Current Context: June 2025 marks 75 years since the Committee on Estimates was formed in 1950, celebrated by a national conference in Mumbai presided over by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla.

ABOUT COMMITTEE ON ESTIMATES

• Established: 1950 under Lok Sabha’s Rules of Procedure.
• Composition: 30 Lok Sabha members elected annually via proportional representation; ministers ineligible.
• Chairperson: Appointed by the Lok Sabha Speaker for a one-year term.
• Functions:
  •  Review budget estimates for economy and efficiency
  • Suggest alternative policies and improvements
  • Recommend format of parliamentary estimates
  • Submit reports to Lok Sabha; ministries must respond within 6 months.
• Significance: Largest financial oversight committee; has submitted over 1,000 reports influencing public policy in sectors like EVs, health, and defence.