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UPSC Prelims 2014 · Polity · Parliament, Bills & Budget
Which one of the following is the largest Committee of the Parliament?
- (a) The Committee on Public Accounts
- (b) The Committee on Estimates
- (c) The Committee on Public Undertakings
- (d) The Committee on Petitions
Show the answer and explanation
Answer: (b) The Committee on Estimates
The Estimates Committee has 30 members, all from the Lok Sabha — the largest.
The idea
The three financial committees: Estimates (30, all LS; suggests economies in expenditure — “continuous economy committee”), Public Accounts (22; examines the CAG’s audit; chaired by an Opposition member by convention since 1967), Public Undertakings (22; PSU accounts and CAG reports on them).
Estimates · 30 · LS only → PAC · 22 · CAG audit → Public Undertakings · 22 · PSUs
Why the others are wrong
(a) PAC has 22 members (15 LS + 7 RS).
(c) Committee on Public Undertakings: 22 (15 LS + 7 RS).
(d) The Lok Sabha Committee on Petitions has 15 members.
The trap
PAC is the most famous committee, so it feels like the biggest. Estimates is bigger.
🔒 Estimates = 30, all Lok Sabha, largest · PAC = 22 (15+7), Opposition chair · COPU = 22 (15+7). Ministers cannot be members of any of them.
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