UPSC Key: Nihangs, Delhi Sultanate and Corporate Governance

Kirpan attack on Sukhbir in Maharashtra, assailant held

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: History of India and Current events of national and international importance.

Mains Examination: 

• General Studies I: Indian culture will cover the salient aspects of Art Forms, literature and Architecture from ancient to modern times.

• General Studies II: Indian Constitution—historical underpinnings, evolution, features, amendments, significant provisions and basic structure.

What’s the ongoing story: Shiromani Akali Dal president and former Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal was injured Thursday in a kirpan attack by a man dressed as a Nihang at a gurdwara in Nanded in Maharashtra.

Key Points to Ponder:

• Who are the Nihangs?

• Guru Gobind Singh established the Khalsa at Anandpur Sahib in 1699-how this led to the formation of Nihangs?

• Why the Blue Colour?

• Nihang, Akali and Khalsa-Know the differences

• The Khalsa tradition is associated with the famous five Ks-what are they?

• What were the historical factors responsible for the militarisation of the Sikh community between the 17th and 18th centuries?

• How did the initiatives of Guru Har Gobind and Guru Gobind Singh contribute to the political and military transformation of the Sikh community?

• How does India’s constitutional approach to religious freedom differ from a strict separationist model?

Key Takeaways:

• Sixty-four-year-old Badal sustained a hand injury and was taken to a local hospital for treatment — he was seen stepping out of a car with a cloth wrapped around his right hand. He was attacked at Gurdwara Mata Sahib Devan Ji, Mugat in Nanded. His alleged assailant, identified by police as 62-year-old Jaspal Singh from Pune, was arrested.

• Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who ordered a probe into the incident, spoke to Badal and enquired about his well-being, CMO sources said.

• This is the second time in less than two years that the SAD chief has been attacked. On December 4, 2024, a former militant shot at Badal at the Golden Temple in Amritsar when he was performing religious penance. The bullet missed him, and the alleged assailant, Narain Singh Chaura, was immediately overpowered.

Do You Know:

• Nihang is an order of Sikh warriors, characterised by blue robes, antiquated arms such as swords and spears, and decorated turbans surmounted by steel quoits. The order can be traced back to the creation of the Khalsa by Guru Gobind Singh in 1699, according to Sikh historian Dr Balwant Singh Dhillon.

• “Etymologically the word nihang in Persian means an alligator, sword and pen, but the characteristics of Nihangs seem to stem more from the Sanskrit word nihshank which means without fear, unblemished, pure, carefree and indifferent to worldly gains and comfort,” he said.

• Dhillon said this can be traced back to the creation of the Khalsa by Guru Gobind Singh in 1699. The word nihang, he says, also occurs in a hymn in the Guru Granth Sahib, where it alludes to a fearless and unrestrained person.

• “However, there are some sources which trace their origin to Guru Gobind Singh’s younger son, Fateh Singh (1699-1705), who once appeared in the Guru’s presence dressed in a blue chola… and blue turban with a dumala (piece of cloth forming a plume). On seeing his son look so majestic, the Guru remarked that it shall be the dress of Nihangs, the reckless soldiers of the Khalsa,” Dhillon said.

• As per an account by the East India Company’s Colonel James Skinner (1778-1841), Khalsa Sikhs were divided into two groups: “Those who put on blue attire which Guru Gobind Singh used to wear at the time of battle” and those who “do not follow any restrictions on the colour of their dress” though both of them “follow the profession of soldiery and are brave without peer in the art of musketry and chakarbazi, and the use of quoits”. Dhillon said Nihangs observe the Khalsa code of conduct in its strictest sense. “They do not profess any allegiance to an earthly master… Instead of saffron they hoist a blue Nishan Sahib (flag) atop their shrines,” said Dr Dhillon.

