New Delhi, May 16 (PTI) An average of 53 per cent of members were present in the meetings of 16 department-related Standing Committees and the Public Accounts Committee of Parliament to deliberate on various important subjects since their reconstitution last September, according to data on the Lok Sabha website.
During this period, five meetings of these parliamentary committees were postponed due to a lack of quorum. A minimum of 11 members must be present to achieve a quorum.
According to the data, a meeting of the Standing Committee on Communications and Information Technology, scheduled to discuss ‘Self-reliance in telecom manufacturing sector’, was postponed due to a lack of quorum.
On January 5, 2026, the meeting of the Standing Committee on Water Resources was adjourned due to a lack of quorum. It was scheduled to discuss ‘An overview of the functioning of WAPCOS Limited and NPCC Limited and their overall coordination in water management under PMKSY and other irrigation and flood control schemes’.
According to the data, the meeting of the Standing Committee on Water Resources was adjourned on November 10 due to a lack of quorum.
It was scheduled to discuss (i) Conservation, development, management and abatement of pollution in the river Ganga and its tributaries under Namami Gange Programme with particular reference to project deliverables and timelines as well as performance of State Governments; and (ii) An overview of the National River Conservation Plan-Other Basins’.
On April 22, the meeting of the Standing Committee of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj was also postponed. In this meeting, representatives from the Department of Land Resources (Ministry of Rural Development), the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, and the Ministry of Mines were scheduled to brief the committee.
Also, the meeting of the Standing Committee of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj was postponed on April 8, 2026 due to a lack of quorum.
A Standing Committee of Parliament consists of 31 members — 21 from Lok Sabha and 10 from Rajya Sabha.
The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of India has a total of 22 members. This consists of 15 members from the Lok Sabha and seven members from the Rajya Sabha.
On average, nearly 47 per cent of members were absent from the meetings of 16 Standing Committees, including those for the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Consumer Affairs, Chemicals & Fertilisers, Energy, Social Justice and Empowerment, the data showed.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been raising the issue of ensuring that MPs attend parliamentary committees.
According to statistics, members’ attendance was better in the meetings of the Standing Committees on Railways, Petroleum and Natural Gas, External Affairs and Finance.
In the meeting of the Standing Committee on External Affairs held on February 10 this year, 28 members were present.
In this meeting, the representatives of the Ministry of External Affairs and the Ministry of Commerce & Industry (Department of Commerce) briefed the committee on ‘Current foreign policy developments’, including India-US trade agreement, India-EU FTA, India-Bangladesh relations, etc.
Only 13 members participated in the meeting of the Parliamentary Committee on External Affairs held on October 29, 2025, and 11 members participated in the meeting held on October 30.
Only 12 members were present at the meeting of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Agriculture held on April 10.
Important subjects discussed in various standing committee meetings include oral evidence from the representatives of the Ministry of Defence on the subject ‘Review of working of Border Roads Organisation (BRO) in creating infrastructure in strategic locations and border areas’.
It included a briefing by representatives of the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy on the subject ‘Research and Technology development in renewable energy ector’.
During this period, subjects such as ‘India-Sri Lanka relations and the way ahead’ were discussed.
It included a briefing by the foreign secretary on ‘Recent Developments including the Iran War and Indo-US Relations’.
Also, the representatives of the Ministry of External Affairs briefed on the safety, security and repatriation of the diaspora during the ongoing conflict in West Asia.
There was also a briefing by the representatives of the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas and Oil CPSEs on the subject ‘Marketing and supply of petroleum products’.
During this period, representatives from the Ministry of Railways (Railway Board) gave oral evidence on the subject ‘Improvement of public facilities at railway stations’.
It included consideration and adoption of the draft Report on Demands for Grants (2026-27) of the Ministry of Railways. PTI DR RT RT
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