Public Administration Optional Question Paper-1 (2013)
Total Time 3 Hours
Total Marks 250
Question Paper Specific Instructions
Please read each of the following instructions carefully before attempting questions:
There are EIGHT questions divided in two SECTIONS and printed both in HINDI and in ENGLISH.
Candidate has to attempt FIVE questions in all.
Questions no. 1 and 5 are compulsory and out of the remaining, THREE are to be attempted choosing at least ONE from each section.
The number of marks carried by a question/part is indicated against it.
Answer must be written in the medium authorized in the Admission Certificate which must be stated clearly on the cover of this Question-cum-Answer (QCA) Booklet in the space provided. No marks will be given for answer written in a medium other than the authorized one.
Word limit in questions, wherever specified, should be adhered to.
Attempts of questions shall be counted in chronological order. Unless struck off, attempt of a question shall be counted even if attempted partly. Any page or portion of left blank in the answer book must be clearly struck off.
SECTION A
Q.1. Answer the following questions in not more than 150 words each: 10×5=50
(a) How did traditional public administration ”resolve a fundamentally irresolvable problem-creating an administration strong enough to be effective but not so strong enough to endanger accountability”? 10
(b) The theory of ‘organizational incompetence’ has two separate and distinct faces. Examine Chris Argyris’ views on this. 10
(c) ”In the globalized public administration, hierarchy creates more ethical problems than it solves…”Comment. 10
(d) Public Administration in the neo-liberal era is governed less by instruments of internal accountability and more by those of external accountability. Elaborate. 10
(e) Discuss the view that ”tribunals should have the same degree of independence from the executive as that enjoyed by the Supreme Court and the High Courts, especially for those tribunals that look over the functions of High Courts.”10
Q.2. (a) “New Public Management may have neither been the saviour its enthusiasts promised nor the devil its critics worried it would be.” Discuss. 25
(b) “The design of the physical structure, the anatomy of the organization came first, and was indeed the principal consideration.”
“An organization is a system of interrelated social behaviours of participants.”
Analyse these statements and evaluate the contributions of the respective approaches to administration theory. 25
Q.3. (a) “Decisions are not made by ‘organizations’, but by ‘human beings’ behaving as members of organizations.” How do Bernard and Simon conceptualize the relation between the decisions of the individual employee and the organizational authority? 20
(b)”A variety of different organizational arrangements can be used to provide different public goods and services.” Explain the theory underlying this proposition and its potential contribution. 15
(c) What is the nature of psychological contract pursued by organizational management through authority and the employees through exertion of upward influence? 15
Q.4. (a) Structural theory is, by and large, grounded in classical principles of efficiency, effectiveness and productivity. Explain. 25
(b) “Public interest is still inadequate as a ground concept to evaluate public “policy.” Discuss. 25
SECTION B
Q.5. Answer the following questions in not more than 150 words each: 10×5=50
(a) “Comparative Public Administration both resembles and differs from modern organization theory.” Elaborate. 10
(b) “In organizational analysis there is always gender around.” (Gouldner). Argue 10
(c) What is administrative elitism? How does it evolve in public administration? Elaborate your response with reference to historical examples. 10
(d) The success rate of e-government projects in most developing countries is stated to be rather low. Assess the reason. 10
(e) What new models of budgetary capacity and incapacity have emerged after the decline of Planning Programming Budgeting and Zero-based Budgeting? 10
Q.6. (a) “For those who use the euphemism of ‘shared power’ for participation, the appropriate literature for guidance is practical politics, not organization and management.”
“Strong state and strong civil society are the need to develop both participatory democracy and responsive government as mutually reinforcing and supportive.”
Bring out the myths and realities associated with public participation. 20
(b) “….. in most cases …. newly independent states, of the nations of Africa, Asia and Latin America, despite their differences …. are in transition.” 15
(Ferrel Heady). What common features are indicative of characteristics of their administrative patterns (cultures)? 15
(c) “To talk about the regulatory framework is to talk about governance.” Analyse the statement in the context of public-private-partnerships and identify the elements of regulation. 15
Q7. (a) “Economic reforms are a work in progress with the state reluctant to fully relinquish its reins.”Discuss the statement with regard to implementation of economic reforms in India. 15
(b) “The policy process was not structured in the way required by bureaucratic planning.”
“Arguably, incrementalism now stands most in contrast to neo-liberal nationality that impose markets against both gradual change and democratic liberalism.”
Analyse these two statements. 20
(c) Budget allocation involves series of tensions between actors with different backgrounds, orientations and interests and between short-term goals and long term institutional requirements. Discuss. 15
Q8. (a) Read the following instances carefully and suggest what specific perspectives on organizational psychology of motivation would help the concerned organization to reconcile the needs of the following four persons with the needs of the organization: 30
(i) Mr. A comes to his office with clocklike punctuality; does his work with impeccable honesty and integrity; takes order from above gladly; responds well to overtures by peers; but neither mixes with anyone himself nor seeks anyone’s company. What is more, he seems quite happy in his isolation.
(ii) Mr. B is an efficient charge-hand at the welding shop. He is very outgoing and makes friends fast , but falls out with them very fast too. He is however easily pacified when anyone asks him to calm down in the name of the organization.
