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UNIT- 2, Union Administration: CoMs, Cabinet Secretary, PMO, Cabinet Secretariat, The Cabinet Secretariat is responsible for the administration of the Government of India (Transaction of Business) Rules, 1961 and the Government of India (Allocation of Business) Rules 1961, facilitating smooth transaction of business in Ministries/ Departments of the Government. This Secretariat provides Secretarial assistance to the Cabinet and its Committees, and also assists in decision-making in Government by ensuring inter-ministerial coordination, ironing out differences amongst Ministries/ Departments and evolving consensus through the instrumentality of the standing/ adhoc Committees of Secretaries. Through this mechanism new policy initiatives are also promoted., Before independence, the executive council of the Governor-General was responsible for all government functions. As the complexity of business of the Government increased, the work of the various Departments was distributed amongst the members of the Council - only the more important cases being dealt with by the Governor-General or the Council collectively. This procedure was legalised by the Councils Act of 1861 during the time of Lord Canning, leading to the introduction of the portfolio system and the inception of the Executive Council of the Governor-General. The Secretariat of the Executive Council was headed by the private Secretary to the Viceroy, but he did not attend the Council meetings. Lord Willington first started the practice of having his Private Secretary by his side at these meetings. Later, this practice continued and in November 1935, the Viceroy’s Private Secretary was given the additional designation of Secretary to the Executive Council., The constitution of the Interim Government brought a change in the name, though little in functions of this office in September 1946. The Executive Council’s Secretariat was then designated as the Cabinet Secretariat. It seems, however, at least in retrospect, that independence brought a sort of change in the functions of the Cabinet Secretariat. It no longer remained concerned with only the passive work of circulating papers to Ministers and Ministries but developed into an organization for effecting coordination between the Ministries. Frequent changes were made from time to time in the administrative structure of the Cabinet Secretariat due to the reorganization of the executive functions of the Union Government., The Cabinet Secretariat is under the direct charge of the Prime Minister who is assisted by a Cabinet Secretary and other secretariat staff. The cabinet secretariat is organised in three wings:, The Civil wing, The Military wing, Intelligence wing., 1. The Civil wing: The main civil wing is the institutional machinery through which the Cabinet Secretary provides the secretarial service to the cabinet and its committees. It also provides secretarial service to the committees of secretaries which ‘function under the chairmanship of the Cabinet Secretary. It also deals with the framing of Rules of Business of the Union Government., 2. The Military Wing: The military wing provides secretarial service to the Defence Committee of the Cabinet, National Security Council, Military Affairs Committee and a number of other committees concerned with defence matters., 3. The Intelligence Wing: The Intelligence wing concerns itself with matters relating to the Joint Intelligence Committee of the Cabinet. Apart from the main secretariat, the Cabinet Secretariat comprises of four organisations:, i. Director General of Security, ii. Research and Analysis Wing, iii. Joint Intelligence Committee, iv. Special Protection Group, Functions of the Cabinet Secretariat, The Cabinet Secretariat has a very important place in the Central administration. It is such a source of authority the assistance of which enables the central government to undertake any matter of serious responsibility. The cabinet secretariat now possessing the relevant specialised field is in a position to carry out its responsibilities with greater competence, initiative and efficiency. Some of the important functions of the cabinet secretariat are as under;, To prepare the Cabinet agenda and its minutes, to keep its records and to keep track of the progress made by administrative ministries and the department in executing the cabinet decisions., To know the implementing position of the decisions of the cabinet, it (cabinet, secretariat) calls for information from the various ministries and the departments which is subsequently passed on to the cabinet wherever it (cabinet) holds its meeting., To inform the President, the Vice-President and the Council of Ministers about the major activities of the government conducted in several ministries., To circulate the monthly summaries and brief notes on important matters for collecting the information relating to the major activities of the government conducted in the various ministries., To prepare minutes of the meetings of the cabinet and its committees., To render its services to the committee of secretaries meeting periodically under the chairmanship of the cabinet secretary. This committee of the secretaries meets to consider and advise on problems requiring inter-ministerial consultation and co-ordination., To lay down the rules of business and re-allocating the