Which one of the following is the largest Committee of the Parliament ?

1. Need and Classification of Parliamentary Committees (basic)

Welcome to your first step in mastering the machinery of the Indian Parliament! To understand why we have Parliamentary Committees, we first need to look at the reality of modern governance. While the Parliament is the supreme legislative body, it faces three major hurdles: a lack of time, a lack of technical expertise for complex bills, and a massive volume of work. As the saying goes, "Parliament in session is Parliament on public exhibition, whereas Parliament in its committee rooms is Parliament at work."

According to the standard framework, for a committee to be officially called a Parliamentary Committee, it must satisfy four specific conditions:

• It must be appointed or elected by the House or nominated by the Speaker (Lok Sabha) or the Chairman (Rajya Sabha).
• It must work under the direction of the Speaker or the Chairman.
• It must present its report to the House or to the Presiding Officer.
• It must have a secretariat provided by the Lok Sabha or the Rajya Sabha.

Indian Polity, M. Laxmikanth(7th ed.), Parliamentary Committees, p.270. This is why Consultative Committees (which are attached to various ministries) are not considered Parliamentary Committees—they do not fulfill these strict criteria.

Broadly, these committees are classified into two categories based on their nature and tenure:

Type	Nature	Examples
Standing Committees	Permanent in nature; constituted every year or periodically and work on a continuous basis.	Financial Committees (like the Estimates Committee), Departmentally Related Standing Committees (DRSCs).
Ad hoc Committees	Temporary in nature; they are created for a specific task and cease to exist once the task is completed.	Inquiry Committees (e.g., on a specific scam) or Advisory Committees (e.g., Select or Joint Committees on a Bill).

Sources: Indian Polity, M. Laxmikanth(7th ed.), Parliamentary Committees, p.270

2. Structure of Standing Committees (basic)

To understand how the Indian Parliament exercises control over the Executive, we must look at the structure and composition of its Standing Committees. These committees are permanent bodies, reconstituted annually, and their membership is carefully balanced to reflect the strength of the various political parties in Parliament. A fundamental rule across almost all these committees is that a Minister cannot be elected or nominated as a member; if a member is appointed as a Minister, they must resign their seat on the committee Laxmikanth, M. Indian Polity, Parliamentary Committees, p.273. This ensures the 'watchdog' does not include the very people it is meant to oversee.

The committees vary significantly in size and House representation. The Estimates Committee holds the distinction of being the largest committee of Parliament with 30 members, uniquely drawn entirely from the Lok Sabha. In contrast, the other two major financial committees—the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) and the Committee on Public Undertakings (COPU)—consist of 22 members, maintaining a ratio of 15 from the Lok Sabha and 7 from the Rajya Sabha Laxmikanth, M. Indian Polity, Parliamentary Committees, p.273.

Beyond these, the Departmentally Related Standing Committees (DRSCs) form the backbone of legislative scrutiny. Currently, there are 24 DRSCs (increased from 17 in 2004) that cover all ministries of the Central Government. Each DRSC consists of 31 members: 21 from the Lok Sabha (nominated by the Speaker) and 10 from the Rajya Sabha (nominated by the Chairman) Laxmikanth, M. Indian Polity, Parliamentary Committees, p.274. This 21:10 ratio is a standard structural feature for these specialized bodies.

Committee Name	Total Members	Composition (LS : RS)
Estimates Committee	30	30 : 0 (LS only)
PAC / COPU	22	15 : 7
DRSCs (each)	31	21 : 10

An interesting structural nuance involves the Deputy Speaker. Whenever the Deputy Speaker is appointed as a member of any parliamentary committee, they automatically become its Chairman, ensuring the dignity of the presiding office is maintained even within the committee room Laxmikanth, M. Indian Polity, Parliament, p.232.

Sources: Laxmikanth, M. Indian Polity, Parliamentary Committees, p.273; Laxmikanth, M. Indian Polity, Parliamentary Committees, p.274; Laxmikanth, M. Indian Polity, Parliament, p.232

3. Functions of Financial Committees (intermediate)

To ensure that the executive (government) remains accountable for every rupee spent, the Indian Parliament utilizes three specialized Financial Committees. Think of these as the 'financial watchdogs' of our democracy. While the whole Parliament votes on the budget, these committees do the 'heavy lifting' of detailed scrutiny. The Public Accounts Committee (PAC), established in 1921, is the oldest and acts as a 'post-mortem' body. It examines the Appropriation Accounts (actual vs. sanctioned expenditure) and the Finance Accounts of the Union government M. Laxmikanth, Parliamentary Committees, p.272. It relies heavily on the reports of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG), who is often called the 'friend, philosopher, and guide' of the PAC D. D. Basu, The Union Legislature, p.261.
The Estimates Committee serves a different purpose: it focuses on efficiency and 'economies' in administration. Instead of just looking at past spending, it examines the estimates included in the budget to suggest alternative policies for better organization and administrative reform. Because of its constant effort to save public money, it is famously known as the 'Continuous Economy Committee' M. Laxmikanth, Parliamentary Committees, p.273. Finally, the Committee on Public Undertakings (COPU) specifically monitors the reports and accounts of Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) to ensure they are being managed according to sound business principles and prudent commercial practices.

