Administrative Reforms in India – Types & Importance
By Balaji
Updated on: February 17th, 2023
Administrative Reforms in India provide services intended to fulfil the needs of the citizens of this country. The Administrative Reforms in India cater to the new societal changes or to rectify old administrative processes’ faults. After independence, there was a need for a Commission to perform the work of public administration efficiently and to guide in reforming the administrative practices as and when needed. Thus, an Administrative Reforms Commission was set up in January 1966.
The first Administrative Reforms in India are considered the change from colonial rule to the democracy we know today. Since then, many commissions and committees have been established to shape an efficient administrative system. Here we will be sharing information related to Administrative Reforms in India.
Table of content
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1. Administrative Reforms in India
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2. Importance of Administrative Reform Commission
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3. Administrative Reforms in India – Major Committees
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4. First Administrative Reforms in India
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5. Second Administrative Reforms in India
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6. Implementation of Second Administrative Reforms in India
Administrative Reforms in India
The government has introduced many major Administrative Reforms in India in recent years that emphasize making the government more accessible. These Administrative Reforms in India encourage corruption-free governance and boost efficiency. The motive of the Administrative Reforms is to promote government administrative agencies to implement public policies smoothly.
Importance of Administrative Reform Commission
Administrative Reforms in India are an evident reaction to the new challenges confronting the state association handling public affairs; the main effort is to enhance administrative capacity in the transformed scenario.
Since civil servants are answerable to political leaders, the emphasis must be on external responsibility mechanisms like social audits, resident alliances, and encouraging civil servants about the outcome approach.
Administrative Reforms in India – Major Committees
- Gopal Swami Ayyangar Committee (1949): This was the first committee undertaken by Gopalaswamy Ayyangar, which recommended the grouping of ministries, improvement of the personnel and working of the O&M division, etc.
- Gorwala Committee (1951): This committee was set up to bring Administrative Reforms in India by focusing on the planning and development of the administrative system.
- Paul H. Appleby Committee (1953): After a survey, this committee recommended the establishment of an O&M division to improve methods and procedures of administration in the country.
- Administrative Reforms Commission (1966-70): Its recommendations led to the establishment of Lokpal and Lokayukta. This committee guided other major Administrative Reforms in India. There have been two Administrative Reforms Commissions (ARC) so far. The ARC set up in 1966 was headed first by Morarji Desai and later by K. Hanumanthaiah. The second ARC was established in 2005 under the leadership of Veerappa Moily.
First Administrative Reforms in India
The first ARC (1966) was set up to make significant reforms in the public administration of India. 20 reports were made in this Commission regarding Administrative Reforms in India and gave 537 recommendations.
The essential issues that got covered in the report of the first ARC were:
- Centre-State Relationship
- Financial, Personnel, District, Agricultural and Economic administration
- Procedures of the Government machinery
- Planning system at every level of administration
- Recruitment and training of Service and Central Government posts.
- Citizen grievances redressal problems
- Need for specialisation in government administration.
The Commission submitted 20 reports before closing up in the mid-1970s. Recommendations of the first ARC for Administrative Reforms in India are:
- Advice on the centre-state relations
- The procedure for high court judge appointments to be transferred to the Ministry of Law
- The inter-state council must decide the guidelines of discretionary powers of the Governor.
- Promote Central Direct Taxes Administration to deal with matters relating to imposing and collecting direct taxes.
- Machinery for Planning (Final).
- Small Scale Sector.
- Posts and Telegraphs.
- Life Insurance Administration.
- Reserve Bank of India.
- Public Sector Undertakings.
- Finance, Accounts & Audit.
- Scientific Departments.
Second Administrative Reforms in India
The second ARC (2005) aimed to inquire about and remodel public administration. Fifteen reports and 1500 recommendations were submitted, which promoted the Personnel and Administrative Reforms Department Govt of India.
The mandate issues covered that were prioritised in the report of this ARC were:
- Providing a boost to the financial management infrastructure
- Improving people administration
- Drafting measures and Step-plans to implement powerful administration at the State and District level
- Disaster Management
- Promoting E-Governance
- Ensuring good conduct in the government administration
- Planning the regulatory structure of the Indian Government.
Following were the crucial recommendations of the second Administrative Reforms Commission:
- Introduce Crisis Management
- Right to Information is a vital step toward Good Governance
- Focus on human capital management
- Refurbishing Personnel Administration
- Promotion of citizen-centric administration
- Recommendations for public order.
- Combating Terrorism.
- Strengthening Financial Management Systems.
- Promoting e-Governance.
Composition of the Second Administrative Reforms Commission:
Veerappa Moily was the chairperson of the second Administrative Reforms in India. The other group members were V. Ramachandran, Dr A.P. Mukherjee, Dr A.H. Kalro, Jayaprakash Narayan, and Vineeta Rai.
- The various Administrative Reforms in India PDF have been the foundation of our efficient public administration system.
- Many recommendations like E-governance, Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, and Digital India have helped pave the way for more progressive administration methods in the country.
Implementation of Second Administrative Reforms in India
The Government comprised a Group of Ministers (GoM) in 2007 to look into and review the recommendations of the Second Administrative Reforms for further implementation. This Group of Ministers included the listed fifteen reports:
| Report Name | Recommendations Approved |
| First report | Right to Information: Key to Good Governance |
| Second Report | Unclosing human funds: Entitlements and Government – a Case Study relating to NREGA |
| Third report | Crisis Management From Despair to Hope |
| Fourth Report | Ethics in Governance |
| Fifth Report | Public order |
| Sixth Report | Local Governance |
| Seventh Report | Capacity Building for Conflict Resolution |
| Eight Report | Combating Terrorism Protecting by Righteousness |
| Ninth Report | Social Capital-A Shared Destiny |
| Tenth Report | Refurbishing of Personnel Administration- Scaling New Heights |
| Eleventh Report | Promoting e-governance: The intelligent way Forward |
| Twelfth Report | Citizen-Centric Administration – The Heart of Governance |
| Thirteenth Report | Organisational Structure of the Government of India |
| Fourteenth Report | Strengthening Financial Management System |
| Fifteenth Report | State and District Administration |
Thus, in total, roughly 12 reports have been considered so far. The remaining three reports (Report number five, tenth, and fourteen) are also known to be considered shortly by the group of ministers.
