Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has retained his position as a member of the Parliament’s Standing Committee on Defence, a role he previously held in the last Lok Sabha. The news comes as Bollywood actor-turned-politician Kangana Ranaut makes her debut as a parliamentarian on the committee for Information Technology (IT), as per a notification issued by the Rajya Sabha Secretariat on Thursday.
The Defence Committee will be chaired by BJP MP Radha Mohan Singh, while Rahul Gandhi, who also serves as the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, will continue to play a key role in shaping discussions on national security and defence policies. The Congress party has been assigned the leadership of four standing committees, including External Affairs, which will be chaired by Shashi Tharoor.
Other prominent Congress leaders appointed to committee chairs include Digvijaya Singh, who will lead the Education, Women, Children, Youth, and Sports Committee, and Charanjit Channi, who will head the Agriculture, Animal Husbandry, and Food Processing Committee. Saptagiri Sankar Ulaka will chair the Rural and Panchayati Raj Committee.
Meanwhile, Kangana Ranaut’s appointment to the IT Committee marks her entry into active parliamentary duties. The IT committee, which oversees matters related to digital technology, cyber security, and communications, will be chaired by BJP MP Nishikant Dubey. In a previous session, Dubey replaced Shashi Tharoor as the committee head following a heated debate over Facebook’s handling of hate speech on its platform.
The ruling BJP will chair several key committees, including Defence, Finance, Home, and Coal, Mines, and Steel. Radha Mohan Das Agrawal will lead the Home Affairs Committee, while Bhartruhari Mahtab, who previously served as Pro-Tem Speaker, will chair the prestigious Standing Committee on Finance.
Notably, several leaders from Maharashtra, including those from the Shiv Sena faction led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and the NCP group of Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, have been appointed to lead committees on Energy and Petroleum and Natural Gas, respectively. This comes as the state prepares for crucial assembly elections later this year.
The Standing Committees, often referred to as ‘mini parliaments’, comprise members from both the Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha and play a pivotal role in scrutinizing the functioning of various ministries. The composition of these committees reflects a balance of power and representation across party lines, ensuring that diverse perspectives are brought to the table.
As new members like Kangana Ranaut step into their roles, it will be interesting to see how they contribute to the ongoing policy discussions and debates in their respective committees.
