MAITC writes to Rajya Sabha Chairman over exclusion from parliamentary panel chairs

Polity & Governance · 4 October 2026 · Based on The Hindu (original report)

Worth reading — 1 past UPSC question on this theme (Prelims GS-1 2022).

2-minute summary

The All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) has formally written to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and Rajya Sabha Chairman C.P. Radhakrishnan, protesting its exclusion from the chairpersonship of any Department-related Parliamentary Standing Committees (DRSCs) for the 2026-27 term. Party leaders Abhishek Banerjee and Derek O'Brien argued that despite being one of the largest opposition groups, the party was denied any committee chairs. They specifically contested the appointment of Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar as Chairperson of the Chemical and Fertilizers Committee under a disputed party affiliation (NCPI) that is currently subject to pending disqualification proceedings under the Tenth Schedule. O'Brien highlighted systemic declines in parliamentary oversight, noting that the percentage of bills referred to standing committees dropped from 60% in 2004-09 to 20% in 2019-24, while the average sitting days of the Lok Sabha fell from 45 days in the first Lok Sabha to just 18 days in the 17th Lok Sabha. He also pointed out that the post of Deputy Speaker has remained vacant since 2019.

Why it's in the news

The AITC leadership wrote to the presiding officers of both Houses in October 2026 to protest the party's exclusion from parliamentary panel chairs during the reconstitution of committees for 2026-27. The controversy highlights broader debates regarding the decline of parliamentary scrutiny, the role of the opposition, and delays in resolving Tenth Schedule disputes.

Facts to remember

Department-related Parliamentary Standing Committees (DRSCs) were first set up in 1993 on the recommendation of the Rules Committee of the Houses.
There are currently 24 Department-related Parliamentary Standing Committees, with 16 working under the Lok Sabha and 8 under the Rajya Sabha.
Each DRSC consists of 31 members, with 21 nominated from the Lok Sabha and 10 from the Rajya Sabha.
According to parliamentary data, the percentage of bills referred to standing committees declined from 60% during 2004-2009 to 20% during 2019-2024.
The average number of sitting days per session declined from 45 days in the first Lok Sabha to 18 days in the 17th Lok Sabha (2019-2024).

Background and context

Parliamentary Committees are often referred to as 'mini-parliaments' because they provide a platform for detailed, non-partisan, and expert scrutiny of bills, budgets, and policies away from the political clamour of the main chamber. The system of Department-related Parliamentary Standing Committees (DRSCs) was formally launched in 1993 with 17 committees, which was later expanded to 24 in 2004. Typically, the chairpersonships of these committees are distributed among major political parties in proportion to their strength in Parliament through informal consensus and consultation. However, in recent years, opposition parties have repeatedly alleged that they are being systematically excluded from heading crucial panels. This dispute is further complicated by splits within political parties, where presiding officers have delayed decisions on disqualification petitions under the Tenth Schedule, leading to disputes over party affiliations and committee allocations.

Constitutional provisions

Article 105 — Deals with the powers, privileges, and immunities of the Houses of Parliament, their members, and their committees.
Article 118 — Empowers each House of Parliament to make rules for regulating its procedure and the conduct of its business, under which parliamentary committees are constituted.
Tenth Schedule — Contains provisions regarding the disqualification of members on the ground of defection, where the final deciding authority is the Presiding Officer.
Article 93 — Mandates the Lok Sabha to choose a Speaker and a Deputy Speaker as soon as may be.

Committees and reports

Rules Committee of Lok Sabha — Recommended the setting up of the subject-based standing committee system to ensure better parliamentary control over the executive.
National Commission to Review the Working of the Constitution (NCRWC) — Recommended that the referral of all bills to the standing committees should be made mandatory and that the houses should have a minimum number of sitting days.

Previous UPSC questions on this theme

Prelims GS-1 2022 — With reference to Deputy Speaker of Lok Sabha, consider the following statements : 1. As per the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in Lok Sabha, the election of Deputy Speaker shall be held on such date as the Speaker may fix. 2. There is a mandatory provision that the election of a candidate as Deputy Speaker of Lok Sabha shall be from either the principal opposition party or the ruling party. 3. The Deputy Speaker has the same power as of the Speaker when presiding over the sitting of the House and no appeal lies against his rulings. 4. The well established parliamentary practice regarding the appointment of Deputy Speaker is that the motion is moved by the Speaker and duly seconded by the Prime Minister. Which of the statements given above are correct ? (a) 1 and 3 only (b) 1, 2 and 3 (c) 3 and 4 only (d) 2 and 4 only

Mains practice: The decline in the referral of bills to parliamentary standing committees and the growing bypass of legislative scrutiny undermine the principle of executive accountability. Examine the role of Department-related Parliamentary Standing Committees (DRSCs) and suggest measures to strengthen their functioning.

Department-related Parliamentary Standing Committees (DRSCs), established in 1993, serve as 'mini-parliaments' designed to secure executive accountability. However, as highlighted in October 2026, the referral of bills to these committees has declined sharply from 60% during 2004-09 to just 20% during 2019-24 (17th Lok Sabha), raising serious concerns about the quality of legislative scrutiny.

• **Role of DRSCs in Ensuring Accountability**:

- **Detailed Scrutiny**: Under Article 118, committees provide a non-partisan forum where members examine complex legislative clauses with the help of technical experts and public feedback.

- **Financial Oversight**: They systematically scrutinize the Demands for Grants of various ministries, ensuring fiscal prudence before funds are voted upon in the House.

