UPSC Prelims 2026 Question:

Consider the following statements about the Committee on the Welfare of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled  Tribes of the Parliament of India: 

1. Although members of this Committee are elected from both Houses of Parliament, the Chairperson of  this Committee is appointed by the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha. 
2. Twenty members are elected by the Rajya Sabha and ten members by the Lok Sabha.
3. No Minister, except for the Union Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment, is eligible to be a  member of this Committee. 
4. Members are elected for a fixed term of two years from the date they enter their office.

 

Which one of the following conclusions based on the above statements is correct? 

Answer: 4

Explanation: 

The Committee on the Welfare of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, one of the departmentally related  standing committees of Parliament.  

• The Chairperson of this Committee is not appointed by the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha. The Chairperson  is appointed by the Speaker of the Lok Sabha, in consultation with the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha.  Since the Committee draws members from both Houses, the appointment authority formally vests with  the Speaker of Lok Sabha not the Chairman of Rajya Sabha. So, statement 1 is not correct. 
• The Committee consists of 20 members elected by the Lok Sabha and 10 members elected by the Rajya  Sabha making it a 30-member committee in total. The statement incorrectly attributes 20 members to the  Rajya Sabha and 10 to the Lok Sabha, which inverts the actual constitutional and procedural arrangement.  So, statement 2 is not correct. 
• The rule regarding ministerial ineligibility is not limited to one exception. The actual rule is that no  Minister of the Union is eligible to be a member of this Committee without any exception carved out  for the Union Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment or any other Minister. So, statement 3 is not  correct. 
• Members of this Committee are not elected for a fixed two-year term. The actual term is one year members hold office for one year from the date of their election, which is the standard term applicable to  most Parliamentary Standing Committees. So, statement 4 is not correct. 

Therefore, option (4) is the correct answer.