• Nihangs use the slogans ‘chhardi kala’ (forever in high spirits) and ‘tiar bar tiar’ (state of ever preparedness) for unforeseen events.
• “The Nihangs are fond of a popular drink called shardai or sharbati degh (sacrament drink) which contains grounded almonds, cardamom seeds, poppy seeds, black pepper, rose petals and melon seeds. When a small measure of cannabis is added to it, it is termed sukhnidhan (treasure of comfort). A higher dose of cannabis in it was known as shaheedi deg, sacrament of martyrdom. It was taken (while) battling enemies,” said Dr Dhillon.

• Scholars say it is difficult to give a specific count, given that Nihang Sikhs are divided into many factions. Broadly, there are three factions: Baba Budha Dal, Tarna Dal, and Baba Bidhi Chand Dal. The Budha Dal (basically considered a faction of the elderly) and the Tarna Dal (formed as a band of the young) are divided into further factions, including around a dozen factions in the Tarna Dal.

• All Nihangs are part of the Khalsa, but not all Khalsa members are Nihangs. The Khalsa is the broad community of initiated Sikhs created by Guru Gobind Singh in 1699. The Nihangs are a specialized, highly traditional order of armed Sikh warriors who preserve historical martial traditions.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Sukhbir Badal attacked: Who are the Nihang Sikhs of Punjab?

Previous year UPSC Mains Question Covering similar theme:
📍Discuss India as a secular state and compare it with the secular principles of the US Constitution. (2024)

DU’s revised History syllabus drops paper on Delhi Sultanate

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: History of India and Indian National Movement.

Mains Examination: General Studies I: Indian culture will cover the salient aspects of Art Forms, literature and Architecture from ancient to modern times.

What’s the ongoing story: Students pursuing a postgraduate degree in History at Delhi University (DU) no longer have the option of choosing a course on the Delhi Sultanate, which examines how the medieval state was formed, how authority was exercised, and how political, religious and cultural life evolved, records reviewed by The Indian Express show.

Key Points to Ponder:

• Who was founder of Delhi Sultanate?

• The Tughlaq dynasty took over from the Khaljis in 1320-True or False?

• The history of Delhi Sultanate would be incomplete without the legend of Sufi saint Nizamuddin Auliya- Know in detail about Sufi saint Nizamuddin Auliya and Sufism

• How the Delhi Sultanate represented an important phase in the evolution of a centralised fiscal-military state in medieval India?

• What was the nature and evolution of the Iqta system under the Delhi Sultanate?

• How Iqta system under the Delhi Sultanate contribute to both centralisation and decentralisation?

• Know about Alauddin Khalji’s market reforms.

• ‘The architecture of the Delhi Sultanate was neither purely foreign nor merely derivative of existing Indian traditions’-How far you agree?

• How Delhi Sultanate contributed to the emergence of new forms of Indo-Islamic cultural interaction?

Key Takeaways:

• The paper, “The Delhi Sultanate: Structures of Authority in Medieval North India (13th-14th Centuries)”, which was being taught in Semester III, has been dropped from DU’s newly notified syllabus, along with several other long-running courses on medieval, ancient and modern India.

• Some of the other omissions in the third semester include papers on “History of North India, c. 1400-1550”, “Gender and Women in Early India: 1500 BCE to 1000 CE”, “Political Processes and Structure of Polities in Ancient India” and “Religion and Society in Ancient Indian Literature”.

• Official records show these courses were cleared at various stages of the syllabus approval process but did not figure in the final notification issued on August 7. Of the 38 Discipline Specific Elective (DSE) papers proposed by DU’s History Department, 16 were notified in the Semester III syllabus, records show.

• Several other papers, not including the ones listed above, remain in categories described in university records as “under discussion” or “undiscussed”.

• The postgraduate papers on “Delhi Sultanate” and “History of North India” have similarities with a paper offered in the undergraduate programme. However, a faculty member from the History department said both “are not comparable”. The postgraduate paper on the sultanate has been “a core medieval India paper for several decades”, the member said. The paper on North India was a “specialised thematic and historical study”, the member said, unlike the undergraduate version, which is a “survey course” on Indian history.

