Which one among the following Committees of the Parliament of India has no members of the Rajya Sabha ?

1. Basics of Parliamentary Committees (basic)

Imagine the Indian Parliament as a massive engine. While the main floor of the House is where big decisions are debated, the real 'heavy lifting' and detailed technical work happen in smaller rooms. These are our Parliamentary Committees—often called 'Mini-Parliaments.' Because Parliament meets for limited sessions and deals with complex legislation, it lacks the time and specialized expertise to scrutinize every detail. These committees allow for a deeper, more technical, and often less partisan examination of government policies and spending Indian Constitution at Work, NCERT 2025 ed., LEGISLATURE, p.118. However, not every group of MPs meeting in a room is a 'Parliamentary Committee.' To earn this title, a committee must satisfy four specific criteria:

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

If a group doesn't meet these four conditions—like the Consultative Committees attached to various ministries—it is not technically a Parliamentary Committee Indian Polity, M. Laxmikanth(7th ed.), Parliamentary Committees, p.270. Broadly, these committees are divided into two categories based on their duration. Standing Committees are permanent, reconstituted every year, and work continuously. These include the powerful Financial Committees and the Departmentally Related Standing Committees (DRSCs). On the other hand, Ad Hoc Committees are temporary; they are created for a specific task (like the Joint Parliamentary Committees or JPCs set up to investigate a specific bill or issue) and cease to exist once they submit their report Indian Constitution at Work, NCERT 2025 ed., LEGISLATURE, p.118.

Sources: Indian Polity, M. Laxmikanth(7th ed.), Parliamentary Committees, p.270; Indian Constitution at Work, NCERT 2025 ed., LEGISLATURE, p.118

2. General Composition and Appointment Rules (basic)

To understand how Parliamentary Committees function, we must first look at what defines them. Not every group of MPs meeting in a room is a "Parliamentary Committee." According to the standard rules of procedure, a committee is only considered "Parliamentary" if it satisfies four specific conditions: it must be appointed or elected by the House (or nominated by the Presiding Officer), work under the direction of the Speaker or Chairman, present its report to the House, and possess a secretariat provided by the Lok Sabha or Rajya Sabha Indian Polity, M. Laxmikanth(7th ed.), Chapter 24, p. 270. This is why "Consultative Committees"—while composed of MPs—are not technically Parliamentary Committees; they are chaired by Ministers and do not fulfill these strict criteria.

The membership of these committees is carefully balanced to reflect the political reality of the House. Most committees use the system of proportional representation by means of a single transferable vote (PR-STV) for elections Introduction to the Constitution of India, D. D. Basu (26th ed.), The Union Legislature, p. 244. This ensures that every political party, even the smaller ones, gets a fair share of seats in proportion to their strength in the House, preventing the majority party from dominating every single committee. Generally, a Minister cannot be elected or nominated to the major standing committees. This rule maintains the principle of Executive Accountability: since the committee's job is to scrutinize the government's work, the government (Ministers) shouldn't be sitting as judges of their own actions Indian Polity, M. Laxmikanth(7th ed.), Chapter 24, p. 274.

The size and composition of these committees vary based on their specific mandate. Here is a quick look at the composition of the most significant committees:

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

The Estimates Committee is unique because it consists entirely of Lok Sabha members Indian Polity, M. Laxmikanth(7th ed.), Chapter 24, p. 273. This is because the Lok Sabha has the primary power over the "Power of the Purse" (the budget and financial matters), so it alone scrutinizes the expenditure estimates of the government.

Sources: Indian Polity, M. Laxmikanth(7th ed.), Chapter 24: Parliamentary Committees, p.270, 273, 274; Introduction to the Constitution of India, D. D. Basu (26th ed.), The Union Legislature, p.244

3. Departmentally Related Standing Committees (DRSCs) (intermediate)

In a parliamentary democracy like India, the executive is accountable to the legislature. However, with the government managing dozens of ministries and complex budgets, it is impossible for the entire Parliament to scrutinize every detail on the floor of the House. To solve this, Departmentally Related Standing Committees (DRSCs) were created. Think of them as specialized 'mini-parliaments' that work behind the scenes to ensure that every rupee spent and every bill drafted by a ministry undergoes rigorous expert review.

The journey of DRSCs began in 1993, following a recommendation by the Rules Committee of the Lok Sabha. Initially, 17 committees were established, but as the scope of governance expanded, the system was restructured in 2004 to include 24 committees. Today, these 24 committees cover every single ministry and department of the Central Government Indian Polity, M. Laxmikanth, Parliamentary Committees, p.274. Out of these, 16 work under the Lok Sabha and 8 work under the Rajya Sabha, though they all function in a similar manner to bridge the gap between policy and implementation.

