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Committees and privileges

मराठीत स्पष्टीकरण

Parliament · Part 4 / 4 · Fact-checked on · how we check

Written with AI from the sources listed at the bottom of this page, then fact-checked by a separate AI.

Why Parliament works through committees, the three financial committees, departmentally related standing committees and other committees, and the privileges of the Houses and their members under Article 105.

Each idea is explained first in Marathi (मराठी), ending with the English and Hindi exam terms, followed by the same point in exam English. UPSC Prelims is in English or Hindi, so understand it in Marathi and revise it in English.

आतापर्यंत संसद कशी बनते, सभागृहे कशी चालतात, कायदे आणि पैसा कसा मंजूर होतो ते पाहिले. पण शेकडो सदस्यांचे, थोडेच दिवस भरणारे सभागृह प्रत्येक विधेयक, मंत्रालय आणि हिशेब बारकाईने तपासू शकत नाही. म्हणून हे काम संसदीय समित्या करतात — काही सदस्यांचे छोटे गट एखादा विषय सखोल अभ्यासतात, अधिकारी आणि तज्ज्ञांचे म्हणणे ऐकतात आणि सभागृहाला अहवाल देतात. मोठ्या कुटुंबाने लग्नाची कामे छोट्या गटांत वाटून द्यावीत तसे. संविधान समित्यांचा उल्लेख करते (उदा. 105), पण त्या स्थापन करत नाही; प्रत्येक सभागृहाच्या नियमांनुसार किंवा सभागृहाच्या प्रस्तावाने त्या बनतात; सदस्य सभागृह निवडते किंवा पीठासीन अधिकारी नामनिर्देशित करतात; त्यांच्याच मार्गदर्शनाखाली त्या काम करतात. सभागृहे आणि सदस्य मोकळेपणाने काम करू शकतील अशी खास संरक्षणे — विशेषाधिकार — याच भागात. (→ English: Parliament · हिन्दी: संसद)

In exam EnglishParts 1 to 3 showed how Parliament is made up, how its Houses run, and how it makes laws and votes money. But a House of several hundred members, sitting for a limited number of days, cannot examine every bill, ministry and account in detail. So much of the detailed work is done by parliamentary committees: small groups of members who study a subject closely, take evidence from officials and experts, and report to the House. The Constitution mentions committees, for example in Article 105, but does not set them up. They are created under the Rules of Procedure of each House or by a motion of the House; their members are elected by the House or nominated by the presiding officer; and they work under the direction of the presiding officer. This part also covers parliamentary privileges, the special protections that let the Houses and their members do their work freely.

समित्या दोन प्रकारच्या. स्थायी समित्या कायमच्या: दरवर्षी किंवा वेळोवेळी स्थापन होऊन सतत काम करतात. तदर्थ समित्या एखाद्या खास कामासाठी बनतात आणि अहवाल दिल्यावर संपतात — उदा. एखाद्या विधेयकावर एका सभागृहाची प्रवर समिती, दोन्ही सभागृहांची संयुक्त समिती, बोफोर्स करारावरील संयुक्त संसदीय समिती (1987). स्थायी समित्यांचे कामानुसार गट: वित्तीय समित्या (लोकलेखा, अंदाज, सार्वजनिक उपक्रम); विभागाशी संबंधित स्थायी समित्या; चौकशी समित्या (याचिका, विशेषाधिकार); छाननी-नियंत्रण समित्या (सरकारी आश्वासने, दुय्यम विधान); सभागृहाच्या रोजच्या कामकाजाच्या समित्या (कामकाज सल्लागार, नियम); आणि गृहव्यवस्था समित्या. घरात कायम असलेला स्वयंपाकी म्हणजे स्थायी समिती; सणासाठीच येणारे मदतनीस म्हणजे तदर्थ समिती. समितीचा अहवाल सल्लावजा — सरकारवर तो मानण्याचे बंधन नाही, पण केलेल्या कारवाईची माहिती सरकार देते. (→ English: standing committee · हिन्दी: स्थायी समिति)

