Ad Hoc Committees - Select & Joint Parliamentary Committees
Context:
The tenure of the Joint Committee of Parliament examining the Bills that seek to introduce simultaneous polls to the Lok Sab ha and Legislative Assem blies was extended on December 11th, 2025.
The Committee chairman P.P. Chaudhary moved in the Lok Sabha a motion seeking extension of the tenure of the Joint Committee on the Constitution (129th Amendment) Bill, 2024
Ad Hoc Committees:
Ad Hoc Committees are formed to address specific legislative or investigative needs that arise during the functioning of Parliament.
They are task-based and temporary, created to handle immediate or urgent situations.
Their formation allows the legislature to respond quickly to new challenges without the constraints of permanent structures.
Once the specific inquiry or bill examination is complete, the committee ceases to exist.
The main ad hoc committees are the select and joint committees on bills.
The Select/Joint Committees on Bills are constituted by the House(s) on specific motion moved by the Minister in-charge of the Bill or any member and adopted by the House to consider and report on Bills as referred to them from time to time.
These Committees are distinguished from other ad hoc Committees, inasmuch as they are concerned with Bills and the procedure to be followed by them is laid down in the Rules of Procedure.
Select Committees:
These committees are formed to examine a particular bill in greater detail when Parliament feels it requires deeper study.
They consist of members from only one House (either Lok Sabha or Rajya Sabha) to which the bill belongs.
Joint Parliamentary Committees (JPC):
A JPC is constituted when an issue demands attention from both Houses of Parliament.
They are often set up to handle sensitive issues, such as major financial scandals, complex policy concerns, or controversial legislation.
They operate until they submit their final report, conducting deep investigations that often force the executive to answer difficult questions.