Saturday, November 9, 2013

Administrative Reforms Commission


The Administrative Reforms Commission (ARC) is the committee appointed by the Government of India to give recommendations for reforming the Indian public administration system. India has had two ARCs so far, the first ARC was constituted in 1966 and the second in 2005. A brief description of each of them is as follows:
First Administrative Reforms Commission -1966

The First Administrative Reforms Commission (ARC), as a Commission of Inquiry, was set up by the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India by resolution no. 40/3/65-AR (P) dated 5 January 1966.
The Commission was mandated to consider the need for ensuring the highest standards of efficiency and integrity in the public services, and for making public administration a fit instrument for carrying out the social and economic policies of the Government and achieving social and economic goals of development, as one which is responsive to the people.
Ten key areas, the Commission was required to addresses are the following
  1. The machinery of the Government of India and its procedures or work
  2. The machinery for planning at all levels
  3. Centre- State relationships
  4. Financial administration
  5. Personnel administration
  6. Economic administration
  7. Administration at the State level
  8. District administration
  9. Agricultural administration and
  10. Problems of redress of citizens grievances
Constituent members

The First Administrative Reforms Commission was initially Chaired by Morarji R Desai, MP, and later on K.Hunmanthaiya, M.P became its chairman when Morarji R Desai, MP, became the Deputy Prime Minister of India.
Members of the Commission:
  1. K. Hunmanthaiya, M.P
  2. H.C. Mathur,M.P.
  3. G.S. Pathak, M.P
  4. H.V. Kamath, M.P.
  5. V. Shankar, I.C.S., Member Secretary
The Commission was empowered to devise its own procedures, appoint Committees and Advisors to assist it. The Commission had set up 20 Study Teams, 13 Working Groups, and one Task Force. The working groups made detailed studies of specific agencies and organizations such as Customs & Central Excise, Post & Telegraphs, Life Insurance, Income Tax, Police and Developmental Control and regulatory organizations.
Recommendations

The Commission submitted 20 reports in all before winding up in mid-1970s.
Following are the list of reports prepared by the First ARC:
  1. Problems of Redress of Citizens Grievances (Interim)
  2. Machinery for Planning
  3. Public Sector Undertakings
  4. Finance, Accounts & Audit
  5. Machinery for Planning (Final)
  6. Economic Administration
  7. The Machinery of GOI and its procedures of work
  8. Life Insurance Administration
  9. Central Direct Taxes Administration
  10. Administration of UTs & NEFA
  11. Personnel Administration
  12. Delegation of Financial & Administrative Powers
  13. Center-State Relationships
  14. State Administration
  15. Small Scale Sector
  16. Railways
  17. Treasuries
  18. Reserve Bank of India
  19. Posts and Telegraphs
  20. Scientific Departments
The above 20 reports contained 537 major recommendations. Based on inputs received from various administrative Ministries, a report indicating implementation position was placed before the Parliament in November 1977.

Second Administrative Reforms Commission -2005

The Second Administrative Reforms Commission was set up on 31st August, 2005 by the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, Government of India as a Commission of Inquiry vide a Government of India resolution. The Commission was to prepare a detailed blueprint for revamping the public administration system in India. The main mandate of the Commission was to suggest measures "to achieve a proactive, responsive, accountable, sustainable and efficient administration for the country at all levels of the government".
A list of thirteen key areas the Commission was required to address are the following:
  1. Organizational structure of the Govt. of India
  2. Ethics in Governance
  3. Refurbishing of Personnel Administration
  4. Strengthening of Financial Management Systems
  5. Steps to ensure effective administration at the State level
  6. Steps to ensure effective District Administration
  7. Local Self-Government/Panchayati Raj Institutions
  8. Social Capital, Trust and participative service delivery
  9. Citizen Centric Administration
  10. Promoting e-governance
  11. Issues of Federal Polity
  12. Crisis Management
  13. Public Order
Constituent members

The 2nd ARC was initially set up under the Chairmanship of Mr. Veerappa Moily, who resigned with effect from 1st April 2009. He is succeeded by V. Ramachandran.
Members of the Commission:
  1. V. Ramachandran - Chairperson
  2. Dr. A.P. Mukherjee - Member
  3. Dr. A.H. Kalro - Member
  4. Dr. Jayaprakash Narayan- Member (resigned on 1st September 2007)
  5. Vineeta Rai - Member-Secretary
The Commission devised its own procedures for consultations with public hearings, deliberations with stakeholders and detailed discussions with different departments and state governments. Eminent National Institutions and experts/advisors have been roped in to carry out studies of the subject. Apart from these, the Commission also took into account the existing material and reports available on the subject from the Ministries and Departments of the Government of India.

Recommendations

A set of fifteen reports have been prepared by the Commission from 2006-09 for Government’s consideration. The recommendations were first considered by the concerned departments, whose views were then considered by the Core Group on Administrative Reforms (CGAR) headed by the Cabinet Secretary. These were placed before the Group of Ministers (GoM ) after the CGAR finished the examination of all the fifteen reports. GoM has finished the examination of twelve reports so far (as of December 2009).
Following are the list of reports prepared by the Second ARC:

  1. Right to Information-Master Key to Good Governance (09.06.2006)
  2. Unlocking Human Capital - Entitlements and Governance-a Case Study (31.07.2006)
  3. Crisis Management-From Despair to Hope (31.10.2006)
  4. Ethics in Governance (12.02.2007)
  5. Public Order-Justice for each..... peace for all (25.06.2007)
  6. Local Governance[1][2] (27.11.2007)
  7. Capacity Building for Conflict Resolution - Friction to Fusion (17.3.2008)
  8. Combating Terrorism (17.9.2008)
  9. Social Capital - A Shared Destiny (8.10.2008)
  10. Refurbishing of Personnel Administration - Scaling New Heights (27.11.2008)
  11. Promoting e-Governance - The Smart Way Forward (20.01.2009)
  12. Citizen Centric Administration - The Heart of Governance (30.3.2009)
  13. Organizational Structure of Government of India (19.5.2009)
  14. Strengthening Financial Management Systems (26.5.2009)
  15. State & District Administration (29.5.2009)


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