Study OAS · 05 October 2026

Parliamentary Standing Committees Reconstituted for 2026–27

What’s the News?

• Parliament has reconstituted all 24 Department-related Parliamentary Standing Committees (DRSCs) for the 2026–27 term.
• Most committee chairpersons have continued, while important leadership changes have taken place in panels dealing with Commerce, Chemicals & Fertilizers, Education, Personnel & Law, Labour & Skill Development, and Railways.
• Shashi Tharoor continues to head the External Affairs Committee, while Bhartruhari Mahtab heads Finance and Radha Mohan Singh heads Defence.
• The reshuffle also resulted in the Trinamool Congress losing its chairmanship of the Commerce and Chemicals & Fertilizers panels.

Major Chairperson Changes

The final reconstitution confirms these chairpersons, although some early reports on the reshuffle differed on the number of committees witnessing leadership changes.

Chairpersons of the 24 DRSCs

Department-related Parliamentary Standing Committees

• Total DRSCs: 24
  • 16 function under the direction of the Speaker, Lok Sabha.
  • 8 function under the direction of the Chairman, Rajya Sabha.
• Membership of each committee: Maximum 31 MPs
  • 21 from Lok Sabha
  • 10 from Rajya Sabha
• Members are nominated by the Speaker of Lok Sabha and Chairman of Rajya Sabha respectively.
• Tenure: Does not exceed one year.
• A Minister cannot be nominated as a member of a DRSC. If a committee member becomes a Minister, the member ceases to belong to the committee.

Functions of DRSCs

DRSCs strengthen parliamentary oversight over the Union Executive. They:

• Examine the Demands for Grants of the ministries/departments concerned.
• Examine Bills referred to them by the Speaker of Lok Sabha or Chairman of Rajya Sabha.
• Examine annual reports of ministries and departments.
• Consider national basic long-term policy documents referred to them.
• Scrutinise government performance and can obtain evidence from officials and experts.

They generally do not examine matters of day-to-day administration. Their recommendations are advisory/persuasive rather than legally binding, but ministries are expected to respond through Action Taken Reports.

Additional Info

• The DRSC system was formally established in 1993 with 17 committees to strengthen detailed parliamentary scrutiny of the Executive.
• The system was restructured in 2004, increasing the number of committees from 17 to 24 and reducing membership to the present 31-member structure.
• Article 118 of the Constitution empowers each House of Parliament to make rules regulating its procedure and conduct of business.
  • DRSCs operate under the Rules of Procedure of Parliament.
  • In the Lok Sabha Rules, provisions relating to DRSCs begin with Rule 331C.

Sources

• The Indian Express
• The Economic Times