Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC)

Why in news?

The recent row over the Hindenburg report on allegations against the SEBI chief has attracted demand from the opposition for an inquiry by a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC).

About Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC):

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

vChaired 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.

vA JPC can obtain evidence of experts, public bodies, associations, individuals or interested parties suo motu or on requests made by them.

If a witness fails to appear before a JPC in response to summons, his conduct constitutes a contempt of the House.

The Joint Parliamentary Committees are formed till date include the following cases:

1Bofors scandal (1987)

2Harshad Mehta Stock market scam (1992)

3Ketan Parekh share market scam (2001)

4Soft drink pesticide issue (2003)

52G spectrum case (2011)

6VVIP Chopper scam (2013)

7Land Acquisition (2015)

8NRC (2016)

9Personal Data Protection Bill (2019)