Commissions In India

Sarkaria Commission

Central Government constituted the Sarkaria Commission for the purpose to look into all the factors which could prove a way out for maintaining cordiality between the Center and state governments. This Commission worked extensively through evaluating all factors associated with the system of Indian governance. It submitted detailed report to the government with many recommendations for implementation purpose.

About the Sarkaria Commission

Sarkaria Commission had been constituted in June 1983 by the Indian Government. Establishment of this Commission was considered one of the crucial steps which could streamline the relationships between both Central and State governments in terms of improving governance system and to turn the administrations transparent and productive for the overall growth of the country. The Commission submitted its report to the government and advised various recommendations which have been implemented over the period.

As Sarkaria Commission was headed by its chairperson, former Supreme Court Judge, Justice Rajinder Singh Sarkaria, it was denoted with a name Sarkaria Commission and became famous as well. Mr. B. Sivaraman and Dr. S.R Sen were the two other members of this Commission as integrated parts of the committee.

Mandate

While constituting the Sarkaria Commission the government gave the clear cut mandate to it for tasks to fulfill. A proper charter was designed for this Commission to work in the areas for that it was established. One of the important mandates which this Commission had been ascertained through its charter was that it would work through examining both central and state government’s relationships keenly to make it possible for both to maintain and balance power in nation’s governance.

This Commission was also advised to suggest solution in this regard as to how both central and state governments could work for more productivity. The mandates also focused on the suggestions and guidance which this Commission was supposed to develop under the Constitutional framework for improvement in the governance system of the country.

Recommendations Reports

Sarkaria Commission submitted its recommendation report to Central Government with suggestions for various reforms in the administration and governance system. Most such recommendation reports were prepared after thorough assessment of various aspects for which the Commission conducted multiple studies and obtained various types of information.

Equally did the Commission members worked on other aspects from holding the thorough discussions with departments concerned to obtaining more details and information to prepare final report. This Commission submitted its recommendation report in January 1988. The final report contained of the 1600 pages and mainly suggested various types of suggestions and recommendation for implementation. Number of recommendations which the final report of the Sarkaria Commission had were 247 which came under discussion for specific implementation steps. Some of the notable recommendation of this Commission included:-

• Guidelines for the status quo in the Centre-State relations
• Overview of the multiple union-state relations for governance
• Ideas and recommendations associated with legislative issues
• Major and minor role which the state Governors would play for Union and state’s coordination in governance
• The use of Article 356 for maximum benefit

Implementation of Recommendations

Recommendation reports which Sarkaria Commission submitted to the government have been brought into practice through most of them getting implemented. All the recommendations submitted were brought for discussion and most of them have been accepted for implementation. Some of the major recommendations that have been implemented are as follows:-

• Central government mustn’t ignore consulting respective state governments prior to any sort of legislation on the particular disputes
• Efforts to smoothen the administrative relations
• State Governors concentrating on the reservation of Bills and issues related to emergency provisions
• Armed forces deployment by Central Government in the respective states
• Improving the financial relations between the Central and State governments
• Steps to redefine economic and social planning in terms of state and central governments
• Other issues related to Central and State governments

Sarkaria Commission suggested several new guidelines but the strong suggestion it made towards the implementation of Article 370 and making administration more transparent has been appreciated and welcomed from all sections. This Commission had recommended for complete residuary legislation powers for matters related to taxes and other important issues coming between state and Central Governments.

This Commission also suggested for the enforcement of the laws which could make the state and union machineries active for the assured uniformity on all the policies and issues related to national integrity and growth.