In exam EnglishCommittees are of two broad kinds. A standing committee is permanent: it is constituted every year or periodically and works continuously. Ad hoc committees are set up for a particular task and cease to exist once they report. Examples of ad hoc committees are select committees of one House and joint committees of both Houses on particular bills, and committees of inquiry such as the joint parliamentary committee on the Bofors contract (1987). It helps to sort the standing committees by what they do. Three follow the money: Public Accounts, Estimates and Public Undertakings. The departmentally related standing committees each shadow a group of ministries. Some look into particular matters, such as the Committees on Petitions and of Privileges. Some keep watch on the government, such as those on Government Assurances and on Subordinate Legislation. The rest help run the House itself, from the Business Advisory Committee and the Rules Committee to committees that look after members' facilities. A committee's report is advisory: the government is not bound to accept it, but it reports on the action it has taken.

लोकलेखा समिती ही सर्वात जुनी वित्तीय समिती — 1919 च्या भारत सरकार कायद्याखाली 1921 मध्ये सुरू झाली. 22 सदस्य: लोकसभेतून 15, राज्यसभेतून 7; दरवर्षी एकल संक्रमणीय मताने प्रमाणशीर पद्धतीने निवड. मंत्री सदस्य होऊ शकत नाहीत. अध्यक्ष (समितीप्रमुख) लोकसभा अध्यक्ष समितीतील लोकसभा सदस्यांमधून नेमतात; 1967 पासून प्रथेनुसार विरोधी पक्षाचा सदस्यच प्रमुख. काम: केंद्राचे विनियोग लेखे, वित्त लेखे आणि त्यांवरील नियंत्रक व महालेखापरीक्षक यांचे लेखापरीक्षण अहवाल तपासणे. संसदेने दिल्याप्रमाणेच, दिलेल्या कामासाठीच, नियमांनुसारच पैसा खर्च झाला का? उधळपट्टी, तोटा, जादा खर्च आहे का? महिनाअखेरीस घरखर्चाची वही उघडून पाहिल्यासारखे. महालेखापरीक्षकांचे अहवाल हाच मुख्य आधार, म्हणून त्यांना या समितीचे 'मित्र, तत्त्वज्ञ आणि मार्गदर्शक' म्हणतात. (→ English: Public Accounts Committee · हिन्दी: लोक लेखा समिति)

In exam EnglishThe Public Accounts Committee (PAC) is the oldest financial committee, first set up in 1921 under the Government of India Act, 1919. It has 22 members, 15 from the Lok Sabha and 7 from the Rajya Sabha, elected every year from among the members of each House by proportional representation through the single transferable vote. A minister cannot be a member. Its chairman is appointed by the Speaker from among its Lok Sabha members, and since 1967, by convention, the chairman has been a member of the opposition. The PAC examines the appropriation and finance accounts of the Union and the audit reports of the Comptroller and Auditor-General of India on them. It checks whether money was spent as Parliament granted it, on the service for which it was granted, and according to the rules, and it looks into waste, loss and excess spending. Because the CAG's reports are its main material, the CAG is often called the committee's friend, philosopher and guide.

