Ravi Shankar Prasad takes charge as chair of Lok Sabha privileges committee

The Privileges Committee of the 18th Lok Sabha has been officially constituted, with BJP leader and former Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad nominated as its chairperson by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla . The panel, which plays a key role in safeguarding parliamentary privileges , comprises 14 other members from various parties, including Congress, DMK, TMC, Shiv Sena, SP, and BJP.

The Privileges Committee is tasked with protecting the rights and privileges of Parliament and its members . It examines any alleged breach of privilege , determines if a violation has occurred, and recommends appropriate actions to ensure that MPs can perform their duties freely while maintaining the decorum and accountability of the House .

The other members include Brijmohan Agrawal, T R Baalu, Kalyan Banerjee, Shrirang Appa Barne, Ramvir Singh Bidhuri, Sangeeta Kumari Singh Deo, Jagdambika Pal, Trivendra Singh Rawat, Jagadish Shettar, Arvind Sawant, Dharmendra Yadav, Tariq Anwar, Manish Tewari, and Manickam Tagore. However, Tagore, a Congress MP, confirmed he would not attend the committee meeting, stating, “I am suspended . I can't attend the committee meeting.”

Tagore, along with seven other opposition MPs, was suspended for the entire Budget session last month due to “unruly behaviour” in the House. The second phase of the Budget session is scheduled from March 9 to April 2 , and the committee is expected to play a significant role in reviewing privilege-related issues during this period.

This marks the first constitution of the Privileges Committee in the 18th Lok Sabha, highlighting the parliamentary mechanism’s continued effort to uphold legislative discipline and accountability.