All 8 questions from UPSC Civil Services Mains Public Administration 2026 Paper II (400 marks total). Every stem reproduced in full, with directive-word analysis, marks, word limits, and answer-approach pointers.
8Questions
400Total marks
2026Year
Paper IIPaper
A
Q1
50M150wCompulsoryexplore
Answer the following in about 150 words each :
(a) Learnings from Arthasastra could make governance effective even today. Explore the potential. (10 marks)
(b) The reforms in public sector enterprises is not only enduring but also evolving. Explain. (10 marks)
(c) The present model of strategic planning has roots in indicative planning. Comment. (10 marks)
(d) Linkages between the district administration and local self governments have not evolved to the desired extent. Evaluate. (10 marks)
(e) Constitutionalism in India paves the way for rule of law and social justice. Elaborate. (10 marks)
हिंदी में पढ़ें
निम्नलिखित प्रत्येक प्रश्न का उत्तर लगभग 150 शब्दों में दीजिए :
(a) अर्थशास्त्र की सीखें आज भी शासन को प्रभावी बना सकती है । सम्भावनाओं की तलाश कीजिए । (10 अंक)
(b) सार्वजनिक क्षेत्र के उद्यमों में सुधार न केवल टिकाऊ अपितु उद्विकासीय भी है । व्याख्या कीजिए । (10 अंक)
(c) रणनीतिक नियोजन के वर्तमान प्रतिमान की जड़ें सांकेतिक नियोजन में हैं । टिप्पणी कीजिए । (10 अंक)
(d) जिला प्रशासन एवं स्थानीय स्वशासन निकायों के मध्य कड़ियाँ अपेक्षित स्तर तक विकसित नहीं हो पाई हैं । मूल्यांकन कीजिए । (10 अंक)
(e) भारत में संविधानवाद विधि के शासन एवं सामाजिक न्याय का मार्ग प्रशस्त करता है । स्पष्ट कीजिए । (10 अंक)
Answer approach & key points
(a) 'Explore the potential' asks the candidate to identify specific, named administrative ideas in Kautilya's Arthasastra and map each to a contemporary Indian governance problem. A list of Arthasastra features without the present-day application, or present-day reform talk without textual anchors, answers only half the demand. (b) Two claims must be separately sustained: that PSE reform is 'enduring' (a continuous, four-decade trajectory across governments) and that it is 'evolving' (its objectives and instruments keep changing - from autonomy to disinvestment to strategic sale to asset monetisation). A single-period description fails the question. (c) 'Comment' requires the candidate to accept, qualify or reject the proposition that today's strategic planning (NITI Aayog's vision-strategy-action documents) descends from indicative planning. The answer must define indicative planning, show the Indian transition to it, and then establish and delimit the continuity with strategic planning. (d) 'Evaluate' requires a judgement, not a description: the candidate must set out what the desired linkage between district administration and panchayati raj/urban local bodies was meant to be after the 73rd and 74th Amendments, show with evidence where it has failed, concede where it has worked, and close with a reasoned verdict. (e) 'Elaborate' requires the candidate first to define constitutionalism (limited government under law) as distinct from having a constitution, and then to show two distinct causal chains: constitutionalism producing rule of law, and constitutionalism producing social justice - each supported by named Articles and decided cases.