Do You Know:

• There have been syllabus revisions at DU since it began restructuring programmes under the National Education Policy 2020. The postgraduate revision follows changes in DU’s undergraduate programme from 2022-23 in line with the policy.

• After defeating Prithviraj Chauhan, Muhammad Ghori established the Ghurid Dynasty and raided Indian local kingdoms as far east as Bengal. In 1206, under Qutb-ud-din Aibak — a former slave who became a general under Muhammad Ghori — the Delhi Sultanate emerged, marking the beginning of Muslim rule in Delhi. The local language of Delhi, Hindavi, would be adapted over time in the Deccan region, giving rise to the barrack language of Deccani and then Urdu, a language used by soldiers of the Delhi Sultanate.

• The Delhi Sultanate was a series of dynasties, including the Mamluk, Khilji, Tughlaq, Sayyid, and finally, the Lodi dynasty. The development of what we call “Indo-Islamic” architecture began here, with the construction of iconic structures like the Qutub Minar and the Siri Fort.

• The construction of the Qutub Minar began under Aibak and was completed under Iltutmish, while the Siri Fort was built by Alauddin Khilji to give refuge to people escaping the onslaught of the Mongols who were sweeping through Afghanistan. Moreover, the Tughlaqs aso built many cities such as Tughlaqabad, Jahapanah and Firozabad.

• Then came the Lodi Gardens, with Lodi tombs, built in the 15th Century, which even today is a centre of cultural activity. In 1398, Timur, the Central Asian conqueror, invaded Delhi, infamously known as the “Sack of Delhi”, because of the widespread destruction and mass slaughter. After this, Delhi lost its splendour until the arrival of the Mughals, who claimed descent from both Mongols and Timur.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Temple, wealth, and power: Lessons from Medieval India

Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:
1) Consider the following statements: (UPSC CSE, 2019)
1. In the revenue administration of Delhi Sultanate, the in-charge of revenue collection was known as ‘Amil’.
2. The lqta system of Sultans of Delhi was an ancient indigenous institution.
3. The office of ‘Mir Bakshi’ came into existence during the reign of Khalji Sultans of Delhi.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 1 and 2 only
(c) 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3

Previous year UPSC Mains Question Covering similar theme:
📍Persian literary sources of medieval India reflect the spirit of the age. Comment. (2020)
📍Sufis and medieval mystic saints failed to modify either the religious ideas and practices or the outward structure of Hindu / Muslim societies to any appreciable extent. Comment. (2014)

The Editorial Page

SC has nurtured environmental law. Do its decisions look distant today?

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Indian Polity and Governance

Mains Examination: General Studies II: Structure, organization and functioning of the Executive and the Judiciary—Ministries and Departments of the Government; pressure groups and formal/informal associations and their role in the Polity.

What’s the ongoing story: Ujjal Bhuyan Writes- When a conscientious citizen approaches the Court with a grievance that a particular project is in breach of environmental norms, what should be the approach of the Court?

Key Points to Ponder:

• Why is the Supreme Court important in making of environmental law in India?

• What is the doctrine of absolute liability?

• Know the evolution of the principle of sustainable development and the concept of the public trust doctrine.

• What you know about Vellore Citizens’ Welfare Forum vs. Union of India?

• India’s environmental and industrial liability framework before and after 1984 Bhopal gas disaster-know in detail

• How has Supreme Court’s time to time interpretation of Article 21 contributed to environmental protection in India?

Key Takeaways:
Ujjal Bhuyan Writes-

• In the early years of Indian Independence, there was no precise environmental policy. The Constitution of India had a few provisions regarding the environment, though the word “environment” was not expressly mentioned.

