(a) whether the Government has set up Administrative Reforms Commission on Public Reforms;
(b) if so, the details thereof along with the terms of reference;
(c) whether the said commission has submitted its report and if so, the details of the recommendations made by the Commission;
(d) whether the Government has accepted all the recommendations; and
(e) if so, the details thereof?
Minister of State in the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions and Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office. (DR. JITENDRA SINGH)
(a) to (e): The 2nd Administrative Reforms Commission (2nd ARC) was set up in 2005 for preparing a detailed blueprint for revamping the public administrative system. The Commission was requested to suggest measures to achieve a proactive, responsive, accountable, sustainable and efficient administration for the country at all levels of the Government. A copy of the resolution indicating the terms of reference is enclosed (Annexure-I). Before its winding up in 2009, it submitted 15 Reports to the Central Government on various aspects of Governance (Annexure-II). Out of 1514 recommendations made therein, 1183 recommendations have been accepted by the Government for implementation. Details are at Annexure-III.
Annexure - I
Government of India
Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions
Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances
Resolution
New Delhi, the 31.08.2005
No. K-11022/9/2004-RC. — The President is pleased to set up a Commission of Inquiry to be called the Second Administrative Reforms Commission (ARC) to prepare a detailed blueprint for revamping the public administration system.
2. The Commission will consist of the following :
(i) Shri Veerappa Moily – Chairperson
(ii) Shri V. Ramachandran - Member
(iii)Dr. A.P. Mukherjee - Member
(iv) Dr. A.H. Kalro - Member
(v) Dr. Jayaprakash Narayan - Member#
(vi) Smt. Vineeta Rai - Member-Secretary
3. The Commission will suggest measures to achieve a proactive, responsive, accountable, sustainable and efficient administration for the country at all levels of the government.
The Commission will, inter alia, consider the following :
(i) Organisational structure of the Government of India
(ii) Ethics in governance
(iii) Refurbishing of Personnel Administration
(iv) Strengthening of Financial Management Systems
(v) Steps to ensure effective administration at the State level
(vi) Steps to ensure effective District Administration
(vii) Local Self-Government/Panchayati Raj Institutions
(viii) Social Capital, Trust and Participative public service delivery
(ix) Citizen-centric administration
(x) Promoting e-governance
(xi) Issues of Federal Polity
(xii) Crisis Management
(xiii) Public Order
Some of the issues to be examined under each head are given in the Terms of Reference attached as a Schedule to this Resolution.
4. The Commission may exclude from its purview the detailed examination of administration of Defence, Railways, External Affairs, Security and Intelligence, as also subjects such as Centre-State relations, judicial reforms etc. which are already being examined by other bodies. The Commission will, however, be free to take the problems of these sectors into account in recommending re-organisation of the machinery of the Government or of any of its service agencies.
5. The Commission will give due consideration to the need for consultation with the State Governments.
6. The Commission will devise its own procedures (including for consultations with the State Government as may be considered appropriate by the Commission), and may appoint committees, consultants/advisers to assist it. The Commission may take into account the existing material and reports available on the subject and consider building upon the same rather than attempting to address all the issues ab initio.
7. The Ministries and Departments of the Government of India will furnish such information and documents and provide other assistance as may be required by the Commission. The Government of India trusts that the State Governments and all others concerned will extend their fullest cooperation and assistance to the Commission.
8. The Commission will furnish its report(s) to the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions, Government of India, within one year of its constitution.
Sd/-
(P.I. Suvrathan)
Additional Secretary to Government of India
Annexure-II
List of Reports
I. Right to Information: Master Key to Good Governance
II. Unlocking human capital: Entitlements and Governance – a Case Study
III. Crisis Management: From Despair to Hope
IV. Ethics in Governance
V. Public Order: Justice for each … Peace for all
VI. Local Governance
VII. Capacity Building for Conflict Resolutiohn – Friction to Fusion
VIII. Combating Terrorism
IX. Social Capital – A Shared Destiny
X. Refurbishing of Personnel Administration- Scaling New Heights
XI. Promoting e-Governance – The SMART Way Forward
XII. Citizen Centric Administration – The Heart of Governance
XIII. Organisational structure of Government of India
XIV. Strengthening Financial Management System
XV. State and District Administration
Annexure - III
STATUS OF RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE 2ND ARC CONSIDERED BY THE GOM
Report No. Total No. Accepted Not Deferred Referred of Recom- Accepted To other mendations Fora
Right to Information: Master Key to Good Governance (1st Report) 62 39 23 -
Unlocking human capital: Entitlements and Governance- a Case sStudy (2nd Report) 114 88 26 -
Crisis Management: From Despair to Hope (3rd Report) 142 136 6 -
Ethics in Governance (4th Report) 134 79 34 - 21
Public Order: Justice for each…Peace for all (5th Report) 165 127 31 7 -
Local Governance (6th Report) 256 230 24 2
Capacity Building for Conflict Resolution- Friction to Fusion (7th Report) 126 111 15
Combating Terrorism(8th Report) (@) 23 (MHA)
Social Capital- A Shared Destiny (9th Report) 66 36 11 19
Refurbishing of Personnel Administration- Scaling New Heights (10th Report) 98 51 17 30
Promoting e-Governance –The Smart Way Forward (11th Report) 47 46 1
Citizen Centric Administration –The Heart of Governance (12th Report) 50 41 9
Organizational structure of Government of India (13th Report) 37 32 5
Strengthening Financial Management Systems (14th Report) 36 33 2 1
State and District Administration (15th Report) 158 134 24
Total 1514 1183 228 59 21
(@- Being handled by Ministry of Home Affairs)