Answer format/Synopsis: Public Administration Mains Mock Test-2 ( 2012)

SECTION-A

1.

(a) Administrative system is shaped by the political environment. Explain.

Answer format-

Political environment and Administrative system are closely related and both influence each other.

Political environment-1.System of Governance 2. Federalism 3. Coalition Government/multi party

system.

Political system has undergone tremendous change since 1980 in response to changing circumstances
like globalisation, privatisation.

F.W.Riggs taken into account the ecological aspect of an organisation. Which include political
environment as well.

In Prismatic society, Riggs termed administrative subsystem of Sala Model. In Prismatic society family
welfare, nepotism and favouritism play a very important role in appoints of various administrative
position

Conclusion- Administrative system should understand the dynamics of the political system and enhance its
capacity to cope with the new challenges.

(b) Human Resource Development is an integral aspect of Human Resource Management.

Answer format-

Human Resource management is the art of managing human workforce in an organisation in an

optimum manner which is beneficial to the employee as well as the organisation in achieving the
organizational goal

HRD is the multidisciplinary process and management of developing learning and performance to
enhance both the individual and the organization.

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Human resource development (HRD) is a part of human resource management. it deals with the all
round development of an employee within an organization, his career development, training,
counseling, updating him with the latest technology, helping him explore his potential and develop his
skills which would prove beneficial to both the employee and the organization in achieving the
organization goals. it also means allocation of resources for the development of the employee.
(c) How women and development are an integrated phenomenon.

Answer Format:
Women as pillar of family
-

Educated and empowered women ensure educated family and thus making into a developed and
confident nation.

Development comes faster when a woman is involved.

With gender and justice movements- shift in the socio- politico- economic spheres.

Social- from social segregation to empowerment, legislative reforms- change in succession rights,
property rights and divorce rights.

Political- empowerment through reservation, participation in decision making, equity in terms of rights
,etc

Economic- gender budgeting, self help movements, women entrepreneurial ship, etc

(a) Boards and commissions have their obvious advantages, yet due caution must be exercised in
setting up bodies headed plural chief executives. Comment

Answer format1. Define Board/ commission. Contrast with bureau

2. Situations which generally warrant setting up of board/ commissions
-

Multiple interests are to be represented.

When diverse functionaries/contributions are required for a task

When there is need to check concentration of powers

When consensus building is important

3. Advantages-

Checks Authoritarian/ arbitrary decision making

Facilitate participatory decision making

Incorporates variety of view points, thus more informed decision

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4. Problems-power politics and groupism

-slow pace of decision making
-Lack of cohesiveness
5. Caveats-

should be reasonable otherwise consensus building becomes difficult.

Check internal politics through arrangement for transparency and probity

Lay down standards to be achieved. Clear criteria for evaluation performance collectively and
possible individually.

Appointment of members of capability and integrity

(b) Should wages be based on standard criteria on differential basis? Give reasons in support of your
contention.
Answer format1. Give the definition of Wages
2. Mention the Arguments, Why it should be based on standard criteria on differential basis.

(a) For the fuller understanding of administrative ethics, the culture of organisation has to be
reckoned with as an important variable. Explain.

Answer format-

Administrative Function within the large framework of societal culture.

F.W. Riggs said, the ecological approach to public Administration that situate administrator within the
broader social environment framework

Administrative ethics is a determinant of the wider socio- economic culture that exerts deep influence
on administration. For Instance, a police organisation has its distinctive way of doing things, by contrast
a social development agency engaged in child welfare or anti poverty management will be more clients
serving and debureaucratised in its operation.

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(b) The changing role of bureaucracy in development administration is characterized as Development

bureaucracy and non weberian model of bureaucracy.
Answer format1. Define development administration with the following characteristics- Change orientation, result
orientation, commitment, client orientation, Temporal Dimension.
2. Why development bureaucracy and Non weberian model of bureaucracy-

The weberian model is subject to dysfunctional consequences of failing to take the account the
individual or behavioural aspects of the people who WORK WITHIN THE ORGANISATION SYSTEM.

To meet the challenges of social economic development, bureaucracy has to adopt itself to new
environment.

The focus of bureaucracy has to challenge from the preservation of law and order to the
achievement of target to accomplish most and most rapidly with least waste and least failures.

Deemphasise of Hierarchy

Cooperative decision making

Collaborative decision making

Decentralised Authority

Free flow communication unhindered by status level in the organisation

Bureaucracy must secure the cooperation and participation of the people in development work

Supremacy of the politician must be accepted.

Bureaucracy should change oriented, goal oriented, result oriented and people oriented.

Professional mobility should be encouraged.

(a) Any development that degrades human welfare is anti development. How to overcome antidevelopment impact of development? Assess.

Answer Format:
What is anti-dev?
Dark side of dev (not necessarily opposite to dev).
Overcoming anti-dev impact of dev1) Preventive measures-

Preparing people for new technology to absorb

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Globalization than merely globalization

Better fusion of traditional & new technology

Alternative globalization for human development

Broad based forums like world social forum

Connecting global with local issues

2) Curative measures-

Better grievance redressal mechanism

Bring enabling legislation for social upliftment

Better representation to third world globally

Better accountability to poor and deprived

Bring mechanism for local resource generation

Also ensure accountability of power countries.

