JOINT PARLIAMENTARY COMMITTEE - POLITY
News: Opposition
demands JPC or SC monitored inquiry into Adani row, stalls Parliament
What's in the news?
● The
Opposition joined hands to demand a probe either by a Joint Parliamentary
Committee (JPC), headed by the Supreme Court or monitored by the Chief Justice
of India, into the allegations of fraud and stock manipulation against the
Adani Group.
Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC):
● A
Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) is set
up by the Parliament for a special purpose, like for the detailed scrutiny
of a subject or Bill.
● It
has members from both the Houses and
from both the ruling parties and the opposition.
● It
is dissolved after its term ends or its
task has been completed.
Composition:
● A
JPC is set up after one House of Parliament has passed a motion and the other has agreed to it.
● Members
of the JPC are decided by the Parliament. The number of members can vary –
there is no fixed number.
Role of JPC:
● The
mandate of a JPC depends on the motion constituting it.
● For
example, “The terms of reference for the JPC on the stock market scam asked the
committee to look into financial irregularities, to fix responsibility on
persons and institutions for the scam, to identify regulatory loopholes and
also to make suitable recommendations".
● To
fulfil its mandate, a JPC can scrutinise
documents and summon people for questioning. It then submits a report and
makes recommendations to the Government.
How powerful is a JPC?
● While
the recommendations of a JPC have persuasive value, they are not binding on the Government.
The Government can choose to launch further
investigations based on what the JPC has said, but it can’t be forced to do so.