business of the government of India among the various ministries and the departments within the frame work of directives of the Prime Minister, after these have been approved by the President., To establish co-ordination between the various Seminars organised by the different central ministries., To work as the liaison agency between the state government and the central cabinet., Role of Cabinet Secretariat, The role of the Cabinet Secretariat is to provide secretarial assistance to the cabinet and its various committees. Its responsibilities include preparation of agenda for the meetings of the cabinet, providing information and material necessary for its deliberations, keeping a record of the discussions in the cabinet and of the decisions taken there, circulation of memoranda on issues awaiting cabinet’s approval, circulation of the decisions to all the ministries and preparation and submission of monthly summaries on a large number of specified subjects to the cabinet. It also oversees the implementation of the cabinet decisions by the concerned ministries and other executive agencies. For this purpose, it can call for information from the various ministries/departments. In accordance with the instructions issued by the Cabinet Secretariat, each ministry sends it a monthly statement showing the progress in the cases relating to cabinet decisions. In case a ministry is falling behind schedule, the matter is taken up with it to accelerate the implementation process., It keeps the President, the Vice-President and all the ministries informed of the major activities of the government by circulating monthly summaries and brief notes on important matters. Article 77 (3) of the Indian Constitution authorizes the President to make rules for the convenient transaction of the business of the government and for its proper allocation among ministers. Work relating to the drafting of such Rules of Business is handled in the Cabinet Secretariat, which provides the necessary assistance to the cabinet committees as well., The cabinet secretariat is the custodian of the papers of the cabinet meetings. The Cabinet Secretariat also helps in promotion of inter-ministerial coordination. It ensures that in matters coming before the cabinet or its committees, the cases presented are complete and coherent and, in particular, that the rules for business transactions, especially the procedures for inter-ministry consultations, have been adequately complied with. Where two ministries are unable to agree upon a point of view, care must be taken that the different points of view are fairly and properly presented in the papers to be placed on the agenda for a cabinet meeting. The normal rule is that if two ministries disagree on a certain point, the case is submitted to the cabinet for orders. For instance, in 1988, there was dispute between the Finance Ministry and the Commerce Ministry over the imposition of special tax and granting concessions on software concerning it. The dispute was resolved by a team of secretaries appointed by the Cabinet Secretary for this purpose., Several cases are brought before the Cabinet Secretariat involving the President, the Prime Minister, various ministries and the Parliament, on which it provides aid, advice and assistance. Some of them are:, Cases involving legislation including the issuing of ordinances., Addresses and messages of the President to the Parliament., Proposals to summon or prorogue the Parliament or dissolve the Lok Sabha., Cases involving negotiations with foreign countries on treaties, agreements etc., Proposals for sending delegations of persons abroad in any capacity., Proposals to appoint public committees of enquiry and consideration of reports of such committees of enquiry., Cases involving financial implications,, Cases which a minister puts to the cabinet for decision and direction., Cases of disagreements among ministries,, Proposals to vary or reverse decisions., The cabinet secretariat is seen as a useful mechanism by the departments for promoting inter-Ministerial coordination since the cabinet secretary is also the head of the civil services. The secretaries felt it necessary to keep the cabinet secretary informed of developments from time to time. The transaction of business rules also requires them to keep the cabinet secretary informed of developments from time to time, especially if there are any departures from these rules., Cabinet Secretary, The cabinet secretary is the successor to the secretariat of the executive council of the viceroy. The Cabinet Secretariat functions under the leadership of the Prime Minister who is its minister-in charge at the political level. Its administrative head is the Cabinet Secretary. The Cabinet Secretary is drawn from the senior most officers of the Indian Administrative Service. He holds a special position of dignity. His status in the order of precedence is above chiefs of staff or equivalent in other services holding the rank of full general and equivalent to that of attorney general and lieutenant governors within their territories. The cabinet secretary is the ex-officio head of the civil services board, the cabinet secretariat, the Indian administrative services and head of all civil services under the rules of business of the government of India. During the meetings of the Cabinet, he sits by the side of PM to brief him on various points on