Cabinet Secretariat: Composition and Working
Chapter – 6
Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION
- A modern democratic welfare state relies on civil service for executing public policy and laws.
- In a parliamentary form of government, political execution is accountable to the people through parliament.
- The efficiency of the cabinet depends on specialized and experienced administrators.
- The cabinet secretariat has been established to provide necessary secretarial assistance to the cabinet.
EVOLUTION OF THE CABINET SECRETARIAT
- Before Independence, the executive council of the governor-general was responsible for all governmental functions.
- As the amount and complexity of government business increased, work was distributed among the members of the council, with the governor-general or the council dealing with more important cases.
- The procedure was legalized by the Councils Act of 1861 under Lord Canning, introducing the portfolio system and the executive council of the governor-general.
- The secretariat of the executive council was headed by the private secretary to the viceroy, who did not attend the council meetings until Lord Willington started the practice in the 1930s.
- In November 1935, the viceroy’s private secretary was given the additional designation of secretary to the executive council.
- After Independence, the office was renamed to the cabinet secretariat in September 1946, which shifted from a passive role to one focused on coordination between ministries.
- In February 1949, the economic committee of the cabinet was established to expedite economic proposals, and its secretariat became part of the cabinet secretariat in June 1950.
- The economic wing was merged with the main secretariat in October 1955 to avoid duplication and ensure better coordination.
- In 1954, the organization and methods division was placed under the cabinet secretariat, but was later transferred to the ministry of home affairs in May 1964.
- The defence committee of the cabinet was created in 1957, and a military wing was set up in the cabinet secretariat, later transferred to the ministry of defence in 1991.
- The department of statistics was part of the cabinet secretariat in April 1961, but transferred to the ministry of planning in February 1973.
- The intelligence wing was established in July 1965 to assist the joint intelligence committee.
- The bureau of public enterprises was brought under the cabinet secretariat in January 1966, but later transferred to the ministry of industry in September 1970.
- In June 1970, three new departments were created under the cabinet secretariat: (i) department of electronics, (ii) department of scientific and industrial research, (iii) department of personnel.
- In July 1970, the director-general of revenue intelligence was set up under the cabinet secretariat and later transferred to the department of personnel.
- The department of personnel and administrative reforms was transferred to the ministry of home affairs in 1977, and is now part of the ministry of personnel, public grievances, and pension.
- Department of ocean development was created under the cabinet secretariat in 1981, but became independent in February 1982.
- The directorate of public grievances was established in March 1988 to handle complaints not satisfactorily addressed by ministries or departments.