12. COMMITTEE SECTION (HRD)

Transcription

1 12. COMMITTEE SECTION (HRD) 12.1 The Committee Section (HRD) is entrusted with the task of providing secretarial assistance to the Department-related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Human Resource Development. Like other Department-related Parliamentary Standing Committees, the Committee on Human Resource Development is governed by Rules 268 to 277 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Council of States. Further, Rules 74 to 92 of the said Rules relating to Select Committees on Bills apply mutatis mutandis to the Committee. The Committee has a total strength of 31 members, i.e., 10 Members from Rajya Sabha and 21 Members from Lok Sabha. The following Ministries/Departments fall within the purview of the Committee:- (a) (b) (c) MINISTRY OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT (i) Department of School Education and Literacy (ii) Department of Higher Education MINISTRY OF WOMEN & CHILD DEVELOPMENT MINISTRY OF YOUTH AFFAIRS AND SPORTS (i) Department of Sports (ii) Department of Youth Affairs 12.2 Main Functions of the Committee - The functions assigned to the Committee, as enumerated in Rule 270 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Council of States are - (i) (ii) (iii) (iv) consideration of Demands for Grants of the related Ministries/Departments; examination of Bills pertaining to the related Ministries/Departments when referred to the Committee by the Chairman or the Speaker; consideration of Annual Reports of the related Ministries/Departments; and basic long-term policy documents presented to the Houses, if referred to the Committee by the Chairman or the Speaker, as the case may be, and report thereon Tenure of the Committee: The present Committee ( ) was reconstituted w.e.f 31 st August, 2013 with Shri Birender Singh, M.P., Rajya Sabha as the Chairman of the Committee Consideration of Demands for Grants ( ) In respect of Demands for Grants ( ) of the related Ministries/Departments, the Committee Section prepared requisite questionnaires after examining and analyzing the relevant papers/documents etc. and the answers received from the concerned Ministries were circulated to the Members During the course of examination of the Demands for Grants ( ), the Committee heard the Secretaries of Department of School Education & Literacy, Department of Youth Affairs and Department of Sports on 25 th March, The Committee further heard the Secretary, Ministry of Women and Child Development on 26 th March, 2013 and Secretary, Department of Higher Education on 2 nd April, 2013 respectively After completing scrutiny of Demands for Grants pertaining to the aforesaid three Ministries, the Committee Section prepared 253 rd, 254 th, 255 th and 256 th Reports on Demands for Grants ( ). The Committee held two more meetings on the 22 nd and 30 th April, 2013 respectively for consideration and adoption of these Reports on Demands for Grants ( ) pertaining to the Departments/Ministries under the purview of the Committee. The Committee presented the four Reports to Parliament during the Budget Session,

2 12.5 Action Taken Notes Scrutiny of Action Taken Notes in respect of Committee s Reports is one of the assignment carried out by the Section after these notes are received from the Ministries/Departments. After examination, these Action Taken Notes are carefully formulated as Action Taken Reports and placed before the Committee for its consideration and adoption Action Taken Notes on the Reports of the Committee on the Demands for Grants ( ) from the Ministries of Youth Affairs and Sports, Women and Child Development and the Department of School Education and Literacy could be received only in December, The Committee Section, therefore, could not scrutinize ATNs in December, Consideration of Subjects by the Committee: The Committee after its reconstitution decided to consider and examine the subjects "Functioning of Sports Federation in the country", "Functioning of National Commission for Women" and "Implementation of RTE Act, 2009" Examination of the Bills During the year 2013 following Bills were referred to the Committee for examination and report: Sr. No. Bill Date of Reference 1 The Central Universities (Amendment) Bill, The National Institutes of Technology, Science Education and Research (Amendment) Bill, The Indian Institutes of Information Technology Bill, The Indira Gandhi National University for Women, Bill, Besides the above referred four Bills, the Committee was in the process of examining the Universities for Research and Innovation Bill, 2012 and the Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) Amendment Bill, 2012 which were referred to the Committee on 30 th May and 21 st December, Hence, during the year 2013, the Committee on HRD presented its 248 th, 257 th, 258 th, 259 th, and 260 th Reports on 5 Bills:- (i) the Universities for Research and Innovation Bill, 2012 (ii) the Central Universities (Amendment) Bill, 2012 (iii) the Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) Amendment Bill, 2012 (iv) the National Institutes of Technology, Science Education and Research (Amendment) Bill, 2013 and (v) the Indian Institutes of Information Technology Bill, Sub-Committees: Two Sub-Committees were constituted by the Department-related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Human Resource Development during the year 2013 on three subjects:- (i) Implementation of RTE Act, 2009 (ii) Functioning of National Commission for Women and (iii) Functioning of Sports Federations in the country Visits/Tours: - During the year 2013, the Committee undertook two study visits:- (i) Leh and Srinagar from 10 th to 14 th June, 2013 and (ii) Guwahati and Shillong from 17 th to 23 rd November, Meetings and Reports: - The Committee and the two Sub-Committees held 26 meetings during the year 2013 spread over 53 hours 41 minutes. The details are as follows:- Sr. No. Date Duration Hrs.-Mts. Main Items or Agenda To hear the Secretary, Department of Higher Education on the Higher Education and Research Bill, To hear the experts/witnesses on the Universities for Research and 113

