Topics to Read in Union Administration

• Central Secretariat
• Cabinet Secretariat
• Prime Minister's Office
• Planning Commission* - NITI AYOG
• Finance commission

Central Secretariat
Executive
• Political Executive
• Secretariat
• Executive Agencies or Organisations
• 2 and 3 are permanent executive, while political exec. is temporary.
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Central Secretariat consists of all the ministries and departments of the central govt. The President
allocates the businesses of Union govt. among the various ministries and departments on the advice of the
PM as per the Allocation of Business Rules, 1961.

Structure of Central Secretariat

Ministries → Department → Wings → Division → Branch → Section/Office

The organisational structure and the officers responsible for them are as follows -
Hierarchy of Office Chief/Head
Department Secretary / Additional Secy. / Special Secy.*
Wings Additional Secy. / Joint Secy.
Division Director or Deputy Secretary
Branch Under Secretary
Section Section Officer
*Special Secy.'s position is not fixed; specially appointed. It is equivalent or lower than Additional Secy.

A minister of Central govt. has 3 tier structure consisting of political head (minister), Secretariat headed
by a secretary, and executive agencies under the head of the respective department (Director, Director
General, Commissioner, Chief Controller etc).

Hierarchy of Secretary
Secretary The Secretary is the administrative head of a ministry or department, as the case may
be.
Secretary is the main adviser of the minister on all policy matters.
Additional Secy. The Additional Secretary is in charge of either a department or a wing of the
department.
When the work exceeds, to manage the functions of the secretary, wings are set up.
The wing is headed by either additional secretary or joint secretary.
Special Secy. There is no well-defined rule for the appointment of the Special Secretary.
The Special Secretary can be head of a department.
His position is decided on the case to case basis.
Joint Secy. The rank of Joint Secretary is lower than the Additional secretary.
A Joint Secretary is always the incharge of the wing of a department.
Director There is not much difference between post of director and Dy. Secy.
However the rank of the Director is higher than Deputy Secy.
The Director is the incharge of Division of a Wing.
Deputy Secy. Incharge of Division of a Wing.
Under Secy. The Under Secy. Is the incharge of a Branch and hence he is also known as 'Branch
Officer'
Officer on OSD is usually appointed from amongst the existing officials for a temporary period to
Special Duty handle any work that requires some urgent attention.
The status of OSD varies from case-to-case basis.

Section Officer The section officer is the head of the office component of the secretariat.
He acts as the link between the Under Secretary and the officer staffs.
His main duty is to supervise the office staffs.
*Office component consists of the Section Officer, Assist Section Officer, UDC, LDC, Steno-typist, Typist
and manual workers.

Tenure System
The system of filling senior levels of post in the Secretariat by officials who come from their respective
states or certain central services for a specified period and who after serving their tenure, go back to their
parent services or state, is known as tenure system.

Under the system, every official deputed to the Central Secretariat, works for a fixed period.
The tenure of the officers is usually as follows-
Secretary, JS, Ad. Secy. 5 Years
Dy. Director/Secy. 4 Years
Under Secretary 3 Years

• The tenure of these officers can be changed on the discretion of the government.
• Their appointment to any post does not mean that they cannot be transferred to other posts.
Role & Functions of Central Secretariat
I. It assists the ministers in the discharge of policy making and parliamentary functions.
II. It performs the task of framing Bills, Rules and Procedures. Etc.
III. The Secretariat helps in budgeting and expenditure control of the ministries and departments.
IV. It supervises the work of executive agencies or departments who are responsible for policy
implementation.
V. The Central Secretariat also has the responsibility to maintain the Cader of officers working on
tenure system.

Executive Agencies (Departments/Organisations)

The executive agencies are responsible for the implementation of government policies and programmes which
are formulated by the Secretariat.
The executive agencies work under the Secretariat.
The head of executive agencies are known as Director, Commissioner, Direct General, Chief Controller etc.

