State PCS
The P.C. Hota Committee on civil services reforms was constituted in:
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Answer: Option B — 2004
Detailed Solution
The P.C. Hota Committee on Civil Services Reforms was set up by the Government of India in 2004 under the chairmanship of P.C. Hota, a former Chairman of the Union Public Service Commission.
Purpose of the committee:
- To suggest ways of making the civil services more efficient, accountable and responsive.
- To recommend changes in the recruitment, training, promotion and performance evaluation of civil servants.
Main recommendations:
- Officers should be given a minimum fixed tenure in their posts to reduce frequent and arbitrary transfers.
- Lateral entry of experts from outside the government should be allowed in some senior posts.
- Performance appraisal should be made more objective, with clear targets.
- Officers should be trained regularly, especially at mid-career levels.
- A code of ethics should be laid down for civil servants.
- Corrupt officers should be dealt with firmly, and honest officers should be protected.
- Administrative processes should use information technology to become transparent and faster, which is part of e-governance.
Other efforts at civil service reform:
- The Surinder Nath Committee (2003) studied the system of postings and promotions.
- The Second Administrative Reforms Commission, set up in 2005 under Veerappa Moily, gave detailed recommendations on refurbishing personnel administration.
The Supreme Court, in the T.S.R. Subramanian case (2013), directed the setting up of Civil Services Boards to decide transfers and postings.
Lateral entry in practice:
In later years, the government began appointing experts from the private sector as Joint Secretaries and Directors through lateral entry.
Why reforms are needed:
- The civil services form the "steel frame" of Indian administration, a term used by Sardar Patel.
- Reforms help adapt the services to new challenges such as globalisation, technology and public expectations.
Why not the other options?
- ✗1998, 2001 and 2008 do not match the year in which the Hota Committee was set up.
Quick tip
Remember: P.C. Hota Committee (2004) = civil services reforms (fixed tenure, lateral entry, code of ethics).
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Committees & Commissions — Preparation
This question tests your understanding of Committees & Commissions, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.
This topic covers the important committees and commissions set up in India, both before and after independence, on subjects such as administration, elections, Centre-state relations, local government, education, banking and the economy, along with their chairpersons and key recommendations. Questions usually name a committee and ask what it dealt with, or name a subject and ask which committee examined it. Examples include the Dhar and JVP committees on the linguistic reorganisation of states, the Sarkaria Commission on Centre-state relations, and the Narasimham Committee on banking reforms. A table of committee, chairperson and subject is the best way to revise. Practise the committees and commissions questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.