Om Birla's bulletin on Wednesday surprised the parliament, naming Javed Ali Khan and James Pangsang Kongkal Sangma as special invitees to the Joint Parliamentary Committee on the FCRA Bill. The move is unprecedented, as the rules usually keep members outside the committee from speaking or sitting at the table.
Rule 299 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in Lok Sabha permits non‑select‑committee MPs to attend deliberations but bars them from addressing the panel. Achari explained that special invitees can sit alongside officials, but not with the committee members, to bring subject‑matter expertise to the discussion.
The 31‑member JPC, convened earlier this month, already includes 21 Lok Sabha MPs and 10 Rajya Sabha MPs. It was formed after Parliament referred the FCRA Amendment Bill to a joint body amid opposition calls for its withdrawal.
BJP‑led JPC, headed by Sanjay Jaiswal, will hold its first meeting Friday, and is expected to scrutinise every clause before delivering its report to Parliament. The bill's fate now hinges on the committee's findings and the broader debate on foreign funding in India.