Constitutional, administrative and policy Committees and Commissions — who headed them, the year, and their major recommendations, grouped so related sequences sit together.
A single revision table for the 54 Committees and Commissions that repeatedly show up across UPSC, APPSC, TSPSC and EPFO Polity papers — Centre-State relations, backward classes, poverty lines, electoral reform, Panchayati Raj, banking, and more. Grouped loosely by theme below so related committees (e.g. the poverty-line sequence, or the Panchayati Raj sequence) sit near each other.
| # | Committee / Commission | Headed By | Major Recommendations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | States Re-organisation Commission (1953) |
Fazl Ali | • Dhar Commission (1948) was earlier rejected for using language as the basis of State organisation. • Examined demands for linguistic States. • Recommended restructuring India's internal boundaries. • Led to the States Reorganisation Act, 1956. • Abolished Part A, B, C & D states. |
| 2 | Sarkaria Commission (1983) |
Justice R.S. Sarkaria | • Recommended an Inter-State Council under Art. 263. • Aimed to improve Centre-State relations. • Suggested Art. 356 be used rarely. • Encouraged consultation with States on Union/State/Concurrent lists. • Promoted co-operative federalism. |
| 3 | Punchhi Commission (2007) |
Justice M.M. Punchhi | • Proposed fixed tenure for Governors. • Laid down guidelines for imposing President's Rule. • Recommended greater autonomy to States. • Focused on co-operative federalism. |
| 4 | Rajamannar Committee (1969) |
Set up by T.N. Govt. | • Recommended reduction of central powers. • Suggested an Inter-State Council. • Proposed States receive more financial powers. • Criticised strong centralisation. |
| 5 | Venkatachaliah Commission (NCRWC) (2000) |
Justice M.N. Venkatachaliah | • Reviewed the working of the Constitution. • Suggested electoral reforms and judicial accountability. • Recommended strengthening institutions. • Did not recommend changing the basic structure. |
| 6 | Administrative Reforms Commission (ARC) (1966) |
Initially Morarji Desai | • Recommended Lokpal and Lokayukta. • Suggested civil service reforms. • Focused on decentralisation. • Proposed citizen-centric administration. |
| 7 | 2nd Administrative Reforms Commission (2nd ARC) (2005) |
Veerappa Moily | • Produced reports on ethics in governance. • Suggested police reforms & e-governance. • Strengthened accountability mechanisms. |
| 8 | Shah Commission (1977) |
Justice J.C. Shah | • Examined abuses during the Emergency (1975–77). • Documented illegal arrests and censorship. • Recommended safeguards to protect democracy. |
| 9 | Mandal Commission (1979) |
B.P. Mandal | • Identified socially & educationally backward classes. • Recommended 27% reservation in government jobs. • Estimated OBC population at about 52%. • Built on the foundation laid earlier by the Kalelkar Commission. |
| 10 | Kalelkar Commission (1953) |
Kaka Kalelkar | • India's 1st Backward Classes study — identified Backward Classes. • Suggested reservation & welfare programmes. • Largely not implemented. |
| 11 | Ranganath Misra Commission (2004) |
— | • Recommended 15% reservation for minorities in jobs and education. • Proposed a sub-quota within the OBC quota. • Focused on minority development policies. |
| 12 | Sachar Committee (2005) |
Justice Rajinder Sachar | • Highlighted the educational & economic backwardness of Muslims. • Recommended inclusive policies and monitoring mechanisms. |
| 13 | Nanavati Commission (2000) |
Justice G.T. Nanavati | • Examined causes & responsibility for riots, including the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. • Recommended further investigation of certain leaders. |
| 14 | Justice Verma Committee (2013) |
Justice J.S. Verma | • Formed after the Nirbhaya case. • Recommended strict rape laws & police accountability. • Led to the Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 2013. |
| 15 | Committee on Judicial Accountability (1999) |
— | • Recommended strengthening mechanisms for judicial accountability. • Suggested improving transparency in the judiciary. |
| 16 | Law Commission of India (1955) |
— | • Advisory body that recommends law reforms. • Reviews outdated laws. • Provides reports on legal modernisation. |
| 17 | Kelkar Committee (2015) |
— | • Suggested reforms in infrastructure (PPP). • Proposed independent regulators. • Recommended risk-sharing mechanisms. |
| 18 | Kelkar Committee on Tax Reforms (2002) |
— | • Direct tax reforms. • Suggested simplifying the tax structure. • Recommended reduction in tax rates. • Proposed modern tax administration. |
| 19 | Vijay Kelkar Committee (Fiscal Responsibility) (2016) |
— | • Recommended fiscal deficit targets. • Suggested a debt-GDP management framework. • Strengthened fiscal discipline. • FRBM Act review. |
| 20 | Rangarajan Committee on Poverty (2012) |
— | • Suggested a new poverty calculation methodology. • Updated the consumption basket criteria. |
| 21 | Lakdawala Committee (1993) |
— | • Used calorie-intake norms to determine the poverty line. • Became the basis for poverty estimates for many years. |
| 22 | Tendulkar Committee (2009) |
