Q. According to the Constitution of India, it is the duty of the President of India to cause to be laid before the Parliament which of the following? - The Recommendations of the Union Finance Commission
- The Report of the Public Accounts Committee
- The Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General
- The Report of the National Commission for Scheduled Castes
Select the correct answer using the codes given below: (UPSC Prelims 2012)
Answer:
1, 3 and 4 only
Notes: The correct answer is
[C] 1, 3 and 4 only. Under the Constitution of India, the President acts as the medium through which specific constitutional reports are presented to the Parliament for oversight.Why statements 1, 3, and 4 are correct:
- Union Finance Commission (Statement 1): Under Article 281, the President is constitutionally required to lay the recommendations made by the Finance Commission, along with an explanatory memorandum on the action taken, before each House of Parliament.
- Comptroller and Auditor General (Statement 3): According to Article 151, the reports of the CAG relating to the accounts of the Union are submitted to the President, who then causes them to be laid before each House of Parliament.
- National Commission for Scheduled Castes (Statement 4): Under Article 338(6), the Commission submits an annual report to the President. The President causes all such reports to be laid before each House of Parliament along with a memorandum explaining the action taken or proposed to be taken on the recommendations. (Similar provisions exist for the NCST under Article 338A and the NCBC under Article 338B).
Why statement 2 is incorrect:
- Public Accounts Committee (Statement 2): The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) is a Parliamentary Committee. Its Chairperson is appointed by the Speaker of the Lok Sabha. The PAC examines the CAG reports after they have been laid before Parliament. The PAC submits its own findings and reports directly to the Speaker of the Lok Sabha (or the House), not to the President. Therefore, the President has no role in "causing it to be laid" before the Parliament.
Reports Laid by the President:| Report/Body | Constitutional Article |
| Union Finance Commission | Article 281 |
| Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) | Article 151 |
| National Commission for SCs / STs | Articles 338 / 338A |
| Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) | Article 323 |
| Special Officer for Linguistic Minorities | Article 350B |