(b) Bureaucracy in more dominant in the developing societies and exercises disproportional influence.
Discuss.

Answer formatThe role of Bureaucracy has come to be the dominant structure in the developing countries because1. The most important function are directed towards nation building and economic growth
2. Play a crucial role in the establishment of Democracy
3. They help to maintain the framework of a unified polity as well as the capacity to absorb varied demands
and to regulate then effectively.
4. Plays a part in setting up, determining and implementing political goals.
5. Is one of main channels of political struggle in which and through which different interests are regulated
and aggregated.
6. Major instrument of social changes

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SECTION-B

5.

(a) A-Analyse the factors which govern the decision of central authority to make its field agencies
centralized and decentralized?

Answer formatIntro: Centralisation Decentalisation debate

Factors:
1. The factor of responsibility, it act as deterrent
2. Administrative factor:
a) Age of agency
b) Stability of policy of organization
c) Competence of field personnel
d) Emergency situation and its nature
3. Functional factors
a) Too many functions
b) Uniformity or diversity of functions eg military, Election
c) Cost of operations of functions
4. External Factors eg, If popular support is required, then decentralization, Political reasons etc

Conclusion: Application of contingency theory in deciding centralization and decentralization ,Theory X may
hamper decentralization,. Need of decentalisation in context of more nonprogrammer decision, good
governance etc.

(b) Failure of development administration was a consequence of the incongruencies between 'rhetoric
and reality. Explain?
Answer format-

Introduction: Mc Gregor propounded that to bring real change in organization, managerial cosmologies
(Theory Y based) need to be changed

Otherwise great Endeavour like Development administration will be like Old wine in new bottle

Rhetorics
-

Caiden, Pai panadhiker & Kshirsagar explanation: DA to Action oriented, Change Oriented, Result
Oriented, Participation Oriented, and commitment to work .

Reality:
Failures:

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More Inequality, poverty, unemployment

Corruption

More agitations and violence

Regional imbalances

Poor implementation of law Incompetent in front of market, and rolling back from sovereign areas

Why Failures
-

Growth centric rather people centric,

Highly bureaucratic structure oriented

Formalism, clect, poly normativism, status quoist,

Separation of authority and control

Perceptual dilemma(Cris argyris Concept of Immature Personality)

Solution and conclusion

-

Chambers Policy of reversal,

Development of administration with theory Y values, T group training

Effective Decentralization

Participative political culture

Capacity building (gram swaraj yojana, BRGF, PEAIS)

(c) Strong bureaucracy will always be ineffective. critically analyse in the light of prismatic sala model
of Riggs?
Answer format-

Intro- Importance of bureaucracy as instrument of social change- from prismatic to diffracted, more
integrated society

But problem when it becomes strong, explain Weberian perspective(instrument becoming institution)
and Riggsian Imbalance polity

Characteristics of strong bureaucracy

-

Above political master

Capturing the information power

Strong indulgence in policy formulation seeking self interest

Weberian bureaucracys dysfunctional characteristics

Why ineffective:
-

Role of politicians undermined (constitutional mandate, popular sovereign will, democratic values)

Lead to constitutional formalism (eg DM at the helm at local administration) Separation of authority and
control

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No accountability

Example, bureaucracy during British time, License Raj

How to avoid this

-

Bringing balanced polity (Rosenbloom & Nachimas Balanced bureaucracy concept)

Participative political culture

Debureaucratisation and Decentralization

Conclusion: To handle evils of democracy, more democracy is needed. Good governance, role of media,
Systems of accountability.

(d) Comment upon the challenges in improving the administrative ethics.

Answer Format-

Prevalence of corruption in administration

Conflict b/w social values based ethics and laws and rules based ethics in any organization

Instances of corruption at top- demoralized leadership

We draw people in adm from society but there are various deficiencies in society itself

Over-all cultural degradation

Technology misuse

Mal-integration

(a) Traditional methods of performance appraisal focus attention on the personality of the subject
rather than organizational result. Discuss.

Answer formatTraditional methods of performance appraisal-(elaborate each one)

1. Graphic Scale
2. Ranking
3. Forced distribution model
4. Critical incident method
5. Forced choice rating method
6. Group appraisal
7. Nomination

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8. Work sample method

9. Result oriented performance appraisal system
10. Confidential reports
All above the Traditional methods of performance appraisal focus attention on the personality of the subject
rather than organizational result.

(b) Administration in developed country is different than the developing one. What are the reasons for
this difference and how ethical values and work norms do play a role leading to better administration
in developed nations.
Answer format:
-

In the developed post industrial society Public Administration plays a minimum role as highly developed
and wide spread infrastructure is own and is managed by private organizations and the Public
Administrators regulate the private sector to promote accelerated development and to provide services
to the people efficiently.

While in the developing countries, Public Administration has major and significant roles to play in
bringing about the much needed socio-economic changes in society.

