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: B. Only statement 2 is correct. Statement 1 is WRONG. The N. GOPALASWAMI AYYANGAR COMMITTEE (1949) was set up by Sardar Patel to RECOMMEND REORGANISATION OF THE MACHINERY OF GOVERNMENT (Cabinet Secretariat, Ministry of External Affairs, machinery of administration). It suggested specific organisational changes but DID NOT specifically recommend that a 'MINISTER AND A SECRETARY BE DESIGNATED SOLELY FOR ADMINISTRATIVE REFORM AND PROMOTING IT'. The dedicated administrative reform agenda came later, especially through the SECOND ADMINISTRATIVE REFORMS COMMISSION (Veerappa Moily/Hota, 2005-09). The Gopalaswami Ayyangar Committee's contributions were more on governmental structure. Statement 2 is CORRECT. The FIRST ADMINISTRATIVE REFORMS COMMISSION (ARC), chaired initially by Morarji Desai and later by K. Hanumanthaiya, was constituted in JANUARY 1966 to examine the public administration of the country. On its recommendations, the DEPARTMENT OF PERSONNEL was constituted in AUGUST 1970 to deal with civil service matters (recruitment, training, transfers, conduct, vigilance) for All India Services and Central Services. It was PLACED UNDER THE PRIME MINISTER'S CHARGE — reflecting the strategic importance of personnel administration. Later renamed and elevated to the DEPARTMENT OF PERSONNEL AND TRAINING (DoPT) and the MINISTRY OF PERSONNEL, PUBLIC GRIEVANCES AND PENSIONS, which remains under the Prime Minister to this day. Source: First Administrative Reforms Commission Reports / DoPT history page / NCERT Class 12 'Indian Society' references on administrative structures.