Public Administration as optional for UPSC - Pros & Cons, Take informed Decision

Choosing the right optional subject is very important for any Civil Service aspirant. The right choice of optional paper will make you score good marks and outperform others in Mains. The right choice will help any aspirant a lot in the process of becoming a civil servant. Therefore every candidate must make a well-thought-out decision when choosing the optional subject. In this article, we will provide you with both benefits and shortcomings of choosing Public Administration as an optional subject.

We will also provide you with the syllabus of the public administration optional subject along with study materials that you can refer to while preparing for UPSC.

Also Read : Best Optional Subject for UPSC Mains here.

Public Administration as optional: A Choice to Make

According to Leonard Dupee White, a popular historian who specialized in Public Administration, “Public administration is the management of men and materials in the accomplishment of the purposes of the state.” Basically, Public administration concerns with the implementation of Government Schemes. It deals with the planning, organizing, directing, coordinating, and controlling of government operations.

Public administration has been a popular choice among UPSC aspirants as the knowledge of the subject comes in handy after becoming an IAS. The subject introduces candidates to the mechanism of public administration, which is a great skill to have for any future administrator.

Another benefit of choosing Public Administration as optional for UPSC is that the subject is mostly conceptual. Therefore if you are someone who is not good with memorising, this subject is ideal for you. The availability of resources and ease of understanding of the subject also makes it a popular choice among USC aspirants.

However, anyone thinking to take up Public Administration as optional for UPSC must also keep in mind that this subject is highly competitive. As a lot of students take up Public Administration as optional for UPSC, the competition is huge to score good marks students must stay away from righting generic answers.

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Major Factors to Consider for Choosing Public Administration as Optional for UPSC

There are several factors that you need to consider while choosing Public Administrator as an optional subject. Some of the factors that every candidate should keep in mind are given below:

1. Interest: While choosing any subject as optional you must first make sure that you have an interest in that particular subject and for Public Administration, the case is no different. Any candidate will have to study several books and study materials and will have to spend a lot of time preparing for the optional subject. Therefore, it is highly unwise to choose a subject in which you have no interest in as optional. Before choosing Public Administration as optional for UPSC, read about the subject, preferably read a book related to Public Administration then decide if you have interest in the subject and then only take up the subject as optional.
2. Background: It is not necessary to have a bachelor’s or master’s degree in Public Administration to take up Public Administration as optional for UPSC. The subject is pretty easy to understand and therefore anyone with interest can take the subject as optional. The subject matter also overlaps with the General Studies Paper which gives it an added benefit as an optional subject.
3. Resources: The availability of study materials must also be considered while taking up any subject as optional. Public Administration books and materials are easily available in the market and on the internet therefore any candidate choosing Public Administration as optional for UPSC will have little to no problem accessing study material. We will also provide a list of books that you can refer to in this article to boost your preparation for Public administration.

Also read: How to Improve English for the UPSC here.

Is Public Administration optional for UPSC a scoring subject?

Many candidates in the past have scored 300+ in Public Administration as an optional subject for UPSC. Over the years, many aspirants who got top ranks in UPSC had Public Administration as optional for UPSC. However, you should also keep in mind that you will score 300+ in the subject in which you have 100% interest. Therefore, do not follow others, and make a well-informed choice while choosing the optional subject.

Toppers with Public Administration Optional – Year Wise

Given in the table below are Marks of Some Toppers who had taken Public Administration Optional:

Public Administration as Optional Subject – Success Rates

Below table show number of candidates who have opted for public administration as optional subject and their Success Rates.

Year	Optional Subject	Appeared	Recommended	Success Rate (Percent)
2019	Public Administration	705	58	8.2%
2017	Public Administration	1165	119	10.2
2016	Public Administration	3201	337	10.5
2015	Public Administration	7077	359	5.1
2014	Public Administration	2840	176	6.2

Pros & Cons of taking Public Administration optional subject

Taking any optional subject comes with its own pros and cons. Some subjects are easy to grasp whereas the study material might be hard to find in the market. Therefore candidates must know all the pros and cons of the optional subject they are choosing beforehand. Below we have listed some Pros & Cons of taking Public Administration optional subject so that you can check if the subject is the right choice for you:

Pros of taking Public Administration as optional for UPSC

1. The subject helps students to understand the workings of public administration which is a handy skill to have for any future administrator.
2. The subject is in general easy to understand.
3. Availability of ample study materials in the market.
4. Questions asked from the topic are straightforward.
5. A lot of topics of the subject overlap with the General Studies Paper. Around 60% of the topics overlap with the General Studies paper, making it beneficial for UPSC aspirants.
6. Public Administration is highly scoring and is relatively easier compared to other optional subjects since the entire paper II is polity based. If prepared well and strategically, most students can easily score good marks in the subject.
7. Having knowledge of the subject will also help in the essay paper and interview.

Know about UPSC IAS Exam Pattern 2021 here!

Cons of taking Public Administration as optional for UPSC

1. Highly competitive. As many students take Public Administration as optional for UPSC, the subject is highly competitive and students must be aware that writing generic answers will be of no use in the subject.
2. The subject matter is mostly theoretical. If you are someone coming from a science background, the subject might not hold much interest to you.
3. The syllabus is vast.