• In 1976, Parliament drew upon the commitment made by India at the UN Conference on Human Environment held at Stockholm. The views expressed at the Stockholm Conference form the core of the environmental philosophy of India that has found expression in various statutes and policy pronouncements. These provisions were inserted in the Constitution by the Constitution (forty-second amendment) Act, 1976 (the Amendment Act), which included Article 48A and Article 51A (g).

• Article 48A is a directive principle of state policy. It advises the state that while framing laws or executing policy decisions, it should endeavour to protect and improve the environment and to safeguard the forests and wildlife of the country.

• Article 51A is a separate provision under Part IVA providing for fundamental duties of citizens. It says that it shall be the duty of every citizen to protect and improve the natural environment.

• The Amendment Act introduced a host of provisions, starting from amendments to the Preamble. Some of its provisions became highly controversial, both substantively and in the political and constitutional context as internal Emergency was then in force. Shanti Bhushan, one of India’s most prominent lawyers, became the law minister when a new government came to power in 1977.

• Though we had the statutory framework before and after the Stockholm Conference, it is the Bhopal gas leak tragedy of 1984 that really galvanised the Supreme Court into action. In Union Carbide vs Union of India, the Supreme Court developed the doctrine of absolute liability. This is based on the principle that when an enterprise involves inherently dangerous activity and harm results to anybody because of a mishap relatable to the enterprise or activity, the enterprise would be obligated to repay each one of the injured or affected individuals. The polluter pays principle was introduced by the Rio Summit of 1982 and was applied for the first time in India in the case of Indian Council for Enviro-Legal Action Vs. Union of India.

• In the case of Vellore Citizens’ Welfare Forum vs Union of India, the Supreme Court declared that the precautionary principle includes three major conditions: the state must anticipate, prevent and attack the cause of environmental degradation. It is a preventive principle based on precaution.

Do You Know:
Ujjal Bhuyan Writes-

• In the case of M.C. Mehta vs Kamal Nath, famously known as the Span Motel case, the Supreme Court developed the concept of the public trust doctrine. While Span Motel had to bear the cost of compensation and had to face penalties under the polluter pays principle, it was the Himachal Pradesh government which was pulled up for breaching public trust. The Supreme Court also emphasised the principle of inter-generational equity, holding that the present generation has a duty to protect the environment for future generations. From these judgments, and there are many more, we can conclude that if Indian environmental jurisprudence has a parent, it is the Supreme Court. It has nurtured environmental law from its infancy.

• Is there any conflict between environment and development? The answer, according to me, is an emphatic no. Three decades ago, the Supreme Court had observed in the Vellore Citizens case that the traditional concept that development and ecology are opposed to each other is no longer acceptable. In my Vanashakti review judgment, I have said that it is unfortunate that a false narrative is being created pitting environment against development. Both are part of the constitutional construct of sustainable development.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Supreme Court balances ecology and public interest. Centre must pay heed

Previous year UPSC mains Question Covering similar theme:
2) How is the National Green Tribunal (NGT) different from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB)? (UPSC CSE, 2018)
1. The NGT has been established by an Act whereas the CPCB has been created by an executive order of the Government.
2. The NGT provides environmental justice and helps reduce the burden of litigation in the higher courts whereas the CPCB promotes cleanliness of streams and wells, and aims to improve the quality of air in the country.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Previous year UPSC mains Question Covering similar theme:
📍Starting from inventing the ‘basic structure’ doctrine, the judiciary has played a highly proactive role in ensuring that India develops into a thriving democracy. In light of the statement, evaluate the role played by judicial activism in achieving the ideals of democracy. (2014)

Explained

Trust factor: Tata’s twin power centres, their tussle

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.

Main Examination: General Studies IV: Corporate Governance.

