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General Studies 2023 GS Paper II 15 marks 250 words Compulsory Explain

GS Paper II — Q16

Explain the structure of the Parliamentary Committee system. How far have the financial committees helped in the…

Explain the structure of the Parliamentary Committee system. How far have the financial committees helped in the institutionalisation of Indian Parliament? (Answer in 250 words) 15 marks

हिंदी में प्रश्न पढ़ें

संसदीय समिति प्रणाली की संरचना को समझाइए। भारतीय संसद के संस्थानीकरण में वित्तीय समितियों ने कहाँ तक मदद की? (250 शब्दों में उत्तर) 15 marks

Q16 of the 2023 UPSC Mains General Studies GS Paper II, as printed
The question as printed in the 2023 General Studies paper
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Model answer

Written 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.

The Parliamentary Committee system functions as an institutional mechanism under Article 105 to ensure continuous legislative scrutiny and executive accountability.

Structure of the Committee System

Parliamentary committees are classified into two broad categories:

  1. Ad-hoc Committees: Temporary bodies constituted for specific tasks, such as Select or Joint Committees on specific Bills or inquiry matters, which dissolve upon report submission.
  2. Standing Committees: Permanent bodies reconstituted annually. These comprise 24 Department-related Standing Committees (DRSCs) that oversee line ministries, Administrative and House committees, and three specialized Financial Committees: the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), the Estimates Committee, and the Committee on Public Undertakings (CoPU).

Role of Financial Committees in Institutionalisation

Financial committees have institutionalised accountability by establishing continuous, non-partisan financial oversight mechanisms beyond plenary floor debates:

  • Executive Accountability via Audit Scrutiny: The PAC (22 members, conventionally chaired by the Leader of the Opposition) examines the CAG’s audit reports to check financial irregularities and executive overreach. Between 2014 and 2024, the PAC examined over 301 CAG reports, securing recoveries and savings exceeding ₹1.5 lakh crore.
  • Policy and Efficiency Oversight: The Estimates Committee (30 Lok Sabha members, chaired by the ruling party) conducts post-budget scrutiny to suggest administrative economies, while the CoPU assesses the commercial efficiency and governance of public sector enterprises.

Limitations and Way Forward

Despite these contributions, institutionalisation remains incomplete. The committees' findings are strictly advisory, suffering from a low implementation rate (~15%). Furthermore, their post-mortem nature, declining sitting days, and growing partisan contestation dilute their impact. Unlike the UK PAC, which exercises stronger conventions and institutionalized Treasury responses, the Indian system lacks statutory enforcement. To deepen parliamentary institutionalisation, Parliament should introduce mandatory timelines for Action Taken Reports (ATRs) and empower committees with proactive, pre-expenditure scrutiny powers.

What "Explain" is asking you to do

Make the working of something clear — what sets it off, what follows from what, and what it produces. Explain is the Commission's mechanism word: it dominates the technical papers and the “explain why” stems, where the marks sit in the causal chain and not in the label.

Structure that answers it

State what it is → the initiating condition → the chain of cause, step by step → an instance where it plays out → what the chain produces

Where marks are lost

Describing what something looks like instead of why it works that way. Naming the stages without linking them reads as description too.

All UPSC directive words, compared →

How this answer will be evaluated

Approach

Framework: GS2 Paper 2: Parliamentary Committees & Institutionalisation. explain: definition/context > points in order > small example > short close Full marks: Clear structure explanation with specific financial committee examples and strong institutionalisation analysis

Key points expected

  • Categorise committees (Standing, Ad-hoc, Financial)
  • Detail composition and powers of financial committees
  • Link financial committees to institutionalisation of Parliament
  • Provide specific examples of financial committee impact

Evaluation rubric

Each sub-part is marked on its own, against the marks and word limit printed on the paper.

  1. The answer Define structure of Parliamentary Committees and evaluate financial committees' role in institutionalisation.  · 250 words

    explain— definition/context → points in order → small example → short close

    Must cover

    • Categorise committees (Standing, Ad-hoc, Financial)
    • Detail composition and powers of financial committees
    • Link financial committees to institutionalisation of Parliament
    • Provide specific examples of financial committee impact

    Loses marks

    • Reciting committee names without explaining structure
    • Failing to link financial committees to institutionalisation
    • Ending without addressing the 'how far' aspect

    Earns more

    • Mention specific financial committees (e.g., Public Accounts, Estimates)
    • Reference 2nd ARC recommendations on committees
    • Cite specific instances of financial oversight
    • Discuss challenges in committee effectiveness

    Extra mark

    • Reference specific Supreme Court judgments on parliamentary privilege
    • Mention specific 2nd ARC recommendations on financial committees

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