The Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) is an ad hoc committee of the Indian Parliament, a temporary institution constituted to conduct a detailed examination of a specific Bill or a matter of national importance, such as financial irregularities or policy controversies. It is not a provision of the Constitution, which does not specifically provide for its creation. The JPC mechanism was first used in August 1987 to investigate the Bofors scandal, solving the problem of requiring in-depth, bipartisan scrutiny beyond normal floor debates.
A JPC is formed when a motion is adopted by one House and subsequently agreed to by the other House, or through communication between the presiding officers of the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. Its composition includes members from both Houses, with the Lok Sabha members typically being twice the number of Rajya Sabha members. The committee functions as a fact-finding body, empowered to summon witnesses, obtain evidence, and analyze documents. It automatically ceases to exist after completing its assigned task and presenting its report to Parliament.
The JPC connects to the broader concept of legislative oversight and is distinct from Standing Committees, which are permanent and subject-specific. While its recommendations are advisory and not legally binding, they carry significant political weight, and the government is required to present an Action Taken Report (ATR) to Parliament. Recently, JPCs have been constituted for matters like the Personal Data Protection Bill (2019) and the Waqf (Amendment) Bill (2024). The core mechanism has remained the same, but its influence is evident in recent legislative scrutiny, such as the JPC on the Constitution (One Hundred and Thirtieth Amendment) Bill, 2026, which recommended replacing the provision for automatic "removal" of a Minister with "suspension."