अंदाज समितीचे मूळ 1921 च्या एका स्थायी वित्त समितीत आहे; स्वातंत्र्यानंतरची पहिली अंदाज समिती 1950 मध्ये अर्थमंत्री जॉन मथाई यांच्या शिफारशीने स्थापन झाली. 30 सदस्य — सगळे लोकसभेचे; राज्यसभेला स्थान नाही. दरवर्षी एकल संक्रमणीय मताने प्रमाणशीर निवड; मंत्री सदस्य होऊ शकत नाहीत; प्रमुखाची नेमणूक लोकसभा अध्यक्ष सदस्यांमधून, सहसा सत्ताधारी पक्षातून, करतात. काम: खर्चात काटकसर, संघटनात्मक सुधारणा, कार्यक्षमता यांसाठी सूचना; काटकसर व कार्यक्षमता आणणारी पर्यायी धोरणे; अंदाजपत्रकात अभिप्रेत धोरणाच्या मर्यादेत पैसा योग्य वापरला जातो का ते पाहणे. म्हणून तिला 'सतत काटकसर समिती' म्हणतात — घरात 'इतकी वीज कशाला, हा खर्च कमी करता येईल' असे कायम सांगणाऱ्या वडीलधाऱ्यांसारखी. मर्यादा: मतदान झाल्यानंतरच अंदाज तपासते; संसदेने ठरवलेल्या धोरणावर प्रश्न उठवू शकत नाही. (→ English: Estimates Committee · हिन्दी: प्राक्कलन समिति)

In exam EnglishThe Estimates Committee traces its origin to a standing financial committee of 1921; the first Estimates Committee after independence was set up in 1950 on the recommendation of the Finance Minister, John Mathai. It has 30 members, all from the Lok Sabha; the Rajya Sabha has no place on it. Members are elected every year by proportional representation through the single transferable vote, no minister may be a member, and the chairman is appointed by the Speaker from among its members, usually from the ruling party. Its task is to suggest economies, improvements in organisation and efficiency, and alternative policies that would bring about efficiency and economy, and to examine whether money is well laid out within the limits of the policy implied in the estimates. Because it keeps looking for savings year after year, it is often described as a 'continuous economy committee'. It has limits: it examines the estimates only after they have been voted, and it cannot question a policy laid down by Parliament.

सार्वजनिक उपक्रम समिती 1964 मध्ये कृष्ण मेनन समितीच्या शिफारशीने बनली. आता 22 सदस्य: लोकसभा 15, राज्यसभा 7 (1974 मध्ये 15 वरून वाढवले); दरवर्षी एकल संक्रमणीय मताने प्रमाणशीर निवड; मंत्री नसतात. प्रमुखाची नेमणूक लोकसभा अध्यक्ष समितीतील लोकसभा सदस्यांमधूनच करतात — म्हणून राज्यसभा सदस्य प्रमुख होऊ शकत नाही. काम: सार्वजनिक क्षेत्रातील उपक्रमांचे अहवाल, लेखे आणि त्यांवरील महालेखापरीक्षकांचे अहवाल पाहून — ते चांगल्या व्यावसायिक तत्त्वांनुसार आणि विवेकी व्यापारी पद्धतींनुसार चालतात का ते विचारणे. कुटुंबाचे दुकान नफा-तोट्याच्या नजरेने वडीलधाऱ्यांनी तपासावे तसे. मोठे सरकारी धोरणात्मक प्रश्न आणि रोजचा कारभार हे तिचे काम नाही. (→ English: Committee on Public Undertakings · हिन्दी: सरकारी उपक्रमों संबंधी समिति)

In exam EnglishThe Committee on Public Undertakings was created in 1964 on the recommendation of the Krishna Menon Committee. It now has 22 members, 15 from the Lok Sabha and 7 from the Rajya Sabha (its strength was raised from 15 in 1974), elected every year by proportional representation through the single transferable vote; ministers cannot be members. The chairman is appointed by the Speaker from among its Lok Sabha members, so a Rajya Sabha member cannot chair it. It examines the reports and accounts of public sector undertakings and the CAG's reports on them, and asks whether they are run according to sound business principles and prudent commercial practices. It does not take up major questions of government policy or the day-to-day administration of the undertakings. The table below compares the three financial committees.
The three financial committees
Public Accounts CommitteeEstimates CommitteeCommittee on Public Undertakings
Origin1921 (Government of India Act, 1919)1950 (on John Mathai's recommendation)1964 (Krishna Menon Committee)
Members22: 15 Lok Sabha + 7 Rajya Sabha30: all Lok Sabha22: 15 Lok Sabha + 7 Rajya Sabha
ChairmanAppointed by the Speaker; from the opposition by convention since 1967Appointed by the Speaker; usually from the ruling partyAppointed by the Speaker from its Lok Sabha members
Main jobChecks spending after the event, using the CAG's audit reportsSuggests economy and efficiency in the estimatesChecks the working of public sector undertakings

