees shall make their report within the period and shall not ask for more time.
4. The demands for grants shall be considered by the House in the light of the reports of the committees.
5. There shall be a separate report on the demands for grants of each ministry.
The following procedure followed in examining the bills and making report thereon is -
1. The committee shall consider the general principles and clauses of bills referred to it.
2. The Committee shall consider only such bills as introduced in either of the Houses and referred to it.
3. The Committee shall make report on bills in a given time.
Merits of the standing committee system -
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.
7. They are authorized to invite experts and eminent persons to testify before them and incorporate their opinions in their reports.
8. The opposition parties and the Rajya Sabha can now play a greater role in exercising financial control over the executive.
