Previous Year Question
With reference to Prime Minister's Office (PMO) which one of the statements is/are correct?
It came into existence in 1977.
It is headed by the Cabinet Secretary.
Select the correct answer from the codes given below:
Codes:
Only 2
Both 1 and 2
Only 1
Neither 1 nor 2
Correct Answer: C
Detailed Solution
The Prime Minister's Secretariat was established on 15 August 1947. It was subsequently renamed the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) with effect from 28 March 1977. On this basis, the statement that the PMO came into existence in 1977 is treated as correct in the context of the question.
An important distinction should be understood here—the administrative origin of the institution goes back to the Prime Minister's Secretariat of 1947, while the designation Prime Minister's Office came into use in 1977. Thus, both 1947 and 1977 are important, but in different contexts.
Statement 2 is incorrect. The Prime Minister's Office is headed by the Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister, not by the Cabinet Secretary.
The primary function of the PMO is to provide secretarial assistance to the Prime Minister. It performs this role under the Government of India (Allocation of Business) Rules, 1961.
The Cabinet Secretary and the Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister are distinct offices. The Cabinet Secretary heads the Cabinet Secretariat, whereas the administrative leadership of the PMO is associated with the Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister. Hence, Statement 2 is incorrect.