विभागाशी संबंधित स्थायी समित्या 1993 मध्ये सुरू झाल्या — लोकसभेच्या नियम समितीच्या शिफारशीने 17 स्थापन झाल्या; 2004 मध्ये 24 केल्या. प्रत्येकीत 31 सदस्य: लोकसभा अध्यक्षांनी नामनिर्देशित केलेले 21 लोकसभा सदस्य आणि सभापतींनी नामनिर्देशित केलेले 10 राज्यसभा सदस्य; मंत्री नसतात. 24 पैकी 16 लोकसभेच्या अखत्यारीत, 8 राज्यसभेच्या; प्रत्येक एक किंवा अधिक मंत्रालये पाहते. काम: लोकसभेच्या मतदानाआधीच त्या मंत्रालयांच्या अनुदान मागण्या तपासणे; पीठासीन अधिकाऱ्यांनी पाठवलेली विधेयके, वार्षिक अहवाल, दीर्घकालीन धोरण दस्तऐवज पाहणे. रोजचा कारभार पाहत नाहीत, कपात प्रस्तावासारखे काही सुचवत नाहीत. अहवाल सल्लावजा. बळ: एकाच क्षेत्रात सदस्यांचे कौशल्य वाढते; सभागृहाच्या गदारोळापासून दूर अधिकारी, तज्ज्ञांसोबत विधेयकाचा सखोल अभ्यास होतो — वर्षानुवर्षे एकाच डॉक्टरकडे गेल्यास त्यांना आपली तब्येत नीट माहीत असते तसे. (→ English: standing committee · हिन्दी: स्थायी समिति)

In exam EnglishDepartmentally related standing committees (DRSCs), each a standing committee linked to ministries, began in 1993, when 17 were set up on the recommendation of the Rules Committee of the Lok Sabha; their number was raised to 24 in 2004. Each has 31 members, 21 from the Lok Sabha nominated by the Speaker and 10 from the Rajya Sabha nominated by the Chairman, and a minister cannot be a member. Of the 24, 16 work under the Lok Sabha and 8 under the Rajya Sabha, and each covers one or more ministries. They examine the demands for grants of their ministries before the Lok Sabha votes on them, bills referred to them by the presiding officer, the annual reports of the ministries, and long-term policy documents. They do not deal with day-to-day administration and do not suggest anything in the nature of cut motions. Their reports are advisory. Their value lies in continuity and detail: members build expertise on one sector, and a bill can be studied with officials and experts away from the pressure of the floor.

इतर स्थायी समित्या सरकारने दिलेला शब्द पाळला का ते पाहतात आणि सभागृहांच्या स्वतःच्या कामकाजाची काळजी घेतात. याचिका समिती: विधेयके आणि सार्वजनिक हिताच्या विषयांवरील याचिका तपासते. सरकारी आश्वासन समिती: सभागृहात मंत्र्यांनी दिलेली आश्वासने पूर्ण झाली का ते पाहते — 'करू' म्हटले ते केले का? दुय्यम विधान समिती: कायद्यांखाली सरकारने केलेले नियम, विनियम संसदेने दिलेल्या अधिकारांच्या मर्यादेत आहेत का ते तपासते. विशेषाधिकार समिती: विशेषाधिकारभंगाची प्रकरणे तपासून कारवाई सुचवते; सदस्य पीठासीन अधिकारी नामनिर्देशित करतात. कामकाज सल्लागार समिती (लोकसभेत अध्यक्ष प्रमुख): कोणत्या कामाला किती वेळ ते सुचवते; नियम समिती: नियमांतील बदलांवर विचार करते. दोन्ही सभागृहांत सदस्यांच्या वर्तनाची चौकशी करणाऱ्या नैतिकता समित्याही आहेत. (→ English: standing committee · हिन्दी: स्थायी समिति)