the agenda. He is under the direct charge of the PM. He is most proximate to the PM of India. Whenever there are conflicts between the secretaries of different ministries, he resolved the conflicts. Though there is no fixed tenure, the average tenure of the cabinet secretary has been less than 3 years., The Cabinet Secretary chairs the meetings of the committee of the secretaries and also presides when called on conferences of the chief secretaries. He is of a sort of adviser and conscience keeper to all the ranks of civil service in the central government administrative system. The Cabinet Secretary’s office was created in India in 1950 after independence and N.R. Pillai was the first Cabinet Secretary. Generally he is the senior-most civil servant of the country, therefore, seniority should be given weight age along with merit in the selection of a Cabinet Secretary. Seniority alone is not an overriding factor. There have been innumerable instances in the past when the senior most officers have been superseded while selections are carried for this post. P.K. Kaul, B.G. Deshmukh, V.C. Pande, Naresh Chandra, and Zafar Saifullah were not the senior most from their respective batches., The Administrative Reforms Commission had recommended that a Cabinet Secretary should be given three-year tenure. Such tenure is necessary to enable him to take decisions in a right perspective and to initiate steps and measures and ensure he is there to implement them. It also enables him to withstand undue political and other pressures and take right decisions in public interest. It will also preserve and maintain the high service morale. A full tenure of three years provides stability and helps in evolving a warm working relationship between PMO and the Cabinet Secretary and it also helps in the enormous amount of work that the two dozen Secretaries to the various governments get done., The Administrative Reforms Commission also recognised the need for strengthening the role of the cabinet secretary on important policy matters. It clearly recognised that the cabinet secretary is the principal staff advisor of the PM, the cabinet and the cabinet committees on important policy matters., Function/Position/Role of the Cabinet Secretary, Cabinet Secretary is the head of the civil services and chief adviser to the council of Ministers and the Prime Minister, the Cabinet and its committees. He coordinates the activities of various ministries, and departments. He is the link between the Prime Minister’s office and various administrative departments. He is the link between the political part of Government, i.e., the Cabinet and the apolitical governmental machinery, i.e., the bureaucracy. Our first Prime Minister Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru decided to have a Cabinet Secretary who would not be a part of the Prime Minister’s office, deviating British Practice. In Britain, there is no secretary to the Prime Minister. Lord Mountbatten gave sound advice to Panditji to have Secretary to the Prime Minister different from the Cabinet Secretary so that the latter’s position would not be politicised., The main functions of the Cabinet Secretary according to the Statutory rules of business is to provide Secretariat assistance to Cabinet and’ Cabinet Committees, and to formulate rules of business of the Government. Its main tasks are namely to prepare proposals for the Cabinet after consultations with concerned ministries and departments to constantly monitor and coordinate implementation of decisions taken by the Cabinet and prepare papers connected with the appointments that the Prime Minister has to make. Some general issues are taken up in the committee of Secretaries and others like internal security are carefully analysed in the core group comprising the Cabinet Secretary, the principal secretary to the Prime Minister, the home secretary, the defence secretary, Secretary RAW, the director of the Intelligence Bureau and the Chairman of the Joint Intelligence Committee and, on rare occasions, the Secretary concerned may also be invited to the core group meetings., The most important function of the Cabinet Secretary of late, pertains to the internal security and sifting through intelligence. It is his duty to make a co-ordinate assessment of a given situation or problem by absorbing the source report. If the issue is resolved in the core group, the matter is not referred to the Prime Minister or the Cabinet., It is for the Cabinet Secretary to ensure fair administration of the services. The Cabinet Secretary has the unenviable task of seeing that certain unhealthy linkages do not develop. He should be answerable for any decision taken, and also impart an all India look and character to the administrative departments of various ministries. However, despite his multi-faceted role, the Cabinet Secretary has no say in judicial appointments., The Prime Minister also gives him specific tasks from time to time like B.G. Deshmukh a former Cabinet Secretary was asked to set up a committee to monitor the Sri Lanka situation or to take urgent action to tackle the Maldive crises. He can also on his own initiative take certain matters he thinks necessary and urgent, like supervising steps to be taken to increase exports. Further, while taking initiative in any particular matter, he has to ensure that the concerned Minister or Secretary to the Ministry