India’s lower house of parliament, the Lok Sabha, shook things up on Wednesday by revamping several key standing committees and setting up two new select committees. This move keeps the wheels of legislative oversight turning smoothly as lawmakers dive into critical issues like defense, finance, and economic reforms.
Prominent faces from the opposition got key spots too. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi joined the Committee on Defence, while his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra landed on the Committee on Home Affairs. Veteran P. Chidambaram will serve on the Committee on Finance, and Jairam Ramesh takes a role in the Committee on Science and Technology, Environment, Forests, and Climate Change.
The Lok Sabha also kept some familiar leaders in charge. Congress MP Shashi Tharoor stays as chairman of the External Affairs Committee, and DMK’s Kanimozhi Karunanidhi holds onto her post leading the Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution committee. Other chairpersons include PC Mohan for Social Justice and Empowerment, Anurag Thakur for Coal, Mines, and Steel; Saptagiri Sankar for Rural Development and Panchayati Raj; Kirti Azad Jha for Chemicals and Fertilizers; Rajiv Pratap Rudy for Water Resources; Magunta Sreenivasulu Reddy for Housing and Urban Affairs; CM Ramesh for Railways; Sunil Tatkare for Petroleum and Natural Gas; Basavaraj Bommai for Labour, Textiles, and Skill Development; Bhartruhari Mahtab for Finance; Shrirang Appa Chandu Barne for Energy; Radha Mohan Singh for Defence; Nishikant Dubey for Communications and Information Technology; and Charanjit Singh Channi for Agriculture, Animal Husbandry, and Food Processing.
In a big step for business reforms, the Lok Sabha formed a select committee for the Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Bill, 2025, led by Tejasvi Surya. Another select committee, headed by Baijayant Panda, will scrutinize the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (Amendment) Bill, 2025. These panels will dig deep into the bills, offering recommendations to make laws more practical.
Parliamentary committees like these get refreshed every year. They play a vital role by reviewing bills, submitting reports to the house, and pushing policy ideas on everything from environment to economy.
Take the Jan Vishwas Bill, for instance. Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal brought it to the Lok Sabha on August 18, and the Speaker quickly sent it to the select committee. This bill builds on the 2023 Jan Vishwas Act, which already decriminalized 183 minor offenses across 42 central laws to boost the ease of doing business. The new version targets 16 more central acts under 10 ministries, tweaking 355 provisions in total—288 to remove criminal penalties for small issues and 67 to simplify everyday life for citizens.
On the insolvency front, the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (Amendment) Bill aims to streamline India’s bankruptcy system under the 2016 IBC law. It introduces fresh ideas like a Creditor-Initiated Insolvency Resolution Process (CIIRP) and tweaks to speed up resolutions and liquidations, helping companies recover faster during tough times.
These updates show how India’s parliament is focusing on practical reforms to support businesses and everyday folks alike.
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