Departmental Standing Committees
The main objective of the standing committees is to secure more accountability of the Executive (i.e., the Council of Ministers) to the Parliament, particularly financial accountability.
• The 24 standing committees cover under their jurisdiction all the ministries/ departments of the Central Government.
• The 24 standing committees cover under their jurisdiction all the ministries/ departments of the Central Government.
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A minister is not eligible to be nominated as a member of any of the standing committees. In case a member, after his nomination to any of the standing committees, is appointed a minister, he then ceases to be a member of the committee.
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The term of office of each standing committee is one year from the date of its constitution.
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Functions of each of the standing committees are:
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To consider the demands for grants of the concerned ministries/departments before they are discussed and voted in the Lok Sabha. Its report should not suggest anything of the nature of cut motions
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To examine bills pertaining to the concerned ministries / departments
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To consider annual reports of ministries / departments
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To consider national basic long-term policy documents presented to the Houses
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Limitations on the functioning of these committees are:
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They should not consider the matters of day-to-day administration of the concerned ministries/ departments.
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They should not generally consider the matters which are considered by other parliamentary committees.
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Recommendations of these committees are advisory in nature and hence not binding on the Parliament