or Department does not feel that his turf is encroached upon. In very rare cases, he has to involve the Prime Minister’s name or authority of course after getting the latter’s informal clearance., He is very close to the Prime Minister but he has to ensure that his politically neutral image is in no way compromised. His proximity to the Prime Minister also generates resentment and jealousies amongst Ministers and even influential politicians. Therefore, he has to be very careful not to get involved in any controversies. As the head of the civil service, he has to be impartial and not play favourites, and observe the highest tradition of the civil service. He is not seen to be indifferent to the interest of non-IAS Civil Servants. He has to be a father figure to the Civil Service and enjoy its trust fully., The Cabinet Secretariat also serves as an umbrella organisation for various new agencies. Even though as per tradition the Cabinet Secretary belongs to the ICS or IAS cadres, once he takes up as the Cabinet Secretary, he does not belong to any of these services and ensures that all get due recognition and proper share of senior posts. He is the first among equals vis-a-vis his senior colleagues, but he has to justify this role by his own conduct and behaviour. He has not only to act but has also to be seen to act with fairness and impartiality., He is a link between the political system and the civil service. The orders of the political leadership have to be obeyed but then a mature and competent Cabinet Secretary has always managed to ensure that this does not damage the structure of the civil service and affect its morale. He is expected to be not only the record-keeper but often, even the conscience-keeper of the Cabinet., Recalling his experience Mr. V.C. Pandey says that somehow most of the unpleasant tasks end up with the Cabinet Secretaries. He recalls an incident when he was asked by the then foreign minister. Mr. I.K. Gujral, to inform the Indian ambassador in the U.K. Mr. M.K. Rasgotra, to resign from his post. The Cabinet Secretary works under the direct control of the Prime Minister. The institution of Cabinet Secretary had suffered quite a few heavy blows even before the present sordid scramble for the post could begin. Generally, three factors have been responsible for this. The first was the phenomenal rise in the power of the Prime Minister’s Principal Secretary or Secretary, making him rather than the Cabinet Secretary, the dominant civil service figure. From the time of P.N. Haksar to the time of Mr. A. N. Verma and present incumbent; this trend has continued “The Principal Secretary of the P.M. is not the Chief Secretary of the government of India. His office seems to have emerged as an alternative power centre. It can lead to a number of embarrassing situations.” Remarked, one former Cabinet Secretary, Secondly, the short tenures of Cabinet Secretaries during one decade has inevitably eroded the prestige of the post. The third and the most damaging assault on the office of· Cabinet Secretary has been the, objectionable practice under which the Cabinet Secretary changes every time the government changes, while in Britain a Cabinet Secretary serves more than 10 years., The role of cabinet secretary has been very well brought out by Khera, ‘the cabinet secretary provided the eyes and ears for the PM to keep in touch with the process of officials business in the central government. But he is in no sense the watchdog or invigilator on behalf of the PM. His business is to help, not oversee.’, Prime Minister’s Office, The Prime Minister’s Office, popularly known as the PMO, is located at South Block, Raisina Hill, New Delhi. The PMO provides secretarial assistance to the PM. It is headed by the principal secretary to PM. It consists of the immediate staff of the PM of India, as well as multiple levels of support staff reporting to the PM. The PMO includes the anti-corruption unit and the public wing dealing with grievances. It is an administrative establishment responsible for assisting the PM in matters other than responsibilities as head of the cabinet. The PM has number of responsibilities apart from being the head of the cabinet. Therefore, the PMO is established to assist the PM., The subject matter of files required to be submitted to the PM depends on whether he is holding direct charge of the ministry or whether there is a cabinet minister or minister of state in charge of the ministry. Only important policy issues, which the minister concerned feels should be submitted to the PM for orders or information, are received in the PMO., Before independence, the Executive Council of the Governor-General was given secretarial assistance by the secretary to the governor-general. After independence, the PM stood forth as the chief executive and in this capacity. In 1977, the Prime Minister’s Secretariat was renamed as the PMO., The PMO occupies the status of a department of the government of India under the Allocation of Business Rules 1961 and has not attached subordinate office under it. The PMO, on the official side, is a link between the PM and his ministers, the President, Governors, chief ministers and foreign representatives. On the public side, it is concerned with party matters, personnel correspondence, complaints from the public, etc., Functions, To deal with all references which, under the rules of