— | • Included education and health expenditure in poverty calculation. • Revised the poverty measurement method. |
| 23 | Narasimham Committee I (1991) |
— | • Banking reforms. • Recommended reducing government control. • Introduced prudential norms. • Strengthened the financial system. |
| 24 | Narasimham Committee II (1998) |
— | • Suggested consolidation of banks. • Strengthened capital adequacy norms. |
| 25 | Malegam Committee (2011) |
— | • Suggested interest rate limits (microfinance regulation). • Improved transparency & borrower protection. |
| 26 | Naresh Chandra Committee (2002) |
— | • Corporate governance reforms. • Improved disclosure and auditing standards for companies. |
| 27 | Uday Kotak Committee (2017) |
— | • Corporate governance reforms, continuing from the Naresh Chandra Committee. • Strengthened board independence & transparency in listed companies. |
| 28 | Abhijit Sen Committee (2006) |
— | • Agricultural policy. • Studied agri-markets & price support mechanisms. |
| 29 | Ashok Dalwai Committee (2016) |
— | • Doubling farmers' income. • Suggested reforms in agri-marketing, irrigation and technology. |
| 30 | Swaminathan Commission (2004) |
— | • Farmers' welfare. • Recommended MSP = Cost + 50%. • Suggested improving irrigation and rural credit. |
| 31 | Kothari Commission (1964) |
— | • Education reforms. • Introduced the 10+2+3 education structure. • Suggested 6% of GDP for education. |
| 32 | Yashpal Committee (2009) |
— | • Higher education reforms. • Recommended restructuring higher education institutions. |
| 33 | Kasturirangan Committee (2017) |
— | • Prepared the draft National Education Policy. |
| 34 | T.S.R. Subramanian Committee (2016) |
— | • Earlier committee that laid groundwork for the National Education Policy (NEP), later carried forward by the Kasturirangan Committee. |
| 35 | National Knowledge Commission (2005) |
— | • Knowledge economy reforms. • Promoted innovation & research in the education sector. |
| 36 | Balwant Rai Mehta Committee (1957) |
— | • Panchayati Raj. • Recommended a 3-tier local government structure. |
| 37 | Ashok Mehta Committee (1977) |
— | • Strengthen Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs). • Suggested a 2-tier Panchayati Raj structure. |
| 38 | G.V.K. Rao Committee (1985) |
— | • Strengthen rural governance. • Recommended strengthening PRIs in development administration. |
| 39 | L.M. Singhvi Committee (1986) |
— | • Constitutional status for PRIs. • Recommended constitutional recognition for Panchayati Raj. |
| 40 | P.K. Thungon Committee (1988) |
— | • Suggested district planning bodies. |
| 41 | Dinesh Goswami Committee (1990) |
— | • Electoral reforms. • Suggested limits on campaign expenditure & strengthening election laws. |
| 42 | Indrajit Gupta Committee (1998) |
— | • Recommended partial State funding for elections. |
| 43 | Goswami Committee on Electoral Reforms (1990) |
— | • Suggested improvements in the election law framework. |
| 44 | Tarkunde Committee (1975) |
— | • Electoral reforms. • Recommended independent election machinery and transparency. |
| 45 | Law Commission (170th Report) (1999) |
— | • Election reforms. • Suggested strengthening anti-defection laws and electoral transparency. |
| 46 | Justice B.N. Srikrishna Committee (2018) |
— | • Drafted the framework for the Data Protection Law in India. |
| 47 | Bibek Debroy Committee (2015) |
— | • Railway reforms. • Recommended commercialisation & restructuring of Indian Railways. |
| 48 | N.K. Singh Committee (2016) |
— | • FRBM review. • Recommended fiscal discipline targets. |
| 49 | Shanta Kumar Committee (2015) |
— | • FCI reforms. • Suggested restructuring the Food Corporation of India. |
| 50 | Anil Baijal Committee (2016) |
— | • Proposed measures to improve urban transport governance. |
| 51 | Dhebar Commission (1960–61) |
U.N. Dhebar | • Studied problems of Scheduled Tribes in India (5th & 6th Schedule). • Recommended tribal welfare, land protection, & focused development programmes. • Later succeeded by the Dilip Singh Bhuria Commission in 2002. |
| 52 | M.N. Vohra Committee (1993) |
— | • Examined the nexus between politicians, criminals and officials. • Suggested strong coordination among intelligence & enforcement agencies. |
| 53 | K.T. Thakur / Tankha Committee (2010) |
K.T. Tankha | • Reviewed functioning of tribunals & the legal system. • Recommended reforms to improve efficiency & reduce case delays. |
| 54 | Swaran Singh Committee (1975) |
— | • Studied what type of Constitution (Parliamentary) suits India, and recommended no change to the system. • Recommended adding Fundamental Duties; accepted and added to the Constitution, but without legal/judicial enforceability. |
Prelims frequently pairs a committee's name with its one signature recommendation (Mandal → 27% OBC reservation; Sarkaria → Inter-State Council; Swaran Singh → Fundamental Duties). Mains benefits from grouping committees by theme — Centre-State relations (Sarkaria, Punchhi, Rajamannar), electoral reform (Tarkunde, Dinesh Goswami, Indrajit Gupta, Law Commission's 170th Report), or Panchayati Raj (Balwant Rai Mehta through L.M. Singhvi) — since Mains answers reward tracing how recommendations built on each other over time.
