With reference to the Union Government, consider the following statements: 1. N. Gopalaswamy Iyengar Committee suggested that a minister and a secretary be designated solely for pursuing the subject of administrative reform and promoting it. 2. In 1970, the Department of Personnel was constituted on the recommendation of the Administrative Reforms Commission, 1966, and this was placed under the Prime Minister’s charge. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Prelims · Polity & governance · 23 questions

Elections, rights issues & governance

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UPSC syllabus: “Indian Polity and Governance-Constitution, Political System, Panchayati Raj, Public Policy, Rights Issues, etc.” See the full syllabus →

Prelims 2021 · Q78

Hard

With reference to the Union Government, consider the following statements:

1.N. Gopalaswamy Iyengar Committee suggested that a minister and a secretary be designated solely for pursuing the subject of administrative reform and promoting it.
2.In 1970, the Department of Personnel was constituted on the recommendation of the Administrative Reforms Commission, 1966, and this was placed under the Prime Minister’s charge.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Answer & explanation

Answer: (b) 2 only

Only statement 2 is correct. The Department of Personnel was created on 1 August 1970 in the Cabinet Secretariat on the First Administrative Reforms Commission's advice, under the Prime Minister. The Gopalaswami Ayyangar Committee of 1949 made no proposal of a minister and secretary solely for administrative reform.

✗ 1. The Ayyangar Committee (1949) said a Department should be under a Secretary and a Ministry under a Minister, grouped the economic and social departments into four bureaus, and suggested an Organization and Methods machinery. It did not propose a minister and secretary meant only for administrative reform.
✓ 2. The First Administrative Reforms Commission (set up in 1966) recommended a separate Department of Personnel directly under the Prime Minister. The Government accepted this and the Department came into being on 1 August 1970, as part of the Cabinet Secretariat.

Remember · Department of Personnel: created 1 August 1970 in the Cabinet Secretariat, on the First ARC's advice, under the Prime Minister. Ayyangar Committee (1949): Secretary for a Department, Minister for a Ministry, and O&M machinery.

Sources

Second Administrative Reforms Commission, Tenth Report: Refurbishing of Personnel Administration (Ch 2, History of Civil Services in India and Reforms), via Internet Archive copy of darpg.gov.in ↗ “the Committee suggested grouping of the Departments dealing with economic and social services into four bureaus. It also recommended the creation of an Organization and Methods machinery. … While noting that the Department of Personnel should be placed directly under the Prime Minister”
Cabinet Secretariat, Government of India, About Us: Development ↗ “In June, 1970 three departments namely: Department of Electronics Department of Scientific and Industrial Research and Department of Personnel were created under Cabinet Secretariat”
Department of Personnel, Cabinet Secretariat, Report 1970-71 (hosted by Ministry of Home Affairs) ↗ “On the 1st August, 1970, as a part of the Cabinet Secretariat.”

Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper I (2021, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify). Permalink ·

Prelims 2021 · Q80

Hard Dropped by UPSC

Consider the following statements:

1.In India, there is no law restricting the candidates from contesting in one Lok Sabha election from three constituencies.
2.In 1991 Lok Sabha Election, Shri Devi Lal contested from three Lok Sabha constituencies.
3.As per the existing rules, if a candidate contests in one Lok Sabha election from many constituencies, his/her party should bear the cost of bye-elections to the constituencies vacated by him/her in the event of him/her winning in all the constituencies.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Why UPSC dropped it · explanation

UPSC dropped this question from evaluation in its final answer key.

UPSC dropped this question from evaluation in its final answer key. The facts it tests: since a 1996 amendment, Section 33(7) of the Representation of the People Act, 1951 lets a person contest from at most two constituencies in a general election, and no rule makes a candidate's party pay for the resulting bye-election.

✗ 1. There is a law: Section 33(7) of the Representation of the People Act, 1951 allows a person to contest a general election from a maximum of two constituencies. It was inserted by a 1996 amendment; before that there was no limit.
• 2. This is a point of election history, not of law, and it is left unjudged in this write-up; UPSC dropped the question from evaluation anyway.
✗ 3. No existing rule makes the party bear the cost. The Election Commission has only proposed that, if two-seat contests continue, the candidate (not the party) should pay for the bye-election to the seat he or she vacates.

Remember · Section 33(7), RPA 1951 (since 1996): a person may contest from a maximum of two constituencies. Under Section 70, a person winning both must leave one seat.

Sources

Election Commission of India, Proposed Electoral Reforms (December 2016), Ch V: Section 33(7) of the RP Act, 1951 (copy hosted by ADR) ↗ · reference work “allows a person to contest a general election or a group of bye-elections or biennial elections from a maximum of two constituencies … Sub-section (7) was introduced through a 1996 amendment, prior to which there was no bar on the number of constituencies from which a candidate could contest. … in case the existing provisions are to be retained, a candidate contesting from two seats should bear the cost of the bye- election to the seat that the contestant decides to vacate”

Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper I (2021, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 1 Oct 2026 (how we verify). Permalink ·

The same topic in Mains

Representation of the People ActGS 2 syllabus
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