Which is the largest Committee of the Indian Parliament?

Question

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Correct — B, the Estimates Committee. It is the largest committee of the Indian Parliament, with 30 members — all elected from the Lok Sabha (the Rajya Sabha has no representation on it). By contrast, the Public Accounts Committee and the Committee on Public Undertakings each have 22 members (15 from the Lok Sabha and 7 from the Rajya Sabha), and the Committee on Petitions is smaller still. With 30 members the Estimates Committee is the biggest, so the answer is (b).

Why the other options are wrong — (a) The Public Accounts Committee has 22 members (15 Lok Sabha + 7 Rajya Sabha). It is the most famous financial committee (it examines the CAG's audit reports) but it is smaller than the 30-member Estimates Committee.  (c) The Committee on Public Undertakings also has 22 members (15 Lok Sabha + 7 Rajya Sabha) and scrutinises public-sector undertakings — again smaller than the Estimates Committee's 30.  (d) The Committee on Petitions is a small committee (15 members in the Lok Sabha, 10 in the Rajya Sabha) that examines petitions from the public; it is nowhere near the largest.

Concept: Parliament works largely through committees. Its three financial committees are the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), the Estimates Committee, and the Committee on Public Undertakings (CoPU). The Estimates Committee — 30 members, all drawn from the Lok Sabha — is the largest of all parliamentary committees. PAC and CoPU each have 22 members drawn from both Houses. Ministers cannot be members of these committees, and members serve a one-year term.

State PCS 2020 Q112 — Polity & Governance PYQ with Answer

State PCS 2020 Q112 — Polity & Governance PYQ with Answer