National: Parliament's standing committees were constituted on Thursday. The notification of the committees was announced by a communique issued by the Rajya Sabha Secretariat. Congress leader and LoP in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi was named as a member of the Committee on Defence and Bharatiya Janata Party MP Kangana Ranaut in the Committee on Communications and Information Technology. BJP's Bhartruhari Mahtab will helm the key panel on Finance, while Congress' Shashi Tharoor is set to head the panel on External Affairs.

However, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi's name does not figure in any of the committees. Major BJP allies such as the TDP and Janata Dal (United) besides its partners in the poll-bound Maharashtra, the Shiv Sena and the NCP, will be heading one committee each.

Parliamentary Committee on Defence

Former union minister Radha Mohan Singh will chair the Committee on Defence. Rahul Gandhi is a member of the panel on Defence. Haris Beeran, Samik Bhattacharya, Ajay Makan, Derek O’Brien, Nabam Rebia, Neeraj Shekhar, Kapil Sibal, GK Vasan and Sanjay Yadav are the other members of the panel on Defence.

 Parliamentary Committee Home Affairs 

The panel on Home Affairs will be headed by BJP member Radha Mohan Das Agrawal. 

Anurag Thakur, Rajiv Pratap Rudy get roles on panels

Former Union Minister Anurag Thakur and Rajiv Pratap Rudy have been given the chairmanships of committees on Coal, Mines and Steel; and Water Resources respectively.

BJP allies on Parliamentary panels

The lone NCP Lok Sabha member Sunil Tatkare will be heading the panel on Petroleum and Natural Gas and Shiv Sena's Shrirang Appa Barne will helm the committee on Energy. JD(U)'s Sanjay Jha will be heading the committee on Transport, Tourism and Culture. TDP MP Magunta Sreenivasulu Reddy will chair the committee on Housing and Urban Affairs.

Nishikant Dubey replaces Shashi Tharoor

BJP MP Nishikant Dubey was appointed as the chairman of the committee on Communications and Information Technology, of which actor-turned-politician Ranaut is also a member.

In the previous Lok Sabha, Dubey had a running battle with Tharoor, who was the chair of the panel of the Committee on IT. Tharoor was replaced as chair of the crucial committee in 2022.

Charanjit Singh Chann on panel on Agriculture

Congress members Charanjit Singh Channi and Saptagiri Ulaka have been made chairpersons of the committees on Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Food Processing; and Rural Development and Panchayati Raj respectively.

DMK's Tiruchi Siva and K Kanimozhi will chair the committees on Industry; and Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution respectively.

What is the significance of standing committees?

The department-related standing committees, which have representation from across party lines, act as mini parliaments and keep a tab on the functioning of various ministries.