The executive agencies can be qualified as follows -

Attached Office The Attached Officers are responsible for providing executive direction for the
implementation of policies and programmes.
e.g. - Indian Council Of Agricultural Research (ICAR)
Subordinate Office The Subordinate office function as field agencies responsible for detailed
implementation of govt policies and programmes.
They generally function under the directions of an attached office, or directly under
the ministry or department.
e.g. - Inspectorate of Explosive, Nagpur.
Departmental A department undertaking may have the responsibility to implement certain specific
Undertakings policy.
It is not a company, but works in a similar manner.
They work directly under the control of the government.
e.g.- Post and Telegraph | Indian Railways.
Registered It includes the companies registered under The Companies Act, 2013 but where the
Companies ownership is with the government.
Example, Hindustan Steel Ltd.
Corporation or A corporation or board set up under any special legislation.
Board Example, ONGC.
Registered Society A society registered under Societies Registration Act, 1860.
Example - Institute of Foreign Trade

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Relationship Between Central Secretariat & Executive Agencies
Complete Under this pattern there is a complete separation between the executive
separation/Split system agencies and the secretariat.
Both have separate offices and files of their own.
This is the most prevalent pattern.
Complete merger pattern Under this pattern there is a complete integration between the secretariat and
the executive agencies.
This pattern is usually applicable in some special cases.
Link officer pattern Under this pattern a senior officer of the secretariat is appointed as the head
of the executive agencies.
The officer performs dual functions, of policy making and policy
implementation.
Ex-officio Secretariat In this pattern the head of the executive agency is given an appropriate ex-
Pattern officio secretary status.
He has a close participation in the policy making
Common Office Pattern In this system, the secretariate and the executive agencies have a common
office, common files and a common file bureau.
The office serves the Officers of the secretariat as well as the executive
agencies.
Common Files Pattern Under this system the secretariat and the executive agencies have different
offices but common files.

Cabinet Secretariate
• After independence the Executive Council of the Viceroy was replaced by the popular cabinet.
o The Executive Council Secretariat was renamed as Cabinet Secretariat.
o The Secretary of the Executive Council of Viceroy was renamed as Cabinet secretary.

What is Cabinet Secretariat?

• The Cabinet Secretariat is the staff body which is responsible for co-operation and coordination
among various ministries and departments.
• It works under the overall direction of the Prime Minister.
• The administrative head of the Cabinet secretariat is the Cabinet Secretary (now Rajeev Gauba).

Organisational Structure of Cabinet Secretariat

It consists of three wings i.e. Civil Wing, Military Wing and Intelligence Wing.
1. Civil Wing -
o The civil wing is the main wing of the Cabinet Secretariat.
 o It is responsible for providing aid and advice to the Union Cabinet and ensuring coordination
and cooperation among them.
2. Military Wing -
o The military wing provides secretarial assistance to the Defence Committees of the Cabinet,
the Military Affairs Committee, the National Defence Council and the other committees
dealing with the defence matter.
3. The intelligence wing-
o The intelligence wing deals with the matters related to the Joint Intelligence Committee of
Cabinet.

The Cabinet Secretariat also secretariat also consists of the following organisations -
Research & Analysis Wing It was established in 1968 after the Indo-China War.
Wing executive - Ravi Sinha (IPS)
Special Protection Group It was established in 1985.
It is headed by Arun Kumar Sinha (IPS)
Directorate General of Security It is legally defined intelligence organisation of India.
Secretary - Swagat Das
Directorate of Public Grievances It was set up in 1988 and it is headed by a director having a
rank of a secretary.
Secretary - Pradeep Kumar Tripathi
Direct Beneficiary Transfer Mission It was placed under the Cabinet Secretariat with effect
from 14 September 2015.
It is headed by a Secretary-Coordination- Pradeep Kumar
Tripathi
National Authority on Chemical Weapon It was set up in 1997 by a Cabinet Secretariat Resolution.
Convention Chairperson - Mukhmeet Singh Bhatia

NOTE Earlier there was a joint intelligence committee in the Cabinet Secretary which was responsible
for analysing intelligence data from IB, R&AW, Directorates of Military, Navy and Air Force
Intelligence which was dismantled in 2018.

