CAPF AC 2022 Q89: Indian Polity – Union & State Executive
- (a) 1 only
- (b) 2 only
- (c) Both 1 and 2
- (d) Neither 1 nor 2
Answer: (c) Both 1 and 2
Explanation
Cabinet Secretariat
How to think: the Cabinet Secretariat works directly under the Prime Minister.
Its head is the Cabinet Secretary, the senior-most civil servant.
It is the coordinating office of the whole government, in normal times and in a crisis.
| Statement | Verdict | Fact |
|---|---|---|
| 1. To ensure inter-ministerial coordination | Correct | It irons out differences between ministries and serves the Cabinet and its committees |
| 2. Management of major crisis situations | Correct | The National Crisis Management Committee is chaired by the Cabinet Secretary |
Other work: it administers the Transaction of Business Rules and the Allocation of Business Rules, 1961.
It keeps the President, Vice-President and ministers informed of major activities.
Answer: (c) Both 1 and 2.
Why each option is right or wrong
- (a) Incorrect. Statement 2 is also true; it handles major crisis management.
- (b) Incorrect. Statement 1 is also true; coordination is its core job.
- (c) CORRECT. Both are functions of the Cabinet Secretariat.
- (d) Incorrect. Neither statement is false.
Key point
Cabinet Secretariat: under the Prime Minister; headed by the Cabinet Secretary (ex officio head of the Civil Services Board, fixed tenure of two years, extendable). Functions: secretarial help to the Cabinet, inter-ministerial coordination, crisis management (NCMC).
Remember
Cabinet Secretariat: coordination + crisis management.
Common mistakes
- Thinking crisis management belongs only to the Home Ministry or the NDMA.
- Mixing up the Cabinet Secretariat with the Prime Minister's Office.
- Confusing the Cabinet Secretary with the Principal Secretary to the PM.
Exam tip
Educated guess: recall the news during any national disaster: the Cabinet Secretary chairs the crisis management committee. And a secretariat for the whole Cabinet must coordinate ministries.
Sources
- Cabinet Secretariat, Government of India — Functions of the Cabinet Secretariat
- Government of India (Allocation of Business) Rules, 1961 and (Transaction of Business) Rules, 1961