Select Committee

Select Committees are temporary Parliamentary Committees setup for reviewing a particular Bill and are dissolved after. This Committee can be setup at any time e.g. even if Lok Sabha has passed a Bill, Rajya Sabha can setup a select committee to review it before it is passed. Since the Parliament has hundreds of members, it is tedious for each of them to review all Bills in extensive details. Select Committeess help streamline the research and review over a Bill and provide a report on the possible lacunae in the law for the members to consider summarily.

Indian Parliament has members from all across the country who make decisions on various laws. The Parliament has committees to undertake specified functions like review executive function and various Bills tabled before the Parliament. These specialised bodies are created for efficient functioning of the house and optimum division of work.

The Select Committee minutely reads and reviews the Bill line by line to ascertain whether the Bill is setting out to do what its stated objective is. The Bill is also reviewed from a legal and constitutional view to ensure it is not beyond what is permitted in the existing law. The Committee also has the power to invite experts or inputs on the subject from private or government servants. The Committe also invites representation from stakeholders and those who will be affected by the Bill.

The endeavour is to improve and bolster the objectives of the Law while checking that no harm will be caused by its enactment. For this the Committee may recommend amendments to the Bill and in some cases even propose its own Bill as an addendum in the final report.

Procedure followed by a Select Committee The procedure for appointment to the Committee is provided in Rule 125 of the Rajya Sabha Rules and Rule 298 of the Lok Sabha Rules on Procedure.

1. Setting up A Select Committee: Once a Bill is tabled, any Member of the Parliament can move an amendment motion for reference fo the Bill to a Committee. Or the Member Proposing the Bill can also recommend.
2. Selecting Members: In this reference, the Member of Parliamentrecommends names of members who would constitute the Committee.
   1. They must seek willingness of those whose name is recommended.
   2. The number and names of the members of the Committee are decided by the House or the presiding officers (i.e. the Speaker in the Lok Sabha and the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha).
   3. The Chair of the Committee is selected by thePresiding Officerof the House.
3. Rights of Others:Other Members of Parliament, who are not in the Select Committee can also attend and observe the functioning of the Committee.
   1. But, they cannot vote.
   2. Further, they can also address the Committee with permission of the Chairman.
4. Quorum:The Committee requires a quorum of 1/3rd members to function which means at atleast a third of the total members must be present for business to be conducted.
5. Role of Chairman: A tie breaker vote can be cast by the person presiding the meeting i.e. the Chairman.
6. Report:The final report of the Committee is signed by the Chairman.
   1. If a member does not agree with the final report, they can author a dissent.
   2. The report is then circulated to all the members of the House.
   3. This Report is not binding on the government and just contains recommendation which the government may or may not chose to act on.

Select Committee : Select Committees are temporary Parliamentary Committees setup for reviewing a particular Bill. It is formed to address particular matters and is dissolved once its task is completed.

Standing Committee : Standing Committee is a permanent parliamentary committee that handles the regular businesses of the Parliament such as regular Bills, Budget and other routine matters.

The Indian Parliament's Select Committee system plays a crucial role in scrutinizing legislation and promoting informed debate. While their temporary nature and limited scope might seem restrictive, their potential for fostering a more robust and responsive Parliament remains immense

By proactively strengthening the Select Committee system, the Indian Parliament can position itself as a more effective legislative body, enacting laws that are informed, representative, and responsive to the needs of the people. This, in turn, will contribute to a more transparent, accountable, and democratic India.