- **Administrative Oversight**: By examining annual reports and long-term policy documents, they evaluate the implementation gaps of executive schemes.

• **Key Structural Issues and Concerns**:

- **Discretionary Referral**: Unlike in the UK or US, referring bills to committees is not mandatory in India; it depends entirely on the discretion of the government and the Presiding Officers.

- **Executive Dominance**: The frequent use of Ordinances (Article 123)—accounting for 40% of passed bills in recent years—bypasses prior legislative scrutiny.

- **Short Tenure and Vacancies**: The short 1-year tenure of committee members prevents them from developing deep domain expertise. Furthermore, delayed decisions on Tenth Schedule disqualifications and vacancies in key posts like the Deputy Speaker (Article 93) disrupt the bipartisan allocation of committee chairs.

**Way Forward**:

- **Mandatory Referral**: Amend the Rules of Procedure to make the referral of all substantive bills to DRSCs compulsory, exempting only routine or urgent financial measures.

- **Extend Tenure**: Increase the tenure of committee members to 2 years to build institutional memory and specialization.

- **Enhance Transparency**: Publish committee reports and hold public hearings (except on sensitive security matters) to foster public engagement.

In conclusion, restoring the centrality of parliamentary committees is vital to uphold the constitutional principle of collective responsibility under Article 75(3) and ensure robust, consensus-based lawmaking.

Prelims practice questions

Q1. Consider the following statements regarding the Department-related Parliamentary Standing Committees (DRSCs): 1. DRSCs are joint committees of both Houses, consisting of 31 members with 21 from Lok Sabha and 10 from Rajya Sabha. 2. Ministers are eligible to be nominated as members of these committees to ensure executive-legislative coordination. 3. The recommendations of these committees are binding on the government to ensure strict accountability. How many of the above statements are correct?

Only one
Only two
All three
None

Answer: A. Statement 1 is correct: DRSCs consist of 31 members (21 from Lok Sabha and 10 from Rajya Sabha). Statement 2 is incorrect: A minister is not eligible to be nominated as a member of any of these committees. If a member, after nomination, is appointed a minister, they cease to be a member. Statement 3 is incorrect: The recommendations of these committees are advisory in nature and not binding on the government.

Q2. With reference to the Deputy Speaker of Lok Sabha, consider the following statements: 1. The election of the Deputy Speaker of Lok Sabha is held on such date as the Speaker may fix. 2. The Deputy Speaker, when presiding over the House, can vote in the first instance in case of any division. 3. The Deputy Speaker is subordinate to the Speaker and is directly responsible to the Speaker of the Lok Sabha. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1 only
1 and 2 only
2 and 3 only
1, 2 and 3

Answer: A. Statement 1 is correct: As per the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in Lok Sabha, the election of the Deputy Speaker is held on a date fixed by the Speaker. Statement 2 is incorrect: The Deputy Speaker, when presiding, cannot vote in the first instance; they can only exercise a casting vote in the case of an equality of votes. Statement 3 is incorrect: The Deputy Speaker is not subordinate to the Speaker. They are directly responsible to the House.

Q3. With reference to the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution of India, which of the following statements is correct?

The Constitution mandates that the Presiding Officer must decide on disqualification petitions within a strict period of three months.
A member voluntarily giving up party membership is exempt from disqualification if they join another registered political party within six months.
The decision of the Presiding Officer regarding disqualification is subject to judicial review on grounds of malafides or perversity.
Split in a political party is recognized as a valid defense against defection if one-third of the members form a new faction.

Answer: C. Option C is correct: In the landmark Kihoto Hollohan case (1992), the Supreme Court ruled that the decision of the Presiding Officer is subject to judicial review on grounds of malafides, perversity, or violation of natural justice. Option A is incorrect because the 3-month timeline is a judicial recommendation (Keisham Meghachandra Singh case, 2020), not a constitutional mandate. Option B is incorrect as voluntarily giving up membership leads to immediate disqualification. Option D is incorrect because the 'split' provision was deleted by the 91st Amendment Act, 2003.

Revision flashcards

Under which rules are the Department-related Parliamentary Standing Committees (DRSCs) constituted, and what is their total number (as of October 2026)? They are constituted under the Rules of Procedure of the respective Houses of Parliament. There are currently 24 DRSCs (16 under Lok Sabha and 8 under Rajya Sabha).
What is the composition of a Department-related Parliamentary Standing Committee (DRSC), and can a Union Minister be a member? Each DRSC has 31 members (21 from Lok Sabha and 10 from Rajya Sabha) nominated by the Speaker/Chairman. Union Ministers are not eligible to be members.
According to the parliamentary data cited in October 2026, how did the percentage of bills referred to standing committees change between 2004-2009 and 2019-2024? It declined significantly, from 60% (six out of ten bills) during 2004-2009 to 20% (two out of ten bills) during 2019-2024.
What trend in the average sitting days of the Lok Sabha was highlighted by opposition leaders in October 2026 comparing the 1st Lok Sabha to the 17th Lok Sabha? The average sitting days per session declined from 45 days in the 1st Lok Sabha to 18 days in the 17th Lok Sabha (2019-2024).
Why is the decline in referring bills to Parliamentary Standing Committees considered a threat to legislative quality? It bypasses detailed, non-partisan scrutiny, limits consultation with external experts and public stakeholders, and leads to poorly drafted laws with implementation gaps.