Commissions In India

Second Administrative Reform Commission

Central Government of India constituted the Second Administrative Reforms Commission with the key purpose to bring most possible reforms in the country’s administration. This Commission had been assigned to work under Union Ministry of Personnel to bring reforms in the administration of the country from the grassroots to the higher level administration.

About Second Administrative Reforms Commission

With the establishment of Second Administrative Reforms Commission, the Central Government involved Mr. Veerappa Moily to head this Commission as chairman to submit the report accordingly while the previous chairperson had resigned from this post. Constitution of Second Administrative Reforms Commission had finally held on August 08, 2005. It was purposed as a Commission of Inquiry.

This Commission had been constituted with an important purpose to develop a new action plan for total revamp and reform in administration system. Main purpose was for total remodeling of system of administration in country’s  administrative system. The first such Commission had been established on January 05, 1966 itself.

Mandate

While getting established the Second Administrative Reforms Commission had been mandated for the certain roles that was expected to bring a revolutionary change in the country’s administrative system. A full-fledged website has been developed that mention all such details as the roles which the Commission had to play. Some of the most notable factors which have been made part of this Commission’s mandate are as follows:-

• To advise and suggest Indian government’s organizational structure to turn its public administration more responsible
• To advise and suggest Indian government for the sustainable administrative system
• To advise and suggest Indian government to become proactive and efficient in all respects
• To inculcate governance system and total ethics in governance system  

Exclusions

Second Administrative Reforms Commission had been excluded from certain things which included no involvement in the detailed examination or investigation of any administration system in the areas of railways, defence, intelligence & security issues, railways which didn’t come in this Commission’s purview. This Commission was also excluded from doing investigations in educational administration related aspects whose investigations were usually separately done but this Commission had been permitted to advise all sorts of guidance if they deemed suitable.

An important role of Second Administrative Reforms Commission which was though not in its purview officially but could be inculcated in that were advisory roles it was to play through pointing out many important issues which such sectors would have usually faced. An important purpose of those advisory roles were to improve the administrative conditions and to bring a sort of reform in them.

Composition of the Second ARC

• Chairperson – V Ramachandran
• Members – Dr. A.P. Mukherjee, Dr. A.H. Kalro, Dr. Jayaprakash Narayan & Vineeta Rai

Several changes occurred in the Commission’s structuring specially due to the resignation of Mr. Veerapaa Moily on April 01, 2009 and then the appointment of V. Ramachandran to head this Commission thereafter. Earlier Dr. Jayaprakash Narayan had played the role of Chairmanship.

Recommendation Reports

Second Administrative Reforms Commission submitted its report to the government and suggested several reforms in the form of recommendations submitted. By now this Commission has already submitted twelve reports to Indian Government. It has also advised for bringing several reforms in country’s administration. Some notable recommendations which Second Administrative Reforms Commission has suggested to the government are mentioned in brief here:-

• Suggestions for Right to Information for transparent governance system
• Transparencies in the total Governance system of the country
• Suggestions for the best possible Crisis Management
• Advices for the ethics in whole Governance system
• Encouraging the Local Governance system
• Solutions through Conflict Resolution options
• Reforms in the Organizational Structure of Governance system
• Reforms in the Financial Management system
• Reforms in the Central, state and local level administration 

Implementation of Recommendations

Second Administrative Reforms Commission submitted its reports in the form of many recommendations for implementation purpose. One of the recommendations was to implement the Official Secrets Act 1923 that would encourage transparency in governance. It was welcomed and has been implemented to bring change in the various administrative aspects of the country and through incorporation in National Security Act as well.

Suggestions for involving at least 50% non-civil service Information Commission members were encouraged by the Commission which were discussed for the implementation purpose. The idea to abolish Discriminatory Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958 was taken into account so was the implementation of Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act 1967 encouraged which had been suggested by this Commission. Some other notable implementations included:-

• Bringing major reforms in administrative system including in the police forces  
• Encouraging women to join the policing system through 33% reservation
• Implementation of establishing local courts for fast justice and especially for the regions having at least 25,000 population
• Members of Parliament Local Area Development Schemes abolition for the total betterment
• Establishment of State Finance Commissions for total economic monitoring
• Election of Mayors through the direct popular voting systems