Topic: Parliament and State Legislatures – structure, functioning, conduct of business, powers & privileges and issues arising out of these.
Q3. “Parliamentary committees compensate, to an extent, for the constraints of time, expertise and partisanship in plenary proceedings.” Discuss. (15 M)
Difficulty Level: Medium
Reference: NIE
Why the question
The role of parliamentary committees in strengthening legislative scrutiny and executive accountability, especially where plenary proceedings face institutional constraints.
Key Demand of the question
Explain how parliamentary committees address the constraints of time, expertise and partisanship in plenary proceedings. Highlight the challenges affecting their effectiveness and suggest suitable reforms to strengthen the committee system.
Structure of the Answer:
Introduction
Briefly introduce parliamentary committees as institutional mechanisms for detailed, specialised and continuous parliamentary scrutiny.Body
- Role of parliamentary committees: Explain how committees facilitate detailed scrutiny, specialised examination, bipartisan deliberation and sustained oversight beyond floor proceedings.
- Challenges to effectiveness: Highlight institutional, procedural and capacity-related constraints that limit the effectiveness of parliamentary committees.
- Way forward: Suggest reforms relating to committee referral, research support, stakeholder consultation, executive follow-up and institutional capacity.
Conclusion
Conclude by emphasising that stronger parliamentary committees can deepen informed deliberation, legislative quality and executive accountability.
