Public Administration (Topic wise-Analysis Paper 1 and 2)

{P.S : mks represents to marks}

Paper 1
Overall Topicwise Breakup

Thinkers, theories etc - 120 mks
Development administration - 80 mks
Organizations - 60 mks
Accountability and control - 60 mks
Comparative Pub.Ad - 20 mks
Policy making - 60 mks
Personnel administration - 100 mks
Finance - 20 mks

Thinkers & Theories(प्रशासनिक चिंतक)
Mc gregor’s view, the managerial cosmology meaningfully addresses the understanding of manager & his role perceptions. Explain

The successful management leaders are found in likert’s system-4 approach to organizational leadership examine

The study of administration should start  from the base of management rather than the foundation of law explain

simon’s identifying decision-making as the core field of public administration appears logically acceptable but his positivist underpinning is problematic. Critically examine the statement .

new public management  is dead; long live digital era of governance

Development Administration
not merely governance but good governance is the key factor in achieving the UN millennium goals 2000

concept of development is multi-dimensional & ever-expanding explain

management has become the new icon of developmetalism

do you think that there is a sort of paradox between e-governance & good governance

Organizations
explain the impact of privatization on public administration with special reference to :

• the issue of user fees
• public-private partnership
• outstanding technique

Accountability and control
basic principles underlying citizen’s charter with special reference to:

• its administrative philosophy
• promoting public accountability
• ensuring standards of public service.

Comparative Public Administration (तुलनात्मक प्रशासन)
prismatic model of riggs is equally applicable to developing as well as developed society. Comment

Policy Making (नीति निर्माण)
prismatic model of riggs is equally applicable to developing as well as developed society. Comment

p.a. can be portrayed as  wheel of relationship focused on the formulation & implementation of public policy. Explain

cost benefit analysis is a very unsatisfactory view of evaluating public policy

Personnel Administration (कार्मिक प्रशासन)
explain the peter principle in respect of promotion policy in a hierarchical organization

discuss in this connection (Peter Principle) the case dor & against promotion based on seniority

distinguish fully between the syndicate method, role playing method &  T-group training method in personnel management

discuss the principles of ensuring ethics in public service as recommended in the Nolan committee report 1994

Financial Administration (वित्तीय प्रशासन)
distinguish between PPBS & performance budget


Observations: Paper 1

• You’ve to answer totally 5 questions out of 7 questions 
• you know Q#1 and #5 are compulsory so no escape from that.
• Paper is divided into two sections (A and B) and you’ve to at least attempt one question from each.

Section-wise breakup (Paper-1)
Section
Question

 A
Thinkers, Theory Compulsory
NPA + Herbert A. Simon
Organizations (PPP)
Accountability

B
D.A,CPA, Policy Compulsory
Personnel only!
Mixed bag of Personnel, Finance, E-gov

1. Thinkers and theories- the usual static stuff (after all what new can you ask from ‘history’!). But as NPA, NPM not given so much importance like they were given in 2009.
2. Citizen’s carter, its getting so clichéd like Sas-Bahu serials. - there were questions last years too.
3. The trend of asking a ‘big thinker’ for 40 marks is continued, last year it was Taylor so this year its Herbert A. Simon. May be it’ll be M.P.Follet or C.I. Barnard’s turn in 2011.
4. Mcgregor and Likert are ‘small-time thinkers’ so they get only 20 marks worth question each as per their ‘aukaat’ (औकात) but it was in Compulsory Question #1.
5. Thankfully no ‘quotes’ were asked (to show that UPSC now puts more emphasis on ‘understanding’ rather ‘cramming’ but then why was UPSC sleeping all these years!).
6. In the early 90’s there was a trend: In GS paper they’d always ask about Tagore and his nationalist thoughts, like there was no one else to ask about. May be because all the GS History questions were set by same examiner for 3-4 years constantly. I’m seeing something similar here.
7. Public Administration papers become more relevant to the contemporary issues: that’s why much weightage is given to Development administration, and personnel administration.
8. No question from Tech. for Administrative improvement (That PERT, CPM stuff). There was question on E-governance but you’ve to prepare it even for Development administration, Essay and GS portion.
9. CPA was for namesake only! But was in compulsory #5

10. Question from Financial administration asked only for namesake formality! I was expecting a lot from this, given the fiscal deficit, 3G auction and GST issues in current affairs and the general emphasis given to economy related topics both in GS mains and prelims. But may be coaching classes had put heavy emphasis on this, that’s why UPSC ignored it like Chandrayaan last year.
11. As usual the questions are designed in such a way that whole (boring) Public-Policy topic can be safely skipped: just the way coaching classes like it. But CSAT-2011 ‘syllabus has public-policy as a topic, so it might not be the same trend next year.
12. Thankfully no SHG (Self-Help group) questions. Material is hard to compile!