Further, in the developing societies the govt. Is required to create the necessary infrastructure and
manage it. Agencies and organizations have to be established by the governments for rendering social
services.

in this way the working scenario and circumstances are different in both of these societies so accordingly
the Public Administration has also to be complemented.

Again the ethical values and work norms are different in the developed nations due to high levels of
education and awareness amongst its citizens, their technological advancements, work culture and less
diverse administrative traits. So these do play a significant role leading to a better administration in the
developed nations. Elaborate to place your arguments.

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7.

(a) A code of ethics for Public servants is far more than a list of legalistic prohibitions. It is a powerful
tool for decision analysis and a call for excellent in the profession. Elucidate.

Answer format1. Define Code of Ethics

2. Why Code of ethics is far more than a list of legalistic prohibitions-

Promote sense of responsibility

To check the arbitrary activities of civil servants

Correct/harmonious relation between citizen and administration

Necessary to promote and preserve social welfare, public interest, and common good

Also strengthen the legitimacy and credibility of public Administration and foster high morals among
all categories of civil servants

Ensure servants acts as a role model for society

3. Hindrance- Hinder the observance of administrative ethic of civil servants. Like- corruption, favouritism,
bribery, nepotism, political influence
4. Conclusion-

Moral education and imbibing good values since childhood

Training

Soundness of service condition like salary

(b) Outline different challenges and problems in employer- employee relation. Also mention
suggestions to improve it.
Answer formatChallenges-

Service conditions

Increasing demand for bringing fair competition between public and private sector

In matters of disinvestment and privatization policy matters in public sector undertakings

If functionaries dont have suitable opportunities for career advancements and promotions

Not including or considering opinion of employees while decision making

In policy or decisional process lacking participation of the functionaries

Lack of consultative mechanism

Lack of effective grievance redress machinery

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Suggestions to improve Reverse aforementioned points +

-

Analyse main areas of grievance of employees & then resolve them

Increase employees support programme

Policy process should be more participatory

Better service conditions

Improve performance appraisal system

System of joint consultative machinery

Protection to whistle- blowers

(c) 'Economic structure in prismatic society behaves like subsidised canteen for have's and tributary
canteen for have's not' elaborate?
Answer formatIntro: Effect of ecology on administration; Riggsian prismatic model proving effect of prismatic society on
Economy through Bazaar canteen model.
- Characteristics of Fused, prismatic and diffracted
- Economy in diffracted (universalism, Price determinacy, demand supply based)
- Economy in fused (arena type- no concept of money)
- Economy in Prismatic (formalism, selectivism and clect etc, price indeterminacy , haves subsidized by
haves not)
- How subsidized canteen- Haves control over economy, favouritism, clect leads to low price for them,
poor charged more
- Substantiate with example- License Raj, Sez policy of India, Tax forgone in 2009-2010(economic survey, p
sainath)
- Western countries- context of occupy wall street movement.
- Conclusion. Solution lies in Power redistribution in society (decentralization, new localism perspective)
as Riggs says there should be no separation between authority and control.

8.

(a) The interactive efforts in the performance of states can be a good theme for comparative analysis.

Answer format-

The beginning of 1970 saw the decline of CPA because Ford Foundation terminated its Financial support
to CAG. And also In 1973 Cag itself was disbanded. In the early 1980, a number of scholars started a
movement for the revival of CPA.
Charles T. Coodsell- recommended that the scope of CPA should be extended to cover comparison at
supra national level and sub national level of analysis.
In the present era of globalisation and liberalisation, the interaction between the nations of the world
has increased. In this context, the new thrust Areas for an analysis of CPA can include the following.

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1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.

Human right enforcement

Disinvestment of Public sector enterprises
International interdependence of bureaucracy
Study of citizen charter
Role of people in promoting and resisting administrative reforms.
Role of private sector
Role of self Help group
Role of community based organisation

(b) Evaluate the current status of comparative public administration.

Answer Format:
New CPA
-

Movement from ideographic to homothetic system (means from individualistic to generalized body of
knowledge).

Movement from non- empirical to empiric al (means more scientific with sufficient database, facts,
evidences etc to develop it as a science)

Movement from non-ecological to ecological (counting all political, social, legal surroundings).

(c) Reforms of government organisations and bureaucratic procedures have necessarily to go with the
administrative processes connected with problem solving" comment?
Answer format-

Introduction: Riggs Said that Development Administration refers to both- Administrative problem and
governmental Reform. Developmental administration also means development of administrations
But what factors will guide this Administrative change?
It is the purpose, Bring Caiden perspective Result oriented, goal oriented, participation oriented etc.
Depending upon the governmental problems like in education, agriculture, Industry, Health etc, ..the
reform processes must be guided
Kind of administrative structure (Likert system 4)
Kind of processes (Business processes reengineering)
Kind of administrative behavior (leadership style, motivation, decision making)
Example, Satyamev jayate episode ---DC in Punjab through participative model tackled problem of
Female foeticide.
What changes or reform to be brought for better implementation of policies
Conclusion: Today when there is more non programmed decision making, there is pressure on
administration due to good governance demand, then adhoc measures and traditional approaches will
not work. Need is revamping of Administration in line with the demand and objective it has to met.

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