Articles: MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS

ABOUT MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA)discharges multifarious functions, important among them being the maintenance of Internal Security.Though in terms of Entries No. 1 and 2 of List II -'State List'- in the Seventh Schedule to the Constitution of India, 'public order' and 'police' are the responsibilities of States, Article 355 of the Constitution enjoins the Union to protect every State against external aggression and internal disturbance and to ensure that the government of every State is carried on in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution.

VISION STATEMENT

Peace and harmony are essential pre-requisites for development and blossoming of individual as well as social aspirations and building a strong and prosperous nation. To this end, it is envisaged that the Ministry of Home Affairs will strive to:

Eliminate threats to internal security including militancy, insurgency and terrorism
Preserve, protect and promote social harmony
Enforce the rule of law and provide timely justice
Provide the society an environment free from crime
Uphold the principles of human rights
Mitigate the sufferings resulting from natural and man-made disasters.

About MHA

Ministry of Home Affairs extends manpower and financial support, guidance and expertise to the State Governments for the maintenance of security, peace and harmony without trampling upon the constitutional rights of the States.

Under the Government of India (Allocation of Business) Rules, 1961, the Ministry of Home Affairs has the following constituent Departments:-

Department of Border Management
Department of Home
Department of Internal Security
Department of Jammu & Kashmir (J&K) Affairs
Department of Official Language
Department of States

Divisions of the Ministry of Home Affairs, indicating major areas of their responsibility, are as follows:

Administration Division
Border Management Division
Coordination Division
CS Division
Disaster Management Division
Finance Division
Foreigners Division
Freedom Fighters & Rehabilitation Division
Human Rights Division
Internal Security-I Division
Internal Security-II Division
Jammu & Kashmir Division
Judicial Division
North East Division
Naxal Management Division
Police-I Division
Police-II Division
Police Modernisation Division
Policy Planning Division
UT Division

Role of Ministry of Home Affairs

India - large country - ancient civilisation - complex social dynamics.
Federal Structure - preserves diversity - sustains unity.
Union-State relations - dynamic.
Public order and police - prime responsibility of the States - Part XI and Seventh Schedule - The Constitution of India.
Duty of the Union - protect States against internal disturbance - ensure that governance of States carried out in accordance with The Constitution.
MHA - Nodal Ministry.
All Matters relating to internal security.
All matters relating to Centre-State and Inter-State relations.
Implementation of the provisions of the Constitution relating to Official Language and the provisions of the Official Languages Act, 1963.
Certain basic functions under the Constitution like notification of assumption of office by the President and Vice-President; notification of appointment of the Prime Minister and other Ministers; notification of appointment, resignation and removal of Governors of States and Lieut. Governors and Administrators in Union Territories.
Matters like Citizenship and Naturalisation, Census of Population, National Anthem, National Flag, etc.

MHA comprises -

Department of Border Management - deals with - Management of Borders including Coastal Borders.
Department of Internal Security - deals with - Police, Law and Order and Rehabilitation of Refugees.
Department of States - deals with - Centre-State Relations, Inter-State Relations, Union Territories and Freedom Fighters’ Pension.
Department of Official Languages - dealing with - implementation of the Constitutional and legal provisions relating to Official Languages.
Department of Home - deals with - notifications relating to assumption of office of President/Vice-President, appointment of Prime Minister /Ministers, etc.
Department of Jammu & Kashmir Affairs - created w.e.f. November 1, 1994 - deals with - Constitutional provisions and other matters relating to the State of Jammu & Kashmir.

MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS

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