As Waqf Bill is referred to a joint committee of Parliament, what other draft laws have recently been sent to similar panels

The figures were much higher in the two UPA governments between 2004 to 2014. In the 14th Lok Sabha, that is during the Manmohan Singh government’s first term, 60% Bills were referred to committees. In the 15th Lok Sabha, the term of UPA 2, 71% Bills were referred to committees for scrutiny.

In the 17th Lok Sabha, or the second Modi government, four Bills were referred to a joint committee of Parliament. The Surrogacy (Regulation) Bill was referred to a Rajya Sabha Select Committee.

Half of the committees in this term presented their reports within 115 days, as per PRS data.

The joint committee on the Personal Data Protection Bill (2019) took the longest, at over two years, with the committee meeting 78 times. The 30-member joint committee under P P Chaudhary submitted its report in the Lok Sabha on December 16, 2021.

The average time taken by the committees to finalise their reports was nine meetings. The three criminal laws were discussed together over 12 meetings.

The Biological Diversity Amendment Bill, 2021, was referred to a joint committee under Sanjay Jaiswal on December 20, 2021. It held 15 meetings. Its report was tabled in both Houses on August 2, 2022.

The Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Bill, 2022, was referred to a 31-member joint committee of both Houses of Parliament, also under P P Chaudhary. The committee met 10 times and its report was laid in Rajya Sabha on March 17, 2023.

The Multi State Cooperative Societies (Amendment) Bill, 2022, was referred to a joint committee under C P Joshi on December 29, 2022. The committee held eight meetings. Its report was tabled in both Houses on March 15, 2023.

The Forest (Conservation) Amendment Bill, 2023, was referred to a joint committee under Prof Rajendra Agrawal on March 29, 2023. The committee held nine meetings, with its report being tabled in both Houses on July 20, 2023.

Earlier, in the 16th Lok Sabha, the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement (Second Amendment) Bill, 2015, was referred to a joint committee under S S Ahluwalia on May 13, 2015. It held 26 meetings.

Meanwhile, a 30-member joint committee was formed on the Citizenship Amendment Bill, 2016, under the chairmanship of Satyapal Singh.

The Bill regarding the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2015, was referred to a joint committee on December 23, 2015. The committee held 12 sittings and a report was tabled in both Houses on April 28, 2016.

The Financial Regulation and Deposit Insurance Bill, 2017, was passed in the Lok Sabha. However, it was referred to a joint committee on August 10, 2017, on the Opposition’s demands when it was introduced in the Rajya Sabha. In all, the committee held 13 meetings. The report was tabled in both Houses on August 1, 2018.

Meanwhile, The Enforcement of Security Interest and Recovery of Debts Laws and Miscellaneous Provisions (Amendment) Bill, 2016, was referred to a joint committee on May 12, 2016. The committee held five meetings and its report was tabled in both Houses on July 22, 2016.

Parliamentary Committees serve as microcosms of Parliament and are constituted for the purpose of detailed scrutiny by members when an issue requires focused attention of a smaller body serving as a mini-Parliament.

The committees has members of different parties. Each party is represented in the particular committee roughly in proportion to its representation in Parliament.

Standing Committees deal with a subject and are permanent, while there are ad hoc committees that are constituted for a specific purpose.

Joint committees have members of both Houses in them from mutiple parties. Their representation is in sync with the strength of the parties in Parliament.