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Tuesday, 6 October 2026 · New Delhi

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UPSC CSE Mains · Optional Subject

Public Administration

How government works — administrative theory, Indian administration and public policy.

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Paper I

250marks

3 hours each

Paper II

250marks

3 hours each

Optional total

500marks

Counts toward the Mains merit

Paper I syllabus

250 marks · 3 hours

Administration Theory

  1. 1. Introduction :
  2. 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.
  3. 2. Administrative Thought :
  4. 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.)
  5. 3. Administrative Behaviour :
  6. Process and techniques of decision-making; Communication; Morale; Motivation Theories content, process and contemporary; Theories of Leadership: Traditional and Modem:
  7. 4. Organisations :
  8. 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.
  9. 5. Accountability and Control :
  10. 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.
  11. 6. Administrative Law :
  12. Meaning, scope and significance; Dicey on Administrative law; Delegated legislation; Administrative Tribunals.
  13. 7. Comparative Public Administration :
  14. 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.
  15. 8. Development Dynamics :
  16. Concept of development; Changing profile of development administration; ‘Anti-development thesis’; Bureaucracy and development; Strong state versus the market debate; Impact of liberalisation on administration in developing countries; Women and development the self-help group movement.
  17. 9. Personnel Administration :
  18. Importance of human resource development; Recruitment, training, career advancement, position
  19. classification, discipline, performance appraisal, promotion, pay and service conditions; employer-employee relations, grievance redressal mechanism; Code of conduct; Administrative ethics.
  20. 10. Public Policy :
  21. Models of policy-making and their critique; Processes of conceptualisation, planning, implementation, monitoring, evaluation and review and their limitations; State theories and public policy formulation.
  22. 11. Techniques of Adminstrative Improvement :
  23. Organisation and methods, Work study and work management; e-governance and information technology; Management aid tools like network analysis, MIS, PERT, CPM.
  24. 12. Financial Administration :
  25. Monetary and fiscal policies: Public borrowings and public debt Budgets types and forms; Budgetary process; Financial accountability; Accounts and audit.

Paper II syllabus

250 marks · 3 hours

Indian Administration

  1. 1. Evolution of Indian Administration :
  2. Kautilya Arthashastra; Mughal administration; Legacy of British rule in politics and administration Indianization of Public services, revenue administration, district Administration, local self Government. .
  3. 2. Philosophical and Constitutional framework of
  4. Government :
  5. Salient features and value premises; Constitutionalism; Political culture; Bureaucracy and democracy; Bureaucracy and development.
  6. 3. Public Sector Undertakings :
  7. Public sector in modern India; Forms of Public Sector Undertakings; Problems of autonomy, accountability and control; Impact of liberalization and privatization.
  8. 4. Union Government and Administration :
  9. 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.
  10. 5. Plans and Priorities :
  11. 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.
  12. 6. State Government and Administration :
  13. Union-State administrative, legislative and financial relations; Role of the Finance Commission; Governor; Chief Minister; Council of Ministers; Chief Secretary; State Secretariat; Directorates.
  14. 7. District Administration since Independence :
  15. Changing role of the Collector; Union-State-local relations; Imperatives of development management and
  16. law and order administration; District administration and democratic decentralization.
  17. 8. Civil Services :
  18. 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.
  19. 9. Financial Management :
  20. Budget as a political instrument; Parliamentary control of public expenditure; Role of finance ministry in monetary and fiscal area; Accounting techniques; Audit; Role of Controller General of Accounts and Comptroller and Auditor General of India.
  21. 10. Administrative Reforms since Independence :
  22. Major concerns; Important Committees and Commissions; Reforms in financial management and human resource development; Problems of implementation.
  23. 11. Rural Development :
  24. Institutions and agencies since Independence; Rural development programmes: foci and strategies; Decentralization and Panchayati Raj; 73rd Constitutional amendment.
  25. 12. Urban Local Government :
  26. Municipal governance: main features, structures, finance and problem areas; 74th Constitutional Amendment; Global-local debate; New localism; Development dynamics, politics and administration with special reference to city management.
  27. 13. Law and Order Administration:
  28. British legacy; National Police Commission; Investigative agencies; Role of Central and State Agencies including para military forces in maintenance of law and order and countering insurgency and terrorism; Criminalisation of politics and administration; Police-public relations; Reforms in Police.
  29. 14. Significant issues in Indian Administration:
  30. Values in public service; Regulatory Commissions; National Human Rights Commission; Problems of administration in coalition regimes; Citizen administration interface; Corruption and administration; Disaster management.

Syllabus as per the official UPSC Civil Services (Main) Examination notification. Topic-wise study notes for Public Administration are being added — check back soon.

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