With reference to the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) and the recent hearing, consider the following statements: 1. The matter was reported to the Speaker of the Lok Sabha. 2. The PAC chairperson is K.C. Venugopal. 3. The committee ruled that the absence of Chief Secretaries from five states constituted a breach of privilege. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

PAC chairperson seeks action against 6 state Chief Secretaries for missing hearing

GS2Polity · Governance · IR· Parliament & state legislatures· Mains· 24 October 2026

Parliamentary oversight and breach of privilege: a key GS2 topic on executive accountability.

Why in news

The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) chairperson sought action against Chief Secretaries of six states for missing a hearing regarding scholarship irregularities.

Background

K.C. Venugopal, chairperson of the Public Accounts Committee, wrote to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on October 22. The committee ruled that the absence of Chief Secretaries from Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Punjab, Odisha, Bihar, and Madhya Pradesh constituted a breach of privilege.

Facts for Prelims

PostK.C. Venugopal: Chairperson of the Public Accounts Committee.
PostOm Birla: Speaker of the Lok Sabha.
FactSix states involved: Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Punjab, Odisha, Bihar, and Madhya Pradesh.

Prelims practice question

With reference to the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) and the recent hearing, consider the following statements:

The matter was reported to the Speaker of the Lok Sabha.
The PAC chairperson is K.C. Venugopal.
The committee ruled that the absence of Chief Secretaries from five states constituted a breach of privilege.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a)3 only
(b)1 and 2 only
(c)2 and 3 only
(d)1, 2 and 3

Show answer

Answer: (b) 1 and 2 only — Statements 1 and 2 are correct. Statement 3 is incorrect: The committee ruled that the absence of Chief Secretaries from six states constituted a breach of privilege.

For Mains

Q. Examine the role of the Public Accounts Committee in ensuring executive accountability and the implications of 'breach of privilege' in parliamentary oversight.

Dimensions to cover in your answer

Accountability gap: Lack of mandatory attendance protocols for state executives in parliamentary committee hearings
Institutional friction: Balancing state executive autonomy with the oversight powers of central parliamentary committees

Keywords: Parliamentary Oversight · Breach of Privilege · Executive Accountability · Public Accounts Committee · Administrative Transparency

Read the full news →Report a mistake in this note How notes are made Source: The Hindu ↗Also: GS2 · Role of civil services Also: GS2 · Transparency, accountability & RTI

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