The public administration of the day as enumerated by Kautilya comprised the following

Public administration of the day as enumerated by Kautilya comprised the following:

1. The central executive machinery

2. Mantri – Parishad or the consultative body

3. The civil service

4. The provincial and local government

The central executive machinery comprised the king, his trusted advisers and the departmental heads having their offices in the capital. The chief officials of the state were: mantris, purohita, senapati, yuvaraj duvarika, antara vansika, prasastri, samahartam, sanidhata, pradesta, nayaka, paura, vyavaharika, karmantika, mantri parishadadhyaksha, adhyaksak, dandapalas, antapalas, atavikas

Mantris formed the topmost part of the administrative pyramid and were appointed by the king. The three words – amatya, sachiva and mantri – have the same sense, namely minister or counsellor. The mantris were consulted by the king collectively or individually. The king generally abided by their advice, but was free to follow his own counsel.

Kautilya makes a distinction between mantris and the mantriparishad. The chosen few were the mantris and the purohit, while the mantri-parishad consisted of junior ministers of middle and lower rank.

This has resemblance to the modern cabinet ministers, ministers of state and deputy ministers of state. Kautilya discusses the recruitment and conditions of service of the civil service including the ministers. The Prime Minister was the joint head of the mantris (cabinet) and the amatyas (departmental heads).

The mantri – parishad, or council of ministers, functioned in complete secrecy. It was composed of an inner and outer body. The inner body consisted of mantris and the purohit was concerned with policy-making, while the outer body was charged with implementation of decisions.

The ministers were chosen on the basis of merit, the qualities most prized being proven loyalty and noble birth. All held office during ‘royal pleasure’. The king occupied the central position in the administration.

He delegated powers to senior officers under who worked smaller forces. The administrative machinery was well knit, the mantris, amatyas and mahamatras (depaitmental heads) constituted the core of the central executive.

About the number of councilors or members of the mantri-Parishad, Kautilya takes an open stand: the number should be determined by the practical needs of the time. The Chief Functions of the Mantri Parishad were:

1. Commencement of the work not begun

2. Completion of the work begun

3. Improvement of the accomplished work.

4. Proper execution of the order passed.

5. General supervision over public administration of the country.

The ministers being appointed by the king and holding offices during royal pleasure, the theory of ministerial responsibility did not exist.

The efficiency of the administrative system depended upon the ability of the officers – who constituted the secretariat of the ministry. The senior officers of the secretariat were known as ‘lekhakas’ or writers and were of the status of the Amatya, and inferior only to mantris. Kautilya emphasized the need of uniformity in administrative practice throughout the state.

A close control and supervision over the state functionaries was given utmost importance by Kautilya. About corruption of public servants he says, a civil servant misappropriates public money as inevitably as one must taste honey placed at the tip of tongue.

Kautilya accords primacy of place to the prime minister in the scheme of governance even though each minister occupied a responsible position. Normally, as Kautilya perceives, the prime minister was virtually the real ruler of the state. This is true, today, in the case of advisors to administrators of modern world.