In the Indian Parliament, which of the following committees is normally chaired by a prominent member of the opposition and acts as a key financial watchdog?

Introduction / Context:
This question tests your knowledge of the parliamentary committee system in India, especially the role played by opposition parties in ensuring accountability of the executive. Among the various committees, certain financial committees have traditionally been chaired by opposition members in order to strengthen checks and balances. Understanding which committee has this conventionally recognised opposition chair helps you better appreciate the practice of parliamentary oversight over government expenditure.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The focus is on parliamentary committees of the Indian Parliament.
• The question asks which committee is normally headed by a prominent member of the opposition.
• The options include different standing committees: Committee on Government Assurances, Estimates Committee, Privileges Committee, and Public Accounts Committee.
• You are expected to know the conventional leadership pattern of these bodies.

Concept / Approach:
Parliamentary committees are smaller groups of Members of Parliament formed to deal with specific areas in detail. Among them, the Public Accounts Committee is one of the key financial committees that examines the accounts of the union government and the reports of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India. To make this scrutiny more impartial and effective, it has become a well established convention that the chairperson of the Public Accounts Committee is from the opposition. This helps ensure that public expenditure is examined critically and that the ruling party does not dominate financial oversight.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall the three main financial committees of Parliament: Estimates Committee, Public Accounts Committee, and Committee on Public Undertakings.Step 2: Remember that the Public Accounts Committee examines audit reports and government accounts in depth.Step 3: Note the important convention that the chairperson of the Public Accounts Committee is usually from the opposition to promote non partisan scrutiny.Step 4: Compare this with other committees listed in the options, which do not have the same strong convention of opposition chairmanship.Step 5: Conclude that the committee normally chaired by a prominent member of the opposition is the Public Accounts Committee.

Verification / Alternative check:
You can verify this by recalling news reports or standard polity books that highlight the Public Accounts Committee whenever major audit findings or financial irregularities are discussed. The media often mentions that the committee is headed by an opposition Member of Parliament, emphasizing its role as a watchdog. Additionally, the Estimates Committee is typically chaired by a ruling party member, and the Committee on Public Undertakings may be led by either side, but the most consistent and visible convention of an opposition chair is with the Public Accounts Committee. This supports the selection of the correct option.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
The Committee on Government Assurances primarily tracks whether assurances given by ministers on the floor of the house are fulfilled; it is not associated with a strict convention of an opposition chair. The Estimates Committee analyzes budget estimates and suggests improvements, but its chairperson is generally from the ruling party, not necessarily from the opposition. The Privileges Committee focuses on matters of privilege and conduct of members and again does not have a fixed rule of opposition leadership. Therefore, none of these committees match the specific description given in the question.

Common Pitfalls:
A common mistake is to confuse the roles of different financial committees or to assume that any high profile committee may have an opposition chair. Another pitfall is to focus on the word estimates or assurances and think they imply strong oversight, but the key phrase in the question is normally chaired by a prominent member of the opposition. Whenever you see this phrasing in exam questions on Indian Parliament, you should immediately think of the Public Accounts Committee as the most accurate match.

Final Answer:
In the Indian Parliament the Public Accounts Committee is normally chaired by a prominent member of the opposition.