What’s the ongoing story: Natarajan Chandrasekaran’s decision not to seek another term as Chairman of Tata Sons brings to an end, at least in its present form, a leadership chapter that began in 2017. But his exit did not happen suddenly. It followed six months of uncertainty over his reappointment, differences with Tata Trusts Chairman Noel Tata, questions over the performance of some unlisted businesses, and a wider governance tussle within the Tata Trusts.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What do you know about Tata Group?

• Tata Group’s Contribution to the Indian Economy in the Pre- as well as Post-Independence Era-Elaborate

• What kind of influence does Tata group have on Indian Economy?

• What explains the split between the two power centres — Chandrasekaran at Tata Sons and Noel Tata at Tata Trusts?

• What is corporate ethics?

• Why is corporate ethics Important?

• Corporate governance and corporate ethics-Connect the dot

• Is corporate governance the same as corporate ethics?

• What is the role of corporate governance in maintaining financial-system stability?

• Know the significance of internal control and vigilance systems in Tata Group.

• What are the challenges associated with ensuring ethical governance in Tata Group?

Key Takeaways:

• Tata Trusts are the majority shareholder of Tata Sons which, in turn, is the principal holding company of the $180-billion Tata group.

• The proposed August 13 meeting of Tata Trusts, followed by the August 18 AGM of Tata Sons, could have set the stage for Chandrasekaran’s — Chandra as he’s known among colleagues — exit from the group’s top leadership.

• According to the plan being discussed among some trustees, the August 13 meeting was expected to consider opposing or withholding an extension of Chandrasekaran’s tenure. Any such decision could then have been taken up formally at the Tata Sons AGM on August 18, potentially putting the issue of his continuation squarely before shareholders, said a Tata group source.

• Chandrasekaran appears to have anticipated the move and chose to act before the formal process to deny him an extension could be set in motion. Rather than wait for the trustees — read Noel Tata — to take a position and risk a potentially public and contentious showdown at the AGM, he is understood to have preferred to step down on his own terms.

• The sequence of events suggests that his departure was not simply a routine leadership transition, but came amid a growing contest over whether his tenure should be extended. His decision to move first may have been aimed at retaining control over the timing and manner of his exit, rather than allowing the trustees’ decision — and potentially an AGM confrontation — to determine his fate.

• The first public sign of trouble came on February 24, when the Tata Sons board deferred a decision on extending Chandrasekaran’s tenure for a third term. His existing tenure runs until February 2027, and the proposal was for another five years.

Do You Know:

• When Ratan Tata decided to retire as Chairman of Tata Sons in 2012, all eyes turned to the low-profile Noel Tata. However, the mantle ultimately went to Cyrus Mistry, not Noel. In 2016, when Mistry was dramatically ousted from the chairmanship, speculation again swirled around Noel Tata. Once again he was overlooked, this time in favour of Tata Consultancy Services MD and CEO N Chandrasekaran, who went on to helm Tata Sons.

• It took more than a decade, and two missed opportunities, for Noel Tata, 69, to finally step into a position of real influence as Chairman of Tata Trusts, the principal shareholder of Tata Sons, following Ratan Tata’s death in 2024.

• Unlike his elder half-brother Ratan Tata, Noel’s rise has been low-key. Known for his quiet demeanour, discretion and aversion to public attention, he has built his reputation not through flamboyance but steady performance — first at Trent, the retail arm of the $180 billion Tata Group, and later as a boardroom presence as director in some group companies such as Voltas and Tata Investment Corporation.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍The rise of Noel Tata: How he emerged as power centre in Tata Group

Previous year UPSC main Question Covering similar theme:
📍In the light of the Satyam Scandal (2009), discuss the changes brought in corporate governance to ensure transparency and accountability. (2015)

Justice Varma case: what parliamentary probe panel found

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Indian Polity and Governance

Main Examination: General Studies II: Structure, organization and functioning of the Executive and the Judiciary—Ministries and Departments of the Government; pressure groups and formal/informal associations and their role in the Polity.

