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🏛 Ethics Committee – Lok Sabha

The Ethics Committee is a parliamentary committee that looks into the ethical conduct and behavior of Members of Parliament (MPs).
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🏛 Ethics Committee – Lok Sabha

🔹 What is the Ethics Committee?

The Ethics Committee is a parliamentary committee that looks into the ethical conduct and behavior of Members of Parliament (MPs).
It ensures that MPs maintain high standards of morality and do not misuse their position.

📜 Background and History:

  • First set up: 2000 (in Lok Sabha), after being recommended by the Presiding Officers Conference in 1996.

  • Rajya Sabha Ethics Committee: Formed earlier in 1997 as a permanent committee.

  • Lok Sabha version: Was ad hoc (temporary) at first; became a permanent committee in 2015.

⚙️ Functions of the Ethics Committee:

  1. Monitor the moral and ethical conduct of MPs.

  2. Examine complaints against MPs regarding:

    • Corruption

    • Misuse of position

    • Undignified or improper behavior

  3. Suggest punishments or disciplinary action.

  4. Advise MPs on code of conduct and ethical standards.

  5. Protect the dignity of Parliament.

🧾 Powers of the Committee:

  • Can summon MPs, demand documents, and question witnesses.

  • Can recommend actions like:

    • Warning

    • Suspension

    • Expulsion (in extreme cases)

  • But: Final decision lies with the House (Lok Sabha), not the committee itself.

👥 Composition:

  • Appointed by the Speaker of Lok Sabha.

  • Usually consists of 15 members from various parties.

  • Chairperson: A senior MP appointed by the Speaker.

📌 Important Principle:

The committee works on the principle of non-interference with matters that are purely legal or sub-judice — but can take up a case if it involves ethical misconduct, even if it's also being heard in court.

📚 Recent Example: Mahua Moitra Case (2023)

  • Accused of sharing parliamentary login with a businessman and accepting gifts.

  • Case also filed in court (sub-judice).

  • But Ethics Committee still took it up because it involved ethical misconduct as an MP.

  • Committee recommended expulsion, and the Lok Sabha voted to expel her.

🧠 Difference from Privileges Committee:

Ethics Committee Privileges Committee
Looks at ethical conduct of MPs Looks at breach of parliamentary privileges
Deals with personal behavior, corruption, etc. Deals with obstruction to MPs’ functioning or disrespect to Parliament

✍️ Summary for Revision:

  • Set up in Lok Sabha: 2000, permanent from 2015.

  • Looks at MPs' moral and ethical conduct.

  • Can act even if matter is in court, if it's about ethics.

  • Cannot punish directly – only recommends to Lok Sabha.

  • Recent example: Mahua Moitra case.

📌 Important Principle: Ethics Committee & Sub-Judice Matters

  • The Ethics Committee generally avoids matters under judicial consideration (sub-judice), as a matter of convention and respect for the judiciary.

  • However, if the matter involves the ethical conduct of an MP, the committee can take it up even if the courts are also examining related issues.

🔍 💡 Easy Analogy to Understand This: School vs. Court

🎓 Imagine This:

  • You are in a school.

  • There’s a discipline committee in the school.

  • There’s also the police outside the school.

Now, suppose a student is caught stealing.

👮‍♂️ What does the police do?

  • Checks if a crime happened.

  • Decides if the student should be punished by law.

🎓 What does the school do?

  • Looks at whether the student broke school rules.

  • Can punish the student for misbehavior, even if the police are still investigating.

🏛️ Now Think of the Lok Sabha:

  • Court = Like the police
    (checks for crime or legality)

  • Ethics Committee = Like the school discipline committee
    (checks for ethics, morality, and MP behavior)

✅ Even if the matter is in court, the Ethics Committee can act if the MP's ethical conduct is in question.

📚 Example in Real Life: Mahua Moitra Case (2023)

  • Accused of sharing her Parliament login and accepting gifts.

  • Case filed in court (sub-judice).

  • Ethics Committee still investigated because it involved misuse of MP privileges and ethical misconduct.

  • Recommended expulsion, which was later accepted by the Lok Sabha.

🔑 Conclusion:

The court checks if the law is broken. The Ethics Committee checks if the dignity of Parliament is upheld.
That’s why both can work at the same time, on different aspects of the same issue.

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