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International Relations GS 2 In the news 28 times

Parliamentary Standing Committees

Oversight Mechanism

Department-related Parliamentary Standing Committees (DRSCs) are permanent committees of Parliament that scrutinise ministries' policies, budgets (Demands for Grants) and international commitments in detail, outside the full floor of the House. The Standing Committee on External Affairs is one of the 24 DRSCs, examining the Ministry of External Affairs.

Key details
  • DRSCs were reorganised into the current 24-committee system in 1993, expanding from the earlier smaller set of subject committees; they function under the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business of Parliament (not a specific constitutional article) and derive general legitimacy from Article 118, which empowers each House to make rules for regulating its own procedure
  • Members are drawn from both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha; committees can call ministry officials for evidence and examine matters of policy, though they generally do not have power over day-to-day foreign policy conduct
  • Reports of DRSCs are recommendatory; the government must submit an Action Taken Report but is not bound to accept recommendations
In the news

● Tracked since March 11, 2026 · last seen August 28, 2026 · updates as the daily brief publishes

28 Aug '26
Mediation Council of India Notified, Nearly Three Years After the Mediation Act
Polity & Governance
25 Aug '26
Parliamentary Panel Pushes NGT to Use Suo Motu Powers More Proactively
Environment & Ecology
12 Aug '26
Parliamentary Panel Examines India's Position on Local-Currency Trade Ahead of BRICS Summit
International Relations
02 Jul '26
RBI's Case Against Legalising Virtual Digital Assets in India
Economics
02 Jul '26
Parliament Standing Committee Reviews Virtual Digital Assets Regulation
Economics
22 Jun '26
Over 2.13 Lakh Anganwadi Posts Vacant; Parliamentary Panel Flags Service Delivery Crisis
Polity & Governance
21 Jun '26
Parliamentary Panel to Study India's Evolving Economic Conditions Amid Global Uncertainty
Economics
25 May '26
Parliamentary Panel Reviews West Asia Crisis Impact on India's Maritime Trade and Seafarer Safety
Polity & Governance
24 May '26
West Asia Crisis and India's Maritime Trade: Strait of Hormuz and Energy Security
International Relations
18 May '26
Parliamentary Oversight of NTA Reforms: K. Radhakrishnan Committee Under Scrutiny
Polity & Governance
18 May '26
Parliamentary Committee Summons NTA Chief Over NEET-UG Paper Leak and Exam Reforms
Polity & Governance
31 Mar '26
Home Ministry Tells Parliament: Security Agencies Use OSINT from Public Sources, Not Private Data
Polity & Governance
28 Mar '26
Parliament Panel Flags Staff Crunch at India's ASI Monuments, Cites Charminar Neglect
Art & Culture
27 Mar '26
Parliamentary Standing Committee on Labour Directs Government to Track Placement Data
Polity & Governance
27 Mar '26
Parliament Panel Recommends Inventory of British-Era Heritage Sites Outside ASI's Protection
Art & Culture
24 Mar '26
Transgender Persons Amendment Bill 2026: Lok Sabha Passes Medical Certification Regime
Polity & Governance
23 Mar '26
Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Amendment Bill Listed for Lok Sabha on March 24
Polity & Governance
19 Mar '26
Parliamentary Panel Flags Trump Tariff Impact on India-US Trade
Economics
17 Mar '26
Parliamentary Panel Flags Oil Shock Risks, CPSE Leadership Crisis, and Critical Minerals Strategy
Economics
17 Mar '26
Parliamentary Panel Recommends Fast-Tracking Drone Acquisition for Border Guarding Forces
Internal Security
17 Mar '26
Parliamentary Panel Rebukes Niti Aayog for "Amateur Planning" and Fund Under-Utilisation
Polity & Governance
17 Mar '26
Parliamentary Panel Urges Strategic Energy Mitigation Framework to Guard Against Oil Shocks
Economics
16 Mar '26
Parliamentary Panel Flags Digital Infrastructure and Cyber Capacity Gaps in MeitY Spending Review
Polity & Governance
14 Mar '26
Minority Scholarship Schemes Frozen for Three Years Amid Stalled Fraud Investigation
Polity & Governance
14 Mar '26
Parliamentary Panel Urges Realistic Fertiliser Subsidy Allocation at Budget Estimate Stage
Agriculture & Food Security
13 Mar '26
Parliamentary Panel on Women's Reservation: High-Level Committee Recommended to Assess Implementation Framework
Polity & Governance
12 Mar '26
Urban Development Budget Hits Five-Year Low: Parliamentary Panel Raises Alarm
Polity & Governance
11 Mar '26
Parliamentary Panel Flags Slow Progress in Tribal Welfare Schemes, PM-JANMAN Under Scrutiny
Polity & Governance
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