Maarg Manthan · Topic 15.6

Cabinet Committees and Their Functioning

Indian Polity › Prime Minister and Council of Ministers · Topic 15.6

Cabinet committees are extra-constitutional bodies set up by the Prime Minister under the Rules of Business, standing or ad hoc, which formulate proposals and take decisions that the Cabinet can review; eight function now, led by the Political Affairs Committee.

5 min read · UPSC Prelims · Polity · Prime Minister and Council of Ministers

At a Glance

What it is Committees of the cabinet created to reduce its workload
Basis Extra-constitutional; provided by the Rules of Business
Types Standing and ad hoc
Strongest Political Affairs Committee, called a Super-Cabinet
Exam link UPSC Prelims, Polity: Prime Minister and Council of Ministers

Where Does It Fit?

This is the sixth topic of the category on the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers. The Cabinet works through various committees. They are an organisational device to reduce the enormous workload of the Cabinet and permit in-depth examination of policy issues and effective coordination. The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet is among those that decide important matters, since it handles senior posts in the Central Secretariat, public enterprises, banks and financial institutions.

Features

They are extra-constitutional in emergence: not mentioned in the Constitution, but the Rules of Business provide for them.
They are of two types: standing (permanent) and ad hoc (temporary, disbanded after the task). The Emergency Committee set up after the Chinese invasion in 1962 is an example.
They are set up by the Prime Minister according to the exigencies of the time, so their number, names and composition vary.
Their membership varies. They usually include only cabinet ministers, though non-cabinet ministers can be members or attend as special invitees.
They include ministers in charge of the subjects covered and other senior ministers.
They are mostly headed by the Prime Minister; if the Prime Minister is a member, he or she invariably presides.
They sort out issues and formulate proposals for the Cabinet and also take decisions, but the Cabinet can review them.
They are based on the principles of division of labour and effective delegation.

The Eight Committees and Their Functions

Committee	Function
Political Affairs	All policy matters on domestic and foreign affairs
Economic Affairs	Directs and coordinates governmental activities in the economic sphere
Appointments Committee of the Cabinet	All higher-level appointments in the Central Secretariat, public enterprises, banks and financial institutions
Parliamentary Affairs	Progress of government business in Parliament
Security	Defence, law and order, internal security and atomic energy
Accommodation	Allotment of government accommodation to MPs, central employees and organisations
Investment and Growth	Capital inflows, export promotion, import substitution and ease of doing business
Employment and Skill Development	Skills, employability and women’s participation in the workforce

Of all the committees the most powerful is the Political Affairs Committee, often described as a Super-Cabinet.

Committees, Groups and the Kitchen Cabinet

Body	Nature	Created by
Cabinet committee	Standing or ad hoc; mentioned in the Rules of Business; headed mostly by the PM	Prime Minister
Group of Ministers	Ad hoc; formed for emergent issues; disbanded after advice	Government, as needed
Kitchen Cabinet	Informal inner circle of the PM and trusted colleagues; may include outsiders	Convention, not by rule
Cabinet	Highest decision-making body; chief policy formulator; supreme executive authority	Convention, defined in Article 352

The cabinet itself performs nine roles: highest decision-making authority, chief policy-formulating body, supreme executive authority, chief coordinator of Central administration, advisory body to the President whose advice is binding, chief crisis manager, handler of major legislative and financial matters, controller of higher appointments, and handler of foreign policy and foreign affairs. The committees spread this load without diluting its collective responsibility.

Groups of Ministers

In addition to cabinet committees, several Groups of Ministers (GoMs) look into different issues. Some are empowered to take decisions on behalf of the Cabinet, whereas others make recommendations. GoMs are ad hoc bodies formed to give recommendations to the cabinet on emergent issues and critical problem areas; ministers heading concerned ministries are inducted, and they are disbanded when the advice is crystallised. The Second Administrative Reforms Commission (2005-2009), headed by Veerappa Moily, observed that the constitution of a large number of GoMs led to many not meeting regularly and causing delays. It recommended more selective use of GoMs, empowered to decide on the Cabinet’s behalf with prescribed time limits and a clear mandate.

Why Is This Topic Important?

List recall Committee names and functions are asked
Extra-constitutional Frequent statement-based question
Link to GoMs ARC recommendations

What Came Next?

The next topic covers the Attorney General for India under Article 76.

Key People and Terms

Rules of Business Provide for committees
Standing committee Permanent committee
Ad hoc committee Temporary committee
Super-Cabinet Political Affairs Committee
Group of Ministers Ad hoc ministerial group

Exam Corner

Points to Remember

Cabinet committees are extra-constitutional.
Set up by the Prime Minister.
Eight committees; Political Affairs is strongest.
The Cabinet can review their decisions.

Do Not Confuse With

Cabinet committee and GoM GoMs are ad hoc and for specific issues
Standing and ad hoc Permanent versus temporary
Appointments Committee and Political Affairs Appointments versus policy

Memory Hook

Eight committees by the PM, one Super-Cabinet, many GoMs that come and go.

Mains Angle

Questions on this topic usually ask about functioning and delegation. Use these points to add depth.

Workload reduction Delegation to committees
Extra-constitutional Rules of Business basis
Coordination GoMs for emergent issues
ARC view Selective use of GoMs

A Question You May Face

An original practice question, not a past paper question.

“Discuss the role of cabinet committees in the functioning of the Union government.”

How to Answer

Introduction Why committees.
Features Eight points.
Committees List and functions.
Conclusion GoMs and reforms.

GS Relevance

Prelims: Indian Polity, cabinet committees. GS Paper 2: Executive.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are cabinet committees?

Cabinet committees are committees through which the Cabinet works. They are extra-constitutional bodies provided by the Rules of Business, set up by the Prime Minister to reduce the workload of the Cabinet and examine policy issues in depth.

How many cabinet committees are there and which is the most powerful?

There are eight functional cabinet committees: Political Affairs, Economic Affairs, Appointments, Parliamentary Affairs, Security, Accommodation, Investment and Growth, and Employment and Skill Development. The Political Affairs Committee is the most powerful of all, often called the Super-Cabinet.

Who heads the cabinet committees?

Cabinet committees are mostly headed by the Prime Minister. Sometimes other senior cabinet ministers act as chairman, but if the Prime Minister is a member of a committee he or she invariably presides over it.

Can the Cabinet review a committee’s decision?

Yes. Cabinet committees sort out issues, formulate proposals and also take decisions, but the Cabinet can review their decisions. They are only an organisational device based on the principles of division of labour and effective delegation.

What are Groups of Ministers?

Groups of Ministers are ad hoc bodies formed to give recommendations to the cabinet on emergent issues, and some are empowered to decide on its behalf. They are disbanded when their advice is crystallised. The Second ARC recommended selective use with clear mandates and time limits.

PYQ Practice — Statement Analysis

1 Cabinet committees are mentioned in the Constitution.

False

They are extra-constitutional.

2 The Appointments Committee decides higher appointments in the Central Secretariat.

True

And public enterprises, banks.

3 The Political Affairs Committee is called the Super-Cabinet.