UPSC Public Administration Syllabus 2024 Download PDF

It is an optional subject available in the UPSC mains examination Public Administration subjects include questions related to the functioning of the government. In terms of difficulty, Public Administration is considered one of the top 10 challenging subjects in the UPSC exam. Due to the comprehensive nature of the Public Administration syllabus, a large number of students opt for it as their optional subject in the exam.

UPSC Public Administration Syllabus has 2 papers, namely Optional Paper I and Paper II, as part of the Mains stage of the IAS Exam, which comprises a total of 9 papers. Below we discussed the detailed public administration optional syllabus for mains exam.

UPSC Public Administration Syllabus 2024

The UPSC Public Administration Syllabus is best suited for individuals who have exceptional skill and enthusiasm in the topic, as it is an optional subject for the UPSC Mains test. Optional subjects on the UPSC exam include public administration, which asks questions about how the country’s government is run. A range of books that are readily available in the market can be used by students to get ready for the UPSC Public Administration course.

Students are required to answer five questions out of the given eight, with one compulsory question from the last three. A strong performance in the Public Administration optional exam can significantly boost the overall score of an IAS aspirant in the UPSC Mains.

Public Administration Syllabus For Optional Paper I

Candidates can check out the Topic-wise UPSC Public Administration Syllabus for Mains Optional paper I.

Administrative Theory

1. Introduction: Meaning, scope, and significance of Public Administration syllabus; Wilson’s vision of Public Administration; Evolution of the discipline and its present status; New Public Administration; Public Choice approach; Challenges of liberalization, Privatisation, Globalisation; Good Governance: concept and application; New Public Management.
2. Administrative Thought: Scientific Management and Scientific Management movement; Classical Theory; Weber’s bureaucratic model – its critique and post-Weberian Developments; Dynamic Administration (Mary Parker Follett); Human Relations School (Elton Mayo and others); Functions of the Executive (C.I. Barnard); Simon’s decision-making theory; Participative Management (R. Likert, C.Argyris, D.McGregor).
3. Administrative Behaviour: Process and techniques of decision-making; Communication; Morale; Motivation Theories – content, process and contemporary; Theories of Leadership: Traditional and Modern.
4. Organisations: Theories – systems, contingency; Structure and forms: Ministries and Departments, Corporations, Companies, Boards and Commissions; Ad hoc and advisory bodies; Headquarters and Field relationships; Regulatory Authorities; Public – Private Partnerships.
5. Accountability and control: Concepts of accountability and control; Legislative, Executive, and Judicial control over administration; Citizen and Administration; Role of media, interest groups, voluntary organizations; Civil society; Citizen’s Charters; Right to Information; Social audit.
6. Administrative Law: Meaning, scope, and significance; Dicey on Administrative law; Delegated legislation; Administrative Tribunals.
7. Comparative Public Administration: Historical and sociological factors affecting administrative systems; Administration and politics in different countries; Current status of Comparative Public Administration; Ecology and administration; Riggsian models and their critique.
8. Development Dynamics: Concept of development; Changing profile of development administration; ‘Anti-development thesis’; Bureaucracy and development; Strong state versus the market debate; Impact of liberalization on administration in developing countries; Women and development – the self-help group movement.
9. Personnel Administration: Importance of human resource development; Recruitment, training, career advancement, position classification, discipline, performance appraisal, promotion, pay and service conditions; employer-employee relations, grievance redressal mechanism; Code of conduct; Administrative ethics.
10. Public Policy: Models of policy-making and their critique; Processes of conceptualization, planning, implementation, monitoring, evaluation, and review and their limitations; State theories and public policy formulation.
11. Techniques of Administrative Improvement: Organisation and methods, Work study and work management; e-governance and information technology; Management aid tools like network analysis, MIS, PERT, and CPM.
12. Financial Administration: Monetary and fiscal policies; Public borrowings and public debt Budgets – types and forms; Budgetary process; Financial accountability; Accounts and audit.

