Consider the following statements 1. Ministry of Par liamentary Affaris constitutes Consultative Committees of Member s of both the Houses of Parliament. 2. The main purpose of these Committees are to provide a forum for formal discussions between the Government and Members of Parliament on polices and programmes of the Government. Which of the statements given above is/ are correct ?

Statement 1 is correct as Consultative Committees are indeed constituted by the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs and consist of members from both Houses of Parliament [2]. These committees are attached to various ministries and departments of the Central Government [1]. Statement 2 is incorrect because the primary purpose of these committees is to provide a forum for informal discussions, rather than formal ones, between Ministers and Members of Parliament regarding government policies and their implementation [2]. Unlike formal Parliamentary Committees, these bodies do not work under the direction of the Speaker or Chairman and are not provided secretariats by the Lok Sabha or Rajya Sabha [4]. Instead, the guidelines for their composition and procedures are formulated by the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs [1]. Therefore, while they facilitate dialogue, they lack the formal procedural status of standing or select committees.

Sources

1. [1] Laxmikanth, M. Indian Polity. 7th ed., McGraw Hill. > Chapter 24: Parliamentary Committees > CONSULTATIVE COMMITTEES > p. 279
2. [2] Indian Polity, M. Laxmikanth(7th ed.) > Chapter 24: Parliamentary Committees > CONSULTATIVE COMMITTEES > p. 279
3. [3] Laxmikanth, M. Indian Polity. 7th ed., McGraw Hill. > Chapter 24: Parliamentary Committees > MEANING > p. 270
4. [4] Indian Polity, M. Laxmikanth(7th ed.) > Chapter 24: Parliamentary Committees > MEANING > p. 270