Short essay on Cabinet secretariat of India

Before the adoption of the portfolio system in the Government of India, all governmental business was disposed of by the Governor-General-in Council, the Council functioning as a joint consultative board As the amount and 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.

Before the adoption of the portfolio system in the Government of India, all governmental business was disposed of by the Governor-General-in Council, the Council functioning as a joint consultative board As the amount and 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 legalized 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 Willing don 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 in September 1946 brought a change in the name, though little in functions, of this Office.

The Executive Council’s Secretariat was then designated as 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 organisation for effecting coordination between the Ministries.

Development

After independence, in 1949, an Economic Committee of the Cabinet was set up with its Secretariat at Ministry of Finance. In 1950 this was transferred to Cabinet Secretariat and designated as Economic Wing and ultimately merged with the Secretariat in 1955. Irr’1954, the Organisation and Methods Division were established under the Cabinet Secretariat which was later transferred to Ministry of Home Affairs during 1964.

In 1957, the Defence Committee of the Cabinet was constituted under Cabinet Secretariat for which officers were drawn from the Defence services.

This wing was transferred during 1991 to the Ministry of Defence. Department of Statistics was created in 1961 under Cabinet Secretariat which was transferred to Ministry of Planning in Feb. 1973.

Department of Special Economic Coordination was set up under Cabinet Secretariat in 1962 and later transferred to Ministry of Economic Defence Coordination and at present the Department is not Existing. The Intelligence Wing was set up to provide secretarial assistance to the Joint Intelligence Committee in 1965.

The Bureau of Public Enterprises was brought under the Cabinet Secretariat for short duration from Jan. 1966 to June, 1966 and later transfer to Dept. of Economic Affairs under Ministry of Finance and later during 1985 to the Dept. of Public Enterprises under Ministry of Industry.

In June, 1970 three departments namely:

(1) Department of Electronics

(2) Department of Scientific and Industrial Research and

(3) Department of Personnel was created under Cabinet Secretariat and in July, 1970 Directorate General of Revenue Intelligence-cum-Directorate of Enforcement was set up under Dept. of Cabinet Affairs under Cabinet Secretariat and later this directorate was shifted to Department of Personnel in August, 1970.

Department of Scientific and Industrial Research became Independent department in May, 1971. The Department of Electronics became independent department in 1971 and the Department of Personnel became independent.

Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms were transferred to the Ministry of Home Affairs from the Cabinet Secretariat. At present it is a part of Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pension with a bifurcation as Department of Personnel and Training and Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances.

Department of Ocean Development was created in July 1981 under Cabinet Secretariat and became independent department in Feb. 1982. The Directorate of Public Grievances was set up in the Cabinet Secretariat in March, 1988. This Directorate entertains grievances from the public.