Day 10 – Q 1.Examine the composition, mandate and significance of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS).

1. Examine the composition, mandate and significance of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS). 

सुरक्षा मंत्रिमंडलीय समिति (CCS) की संरचना, अधिदेश और महत्व की जाँच करें।

Introduction:

Cabinet Committees are organizations, which are instrumental in reducing the workload of the Cabinet. These committees are extra-constitutional in nature and are nowhere mentioned in the Constitution. However, the Rules of Business provide for their establishment. These rules emerge out of Article 77(3) of the Constitution.

Body:

The Prime Minister constitutes Standing Committees of the Cabinet and sets out the specific functions assigned to them. He can add or reduce the number of committees.

CABINET COMMITTEE ON SECURITY

Composition

• Prime Minister (Chairman)
• Minister of Home Affairs
• Minister of External Affairs
• Minister of Finance
• Minister of Defence

Mandate

• To deal with all defence related issues.
• To deal with issues relating to law and order and internal security.
• To deal with policy matters concerning foreign affairs that have internal or
  external security implications including cases relating to agreements with other
  countries on security-related issues.
• To deal with economic and political issues impinging on national security.
• To review the manpower requirements relating to national security and setting up new structures to deal with security-related issues.
• To consider all cases involving capital expenditure of more than Rs.1000 crore in respect of Department of Defence Production, Department of Defence Research and Development.
• All matters relating to atomic energy.
• To consider cases of increase in the firmed up cost estimates or revised cost estimates.

Significance 

• The Cabinet Committee on security reduces the burden on Cabinet by enabling collective decisions to be taken by a smaller group of ministers.
• It is the supreme decision-making body in the government dealing with issues relating to law and order, internal security and policy matters concerning foreign affairs with internal or external security implications.

Examples:

• India has withdrawn the Most Favoured Nation status granted to Pakistan following the Pulwama terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir.
• CCS has approved setting up of Defence Space Research Organisation, which has been entrusted with task of creating space warfare weapon systems and technologies.
• Defence Procurement decisions such as purchasing modern aircrafts (Rafael deal), advanced warships etc.
• Reviewed the progress in operationalising of India’s nuclear doctrine

Conclusion:

The decisions taken by the Cabinet Committees are fundamental to the governance of the country and form the basis of policy formulation as also for evaluating the impact of programmes, policies, plans, projects and schemes of the Government. Therefore, it facilitates decision making at the highest level of government.