Rule 331E is a provision within the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in Lok Sabha, which governs the functioning of the Departmentally Related Standing Committees (DRSCs).
The rule's origin is tied to the establishment of the DRSCs, which were first set up in 1993 on the recommendation of the Lok Sabha Rules Committee. This system was created to solve the problem of Parliament's limited time and capacity to effectively scrutinize the executive's actions, particularly the budget and legislation, given the growing complexity and scale of government activities. The DRSCs were intended to enhance parliamentary oversight, making the Executive more accountable.
Rule 331E outlines the functions of these Standing Committees. Specifically, Rule 331E(1)(b) mandates that a Standing Committee must examine Bills pertaining to its concerned Ministries/Departments that are referred to it by the Speaker of the Lok Sabha or the Chairperson of the Rajya Sabha, and subsequently prepare a report on the Bill. A key limitation is set by Rule 331E(2), which explicitly states that the Standing Committees shall not consider matters of day-to-day administration of the concerned Ministries/Departments.
This rule connects directly to the concept of Departmentally Related Standing Committees (DRSCs), which are permanent committees of Parliament. The DRSC system was expanded in 2004 with the addition of seven more committees, bringing the total number to 24. While the original rules of procedure were adopted in 1952 under Article 118(2) of the Constitution, the specific provisions for DRSCs, including Rule 331E, were incorporated later. A notable change to the scope of the rule occurred when an earlier version of Rule 331E(2) was amended to omit reference to "formulation of the ordinary policies," which effectively widened the jurisdiction of the Standing Committees.