Committee on Public Undertakings

The Committee on Public Undertakings (COPU) is one of the three principal financial committees of the Indian Parliament, alongside the Public Accounts Committee and the Estimates Committee. It was constituted in 1964 on the recommendation of the Krishna Menon Committee, which had been set up to examine the procedure of parliamentary control over public enterprises. The Committee functions under Rule 312A of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Lok Sabha. At its inception it had 15 members, but its strength was raised to 22 in 1974 — 15 drawn from the Lok Sabha and 7 from the Rajya Sabha. Members are elected annually by the principle of proportional representation through the single transferable vote, ensuring representation of various parties. A minister cannot be a member, and if a member is appointed a minister, they cease to be on the Committee. The term of office is one year.

The mandate of COPU, as defined in the rules, is fourfold: to examine the reports and accounts of public undertakings; to examine the reports of the Comptroller and Auditor-General (CAG) on public undertakings; to examine, in the context of autonomy and efficiency, whether the affairs of public undertakings are being managed in accordance with sound business principles and prudent commercial practices; and to exercise such functions of the Estimates Committee and Public Accounts Committee in relation to public undertakings as are allotted to it. Crucially, the rules bar the Committee from examining matters of major government policy, day-to-day administration, and matters reserved for specific statutory bodies. The Committee scrutinises enterprises such as the LIC, ONGC, SAIL and others listed in its schedule, and in this it relies heavily on the audit reports prepared by the CAG, who serves as its 'friend, philosopher and guide.'

The chairperson of COPU is appointed by the Speaker of the Lok Sabha from among its members; if a Rajya Sabha member is elected, they cannot be chairperson, mirroring the convention of the Public Accounts Committee. The Committee can examine only a limited number of public undertakings in a year owing to its workload, which has been a recurring criticism — as has the absence of expert and technical staff, leading to reliance on generalists. Its recommendations are advisory and not binding on the government, though they carry persuasive weight. As of 2026 the Committee continues to table reports on the functioning of major central public sector enterprises, and successive Administrative Reforms Commission recommendations to strengthen its technical capacity remain only partly implemented.

For the UPSC examination, COPU appears in the General Studies Paper II (Indian Polity and Governance) and is a staple of prelims factual questions. Candidates are commonly tested on its composition (22 members, 15 Lok Sabha + 7 Rajya Sabha), the year of creation (1964), the Krishna Menon Committee origin, the bar on ministers and on examining policy matters, and its distinction from the PAC and Estimates Committee. Mains answers should situate it within the framework of parliamentary financial control and accountability of the executive.