Analyzing Statements on the Public Accounts Committee (PAC)

Let's carefully examine each statement provided regarding the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of the Indian Parliament.

Statement (a): Prior composition of the PAC

This statement claims that before 1954, the Public Accounts Committee consisted of 22 members elected only by Lok Sabha.

• The Public Accounts Committee was first constituted in 1921 under the Government of India Act, 1919.
• Initially, the committee had 15 members.
• After India's independence, the committee continued to have 15 members elected from the Central Legislative Assembly, later the Lok Sabha.
• The membership of the PAC was increased to 22 members (15 from Lok Sabha and 7 from Rajya Sabha) in the year 1954-55.

Therefore, the statement that prior to 1954, the committee had 22 members elected *only* by Lok Sabha is incorrect. Before 1954, it had 15 members, and the composition of 22 members was introduced in 1954-55, including members from both houses.

Statement (b): PAC and Estimates Committee relationship

This statement describes the PAC as a 'twin sister' of the Estimates Committee and suggests their work is complementary.

• The Estimates Committee examines the estimates included in the budget and suggests economies in government expenditure.
• The Public Accounts Committee examines the annual audit reports of the government, presented by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) to Parliament. It scrutinizes the expenditure already incurred by the government.
• Both committees perform crucial financial oversight roles, but at different stages – Estimates Committee looks at future estimates, while PAC examines past expenditures based on the CAG's audit.
• Due to their overlapping area of financial scrutiny and their roles being seen as mutually supportive, the PAC and the Estimates Committee are often referred to as 'twin sisters'.

This statement accurately reflects the relationship and complementary nature of the work performed by the Public Accounts Committee and the Estimates Committee.

Statement (c): Control over Rajya Sabha members in PAC

This statement asserts that while all PAC members have the same status, Rajya Sabha members serving on the committee are under the control of the Speaker of Lok Sabha, not the Chairman of Rajya Sabha, concerning their PAC functions.

• The Public Accounts Committee is primarily a committee of the Lok Sabha, though it includes members from Rajya Sabha.
• When members from one House serve on a committee constituted by the other House (or a Joint Committee), their functioning within that committee is generally governed by the rules of the House that constituted the committee and is under the direction of its presiding officer.
• For the Public Accounts Committee, which is constituted by the Lok Sabha, the members from Rajya Sabha, while functioning as members of this committee, are under the procedural control of the Speaker of Lok Sabha, who is the administrative head for Lok Sabha committees.
• All members of the committee, irrespective of the House they come from, have equal status in the committee proceedings.

This statement correctly describes the administrative arrangement and control structure for members from Rajya Sabha when participating in the Public Accounts Committee.

Conclusion

Based on the analysis:

• Statement (a) is incorrect.
• Statement (b) is correct.
• Statement (c) is correct.

Therefore, only statements (b) and (c) are correct.