Cab Sec irked as govt depts fail to inform it about MoUs

Irked over not being told about some agreements signed with foreign nations, the Cabinet Secretariat has asked all government departments to keep it informed and stick to timelines.
Any agreement related to culture and science and technology, not impacting national security or relations with other countries, which are approved by the minister-in-charge of the department concerned and the external affairs minister, needs to be circulated to the Cabinet for information.
Citing its earlier order, the Cabinet Secretariat said ministries/departments were advised to send intimations as soon as such pacts or memorandums of understanding (MoUs) were entered into along with a copy of the signed agreement.

Thereafter, all such agreements must also be brought before the Cabinet for information within one month of the signing of the agreement, it had said.
"Despite the said specific instructions, this secretariat is not being informed about signing of agreements/MoUs, which are required to be placed before the Cabinet/Cabinet Committees for information," the Cabinet Secretariat said in its latest directive issued to secretaries of all central government departments last week.
Besides, timelines for circulating notes for information of Cabinet/Cabinet Committees are also not being adhered to in some cases, it said, seeking "strict compliance" of its latest order.