What is JPC

Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC)

• it is one type of ad hoc Parliamentary committee.   (ad hoc = it is for temporary purpose for short time committee or It generally signifies a solution designed for a specific problem or task, non-generalizable, and not intended to be able to be adapted to other purposes)
• constituted by the Indian parliament.

JPC FORMATION
Joint Parliamentary Committee is formed by two way

1)when motion is adopted by one house and it is supported or agreed by the other house.

2)Another way to form a Joint Parliamentary committee is that two presiding chiefs of both houses can write to each other, communicate with each other and form the joint parliamentary committee.

Members

• The strength of a JPC may be different each time.
• members are from both ruling and opposition parties.
• The Lok Sabha members are double compared to Rajya Sabha.

Powers

• A JPC can obtain evidence of experts, public bodies, associations, individuals or interested parties suo motu or on requests made by them.
• The JPC can take oral and written evidence or call for documents in connection with a matter under its consideration.
• Ministers are not generally called by the committees to give evidence. However, in case of the Irregularities in Securities and Banking Transactions probe again, an exception was made, with the JPC, with the permission of the Speaker, seeking information on certain point from ministers.
• The government may withhold or decline to produce a document if it is considered prejudicial to the safety or interest of State.
• The Speaker has the final word on any dispute over calling for evidence against a person or production of a document.

JPC's so far
1) Bofors scandal (1987)

• The first JPC was formed in August 1987
•  B. Shankaranand. 
•  report was rejected by the Opposition.

2) Harshad Mehta Stock market scam (1992)

• The second JPC was formed in August 1992. 
• It was headed by former Union minister and senior Congress leader Ram Niwas Mirdha.
• The recommendations of the JPC were neither accepted in full nor implemented.

3) Parekh share market scam (2001)

• The third JPC was formed in April 2001.
• Lt Gen Prakash Mani Tripathi (retd) was named the chairman.

4) Soft drink pesticide issue (2003)

• The fourth JPC was set up in August 2003
• It was headed by Sharad Pawar.

5) 2G spectrum scam (2011)

• The fifth JPC has been constituted in February 2011
• It is headed by P.C. Chacko. 

6) VVIP Chopper scam (2013)

• The Government has moved a motion in the Rajya Sabha on February 27,2013, which was adopted by voice vote-for formation of a JPC "to inquire into the allegations of payment of bribes in the acquisition of VVIP helicopters by the Ministry of Defence from M/s Agusta Westland and the role of alleged middlemen in the transaction." 
• The JPC will have 10 members from the Rajya Sabha and 20 from the Lok Sabha and shall give its report within three months of its first sitting.

criticism on JPC

• it is not time bound so it consumes time
• many times report doesn't accepted
• many times a clash between rulling party and opposition party takes place for the calling of Ministers or Prime Minister before the JPC