Polity & Governance GS 2 In the news 6 times

Legislative Procedure

Referring a Bill to Committee

Under Indian parliamentary procedure, a Bill introduced in either House can, at the government's or a member's initiative, be referred either to the relevant Department-Related Standing Committee, a Select Committee of one House, or a Joint Committee of both Houses (JPC), instead of being debated and voted on directly on the floor.

Key details

A Joint Committee requires a motion in the originating House to be concurred with by the other House — this is what distinguishes a JPC from a Select Committee, which examines a Bill within a single House.
JPCs are ad hoc and dissolve once their report is presented; Standing Committees are permanent, reconstituted every year, and examine most Bills as a matter of routine unless the government opts for a Select/Joint Committee route instead.
Referral to committee allows detailed clause-by-clause examination, stakeholder consultations and expert testimony, and typically results in a committee report with recommendations that may or may not be accepted by the government before the Bill is reintroduced for passage.
Notable precedents of JPCs in recent years include those constituted for the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024 and the One Nation, One Election Bills — both examples of legislation referred to a JPC due to significant political and federal sensitivity.

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● Tracked since March 20, 2026 · last seen August 12, 2026 · updates as the daily brief publishes

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