Department-Related Standing Committees

Now we’re stepping into one of the most reformative innovations in India’s parliamentary system, i.e. the Department-Related Standing Committees (DRSCs).

If you’ve followed earlier sections so far — we first studied how the Parliament was too large to handle all details, then we saw how Standing Committees (like PAC, Estimates, COPU) ensured financial accountability.
Now, from the 1990s onward, Parliament wanted subject-wise specialization — and that’s where the DRSC system came into being.

🌱 Background and Evolution

Before 1993, parliamentary scrutiny was fragmented and narrow. Committees like the Public Accounts Committee or Estimates Committee could examine financial aspects, but they couldn’t go in depth into each ministry’s working — like Defence, Health, Education, or Home Affairs.

So, Parliament realized it needed subject-wise committees — each focusing on a specific set of ministries.

➡️ Hence, in 1993, based on the recommendations of the Rules Committee of the Lok Sabha,
17 Department-Related Standing Committees (DRSCs) were established.

Later, in 2004, 7 more were added, taking the total to 24 DRSCs.

🎯 Objective — Why Were DRSCs Created?

The main aim was to ensure greater accountability of the Executive (i.e., the Council of Ministers) to the Parliament — especially in financial matters.

But the DRSCs had a wider goal too:

• To make parliamentary scrutiny more detailed, continuous, and professional.
• To help MPs debate the budget and policy issues more intelligently and informedly.

In essence —

DRSCs bridge the gap between broad parliamentary debates and technical details of governance.

All 24 committees together cover every ministry and department of the Central Government.

👥 Composition

Each Department-Related Standing Committee consists of 31 members:

• 21 from Lok Sabha, and
• 10 from Rajya Sabha.

🧾 Appointment Process

• Members from Lok Sabha are nominated by the Speaker.
• Members from Rajya Sabha are nominated by the Chairman.
• No minister can be a member of any DRSC.
  • And if any existing member is later appointed a minister, they automatically cease to be a member.
• Term: 1 year from the date of constitution.
• The Chairperson is usually from the ruling party, appointed by the presiding officer of the House under which the committee works.

Distribution

Out of 24 DRSCs:

• 16 works under the Lok Sabha, and
• 8 works under the Rajya Sabha.

Each committee deals with a specific cluster of ministries — for example:

• DRSC on Home Affairs
• DRSC on Finance
• DRSC on Defence
• DRSC on Environment, etc.

⚙️ Functions of DRSCs

Let’s simplify their major functions — they are like “mini-Parliaments” for each ministry.

1. To examine the Demands for Grants
   • They study each ministry’s expenditure proposal before it is discussed and voted in the Lok Sabha.
   • However, they cannot suggest cut motions — i.e., they can’t propose reductions in grants.
   • They only recommend, not decide.
2. To examine Bills
   • They scrutinize Bills referred to them, especially their principles and clauses.
   • This allows detailed examination that the full House cannot manage.
3. To consider Annual Reports
   • They evaluate how effectively a ministry or department performed during the year.
4. To consider National Policy Documents
   • They study long-term policy papers and suggest improvements.

🚫 Limitations on DRSCs

To maintain focus and avoid overlap, two restrictions exist:

1. They cannot deal with day-to-day administration of ministries.
2. They should not examine matters already handled by other Parliamentary Committees.

And just like other committees —
👉 Their recommendations are advisory, not binding.
However, their influence is so significant that ministries usually accept many of their suggestions.

🧭 Procedure — How They Function

Let’s understand this practically, because UPSC often asks procedural questions.

(a) During Budget Consideration:

1. After the general discussion on Budget in both Houses is over,
   Parliament is adjourned for a fixed period (say, 3 weeks).
2. During this break, each DRSC examines the Demands for Grants of its related ministries.
3. The committee then prepares a report and submits it within the given time (they cannot extend it).
4. The Lok Sabha then considers the Demands for Grants in the light of these reports.
5. Each ministry gets a separate report.

This allows MPs to discuss the Budget in a more informed manner.

(b) While Examining Bills:

1. The committee considers the general principles and specific clauses of the Bill referred to it.
2. It examines only Bills already introduced in either House.
3. It must submit its report within the prescribed time.

Through this process, technical flaws and practical issues are corrected before laws are passed.

🌟 Merits of the DRSC System

Now comes the heart of the discussion — why these committees are considered one of the best parliamentary reforms after independence.

(1) Non-partisan functioning

• Their discussions are largely free from party politics.
  Inside committees, MPs speak as subject experts, not as party spokespersons.

(2) Flexible procedure

• They operate with less formality and more depth than open House debates.

(3) Strengthened Parliamentary Control

• They make Parliament’s control over the Executive more detailed, close, and continuous.

(4) Promote efficiency and economy

• Ministries become more careful and disciplined, knowing their work will face expert scrutiny.

(5) Inclusiveness

• MPs from all parties and both Houses get opportunities to understand and contribute to government functioning.

(6) Expert and Public Consultation

• DRSCs can invite experts, NGOs, or eminent citizens for testimony.
  This enriches their reports and gives a scientific, evidence-based touch to policy recommendations.

(7) Strengthened Role of Rajya Sabha & Opposition

• Earlier, the Lok Sabha dominated financial control.
  But through DRSCs, even the Rajya Sabha and opposition MPs can play a major role in financial oversight.

🧠 Impact and Significance

Over the years, the DRSC system has transformed the quality of parliamentary work.
Let’s understand how:

1. Ministries and departments have become more responsive to Parliament.
   • In most cases, they’ve accepted and implemented DRSC recommendations.
2. It has made parliamentary debates better informed — MPs now speak based on data, not just politics.
3. DRSCs have created a “corpus of institutional knowledge” — a permanent record of subject-wise discussions and expert views.
4. Their reports help in policy refinement — government policies are now more evidence-based and less ad hoc.

In short, DRSCs have made Parliament not just a debating body but a policy laboratory.

🔍 Evaluating Their Effectiveness — Four Yardsticks

Scholars often judge the success of DRSCs using four parameters:

Yardstick	Meaning
(i) Holding officials to account	Do they compel ministries to justify their actions?
(ii) Publication of information	Do they make data and policy transparent?
(iii) Effect on the House and public	Do their reports enrich parliamentary and public debate?
(iv) Influence on government decisions	Do their recommendations shape policy?

✅ On all four counts, DRSCs have performed exceedingly well.

💬 Conceptual Takeaway (UPSC Angle)

“The Department-Related Standing Committees have converted the Parliament from a mere debating chamber into a deliberative and analytical institution.”

They represent the maturation of India’s parliamentary democracy, ensuring technical expertise, continuity, and non-partisan scrutiny — all vital features of a vibrant democracy.