For India’s constitutional government to remain in place, the Governor position must be changed. In light of the recent scandals involving the Governors’ office, talk about. (Answer in 150 words)
The Prime Minister's Office (PMO) is an extra-constitutional body, which finds mention in the Government of India (Allocation of Business) Rules, 1961, where it has been accorded the status of a government department. It is a staff agency, which provides secretarial assistance and advice to the PrimRead more
The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) is an extra-constitutional body, which finds mention in the Government of India (Allocation of Business) Rules, 1961, where it has been accorded the status of a government department. It is a staff agency, which provides secretarial assistance and advice to the Prime Minister. It was called the Prime Minister’s Secretariat and was renamed the PMO in 1977 and is headed by the Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister.
Key functions performed by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) include:
- Advising the Prime Minister: The PMO provides the Prime Minister with critical information, analyses, and policy recommendations on various issues of national importance, thereby enabling informed decision-making.
- Crisis management: It is responsible for managing crises and emergencies. It coordinates the response of various government agencies and ensures that the Prime Minister is kept informed of the recent developments.
- Liaising with stakeholders: The PMO liaises with various stakeholders, including government departments, civil society organizations, and the private sector. It ensures that the Prime Minister is kept informed of the views and opinions of various stakeholders on policy issues.
- Public relations and media management: It ensures that the government’s policies and initiatives are accurately and effectively conveyed to the public.
The PMO’s role in shaping policy-making in India:
- Central role in policy coordination: The PMO plays a pivotal role in coordinating policy initiatives and decision-making processes across various government departments and Ministries. For instance, the PMO coordinated the implementation of the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana, a financial inclusion programme aimed at providing banking services to the unbanked population.
- International relations: It plays a key role in shaping India’s foreign policy, maintaining diplomatic relations with other countries, facilitating the Prime Minister’s engagements with foreign leaders and international organizations, etc.
- Monitoring policy implementation: It oversees the implementation of policies and programmes by various government departments and Ministries.
- Many reforms in this sphere have come from the PMO, such as PRAGATI, centralized monitoring system, 360 degree appraisal, etc.
- Crystallizing poll promises into concrete public policies: As a party leader during elections, the PM makes several promises to the electorate. These poll promises have to be crystallised into concrete public policies. Here, the PMO comes to the aid of the PM in giving these promises the shape of public policies.
The role of the PMO in shaping policy-making in India cannot be understated. It plays a critical part in ensuring that the government’s agenda is translated into tangible policies and programmes that positively impact the lives of the citizens. The PMO’s ability to coordinate various governmental entities and ensure the smooth implementation of policies makes it an indispensable part of the Indian Executive system.
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Article 154 vests the executive power of the State in the Governor. Article 163 categorically provides that there shall be a Council of Ministers to aid and advise the Governor except when this Constitution requires him to exercise his functions in his discretion. This discretionary power and ambiguRead more
Article 154 vests the executive power of the State in the Governor. Article 163 categorically provides that there shall be a Council of Ministers to aid and advise the Governor except when this Constitution requires him to exercise his functions in his discretion.
This discretionary power and ambiguity in certain provisions is sometimes misused by the Governor leading to certain controversies, which have been seen in recent times also:
Such instances do not augur well for constitutional governance. Therefore, it has been argued that the office of Governor needs reforms as highlighted below:
These reforms would ensure that the faith of the citizens in India’s democratic institutions increases and the scope for allegations of foul play is reduced, leading towards better governance.
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