and Commissions Union Government Ministries/ Department The main policy making institution in the Union government is the central secretariat which comprises all the ministries and departments which in turn characterized by certain patterns of structural arrangements and functional specifications. Structure of a Ministry Ministry of Central Government has a three tier structure consisting of . Political Head, who is a cabinet minister assisted by minister of state and deputy minister. Sometimes a minister of State may also be a political head of a ministry/department holding an independent charge.
. Secretariat organisation headed by a secretary who is a career civil servant. He is assisted by Joint secretaries, Deputy Secretaries, Undersecretaries and office establishment. ( .
Executive organization under a head of the department who is known by various designations like Director, Director- General, Commissioner, Inspector- General, Chief Controller etc… A ministry is primarily divided into departments. Each department is divided into wings. Each wing is, in turn, divided into divisions, which are further divided into branches. Each branch is divided into sections.
A section is the lowest level and smallest organizational unit of a ministry/ department. Under the Government of India, Rules of Business, , the ministries departments in the Government of India were classified into different levels. Central Secretariat The Central Secretariat comprises of all the ministries and departments of the central Government. Article of the Indian Constitution authorizes the President of India to make rules for more convenient transaction of business of Central Government and for allocation of such business among the ministries.
Role and Functions 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 Department (Secretary) Wing (Additional/Joint Secretary) Division (Deputy Secretary) Branch (Under Secretary ) Section (Section Officer) Central Secretariat normally performs the following functions: ( ) Assisting the minister in the discharge of his policy making and parliamentary responsibilities. ( ) Framing legislation, rules and principles of procedure. ( ) Sectoral planning and programme formulation.
( ) Budgeting and control of expenditure in respect of activities of the Ministry/ department. ( ) Supervision and control over the execution of policies and programmes. ( ) Initiating steps to develop greater personnel and organizational competence both in the ministry/ department and its executive agencies. ( ) Coordination and interpretation of policies, assisting other branches of government and maintaining contact with state administration.