The Polity

CABINET SECRETARIAT

    • The Cabinet Secretariat functions directly under the Prime Minister. The administrative head of the Secretariat is the Cabinet Secretary who is also the ex-officio Chairman of the Civil Services Board.
    • The business allotted to cabinet secretariat is (i) Secretarial assistance to Cabinet and Cabinet Committees; and (ii) Rules of Business.
    • 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 by ensuring adherence to these rules.
    • It assists in decision-making by ensuring Inter-Ministerial coordination, ironing out differences amongst Ministries/ Departments and evolving consensus through the instrumentality of the standing and ad hoc Committees of Secretaries.
    • The Cabinet Secretariat ensures that the President, the Vice-President and Ministers are kept informed of the major activities of all Ministries / Departments by means of monthly summary of their activities.
    • The Cabinet Secretariat is 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 keep the Cabinet Secretary informed of developments from time to time.
    • The Prime Minister approved the outline of the Performance monitoring and Evaluation System (PMES) for Government Departments on September 11, 2009.
    • Performance Management Division (PMD) in the Cabinet Secretariat is headed by a Secretary to Government of India, and is responsible for this activity through the mechanism called Results-Framework Documents.
    • At the beginning of each financial year, each Department prepares a Results-Framework Document (RFD) consisting of the priorities set out by the Minister.
    • The RFDS are approved by the High Power Committee (HPC) on Government performance headed by the Cabinet Secretary.
    • Effectively 80 ministries/departments and 800 Responsibility Centre’s stand covered under the RFD system.
    • States like Maharashtra, Punjab, Kerala, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Assam, Haryana, Chhattisgarh, Tripura, Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, ]&K, Mizoram have already adopted RFD policy and are of various stages of implementation.
    • ’SEVOTTAM’: The PMD, in Partnership with Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances, has decided to operationalize the concept of ’Sevottam’ through the mechanism of Results-Framework Document. Most of the Ministries/Departments have designed Citizen’s/Client charters along with a robust Public Grievance Redressal Mechanism (PGRM) to ensure that the expectations of service recipients are catered to efficiently and effectively.
    • The Maharashtra and Punjab have already adopted the RFD mechanism with the help of PMD, Cabinet Secretariat. The State of Punjab has, in fact, gone much ahead and introduced the mechanism at the district level by formulating district-level RFDs.
    • ISO 9001 Certification: The quality consciousness in Government has been introduced with all Ministries/ Departments having been required to develop an action plan to obtain ISO: 9001 certification of the Department in phases. Some departments have already got this certification.
    • National Authority, Chemical Weapons Convention (NACWC) was set up by a resolution of Cabinet Secretariat on 5 May 1997 to fulfill the obligations enunciated in the Chemical Weapons Convention. It prohibits the development, production, execution, transfer, use and stockpiling of all chemical weapons by Member-States in a non-discriminatory manner.
    • The Parliament enacted in 2000 a CWC Act to give effect to the provisions of the Chemical Weapons Convention in India. In accordance with the provisions of this Act a high-level steering committee under the Chairmanship of the Cabinet Secretary with Secretary (Chemical and Petrochemicals), Foreign Secretary, Secretary, Defence Research and Development, Defence Secretary and Chairman, National Authority as its other members, oversees the functioning of the National Authority.
    • Disaster Management Act, 2005 was enacted to provide institutional mechanism for drawing up and monitoring the implementation of the disaster management. It ensures measures by the various wings of the Government for prevention and mitigation of disasters and prompts response to any disaster situation.
    • The National Policy on Disaster Management (NPDM), 2009 envisages building a safe and disaster resilient India by developing a holistic, proactive, multi-disaster oriented and technology driven strategy through a culture of prevention, mitigation, preparedness and response.
    • National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) was formally constituted in accordance with Section—3(1) of the DM Act on September 27, 2006.
    • National Institute Of Disaster Management (NIDM) was established at the Indian Institute for Public Administration (IIPA) in The Centre was upgraded and designated on October 16, 2003. It has now achieved the status of a statutory organisation under the Disaster Management Act, 2005.
    • National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) was constituted under Section 44 of the DM Act, 2005 by up-gradation/ conversion of ten standard battalions of Central Para Military Forces to build them up as a specialist force to respond to disaster or disaster like situations.
    • Civil Defence is primarily organized on a voluntary basis except for a small nucleus of permanent staff and establishment, which is augmented during emergencies.
    • The Civil Defence Act, 1968 is applicable throughout the country. Recently, Section (2) of Civil Defence Act, 1968 has been amended to bring the measures of disaster management within its scope.
    • Home Guards is a voluntary force, first raised in India in December, 1946, to assist the police in controlling civil disturbance and communal riots. The role of Home Guards is to serve as an auxiliary Force to the police in the maintenance of law and order and internal security situations, help the community in any kind of emergency such as an air—raid, fire, cyclone, earthquake, epidemic, etc.
UPSC Prelims 2025 Notes