Committee	Membership	Primary Focus
Public Accounts (PAC)	22 (15 LS + 7 RS)	Scrutinizing audit reports of the CAG; checking legality/propriety of expenditure.
Estimates Committee	30 (All from LS)	Suggesting 'economies' in expenditure and improvements in administrative efficiency.
Public Undertakings (COPU)	22 (15 LS + 7 RS)	Examining the accounts and reports of PSUs (like LIC, ONGC, etc.).

Sources: Indian Polity, M. Laxmikanth(7th ed.), Parliamentary Committees, p.270-273; Introduction to the Constitution of India, D. D. Basu (26th ed.), The Union Legislature, p.261

4. Rajya Sabha’s Representation in Committees (intermediate)

To understand how the Rajya Sabha (Council of States) is represented in Parliamentary committees, we must first look at the constitutional 'power of the purse.' Because the Lok Sabha is directly elected by the people, it holds primary authority over financial matters. As noted in Indian Constitution at Work, LEGISLATURE, p.110, the Rajya Sabha cannot initiate or reject money bills, nor can it vote on the Demands for Grants. This foundational principle explains why the Estimates Committee—the largest of the standing financial committees with 30 members—is composed entirely of Lok Sabha members, with no representation from the Rajya Sabha at all.

However, in most other spheres, the Rajya Sabha is treated as a coordinate house with equal status. This is reflected in the composition of 'Joint' committees. In the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) and the Committee on Public Undertakings (COPU), both houses participate to ensure accountability. These committees typically have 22 members, maintaining a 2:1 ratio: 15 from the Lok Sabha and 7 from the Rajya Sabha Indian Polity, M. Laxmikanth, Parliamentary Committees, p.273. While Rajya Sabha members in these committees have full voting rights within the committee, they are often considered 'associates' because the committees report on matters where the Lok Sabha has the final financial say.

For non-financial matters, representation is more balanced but still follows the proportional strength of the houses. For instance, the Departmentally Related Standing Committees (DRSCs), which scrutinize the legislation and budgets of various ministries, consist of 31 members—21 from the Lok Sabha and 10 from the Rajya Sabha. Even smaller committees, such as the Committee on Petitions, maintain this house-specific distinction: the Lok Sabha version has 15 members, while the Rajya Sabha version has 10 members Indian Polity, M. Laxmikanth, Parliamentary Committees, p.277. This ensures that while the Lok Sabha leads on finance, the Rajya Sabha's expertise as a 'House of Elders' is integrated into the legislative and oversight process.

Committee Name	Total Members	Lok Sabha	Rajya Sabha
Estimates Committee	30	30	0
Public Accounts Committee (PAC)	22	15	7
DRSCs	31	21	10

Sources: Indian Constitution at Work, LEGISLATURE, p.110; Indian Polity, M. Laxmikanth, Parliamentary Committees, p.273; Indian Polity, M. Laxmikanth, Parliamentary Committees, p.277

5. Mechanisms of Parliamentary Oversight (exam-level)

In a parliamentary democracy, the executive is not an independent power but is held continuously accountable to the legislature. This oversight is vital because, as a powerful organ of the state, the executive must remain responsive to the will of the people Indian Constitution at Work, EXECUTIVE, p.97. Parliament exercises this control through several mechanisms: deliberation and discussion during law-making, the approval or refusal of laws, and the motion of no confidence. However, the most technical and granular form of oversight occurs through Financial Control and the work of Parliamentary Committees Indian Constitution at Work, LEGISLATURE, p.115. Among these, the Standing Financial Committees act as the 'watchdogs' of the national exchequer. While the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) and the Committee on Public Undertakings (COPU) are joint committees (consisting of 22 members: 15 from the Lok Sabha and 7 from the Rajya Sabha), the Estimates Committee holds a unique position. It is the largest standing committee of the Indian Parliament, composed of 30 members. Crucially, all 30 members are elected annually from the Lok Sabha only Indian Polity, Parliamentary Committees, p.273. This exclusive membership reflects the Lok Sabha's constitutional supremacy in matters of finance and 'the power of the purse.' Beyond financial scrutiny, other committees like the Committee on Petitions (15 members in LS, 10 in RS) allow the legislature to examine public grievances and petitions on matters of public importance Indian Polity, Parliamentary Committees, p.277. By distributing the workload across these specialized bodies, Parliament ensures that the executive's vast administrative machinery is under constant, expert supervision.

