[1]

MUKHERJEE NAGAR: 102, Ist Floor, Manushree Building, Behind Post Office, Delhi-09, Ph: 011-2764518, 2765349
KAROL BAGH: 16-A/2, First Floor, Ajmal Khan Road, W.E.A., New Delhi-05, Ph:- 011-25744391, www.synergy.edu.in
PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION: Your unofficially the compulsory subject (in the changed context)
M.K.Mohanty
Let me start with a less than a humble statement! Public Administration has been the most popular, successful and scoring subject till now and with
the changed syllabus for Civil Services Mains 2013, it will not only continue to remain as the most sought after optional paper but also is going to establish itself
as the only choice for the students as an optional subject!! So, it is (in this changed syllabus) going to be the unofficially compulsory paper of UPSC!!!
In the light of recent changes in the syllabus of General Studies, Public Administration if opted as an optional subject is going to place a student with
ENORMOUSADVANTAGE and a student without this subject as an optional is going to bear very high OPPORTUNITY COST. Let me try to explain this:
First of all let me try to draw a comparison between General Studies and Public Administration in order to find out areas of overlapping between the two.
Areas of overlappingbetween Public Administration & General Studies
Public
Administration
General Studies
(Followingtopics mentioned under various papers of General Studies relevant to Public Administration would be covered in
detail within the course schedule of Public Administration itself. These topics will be covered by M.K. Mohanty.)











The topics indicated on
the other side are
mostly covered within
Paper II of Public
Administration (Indian
Administration) and
certain chapters of
PaperI (Administrative
Theory): Administrative
Behaviour,
Accountability and
Control, Public Policy,
Financial Management
and Development
Dynamics.
These are the Topics
which will be covered
while studying for
Public Administration
(Topics mentioned
under various papers of
General Studies
relevant to Public
Administration would
be covered in detail
within the course
schedule of Public
Administration itself.
These topics will be
covered by M.K.
Mohanty.)).
General Studies - II
Indian Constitution- historical underpinnings, evolution, features, amendments, significant provisions and basic structure.
Functions and responsibilities of the Union and the States, issues and challenges pertaining to the federal structure,
devolution of powers and finances up to local levels and challenges therein.
Separation of powers between various organs, Dispute Redressal Mechanisms and institutions.
Parliament and State Legislatures - structure, functioning, conduct of business, powers & privileges and issues arising out
of these.
Structure, organization and functioning of the Executive and the Judiciary-Ministries and Departments of the
Government; pressure groups and formal/informal associations and their role in the Polity.
Salient features of the Representation of Peoples Act.
Appointment to various Constitutional posts, powers, functions and responsibilities of various Constitutional Bodies.
Statutory, regulatory and various quasi-judicial bodies
Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and
implementation.
Development processes and the development industry- the role of NGOs, SHGs, various groups and associations, donors,
charities, institutional and other stakeholders
Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of the population by the Centre and States and the performance of these
schemes; mechanisms, laws, institutions and Bodies constituted for the protection and betterment of these vulnerable
sections.
Important aspects of governance, transparency and accountability, e-governance- applications, models, successes,
limitations, and potential; citizens charters, transparency & accountability and institutional and other measures.
Role of civil services in a democracy.
General Studies - III
Issues relating to planning, mobilization of resources.
Inclusive growth and issues arising from it.
Government Budgeting.
Disaster and disaster management.
Role of external state and non-state actors in creating challenges to internal security.
Challenges to internal security through communication networks, role of media and social networking sites in internal
security challenges, basics of cyber security; money-laundering and its prevention
Security challenges and their management in border areas; linkages of organized crime with terrorism
Various Security forces and agencies and their mandate.
General Studies - IV
Aptitude and foundational values of Civil Services, integrity, impartiality and non-partisanship, objectivity, dedication to
public service, empathy, tolerance and compassion towards the weaker sections.
Emotional intelligence-concepts, and their utilities and application in administration and governance.
Public/Civil service values and Ethics in Public administration: Status and problems; ethical concerns and dilemmas in
government and private institutions; laws, rules, regulations and conscience as sources of ethical guidance;
accountability and ethical governance; strengthening of ethical and moral values in governance; ethical issues in
international relations and funding; corporate governance.
Probity in Governance: Concept of public service; Philosophical basis of governance and probity; Information sharing and
transparency in government, Right to Information, Codes of Ethics, Codes of Conduct, Citizens Charters, Work culture,
Quality of service delivery, Utilization of public funds, challenges of corruption.
Case Studies on above issues
Topics which are Comparison of the Indian constitutional scheme with that of other countries
[2]

