Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) | 25 May 2024

Source: TH

India's main opposition party has called for setting up a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) to investigate claims that the Adani Group sold low-grade coal to a state-run company in Tamil Nadu, pretending it was of higher quality.

The JPC is an ad-hoc Committee, established by the Parliament to conduct a thorough examination of a specific subject or Bill.
- It consists of members from both Houses as well as from the ruling and opposition parties and is chaired by a member of the Lok Sabha (appointed by Speaker of the Lok Sabha).
- The Parliament determines the composition of the JPC, and there is no set limit on the number of members.
  - The committee is dissolved after completing its term or task.
- The committee's recommendations are advisory and not mandatory for the government to follow.
  - However, suggestions by the Select Committees and JPCs — which have a majority of MPs and heads from the ruling party — are accepted more frequently.
The JPC has the authority to gather evidence from experts, public bodies, associations, individuals, or interested parties either on its own initiative or in response to their requests.
Some of the cases in which JPC were formed include:
- Bofors scandal (1987)
- Harshad Mehta Stock market scam (1992)
- Ketan Parekh share market scam (2001)
- National Register of Citizens (NRC, 2016)
- Personal Data Protection Bill (2019)