Select committee
Topic: Parliamentary Procedure, Committees and Privileges · NCERT: Beyond NCERT
Meaning
A select committee is a small group of members from one House. A bill is sent to it for close study. The committee goes through the bill clause by clause and can hear experts and people affected by it. It then reports back to the House. It is an ad hoc committee: it is set up for this one task and closes once it reports. A bill is referred to it at the second reading, after the general debate.
Example
After the general debate on a bill, the House may refer it to a select committee instead of passing it at once. The committee hears experts, suggests changes and sends its report back. The House then votes on the bill clause by clause.
Don't confuse with
- Joint committee: this does the same work but has members from both Houses. The Waqf (Amendment) Bill 2024, for example, went to a Joint Parliamentary Committee.
- Departmentally related standing committee: this is a permanent committee for a ministry, not one set up for a single bill.