New Delhi, August 18, 2026 : The 18th Lok Sabha has witnessed a significant increase in the number of bills being referred to Joint Parliamentary Committees (JPCs), with nine bills already sent to joint panels since the present House was constituted in 2024.
The latest to join the list is the Foreign Contributions (Regulation) Amendment Bill, which has become the 17th draft law referred to a joint committee by the Narendra Modi government since 2014, according to available parliamentary data.
Sharp Rise in the 18th Lok Sabha
The increase is particularly notable when compared with previous Lok Sabhas. During both the 16th and 17th Lok Sabhas, four bills each were referred to joint committees.
By contrast, nine bills have been referred to joint panels during the current 18th Lok Sabha so far.
The 17 bills referred since 2014 have resulted in 14 separate joint committee exercises, as some related or companion bills were examined together.
What Are Companion Bills?
Companion bills are separate pieces of legislation introduced to achieve a common or closely connected objective.
For instance, the proposed framework for simultaneous elections to the Lok Sabha and state assemblies was accompanied by another bill aimed at extending the proposed legal framework to Delhi, Puducherry and Jammu and Kashmir, the three Union Territories with legislative assemblies.
Both bills were referred together for examination.
Major Bills Referred During 18th Lok Sabha
Several politically and legislatively significant bills have been sent to joint committees during the current Lok Sabha, including:
- Waqf (Amendment) Bill
- Two One Nation, One Election Bills
- Three bills concerning removal of ministers upon detention
- Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan Bill
- Corporate Laws (Amendment) Bill
- Foreign Contributions (Regulation) Amendment Bill
The growing use of joint committees highlights the increased parliamentary scrutiny being applied to several major legislative proposals.
Record of Modi Government Since 2014
During the first two terms of the Modi government, four bills in each Lok Sabha were referred to Joint Parliamentary Committees.
According to data available from the Lok Sabha website and PRS India, some of these bills subsequently became law, while others were withdrawn or lapsed.
How Joint Parliamentary Committees Work
Joint committees comprising members of both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha are constituted to examine specific bills in detail. Similar scrutiny can also be undertaken by select committees of either House.
These committees examine the provisions of proposed legislation, hear stakeholders and experts where required, deliberate on the issues involved and submit their recommendations to Parliament.
Once a committee submits its report, the committee is generally disbanded, with the final decision on the legislation resting with Parliament.
The sharp rise in referrals during the 18th Lok Sabha underscores the growing role of parliamentary committees in examining complex and consequential legislation before Parliament takes a final view.
