Indian Administration has following salient features :
(i) Federal System : Our constitution divides the powers between Centre and States in terms of the Union List, State List and Concurrent list in the Seventh schedule (Art.-246). This principle is borrowed from Canada .
(ii) Welfare administration: Indian administration is welfare oriented i.e. it works for the basic requirements of a common man.
(iii) Development Oriented Administration: Various development progrmmes are being run to attain the objectives of a welfare state.
(iv) Written, lengthy and detailed constitution: The Indian constitution is the lengthiest and the most detailed written constitution in the world
(v) Partly rigid and flexible: The constitution of India is rigid to the extent that those provisions which are concerned with the federal policy (i.e. Centre-State relations and judicial organisation) can be amended by the Centre only with the approval of majority of States.
(vi) Parliamentary System: In this system the executive is responsible to the legislature for its policies and acts. The principles of Parliamentary government in India are – Nominal & real executive majority party rule, Collective responsibility, political homogeneity. Leadership of Prime Minister, dissolution of the lower house and secrecy.
(vii) Fundamental Rights: The fundamental Rights are contained in Part III of the constitution from Article 12 to 35. Inspiration came from USA (Bill of Rights). In this regard, at present there are 6 fundamental rights. They are –
a) Right to Equality
b) Right to Freedom
c) Right against Exploitation
d) Right to Freedom of Religion
e) Cultural and Educational Rights
f) Right to constitutional remedies
viii) Fundamental Duties: They were added by the 42 constitutional amendment Act of 1976 on the recommendation of the Swarn Singh Committee. There are eleven fundamental duties at present.
(ix) Independent Judiciary: The Indian judiciary is headed by the Supreme court to settle disputes between the centre and the States or between the States. It also protects the supremacy of the Constitution through its power of judicial review.
(x) Adult Franchise: It means all the persons above 18 have the right to vote.
Thursday, 28 March 2013
Sunday, 24 March 2013
The British Impact on Indian Administration
The British Impact on Indian Administration, when the constitution was framed:
The Indian Administrative Structure is largely a legacy of the British rule.
The British legacy in Indian administration can be studied under following heads.
1) Indian Civil Services : This was the most important legacy. The officers of Indian Civil Service can be posted in any State. Even after independence, these services were continued and at present there are three all India Services i.e. IAS, IPS & IFS.
2) Secretarial Services : Secretariat is a high level administrative organisation which constitutes politicians or secretary and other personnel. Secretariat is a very important part of the government whose function is to plan policies, law and control and most important advising the Ministers in performing their functions.
3) Rigid bureaucracy : System of bureaucracy was started in British period to execute the laws rules land programmes of the administration. File system was also introduced.
Civil servants consider themselves as superior and different. This tendency was inherited from Britishers.
Indian bureaucracy is traditional and conservative.
4) Federal System and National unity : In a federal government, policies are divided between the Central Government and State Government by the constitution itself. The federal features of Indian constitution are dual policy, double government, division of power into Central list, State list and concurrent list, bicameralism, rigid constitution.
Besides, it is also unitary in nature, as it has single citizenship, governor is appointed and the removal is by the President and more powers to the Centre represent the strong federal system.
5) Administrative anonymity & Secrecy : The norm of anonymity means that the civil servants must work from behind the curtain without praise or blame. This trend came into existence during British period. Along with this, the principle of secrecy of procedure also operates. It means the ministers cannot divulge information about their proceedings.
6) Committee System : The committee system was started by Britishers to do different work of government and administration such as amendments, investigate and advising. Different types of permanent and ad-hoc committees are formed in all government organisations.
7) District Administration : Warren Hastings in 1772, first time created the post of Collector. After independence, the collector became key figure from political geographical and district public administration point of view.
8) Revenue administration : First of all, Board of Revenue was set up in 1786 in Bengal. After independence, it has been established in most of the states as an independent body.
9) Police Administration : In 1808, post of Superintendent of police was introduced. Present police system is working under Police Act 1861, which is concerned with law administration.
10) Financial Administration : Yearly income and expenditure account is called Budget. Our budget formulation, implementation and execution and auditing is based on British traditions.
11) Local Administration : Lord Rippon is known as Father of local Self Government in India. In 1882, he made arrangements for electing representatives in village local bodies. This proposal of
Rippon was also known as “Magnacarta of Local Self Government”.
Local self-government has been given constitutional status in 1992 by passing 73rd constitutional Amendment (rural government) and 74th Constitutional Amendment (Urban Govt) Act. These constitute an important part in democratic decentralization.
The Indian Administrative Structure is largely a legacy of the British rule.
The British legacy in Indian administration can be studied under following heads.
1) Indian Civil Services : This was the most important legacy. The officers of Indian Civil Service can be posted in any State. Even after independence, these services were continued and at present there are three all India Services i.e. IAS, IPS & IFS.
2) Secretarial Services : Secretariat is a high level administrative organisation which constitutes politicians or secretary and other personnel. Secretariat is a very important part of the government whose function is to plan policies, law and control and most important advising the Ministers in performing their functions.
3) Rigid bureaucracy : System of bureaucracy was started in British period to execute the laws rules land programmes of the administration. File system was also introduced.
Civil servants consider themselves as superior and different. This tendency was inherited from Britishers.
Indian bureaucracy is traditional and conservative.
4) Federal System and National unity : In a federal government, policies are divided between the Central Government and State Government by the constitution itself. The federal features of Indian constitution are dual policy, double government, division of power into Central list, State list and concurrent list, bicameralism, rigid constitution.
Besides, it is also unitary in nature, as it has single citizenship, governor is appointed and the removal is by the President and more powers to the Centre represent the strong federal system.
5) Administrative anonymity & Secrecy : The norm of anonymity means that the civil servants must work from behind the curtain without praise or blame. This trend came into existence during British period. Along with this, the principle of secrecy of procedure also operates. It means the ministers cannot divulge information about their proceedings.
6) Committee System : The committee system was started by Britishers to do different work of government and administration such as amendments, investigate and advising. Different types of permanent and ad-hoc committees are formed in all government organisations.
7) District Administration : Warren Hastings in 1772, first time created the post of Collector. After independence, the collector became key figure from political geographical and district public administration point of view.
8) Revenue administration : First of all, Board of Revenue was set up in 1786 in Bengal. After independence, it has been established in most of the states as an independent body.
9) Police Administration : In 1808, post of Superintendent of police was introduced. Present police system is working under Police Act 1861, which is concerned with law administration.
10) Financial Administration : Yearly income and expenditure account is called Budget. Our budget formulation, implementation and execution and auditing is based on British traditions.
11) Local Administration : Lord Rippon is known as Father of local Self Government in India. In 1882, he made arrangements for electing representatives in village local bodies. This proposal of
Rippon was also known as “Magnacarta of Local Self Government”.
Local self-government has been given constitutional status in 1992 by passing 73rd constitutional Amendment (rural government) and 74th Constitutional Amendment (Urban Govt) Act. These constitute an important part in democratic decentralization.
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