(iii) Dr. C is completely happy and absorbed when he is teaching in the classes, and does not at all mind when his workload gets heavier and covers new areas. But he gets angry when the finance section raises objections about his medical bills; and is furious that the higher administration is yet to give him full tenure.
(iv) Mr. D is a metallurgist in the forge shop of the steel plant, and has received honours for his innovativeness in modifying conventional alloys. He also paints well and values his painting skills far more than his metallurgy and is extremely unhappy that the company house journal did not finally carry his water sketch on its front cover.
(b) Suppose the Government of India is thinking of constructing a dam in a mountain valley girded by forests and inhabited by ethnic communities. What rational techniques of policy analysis should it resort to for coping with likely uncertainties and unforeseen contingencies? 20
Public Administration Optional Question Paper-2 (2013)
Section – A
Q. 1. Attempt the following in about 150 words each:
(a) “The Charter Act of 1853 marked the beginning of parliamentary system in India.” Explain.
(b) “Civil services neutrality is founded on the application of the principles of Rule of Law”. Comment.
(c) “The second generation reforms in the Panchayati Raj institutions have changed Panchayats from the agency of development at local level into a political institution.” Discuss.
(d) “Finance Commission in India performs the job of statics aggregation.” Comment
(e) “Planning enables comprehensive and scientific understanding of problems.” Examine the statements in the context of planning methodology.
Q. 2.
(a) “Bureaucratic agencies, characterized by established procedures, specialization, leadership, clear objective, are not ideal to handle disaster management.” Examine with reference to the need for administrative flexibility in managing disaster. (in about 250 words)
(b) “The liberal-democratic ideology of the West influenced the shaping of value premises of the India Constitution.” Discuss. (In about 250 words)
(c) “Autonomy to public sector understating is a myth.” Analysis in the context of the use of government expenditure by politicians who control government at different levels. (In about 150 words).
Q. 3.
(a) “Laws are enacted without involving the police in the conception stage, with the result implementation of these laws leaves much to be desired.” Examine the role of police in protection of children. (In about 250 words)
(b) “Central Secretariat is the nodal agency for administering the Union subjects and establishing coordination among the various activities of the government.” Discuss. (In about 250 words)
(c) Is there a need to dispense with the office of the Governor? Examine the context of coalition governments. (In about 150 words) 10
Q. 4.
(a) “There is a tendency of centralism in Indian federalism, but it is not because of its institutional framework but because of its socialist goals and centrally devised plan development.” Explain the statement in the context of Union-State relationship. (In about 250 words) 20
(b) “Use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in Panchayat’s functions enhances efficiency, transparency and accountability and also induces mass ICT culture.” Examine. (In about 250 words) 20
(c) “Judicial review of administrative tribunal’s decisions defeats the very objective of establishing tribunals.” Comment with reference to Central Administrative Tribunal. (In about 150 words)
Section – B
Q. 5. Attempt the following is not more than 150 words each: 50
(a) “Public Administration today tends to be less public quantitative terms, but more responsive to public needs than before in qualitative terms.” Examine with reference to citizen-centric administration.
(b) “Performance budgeting failed because it was applied to sectors/programmes where quantitative evaluation was not feasible.” Examine the principles underlying performance budgeting techniques.
(c) “The design of the Indian Polices was to subjugate the Indian People in the aftermath of 1857.” Aalyse in the context of the Indian Police Act of 1861.
(d) “Reducing the size (geographical area) of the district will provide relief to the overburdened and overworked collector.” Comment.
(e) “The concept of social audit is more comprehensive than that of traditional audit.” Comment.
Q. 6.
(a) “Gandhian model of decentralization is similar to the process of reinventing governance. “ Analyze in the context of good governance. (In about 250 words) 20
(b) “According is the essence of producing promptly and clearly the facts relating to financial condition and operations that are required as a basis of management.” Substantiate the statement in the context of accounting methods and techniques in government. (In about 250 words) 20
(c) Explain the important recommendation of V.T. Krishnamachary Committee (1962) on Indian and State Administrative Services and problems of District Administration. (In about 150 words) 10
Q. 7.
(a) “The 73rd Amendment, it is felt, may accentuate fiscal indiscipline by establishing between State and Local Governments a system of transfers similar to the one in the place between the Central and State Governments.” (World Bank) Comment. (In about 250 words) 20
(b) “Municipal Administration in India faces both structural and operational challenges.” Examine in the context of post-74th Amendment Act. (In about 250 words) 10
(c) “Self-Help Groups (SHGs) have contributed to a change in the role of rural women in development — from symbolic participation to empowerment.” Discuss. (In about 150 words) 10
Q.8.
(a) “There is both criminalization of politics and politicization of criminals in India.” Examine and identify the challenges they cause for law and order administration. (In about 250 words)20
(b) “The basic ethical problem for an administrator is to determine how he/she values.” Comment with reference to corruption in administration. (In about 250 words). 20
(c) Justify the constructional provision to treat certain expenditure as charged upon the Consolidated Fund of India. (In about 150 words)