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PRESS RELEASE ON THE 160TH REPORT OF THE DEPARTMENT RELATED PARLIAMENTARY STANDING COMMITTEE ON PERSONNEL, PUBLIC GRIEVANCES, LAW AND JUSTICE

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PRESS RELEASE ON THE 160TH REPORT OF THE DEPARTMENT RELATED PARLIAMENTARY STANDING COMMITTEE ON PERSONNEL, PUBLIC GRIEVANCES, LAW AND JUSTICE

The Department-related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Personnel, Public Grievances, Law and Justice headed by Shri Brij, MP, Rajya Sabha, presented its One Hundred Sixtieth Report on the Demands for Grants (2026-27) of the Department of Personnel and Training (Ministry of Personnel Public Grievances and Pensions) to Rajya Sabha on 16th March, 2026 and laid it on the Table of Lok Sabha on 16th March, 2026. 

While examining the Demands for Grants, the Committee has made an appraisal of the performance, programmes, policies of the Department of Personnel and Training vis‑à‑vis expenditure made out of Consolidated Fund of India in the current financial year during the meetings held on 17th and 18th February, 2026.

The Panel scrutinized the Demands for Grants thoroughly spanning over  almost five hours with the Secretary, Department of Personnel & Training; Director, Central Bureau of Investigation; Secretary, Central Vigilance Commission; Principal Registrar, Central Administrative Tribunal; Joint Secretary, Lokpal; Additional Secretary, Central Information Commission; Secretary, Union Public Service Commission; Chairman, Staff Selection Commission; Chairman, National Recruitment Agency; Secretary, Public Enterprises Selection Board; Director, Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration; Member (Admn.), Capacity Building Commission; Director, Institute of Secretariat Training & Management and Director General, Indian Institute of Public Administration. The Report was considered and adopted by the Committee on 12th March, 2026. Some recommendations/observations made by the Committee in this Report are enclosed. The entire Report is also available on https://sansad.in/rs

KEY RECOMMENDATIONS/OBSERVATIONS

160th Report on Demands for Grants (2026-27) of the Department of Personnel and Training

 

          OVERALL ASSESSMENT OF THE DEMANDS FOR GRANTS OF THE MINISTRY OF PERSONNEL, PUBLIC GRIEVANCES AND PENSIONS

PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT

(Para 3.6)

(Para 3.15)

RECRUITMENT INSTITUTIONS

(Para 4.16)

(Para 4.21)

(Para 4.28)

(Para 4.30)

 

TRAINING INSTITUTIONS

(Para 5.3)

(Para 5.10)

 

INTEGRITY, VIGILANCE, TRANSPARENCY AND SERVICE MATTERS

(Para 6.3)

(Para 6.5)

(Para 6.21)

(Para 6.41)

  1. The Committee notes that during 2023-24 and 2024-25, Revised Estimates exceeded Budget Estimates by 13.0% and 10.6% respectively, yet actual expenditure fell short of the Revised Estimates by 5.43% and 2.59%. Further, in 2025-26, actual expenditure up to 31.01.2026 reflects a shortfall of 25.34% vis-à-vis the Revised Estimates. At the same time, the Budget Estimates approved by the Ministry of Finance have ranged between 60.32% and 84.26% of the projected outlays over the last five years. The Committee, therefore, recommends that the Ministry undertake a comprehensive review of its budget formulation and expenditure management processes. The Committee is also of the view that greater realism in projections and improved execution discipline would enhance fiscal credibility and strengthen the Ministry’s case during pre-budget consultations.                                                                             (Para 2.9)
  2. The Committee notes that the performance of the three Departments of the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions on the fiscal front needs to be improved. While DoPT has utilized only 75% of the funds allocated to it till 31st January 2026, DARPG and DPPW are lagging far behind. As per the guidelines issued by the Ministry of Finance, expenditure in the last quarter of the financial year should ordinarily not exceed 33 per cent of the total Budget Estimates, and expenditure during the month of March should not exceed 15 per cent of the total Budget Estimates. In this context, the Committee emphasizes that the Department(s) must ensure that expenditure during the remaining months of the financial year is planned and paced in a manner consistent with these prescribed norms.                                                                        (Para 2.15)
  3. The Committee notes that the average rate of expenditure across attached and subordinate offices stands at approximately 73.45 per cent as on 31 January 2026. Considering that ten months of the financial year have elapsed, this reflects a slower-than-desirable pace of expenditure. The Committee further observes considerable variation in utilisation levels across organisations. In particular, the Staff Selection Commission (50.45 per cent) and the Institute of Secretariat Training and Management (56 per cent) have recorded utilisation levels significantly below the desirable benchmark, with substantial unspent balances remaining.                                                                                             (Para 2.18)
  4. The case of the Staff Selection Commission (SSC) warrants specific attention. Despite receiving additional funds at the Revised Estimates 2025-26 stage (from ₹515.15 crore (BE) to ₹548.50 crore (RE)), only 50.45 per cent of the funds have been utilized as on 31 January 2026, leaving an unspent balance of ₹271.79 crore. Furthermore, for 2026-27, SSC projected a substantially higher outlay of ₹719.13 crore, whereas the approved Budget Estimate stands at ₹525.20 crore (73.04 per cent of projection).                                                                                        (Para 2.19)
  5. The Committee believes that projections must be firmly aligned with the expenditure trends and the ability of the organization to utilize the funds within the financial year. The Committee, therefore, recommends that the Department should strengthen quarterly expenditure system monitoring and ensure strict adherence to the Ministry of Finance guidelines regarding even pacing of expenditure. The average utilization across organizations stands at 73.45 per cent as on 31 January 2026, with certain organizations such as the Staff Selection Commission (50.45 per cent) and the Institute of Secretariat Training and Management (56.00 per cent) exhibiting particularly low expenditure levels. At the same time, at the Budget Estimates stage for 2026-27, organizations such as Lokpal received only 20.24 per cent of their projected outlay, while ISTM and LBSNAA received 48.47 per cent and 52.68 per cent respectively. The Committee is of the view that closer alignment between projections, Revised Estimates and actual utilization is essential. Upward revisions at the Revised Estimates stage without proportionate expenditure, as seen in the case of SSC, may weaken fiscal credibility and adversely impact future allocation decisions.               (Para 2.21)
  6. The Committee notes that under the Scheme component, the allocation at BE 2026-27 (₹298.51 crore) represents an increase of ₹17.50 crore over RE 2025-26 (₹281.01 crore), though it remains lower than BE 2025-26 (₹383.46 crore). Under the Non-Scheme component, BE 2026-27 (₹2308.94 crore) reflects an increase of ₹64.88 crore over RE 2025-26 (₹2244.06 crore) and an increase of ₹35.94 crore over BE 2025-26 (₹2273.00 crore). The Committee notes that while there has been some recovery over the Revised Estimates stage, the approved allocations continue to remain below the projected outlays, indicating cautious approval by the Ministry of Finance.                                                                   (Para 2.24)

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