GS Paper II — Q15
Do Department-related Parliamentary Standing Committees keep the administration on its toes and inspire reverence for…
Do Department-related Parliamentary Standing Committees keep the administration on its toes and inspire reverence for parliamentary control? Evaluate the working of such committees with suitable examples. (Answer in 250 words) 15 marks
हिंदी में प्रश्न पढ़ें
क्या विभागों से संबंधित संसदीय स्थायी समितियाँ प्रशासन को अपने पैर की उंगलियों पर रखती हैं और संसदीय नियंत्रण के लिए सम्मान-प्रदर्शन हेतु प्रेरित करती हैं? उपयुक्त उदाहरणों के साथ ऐसी समितियों के कार्यों का मूल्यांकन कीजिए। (उत्तर 250 शब्दों में दीजिए)
Model answer
Drafted with AI by UPSC Answer Check against this question's marking rubric, to the 250-word length. UPSC does not publish answers for Mains — this is one way to score well, not an official key. How we build rubrics and answers.
(a) Role and mechanism: Department-related Parliamentary Standing Committees (DRSCs), created in 1993 with 17 committees and expanded to 24 in 2004 under the Rules of Procedure of the Houses, examine demands for grants, bills, annual reports and policy implementation of ministries. Each has 31 members (21 Lok Sabha, 10 Rajya Sabha) in proportion to party strength, and can summon officials and call for documents.
(b) Keeping the administration on its toes: Their strength is sustained, expert scrutiny away from the floor's partisanship. The Finance Committee's 2021 report on the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code flagged steep haircuts and delays, and its hearings on demonetisation questioned the RBI Governor, though no report was adopted. The Health Committee's 2020 report on COVID-19 management exposed gaps in preparedness and inter-ministerial coordination. Such reports force ministries to explain decisions and respond to dissent.
(c) Limits on reverence: Recommendations are not binding; the government may accept, modify or reject them, and follow-up is weak. Time constraints, limited research support, low attendance and partisan functioning dilute depth. The share of bills referred to committees has also fallen sharply (about 16% in the 17th Lok Sabha). Formal authority is high but impact uneven, so DRSCs keep the administration on its toes more than they inspire reverence, which needs mandatory government responses and stronger follow-up.
How this answer will be evaluated
Framework: Principle > Institution > Problem with example > Realistic reform
What earns full marks: Balanced evaluation with specific examples and a clear reform suggestion.
Evaluation rubric
Each sub-part is marked on its own, against the marks and word limit printed on the paper.
- The answer Assess the effectiveness of Department-related Parliamentary Standing Committees (DRPSCs) in exercising control over the administration. 15 marks · 250 words
evaluate— criteria → evidence → balanced judgment
Must cover
- Define DRPSCs and their constitutional/statutory basis
- Explain mechanisms of control (e.g., summoning officers, document review)
- Provide specific examples of committee actions (e.g., coal block allocation 2012, IBC review 2021, COVID-19 report 2020)
- Critically assess limitations (e.g., lack of enforcement power, executive dominance)
Loses marks
- Reciting Article 110 without application to committees
- Focusing only on composition without discussing powers
- Ending with a generic reform list instead of evaluating working
Earns more
- Mention the Coal and Steel committee's report on coal block allocation (2012)
- Reference the Coal Allocation Committee report
- Mention the Health committee's COVID-19 report (2020)
- Note the falling share of bills referred to committees (about 16% in the 17th Lok Sabha)
Extra mark
- Cite 2nd ARC recommendations on strengthening committees
- Reference Law Commission report on parliamentary committees
What "Evaluate" is asking you to do
Judge how well something has performed against the standard it set for itself — its stated aim, mandate or promise — and commit to a verdict. Name the yardstick before you judge; an unanchored judgement reads as opinion.
Structure that answers it
Name the yardstick — stated aim, mandate or benchmark → performance against it → shortfall against it → why the gap exists → verdict
Where marks are lost
Presenting both sides and then declining to decide, or delivering a verdict against a standard you never stated, which makes it look arbitrary.
Practice this exact question
Write your answer and it is marked point by point against the model answer above — what you covered, what you missed, what you got wrong.
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