SOCIAL WATCH INDIA

Social watch process would be the key agenda setter for the government. It will redefine the politics of knowledge, and usher in a new dynamics in the process and quality of governance. It will reclaim the process of governance to the people at various levels -national, state, and panchayat.

	World Summit for Social Development
	Millennium Declaration
	IV World Conference on Women
	A civil society Benchmark for the 5-year Review of the Millennium Declaration
	MDG's Common minimum Programm, National Development Goals

Social Watch India Perspective Paper Series on Parliamentary Committees

As a part of Social Watch Perspective Paper, social watch has come out with perspective paper on “Evaluating Parliamentary Committees and Committee System: Changing Contours of Governance & Policy”. A seminar/policy dialogue was organised on the same theme on 18th and 19th at New Delhi.

Shri. M. Hamid.Ansari, Hon’ble Vice President of India delivered the key note for the inaugural session of the Seminar on 18th November 2009. (click on the link below for the complete text of his speech)

This Paper provides an insight into recent trends and patterns in the working of the Parliamentary Committees and examines their role in the changing contours of Governance and Policy. While examining the issue the paper shows that though there is marginal improvement with regard to accountability of the executive to parliament, we still need to go a long way. The paper also points towards the strengthening of the Committee system by streamlining and rationalizing the system. The paper recommends-

• Reduction in the Number of Committees • Reduction in the number of MP’s in the Committees • Abolition of Consultative Committees as they serve no purpose • Regular Monitoring and Evaluation of the Committees • Induction of Experts from academia and Civil Society in advisory Capacity • Longer tenure for the MP’s with the objective of developing their specialty on the subject