Joint Parliamentary Commission (JPC ) & Public Accounts Committee (PAC

What is JPC?

Joint Parliamentary Commission or JPC is a type of ad hoc parliamentary Committee constituted by Indian Parliament.Its work involves inquiry of specific subject.The members in JPC are either elected by the Houses or nominated by the presiding officers.It is a much more serious and far reaching body, which is set up to investigate and bring to light any issue in its entirety. JPC has been instituted only 4 times since Independence and recenlty, the 5th time in the 2G scam.

The jurisdiction under JPC is an all-encompassing gauntlet which enables it to investigate, probe, and obtain evidence from experts, public bodies, private enterprises, individuals and other parties suo motu or on requests made by them.A failure to heed by a JPC directive, amounts to contempt of the Parliament.

JPC is far more independent in nature and can take oral and written evidence into account, its proceedings are confidential in nature. a State can decide to also withold the reports of a probe if it decides that its harmful for the interests of the State. The Speaker holds the final word in calling of evidence against a person or production of a document.

What is PAC?

Public Accounts Committee or PAC is a standing parliamentary committee constituted every year with 15 members of the Lower House and 7 members of the Upper House to look into the "accounts and expenditure" of the government.

It in effect serves as a watchdog of public accounts for the government. Its jurisdiction brings into ambit, the questions/issues relating to :

* whether the fund earmarked for expenditure exists or not.

* the reasons or justification of any overpayment or underdisbursal of funds relating to any scheme

* that every appropriation is made according to the provisions made about