Public Administration
Public administration is an optional subject in the UPSC examination, which is one of the most popular choices among the civil services aspirants. The subject of public administration deals with the study of the organization, structure, and functioning of the government at different levels. It also covers the implementation of policies, decision-making processes, and the role of bureaucracy in the functioning of the government.
Public administration as a subject has a multidisciplinary approach, which includes principles of management, economics, political science, sociology, and psychology. The subject is relevant to the modern-day challenges that governments face, such as the delivery of public services, good governance, accountability, and transparency.
The syllabus for public administration is divided into two parts. The first part covers the theoretical aspects of public administration, including the evolution of the discipline, theories of administration, the role of bureaucracy, public policy, and decision-making processes. The second part deals with the practical aspects of public administration, such as personnel administration, financial administration, administrative law, and public sector management.
Studying public administration as an optional subject in the UPSC examination has several advantages. It helps aspirants to understand the functioning of the government and its various departments, which is crucial for cracking the civil services examination. It also helps aspirants to develop critical thinking, analytical skills, and an understanding of public policy.
Moreover, public administration is a dynamic subject, and the syllabus is constantly evolving to keep up with the changing needs of the government. Aspirants who choose public administration as an optional subject can keep themselves updated with the latest developments in the field and apply their knowledge to solve real-world problems.
In conclusion, public administration is an essential subject for civil services aspirants who want to understand the functioning of the government and its various departments. The subject provides a comprehensive understanding of the theoretical and practical aspects of public administration, which is crucial for cracking the civil services examination. Aspirants who choose public administration as an optional subject can develop critical thinking, analytical skills, and an understanding of public policy, which are essential for a successful career in the civil services.
Public administration is one of the optional subjects in the UPSC civil services main examination it is one of the popular choices because of its relevance in the job role of a civil servant. This subject introduces the candidates to the mechanism of public administration which is sure of great use for future administrators. Further, it is one of the concept intensive subjects and its subject matter overlaps with GS paper II of the Main examination.
“Moreover, its short syllabus, availability of resources, ease of understanding of the subject, and high scoring nature is also the factor that persuades aspirants to choose this optional subject. The success rate of public administration in UPSC is 10.9%. However, candidates opting for this subject are highly competitive. In order to score well, aspirants have to make sure that their answers stand out in the examination.”
Administrative Theory
1. Introduction: Meaning, scope, and significance of Public Administration; Wilson’s vision of Public Administration; Evolution of the discipline and its present status; New Public Administration; Public Choice approach; Challenges of liberalization, Privatisation, Globalisation; Good Governance: concept and application; New Public Management.
2. Administrative Thought: Scientific Management and Scientific Management movement; Classical Theory; Weber’s bureaucratic model – its critique and post-Weberian Developments; Dynamic Administration (Mary Parker Follett); Human Relations School (Elton Mayo and others); Functions of the Executive (C.I. Barnard); Simon’s decision-making theory; Participative Management (R. Likert, C. Argyris, D. McGregor).
3. Administrative Behaviour: Process and techniques of decision-making; Communication; Morale; Motivation Theories – content, process and contemporary; Theories of Leadership: Traditional and Modern.
4. Organisations: Theories – systems, contingency; Structure and forms: Ministries and Departments, Corporations, Companies, Boards and Commissions; Ad hoc and advisory bodies; Headquarters and Field relationships; Regulatory Authorities; Public-Private Partnerships.
5. Accountability and control: Concepts of accountability and control; Legislative, Executive, and Judicial control over administration; Citizen and Administration; Role of media, interest groups, voluntary organizations; Civil society; Citizen’s Charters; Right to Information; Social audit.
6. Administrative Law: Meaning, scope, and significance; Dicey on Administrative law; Delegated legislation; Administrative Tribunals.
7. Comparative Public Administration: Historical and sociological factors affecting administrative systems; Administration and politics in different countries; Current status of Comparative Public Administration; Ecology and administration; Riggsian models and their critique.
8. Development Dynamics: Concept of development; Changing profile of development administration; ‘Anti development thesis’; Bureaucracy and development; Strong state versus the market debate; Impact of liberalization on administration in developing countries; Women and development – the self-help group movement.
