Explain the structure of the Parliamentary Committee system. How far have the financial committees helped in the institutionalisation of Indian Parliament?
The Indian Parliamentary Committee system forms the indispensable backbone of its legislative and oversight functions, acting as 'mini-Parliaments' that allow for detailed scrutiny of governmental work. These committees are broadly structured into Standing Committees, which are permanent and constituted periodically (like the Department-related Standing Committees and the Financial Committees), and Ad Hoc Committees, formed for specific, temporary purposes (like select committees for bills or inquiry committees). Members, usually drawn from both Houses of Parliament, are nominated by the Speaker/Chairman and represent various parties in proportion to their strength, ensuring a degree of non-partisanship.
Among these, the Financial Committees – namely the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), the Estimates Committee (EC), and the Committee on Public Undertakings (COPU) – have significantly contributed to the institutionalization of the Indian Parliament.
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Public Accounts Committee (PAC): Scrutinizes the audit reports of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) post-facto. Its role is to ensure that public money is spent legally, regularly, and judiciously, exposing waste, inefficiency, and corruption. This continuous audit check ensures executive accountability to Parliament.
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Estimates Committee (EC): Examines the estimates included in the budget before it is passed. It suggests economies, improvements in administration, efficiency measures, and examines whether the money is well laid out. This ex-ante scrutiny helps Parliament control public expenditure more effectively.
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Committee on Public Undertakings (COPU): Examines the reports and accounts of Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs), assessing their efficiency and autonomy. This ensures that massive public investments in PSUs are managed responsibly.
These financial committees institutionalize parliamentary control over the executive by providing a continuous, in-depth, and often non-partisan mechanism for financial oversight. They enable Parliament to delve into complex financial details, which the full House cannot due to time and expertise constraints. Their reports, often revealing financial irregularities, strengthen Parliament's role as a watchdog, enhance executive accountability, and foster public trust in the democratic process by demonstrating a robust system of checks and balances over public funds.
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