History of Prime Ministers Office

History of Prime Ministers Office

Formation and Early Role (1947–1964): Nehru Era

The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) of India has grown from a modest secretarial unit at independence into the nerve center of national governance.

• Established in 1947 as the Prime Minister's Secretariat (PMS), it was initially a low-profile office intended to assist the Prime Minister with routine administrative support.
• Nehru relied on the Cabinet system for governance and used the PMS mainly for personal assistance.
• Though his Principal Secretaries (like H.V.R. Iengar, M.O. Mathai) had influence, they did not function as power centers.
• Major decisions were made collectively by the Cabinet, not by the PMS.

Strengthening the PMS (1964–1977): Shastri & Indira Gandhi Era

• Lal Bahadur Shastri gave the PMS statutory status through the Allocation of Business Rules in 1964, making it a formal part of the government.
• Appointed K. Jha as Secretary to the PM – a move that elevated the office’s power.
• Jha’s influence in foreign policy and economy began to rival the Cabinet Secretariat.
• Indira Gandhi (1966 onwards) centralized power further.
  • Appointed N. Haksar (Principal Secretary in 1971), who coordinated policies like bank nationalization and the Bangladesh War strategy.
  • The PMS became a “super agency”, often bypassing ministers and acting as a parallel government.
  • Critics accused Indira of using PMS to establish personal rule, weakening civil service neutrality and Cabinet decision-making.

Pushback and Renaming (1977–1980): Janata Government

• Under Morarji Desai, the PMS was renamed Prime Minister’s Office (PMO).
• The Principal Secretary post was abolished and Cabinet Secretariat primacy was restored.
• This was a short-lived corrective phase—but the idea of a strong PMO was already established.

Revival and Expansion (1980–1989): Indira’s Comeback & Rajiv Gandhi

• Indira (1980 return) reappointed Principal Secretaries and used the PMO for oversight of events like:
  • 1982 Asian Games
  • Punjab Security issues
• Rajiv Gandhi modernized the PMO post-1984:
  • Launched National Technology Missions (e.g., telecom, literacy).
  • Appointed Sarla Grewal as India’s first woman Principal Secretary.
  • Brought in technocrats like Sam Pitroda.
  • Despite modernization, scandals like Bofors and frequent reshuffles weakened PMO stability.

Coalition Era (1989–1998): Reduced Role

• During the terms of P. Singh, Deve Gowda, Gujral, etc., the PMO had a minimal assertive role.
• Prime Ministers depended on consensus-building, not central authority.
• Even under V. Narasimha Rao, the PMO stayed in the background—ministries drove key reforms (like LPG reforms).

Reassertion of Authority (1998–2004): Vajpayee Era

• PMO’s power was restored under Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
• Brajesh Mishra held dual roles: Principal Secretary and National Security Advisor.
  • He managed foreign affairs, nuclear strategy (Pokhran-II), Kargil War, and diplomatic outreach.
• Strategic advisory bodies like the National Security Council were housed under the PMO.
• A more corporate-style, professional PMO emerged with advisors in media, economy, and security.

Dual Power Structure (2004–2014): UPA & Manmohan Singh

• PM Manmohan Singh led a consensus-based government with real power held by Sonia Gandhi through the National Advisory Council (NAC).
• PMO focused on implementation, not policy-making.
• Played key roles during:
  • India-US Nuclear Deal
  • 2008 Mumbai Attacks
• Known as the “remote control” model of governance.

Centralization of Power (2014–Present): Modi Era

• PM Narendra Modi centralized governance through the PMO.
• Cabinet Committees were minimized.
• Ministries act under direct PMO supervision.
• PMO personally oversees major initiatives:
  • Swachh Bharat
  • Make in India
  • Digital India