MUKHERJEE NAGAR: 102, Ist Floor, Manushree Building, Behind Post Office, Delhi-09, Ph: 011-2764518, 2765349
KAROL BAGH: 16-A/2, First Floor, Ajmal Khan Road, W.E.A., New Delhi-05, Ph:- 011-25744391, www.synergy.edu.in
indirectly related


Topics which are
indirectly related
Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health, Education, Human
Resources.
Issues relating to poverty and hunger.
Effects of liberalization on the economy, changes in industrial policy and their effects on industrial growth.
Ethics and Human Interface: Essence, determinants and consequences of Ethics in - human actions; dimensions of ethics;
ethics - in private and public relationships. Human Values - lessons from the lives and teachings of great leaders,
reformers and administrators; role of family, society and educational institutions in inculcating values.
Attitude: content, structure, function; its influence and relation with thought and behaviour; moral and political
attitudes; social influence and persuasion.
What does the above mean?
GS and Public Administration create
mutually reinforcingvirtuous cycles:
A student opting for Public
Administration as an optional subject
would be covering automatically a very
large portion of the syllabus one
actually would prepare for 11,00 to
12,00 marks (500 marks for Public
Administration as an optional subject +
more than 50%of the General studies
as discussed under previously
elaborated sections). This would help
the students to cover a large section of
the syllabus while preparing for a
single optional. Besides, it also carries
certain other advantages, i.e., time
available for other sections of the GS
would increase drastically which would
further enhance the score. So, taking
Public Administration would contribute
towards students success in number
of different ways. In addition to this, a
student of Public Administration will always find a matching topic in Essay from Governance and Democracy. (Kindly find from the following:-)
The topics for the essay paper those related to Governance and Democracy in the previous year Civil Services examination are as follows-
Public Private Partnership (IAS 2012)
Formation of smaller states, and its implication on Administration, finance and development. (IAS 2011)
Is our society ready for Indias Global leadership (IAS 2010)
Globalization versus Nationalism. (IAS 2009)
Role of media in Good Governance. (IAS 2008)
Evaluation of Panchayati Raj System in India in the context of Poverty Alleviation to Empowerment. (IAS 2007)
Globalization and its effect on Indias culture. (IAS 2004)
What should be the conduct of Civil Services (IAS 2003)
Indian Democracy and Judicial Activism (IAS 2004)
If women ruled the world. (IAS 2005)
Global peace and Terrorism. (IAS 2004)
Liability of Media in Democracy. (IAS 2002)
What did we learn from Democracy (IAS 2001)
Implication of Globalization on India (IAS 2000)
India needs a better Disaster Management system (IAS 2000)
Judicial Activism. (IAS 2000)
Need for Transparency in Public Administration. (IAS 1996)
Whither Indian Democracy. (IAS 1995)
(Following is a hypothetical description about a student opting for Public
Administration in order to explain and justify the preceding statements):-

