Public Administration — UPSC Mains Optional PYQ (2023–2025)

(a) Imperfect market and political factors limit the application of Public Choice approach. Explain. [10M]

(b) The fine art of decision-making is not making decisions that others can make. Comment. [10M]

(c) Has the media mixed its role in holding the governments accountable and ensuring transparency? Argue. [10M]

(d) Is Herbert Simon justified in criticizing some principles of administration as proverbs? Analyse. [10M]

(e) Administrative Law has evolved from the need to create a system of Public Administration under law. Elucidate. [10M]

(a) Arthashastra of Kautilya means the science of economics of livelihood of the people. Comment. [10M]

(b) Trace the reasons for limited effectiveness of the NITI Aayog. [10M]

(c) Highlight the constitutional provisions and judicial interventions to promote gender equality in India. [10M]

(d) In contemporary times, the District Collector should prioritize teamwork over hierarchical structures. Comment. [10M]

(e) Examine the significance of field organizations in enhancing policy implementation of projects like MGNREGA and Swachh Bharat Mission. [10M]

(a) New Public Management has actually been a transitory state in evolution from traditional Public Administration to what is here called New Public Governance. Examine. [20M]

(b) Mary Parker Follett pioneered the evolution of socio-psychological approach to the study of organizations. Explain. [15M]

(c) Under the New Public Management framework ‘Public Private Partnership’ challenges the entropy of closed and open models of organization. Analyse. [15M]

(a) In conflict situations in organizations, leadership migrates to the aggressive and relegates the emotionally matured to the background. Discuss. [20M]

(b) The foundations of Public Administration, New Public Management and Public Governance rest on ‘rule of law’. Discuss. [15M]

(c) The principles of checks and balances count among the most fundamental constitutional values. Comment. [15M]

(a) “Delegated legislation should be clear and should confine to the limits determined by the legislature.” In light of the statement explain how misuse of administrative discretion can be checked? [20M]

(b) Leadership is not only about taking credit for success but also owning up and being accountable for failures. Elucidate. [15M]

(c) Bureaucracy constitutes the imaginary state and is the spiritualism of the State. Explain. [15M]

(a) E-advocacy model of e-governance can facilitate democratization of public policy making. Discuss. [10M]

(b) Neo-liberal policies have enhanced the scope and opportunities of taxation for the government. Explain. [10M]

(c) Policy analysis process is limited if possible outcomes and alternate potential policies are neglected. Discuss. [10M]

(d) Values and ethics in civil services are shaped by global practices and trends. Explain. [10M]

(e) Economic development alone is not a sufficient component for women development and empowerment. Discuss. [10M]

(a) Low cyber awareness among officials is causing cyber security issues in the administration. Comment. [10M]

(b) The ‘guillotine’ hastens the budgetary process to meet the timeline. Evaluate the procedure. [10M]

(c) New localism plays a crucial role in empowering the local actors. Expand. [10M]

(d) Gram Sabha aims to enlist community participation. Explain. [10M]

(e) Identify the implementation challenges and issues of the Government e-Marketplace (GeM). [10M]

(a) F. W. Riggs’s ‘industria’-interdependent economy is a precursor for some features of post-modern Public Administration. Analyse. [20M]

(b) The role and responsibility of the State in the development process has been overemphasized and given undue importance. Critically examine. [15M]

(c) Affirmative action for equal opportunity is a corner-stone in recruitment to public services. Discuss it in global context. [15M]

(a) The objective of Liberalization, Privatization and Globalization and of New Public Management was to limit government functions and reduce public expenditure. However both functions and expenditure has increased. Account for the paradox. [20M]

(b) The basis of comparative study of Public Administration has evolved from institutional approach to the contemporary political economic process approach. Have all these approaches enabled the development of a theory of Comparative Public Administration? Justify your answer. [15M]

(c) Can competency mapping linked to career development incentivise civil servants commitment to effective service delivery? Elaborate. [15M]

(a) The effectiveness of civil society in development process is only when state institutions are receptive to inputs from the civil society organizations. Discuss. [20M]

(b) Evaluate the role and scope of tacit knowledge and personal experience as an important source of knowledge in policy making process. [15M]

(c) The efficacy of management aid tools depends on the purpose and appropriateness of tools and techniques. Explain with examples. [15M]