What’s the ongoing story: Months after former Allahabad High Court judge Yashwant Varma resigned as a judge, a parliamentary inquiry committee has found that Justice Varma was unable to explain the presence, source or ownership of a “huge quantity” of unexplained cash found at his official residence, and that he interfered with material evidence and furnished misleading explanations to the committee.

Key Points to Ponder:

• Who is Justice Yashwant Varma?

• Why Justice Yashwant Varma is in news?

• What you know about Justice Varma case?

• Discuss the significance of judicial accountability in ensuring the independence of the judiciary in India.

• The Justice Varma case highlights what?

• The judiciary is expected to remain impartial and independent of political influence—analyse judicial appointments and removals impact this independence.

Key Takeaways:

• The three-member committee, comprising Supreme Court judge Justice Aravind Kumar, Bombay High Court Chief Justice Shree Chandrashekhar, and Senior Advocate B V Acharya, submitted its report to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, which was tabled in the Lower House on August 12.

• The committee was constituted under the Judges (Inquiry) Act, 1968, after 146 Lok Sabha MPs moved a removal motion against Justice Varma in August last year. The motion followed the discovery of wads of burnt and partially destroyed currency notes at his official bungalow in New Delhi in March 2025, when he was serving as a judge of the Delhi High Court.

Do You Know:

• The committee framed three specific “articles of charge” against Justice Varma.
The first charge related to the discovery and possession of “substantial unexplained Rs 500 denomination currency notes” in a storeroom at his official residence, and his failure to explain their lawful source. The second charge accused him of failing to preserve material evidence and causing interference with it, leading to the unexplained disappearance of the burnt currency notes before they could be lawfully seized.

• The third charge stated that he furnished “evasive and misleading explanations” that lacked the candour and transparency expected of a constitutional functionary. The committee found all three charges to be proved.

• While the committee found no direct proof that Justice Varma personally removed the currency notes, it held him responsible for their disappearance based on “circumstantial evidences leading to the conclusion that the Judge caused interference with the material evidence and that the Judge did not take any step to secure or preserve the material evidence while the premises was under his control”.
According to the report, after the fire was extinguished and the first responders left, Justice Varma’s private secretary and personal attendant were seen cleaning the storeroom and removing debris. A security guard saw them near the storeroom after the fire had been extinguished and later saw them continuing to clean it. According to the report, when the guard offered to help, the attendant told him to return to his duty at the gate.

• Justice Varma already tendered his resignation to the President in April this year. The resignation of a High Court judge becomes effective on the date the letter of resignation is addressed to the President, without the need for it to be accepted by the President.
Historically, the resignation of a judge facing an inquiry — such as in the cases of Justices P.D. Dinakaran and Soumitra Sen in 2011 — has led to the lapsing of the impeachment motion, as the primary objective of removing the judge from office is rendered moot.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Justice Varma’s reply on burnt cash ‘false’, adds to ‘grave suspicion’: Panel

Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:
3) With reference to Indian Judiciary, consider the following statements (UPSC CSE, 2021)
1. Any retired judge of the Supreme Court of India can be called back to sit by the Chief Justice of India with prior permission of the President of India.
2. A High court in India has the power to review its own judgement as the Supreme Court does.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2

FCRA Bill: Can Joint Parliamentary Committees affect the course of legislation?

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.

Main Examination: General Studies II: Parliament and State legislatures—structure, functioning, conduct of business, powers & privileges and issues arising out of these.

What’s the ongoing story: The Lok Sabha on Wednesday (August 12) referred the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026 to a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) amid strong objections from the Opposition and the Church to provisions, including retrospective vesting of foreign-funded assets in a government-designated authority.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What are Parliamentary committees meant to do?

• What is Joint parliamentary committee?

• If the ruling party has a majority, how independent can a JPC be?

• A Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) is a permanent body or an ad-hoc body?

• How many members are there in Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC)?

• Who decides the specifics of the Joint Parliamentary Committee’s composition and topics?

