State Committee of the Soviet Union

A USSR State Committee was a central government body within the Government of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. Unlike a ministry, which was responsible for the management of the country's economic and social resources within a particular field of development or activity, a state committee was acting on an inter-agency level.
State committees were not directly subordinate to the Soviet Government—rather the heads of state committees (along with ministers) formed the government (cabinet) such as the Council of People's Commissars (1922–1946), Council of Ministers (1946–1991) or the Cabinet of Ministers (1991).