Coaching classes & Paper

1. Most coaching class ‘sirs’, teach on the basic principle that certain topics in optional subjects, can be safely ignored (Public Policy and Development administration): may be because those sirs themselves don’t understand these topics well and material is hard to compile and they put heavy emphasis on Thinkers and Accountability part. Just like they do to History part in GS papers. I think someday UPSC going to run a bulldozer on that trend, like they did with History (GS) this year.

Paper 2
Overall

PSU - 20 mks
Rural - 20 mks
Urban - 20 mks
Planning - 30 mks
Evolution - 50 mks
Civil services - 50 mks
Reforms - 60 mks
Issues in Administration - 60 mks
Finance - 70 mks
Polity - 100 mks

Evolution of Indian Administration
rule of kings depend primarily on written orders….. “ why did kautilya favor codification of laws?

it is said that the british made a significant contribution towards modernizing the Indian administrative system on rational-legal basis. Justify the assessment with reference to the period from 1830-1865

Polity
does the emergence of an empowered group of ministers at the central level impair the doctrine of cabinet responsibility?

in an era of hung parliaments the power of the president expands, more so when the incumbent decides to be assertive. Comment on the statement with reference to the situation in India during the last two decades.

judges & courts have creatively reinterpreted this statutory authority & expanded their own power & enhanced their standing vis-à-vis the legislature & executive critically examine this assessment

public interest litigation (PIL) has undergone several changes since its inception in 1980s.

PSU
is it correct to state that one of the major reasons for the failure of many……public sector undertakings was due to departures from the original concept of autonomy?

Civil services
more developed an administrative system because the grater the likelihood that it would that it would have development effects.

thrust of development administration failed to energies the Indian bureaucracy

civil service neutrality is a fiction. How many thinking person can be neutral?

Administrative reforms (प्रशासनिक सुधार)
with reference to India , discuss the assertion that administrative reforms are multi-dimensional & need to be substantiated by reforms in other related areas of state action.

the 2nd Administrative Reforms Commission in its 10th report, observes that the common perception is that the incentive structure in government is too weak & inadequate to motivate better performance

Financial  Management
prevalence of multiple channels for transfer of resources from the center to the states is stated to have compounded the problems of federal fiscal arrangements. Discuss

states with record of good governance, it is argued by spokesperson of some states, lost their earlier share from the finance commissioner’s award.

optimism expressed by proponents of the financial responsibility & budget management act 2003, in ensuring fiscal discipline appears to be unwanted

Plans and Priorities
planning commission is an armchair advisor

planning commission should reinvent itself a systems reforms commission in the backdrop of changed global domestic scenario.

Rural Development  
non-government organizations play a catalytic role in enabling communities to define their own priorities.

Urban Local Government
Jawaharlal National Urban Renewal Mission (JNURM) is one of the biggest reforms-linked develop programmes taken upt by the government.

Significant issues in Indian Administration
it is argued that the Bhopal gas disaster & the response pattern to it reflect multiple vulnerabilities relating to system of corporate social responsibility, governance at local state & central levels, legal safeguards liabilities. Comment on this assessment.
(you can put this in disaster  Management as well)

creation of new regulatory agencies in the wake of liberalization, overlapping jurisdiction & conflicts became the new trend. Is there need for the creation of a super-regulator/unified regulator?

Section wise Breakup (Paper-2)
Section
Question

A
Polity, PSU,Kautilya Compulsory
British Administration + Civil services today
Reform + Finance
Polity only (that too, only static part!)
Relief!

B
Mixed bag : Polity, Finance and Civil services Compulsory
Planning Commission + 2nd ARC
Mixed bag: Rural, Urban and Financial
Disaster + Administrative Adjudication


Conclusion : Paper-2

1. No question on Law and Order (the whole Naxal issue ignored)
2. Routine questions Panchayati Raj (73rd and 74th) are ignored
3. Routine questions from PSU and planning Commission are asked.
4. Static part from polity worth 100 marks
5. Judicial activism and PIL: alone total 50 marks.
6. Financial Management portion, (which was ignored in paper-1) gets good treatment here.
7. State, central and district Administration: ignored.
8. Overall, the paper was more issue and latest current affairs related
   1. Manmohan Singh’s comment on Judicial activism
   2. New CJI’s approach over PILs
   3. ‘Arm-chair advisor’ comment by Kamal Nath.
   4. Disaster  Management
   5. JNNRUM
   6. If you count above 5 current affairs topics: totally about 130+  Marks (=almost 50%) was from current affairs related questions. Rest paper from (relatively) static portion.