The executive agencies of India may be classified into the following types

All over the country, there are various types of administrative agencies which are meant to carry out the policies of the government as decided upon in the secretariat. Such agencies are called executive agencies and can be grouped into various categories as discussed below.

Under the Secretariat there are networks of agencies which are responsible for the execution of the government policies. With the steady expansion in, and increasing complexity of, the governmental functions, the executive agencies have been variously organised to suit the requirements of the job.

Classification

The executive agencies may be classified into the following types:

(1) An attached office (e.g., The Indian Council of Agricultural Research, New Delhi)

(2) Subordinate office (e.g., Inspectorate of Explosives, Nagpur)

(3) Departmental undertaking (e.g., Ordinance factories)

(4) A company registered under the Companies Act (e.g., Hindustan Steel Limited)

(5) A Corporation or Board set up under a special statute (e.g., ONGC, Tea Board, etc.)

(6) A society registered under the Societies Registration Act (e.g., Institute of Foreign Trade)

There are also instances of executive agencies functioning as an integral part of the ministry itself (e.g., Directorate of Exhibition in the Ministry of Commerce). These are, however, exceptions.