One of the most important aspects of DRSCs is their joint nature. Each committee consists of 31 members: 21 from the Lok Sabha (nominated by the Speaker) and 10 from the Rajya Sabha (nominated by the Chairman) Indian Polity, M. Laxmikanth, Parliamentary Committees, p.274. To ensure unbiased scrutiny and prevent a conflict of interest, a Minister cannot be a member of these committees. If a member is appointed as a Minister, they must resign their seat on the committee. This ensures that the 'examiner' (the Committee) is distinct from the 'examined' (the Executive).

Their primary functions are three-fold: First, they examine the Demands for Grants of the concerned ministries during the budget recess. Second, they examine Bills referred to them by the Speaker or Chairman. Third, they consider annual reports and long-term policy documents of the ministries. Crucially, their recommendations are advisory in nature; they are not mandatory for the government, but they carry significant moral and persuasive weight in the Parliament.

Sources: Indian Polity, M. Laxmikanth, Parliamentary Committees, p.274

4. Constitutional Powers: Lok Sabha vs. Rajya Sabha in Finance (intermediate)

In the Indian parliamentary system, the principle of "No Taxation Without Representation" dictates that the Lok Sabha (the directly elected House) holds a superior position over the Rajya Sabha in financial matters. While both Houses participate in the general discussion of the Union Budget, their constitutional powers diverge sharply when it comes to the actual authorization of government spending and taxation. This imbalance is most evident in the treatment of Money Bills (Article 110) and the Voting on Demands for Grants.

Under Article 109, a Money Bill can only be introduced in the Lok Sabha. Once passed, it is sent to the Rajya Sabha, which has a limited window of 14 days to suggest recommendations. The Rajya Sabha cannot reject or amend a Money Bill; the Lok Sabha is free to accept or reject any of its suggestions NCERT Class XI, LEGISLATURE, p.114. Furthermore, the exclusive privilege of voting on Demands for Grants belongs to the Lok Sabha alone. While the Rajya Sabha can discuss the budget, it has no power to vote on these demands Laxmikanth, M. Indian Polity, Parliament, p.253. This ensures that the executive is ultimately accountable to the House that represents the taxpayers directly.

Feature	Lok Sabha (Lower House)	Rajya Sabha (Upper House)
Money Bill Introduction	Can be introduced here only.	Cannot be introduced here.
Demands for Grants	Exclusive power to vote and pass grants.	Can only discuss; no voting power.
Financial Committees	Exclusive representation in the Estimates Committee.	No representation in the Estimates Committee.

This constitutional disparity extends to the Parliamentary Committees that oversee the nation's finances. Because the Lok Sabha has the final word on expenditure, the Estimates Committee—which scrutinizes the efficiency of government spending—consists of 30 members drawn entirely from the Lok Sabha Laxmikanth, M. Indian Polity, Parliamentary Committees, p.273. While the Rajya Sabha participates in the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) and the Committee on Public Undertakings (COPU), its role is considered secondary to the Lok Sabha's primary "power of the purse."

Sources: Indian Polity, M. Laxmikanth, Parliament, p.253; Indian Constitution at Work, NCERT Class XI, LEGISLATURE, p.114; Indian Polity, M. Laxmikanth, Parliamentary Committees, p.273

5. Public Accounts Committee (PAC) and COPU (intermediate)

In our journey through parliamentary oversight, we now encounter the two 'watchdog' committees that ensure the government is held accountable for every rupee spent. Think of these committees as the audit team of a massive corporation. While the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) focuses on the legality and wisdom of general government spending, the Committee on Public Undertakings (COPU) ensures that the government’s business ventures (Public Sector Undertakings) are being run efficiently and commercially. Both committees serve a critical function: they translate the complex, technical reports of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) into democratic accountability. Introduction to the Constitution of India, The Union Legislature, p.260
The Public Accounts Committee is the oldest of the financial committees, established in 1921. It currently consists of 22 members (15 from Lok Sabha and 7 from Rajya Sabha). Its primary job is to examine the annual audit reports of the CAG. It doesn't just check if the money was spent legally, but also if the spending was 'wise, faithful, and economical.' On the other hand, the Committee on Public Undertakings (COPU) was created in 1964 on the recommendation of the Krishna Menon Committee. Indian Polity, Parliamentary Committees, p.273 like the PAC, it has 22 members (15 LS, 7 RS). COPU focuses on whether PSUs are managed according to 'sound business principles' rather than just bureaucratic rules.
Despite their power, these committees have specific boundaries. They perform a 'post-mortem' analysis—examining expenditure after it has already occurred. To maintain the principle of executive accountability to the legislature, ministers cannot be elected to either committee. If a member becomes a minister after being elected to the committee, they must resign their seat on the committee immediately. Indian Polity, Parliamentary Committees, p.274

