Introduction
Indian polity has been shaped as much by expert committees and commissions as by the
Constitution's text itself — from the States Reorganisation Commission to the reports that gave birth to
Panchayati Raj, police reform, and administrative reform. UPSC frequently tests the
committee-name-to-purpose match.
Committees/Commissions on Centre-State Relations
| Commission | Year | Purpose |
|---|
| Fazl Ali Commission (States Reorganisation Commission) | 1953-55 | Recommended reorganisation of states broadly on linguistic lines |
| Sarkaria Commission | 1983-88 | Comprehensive review of Centre-State relations; restraint in use of Article 356 |
| Punchhi Commission | 2007-10 | Updated Centre-State relations recommendations, including localised emergency and Governor's role |
Committees/Commissions on Panchayati Raj and Local Government
| Committee | Year | Recommendation |
|---|
| Balwant Rai Mehta Committee | 1957 | Recommended the three-tier Panchayati Raj system (Gram Panchayat, Panchayat Samiti, Zila Parishad) — foundation of the 73rd Amendment |
| Ashok Mehta Committee | 1977-78 | Recommended a two-tier system and stronger links between Panchayats and political parties |
| G.V.K. Rao Committee | 1985 | Called Panchayats the "grass without roots"; recommended Zila Parishad as the pivotal body for development |
| L.M. Singhvi Committee | 1986 | Recommended constitutional recognition for Panchayati Raj Institutions — a direct precursor to the 73rd/74th Amendments |
Committees/Commissions on Electoral and Political Reform
| Committee | Year | Focus |
|---|
| Dinesh Goswami Committee | 1990 | Electoral reforms — state funding of elections (partial), disqualification rules |
| Indrajit Gupta Committee | 1998 | Recommended state funding of elections in a limited form |
| Justice J.S. Verma Committee | 2013 | Recommended amendments to criminal law after the 2012 Delhi gang-rape case; basis for the Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 2013 |
| Kovind Committee (High-Level Committee on Simultaneous Elections) | 2023-24 | Recommended a phased approach and constitutional amendments (Art. 82A, 324A) to enable "One Nation, One Election" |
Administrative Reform Commissions
| Commission | Year | Chair / Focus |
|---|
| First Administrative Reforms Commission | 1966-70 | Morarji Desai, later K. Hanumanthaiya — overall administrative efficiency |
| Second Administrative Reforms Commission (2nd ARC) | 2005-09 | M. Veerappa Moily — 15 reports covering RTI, ethics in governance, crisis management, local governance, capacity building, etc. |
Police and Security Reform Committees
| Committee | Year | Recommendation |
|---|
| National Police Commission | 1977-81 | Comprehensive police reform recommendations, including insulating police from political interference |
| Prakash Singh v. Union of India (SC directions) | 2006 | Supreme Court directions for police reforms — fixed tenure for DGP/SP, separate Police Complaints Authority, etc. |
✅ UPSC Focus: Match each committee/commission to its exact subject-area and year · Balwant Rai Mehta vs Ashok Mehta vs L.M. Singhvi (Panchayati Raj lineage) · Sarkaria vs Punchhi (Centre-State) · Kovind Committee (ONOE) as a current-affairs-linked static topic.