(a) "Politics–administration dichotomy debate is still alive." Comment. [10M]

(b) "Formal organisations are made up of informal groups." Discuss. [10M]

(c) "Grapevine is a necessary evil." Examine. [10M]

(d) Healthy Headquarters and Field Agencies relationship thrives on effective communication. Comment. [10M]

(e) Media has become more of a societal lens than institutional lens. Analyse. [10M]

(a) “Ethics in Public services has been the main concern of Kautilya’s Arthashastra.” Examine the statement. [10M]

(b) “The Mughal Administration was by nature centralised.” Analyse. [10M]

(c) “Autonomy to Public Undertakings is a myth.” Analyse. [10M]

(d) “It should be people’s Prime Minister Office (PMO), it can’t be Prime Minister’s PMO.” Comment. [10M]

(e) “Implementation of Goods and Services Tax (GST) has led to a Paradigm shift in the centre-state relations, both financially and politically.” Analyse. [10M]

(a) The Anti-Development Thesis is a critical perspective on the traditional development models. Comment. [10M]

(b) Civil Servants should be allowed only to cast vote or to participate in the electoral process of the country. Examine. [10M]

(c) Critical Path Method (CPM) is a project management technique used to plan and manage project effectively. Discuss. [10M]

(d) Auditing is not about finding faults, it is about ensuring the accuracy and integrity of financial information. Analyse. [10M]

(e) The study of Public Administration must include its ecology. Discuss. [10M]

(a) The constitutional stature provided to the Public Service Commissions accord them the autonomy to work towards fair recruitments. Comment. [10M]

(b) “The neutrality of civil service has become a myth.” Comment. [10M]

(c) Examine the role of Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) in protecting the interests of consumers. [10M]

(d) “Parliamentary control over public expenditure is declining.” Comment. [10M]

(e) “The Liberalization, Privatization and Globalization (LPG) has enhanced the participation of private sector in Indian Economy.” Comment. [10M]

(a) Public administration horizons have been expanding to cater to the complex needs of the citizens in the globalized era. Explain. [10M]

(b) Efficiency, in the specialized sense, is an organization’s capacity to offer effective inducements in sufficient quantity to maintain the equilibrium of the system. Analyze. [10M]

(c) “The process of decisions…..is largely technique of narrowing choices.” Explain. [10M]

(d) “The judiciary is playing a more positive role in policy formulation, not just in limiting government actions, but also in mandating them.” Comment. [10M]

(e) “Citizen Charter’s focus is on empowering citizens concerning public service delivery.” Analyze. [10M]

(a) “Kautilya's Arthashastra is a theoretical work on the State and Statecraft.” Comment. [10M]

(b) Critics, sometimes, argue that bureaucracy is an impediment to a nation's development. Analyse. [10M]

(c) The Ninety-First Constitutional Amendment Act successfully right-sized the Council of Ministers both at Union and State levels. Comment. [10M]

(d) Is it true that the Finance Commission has been lending financial strength to the local bodies in India? Argue in favour of your response. [10M]

(e) “Parliamentary democracy in India envisages elected head as the real executive of a State.” Discuss. [10M]

(a) “The Constitution of French Republic does not prohibit ministers from being the leader of political party; it is customary that minister should not occupy such a post to ensure impartiality.” Explain. [10M]

(b) The ultimate goal of using Management Information System (MIS) is to increase values and productivity in organizations. Explain. [10M]

(c) “Cost-benefit analysis is of great help to the policy makers in framing policies and providing advice on developing public policy.” Examine. [10M]

(d) “Monetary policy and fiscal policy are different; but both are used to regulate economy.” Discuss. [10M]

(e) “Instead of conflicting, the employer-employee relationship should be one of mutual reliance.” Explain. [10M]

(a) The district training component of Induction Training of IAS officers requires to be revisited. Examine. [10M]

(b) “Mission Antyodaya strives to realize the vision of poverty-free India.” Examine. [10M]

(c) The dynamics of coalitions vary with the nature of leadership, political parties and contemporary political conditions. Analyze. [10M]

(d) Computerization of treasuries has revolutionized the accounting and budget planning process. Comment. [10M]

(e) Do you agree that code of ethics and code of conduct for ministers would help in upholding higher standards of their constitutional and ethical conduct? Explain. [10M]