IAS Mains 2009: Public Administration Paper 2

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. Attempt any THREE of the following in not more than 200
words each: 20×3=60
a) “Bureaucracy developed by the British stifled the village
self rule.” Comment.
b) “Comment on the view that despite different contexts,
administrative maxims of Kautilya’s Arthashatra bear
considerable similarity with features of Weber’s ideal
bureaucratic model.
c) “The weakest aspect of Indian Administration is
grievance redressal machinery.” Discuss.
d) “ There is no basic contradiction between Civil Service
neutrality and Civil Service activism.” Comment.
2. a) . “Law and order problems of the twenty first century can
not be tackled through legislations and structures of the
nineteenth century.” Give suggestions for transforming the
law and order machinery at the State level. 30

b). “ The Recommendations of the second Administrative
Reform Commission on reforming the Civil Service are
radical yet implementable.” Do you agree? 30
3. a). Briefly discuss the main recommendations of any two
of the followings : 30
i). Paul Appleby ( 1953 and 1956 )
ii). Santhanam Committee
iii). Hota Committee
iv). Sixth Pay Commission
b). Examine the role of Finance Ministry of the Union
Government in designing and implementing monetary and
Fiscal policies. 30
4. a). Discuss the relationship between governance and
development in any one Indian state , giving illustrations.
30
b). Do state Services suffer in comparison with All India
and Central Services ? Suggest measures for enhancing
the role , competence and impact of state services. 30

Section B

Comment on any THREE of the following statements in
not more than 200 words each: 20×3=60

a) “ India has failed to devise a long term strategy for
drought management.”
b) “ A fix tenure in Civil Service postings can increase
productivity , accountability and probity in
Government.”
c) “ Sound municipal governance requires a cadre of
specilised municipal services executives equal in status
to state services.”
d) “Administrative talent of a minister determines his
success.”

6. a). “ The respective roles of the cabinet Secretary of the
Government of India and of the chief Secretary of a state
are similar in certain respects, and dissimilar in others.”
Explain. 30

b). Do you agree with the view that citizen’s Charters in India
have not succeeded in their objective of making of
administrative system citizen –centric ? Analyze and give
your suggestions in this regard. 30

7. a). “ The National Human Rights Commissions has done a
commendable job in developing job in developing a sense
responsibility among organization towards the protection
of human rights.” Comment on this assessment. 30

b). In your view , which have been the five most important
administrative reforms implemented after Independence?
What has been their impact? 30

8.“a). “ Value of Indian administration must be rooted in
the Preamble of the Indian Constitution.” Discuss. 30

b). “Many of the programmes of development being
implemented at the state and the local level have been
initiated or financed by the Union Government. This has
transformed the nature of Indian federalism.” Critically
examine this assessment. 30