The Administrative Reforms Commission (ARC) is a government agency that publishes reports on public administration. These reports are important for improving governance and efficiency in the public sector.
There have been two ARCs, the first established in 1966 and the second in 2005. Both ARCs have published 15 reports on a variety of topics related to public administration. The reports are crucial documents for improving governance and efficiency in the public sector.
The first ARC report made 537 recommendations in about 20 reports before it was disbanded in the 1970s.
The second ARC published 15 reports that covered a variety of public administration sectors.
Both ARC reports recommended effective reforms, but the second ARC report is considered essential for the study of public administration. It is also part of the public administration syllabus for the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) exam.
What is Administrative Reforms Commission in India?
The Government of India has appointed an organization or body known as the Administrative Reforms Commission that provides recommendations for evaluating India's public administration system. India’s ARC was set up twice.
FIRST ARC
The Indian government established the first Administrative Reforms Commission (ARC) in 1966. The ARC was headed by Morarji Desai at first, but he later became India's deputy prime minister, so K. Hanumanthaiah took over as chairperson.
The ARC was tasked with improving the efficiency and effectiveness of the public administration system in India. It was also asked to make sure that public servants were of high quality and integrity.
The ARC published 20 reports with 537 recommendations before it was disbanded in the 1970s. Many of its recommendations were implemented, and they continue to have a positive impact on public administration in India.
SECOND ARC
The Second Administrative Reforms Commission (ARC) was established by the Government of India on August 31, 2005, with the objective of making a comprehensive plan to revamp the public administration system in India.
The ARC was chaired by Veerappa Moily until his resignation in 2009. V. Ramachandran then took over as chairperson.
The ARC was authorized to propose effective measures to achieve a practical, responsive, responsible, sustainable, and efficient public administration at all levels of government in India.
The ARC published 15 reports covering various public administration sectors. These reports proposed reforms in areas such as the Indian government's organizational structure, integrity in governance, personnel administration, financial management systems, local self-government, citizen-centricity, federal polity, e-governance, crisis management, right to information, and unlocking human capital.
The first report published by the ARC was on the right to information, which is considered a key tool for good governance in India.
The Government of India excluded certain sectors and subjects from the ARC's recommendations, such as military defense, security and intelligence, judicial reforms, and relations between central and state governments. However, the ARC was still free to consider issues from these sectors or subjects and recommend restructuring.
The reports of the Administrative Reforms Commission (ARC), both the first and second, are very large and complex. It can be difficult and time-consuming to find the information you need in them.
The second ARC report is considered to be more important, so people often read the "2nd ARC report summary" even if they want more detailed information.
A good understanding of the 2nd ARC's 15 reports and their constituents can give you insights into the entire report. Here is a concise description of a few essential second ARC reports:
REPORT 1– "Right to Information: Master Key to Good Governance": This report discusses the importance of the Right to Information (RTI) Act and how it can be used to improve governance.
REPORT 2– "Unlocking Human Capital: Entitlements and Governance": This report focuses on the need to improve human capital in India and how this can be done through better governance.
REPORT 3– "Crisis Management": This report discusses how to effectively manage crises, such as natural disasters and terrorist attacks.
REPORT 4– "Ethics in Governance": This report emphasizes the importance of ethics in governance and how to promote ethical behavior in the public sector.
REPORT 5– "Public Order": This report discusses the challenges of maintaining public order in India and how to address them.
REPORT 6– "Local Governance": This report examines the need for stronger local governance in India and how to achieve it.
REPORT 7– "Capacity Building for Conflict Resolution": The 7th report on Capacity Building for Conflict Resolution emphasizes the importance of building institutional, human, and social capacity for conflict resolution in India.
REPORT 8– "Combating Terrorism - Protecting by Righteousness": Report 8 proposes a comprehensive strategy to combat terrorism in India, based on the principles of righteousness and moderation. It suggested setting up a separate statutory Review Committee, special courts, and possession of arms. The report also suggested the participation of Indian citizens, media, and civilians in battling terrorism.
REPORT 9– "Social Capital – A Shared Destiny": The report recommended a comprehensive framework for strengthening the legal, policy, and institutional environment for donations and charity work in India.
REPORT 10– "Refurbishing of Personnel Administration - Scaling New Heights": The report proposes a comprehensive plan to overhaul the personnel administration system in India, with a focus on making it more efficient, effective, and responsive to the needs of the 21st century.
REPORT 11– "Promoting e-Governance - The Smart Way Forward": This report defines e-Governance as the application of information and communication technology (ICT) to government processes in order to make them more efficient, effective, and transparent.
REPORT 12– "Citizen Centric Administration": The report argues that citizen-centric administration is essential for good governance and that it requires a fundamental shift in the way government works. The report identifies a number of key principles of citizen-centric administration, including: putting the citizen at the Centre of all government decision-making, Making government processes more transparent and accountable, providing citizens with easy access to information and services, empowering citizens to participate in decision-making, building a culture of service excellence in government.
REPORT 13– "Organizational Structure of the Indian Government": The report examines the current organizational structure of the Government of India and makes a number of recommendations for reform.
REPORT 14– "Financial Management System": The 14th report examines the current financial management systems in India and makes a number of recommendations for reform.
REPORT 15– "State and District Administration": The report examines the current state and district administration in India and makes a number of recommendations for reform.
These are just a few of the many important second ARC reports. By reading these reports, you can gain a better understanding of the challenges facing India's public administration and the potential solutions that have been proposed.
In the further chapters you are going to learn the summary of each report in detail, which are highly crucial for UPSC Mains.
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