Public Administration Syllabus for UPSC: Check Out the Updated Syllabus and Ways to Succeed

Public administration is one of the 48 optional subjects available in the UPSC examination. Many people choose this subject for their optional exam.  There are two papers on public administration subjects. Each paper carries 250 marks, making it a total of 500 marks. Aspirants can score well if they follow the right books for UPSC optional subjects and prepare well going by the public administration optional syllabus. A question arises to many candidates’ minds, what is Public Administration? Well, Public administration refers to the academic division where students study the implementation of government policies. This subject prepares future civil servants for working in the public service. This article has all the details about the Public Administration syllabus for UPSC. Go through the whole article to acknowledge everything. 

Also Read : Polar Vortex: National Atlas and Thematic Mapping Organisation Notes for UPSC

Syllabus of Public Administration for UPSC 

This subject contains questions from various portions of the administration. The candidates who desire to be IPS in the future must focus on this subject. The syllabus of this exam is written below. It is conducted in two papers. You must be aware of each paper’s questions. This gives you a clear idea for your preparation and makes you strong in your subject. You must be attracted towards the topics and should find curiosity to ask for more related things to it. You must ensure that after studying nicely about the syllabus, you start practicing the sample questions. 

Public Administration Optional: Paper 1 

Paper 1 of the Public Administration exam is called Administrative Theory. It consists of theoretical questions from the syllabus which can be related to history or present scenarios. Look below to know the entire syllabus.  

#1. Introduction 

Meaning, scope, and significance of Public Administration; 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).

Also Read : What are the Uniform Civil Code Questions for UPSC? Basic Structure and UPSC Answer Formation

#3. Administrative Behaviour

Process and techniques of decision-making; Communication; Morale; Motivation Theories – content, process and contemporary; Theories of Leadership: Traditional and Modern.

#4. Organizations 

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.

Also Read : Kyoto Protocol: Have a Look at the Potential and Most Updated Topic of UPSC

#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

Organization and methods, Work study and work management; e-governance and information technology; Management aid tools like network analysis, MIS, PERT, CPM.

#12. Financial Administration

Monetary and fiscal policies; Public borrowings and public debt Budgets – types and forms; Budgetary process; Financial accountability; Accounts and audit.

Also Read: What is Indian Forest Service? How to Become an IFoS Officer?

Public Administration Optional: Paper-II

This part of the Public Administration exam constitutes Indian Administration. You must be aware of the facts and details of this paper to get good scores. Keep learning more knowledge about the syllabus. Indian Administration has been very traditional and primitive because of the modifications in it by different rulers. India has the longest and readable history. It contains different administrative powers and authorities along with its amendments. You must know the prominent things connected to your syllabus and related to it. The information about paper 2 is written here. 

#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 

The 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; Intergovernmental 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

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.

Also Read : IAS Sonal Goel Biography: Learn about Her UPSC Journey and Strategy

#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; Globallocal 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.

Also Read : What is the Light Rail? Decoding the UPSC Science and Technology Topic

Techniques to Get Good Scores

This subject gives you chances to excel in the UPSC exam. You can get excellent scores in it by preparing thoroughly. You must know the full syllabus and prepare its notes. Start reading for the syllabus topics and then find more relevant topics or issues related to them. You can also go through the case studies if present. This will make you perfect in terms of knowledge. The optional subject helps you to get marks along with making an impression on the examiners. The renowned personalities taking your interview will ask questions related to your subject. The subject chosen by you must be the one in which you are interested. Therefore, choose your optional subject wisely and if you are thinking to choose Public Administration then ensure that you do a thorough study of it to ace the CSE. 

Also Read : IAS Aishwarya Ramanathan Biography: Here’re all the Details about Her Inspiring Story

Conclusion

Public Administration has a vast syllabus to study and understand. You need to have a great interest while preparing for it. We have shared the whole syllabus in this article. We hope that all your queries regarding the syllabus of Public Administration for UPSC should have been resolved by now if you have read the complete article. If you are facing any confusion or if your mind is popping up with questions, you must visit UPSC Pathshala and find a solution to your dilemmas. There are many professional faculties and experts to guide you on every topic of CSE. You can ask anything that is making you stressed. Many students have cracked the exam after getting preparation from the website. You must find clues to ace this exam and touch your target. You can comment below regarding the ways of your preparation and any questions.