ETHICS COMMITTEE IN PARLIAMENT (Syllabus: GS Paper 2 – Polity)

Context: Recently, a Lok Sabha speaker has referred a complaint against a sitting Member of Parliament (MP) to the House Ethics Committee.

Ethics Committee in Parliament

• It comes under the ‘committee to inquire’.
• Each house of the parliament has its own ethics committee.
• Lok Sabha

o Constitution: 2000

o Composition: 15 Members including Chairman

o Appointment: By Lok Sabha Speaker

o Tenure: 1 year

• Rajya Sabha

o Constitution: 1997

o Composition: 10 Members including Chairman

o Appointment: By Rajya Sabha Chairman

o Tenure: 1 year

Functions of Ethics Committee

• The primary role is to supervise the moral and ethical behavior of Members of Parliament.
• It reviews cases referred to it regarding the ethical conduct and misconduct of Members, initiated by the Speaker in the Lok Sabha and the Chairman in the Rajya Sabha.
• The committee also establishes a code of conduct for members and suggests revisions as necessary.
• It offers guidance to members on ethical matters, either proactively or upon request.
• The committee can handle complaints of ethical misconduct, initiated by any individual or taken up on its own.