Public Administration - 1999 (Main) (Paper - II)

Candidates should attempt Questions 1 and 5 which are compulsory, and any three of the remaining questions selecting at least one question from each Section. All questions carry equal marks

                                                            SECTION A
1. Comment on any three of the following in not more than 200 words each :
(a) “The Planning Commission continues to exist but some would say that it is withering away, along with real planning itself."

(b) "Article 320 states that the Government shall consult the U.P.S.C. on certain specific matters."

(c) "It would be a gross fallacy to regard the institution of the Governor as a faint presence like a full moon at midday."

(d) “The Public Corporations in India are like exhausted Leviathans."

2. It is said that the image and influence of Indian Parliament have suffered a serious decline in recent years. How far do you agree with this view-point ?

3. (a) “The legislative and executive powers of the States are comprehensive, but the exercise of these powers are subject to regulation, abridgement and even suspension by the Union." Comment.  

(b) "The Central Secretariat is thus today encumbered with non-essential work and has, for a large part, become an unwiedly and over-staffed organization." Elucidate.

4. "The rise of the Prime Minister's Secretariat and the Cabinet Secretariat in India during the past three decades is an indication of the growing centralisation of policy and decisional authority in the position of the Prime Minister." Examine.

                                                               SECTION B
5. Comment on any three of the following in not more than 200 words each :
(a) "The Public Accounts Committee is probably the best medium through the eyes of which the tax-payer sees what has been done with his money."

(b) "The All-India Services have, naturally, to be remunerated on a higher level than services recruited purely on a local basis."

(c) "The performance of Lok Ayuktas in Indian States do not create a very positive impression."

(d) "The failure of I.R.D.P. is attributed to its over-powering centralized approach."

6. Do you think that the Comptroller and Auditor-General's role is to maintain the dignity, independence, detachment of outlook and fearlessness necessary for a fair, impartial and dispassionate assessment' of the actions of the executive in the financial field ? Give arguments.

7. (a) "In the midst of political and socio-economic challenges, the law and order administration has become both difficult and delicate." Explain.

(b) "Only a systematic-ecological approach to the study of corruption in India can help us understand its causes and dimensions." Comment.

8. Do you agree with the view that the Indian reform effort has been conservative or orthodox, not breaking radically newer ground, but only modifying the existing structures and processes ? Give arguments.