Feature	Public Accounts Committee (PAC)	Committee on Public Undertakings (COPU)
Origin	1921 (Government of India Act, 1919)	1964 (Krishna Menon Committee)
Strength	22 (15 LS + 7 RS)	22 (15 LS + 7 RS)
Key Role	Examines CAG audit reports on appropriation and finance accounts.	Examines reports/accounts of PSUs and CAG reports on PSUs.

Sources: Introduction to the Constitution of India, The Union Legislature, p.260; Indian Polity, Parliamentary Committees, p.273; Indian Polity, Parliamentary Committees, p.274

6. The Estimates Committee: Exclusive Scrutiny (exam-level)

The Estimates Committee is the largest of the three financial standing committees in the Indian Parliament and serves as a vital instrument of legislative control over public expenditure. Its roots can be traced back to the Standing Financial Committee of 1921, but in its modern form, it was first established in 1950 following the recommendation of John Mathai, the then Finance Minister M. Laxmikanth, Parliamentary Committees, p.273. While it originally had 25 members, its strength was increased to 30 in 1956 to better handle the growing complexity of government spending.

The most defining characteristic of the Estimates Committee is its exclusive membership. Unlike the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) or the Committee on Public Undertakings (COPU), which draw members from both Houses, the Estimates Committee consists of 30 members elected solely from the Lok Sabha. The Rajya Sabha has no representation in this committee M. Laxmikanth, Parliamentary Committees, p.273. This exclusivity is rooted in the constitutional principle that the Lok Sabha, as the directly elected house, holds the primary authority over the budget and the "power of the purse."

Feature	Estimates Committee	PAC / COPU	DRSCs
Total Strength	30	22	31
Lok Sabha Members	30	15	21
Rajya Sabha Members	0	7	10

Functionally, the committee is often described as a "Continuous Economy Committee." Its mandate is to examine the estimates included in the budget and suggest "economies," improvements in organization, or administrative reforms to ensure the money is well spent M. Laxmikanth, Parliamentary Committees, p.273. It is important to note that the committee does not question the underlying policy itself; instead, it looks for alternative policies to bring about efficiency and economy. However, it only examines the estimates after they have been voted upon by the Parliament, meaning its work is more about long-term systemic improvement than immediate budgetary shifts.

Sources: M. Laxmikanth, Parliamentary Committees, p.273

7. Solving the Original PYQ (exam-level)

This question brings together your understanding of the Financial Committees of Parliament and the constitutional principle that the Lok Sabha holds primary authority over the "power of the purse." As you learned in the module on Budgetary Procedures, while both Houses participate in legislative oversight, the Lok Sabha has exclusive rights over voting on demands for grants. This constitutional hierarchy is the reason why the Estimates Committee—often referred to as a "continuous economy committee"—is composed of 30 members, all of whom are elected from the Lok Sabha. This ensures that the house directly responsible for the taxpayer's money is the one scrutinizing the government's expenditure estimates for potential economies. As noted in Indian Polity by M. Laxmikanth, this committee is the largest of the three financial committees and is the only one to exclude Rajya Sabha members entirely.

To arrive at the correct answer, (B) Estimates Committee, you must distinguish between the various membership ratios. A common trap is to confuse the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) and the Committee on Public Undertakings (COPU) with the Estimates Committee. Remember that while the PAC and COPU deal with financial accountability, they utilize a joint membership model of 22 members (15 from Lok Sabha and 7 from Rajya Sabha) to allow for broader parliamentary scrutiny of audit reports. Similarly, Departmentally Related Standing Committees (DRSCs), such as the one on Finance mentioned in option D, are designed for comprehensive legislative oversight and thus follow a 31-member structure (21 from Lok Sabha and 10 from Rajya Sabha).

When tackling such questions, always look for the specific function of the committee. If the committee's primary role is to suggest "economies" in the budget estimates before they are fully processed, it remains the exclusive domain of the lower house. UPSC frequently uses the Standing Committee on Finance as a distractor because students often associate the word "Finance" exclusively with the Lok Sabha; however, standing committees are joint in nature to ensure the Rajya Sabha's expertise is utilized in policy deliberation, unlike the Estimates Committee which is strictly focused on the financial estimates presented to the popular house.