Defence Committee (Parliament of India)

Defence Committee (Parliament of India)
Name	Defence Committee (Parliament of India)
Legislature	Parliament of India
Established	1993
Jurisdiction	Ministry of Defence (India), Indian Armed Forces
Type	Departmentally Related Standing Committee
Parent body	Parliament of India

Defence Committee (Parliament of India)

The Defence Committee is a Departmentally Related Standing Committee of the Parliament of India constituted to examine matters relating to the Ministry of Defence (India), the Indian Armed Forces, and policies concerning national defence. It draws on inputs from service headquarters such as Integrated Defence Staff, institutions like the Defence Research and Development Organisation and the Indian Air Force, as well as parliamentary practice exemplified by committees such as the Public Accounts Committee and the Committee on Public Undertakings.

History

The committee was formed as part of a broader reform of parliamentary oversight in the early 1990s, following deliberations in the Rajya Sabha and the Lok Sabha and influenced by precedents in the United Kingdom and the United States Congress. Its creation paralleled the establishment of other Departmentally Related Standing Committees in 1993 and evolved through interactions with events including the Kargil War and later strategic reviews after the 2008 Mumbai attacks. Over time the committee has responded to changes in defence procurement law such as the Defence Procurement Procedure and interacted with legislative developments like the Arms Act and discussions around the National Security Act.

Composition and Membership

Membership comprises Members of Parliament from both the Rajya Sabha and the Lok Sabha, nominated according to party strength and coordinated with the Speaker of the Lok Sabha and the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha. The chairperson is typically a senior parliamentarian, and members have included veterans from parties such as the Bharatiya Janata Party, the Indian National Congress, the Communist Party of India (Marxist), and regional parties like the Trinamool Congress. Ex-officio inputs may come from officials attached to the Ministry of Defence (India) and the services: the Chief of the Army Staff (India), the Chief of the Naval Staff (India), and the Chief of the Air Staff (India), though they are not committee members. The committee’s secretariat support is provided by the Parliamentary Secretariat and staff experienced with institutions such as the Comptroller and Auditor General of India.

Mandate and Functions

The committee examines budgetary allocations, policy documents, annual reports and long-term defence plans, interfacing with entities like the Border Security Force, the Sashastra Seema Bal, and defence public sector undertakings including Bharat Electronics Limited and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited. It reviews matters of acquisition, readiness, modernization programmes such as procurement of HAL Tejas and Arjun tank, and evaluates performance of research agencies including the Defence Research and Development Organisation and DRDO laboratories. The committee also considers international instruments and relationships involving the United States of America, Russia, France, and multilateral frameworks such as the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation when they affect defence preparedness.

Procedures and Meetings

Meetings are convened under rules adopted by the Parliament of India for Departmentally Related Standing Committees, with quorum requirements and schedules coordinated with parliamentary sessions. Procedures include inviting officials from the Ministry of Defence (India), service chiefs from the Indian Army, Indian Navy, and Indian Air Force, and stakeholders such as chiefs of Hindustan Shipyard and directors of DRDO. The committee conducts hearings, takes memoranda from civil society organisations like the Observer Research Foundation and the Centre for Policy Research, and undertakes field visits to bases such as Jammu and Kashmir forward posts, shipyards in Kochi, and ordnance factories administered by Ordnance Factory Board. Proceedings may involve classified briefs coordinated through the Cabinet Secretariat.

Reports and Impact

The committee submits reports to the Parliament of India containing recommendations on budgets, procurement policy, force structure, and defence infrastructure. Its reports have influenced procurement decisions involving platforms such as the INS Vikramaditya and reforms in establishments like the Defence Accounts Department. Recommendations have prompted parliamentary debates in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha and have at times led to administrative changes within the Ministry of Defence (India) or to revisions of procurement procedures and oversight mechanisms, engaging agencies including the Central Bureau of Investigation when accountability issues surfaced.

Relationship with Ministry of Defence and Armed Forces

The committee maintains a consultative relationship with the Ministry of Defence (India) and service headquarters, balancing parliamentary oversight with operational confidentiality required by the Indian Armed Forces. It summons defence secretaries, service chiefs, and heads of defence public sector undertakings to explain policies; coordination is often mediated by the Cabinet Secretariat and the National Security Council Secretariat. While the committee influences policy through recommendations, final executive action rests with the President of India and the Cabinet, with implementation involving agencies such as Defence Research and Development Organisation and the Indian Coast Guard.

Criticisms and Reforms

Critiques have targeted limited access to classified information, partisan composition, and occasional delays in report submission, prompting calls for reforms inspired by bodies like the Parliamentary Committees in the United Kingdom and the U.S. Congress to enhance transparency and technical capacity. Suggested reforms have included greater specialist staff drawn from institutions like the Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses, enhanced coordination mechanisms with the Ministry of Defence (India), statutory backing for the committee’s mandate, and improved liaison with international partners such as NATO-member practices to strengthen parliamentary scrutiny.

Category:Parliamentary committees of India