Revision summary
Committees give Parliament time, expertise and cross-party scrutiny that the floor cannot. DRSCs (1993) and the three financial committees cover Bills, estimates, accounts and PSUs. The Estimates Committee has 30 Lok Sabha members, no minister, and studies economy and presentation of Budget estimates. It does not audit spent money (PAC) or run public undertakings (COPU). It becomes useful when reports precede grants and Action Taken Notes are published.
Model answer
Flow diagram
flowchart TD H[Lok Sabha floor] --> C[Committees] C --> E[Estimates Committee 30 LS] C --> P[PAC with CAG] C --> D[DRSCs 1993] E --> B[Economy and form of estimates]
Conclusion
- Give the Estimates Committee a small budget-analysis cell, and fix a calendar so reports on large demands appear before the related DRSC sitting.
- Require a published Action Taken Report within a set time, as PAC practice already expects, so Estimates work does not end as an unread volume.
Committees are useful because they supply time, papers and a less theatrical scrutiny that the floor cannot. The Estimates Committee, a thirty-member Lok Sabha body, examines whether Budget estimates are economical and well presented; it will matter more when its reports are timed to the grant and answered in public, not only tabled.
Quick related
Students also ask
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"The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has a very vital role to play." Explain how this is reflected in the method and terms of his appointment as well as the range of powers he can exercise.
Next question in the 2018 paper (Q5). View answer →
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Does the Estimates Committee include Rajya Sabha members?
No. All thirty members are from the Lok Sabha. PAC and COPU include members from both Houses.
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Can the Estimates Committee stop a Demand for Grant?
No. Only the House votes the grant. The Committee recommends; the government may accept, delay or ignore, subject to political cost.
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