Sessions and the committees of parliament
Introduction
On January 31, 2023, the first session of parliament i.e. budget session started. The session will have access from February 14, 2023, to March 13, 2023. In this period the standing committees scrutinize the demands. After that from March 13, 2023, again session will resume. All bills get presented and passed during the parliament sessions. Therefore, it is very important to know about the session of parliament and its committees.
What is a session of parliament?
A member of parliament is a representative of the people and represents the people of his constituency in Lok Sabha Rajya Sabha, as the situation may be. Therefore, he has to present the problem or opinion of his/her people to the government or legislative body. At the same time, he/she is a maker of the law, as a member of parliament. As parliament is basically a legislative body. A parliamentary session is when a house meets almost every day uninterruptedly to manage the legislative business assigned to the parliament by the Constitution of India. The Session contains many meetings.
How many parliament sessions are there in India?
There are three sessions in a year:
1. Budget session (February to May)
2. Monsoon session (July to September)
3. Winter session (November to December)
Budget session
The budget session is usually held from February to May every year. This session is split into two periods with a gap of one month between them. The main objective of this session is to get passed the annual financial statement which is popularly known as the budget.
What is a budget?
The ‘budget’ is a general term for the ‘annual financial statement’ given in Article 112 of the Constitution. ‘Annual financial statement’ (budget) consists of the estimated receipt and expenditure of the government of India for one financial year, which commences on 1st April each year.
Being a ‘money bill’ budget only can be introduced in the Lok Sabha. Till 2016 budget was presented on the last working day of February. Now it is present on 1st February.
A budget can be divided into Revenue Budget and Capital Budget.
Earlier the budget was presented in two categories i.e. Railway Budget and General budget, but now there will be no separate budget for Indian Railway which has been merged with the General budget in August 2016.
Who presents the budget?
Article 112 says that the president is responsible for presenting the budget to the Lok Sabha. According to Article 77(3), the union finance minister has been made responsible by the president to prepare the budget.
Accordingly, the union budget is prepared by the department of Economic Affairs of the Ministry of Finance and presented by finance minister.
What is the presidential address in the budget session?
As per Article 87, the President addresses the first session i.e. budget session of parliament of each year. The President’s speech essentially highlights the government’s policy priorities and plans for the upcoming year. The address provides a broad framework of the government’s agenda and direction.
What are the stages for passing the union budget?
A Budget can be passed in five stages:
1. Presentation of the budget- by the finance minister
2. General discussion of the budget- after this there is an adjournment of houses for a month so that standing committees scrutinize the demand.
3. Voting on demand for granting in Lok Sabha
4. Passing of appropriation bills
5. Passing of financial bills.
What are parliament committees?
The Constitution mentions two kinds of Parliamentary Committees–
Þ Standing Committees. And
Þ Ad Hoc Committees.
Any subject related to these committees is dealt in Article 118 (1) of the Indian Constitution.
How many types of Parliamentary Committees are there?
There are different types of parliamentary committees which are mentioned in the table below:
| Parliamentary Committee in India | ||
| Types | Categories | Sub-Categories of Committees |
| Standing Committees | Financial Committees | Public Accounts Committee Estimates Committee Committee on Public Undertakings |
| Departmental Standing Committees | Total number of such committees are 24 | |
| Committees to Inquire | Committee on Petitions Committee of Privilege Ethics Committee | |
| Committees to Scrutinise and Control | Committee on Government Assurances Committee on Subordinate Legislation Committee on Papers Laid on the Table Committee on Welfare of SCs and STs Committee on Empowerment of Women Joint Committee on Offices of Profit | |
| Committees Relating to the Day-to-Day Business of the House | Business Advisory Committee Committee on Private Members’ Bills and Resolutions Rules Committee Committee on Absence of Members from Sittings of the House |
| Standing Committee | House-Keeping Committees or Service Committees | General Purposes Committee House Committee Library Committee Joint Committee on Salaries and Allowances of Members |
| Ad Hoc Committees | Inquiry Committees | |
| Ad Hoc Committees | Advisory Committees |
Source: https://byjus/com)
| Standing Committees – Departmental Committees | ||||
| Committees under Lok Sabha | Committees under Rajya Sabha | |||
| Name | Ministry/Department | Name | Ministry/Department | |
| 1. | Committee on Agriculture | Agriculture Food Processing Industries | Committee on Commerce | Commerce and Industry |
| Committee on Information Technology | Communications and Information Technology Information & Broadcasting | Committee on Home Affairs | Home Affairs Development of the North-Eastern Region | |
| 2 | Committee on Defence | Defence | Committee on Human Resource Development | Human Resource Development Youth Affairs and Sports |
| 3 | Committee on Energy | New and Renewable Energy Power | Committee on Industry | Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises Small Scale Industries Agro and Rural Industries |
| 4 | Committee on External Affairs | External Affairs Non-Resident Indians Affairs | Committee on Science & Technology, Environment & Forests | Science and Technology Space Earth Sciences Atomic Energy Environment & Forests |
| 5 | Committee on Finance | Finance Company Affairs Planning Statistics and Programme Implementation | Committee on Transport, Tourism and Culture | Civil Aviation Shipping, Road Transport and Highways Culture Tourism |
| Committee on Food, Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution | Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution | Committee on Health and Family Welfare | Health and Family Welfare | |
| 6 | Committee on Labour | Labour and Employment Textiles | Committee on Personnel, Public Grievances, Law and Justice | Law and Justice Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions |
| 7 | Committee on Petroleum & Natural | Gas Petroleum and Natural Gas | – | – |
| 8 | Committee on Railways | Railways | – | – |
| 9 | Committee on Urban Development | Urban Development Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation | – | – |
| 10 | Committee on Water Resources | Water Resources | – | – |
| 11 | Committee on Chemicals and Fertilizers | Chemicals and Fertilizers | – | – |
| 12 | Committee on Rural Development | Rural Development Panchayati Raj | – | – |
| 13 | Committee on Coal and Steel | Coal and Mines Steel | – | – |
| 14 | Committee on Social Justice and Empowerment | Social Justice and Empowerment Tribal Affairs | – | – |
(Source: https://byjus/com)
