The Central Secretariat

The Central Secretariat system in India is based on two principles:

(1) The task of policy formulation needs to be separated from policy implementation.

(2) Maintaining Cadre of Officers operating on the tenure system is a prerequisite to the working of the Secretariat system.

The Central Secretariat is a policy making body of the government and is not, to undertake work of execution, unless necessitated by the lack of official agencies to perform certain tasks. The Central Secretariat normally performs the following functions:

(1) Assisting the minister in the discharge of his policy making and parliamentary functions.

(2) Framing legislation, rules and principles of procedure.

(3) Sect oral planning and program formulation.

(4) (a) Budgeting and control of expenditure in respect of activities of the Ministry/department.

(b) Securing administrative and financial approval to operational programs and their subsequent modifications.

(c) Supervision and control over the execution of policies and programs by the executive de­partments or semi-autonomous field agencies.

(d) Imitating steps to develop greater personnel and organizational competence both in the minis­try/department and its executive agencies.

(e) Assisting in increasing coordination at the Central level.