National Conference of Estimates Committees- 2025

Why in News?

• The National Conference of Estimates Committees of Parliament and State/Union Territories (UT) Legislatures concluded at Maharashtra Vidhan Bhavan, Mumbai.

Key Points:

• The conference was held to mark the 75th anniversary of the establishment of the Estimates Committee of Parliament.
• Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla addressed the inaugural session of the conference on 23 June 2025.
• The theme of the national conference was – ‘Role of Estimates Committee in effective monitoring and review of budget estimates to ensure efficiency and economy in administration’. 

About Estimates Committee:

• The Estimates Committee is one of the three major financial committees of the Indian Parliament; the other two committees are – Public Accounts Committee and Committee on Public Undertakings.
• The Estimates Committee of the Lok Sabha and the State/Union Territories Legislatures are constituted under the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the respective Houses. 

Estimates Committee of Lok Sabha:

• There are a total of 30 members in the Estimates Committee of Lok Sabha.
• No member of Rajya Sabha is a member of this committee.
• The members of the Estimates Committee are elected by the members of Lok Sabha from among the current members of Lok Sabha.
• The Speaker of Lok Sabha appoints one of the 30 elected members of this committee as the chairman.
• This is a parliamentary committee, so no minister can be made a member of this committee.
• The tenure of the committee is one year. 

Functions of the Estimates Committee:

• The work of the Estimates Committee begins after the budget is presented by the government.
• It does a detailed review of the expenditure estimates presented by each ministry and administrative department.
• It gives suggestions to increase economy and efficiency in administration, which are in accordance with the policy contained in the estimates.
• This committee also examines whether the amount spent is within the limits of the policy contained in the estimates.