Thursday, October 10, 2019

(Answer synopsis) -Daily Mains Answer Writing Initiatives – 8th October, 2019 (Day 13)


In our Mains Answer Writing Initiative, we are daily posting 6 Questions i.e. 3 from static part and 3 from the current affairs part. On the next day, We provide answers to those questions.

Here you can download the synopsis of answers for the daily Mains Answer Writing Initiative.

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Q1.It is being said that PMO has become an over-grown, over-arching, all-powerful organization, which is a grave threat to the Parliamentary democracy and hence subverts. Comment
 SYNOPSIS                                            
Intro
  • Prime Minister’s Office [PMO] is a staffing agency assisting the Prime Minister in the efficient discharge of his role, functions, and responsibilities.
  • It acts as a link between the PM and his Ministers, President, Governors, Chief Ministers and also Foreign representatives.
  • PMO is an extra-constitutional body that has no mention in the Indian Constitution
Body Part
Principal functions of the PMO
The functions assigned to the PMO in the government of India allocation of business rules 1961 as amended in October 1970 principally concerns five key functions:
  • To deal with all references that have, under the rules of business, come to the Prime Minister.
  • To help the Prime Minister in respect of his/her overall responsibilities as head of Government. It includes liaison with the Union Ministries and the state Governments on matters in which the Prime Minister may be interested.
  • To deal with the public relations side of the Prime Minister’s office, that is, relations with the press, public.
  • To assist the Prime Minister in the examination of cases submitted to him for orders under prescribed rules.
Emerging Negative Trend in the Working of PMO
  • Growing tendency towards centralization in decision-making. Not only does a Prime Minister sometimes keep with himself an unduly large number of portfolios but also informally exerts his real influence beyond those formally held portfolios. Thus it intrudes into the domain of individual Ministries. For example, Defence Ministry protested against PMO undermining Rafale negotiations
  • Sometimes PMO acts as a parallel government. For example reshuffling of Cabinet has taken place many times based on the advice of the PMO
  • Instead of remaining within its envisaged role of providing secretarial assistance to the Prime Minister in the discharge of his functions, the PMO is increasingly having to say in the policy formulation. It is the role of Cabinet secretary to ensure that department of governments deliver on policies framed by government.
  • Increased control over personnel by the PMO. For example PMO seeks change in UPSC allocation.
  • The role of Departmental secretary is also marginalised and this is bound to effect the individual ministries.
Conclusion
With increasing Complexity the scope of government have increased tremendously. Thus the requirement for a strong and technically efficient staff agency like PMO is needed.
However, PMO should priorities its role by facilitating the work of the Prime Minister without undermining other constitutional posts so that he is able to fulfill his role as the leader of the government.

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