In exam EnglishOther standing committees keep the government to its word and look after the Houses' own working. The Committee on Petitions examines petitions on bills and on matters of general public interest. The Committee on Government Assurances checks whether promises and undertakings given by ministers on the floor of the House have been carried out. The Committee on Subordinate Legislation examines whether rules, regulations and bye-laws made by the executive under Acts of Parliament stay within the powers that Parliament delegated. The Committee of Privileges examines cases of breach of privilege referred to it and recommends action; its members are nominated by the presiding officer. The Business Advisory Committee, chaired by the Speaker in the Lok Sabha, recommends how much time to allot to each item of business, and the Rules Committee considers changes in the rules of procedure. Both Houses also have Ethics Committees that look into the conduct of members.

संसदीय विशेषाधिकार म्हणजे प्रत्येक सभागृहाला सामूहिकपणे आणि सदस्यांना वैयक्तिकपणे असलेले खास हक्क आणि संरक्षणे — यांच्याशिवाय त्यांना काम करता येणार नाही. 105(1): संविधान आणि सभागृह नियमांच्या अधीन राहून संसदेत भाषणस्वातंत्र्य. 105(2): संसदेत किंवा समितीत बोललेल्या शब्दासाठी किंवा दिलेल्या मतासाठी कोणत्याही सदस्यावर न्यायालयात खटला नाही; सभागृहाच्या अधिकाराने प्रसिद्ध केलेल्या अहवालांसाठीही कोणी जबाबदार नाही. मैदानात घडलेल्या गोष्टीचा निर्णय पंच देतात, बाहेरचे न्यायालय नाही — तसेच. 105(3): इतर हक्क संसदेने कायद्याने ठरवायचे; तोपर्यंत 44 वी दुरुस्ती (1978) लागू होण्याआधी जे होते तेच. त्या दुरुस्तीने ब्रिटिश हाउस ऑफ कॉमन्सचा उल्लेख काढला, पण संसदेने अजून कायदा केलेला नाही. 105(4): सभागृहात बोलण्याचा हक्क असलेल्या मंत्री आणि महान्यायवादींनाही हे लागू. राष्ट्रपती संसदेचा भाग असले तरी त्यांना हे विशेषाधिकार नाहीत. राज्य विधिमंडळांसाठी अनुच्छेद 194. (→ English: parliamentary privileges · हिन्दी: संसदीय विशेषाधिकार)

In exam Englishparliamentary privileges are special rights and immunities that each House enjoys collectively and its members enjoy individually, because without them they could not do their work. Article 105(1) gives freedom of speech in Parliament, subject to the Constitution and the rules of procedure. Article 105(2) says no member is liable to proceedings in any court for anything said or any vote given in Parliament or any committee, and no person is liable for a report, paper, vote or proceeding published by or under the authority of a House. Under Article 105(3), other privileges are those defined by Parliament by law, and until then those the Houses had just before the 44th Amendment (1978) came into force; that amendment dropped the original reference to the British House of Commons, but Parliament has still not codified privileges. Article 105(4) extends the same privileges to persons, such as ministers and the Attorney General, who have the right to speak in a House. The President, though a part of Parliament, does not enjoy them. Article 194 gives the same privileges to State Legislatures.

