India's department-related Parliamentary Standing Committees have been reconstituted with effect from 26 September 2026 for the year 2026-27, according to a Rajya Sabha Parliamentary Bulletin issued on Saturday, 3 October 2026. The reconstitution covers 24 committees spanning key policy domains from defence and finance to science, agriculture, and external affairs.

Key Appointments and Chairpersons

Among the notable appointments, Shashi Tharoor has been named Chairman of the Committee on External Affairs, while Bhartruhari Mahtab takes charge of the Committee on Finance. Anurag Singh Thakur has been appointed Chairman of the Committee on Coal, Mines and Steel, and Nishikant Dubey will chair the Committee on Communications and Information Technology.

Rahul Gandhi figures among the members of the Committee on Defence, chaired by Radha Mohan Singh. The Committee on Home Affairs includes Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Derek O'Brien among its members and is chaired by Radha Mohan Das Agrawal. Mukul Wasnik has been appointed Chairman of the Committee on Education, Women, Children, Youth and Sports, and Ram Gopal Yadav will head the Committee on Health and Family Welfare.

Full Committee-Wise Breakdown

The Committee on Commerce, chaired by Sudhanshu Trivedi, draws members from both Houses, including Nishikant Dubey and Baijayant Panda from Lok Sabha. The Committee on Industry is chaired by Tiruchi Siva, with Parshottambhai Rupala and Konda Vishweshwar Reddy among its Lok Sabha members.

The Committee on Science and Technology, Environment, Forests and Climate Change is chaired by Medha Vishram Kulkarni and includes Jairam Ramesh from Rajya Sabha and Akhilesh Yadav and Tejasvi Surya from Lok Sabha. The Committee on Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Food Processing is chaired by Charanjit Singh Channi, while Sanjay Kumar Jha heads the Committee on Transport, Tourism and Culture.

Kanimozhi Karunanidhi has been appointed Chairperson of the Committee on Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, and Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar chairs the Committee on Chemicals and Fertilizers. The Committee on Personnel, Public Grievances, Law and Justice is chaired by Sujeet Kumar, and the Committee on Energy by Shrirang Appa Chandu Barne.

The Committee on Housing and Urban Affairs is chaired by Magunta Sreenivasulu Reddy, the Committee on Labour, Textiles and Skill Development by Shashank Mani, and the Committee on Petroleum and Natural Gas by Tatkare Sunil Dattatrey. Sudheer Gupta chairs the Committee on Railways, Saptagiri Sankar Ulaka heads Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, P. C. Mohan chairs Social Justice and Empowerment, and Rajiv Pratap Rudy heads the Committee on Water Resources.

Role and Mandate of the Committees

Parliamentary Standing Committees are permanent legislative bodies that scrutinise government ministries and departments, examine budget demands, review legislation, and submit detailed reports to both Houses of Parliament. They function year-round — even when Parliament is not in session — and serve as a critical accountability mechanism between the executive and legislature.

This is a routine annual reconstitution, carried out at the start of each parliamentary year. Notably, several committees carry vacant seats, indicating that nominations for those positions are still pending from the respective parties or Houses.

What Happens Next

The reconstituted committees are expected to begin work on subjects related to their respective ministries and departments immediately, with reports to be submitted to both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha during 2026-27. Committee sittings will be scheduled in the weeks ahead, with ministry officials and stakeholders expected to depose before the panels on priority legislative and policy matters.