UPSC Public Administration Optional Syllabus: Download PDF for Mains Exam

UPSC Public Administration Mains Syllabus 2023 PDF

The Public Administration optional syllabus is divided into two papers i.e. Paper I and Paper II  in UPSC Mains exam. Each paper is conducted for 250 marks with a total of 500 marks. One must adhere to the UPSC Public Administration mains syllabus and the right resources to increase their chances of scoring high marks in the civil services exam. Mentioned below is the topic-wise UPSC Public Administration syllabus for both the papers discussed below.

UPSC Public Administration Mains Optional Syllabus for Paper I

The UPSC Public Administration Mains Syllabus for Paper I covers topics like Administrative Thought, Administrative Behaviour, Organisations, Accountability and Control, Administrative Law, Comparative Public Administration, Development Dynamics, Personnel Administration, etc. Check the topic-wise UPSC Public Administration mains Paper I syllabus shared below.

Administration Theory

• 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.
• 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.)
• Administrative Behaviour: Process and techniques of decision-making; Communication; Morale; Motivation Theories content, process and contemporary; Theories of Leadership: Traditional and Modem:
• 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.
• 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.
• Administrative Law: Meaning, scope and significance; Dicey on Administrative law; Delegated legislation; Administrative Tribunals.
• 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.
• Development Dynamics: 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.
• Personnel Administration: Importance of human resource development; Recruitment, training, career advancement, position classification, discipline, performance appraisal, promotion, pray and service conditions; employer-employee relations, grievance redressal mechanism; Code of conduct; Administrative ethics.
• Public Policy: 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.
• Techniques of Administrative Improvement: Organisation and methods, Work study and work management, e-governance and information technology; Management aid tools like network analysis, MIS, PERT, and CPM.
• Financial Administration: Monetary and fiscal policies: Public borrowings and public debt Budgets types and forms; Budgetary process; Financial accountability; Accounts and audit.

UPSC Public Administration Mains Syllabus for Paper II

The UPSC Public Administration Mains Syllabus for Paper II covers topics like the Evolution of Indian Administration, the Philosophical and Constitutional framework of Government, Public Sector Undertakings,  Union Government and Administration, Plans and Priorities, State Government and Administration, etc. Check the topic-wise UPSC Public Administration mains Paper II syllabus shared below.

Indian Administration

• Evolution of Indian Administration: Kautilya Arthashastra; Mughal administration; Legacy of British rule in politics and administration Indianization of Public services, revenue administration, district Administration, local self Government.
• Philosophical and Constitutional framework of Government: Salient features and value premises; Constitutionalism; Political culture; Bureaucracy and democracy; Bureaucracy and development.
• Public Sector Undertakings: Public sector in modern India; Forms of Public Sector Undertakings; Problems of autonomy, accountability, and control; Impact of liberalization and privatization.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• District Administration since Independence: The changing role of the Collector; Union-State-local relations; Imperatives of development management and law and order administration; District Administration and democratic decentralization.
• 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.
• Financial Management: 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.
• Administrative Reforms since Independence: Major concerns; Important Committees and Commissions; Reforms in financial management and human resource development; Problems of implementation.
• Rural Development: Institutions and agencies since Independence; Rural development programmes: foci and strategies; Decentralization and Panchayati Raj; 73rd Constitutional amendment.
• Urban Local Government: 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.
• Law and Order Administration: 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.
• 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

How to Prepare for UPSC Public Administration Mains Syllabus 2023?

Public Administration is one of the popular optional subjects in the UPSC mains exam. Therefore, one should clear the concepts of all the exam-relevant topics as it will allow them to answer the questions correctly in the exam. With this, they must develop a robust UPSC Public Administration preparation strategy and books. Check the best tips and tricks shared below to cover the entire UPSC Public Administration mains syllabus.

• Understand Syllabus: One should be well-acquainted with the UPSC Public Administration mains syllabus to cover all the topics and sub-topics important from an exam perspective. 
• Clear Concepts: The next tip is to learn the fundamentals of all the topics prescribed in the syllabus. It is crucial to master the concepts thoroughly to answer the questions correctly in the exam.
• Previous Year Papers: Practice UPSC Public Administration’s previous year’s papers to understand the topics along with the question weightage asked in the exam.
• Practice of Answer-writing: After covering at least 40% of the syllabus, one should commence answer-writing practice. This will help them to learn the way to manage their time effectively with speed and accuracy.
• Solve Mock Tests: Candidates must practice full-length tests to analyze their performance and gauge their preparation level. Also, it will help them to discover their mistakes and allow them to focus more on their weak areas.

Booklist for UPSC Public Administration Mains Syllabus

A wide range of UPSC Public Administration books and resources are available online and in the local market that cover all the aspects of the UPSC Public Administration Mains Syllabus. Let’s look at the paper-wise books for the Public Administration optional subject shared below:

• Public Policy: Concept, Theory, and Practice by Bidyut Chakrabarty and Prakash Chand
• New Horizons of Public Administration by Mohit Bhattacharya
• Administrative Thinkers by Prasad and Prasad
• Public Administration-Laxmikant
• IGNOU BA and MA Notes
• Essentials of organizational behavior by Stephen Robbins
• Public Administration And Public Affairs by Nicholas Henry