Cabinet Secretariat asks ministries to use global benchmarks in proposals

The details should be included in the paragraph on the "justification" for the scheme or programme and the details appended in an annexure to the note for the Cabinet

The Cabinet Secretariat has asked all ministries and departments to incorporate global benchmarks and best practices while preparing notes for the Union Cabinet and Cabinet Committees.

In an office memorandum dated July 26, the Cabinet Secretariat said that ministries and departments “should examine global benchmarks and best practices” at the stage of “conceptualising/formulating proposals related to policy matters, schemes, programmes, projects, etc.”

It said that the “objective should be to suitably incorporate global best practices and standards” for these schemes and programmes, and incorporate these at the time of finalising notes for the Union Cabinet and Cabinet Committees. The details, the memorandum stated, should be included in the paragraph on the “justification” for the scheme or programme and the details appended in an annexure to the note for the Cabinet.

In another recent office memorandum, dated July 22, the Cabinet Secretariat has reiterated its request to ministries and departments to send their comments on a Cabinet note within two weeks to the ministry that has sponsored the note. It has asked ministries and departments to “strictly adhere to the prescribed time limit of two weeks for furnishing comments” to the sponsoring ministry of the note.

The office memorandum said that it has “observed” that in several cases, ministries and departments have not furnished their comments “within the stipulated time-frame” which has led to “delays in finalisation” of notes by the sponsoring ministries and departments.