Question

Difficulty: MediumUnion Legislature: Parliament Structure, Lawmaking, and Committees

Parliamentary committees play a pivotal role in maintaining legislative oversight over executive decisions and public finances in India. Arrange the following Standing and Financial Committees of the Indian Parliament in the correct chronological order of their initial establishment, from the earliest to the most recent:

  1. 1Public Accounts Committee
  2. 2Estimates Committee
  3. 3Committee on Public Undertakings
  4. 4Departmentally Related Standing Committees (DRSCs)

Answer

The correct chronological order of establishment is: Public Accounts Committee (1921), Estimates Committee (1950), Committee on Public Undertakings (1964), and Departmentally Related Standing Committees (1993).
The correct sequence follows the historical timelines of parliamentary evolution in India: the Public Accounts Committee came first in 1921 under colonial reforms; the Estimates Committee was created post-independence in 1950; the Committee on Public Undertakings was formed in 1964 to monitor expanding public enterprises; and the system of Departmentally Related Standing Committees was instituted in 1993 for ministry-specific scrutiny.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Determine the origin date of the Public Accounts Committee.
The Public Accounts Committee was established in 1921.
It was created during the British colonial period under the Government of India Act 1919.
2
Determine the establishment year of the Estimates Committee.
The Estimates Committee was set up in 1950.
It was established after independence upon the recommendation of Finance Minister John Matthai.
3
Identify the creation year of the Committee on Public Undertakings.
The Committee on Public Undertakings was established in 1964.
It was formed to oversee public sector enterprises following recommendations by the Krishna Menon Committee.
4
Identify the year when Departmentally Related Standing Committees (DRSCs) were introduced.
DRSCs were formally set up in 1993.
Seventeen DRSCs were established in 1993 (later expanded to 24 in 2004) to strengthen parliamentary control over executive functioning.
5
Sequence the committees by year of creation.
Sequence: Public Accounts Committee (1921) → Estimates Committee (1950) → Committee on Public Undertakings (1964) → Departmentally Related Standing Committees (1993).
Arranging the years chronologically from 1921 to 1993.

Key Concept

Evolution and Establishment Chronology of Indian Parliamentary Committees
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