Samata IAS Academy | Samata Mains Answer Writing
Date: 31 October 2026
Practice Set: 001
Examination: UPSC Civil Services Main Examination
Paper: General Studies Paper II
Topic: Parliament and State Legislatures – Structure, Functioning, Conduct of Business and Powers and Privileges
Introduction
The UPSC Civil Services Main Examination evaluates not merely a candidate’s knowledge of constitutional provisions but also the ability to analyse institutional functioning, identify governance challenges and suggest practical reforms.
Under Samata Mains Answer Writing, Samata IAS Academy presents a daily answer-writing exercise designed to help aspirants develop analytical thinking, structured presentation and effective use of constitutional provisions, judicial pronouncements, committee recommendations and relevant examples.
Each exercise includes a question, syllabus mapping, analysis of the question’s demand, a suggested answer structure and a model answer.
Section I: Today’s Mains Question
Question 1
“Parliamentary committees play a crucial role in ensuring legislative accountability and improving the quality of parliamentary deliberations. However, their effectiveness in India is constrained by several institutional and procedural limitations.” Discuss.
Marks: 15
Word limit: 250 words
GS Paper: II
Syllabus Mapping
General Studies Paper II:
- Parliament and State Legislatures – Structure, Functioning, Conduct of Business, Powers and Privileges and Issues Arising Out of These.
- Separation of Powers between various organs and dispute redressal mechanisms.
- Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors.
Key syllabus keywords: Parliamentary functioning, legislative scrutiny, accountability, executive oversight, parliamentary reforms and democratic governance.
Section II: Understanding the Demand of the Question
Before writing an answer, candidates must understand what the examiner expects.
The question has two distinct dimensions.
Part 1 – Significance of parliamentary committees
Explain how committees contribute to:
- Detailed examination of legislation.
- Financial accountability.
- Executive oversight.
- Expert-based deliberations.
- Cross-party consensus.
- Transparency and democratic accountability.
Part 2 – Institutional and procedural limitations
Discuss the factors affecting their effectiveness, including:
- Declining referrals of Bills to committees.
- Shortage of time for detailed examination.
- Limited research and technical assistance.
- Political considerations and disruptions.
- Delays in submission of reports.
- Limited follow-up on committee recommendations.
Directive: Discuss
The candidate must present both the positive contributions and the challenges faced by parliamentary committees. A purely descriptive answer will not adequately address the question.
Section III: Suggested Answer Structure
A well-structured answer can follow this framework:
Introduction (30–40 words)
Explain the importance of parliamentary committees in the functioning of representative democracy and legislative scrutiny.
Body – Part A: Importance (80–90 words)
Discuss their contribution to legislative scrutiny, financial oversight, executive accountability and informed deliberations.
Body – Part B: Challenges (80–90 words)
Explain institutional, procedural and political limitations affecting their effectiveness.
Way Forward (30–40 words)
Suggest reforms to improve committee functioning, research support, transparency and follow-up mechanisms.
Conclusion (20–30 words)
Emphasise their role in strengthening parliamentary democracy and accountable governance.
Section IV: Model Answer
Parliamentary committees are essential instruments of legislative oversight that enable Parliament to examine government policies, expenditure and legislation in greater detail. They strengthen executive accountability and improve the quality of parliamentary deliberations.
Their significance includes:
- Legislative scrutiny: Department-related Standing Committees examine Bills, identify implementation challenges and suggest improvements.
- Financial accountability: The Public Accounts Committee (PAC), Estimates Committee and Committee on Public Undertakings scrutinise public expenditure and financial management.
- Executive oversight: Committees examine the functioning of ministries and assess the implementation of government programmes.
- Informed deliberations: They provide opportunities for detailed discussions, expert consultations and cross-party engagement.
However, their effectiveness faces several constraints:
- Declining legislative referrals: Many Bills are passed without detailed examination by parliamentary committees.
- Institutional limitations: Inadequate research assistance, technical expertise and supporting staff restrict detailed scrutiny.
- Political considerations: Partisan disagreements and disruptions sometimes affect the quality of deliberations.
- Weak follow-up: Committee recommendations are generally not binding, and their implementation requires sustained parliamentary oversight.
