Thesis: Parliamentary Standing Committees serve as essential watchdogs of fiscal governance, ensuring accountability and transparency in financial management by scrutinizing executive actions and budget allocations.

Institutional and Legal Framework

• Article 105 of the Constitution of India: Grants powers, privileges, and immunities to members of Parliament, enabling them to perform their duties without fear of external interference.
• The Lok Sabha Secretariat Act, 1955: Establishes the framework for the functioning of Parliamentary Committees, detailing their roles and responsibilities.
• The Rules of Procedure of Lok Sabha: Outline the operational procedures and powers of Parliamentary Committees, ensuring systematic scrutiny of executive actions.

Key Challenges in India’s Budgetary Oversight

• Limited Fund Utilization: In FY24 and FY25, fund utilization by the Ministry of Planning and NITI Aayog fell below 36%, highlighting inefficiencies in financial management (Parliamentary Standing Committee on Finance).
• Public Accounts Committee (PAC) Scrutiny: The PAC examined government expenditures amounting to ₹45 lakh crore in the 2022-23 budget, indicating the scale of financial oversight required (Ministry of Finance).
• Estimates Committee Review: The Estimates Committee is tasked with reviewing budget estimates exceeding ₹39 lakh crore for FY24, emphasizing the need for rigorous financial scrutiny.

Parliamentary Standing Committees: Functions and Impact

• Detailed Financial Scrutiny: Parliamentary debates often lack time for comprehensive examination. Standing Committees conduct granular scrutiny of Demands for Grants, expenditure trends, and utilization patterns.
• Evidence-Based Oversight: Committees operate in a non-partisan manner, relying on expert inputs and data-driven analysis. Their reports provide objective evaluations of policy implementation and fiscal discipline.
• Continuous Monitoring: Standing Committees ensure year-round oversight of ministries, enhancing transparency and accountability in governance.

Comparative Analysis: India vs. United Kingdom

Critical Evaluation of Parliamentary Committees

While Parliamentary Standing Committees play a vital role in fiscal governance, several structural challenges hinder their effectiveness. The limited engagement of civil society in the oversight process leads to a lack of public accountability. Furthermore, the committees often face constraints in terms of time and resources, limiting their capacity to conduct thorough investigations.

• Structural Challenges: Limited resources and time constraints hinder comprehensive scrutiny.
• Public Engagement: Lack of civil society involvement reduces transparency and accountability.
• Political Interference: Partisan politics can undermine the objectivity of committee reports.

Structured Assessment of Parliamentary Committees

1. Policy Design: Committees must adapt to evolving governance challenges and enhance their analytical capacities.
2. Governance Capacity: Strengthening the institutional framework and resources available to committees is essential for effective oversight.