Public Administration Syllabus For Optional Paper II

Candidates can check out the Topic-wise UPSC Public Administration Syllabus for Mains Optional paper II.

Indian Administration

1. Evolution of Indian Administration: Kautilya’s Arthashastra; Mughal administration; Legacy of British rule in politics and administration – Indianization of public services, revenue administration, district administration, local self-government.
2. Philosophical and Constitutional framework of government: Salient features and value premises; Constitutionalism; Political culture; Bureaucracy and democracy; Bureaucracy and development.
3. Public Sector Undertakings: Public sector in modern India; Forms of Public Sector Undertakings; Problems of autonomy, accountability, and control; Impact of liberalization and privatization.
4. Union Government and Administration: Executive, Parliament, Judiciary – structure, functions, work processes; Recent trends; Intragovernmental relations; Cabinet Secretariat; Prime Minister’s Office; Central Secretariat; Ministries and Departments; Boards; Commissions; Attached offices; Field organizations.
5. Plans and Priorities: Machinery of planning; Role, composition, and functions of the Planning Commission and the National Development Council; ‘Indicative’ planning; Process of plan formulation at Union and State levels; Constitutional Amendments (1992) and decentralized planning for economic development and social justice.
6. State Government and Administration: Union-State administrative, legislative, and financial relations; Role of the Finance Commission; Governor; Chief Minister; Council of Ministers; Chief Secretary; State Secretariat; Directorates.
7. District Administration since Independence: The changing role of the Collector; Union-state-local relations; Imperatives of development management and Law and Order Administration; District Administration and democratic decentralization.
8. Civil Services: Constitutional position; Structure, recruitment, training, and capacity-building; Good governance initiatives; Code of conduct and discipline; Staff associations; Political rights; Grievance redressal mechanism; Civil service neutrality; Civil service activism.
9. Financial Management: Budget as a political instrument; Parliamentary control of public expenditure; Role of finance ministry in the monetary and fiscal area; Accounting techniques; Audit; Role of Controller General of Accounts and Comptroller and Auditor General of India.
10. Administrative Reforms since Independence: Major concerns; Important Committees and Commissions; Reforms in financial management and human resource development; Problems of implementation.
11. Rural Development: Institutions and agencies since independence; Rural development programs: foci and strategies; Decentralization and Panchayati Raj; 73rd Constitutional amendment.
12. Urban Local Government: Municipal governance: main features, structures, finance, and problem areas; 74th Constitutional Amendment; Global-local debate; New localism; Development dynamics, politics, and administration with special reference to city management.
13. Law and Order Administration: British Legacy; National Police Commission; Investigative agencies; Role of central and state agencies including paramilitary forces in maintenance of law and order and countering insurgency and terrorism; Criminalisation of politics and administration; Police-public relations; Reforms in Police.
14. Significant issues in Indian Administration: Values in public service; Regulatory Commissions; National Human Rights Commission; Problems of administration in coalition regimes; Citizen-administration interface; Corruption and administration; Disaster management.

UPSC Public Administration Syllabus 2024 Download PDF

Candidates who are appearing for the UPSC Public Administration mains Exam can download the UPSC Public Administration Syllabus PDF Here. Click on the link below to Download the UPSC Public Administration Syllabus 2024.

 Click Here to Download UPSC Public Administration Syllabus 2024 PDF

Public Administration Optional Subjects Books

Selecting the right books is crucial for effective preparation in the Public Administration optional subject for the UPSC exam. Here are some highly recommended books that cover various aspects of public administration, administrative theories, public policy, and Indian administration.

Preparation Tips for Public Administration Optional Subject

A focused and systematic strategy is needed to prepare for the UPSC optional Public Administration subject. Priority one should be given to fully grasping the fundamentals.

It is important that you approach the subject, regardless of your background, as a committed student of public administration. Your exam performance will be greatly improved by using administrative terms, thinking about issues from an administrative viewpoint, and providing well-organized solutions.

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