Prez 1 - Administrative Reforms Commission
Prez 1 - Administrative Reforms Commission
Prez 1 - Administrative Reforms Commission
INDIA
Evolution of the Indian administrative system
In the earlier era the civil servants performed the role of servants of the king.
(Kautilya’s Arthshastra describes the civil service of those days and lays down various
norms 300 B.C. to 1000 A.D)
During the medieval period they became State servants. The land revenue
system was established during the Moghul period.
The East Indian Company has a civil service to carry out their commercial
functions.
During the British rule they started as servants to the Crown, but gradually they
started becoming ‘Public Servants’. The British government set up the Indian
civil service, primarily with the objective of strengthening the British
administration in the UK.
Indian administrative system During British Regime
The first municipal administration in India was set up at Madras in 1687, with a view to
transfer the financial burden of local administration to the local City Council.
In this period the role of the civil services was to further the British interest, and the role
was totally regulatory. Later on they assumed development roles also.
Later, the Royal Charter of 1720 established a Mayor's Court in each of the three
Presidency towns of Madras, Bombay and Calcutta.
In 1850, an Act was passed for the whole of British India permitting the formation of
local committees to make better provisions for public health.
Lord Ripon's Resolution of 18 May 1882 was hailed as the Magna Carat of government
and got for Lord Ripon the title of "father of local self-government in India. Ripon
suggest “Reforms for instilling life into the local bodies, establishment of a network of
locals governing institutions, financial decentralization, the adoption of election as a
means of representation".
The existing administrative system in India
The civil service system is the backbone of the administrative machinery of the
country.
The civil service system in post-independent India was reorganized.
At the central level, the civil services include the All-India services, namely the
Indian Administrative Service, the Indian Forest Service, and the Indian Police
Service.
There are various central services like the Indian Income Tax Service, Indian
Railway Services etc.
There are three tiers of administration-Union Government, State Governments and
the Local governments.
The State Governments have their own set of services.
The hallmarks of civil services in India
Constitutional protection.
Political neutrality.
Permanency.
Anonymity
Recruitment based on merit. Done by a Constitutional Authorities-the Public
Service Commissions.
The administrative structure of the Government of
India
(The roles of the various Ministries are defined as per the Rules of
Business)
President
Vice President
Prime Minister
Council of Ministers
Secretary
Additional Secretary
Joint Secretary
The administrative structure of the
State Governments.
Governor
Chief Minister
Council of Ministers
Secretary
Additional Secretary
Joint Secretary
District Administration
(District is a unit of administration, on an average a district has a population
of about 2 million)
District Collector
Land administration
Tax collection
Coordination
Local self governments (Urban)
Their main source of revenue is local tax, and funds received from the State Government.
Local self governments (Rural)
The Panchayats
Several Commissions and Committees have gone into the subject, and
suggested various measures. Major reforms have been brought about based on
the recommendations of these. Some of the important studies/reports are as
follows:
Report on Reorganisation of the Machinery of Government (1949) by
Mr. Goplaswami Ayyangar.
It recommended that the Central Ministries be bunched into Bureaus.
Administrative Reforms in India after
independence ……(contd)
The ARC set up 20 study teams, 13 working groups and 1 Task Force.
The Committee to Review the Scheme of the Civil Services Examination (Satish Chandra,
1989)
Eminent National Institutions are requested to carry out studies of the subject
and help the Commission.
He Commission carries out field visits in order to assess the ground realities.
The First Phase
Four areas have been taken up for study in the first phase.