सामूहिक विशेषाधिकार सभागृहाचे असतात: आपले अहवाल, चर्चा प्रसिद्ध करू शकते, इतरांना रोखू शकते — पण 44 व्या दुरुस्तीने आणलेल्या 361A नुसार द्वेषबुद्धी नसलेल्या, मूलतः खऱ्या वृत्तपत्रीय वृत्तांना संरक्षण आहे. बाहेरच्यांना बाहेर काढून गुप्त बैठक घेऊ शकते; स्वतःचे नियम करू शकते; सदस्याच्या अटकेची, स्थानबद्धतेची, सुटकेची माहिती लगेच मिळायला हवी; विशेषाधिकारभंग आणि अवमानासाठी सदस्यांना आणि बाहेरच्यांनाही शिक्षा करू शकते. प्रक्रियेतील अनियमिततेच्या कारणाने सभागृहाच्या कामकाजाच्या वैधतेवर न्यायालये प्रश्न उठवू शकत नाहीत (122). वैयक्तिक हक्क: अधिवेशनात आणि त्याआधी व नंतर 40 दिवस दिवाणी प्रकरणांत अटकेपासून संरक्षण — फौजदारी प्रकरणांत किंवा प्रतिबंधात्मक स्थानबद्धतेत नाही. भंग = विशिष्ट हक्काची अवहेलना; अवमान = सभागृहाच्या कामात अडथळा आणणारी कोणतीही कृती. म्हणून प्रत्येक भंग हा अवमानच, पण प्रत्येक अवमान भंग असेलच असे नाही — प्रत्येक आंबा फळच, पण प्रत्येक फळ आंबा नाही. (→ English: parliamentary privileges · हिन्दी: संसदीय विशेषाधिकार)

In exam EnglishWhat does a House enjoy as a body? Begin with its own record: the House decides whether its debates and reports are published, and it can stop others from publishing them. For the press, Article 361A, inserted by the 44th Amendment, softens this: a substantially true newspaper report of proceedings is protected unless it was made with malice. The House also controls who sits in the chamber, so it may ask strangers to leave and meet in secret, and it frames its own rules of procedure. When a member is arrested, detained or released, the House must be told at once. Article 122 stops courts from setting aside its proceedings merely because the procedure was irregular. A member, as an individual, cannot be arrested in a civil case while the House is in session or within 40 days before or after it; this shield does not reach criminal charges or preventive detention. Lastly, the House can punish members and outsiders alike, and two words are used for what it punishes. Suppose a newspaper prints a debate the House had ordered kept secret: a particular privilege has been broken, which is a breach of privilege. Suppose instead a visitor shouts from the gallery and halts a sitting: no listed privilege is broken, yet the House is obstructed in its work, which is contempt of the House. Every breach of privilege is therefore also a contempt, but contempt is the wider category.

या हक्कांच्या मर्यादा न्यायालयांनी आखल्या आहेत. पी.व्ही. नरसिंह राव प्रकरण (1998): पाच न्यायाधीशांच्या पीठाने बहुमताने सांगितले की लाच घेऊन सभागृहात मत देणाऱ्या सदस्यांना 105(2) खाली संरक्षण आहे, लाच देणाऱ्यांना नाही. सीता सोरेन प्रकरण (2024): सात न्यायाधीशांच्या पीठाने एकमताने तो निकाल उलटवला — लाचखोरीला 105(2) किंवा 194(2) चे संरक्षण नाही; सभागृहात बोलण्यासाठी किंवा मत देण्यासाठी लाच घेणे आवश्यक नाही; लाच स्वीकारताच गुन्हा पूर्ण, वचन दिल्याप्रमाणे मत दिले की नाही हे महत्त्वाचे नाही. संरक्षणाचे कवच काम करण्यासाठी, चूक लपवण्यासाठी नाही. राजा राम पाल प्रकरण (2007): प्रश्नांसाठी पैसे प्रकरणात सापडलेल्या सदस्यांची हकालपट्टी न्यायालयाने वैध ठरवली; विशेषाधिकारांचा वापर मर्यादित कारणांवर न्यायालयीन पुनर्विलोकनाधीन आहे असे सांगितले. (→ English: parliamentary privileges · हिन्दी: संसदीय विशेषाधिकार)

