Important Committees and Commissions of India

Committees and commissions are bodies set up by the government to study a problem in depth and recommend solutions. Many of India's major reforms, including Panchayati Raj, banking reforms, electoral reforms and poverty measurement, grew out of their reports. Questions on committees, their chairpersons and their recommendations are very common in UPSC Prelims and Mains (especially in Polity, Governance and Economy), bank exams (banking and financial sector committees), SSC and state PCS exams. In UPSC Mains, quoting the right committee, such as the Second Administrative Reforms Commission or the Punchhi Commission, adds weight to your answers. This note groups the most important committees by theme, with their year and key recommendations.

Quick Facts at a Glance

• Balwant Rai Mehta Committee (1957): Recommended three-tier Panchayati Raj.
• Sarkaria Commission (1983): Centre-State relations.
• Narasimham Committee (1991 and 1998): Banking sector reforms.
• Kothari Commission (1964–66): Education reforms; 10+2+3 pattern.
• Second Administrative Reforms Commission (2005): Chaired by Veerappa Moily; produced 15 reports on governance.

1. Panchayati Raj and Local Government

2. Centre-State Relations and Governance

3. Electoral and Political Reforms

• Dinesh Goswami Committee (1990): Electoral reforms, including state funding of elections in kind and measures against booth capturing.
• Indrajit Gupta Committee (1998): State funding of elections.
• Tarkunde Committee (1974–75): Electoral reforms, set up by Jayaprakash Narayan.
• Ram Nath Kovind High-Level Committee (2023–24): Simultaneous elections ("One Nation, One Election"); recommended holding Lok Sabha and State Assembly elections together, followed by local body elections within 100 days.

4. Banking and Financial Sector

5. Poverty, Agriculture and Social Sector

• Lakdawala Committee (1993): Poverty estimation using state-specific poverty lines.
• Suresh Tendulkar Committee (2009): New poverty line based on a consumption basket; estimated poverty at 37.2% for 2004–05.
• C. Rangarajan Committee (2014): Revised poverty estimates; estimated poverty at 29.5% for 2011–12.
• M. S. Swaminathan Commission (National Commission on Farmers, 2004–06): Recommended that MSP be at least 50% above the weighted average cost of production (C2 + 50%).
• Shanta Kumar Committee (2014): Restructuring of the Food Corporation of India.
• Sachar Committee (2005–06): Social, economic and educational status of Muslims in India.
• Justice Verma Committee (2012–13): Amendments to criminal law relating to sexual offences after the Delhi gang-rape case.

6. Education

• Radhakrishnan Commission (1948–49): University education.
• Mudaliar Commission (1952–53): Secondary education.
• Kothari Commission (1964–66): Comprehensive education reform; common school system and the 10+2+3 structure; influenced the National Policy on Education, 1968.
• Yash Pal Committee (2009): Renovation of higher education.
• K. Kasturirangan Committee (2017–19): Drafted the National Education Policy, 2020, with the 5+3+3+4 structure.

7. Tax, Economy and Others

• Raja Chelliah Committee (1991): Tax reforms.
• Vijay Kelkar Task Force (2002): Direct and indirect tax reforms; proposed a comprehensive GST.
• N. K. Singh Committee (2016–17): Review of the FRBM Act; recommended debt-to-GDP targets.
• Malimath Committee (2000–03): Reforms of the criminal justice system.
• Prakash Singh case directions (2006): Supreme Court-ordered police reforms based on earlier commissions such as the National Police Commission (1977–81).

8. Committee, Commission and Task Force: What Is the Difference?

The terms are often used loosely, but there are useful distinctions. A committee is usually a smaller group set up for a specific, limited task, such as reviewing a law or suggesting reforms in one sector. A commission is generally a larger body with a broader mandate and longer life, such as the Sarkaria Commission on Centre-State relations or the Administrative Reforms Commission. Some commissions are constitutional (the Finance Commission under Article 280) or statutory (created by law, like the National Human Rights Commission), while most committees are ad hoc, created by an executive order and dissolved after submitting their report. A task force is typically a short-term expert group focused on implementation or a technical problem. Their recommendations are advisory; the government may accept, modify or reject them.