Why PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION?
In order to explain the preceding statements, let me argue while presenting
a hypothetical description about a student opting for Public
Administration:
Kindly note:
1. While Political Science studies Constitution & Polity, Public
Administration studies Constitution, Polity & Governance.
2. While Philosophy is concerned with Ethics as a concept, Public
Administration is concerned with Ethics & Integrity in
Administration and Governance (At the degree and post
graduation courses of Public Administration in almost every
University a separate paper titled Ethics & Integrity in
Administration and Governance is offered.)
3. While Attitude & Emotional Intelligence is covered in
Psychology, Public Administration covers Attitude &
Emotional Intelligence in Administration & Governance
(Chapters like Administrative Behaviour largely deals with
this).
4. While Geography deals with topics like Disaster, Public
Administration deals with Disaster Management.
Why Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude (GS-IV) can be substantially attributed to Public
Administration?
At the moment there are many claims and counter-claims about this paper being a part of a discipline
or a particular optional paper. However, let me present my argument in favour of Public
Administration. First of all, one needs to recognise that all the subjects are interdisciplinary &
thereby, a particular area of study may be a part of number of subjects. So is the case with Ethics,
Integrity and Aptitude. But, as the syllabus been designed in GS-IV, the concerned paper can be
covered substantively through Public Administration, because
1. The sections in GS IV such as Aptitude and foundational values of Civil Services, Public/Civil
service values and Ethics in Public administration & Probity in Governance are beyond doubt a
part of Public Admin. Only a novice or an individual with wrong intentions will deny it. These
are topics those are studied only in Public Administration.
2. The sections in GS IV such as Emotional Intelligence and attitude in its concepts or theories
are not exclusively studied in Public Administration but the syllabus requires their application
in Public Administration or Government. So, its proper understanding can be developed only
through Pub. Admn.
3. The sections in GS IV such as Ethics and Human Interface as concepts & theories are not dealt
in public administration but it has covered under the Administrative values & ethics. Unless the
basic concepts & foundational principles are understood, the Administrative values and ethics
cannot be explained. That is what is relevant to the current syllabus.
[3]

MUKHERJEE NAGAR: 102, Ist Floor, Manushree Building, Behind Post Office, Delhi-09, Ph: 011-2764518, 2765349
KAROL BAGH: 16-A/2, First Floor, Ajmal Khan Road, W.E.A., New Delhi-05, Ph:- 011-25744391, www.synergy.edu.in





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In addition to above, interview has always been testing
the candidates' suitability for Administration.
Public Administration as an optional subject has helped
the largest number of students to qualify in the Civil
Service Examination as against any of the other optional
subjects in the last number of years consecutively. In 2012
Public Administration alone produced a number of
successful candidates which equaled almost all the
optional subjects put together as an optional it has 2 in
top 10, 6 in top 20, 21 in top 50, 44 in top 100 & 434 out of
910 selections.
Moreover, the subject deals with the government in
action or the Civil Service and that is what the civil service
examination is all about.
Why SYNERGY?
At SYNERGY, the class schedule for Public Administration has
been reorganised to include in its usual course of coverage
all the newly added portions of GS syllabus that is
mentioned in the table above (that overlaps with Public
Administration). That means, not hypothetically or
superficially rather actually a student will cover such a vast
portion (in terms of content and more importantly in terms
of marks) of GS automatically while preparing Public
Administration along with availing number of other
additional benefits those mentioned earlier.
In the last couple of years, most of the students those who
have qualified with Public Administration as an optional
subject belonged to SYNERGY. It's to be noted; in 2012 most
of those selected with Public Administration are from
SYNERGY includingtop most rank in Public Administration,
i.e., rank-3 (Prince Dhawan).
PUBLIC
ADMINISTRATION
by
M.K. Mohanty
Date of commencement of the class:
7
th
November, 2013.
Date of Admission:
17
th
October, 2013
Students opting for combo courses
would be given preference in the
admission.

[4]

MUKHERJEE NAGAR: 102, Ist Floor, Manushree Building, Behind Post Office, Delhi-09, Ph: 011-2764518, 2765349
KAROL BAGH: 16-A/2, First Floor, Ajmal Khan Road, W.E.A., New Delhi-05, Ph:- 011-25744391, www.synergy.edu.in