• What can a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) do?

• How many Joint Parliamentary Committees (JPCs) have been established so far?

• How successful have Joint Parliamentary Committees (JPCs) been?

• Are their suggestions (JPCs) binding on the government?

• Have JPCs actually changed laws?

Key Takeaways:

• Parliamentary committees were created to address a basic limitation of Parliament itself: the two Houses have limited time to examine an increasingly complex body of legislation and government policy. Smaller committees can spend considerably more time examining a Bill, question officials, hear experts and stakeholders, and examine provisions clause by clause.

• The committee system is, therefore, not meant to be another forum for the political contest that takes place on the floor of the House. Its underlying philosophy, as described in Rajya Sabha’s literature on the subject, is “influence, not direct control; advise, not command; criticism, not obstruction; scrutiny, not initiative; accountability, not prior approval.”

• There are several kinds of committees. The Department-related Standing Committees examine the functioning and policies of ministries on an ongoing basis. Financial committees scrutinise government expenditure. Select Committees are constituted by one House to examine a specific Bill, while a JPC has members from both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha and is constituted for a specific Bill or issue.

• That is the central limitation of committees. JPC membership broadly reflects the strength of parties in Parliament. Since the ruling party or alliance normally has a majority in the Lok Sabha, it consequently has a majority in a JPC as well. The chairperson is also generally from the government benches. The committee can take decisions by majority; in the event of a tie, the chairperson has a casting vote.

Do You Know:

• The Stock Market Scam JPC of 2001-02, constituted during the Vajpayee-led NDA government, produced a detailed set of recommendations on regulatory surveillance, settlement systems and coordination between markets regulator SEBI and stock exchanges. The government subsequently reported action on 236 recommendations.
The Pesticide Residues JPC of 2004 is another example. It examined allegations of pesticide residues in soft drinks, confirmed unacceptable levels and recommended stringent safety standards and better testing. Its work contributed to subsequent regulatory action and public scrutiny of beverage safety.

• The Multi-State Co-operative Societies (Amendment) Bill, 2022, for instance, emerged from the JPC with changes relating to the composition and functioning of the proposed Cooperative Election Authority and representation mechanisms. The eventual law incorporated many of these recommendations.
The Biological Diversity (Amendment) Bill, 2021 similarly retained the government’s broad approach while incorporating some safeguards and clarifications.
There are also cases where scrutiny contributed to the government abandoning a particular legislative vehicle. The Financial Resolution and Deposit Insurance (FRDI) Bill, 2017, which contained controversial “bail-in” provisions, was examined by a JPC amid concerns over depositor protection. The government subsequently withdrew the Bill, although public and political opposition also played a role in this.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Amid pushback from Opp, Govt ready to refer FCRA Bill to JPC

Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:
4) With reference to the Parliament of India, which of the following Parliamentary Committees scrutinizes and reports to the House whether the powers to make regulations, rules, sub-rules, by-laws, etc. conferred by the Constitution or delegated by the Parliament are being properly exercised by the Executive within the scope of such delegation? (UPSC CSE, 2018)
(a) Committee on Government Assurances
(b) Committee on Subordinate Legislation
(c) Rules Committee
(d) Business Advisory Committee

5) The Parliamentary Committee on Public Accounts (UPSC CSE, 2013)
1. consists of not more than 25 Members of the Lok Sabha
2. scrutinizes appropriation and finance accounts of the Government
3. examines the report of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3

Previous year UPSC Mains Question Covering similar theme:
📍Explain the structure of the Parliamentary Committee system. How far have the financial committees helped in the institutionalisation of Indian Parliament? (2023)
📍Why do you think the committees are considered to be useful for parliamentary work? Discuss, in this context, the role of the Estimates Committee. (2018)

 

PRELIMS ANSWER KEY

1.(a)  2.(b)  3.(a) 4.(b)  5.(b)

  

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