Do Department-related Parliamentary Standing Committees keep the administration on its toes and inspire reverence for parliamentary control? Evaluate the working of such committees with suitable examples.

Theme

T94 Parliamentary committees & financial accountability: PAC, Estimates, DRSCs

What UPSC asks in this theme

UPSC asks the committee system's structure, how financial committees institutionalised Parliament, DRSCs' effectiveness, the Estimates Committee and the PAC.

What to cover

• Standing vs ad hoc committees
• Financial committees: PAC, Estimates, COPU
• DRSCs and falling bill referrals
• Why committees improve scrutiny (expertise, non-partisan)

Writing the answer

• Show role with examples and data

These notes are for the whole theme, built from all 4 of its PYQs. UPSC does not publish model answers.