Cabinet Secretariat
The Cabinet Secretariat is responsible for the administration of the Government of India (Transaction of Business) Rules, 1961 and the Government of India (Allocation of Business) Rules 1961, facilitating smooth transaction of business in Ministries/ Departments of the Government by ensuring adherence to these rules. The Secretariat assists in decision-making in Government by ensuring Inter-Ministerial coordination, ironing out differences amongst Ministries/ Departments and evolving consensus through the instrumentality of the standing/ adhoc Committees of Secretaries. Through this mechanism new policy initiatives are also promoted.The main functions of Secretariat are as follows:-
1. Making and modifying policies from time to time.
2. Forming legislation rules and regulations.
3. Sectoral planning and programme formulation,
4. Budgeting and control of expenditure,
5. Supervision and control over execution of policies and programmes by field agencies and evaluation of results,
6. Coordination and integration of policies and programmes, contact with state governments.
7. Developing greater organizational competence, and
8. Assisting the minister in discharge of his parliamentary responsibilities.
Central Secretariat
The work of the government of India is divided into ministries and departments which together constitute the Central Secretariat. Administrative Machinery at the Central Level: central secretatiat may be defined as a common
name for all the ministeries and departments of the central government. The political head of the ministry is the minister and administrative head is the Secretary. The department is centre of two or more wings. A wing consists of two or more divisions and a division consists of two or more branches. At the lowest level is the office which may consist of a number of secretariats. A ministry may be composed of one department or more than one department. The main function of the secretariat is to advise the minister concerned in matters of policy and administration. Each minister is aided by the secretariat staff.
PMO
The Prime Minister’s Office provided the administrative, logistical and liaison support to the Prime Minister so that he could function effectively, but it is the Cabinet Secretary and his team of officers who carried on the functions of government and so far as the Prime Minister was concerned, in the subjects of the Ministry it was the Secretary of the Ministry who ultimately advised the Prime Minister.