Public Administration 2021 Paper II 50 marks 150 words Compulsory Discuss

Q1

Answer the following in about 150 words each: (a) The Preamble to the Constitution of India provides a foundational framework of ideals and values for the Indian administration. Discuss. (10 marks) (b) Examine the extent to which the ideal of Constitutionalism as 'government by limited powers' has been a functional reality in India. (10 marks) (c) Red-tapism is a major obstacle to the implementation of 'good governance'. Comment. (10 marks) (d) The role and status of the Speaker in parliamentary system have their foundation in the Speaker's stance on neutrality. Comment. (10 marks) (e) The Union government develops and practices strategies to administer increasing number of existing local government services by sidelining local initiatives and discretion. Examine. (10 marks)

हिंदी में प्रश्न पढ़ें

निम्नलिखित में से प्रत्येक का उत्तर लगभग 150 शब्दों में दीजिये : (a) भारत के संविधान की प्रस्तावना भारतीय प्रशासन के लिये आदर्शों तथा मूल्यों की रूपरेखा प्रदान करती है । विवेचना कीजिये । (10 अंक) (b) परीक्षण कीजिये कि किस सीमा तक संविधानवाद के आदर्श के रूप में 'सीमित शक्तियों द्वारा शासन' भारत में एक कार्यात्मक वास्तविकता रहा है । (10 अंक) (c) सुशासन के क्रियान्वयन में लालफीताशाही एक प्रमुख अवरोध है । टिप्पणी कीजिये । (10 अंक) (d) संसदीय व्यवस्था में स्पीकर की भूमिका एवं स्थिति तटस्थता पर स्पीकर की अवस्थिति पर आधारित है । टिप्पणी कीजिये । (10 अंक) (e) केन्द्र सरकार वर्तमान स्थानीय सरकारी सेवाओं की बढ़ती संख्या को प्रशासित करने के लिये रणनीतियों को विकसित एवं व्यवहारिक बनाने का कार्य स्थानीय पहलों तथा स्वविवेक को दरकिनार करते हुये करती है । परीक्षण कीजिये । (10 अंक)

Evaluate your answer to this question → See all 2021 Public Administration questions

Directive word: Discuss

This question asks you to discuss. The directive word signals the depth of analysis expected, the structure of your answer, and the weight of evidence you must bring.

See our UPSC directive words guide for a full breakdown of how to respond to each command word.

How this answer will be evaluated

Approach

This multi-part question requires balanced treatment across five 10-mark sub-parts with ~150 words each. For (a) 'discuss', elaborate how Preamble values translate into administrative principles; for (b) 'examine', present both successful limitations (judicial review) and erosions (emergency provisions); for (c) 'comment', analyze red-tapism's governance impact with examples; for (d) 'comment', evaluate Speaker's neutrality through constitutional provisions and practice; for (e) 'examine', analyze centralization trends in local governance. Allocate approximately 25-30 minutes total, spending roughly 5-6 minutes per sub-part with equal word distribution.

Key points expected

  • (a) Preamble's SOVEREIGN SOCIALIST SECULAR DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC ideals and their administrative manifestations—equality before law, social justice in welfare schemes, secularism in public service neutrality
  • (b) Constitutionalism as limited government: successful constraints (Kesavananda Bharati, judicial review, federalism) versus functional erosions (Article 356 misuse, ordinance raj, delegated legislation proliferation)
  • (c) Red-tapism as procedural rigidity: causes (Weberian hierarchy, accountability fears) and governance impacts (delayed service delivery, corruption, citizen alienation); contrast with e-governance reforms
  • (d) Speaker's neutrality: constitutional position (Articles 93, 94), anti-defection law role, historical instances of partisan conduct versus K. Subba Rao Committee recommendations
  • (e) Centralization of local services: strategies (centrally sponsored schemes, parallel bodies like JNNURM/Smart Cities, fiscal dependence) and erosion of 73rd/74th Amendment spirit

Evaluation rubric

DimensionWeightMax marksExcellentAveragePoor
Concept correctness20%10Precisely defines Preamble values as administrative lodestar; correctly distinguishes constitutionalism's normative and empirical dimensions; accurately identifies red-tapism's Weberian roots; properly locates Speaker's neutrality in constitutional text; correctly identifies centralization mechanisms in local governanceBasic definitions present but conflates concepts (e.g., constitutionalism with constitution) or misses nuanced distinctions between normative ideals and administrative practiceFundamental misconceptions—treats Preamble as enforceable law, confuses red-tapism with corruption, misunderstands Speaker's role, or conflates decentralization rhetoric with centralization reality
Theoretical anchor20%10Deploys appropriate frameworks: Mehta's 'publicness' for Preamble values; Dicey/Wade on rule of law and limited government; Riggs' prismatic model for administrative pathology; Kothari's 'Congress system' or Lijphart's consociationalism for Speaker's role; Sivaramakrishnan Committee on local governanceMentions theoretical concepts superficially without systematic application or conflates incompatible frameworks (e.g., treating Weberian bureaucracy as universally dysfunctional)Absent theoretical grounding; relies on commonsense assertions or misapplies theories (e.g., using New Public Management uncritically for all governance problems)
Indian administrative examples20%10Rich specificity: for (a) cites specific Articles operationalizing Preamble values; for (b) references landmark cases (Golak Nath, Minerva Mills) and emergency episodes; for (c) names RTI's impact on red-tapism or specific scheme delays; for (d) cites G.V. Mavlankar's precedents or recent disqualification cases; for (e) analyzes MPLADS, Smart Cities Mission, or 15th Finance Commission recommendationsGeneric references to 'judicial activism' or 'corruption' without specific instances; mentions 73rd Amendment without analyzing its hollowingNo Indian examples; relies on abstract generalizations or inappropriate foreign illustrations (e.g., US Speaker comparison without contextual adaptation)
Reform / policy angle20%10For (c) evaluates Sevottam, Citizens' Charter, e-governance reforms; for (e) assesses L. M. Singhvi Committee recommendations, PESA implementation gaps, or recent decentralization push in health (Ayushman Bharat); for (b) discusses NJAC attempt and judicial independence balance; demonstrates awareness of contemporary administrative reform commissionsMentions reforms descriptively without critical evaluation of implementation gaps or unintended consequencesNo reform perspective; purely diagnostic without prescriptive element or proposes unrealistic solutions ignoring institutional constraints
Conclusion & forward look20%10Synthesizes across sub-parts: constitutional values require institutional safeguards against centralizing and procedural pathologies; offers balanced prognosis—acknowledges progress (digital governance, judicial assertiveness) while identifying persistent challenges (partisan Speakers, cooperative federalism deficits); ends with actionable insight on administrative ethics or citizen-centric governanceSummarizes points made without integration; generic concluding statement about 'need for political will' without specificityAbsent or abrupt conclusion; introduces new unsupported claims; purely optimistic or pessimistic without analytical basis

Practice this exact question

Write your answer, then get a detailed evaluation from our AI trained on UPSC's answer-writing standards. Free first evaluation — no signup needed to start.

Evaluate my answer →

More from Public Administration 2021 Paper II