Ethics Committee of Rajya Sabha:
The Ethics Committee, Rajya Sabha, the first such Committee by any legislature in India was constituted by the Chairman, Rajya Sabha on 4 March 1997.
The committee was inaugurated by the then Vice-President of India and the Chairman of Rajya Sabha, Shri K.R. Narayanan, on 30 May 1997.
Purpose: To oversee the moral and ethical conduct of the Members and to examine the cases
referred to it with reference to ethical and other misconduct of Members.
It was provided that in all respects of procedure and other matters, the rules applicable t othe Committee of Privileges shall apply to the Ethics Committee with such variations and modifications as the Chairman, Rajya Sabha may, from time to time, make.
Ethics Committee, Rajya Sabha consists of ten members, including its Chairman, who are nominated by the Chairman, Rajya Sabha.
Chairman of the Committee is from the largest party in the House. Other members normally are the Leaders, Deputy Leaders/Chief Whips of their parties/groups in Rajya Sabha.
Ethics Committee of Lok Sabha:
In the case of Lok Sabha, a study group of the house committee of privileges in 1997 recommended the constitution of an Ethics committee, but it could not be taken up by Lok Sabha.
The Committee of Privileges finally recommended the constitution of an Ethics Committee during the 13th Lok Sabha.
The late Speaker, G M C Balayogi, constituted an ad hoc Ethics Committee in 2000, which became a permanent part of the House only in 2015.
In the Lok Sabha, both the privileges and the ethics panel come under the same branch. While the privileges committee looks into complaints raised by MPs against officials, the media or other MPs, the ethics panel handles common citizens' complaints against lawmakers.
The members of the Ethics Committee are appointed by the speaker for a period of one year and strength is 15 members.
Any Indian citizen can file a complaint against a lawmaker. But, in 2014, rule was then modified to the extent that a complaint had to be submitted to the panel through a lawmaker.
If the panel recommends any punitive action, a motion is brought to the House based on the proposal, and it is voted upon.
The work of the Ethics Committee and the Privileges Committee often overlap. An allegation of corruption against an MP can be sent to either body, but usually more serious accusations go to the Privileges Committee.
In case privileges committee a Non-MP too can be accused of privilege, The Ethics Committee can take up only cases of misconduct that involve MPs.