Speaker Om Birla Appoints Ravi Shankar Prasad to Chair Privileges Committee
15 MPs nominated to Lok Sabha Privileges Committee under Prasad's chairmanship.
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Tuesday formally nominated 15 members to the Committee of Privileges, reactivating a key parliamentary panel that had been absent since the start of the 18th Lok Sabha. The announcement, effective from March 3, 2026, names senior BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad as the committee’s chairperson, a role central to upholding parliamentary privilege and decorum.
The Committee of Privileges is mandated to examine cases of alleged breaches of privilege by Members of Parliament or the House itself. It reviews complaints referred by either the Speaker or the House, and determines whether a breach has occurred, recommending suitable actions — including, in serious cases, sanctions against members.
Alongside Prasad, the multi‑party panel includes MPs from both the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and opposition parties, reflecting diverse representation. Those nominated include Brijmohan Agrawal, Trivendra Singh Rawat, Jagdambika Pal, Jagadish Shettar, Ramvir Singh Bidhuri, and Sangeeta Kumari Singh Deo from the BJP; Tariq Anwar, Manish Tewari, and Manickam Tagore of the Indian National Congress; T R Baalu of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam; Kalyan Banerjee of the Trinamool Congress; Shrirang Appa Chandu Barne of Shiv Sena; Arvind Ganpat Sawant of Shiv Sena (UBT); and Dharmendra Yadav of the Samajwadi Party.
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The committee’s restoration comes nearly two years after the 18th Lok Sabha was constituted in 2024, a period during which no privileges panel had operated — raising concerns about parliamentary oversight mechanisms. Its reconstitution has therefore been viewed as a necessary step to ensure that questions of privilege and contempt can be properly investigated and addressed within the legislative framework.
In related developments, reports noted that Congress MP Manickam Tagore, though named to the committee, said he would not participate in its meetings while his suspension from the Lok Sabha continues — a suspension linked to earlier unruly behaviour in the House.
Parliamentary experts emphasise that the Committee of Privileges plays a foundational role in maintaining the authority and dignity of the House. Ensuring its operation allows for formal review of alleged breaches of parliamentary rights and immunities and reinforces institutional checks and balances.
The reconstituted committee is expected to begin work during the continuation of the Budget Session, which resumes in the coming week, with Birla’s nomination enabling it to undertake both pending and new referrals related to privilege matters.
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