business, have to come to the PM., To help the PM in the discharge of his overall responsibilities as the chief executive. It includes liaison with the union ministers and state governments on matters in which the PM may be interested., Conflicts may arise amongst various ministries, and the PMO is responsible for resolving the conflicts and coming up with amicable solutions., The PM is also head of the government and the face of the government. Therefore he has to undertake a number of responsibilities., To deal with the public relations side of the PMO, that is, relations with the press, public, etc., To provide the PM assistance in the examination of cases submitted to him for orders under prescribed rules., Special Packages announced by the Prime Minister for States are monitored in the PMO and periodical reports submitted to Prime Minister, The jurisdiction of the PMO may be said to extend overall such subjects and activities which are not specially allotted to any individual ministry or department. However, the PMO is responsible for functions devolving on the PM in his capacity as the head of the cabinet, only to the extent of his matters handled in personal correspondence between him and individual ministers, or for handling correspondence relating to party policies and of a domestic nature., The history manifests that there has been sea power shift between the cabinet secretary and principal secretary of the PMO. The PMO rather PM’s secretariat was a very small office in the reign of Nehru. Nehru wanted the PM’s Secretariat to remain small office. He believed in preeminence cabinet secretary over the principal secretary. In fact, the post of principal secretary was demoted to that of additional secretary so as to establish superiority of cabinet secretary. Nehru could afford manage the secretarial functions with small Prime Minister’s Secretariat (PMS) as he was assisted by foreign ministry office. During the tenure of  as , the Prime Minister's Secretariat was headed by a  until his death. The post of Principal Secretary to Prime Minister was created during the tenure of Indira Gandhi as ., However, during the era of La Bahadur Shastri, the PMS gained eminence over the cabinet secretary. Shastri appointed LK Jha, one of the most revered and senior IAS officer as the principal secretary. Michael Brecher, a well known Political scientist remarked that the appointment of LK Jha has enhanced the preeminence of the PMS. In 1967, PN Haksar replaced LK Jha as principal secretary to PM Indira Gandhi. In fact, the PMO attained unimaginable height of importance in Indira Gandhi’s era. The PMO represented both the desire and personality of the PM. This era was popularly known as Prime Ministerial era. The entire national emergency was operated from the PMS under the leadership of the principal secretary. However, the PMS earned a dubious name in the emergency era., The Janata government which came to power in 1977 was firmly resolved to overhaul the PMS. First, the PMS was renamed as PMO. The cabinet secretary was given more power and eminence. However, the Janata government was short-lived. Indira Gandhi came back to power in 1980 and she appointed PC. Alexander as the principal secretary. Alexander has virtually served as her shadow and policy advisor for the years after her return to power in Jan 1980. The power again shifted back to principal secretary from cabinet secretary., Rajiv Gandhi came to power after the assassination of Indira Gandhi in 1984. P.C. Alexander briefly served Rajiv Gandhi but the latter was not very comfortable with his paternal style and had him replaced. In 1985, Sarla Grewal was appointed PM’s secretary. The power again was skewed in favour of principal secretary., The power between the cabinet secretary and principal secretary was fairly balance in the coalition era. However, during Vajpayee era, the PMO enjoyed an edge over the cabinet secretariat. In fact, Brajesh Mishra, first non-IAS, i.e. IFS officer was appointed as the principal secretary., In the recent times, there was a fine balance between the cabinet secretary and the principal secretary. It is said that in Manmohan era, principal secretary was less powerful than the cabinet secretary. Therefore, the cabinet secretary has become quite powerful., Prime Minister Modi took oath of office as a harbinger of change in an era of gloom and policy paralysis. Modi’s office brought Nripendra Misra, a former IAS officer from the UP cadre as his principal secretary and the celebrated and revered former IB Director and IPS officer Ajit Doval, as his National Security Advisor. Modi has also restructured the highly centralised PMO to increase coordination between the external affairs ministry and internal security apparatus. The Narendra Modi government recently created a new position of principal advisor to the prime minister to accommodate former cabinet secretary P.K. Sinha into the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO). Currently, PK. Misra is the Principal Secretary to the PM., Ideally, there should be a fine balance between the PMO and the cabinet secretariat. Nevertheless, the PMO should enjoy an upper hand over the cabinet secretariat thereby enabling better leadership of the PM. All said, it can be concluded that the balance of power between the PMO and cabinet secretariat has been defined by the personality and aura of the PM.