Home › UPSC CSE Mains › 2024 › Public Administration

UPSC CSE Mains 2024 — Public Administration Questions with Answers

All 56 Public Administration previous-year questions from UPSC CSE Mains 2024, each with the correct answer and a full explanation. Practise them as a free, timed mock test with instant scoring.

1. Q1.Public Administration Optional — Paper I

   “Politics-administration dichotomy debate is still alive.” Comment.

2. Q2.Public Administration Optional — Paper I

   “Formal organizations are made up of informal groups.” Discuss.

3. Q3.Public Administration Optional — Paper I

   “Grapevine is a necessary evil.” Examine.

4. Q4.Public Administration Optional — Paper I

   Healthy Headquarters and Field Agencies relationship thrives on effective communication. Comment.

5. Q5.Public Administration Optional — Paper I

   Media has become more of a societal lens than an institutional lens. Analyse.

6. Q6.Public Administration Optional — Paper I

   McGregor’s Theory X and Theory Y provide insights into human motivation at the workplace differently. Examine in detail.

7. Q7.Public Administration Optional — Paper I

   Good governance adds normative and evaluative attributes to the process of governing. Comment.

8. Q8.Public Administration Optional — Paper I

   Regulatory authorities are independent and effective for controlling service delivery activities but are subjected to extraneous factors. Do you agree? Give reasons.

9. Q9.Public Administration Optional — Paper I

   Strengthening social audit through appropriate ways will promote inclusive government. Comment.

10. Q10.Public Administration Optional — Paper I

    The development of administrative law in Welfare State has made administrative tribunals a necessity. Examine.

11. Q11.Public Administration Optional — Paper I

    Ineffectiveness of legislative control over administration can stem from various factors, hence in ensuring effectiveness, a comprehensive approach is the need of the hour. Discuss.

12. Q12.Public Administration Optional — Paper I

    ERG theory of motivation attempts to reconceptualize the theory of Hierarchy of Needs. Comment.

13. Q13.Public Administration Optional — Paper I

    Scientific Management and Human Relations theory are two distinct approaches for improving efficiency and production. Explain.

14. Q14.Public Administration Optional — Paper I

    New Public Governance, an emerging paradigm, is contrasted with market-based approaches of New Public Management. Comment.

15. Q15.Public Administration Optional — Paper I

    The Anti-Development Thesis is a critical perspective on the traditional development models. Comment.

16. Q16.Public Administration Optional — Paper I

    Civil Servants should be allowed only to cast votes or to participate in the electoral process of the country. Examine.

17. Q17.Public Administration Optional — Paper I

    Critical Path Method (CPM) is a project management technique used to plan and manage projects effectively. Discuss.

18. Q18.Public Administration Optional — Paper I

    Auditing is not about finding faults, it is about ensuring the accuracy and integrity of financial information. Analyse.

19. Q19.Public Administration Optional — Paper I

    The study of Public Administration must include its ecology. Discuss.

20. Q20.Public Administration Optional — Paper I

    A trend to adopt innovative practices in administrative ethics is gaining ground for improving public trust in government. Discuss.

21. Q21.Public Administration Optional — Paper I

    The future of e-governance is shaped by emerging trends for making government services efficient and accessible. Analyse.

22. Q22.Public Administration Optional — Paper I

    Undoubtedly, social and historical factors play a significant role in shaping administrative systems, but side by side, understanding of these influences is essential for designing responsive governance structure. Examine.

23. Q23.Public Administration Optional — Paper I

    Riggs’ Prismatic Model has been criticized as overly gloomy and technically complex, but it remains a useful starting point for Comparative Public Administration research. Analyse.

24. Q24.Public Administration Optional — Paper I

    Performance Management and Performance Appraisal are two distinct activities in Public Personnel Administration. Discuss.

25. Q25.Public Administration Optional — Paper I

    Balancing State intervention and Market freedom is the need of developing countries. Comment.

26. Q26.Public Administration Optional — Paper I

    Bureaucracy in developing countries faces several challenges, and tackling these will make them more responsive, adaptive, and aligned with development needs. Discuss.

27. Q27.Public Administration Optional — Paper I

    Modern economists think public debt is an essential means of increasing employment and an element of economic policy, but it also shifts the burden to future generations. Analyse.

