With reference to the Union Government, consider the following stateme

With reference to the Union Government, consider the following statements :

  • 1. N. Gopalaswamy Iyengar Committee suggested that a minister and a secretary be designated solely for pursuing the subject of administrative reform and promoting it.
  • 2. In 1970, the Department of Personnel was constituted on the recommendation of the Administrative Reforms Commission, 1966, and this was placed under the Prime Minister’s charge.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1 only
2 only
Both 1 and 2
Neither 1 nor 2
This question was previously asked in
UPSC IAS – 2021
The correct answer is B) 2 only.
Statement 2 is correct. The Administrative Reforms Commission (ARC) headed by Morarji Desai submitted its report in 1966. One of its key recommendations was the creation of a Department of Personnel. This Department was constituted in 1970 and placed under the direct charge of the Prime Minister to underscore the importance of personnel administration.
Statement 1 is incorrect. While the N. Gopalaswamy Iyengar Committee (1949) made significant recommendations for the reorganisation of the central government machinery and administrative improvements, the specific suggestion of designating a minister and a secretary solely for administrative reform and promoting it is not primarily associated with this committee. Various mechanisms for overseeing administrative reforms have been suggested and implemented over time, often involving departments under the Prime Minister or Cabinet Secretariat.
The Department of Personnel was later merged with the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances to form the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT), which remains a key body under the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, reporting to the Prime Minister.
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