QUESTION 15
GS2
15 marks
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.
WRITE IN
11 min
250 words
What the examiner wants
Evaluate how well DRSCs keep the executive in check, with examples.
EvaluateWeigh what works and what does not, and say how far it succeeds.
Demand-wise check
- 1Background: 24 DRSCs since 1993; examine bills, demands for grants, policy≈50 words
- 2Strengths: detailed, less partisan scrutiny, expert witnesses; reports changed bills (Data Protection Bill, Consumer Protection Bill)≈50 words
- 3Weaknesses: recommendations not binding, fewer bills referred, low attendance, one-year tenure≈50 words
- 4Reforms: mandatory referral, longer tenure, research staff≈50 words
Open in about 30 words and close in about 30.
Answer plan
RoleSuccesses with examplesLimitations with dataReformsVerdict
Where marks usually go
- Describing committee structure without evaluating performance
- No example, e.g. Surrogacy Bill 2016 report, or farm laws 2020 bypassing committees
Draw this
- Scale: strengths vs weaknesses
Value addition
- DataBills referred to committees fell from 71% (15th Lok Sabha) to 27% (16th) and about 13% (17th).PRS Legislative Research
- ExampleThe Standing Committee on Agriculture's scrutiny was bypassed for the 2020 farm laws, which were later repealed (2021).PRS / Farm Laws Repeal Act, 2021
Mapped topper copies
Reviewed public-source references related to this PYQ. Same-syllabus references are labelled separately.
- Aditya Srivastava · AIR 1 · Page 3 ↗Same syllabus reference
- Alfred Thomas · Page 13 ↗Same syllabus reference
- Aditya Srivastava · AIR 1 · Page 9 ↗Same syllabus reference
Links open original public sources. MainsBuddy does not host these answer sheets.
Next: plan for one minute, write it in 11 minutes, then get it checked.