IAS Mains 2009: Public Administration Paper 1

Candidates should attempt Question No. 1 and 5 which are
compulsory and any three of the remaining questions
selecting at least one question from each Section.

SECTION – A
1. Comments on any THREE of the following statements in not
more than 200 words each: 20×3=60

a) “ The Field of Public Administration is a field of
business.” ( Woodrow Wilson )

b) “ New Public Administration is …… a revolution or
radicalism in words , and ( at best ) status –quo in skills
or technologies.”

c) “ Taylor’s contribution was not a set of general principles
for organizing work efficiency , nut a set of operating
procedures that could be employed in each concrete
situation to secure their application.”

d) “ The Barnard – Simon Theory of organization is
essentially a theory of motivation.”

2. Answer the following in about 300 words each: 30×2=60

a) Consider the statement below :
i). “Technically, the bureaucracy represents the purest
type of legal rational authority”
ii). “Bureaucracy does not represent the only type of
legal authority”
Identify the theoretical context and analyze the above
Statements.

b) Which of the model(s) in development administration
is / are characterised by ‘ Selectivism’ , ‘ Attainment’
and ‘ Poly-functionalism’ ? Describe the corresponding
theoretical roots and attributes.

3. It is said that “ the perspective of public administration ,
developed over a century , with a tradition of management
of Public institution and services has received a jolt from
the novelty of New Public Management”.
Bring out the core values , approaches and assumptions of
traditional public administration and show how the new
new Public Management has attempted to change or retain
them , and to what extent. 60

4. From Woodrow Wilson to Herbert Simon most writers
on public administration have taken the achievement of
efficiency as the central objective. Justify the
statement with reference to the work of major writers.
60

SECTION – B

5. Answer any THREE of the following questions in not more
than 200 words each: 20×3=60
a) “ There is no doubts that departmentalization is fraught
with complexities. These are in part technical , in part
political .” Discuss.

b) “ Technical like PERT and CPM help in effective
office management.” Elaborate.

c) “ ….. non –western states often , If not always , have
unbalance politics , but these may not necessarily be
bureaucratic politics.” Discuss.

d) “ Yehezkel Dror’s normative models of policy making
tend to be academic in perspective with poor
operational utility.” Comment.

6. Consider the statement below:
a). Self-Help Groups ( SHGs ) enables women to realize their
full potential in some spheres of life.
b). Self-Help Groups ( SHGs ) are providing avenues of
political mobilization.
Examine the implication of these two statements and assess
the potential of SHGs for development. 60

7. It is said that ‘ position classification’, as originally
conceived is sound in terms of its operational
characterics , but complicated and unresponsive in
practice. Why is it still considered better than other models
of civil service classification ? 60

8.“ …….. even if policies are well organized , efficiently
operated , widely utilized , adequately financed and
supported , we may still ask , so what ? Do they work?
…. What about their costs , outputs and impact ?”
Discuss. 60