Evolution of the System of Public Administration in India from the Period 1858- 1950: A Detailed Study Highlighting the Major Landmarks in Administrative History Made During this Period

18 Pages Posted: 6 Oct 2009 Last revised: 28 Dec 2014

Date Written: October 4, 2009

Abstract

The present study is organised into chapters analyzing the evolution of Indian public administration, the several acts passed during this period (1858-1950), the main features of the system introduced by those acts and how they brought about reforms in the Indian administration. In nearly four thousand years long administrative history of India, three imperial and unitary forms of administrative systems — the Mauryan(or Kautilyan), the Mughal and the British are considered to be the greatest landmarks in the evolution of Indian Administrative system and institutions in India. The Indian administrative structure is largely, a legacy of the British rule. The various structural and functional aspects of Indian Administration like secretariat system , all-India services , recruitment, training, office procedures, local administration, district administration, budgeting, auditing, centralising tendency, police administration, revenue administration, and so on, have their roots in the British rule. The British rule in India can be divided into two phases- the Company Rule till the year 1858 and the Crown Rule from 1858-1947. The year 1858 itself was a year of great event in that the administration of the Government of India passed into the hands of the British Government from the East India Company. The administration under the East India Company was unrealistic, inelastic and static and this has contributed to the collapse of the administration when it was challenged by the First War of Independence in 1857. The administration under the British Government was loyal to Britain but the people of India suffered. The system of public administration passed through various stages of improvements owing to the sustained efforts of the people until it was completely Indianised after independence. The major landmarks which laid down the legal framework for the organisation and functioning of administration in British India are explained in the following chapters in a chronological order. The important stages during the period 1858-1950 were as under: Government of India Act 1858, Indian Councils Act 1861, Indian Councils Act 1892, Indian Councils Act also known as Morley-Minto Reforms 1909, Government of India Act also known as Montague-Chelmsford Reforms 1919, Government of India Act 1935, Indian Independence Act 1947, and the Adoption of Indian Constitution 1949.

Keywords: Indian administration, British rule in india, administrative history of India, period 1858-1950, reforms in civil services

Suggested Citation

Srivastava, Meetika, Evolution of the System of Public Administration in India from the Period 1858- 1950: A Detailed Study Highlighting the Major Landmarks in Administrative History Made During this Period (October 4, 2009). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1482528 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.1482528

Meetika Srivastava (Contact Author)

Independent ( email )

Millennial worx Hazratganj Lucknow
Lucknow, 226001
India

Do you have negative results from your research you’d like to share?

Paper statistics

Downloads
6,869
Abstract Views
44,423
Rank
1,952
PlumX Metrics