In exam EnglishThe courts have drawn the limits of these privileges. In P.V. Narasimha Rao v. State (1998) a five-judge bench held, by majority, that members who took bribes and then voted in the House were immune from prosecution under Article 105(2), while those who paid the bribes were not. In Sita Soren v. Union of India (2024) a seven-judge bench unanimously overruled that view: bribery is not protected by Article 105(2) or Article 194(2), because taking a bribe is not necessary for speaking or voting in the House, and the offence is complete when the bribe is accepted, whether or not the vote is cast as promised. In Raja Ram Pal v. Speaker, Lok Sabha (2007) the Court upheld the expulsion of members caught in a cash-for-questions case, while holding that the exercise of privileges is open to judicial review on limited grounds.

समित्या आणि विशेषाधिकार मिळून संसद सरकारला कसे उत्तरदायी ठेवते याचे पूर्ण चित्र देतात. सभागृहात प्रश्न, चर्चा, प्रस्ताव यांमुळे मंत्र्यांना जाहीरपणे उत्तर द्यावे लागते (भाग 2). अर्थसंकल्पातून सरकार किती खर्च करू शकते हे लोकसभा ठरवते (भाग 3). समित्यांत मतदानाआधीच विधेयके आणि मागण्यांचा सखोल अभ्यास होतो; महालेखापरीक्षकांच्या अहवालांच्या मदतीने नंतर पैसा कसा खर्च झाला ते तपासले जाते. विशेषाधिकार या कामाचे रक्षण करतात: न्यायालयाच्या भीतीशिवाय बोलता आणि मत देता येते; प्रत्येक सभागृह आपल्या कामकाजाचे रक्षण करू शकते. पण हे सभागृहाच्या कामासाठीच आहेत, वैयक्तिक सदस्यांना सामान्य फौजदारी कायद्यापासून वाचवण्यासाठी नाहीत, हे न्यायालयांनी स्पष्ट केले आहे. (→ English: Parliament · हिन्दी: संसद)

In exam EnglishCommittees and privileges complete the picture of how Parliament holds the government to account. On the floor, questions, debates and motions make ministers answer in public (Part 2). Through the Budget, the Lok Sabha decides what the government may spend (Part 3). In committees, members study bills and demands for grants in detail before the vote, and, with the help of the CAG's reports, check after the event how the money was actually spent. Privileges protect this work: members can speak and vote without fear of the courts, and each House can protect its own functioning. But the courts have made clear that privileges exist to protect the House's work, not to shield individual members from the ordinary criminal law.

Exam traps

Recap

Practice questions

Q1. Consider the following statements about the Public Accounts Committee:
1. It has members from both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha.
2. Its chairman is appointed by the Speaker of the Lok Sabha.
3. A minister may be elected to it.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. 1 only
  2. 1 and 2 only
  3. 2 and 3 only
  4. 1, 2 and 3
Show answer

Answer: B. 1 and 2 only

The PAC has 15 Lok Sabha and 7 Rajya Sabha members, and the Speaker appoints its chairman from among its Lok Sabha members, so statements 1 and 2 are correct. Statement 3 is wrong: a minister cannot be a member. '1 only' leaves out statement 2, and options containing 3 are wrong.

Q2. Which one of the following parliamentary committees consists of members of the Lok Sabha only?

  1. Public Accounts Committee
  2. Estimates Committee
  3. Committee on Public Undertakings
  4. A departmentally related standing committee
Show answer

Answer: B. Estimates Committee

All 30 members of the Estimates Committee come from the Lok Sabha. The PAC and the Committee on Public Undertakings each have 7 Rajya Sabha members, and every departmentally related standing committee has 10 Rajya Sabha members.

