Administrative Reforms

5.1 First Administrative Reforms Commission (1966–70)

Established in 1966 under Morarji Desai (later Ladli Kishore Jha when Desai became Deputy PM).

Key recommendations:

• Establish a Prime Minister's Department (to support PM; partially implemented as PMO).
• Create a Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms (DPAR) — implemented as DOPT.
• Machinery of Government review — rationalize departments, reduce overlap.
• Lok Pal and Lok Ayukta — first formal recommendation.
• Civil services reforms — improved training, transfers, appraisal.
• Redress of citizens' grievances — tribunals at state level.

5.2 Second Administrative Reforms Commission (2005–08)

Established in 2005 under Veerappa Moily (later A.R. Antulay chaired briefly). 15 reports submitted, covering:

Report #	Subject
1	Right to Information
2	Unlocking Human Capital (Personnel)
3	Crisis Management
4	Ethics in Governance
5	Public Order
6	Local Self-Government
7	Capacity Building for Conflict Resolution
8	Combating Terrorism
9	Social Capital, Trust and Participatory Public Service Delivery
10	Refurbishing Personnel Administration
11	Promoting E-Governance
12	Citizen-Centric Administration
13	Organisational Structure of Government
14	Strengthening Financial Management
15	State and District Administration

Key 2nd ARC recommendations (most exam-relevant):

1. Right to Information: Strengthen RTI implementation; no exemptions for Cabinet papers beyond specified limits.
2. Code of Ethics: Statutory code for civil servants.
3. Civil Services Act: Codify service conditions; protect tenure.
4. Domain Specialisation: IAS to choose 2–3 sectors; reduces generalist-specialist tension.
5. Fixed minimum posting tenure: 2 years; Civil Services Board to approve transfers.
6. E-Governance: IT-enabled services; single window delivery; SMART government.
7. Citizens' Charter: Legally backed service standards.
8. Lokpal and Lokayukta: Establish in all states within 2 years (finally done: 2013 Act, 2019 operationalised).
9. Lateral Entry: Fixed-term specialist appointments at senior levels.
10. Performance-linked pay: Outcome-based compensation.

5.3 New Public Management (NPM) Reforms

NPM (Hood, 1991) applied market principles to public administration — India adopted NPM elements post-1991:

NPM Element	Indian Implementation
Performance contracts	Results Framework Documents (RFDs) for ministries
Citizens' Charters	Issued by most ministries since 1997
Outsourcing	Government services through private agencies
E-Governance	Digital India (2015); UMANG app; e-Sampark
Decentralisation	73rd/74th Amendments; local self-government
Accountability	RTI Act 2005; performance audits by CAG

---