UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — Middling attendance of MPs for standing committees: data

Q1. In the working of a Department-Related Standing Committee, the term 'quorum' is best defined as which one of the following?

  • A. The minimum number of members whose presence is required for the committee to transact business
  • B. The total strength of members always nominated to the committee from both Houses
  • C. The fixed majority by which every committee recommendation must invariably be adopted
  • D. The maximum number of members who may attend a single sitting of the committee

Q2. How many members in total constitute a Department-Related Standing Committee of Parliament?

  • A. 21
  • B. 31
  • C. 22
  • D. 45

Q3. Secretarial and administrative assistance to the Department-Related Standing Committees is provided by which of the following?

  • A. The Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha Secretariats
  • B. The Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs
  • C. The Cabinet Secretariat
  • D. The Comptroller and Auditor General's office

Q4. In which year was the present system of Department-Related Standing Committees introduced in Parliament?

  • A. 1989
  • B. 1991
  • C. 1993
  • D. 1997

Q5. The chairperson of the Public Accounts Committee is, by established parliamentary convention, drawn from which of the following?

  • A. The Opposition
  • B. The ruling party in the Lok Sabha
  • C. The Council of Ministers
  • D. The Rajya Sabha members of the committee only

Q6. Which one of the following is the oldest parliamentary financial committee in India?

  • A. Estimates Committee
  • B. Committee on Public Undertakings
  • C. Public Accounts Committee
  • D. Committee on Government Assurances

Q7. Since the September 2025 reconstitution of the standing committees, the postponement of several committee sittings was attributed primarily to which one of the following?

  • A. Lack of quorum at the sittings
  • B. Dissolution of the committees
  • C. Absence of the presiding chairperson
  • D. Pending court proceedings against members

Q8. The reported attendance figures for the standing committees since their September 2025 reconstitution were compiled from which of the following official sources?

  • A. The Lok Sabha website
  • B. The Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs annual report
  • C. The Comptroller and Auditor General's audit reports
  • D. The Election Commission of India records

Q9. Consider the following committees of Parliament: 1. Public Accounts Committee 2. Estimates Committee 3. Committee on Public Undertakings 4. Committee on Government Assurances Which of the above are correctly identified as the financial committees of Parliament?

  1. Public Accounts Committee
  2. Estimates Committee
  3. Committee on Public Undertakings
  4. Committee on Government Assurances
  • A. 1 and 2 only
  • B. 1, 2 and 3
  • C. 2, 3 and 4
  • D. 1, 3 and 4

Q10. How many Department-Related Standing Committees currently function in the Indian Parliament?

  • A. 17
  • B. 22
  • C. 24
  • D. 31

Q11. Among the parliamentary financial committees, which one has the largest membership strength?

  • A. Estimates Committee
  • B. Public Accounts Committee
  • C. Committee on Public Undertakings
  • D. All three have equal membership

Q12. With reference to the Department-Related Standing Committees, consider the following statements: 1. They examine the Demands for Grants of the ministries concerned. 2. Their recommendations are binding on the Union Government. 3. They are reconstituted every year. 4. A Union Minister is nominated as the chairperson of each committee. Which of the statements given above are correct?

  1. They examine the Demands for Grants of the ministries concerned.
  2. Their recommendations are binding on the Union Government.
  3. They are reconstituted every year.
  4. A Union Minister is nominated as the chairperson of each committee.
  • A. 1 and 3
  • B. 2 and 4
  • C. 1, 2 and 3
  • D. 3 and 4 only