Way Forward:
Parliament should strengthen the committee referral mechanism, provide specialised research support, ensure adequate time for examination and establish effective follow-up mechanisms for recommendations. Greater transparency in committee functioning can further improve public accountability.
Thus, strengthening parliamentary committees is essential for making Parliament more deliberative, accountable and effective in exercising democratic oversight.
Section V: Value Addition for Mains
Candidates can improve their answers by incorporating relevant constitutional provisions, institutional details and analytical observations.
1. Important constitutional provisions
| Article | Subject |
|---|---|
| Article 105 | Powers, privileges and immunities of Parliament and its members |
| Article 118 | Rules of procedure of Parliament |
| Article 75(3) | Collective responsibility of the Council of Ministers to the Lok Sabha |
| Article 148 | Comptroller and Auditor General of India |
| Article 151 | Audit reports of the CAG |
Note: Parliamentary committees derive their powers and functions from constitutional provisions, parliamentary rules and resolutions of the respective Houses. They are not all established directly by individual constitutional articles.
2. Important Parliamentary Committees
| Committee | Major function |
|---|---|
| Public Accounts Committee | Examines CAG reports and public expenditure |
| Estimates Committee | Examines estimates and suggests improvements in economy and efficiency |
| Committee on Public Undertakings | Examines the functioning of public sector undertakings |
| Department-related Standing Committees | Examine demands for grants, Bills and policies of ministries |
| Committee on Government Assurances | Examines implementation of assurances given by ministers |
3. Important analytical observations
A. Committees as instruments of executive accountability
Parliamentary committees enable continuous legislative supervision of the executive beyond the limited time available during parliamentary sessions.
B. Committees and deliberative democracy
Smaller committee settings provide opportunities for detailed examination, bipartisan engagement and expert consultation.
C. Non-binding recommendations
Committee recommendations generally have persuasive rather than legally binding force. However, ministries are expected to respond to recommendations, and the concerned committees can examine action taken.
D. Legislative scrutiny
Examination by committees can identify unintended consequences, administrative difficulties and implementation gaps before a Bill becomes law.
4. Examples for value addition
Candidates may refer to the following:
- The Public Accounts Committee’s examination of CAG reports as an instrument of financial accountability.
- Department-related Standing Committees’ examination of demands for grants.
- Examination of Bills by parliamentary committees to incorporate expert and stakeholder perspectives.
- The Committee on Public Undertakings’ scrutiny of the performance and accountability of public enterprises.
Section VI: Diagram for Answer Enrichment
Candidates can use the following simple framework in their answers:
Role of Parliamentary Committees
Parliamentary Committees
↓
- Legislative scrutiny
- Financial oversight
- Executive accountability
- Expert consultation
- Policy evaluation
↓
Better parliamentary deliberation and democratic accountability
A simple flowchart can communicate the institutional importance of committees without consuming excessive writing time.
Section VII: How to Improve Your Answer
While attempting this question, candidates should keep the following points in mind:
- Do not restrict the answer to a description of different parliamentary committees.
- Explain how committees improve legislative and financial accountability.
- Distinguish between legislative scrutiny and financial oversight.
- Identify both institutional and procedural challenges.
- Avoid making unsupported claims about the decline in committee referrals. Use verified parliamentary data when quoting specific figures.
- Suggest practical reforms rather than generic statements about strengthening democracy.
- Maintain a balance between the significance of committees and their limitations.
Common mistake: Writing extensively about the composition of committees while neglecting their actual contribution to legislative accountability.
Conclusion
Parliamentary committees are indispensable to the effective functioning of representative democracy. Their strengthening can improve legislative scrutiny, financial discipline and executive accountability. A more deliberative and committee-driven Parliament is essential for ensuring that legislation and public policies reflect informed debate and democratic oversight.
Your Practice Assignment
Attempt the question independently before referring to the model answer.
Evaluate your answer on the following parameters:
- Relevance to the question.
- Coverage of all dimensions.
- Use of constitutional and institutional references.
- Analytical depth.
- Quality of the way forward.
- Clarity and conciseness of presentation.
Samata IAS Academy – Develop the ability to think, analyse and write like a civil servant.
Disclaimer: This is an original practice question and model answer prepared by Samata IAS Academy. It is not an official UPSC question or an official UPSC model answer.