9. How Committees Shaped Major Reforms

From Balwant Rai Mehta to the 73rd Amendment

The Community Development Programme of 1952 did not achieve the expected people's participation. The Balwant Rai Mehta Committee (1957) diagnosed this and recommended "democratic decentralisation" through elected bodies at the village, block and district levels. Rajasthan inaugurated the system at Nagaur on 2 October 1959. Over the next three decades, Panchayati Raj weakened due to irregular elections and lack of funds. The L. M. Singhvi Committee (1986) recommended giving panchayats constitutional status, which was finally achieved by the 73rd Constitutional Amendment Act, 1992, adding Part IX and the Eleventh Schedule.

Narasimham and the Banking Revolution

After the 1991 balance of payments crisis, the Narasimham Committee recommended reducing the high statutory pre-emptions on banks (CRR and SLR), freeing interest rates, adopting prudential norms for income recognition and asset classification, and allowing new private sector banks. These steps led to the entry of banks such as HDFC Bank and ICICI Bank and transformed Indian banking. The second Narasimham Committee (1998) focused on strengthening banks, reducing bad loans and improving capital adequacy.

Sarkaria and Punchhi on Centre-State Relations

The Sarkaria Commission recommended that Article 356 (President's Rule) be used only as a last resort, that Governors be eminent persons not active in politics, and that a permanent Inter-State Council be set up. The Inter-State Council was created in 1990. The Punchhi Commission later suggested fixed tenure for Governors, guidelines for their removal and a provision for "localised emergency" in limited areas instead of the whole state. The Supreme Court's judgment in S. R. Bommai v. Union of India (1994) drew on similar ideas to limit misuse of Article 356.

10. Using Committees in UPSC Mains Answers

Citing a committee shows that your suggestions are backed by expert opinion. For police reforms, mention the Prakash Singh directions and the Second ARC; for electoral reforms, the Dinesh Goswami and Indrajit Gupta Committees; for agriculture, the Swaminathan Commission; for fiscal discipline, the N. K. Singh Committee. Keep it brief: one line naming the committee and its key recommendation is enough. Avoid listing many committees without explaining their relevance.

11. Practice Questions

1. Which committee called Panchayati Raj "grass without roots"? Answer: G. V. K. Rao Committee.
2. Which committee recommended payments banks? Answer: Nachiket Mor Committee.
3. Which committee examined the RBI's economic capital framework? Answer: Bimal Jalan Committee.
4. Which committee reviewed the FRBM Act in 2016–17? Answer: N. K. Singh Committee.

Revision Strategy

Make a three-column table for each theme: committee name and year, chairperson, and the one recommendation most likely to be asked. Revise one theme a day. Pay special attention to pairs that students often confuse, such as Balwant Rai Mehta (three-tier) and Ashok Mehta (two-tier), or Tendulkar (2009) and Rangarajan (2014) on poverty. Before the exam, also check for new committees announced in the Budget or in the news, since recent committees are a favourite current-affairs topic.

Related Notes

• Panchayati Raj and Local Government Notes
• Banking System and Financial Inclusion Notes
• Poverty and Unemployment Notes
• Health and Education Policy Notes

Frequently Asked Questions

Which committee recommended three-tier Panchayati Raj?

The Balwant Rai Mehta Committee in 1957.

What did the Ashok Mehta Committee recommend?

A two-tier Panchayati Raj system with Zila Parishad and Mandal Panchayat.

What was the Sarkaria Commission about?

Centre-State relations; it was set up in 1983 and submitted its report in 1988.

Which committee led to the Central Vigilance Commission?

The Santhanam Committee on Prevention of Corruption.

Who chaired the Second Administrative Reforms Commission?

M. Veerappa Moily.

What did the Narasimham Committee deal with?

Banking sector reforms, in 1991 and again in 1998.

Which committee recommended inflation targeting?

The Urjit Patel Committee in 2014.

What poverty estimate did the Tendulkar Committee give?

It estimated poverty at 37.2% for 2004–05.

What did the Swaminathan Commission recommend on MSP?

MSP at least 50% above the weighted average cost of production (C2 + 50%).

Which commission introduced the 10+2+3 pattern?

The Kothari Commission (1964–66).

Which committee drafted the National Education Policy 2020?

The committee headed by Dr K. Kasturirangan.

Which committee studied simultaneous elections?

The High-Level Committee chaired by former President Ram Nath Kovind.