Role & Functions of Cabinet Secretariat

• It prepares the rules of business of the government and allots them among various ministries and
departments with the approval of the president.
• This is done in accordance to the Transaction of Business Rules, 1961 as per the advice of the Prime
Minister.
• It provides secretarial support for cabinet meetings and prepares its agenda.
• It maintains coordination among different ministries and departments.
 • It provides secretarial assistance to the cabinet secretariat like the Committee on Political Affairs,
Appointment Committee, etc.
• It ensures that the President and the ministers are informed about the overall working of the
government.

Cabinet Secretary
• The Office of Cabinet Secretary was created in the independent India in 1950.
• First Cabinet Secretary of India - N. R. Pillai
• Earlier Cabinet Secretary was known as The Secretary of the Governor General's Executive Council.
• The Cabinet Secretary is the administrative head of the cabinet secretariat.
• Usually he is the top most civil servant in India.

Role Of Cabinet Secretary

• He is the chief coordinating officer of the central government. However, he does not have any
supervisory power over the ministries and departments.
• The Cabinet secretary is the chairman of the senior selection board which select the officers for the
post of Joint Secretary in the central secretariat.
o Though the final decisions are taken by the Cabinet Committee on Appointments.
o He also selects the officer for the post of Secretary and Additional Secretary which needs
the approval of the Cabinet Committee on Appointments.
• The Cabinet Secretary presides over the conference of Chief secretaries, which is held annually for
maintaining coordination between the central and the state government.
• The Cabinet secretary also acts as a link between the bureaucracy and the political assistance.

Prime Minister's Office

In India Prime Minister is the real executive head of the government. The Prime Minister fulfils his
responsibility with the help of Prime Minister's Office. The PMO provides assistance to the PM in the
decision making process and in the monitoring of overall administration of the central government.

Evolution of PMO
• PMO came into existence after independence, at that time it was known as Prime Minister's
Secretariat.
• Its responsibility was to provide secretarial assistance to the prime minister.
• During the prime ministership of Lal Bahadur Shastri the influence of Prime Minister's Secretariat
was increased. Its influence further increased during the prime ministership of Indira Gandhi.
o During the emergency Prime Ministers Secretariat became even more powerful.

• During the Janta Party government the Prime Minister's Secretariat was renamed as Prime
Minister's Office and the staff was reduced.
• However, the total staff has again increased and reached around 300. (301 in 2021 as per RTI)
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Organisation of PMO
• The prime minister's office is politically headed by the prime minister and administratively headed by
the Principal Secretary.
• Additionally, it might include additional secretaries, joint secretaries, deputy secretaries, directors
and under-secretaries.
• It can also include private secretaries, officers on a special duty, advisers, etc.
• The prime minister's office also include the national security adviser who is the head of all security,
intelligence and external affairs matters.
o Principal Secretary - Pramod Kumar Mishra (IAS, 1972 batch).
o National Security Advisor Ajit Doval (IPS 1968 batch).
• Their ranks are equivalent to the Cabinet minister.

Functions of PMO
1. It provides secretarial assistance to the Prime Minister in the performance of his duties and
responsibilities.
2. It helps the Prime Minister in maintaining coordination with various ministers and departments.
3. The prime minister's office helps in maintaining public relations of the PM.
4. The PMO helps the PM in the fulfilment of his responsibility as the chairman of the institutions
like Niti Aayog, etc.
5. It acts as the think tank of the prime minister on important matters.
6. The PMO helps the PM in dealing with all those department and ministries that do not come under
any individual minister.
7. The PMO prepare answers for the questions raised in the Parliament that do not come under any
specific ministry.