9. Personnel Administration: Importance of human resource development; Recruitment, training, career advancement, position classification, discipline, performance appraisal, promotion, pay and service conditions; employer-employee relations, grievance redressal mechanism; Code of conduct; Administrative ethics.
10. Public Policy: Models of policy-making and their critique; Processes of conceptualization, planning, implementation, monitoring, evaluation, and review and their limitations; State theories and public policy formulation.
11. Techniques of Administrative Improvement: Organisation and methods, Work study and work management; e-governance and information technology; Management aid tools like network analysis, MIS, PERT, CPM.
12. Financial Administration: Monetary and fiscal policies; Public borrowings and public debt Budgets – types and forms; Budgetary process; Financial accountability; Accounts and audit.
Indian Administration
1. Evolution of Indian Administration: Kautilya’s Arthashastra; Mughal administration; Legacy of British rule in politics and administration – Indianization of public services, revenue administration, district administration, local self-government.
2. Philosophical and Constitutional framework of government: Salient features and value premises; Constitutionalism; Political culture; Bureaucracy and democracy; Bureaucracy and development.
3. Public Sector Undertakings: Public sector in modern India; Forms of Public Sector Undertakings; Problems of autonomy, accountability, and control; Impact of liberalization and privatization.
4. Union Government and Administration: Executive, Parliament, Judiciary – structure, functions, work processes; Recent trends; Intragovernmental relations; Cabinet Secretariat; Prime Minister’s Office; Central Secretariat; Ministries and Departments; Boards; Commissions; Attached offices; Field organizations.
5. Plans and Priorities: Machinery of planning; Role, composition, and functions of the Planning Commission and the National Development Council; ‘Indicative’ planning; Process of plan formulation at Union and State levels; Constitutional Amendments (1992) and decentralized planning for economic development and social justice.
6. State Government and Administration: Union-State administrative, legislative, and financial relations; Role of the Finance Commission; Governor; Chief Minister; Council of Ministers; Chief Secretary; State Secretariat; Directorates.
7. District Administration since Independence: The changing role of the Collector; Union-state-local relations; Imperatives of development management and law and order administration; District administration and democratic decentralization.
8. Civil Services: Constitutional position; Structure, recruitment, training, and capacity-building; Good governance initiatives; Code of conduct and discipline; Staff associations; Political rights; Grievance redressal mechanism; Civil service neutrality; Civil service activism.
9. Financial Management: Budget as a political instrument; Parliamentary control of public expenditure; Role of finance ministry in the monetary and fiscal area; Accounting techniques; Audit; Role of Controller General of Accounts and Comptroller and Auditor General of India.
10. Administrative Reforms since Independence: Major concerns; Important Committees and Commissions; Reforms in financial management and human resource development; Problems of implementation.
11. Rural Development: Institutions and agencies since independence; Rural development programs: foci and strategies; Decentralization and Panchayati Raj; 73rd Constitutional amendment.
12. Urban Local Government: Municipal governance: main features, structures, finance, and problem areas; 74th Constitutional Amendment; Globallocal debate; New localism; Development dynamics, politics, and administration with special reference to city management.
13. Law and Order Administration: British legacy; National Police Commission; Investigative agencies; Role of central and state agencies including paramilitary forces in maintenance of law and order and countering insurgency and terrorism; Criminalisation of politics and administration; Police-public relations; Reforms in Police.
14. Significant issues in Indian Administration: Values in public service; Regulatory Commissions; National Human Rights Commission; Problems of administration in coalition regimes; Citizen-administration interface; Corruption and administration; Disaster management.
Features of Public Administration Optional
Public Administration optional course is being taught by Sangram Sir. Our classes integrate topics with contemporary and current developments. The course gives you three levels of experience: foundation, enrichment, and test series. An elaborate discussion of concepts, theories, and principles.
The duration of the course will be 4 months.
- Complete UPSC Syllabus of Public Administration.
- Coverage of Paper 2 through 2nd ARC-based issues and current perspectives, including various journals.
- 10 Class Test – 5 Tests in Paper 1 and 5 Tests in Paper 2.
- Comprehensive study material along with IIPA notes, 2nd ARC Gist, and relevant articles that are in contemporary debate.
- Discussion of previous year’s UPSC Question Papers Discussion of most important Areas for Mains examination.
- Innovative methodology, through the study of approaches for Paper 1 & Paper 2
- Answer writing skill development.