3 Innovation Bill, To hear the experts/witnesses on the Universities for Research and Innovation Bill, To hear the experts/witnesses on the Universities for Research and Innovation Bill, Clause-by-clause consideration on the Universities for Research and Innovation Bill, 2013 and to hear the Secretary, Ministry of WCD on the Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) Amendment Bill, To consider and adopt draft 248 th, 249 th, 250 th, 251 st and 252 nd Reports of the Committee To hear the witnesses on the Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) Amendment Bill, Presentation on Demands for Grants by the Secretary Department of School Education and Literacy, and Secretary Department of Youth Affairs and Department of Sports Presentation by the Secretary on Demands for Grants of the Ministry of WCD Presentation by the Secretary on Demands for Grants of the Department of Higher Education To Consider and adopt the draft Reports on the Demands for Grants of the Department of School Education and Literacy, Ministry of Women and Child Development and Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports Consider and adopt the draft Report on the Demands for Grants of the Department Higher Education and to hear the Secretary, Department of Higher Education on the Central Universities (Amendment) Bill, To hear the witnesses/experts on the Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) Amendment bill, To hear the witnesses/experts on the Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) Amendment bill, To discuss the future programme of the Committee and to consider and adopt the draft 258 th Report on the Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) Amendment Bill, To hear the Secretary, Department of Higher Education on the National Institute of Technology, Science Education ad Research Bill, 2013 and the Indian Institutes of Information Technology Bill, To hear the Secretary, Department of Higher Education and the representatives of Indian Institutes of Information Technology, Hyderabad and Bangalore on the Indian Institutes of Information Technology Bill, 2013 and to hear the Secretary, Ministry of WCD on the Functioning of the Ministry and Implementation of Schemes and legislations under the purview of the Ministry To consider and adopt the draft 259 th Report on the National Institute of Technology, Science Education and Research (Amendment) Bill, To hear the Secretary, Department of Sports on the subject Functioning of Sports Federations To discuss the future course of action To hear the Secretary, Department of School Education and Literacy on the Implementation of Right to Education Act, To hear the representatives/witnesses on the Functioning of Sports Federation To hear the Secretary, Department of Higher Education on the (i) the Indian Institutes of Information Technology Bill, 2013; and (ii) the Indira Gandhi National University for Women Bill, To hear the Secretary, Department of Higher Education on the Indian Institutes of Information Technology Bill, To hear the views of the representatives on the Functioning of Sports Federation. 114

4 To hear the Vice Chairman of the UGC on the Indira Gandhi National University for Women Bill, Reports:- The Committee presented the following thirteen Reports:- S. No. Report No. Subjects Date of Presentation of the Report th Report on the Universities for Research and Innovation Bill, th Report on the Two Hundred forty ninth Report on Action Taken by Government on the Recommendations contained in the Two Hundred Forty third Report on Demands for Grants (Demand No. 104) of the Ministry of Women and Child Development th Report on the Two Hundred fiftieth Report on Action Taken by Government on the Recommendations contained in the Two Hundred forty-forth Report on Demands for Grants (Demand No. 57) of the Department of School Education & Literacy st Report on the Two Hundred fifty-first Report on Action Taken by Government on the Recommendations contained in the Two Hundred forty-fifth Report on Demands for Grants (Demand No. 105) of the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports nd Report on the Two Hundred Fifty Second Report on Action Taken by Government on the Recommendations contained in the Two Hundred Forty Sixth Report on Demands for Grants (Demand No. 58) of the Department of Higher Education rd Report on Demands for Grants of the Department of School Education and Literacy (RS ) th th Report on Demands for Grants of the Ministry of Women and Child Development (RS ) th Report on Demands for Grants of the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports. (RS ) Report on Demands for Grants of the Department of Higher Education th Report on the Central Universities (Amendment) Bill, th Report on the Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) Amendment Bill, th Report on the National Institutes of Technology, Science Education and Research (Amendment) Bill, th Report on the Indian Institutes of Information Technology Bill, Goals and Analysis: - The details of activities undertaken during 2013 have been enumerated above. The Committee achieved its goals as per the mandate given to it under Rule 270 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Council of States. Demands for Grants ( ) in respect of all the three Ministries were examined by the Committee and total four reports were presented. Another two reports on the Universities for Research and Innovation Bill, 2012 and the Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) Amendment Bill, 2012 were also presented to both Houses of Parliament during the year These two Bills were referred to the Committee for examination and report during the year, However, the goal of presenting the ATRs on Demands for Grants ( ) could not be achieved as the Action Taken Notes from the concerned Ministries/Departments were received late. 115

5 12.12 Status of Computerization: - All the Reports, which were presented during the year, were prepared on the computers. Other jobs such as notices, minutes, noting, drafting, etc. were also done on computers. This Section tried to make optimum use of the computer facilities provided to the Section. The Section is regularly feeding and updating the data in the Committee Software and Rajya Sabha website. In addition, the section sends s regarding the notices for the meetings of the Committee to the Members and also effectively uses the SMS software to intimate the Members about the Committee meetings Inspection of the Section during 2013: Inspection for the year 2013 was conducted by Shri Pradeep Chaturvedi, Director on the Training: During the year 2013, Research Assistant was deputed for training for noting and drafting Miscellaneous: - Besides providing secretarial assistance to the Committee, the Section also remained engaged with the following assignments: - (a) (b) (c) (d) (e) Preparation, publication and circulation of the Reports of the Committee; Handling correspondence with the Ministries/Departments concerned on the matters taken up by the Committee; Furnishing of information on matters relating to the Committee to different Sections/Branches of Rajya Sabha/Lok Sabha Secretariats and the agencies outside; Processing of RTI applications and furnishing of information thereof; and Processing of Bills in respect of refreshments served in the meetings of the Committee. 116