Finance Commission
• The Finance Commission is constituted by the President under Article 280 of the constitution.
• The first Finance Commission was constituted under the chairmanship K. C. Neogi by an order dated
22nd Nov, 1951.
• The 14th Finance Commission was set up on 2nd Jan, 2013
o Chairman - Y.V. Reddy (former RBI Governor)
• The 15th Finance Commission was set up On 27th Nov, 2017.
o Chairman - N.K. Singh.

NOTE- Usually the Finance Commission is constituted in every 5 year.

The recommendation are for the period of 5 year.
 However, the recommendation of the 15th Finance Commission was for the period of six years
i.e. 5 years + 1 interim year.
The expected date for 16th financial is November 2023.

Qualifications
• The Chairman must have experience in public affairs.
• The members (4 members) must be from the following -
a. Who have been a judge of high court or is qualified to be the judge of high court.
b. Who has a special knowledge of finances and account of the government.
c. Who has wide experience in the financial matters of the administration.
d. Who has a special knowledge of economics.

Functions:
1. To recommend the distribution of Union tax revenues But we need the states and among different
states.
2. To determine principles for providing grant in aid to the states.
3. To suggest measures for pointing the funds of states for supplementing the resources of panchayat
and municipalities.
4. Any other matter referred the precedent for sound finance.

Note:
• The report is submitted to the president. The president has to cause laying of the reports before
each house of the parliament along with the explanation about the actions of government.
• The 14th Finance Commission increased the share of the state governments in the union tax revenue
from 32% to 42%
o Now in 15th Finance Commission it is - 41% for other states & 1% for Jammu Kashmir and
Ladakh.

Horizontal Devolution of Taxes among States

Criteria 14th F.C. 15th F.C.
Income Distance 50% 45%
Area 15% 15%
Population (1971) 17.5% -
Population (2011) 10% 15%
Demographic Performance - 12.5
Forest Cover 7.5% -
Forest & Ecology - 10%
Tax and Fiscal Efforts - 2.5%

Important recommendation of 15th Finance Commission

 I. 17 states will receive rupees 2.9 lakh crore as revenue deficit grants.
II. Sector specific grants of rupees 1.3 lakh crore for each 8 sectors such as -
• Health, School education, Higher Education, agricultural reforms. maintenance of roads
(under PM Gram Sadak Yojna), judiciary, statistics and aspirational district and blocks.
III. State specific grants around 50,000 crore. (49,599 crore)
IV. Grant to local bodies rupees 4.36 lakh crore
• Urban Local Bodies - 1.2 lakh crore
• Rural local bodies - 2.4 lakh Crore
• Health Grant - 70,000 crores
V. The 15th Finance Commission has recommended for continuing the existing cost sharing for disaster
risk management is which is 75% by centre and 25% by states, for general states and for NE and
Himalayan states it is 90% centre and 10% states.
• State Disaster Management funds will have a corpus of around 1.6 lakh crores, out of which
centre contribution will be 1.2 lakh crores.
VI. The Commission has recommended reducing the fiscal deficit of the central government to 4% of the
GDP by 2025-26.
• For the states, the fiscal deficit targets are
• 4% of the GSDP by 2021-22,
• 3.5% of the GSDP by 2022-23, and
• 3% by 2023-26.

NITI Aayog
Established by the govt.'s order on 1st Jan, 2015.
• It replaced the Planning Commission.
• It is an executive body.

Organisation -
Chairperson Narendra Modi
CEO B. V. R. Subrahmanyam
Vice Chairperson Suman Bery

Role of NITI Aayog

1. It promotes cooperative federalism by adopting bottom up approach.
2. Niti Aayog acts as the think tank for National Development, economic progress, social upliftment,
etc.
3. It works with various stakeholders to encourage innovation, research and partnership for national
development
4. The activities of NITI Aayog can be classified as
• Policy and program framework for the Union, and even for states in some cases
• Monitoring and evaluation
• cooperative federalism
• knowledge and innovation hub.