Comparison of Key Oversight Committees:

Committee	Total Members	Composition (LS/RS)	Primary Focus
Estimates Committee	30	30 (LS only)	Suggesting 'economies' in administration
Public Accounts (PAC)	22	15 (LS) + 7 (RS)	Audit of government spending (CAG reports)
COPU	22	15 (LS) + 7 (RS)	Performance of Public Sector Undertakings
Petitions	25 (Total)	15 (LS) & 10 (RS separately)	Public grievances and petitions

Sources: Indian Constitution at Work, EXECUTIVE, p.97; Indian Constitution at Work, LEGISLATURE, p.115; Indian Polity, Parliamentary Committees, p.273; Indian Polity, Parliamentary Committees, p.277

6. Comparison of Membership and Mandates (exam-level)

To understand parliamentary committees, we must look at who sits on them and what they are tasked to do. The logic behind their membership often reflects the constitutional power of the houses. For instance, because the Lok Sabha holds the 'power of the purse' (control over finances), the Estimates Committee is composed entirely of members from the Lower House. In contrast, committees like the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) and the Committee on Public Undertakings (COPU) are joint endeavors, bringing in the expertise of the Rajya Sabha to ensure broader oversight of how public money is spent Indian Polity, M. Laxmikanth, Chapter 24, p.270.

The mandates of these committees are specialized. The Estimates Committee acts as a 'continuous economy committee', suggesting alternative policies to bring about efficiency in administration. The PAC performs a 'post-mortem' of government spending by examining the reports of the Comptroller and Auditor-General (CAG). Meanwhile, COPU focuses specifically on the management and efficiency of Public Sector Undertakings Introduction to the Constitution of India, D. D. Basu, The Union Legislature, p.260. Below is a comparative breakdown of their composition:

Committee	Total Members	Lok Sabha	Rajya Sabha	Primary Mandate
Estimates Committee	30	30	0	To suggest 'economies' in public expenditure.
Public Accounts Committee (PAC)	22	15	7	To examine CAG reports and ensure financial propriety.
Committee on Public Undertakings (COPU)	22	15	7	To examine reports and accounts of PSUs.
Committee on Petitions	15 (LS) / 10 (RS)	-	-	To consider petitions on bills or matters of public importance.

It is important to note that while Departmentally Related Standing Committees (DRSCs) have a larger membership (31 members), they represent a broad category of 24 committees rather than a single specialized financial committee Indian Polity, M. Laxmikanth, Chapter 24, p.273. Within the specific trio of financial committees, the Estimates Committee remains the largest single body.

Sources: Indian Polity, M. Laxmikanth, Chapter 24: Parliamentary Committees, p.270; Introduction to the Constitution of India, D. D. Basu, The Union Legislature, p.260; Indian Polity, M. Laxmikanth, Chapter 24: Parliamentary Committees, p.273

7. Solving the Original PYQ (exam-level)

Now that you have mastered the classification of Parliamentary Committees, you can see how the UPSC tests your precision regarding their specific composition. This question requires you to synthesize your knowledge of the three Financial Standing Committees—the Public Accounts Committee, the Estimates Committee, and the Committee on Public Undertakings—by recalling their exact membership numbers. The core building block here is understanding the "power of the purse" held by the Lok Sabha, which directly dictates why the Estimates Committee is uniquely structured compared to its peers as detailed in Indian Polity, M. Laxmikanth.

To arrive at the correct answer, (B) The Estimates Committee, you must recall that it consists of 30 members, all of whom are elected solely from the Lok Sabha. This makes it the largest single standing committee of the Parliament. In contrast, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) and the Committee on Public Undertakings (COPU) serve as common traps; students often assume they are larger due to their high profile, but they actually consist of only 22 members (15 from Lok Sabha and 7 from Rajya Sabha). While the Committee on Petitions is an important body, it is significantly smaller, with 15 members in the Lok Sabha and 10 in the Rajya Sabha.

A key tip for your revision: UPSC often uses the Departmentally Related Standing Committees (DRSCs) as a conceptual distractor. While a single DRSC has 31 members (more than the Estimates Committee), the DRSCs represent a category or a system of committees. When asked to identify the largest specific committee among the traditional financial bodies, the Estimates Committee stands out because of its exclusive 30-member strength from the lower house, designed to provide a comprehensive democratic check on government expenditure.