28. Q28.Public Administration Optional — Paper I

    Unless there is a sound mechanism for policy evaluation, policy formulation process remains redundant. Examine.

29. Q29.Public Administration Optional — Paper II

    “Ethics in Public services has been the main concern of Kautilya’s Arthashastra.” Examine the statement.

30. Q30.Public Administration Optional — Paper II

    “The Mughal Administration was by nature centralized.” Analyse.

31. Q31.Public Administration Optional — Paper II

    “Autonomy to Public Undertakings is a myth.” Analyse.

32. Q32.Public Administration Optional — Paper II

    “It should be people’s Prime Minister Office (PMO), it can’t be Prime Minister’s PMO.” Comment.

33. Q33.Public Administration Optional — Paper II

    “Implementation of Goods and Services Tax (GST) has led to a Paradigm shift in the centre-state relations, both financially and politically.” Analyse.

34. Q34.Public Administration Optional — Paper II

    The National Data and Analysis Platform (NDAP) of NITI Aayog facilitates a robust ecosystem to promote democratization and inclusivity in development. Discuss.

35. Q35.Public Administration Optional — Paper II

    Examine the impact on administration in view of changing relations between political and permanent executive.

36. Q36.Public Administration Optional — Paper II

    Decentralized planning enhances economic development and social justice. Analyse.

37. Q37.Public Administration Optional — Paper II

    “The role of State Finance Commission in distribution of finances between state and local governments is vital.” Discuss.

38. Q38.Public Administration Optional — Paper II

    “Centre-state relations are undergoing a drastic change.” Elaborate.

39. Q39.Public Administration Optional — Paper II

    “There has been a strain in relations between Governor and State governments in the recent past.” Examine.

40. Q40.Public Administration Optional — Paper II

    Public sector undertakings have been the bedrock of welfarism in India for many decades. Evaluate the pros and cons of current disinvestment scenario.

41. Q41.Public Administration Optional — Paper II

    “The collegium system of appointments to higher judiciary has been the cornerstone of independence of judiciary. It has remained as the subject of debates in the recent past.” Discuss.

42. Q42.Public Administration Optional — Paper II

    The concept of bureaucratic authoritarianism is one of the models of non-democratic rules. Explain.

43. Q43.Public Administration Optional — Paper II

    The constitutional stature provided to the Public Service Commissions accord them autonomy to work towards fair recruitments. Comment.

44. Q44.Public Administration Optional — Paper II

    “The neutrality of civil service has become a myth.” Comment.

45. Q45.Public Administration Optional — Paper II

    Examine the role of Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) in protecting the rights of the consumers.

46. Q46.Public Administration Optional — Paper II

    “Parliamentary control over public expenditure is declining.” Comment.

47. Q47.Public Administration Optional — Paper II

    The Liberalization, Privatization, and Globalization (LPG) has enhanced the participation of private sector in Indian Economy. Comment.

48. Q48.Public Administration Optional — Paper II

    “The success of administrative reforms in a country like India depends upon the political will.” Comment.

49. Q49.Public Administration Optional — Paper II

    The journey of transformation of local governance has been long. Examine the challenges to realise the spirit of gram swaraj.

50. Q50.Public Administration Optional — Paper II

    What aims and objectives was the Capacity Building Commission established for? Evaluate how far it has come in realising the goals.

51. Q51.Public Administration Optional — Paper II

    The separation of police, investigation, and prosecution has its own benefits and challenges. Analyse in context of recent developments.

52. Q52.Public Administration Optional — Paper II

    Lack of financial resources and independence in managing local funding is hindering the economic and social development of urban areas. Discuss.

53. Q53.Public Administration Optional — Paper II

    National Investigation Agency (NIA) is playing an important role in countering terrorism. Comment.

54. Q54.Public Administration Optional — Paper II

    “Police-public relations are poor in India. What measures are required to strengthen these relations?”

55. Q55.Public Administration Optional — Paper II

    The office of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India and its functioning is away from the public eye. Still it is one of the most important offices under the constitution. Discuss.

56. Q56.Public Administration Optional — Paper II

    Critically examine the problems of administration in coalition regimes.