Syllabus for Public Administration as optional for UPSC

We will provide you with the complete syllabus of Public Administration as optional for the UPSC subject. As we have earlier discussed, 60% of the subject matter overlaps with the General Studies Paper. We will also list the topics that overlap with the GS paper.

Paper 1: Administrative Theory

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).
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
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.

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-governmentPhilosophical and Constitutional framework of government: Salient features and value premises; Constitutionalism; Political culture; Bureaucracy and democracy; Bureaucracy and development
2. 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
3. Union Government and Administration: Executive, Parliament, Judiciary – structure, functions, work processes; Recent trends; Intra-governmental relations; Cabinet Secretariat; Prime Minister’s Office; Central Secretariat; Ministries and Departments; Boards; Commissions; Attached offices; Field organizations.
4. 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
5. 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.
6. 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
7. 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
8. 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
9. Administrative Reforms since Independence: Major concerns; Important Committees and Commissions; Reforms in financial management and human resource development; Problems of implementation.
10. Rural Development: Institutions and agencies since independence; Rural development programs: foci and strategies; Decentralization and Panchayati Raj; 73rd Constitutional amendment.
11. 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.
12. 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.
13. 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

Get the complete UPSC IAS Prelims Syllabus here!

Public Administration as optional for UPSC: Topics that overlap with General Studies

AS we have already been informed, almost 60% of the Public Administration syllabus overlaps with GS papers. The topics are given below:

General Studies Paper-II

1. Governance
2. Indian constitution – evolution, features, amendments, etc.
3. Functions and responsibilities of the Union and the States
4. Separation of powers between various organs
5. Dispute Redressal Mechanisms and institutions
6. Parliament and State Legislatures
7. Structure, organisation and functioning of the Executive and Judiciary
8. Ministries and Departments of the Government
9. Constitutional, statutory, regulatory and quasi-judicial bodies
10. Government policies and interventions for development in different sectors
11. Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections
12. Issues relating to poverty and hunger
13. Aspects of governance, transparency and accountability
14. E-governance
15. Role of civil services in a democracy

General Studies Paper III

1. Disaster Management, Planning and Budgeting
2. Planning issues
3. Inclusive growth
4. Government budgeting
5. Environment
6. Disaster management
7. Challenges to internal security through communication networks
8. Role of media and social networking sites in internal security
9. Security forces and agencies and their mandate.

General Studies Paper IV (Ethics)

1. Ethics and Human Interface (foundational concept of Administrative values & ethics of Public Administration)
2. Attitude: content, structure, function; its influence and relation with thought and behavior; moral and political attitudes; social influence and persuasion.

Public Administration and Essay Paper:

we have observed that there is always an essay from Governance, Democracy and Polity.

How to study Public Administration optional for UPSC?

To get the best results you need to have a strategy of preparing Public Administration as optional for UPSC. Some tips for students choosing Public Administration as optional for UPSC is given below:

1. Make notes while studying: Make your own handwritten notes while preparing. Writing generic answers will not help in this subject. Therefore your answers must have an edge over others. To make sure that your answer is unique, make notes while preparing.
2. Practice Answer Writing: Incorporate the notes you have taken down while studying both paper 1 and paper 2 topics and practice answer writing. Make a separate answer writing copy and practice regularly.
3. Read editorials of The Hindu: For every candidate preparing for UPSC, reading The Hindu editorial page must be a regular practice. Make sure that you also pickup that practice from the beginning of your preparation and make it a habit.
4. Study the Second Administrative Reforms Commission Reports: Studying these reports will make the picture of Public Administration clear to you. This will also make your answers enriching and unique and make you stand out from the crowd.
5. Blogs: There are blogs present in NITI aayog website, PSUs’ website and other ministries’ websites which are generally ignored by most aspirants. Make sure to follow those blogs and add relevant information to your answers which will give it an edge over others.

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Public Administration as optional for UPSC: Booklist

Getting hands on Public Administration optional material is quite easy as it is readily available in the market. We have provided some books which will help you in studying Public Administration as optional for UPSC:

1. IGNOU BA and MA Notes
2. Administrative Thinkers by Prasad and Prasad
3. New Horizons of Public Administration by Mohit Bhattacharya
4. Public Administration And Public Affairs by Nicholas Henry
5. Public Policy: Concept, Theory and Practice by Bidyut Chakrabarty and Prakash Chand
6. Essentials of organisational behaviour by Stephen Robbins
7. Public Administration – Laxmikant
8. ARC reports
9. Important reports from ministries

Public Administration as optional for UPSC: A few Previous Year Questions

Getting previous year questions and preparing their answers will help in scoring good marks in the optional paper. It will also help you in your practice of answer writing. Some previous year questions from Public Administration are given below:

1. Role of media in Good Governance. (2008)
2. Evaluation of Panchayati Raj System in India from the point of view of eradication of poverty to power to people. (2007)
3. Justice must reach the poor. (2005)
4. How should a Civil Servant conduct himself? (2003)
5. Liability of Media in Democracy. (2002)
6. Need for Transparency in Public Administration. (1996)
7. Politics, Business and Bureaucracy – a fatal triangle. (1994)
8. Whither Indian Democracy. (1995)

Get UPSC IAS Previous Year Papers 2021 here!

We hope that this article will help you to make a well-informed decision if Public Administration as optional for UPSC is the right choice for you. If you have any doubts, do let us know. For more information about all government exams, download the Testbook App.