Q3. Consider the following statements about the Committee on Public Undertakings:
1. It was set up in 1964 on the recommendation of the Krishna Menon Committee.
2. A member of the Rajya Sabha may be appointed its chairman.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. 1 only
  2. 2 only
  3. Both 1 and 2
  4. Neither 1 nor 2
Show answer

Answer: A. 1 only

Statement 1 is correct. Statement 2 is wrong: the Speaker appoints the chairman from among the committee's Lok Sabha members, so a Rajya Sabha member, though a member of the committee, cannot chair it. Options with statement 2 are wrong, and 'neither' ignores statement 1.

Q4. Consider the following statements about departmentally related standing committees:
1. They examine the demands for grants of their ministries before the Lok Sabha votes on them.
2. They may suggest cut motions on the demands.
3. Each has 31 members drawn from both Houses.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. 1 and 2 only
  2. 1 and 3 only
  3. 3 only
  4. 1, 2 and 3
Show answer

Answer: B. 1 and 3 only

Statements 1 and 3 are correct: the committees scrutinise demands before the vote, and each has 21 Lok Sabha and 10 Rajya Sabha members. Statement 2 is wrong because their reports may not suggest anything in the nature of cut motions. '3 only' misses statement 1, and options with 2 are wrong.

Q5. Consider the following statements about Article 105 of the Constitution:
1. Freedom of speech in Parliament is subject to the provisions of the Constitution and the rules of procedure.
2. Parliament has enacted a law that defines all the privileges of the Houses.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. 1 only
  2. 2 only
  3. Both 1 and 2
  4. Neither 1 nor 2
Show answer

Answer: A. 1 only

Article 105(1) makes freedom of speech in Parliament subject to the Constitution and the rules, so statement 1 is correct. Statement 2 is wrong: Parliament has not codified privileges, which is why Article 105(3) still refers to those existing before the 44th Amendment. Options with statement 2 are wrong, and 'neither' ignores statement 1.

Q6. A Member of Parliament enjoys freedom from arrest

  1. in all cases while Parliament is in session
  2. in criminal cases during a session and 40 days before and after it
  3. in civil cases during a session and 40 days before and after it
  4. under preventive detention laws at all times
Show answer

Answer: C. in civil cases during a session and 40 days before and after it

The individual privilege of freedom from arrest applies only in civil cases, during a session and for 40 days before and after it. It does not extend to criminal cases or preventive detention, so the options covering 'all cases', criminal cases or preventive detention are wrong.

Q7. In Sita Soren v. Union of India (2024), the Supreme Court held that

  1. a legislator who takes a bribe to vote in the House is immune if the vote is actually cast
  2. bribery by a legislator is not protected by parliamentary privilege under Articles 105(2) and 194(2)
  3. Parliament must codify its privileges within a fixed time
  4. a House cannot expel its members
Show answer

Answer: B. bribery by a legislator is not protected by parliamentary privilege under Articles 105(2) and 194(2)

A seven-judge bench overruled P.V. Narasimha Rao (1998) and held that bribery is not protected by Articles 105(2) or 194(2); the offence is complete when the bribe is accepted. The first option states the overruled view, the case did not order codification, and the power to expel was upheld in Raja Ram Pal (2007).

Q8. Match List I (committee) with List II (function):
List I
A. Committee on Government Assurances
B. Committee on Subordinate Legislation
C. Business Advisory Committee
List II
1. Checks whether rules made by the executive stay within delegated powers
2. Recommends the time to be allotted to items of business
3. Checks whether promises given by ministers in the House are fulfilled
Select the correct answer using the code given below.

  1. A-3, B-1, C-2
  2. A-1, B-3, C-2
  3. A-3, B-2, C-1
  4. A-2, B-1, C-3
Show answer

Answer: A. A-3, B-1, C-2

The Committee on Government Assurances tracks ministers' promises (3), the Committee on Subordinate Legislation checks rules made under delegated powers (1), and the Business Advisory Committee recommends the allotment of time (2). The other codes swap at least two of these functions.

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