Identify specific administrative ideas in the Arthasastra (Saptanga; Adhyaksha Prachara in Book II; Samaharta and Sannidhata; forty modes of embezzlement; spies; prajasukhe sukham rajnah and yogakshema)
Map each idea to a present-day governance problem (fiscal management, vigilance and anti-corruption, welfare orientation, bureaucratic organisation)
Assess the limits: danda, espionage and monarchical centralisation cannot be transplanted into a rights-based constitutional order
Reach a balanced conclusion on the potential
Sustain the 'enduring' limb: a continuous reform trajectory across governments (Arjun Sengupta Committee 1984, MoU system 1987-88, 1991 policy, Disinvestment Commission 1996, DIPAM 2016)
Sustain the 'evolving' limb: changing objectives and instruments (autonomy via Navratna and Miniratna 1997 and Maharatna 2009-10, disinvestment, strategic sale, asset monetisation)
Cite current instruments: New PSE Policy 2021 (four strategic sectors), Air India strategic sale (January 2022), National Monetisation Pipeline (2021)
Note continuing constraints and give a verdict
Define indicative planning as against imperative planning (French Monnet Plan, 1947)
Show India's transition to indicative planning in the Eighth Plan (1992-97)
Describe the present strategic planning model: NITI Aayog (1 January 2015), Three Year Action Agenda, Strategy for New India @75 (2018), Viksit Bharat @2047
Establish the continuity and state where the analogy breaks (end of five-year plans in 2017, no allocative power, competitive federalism and indices)
State the desired linkage after the 73rd and 74th Amendments (1992): devolution of the 3Fs under Articles 243G and 243W, Eleventh and Twelfth Schedules, District Planning Committee (Article 243ZD)
Give evidence of the shortfall: enabling rather than mandatory devolution, parallel bodies and schemes, weak DPCs, weak State Finance Commissions (Article 243I)
Explain the Collector's continuing roles and lack of accountability to elected bodies
Offer counter-examples and an explicit verdict with a way forward (e.g., 2nd ARC 6th Report, Local Governance, 2007)
Define constitutionalism as limited government under law, distinct from merely having a constitution
(a) An important characteristic of the British Civil Service was its open refusal to be influenced by commercial and industrial interests of India in the name of neutrality. Explain. (20 marks)
(b) The political culture in India shapes bureaucratic behaviour, professional integrity and civil service conduct. Explain with suitable examples. (20 marks)
(c) Under the Indian Constitution fundamental rights are usually enforced only vertically, whereas Vishaka case represents the horizontal application. Comment. (10 marks)
हिंदी में पढ़ें
(a) ब्रिटिश सिविल सेवा की एक महत्वपूर्ण विशेषता तटस्थता के नाम पर भारत के वाणिज्यिक एवं औद्योगिक हितों से प्रभावित होने से उसका खुला विरोध था । व्याख्या कीजिए । (20 अंक)
(b) भारत की राजनीतिक संस्कृति नौकरशाही के व्यवहार, व्यावसायिक सत्यनिष्ठा और सिविल सेवा आचरण का स्वरूप तय करती है । उचित उदाहरणों सहित व्याख्या कीजिए । (20 अंक)
(c) भारतीय संविधान के अन्तर्गत मौलिक अधिकारों को सामान्यतः केवल ऊर्ध्वाधर रूप में क्रियान्वित किया जाता है किन्तु विशाखा मामले इनके क्षैतिज अनुप्रयोग का प्रतिनिधित्व करता है । टिप्पणी कीजिए । (10 अंक)
Answer approach & key points
(a) 'Explain' the statement that the British civil service in India openly refused, in the name of neutrality, to be influenced by Indian commercial and industrial interests. A high-scoring answer explains the doctrine and machinery of that 'neutrality', then tests it - showing that the same service was demonstrably responsive to British commercial interests, so neutrality was selective rather than absolute. (b) 'Explain with suitable examples' asks for a causal account running from India's political culture to three named outputs - bureaucratic behaviour, professional integrity and civil service conduct - each illustrated. Examples are marked, so an answer without concrete, accurate instances loses substantial credit. (c) 'Comment' on a two-part proposition: that Fundamental Rights in India are ordinarily enforceable vertically (against the State as defined in Article 12), and that Vishaka is an instance of horizontal application. The candidate must define both terms, justify the general rule with the constitutional text, and then show precisely what in Vishaka made it horizontal.
Explain the doctrine and machinery of ICS 'neutrality': Cornwallis reforms (1786-93) ending private trade, the covenanted service (Charter Act 1793), Haileybury (1806), open competition after the Macaulay Report (1854; first examination 1855)
Explain how the service kept its distance from Indian commercial and industrial interests (social and racial exclusiveness, laissez-faire and free-trade doctrine)
Test the claim: neutrality was selective and responsive to British commercial interests (cotton excise duties 1894-96, free trade, the drain)
Trace later change and the legacy (Fiscal Autonomy Convention 1919, discriminating protection from 1924; Article 312 and the All India Services; neutrality-versus-commitment debate)
Define political culture as an analytical category (Almond and Verba, 1963: parochial, subject, participant) and relate it to administration (e.g., Riggs's formalism)
Show its effect on bureaucratic behaviour with examples (patronage, transfers as control, the committed-bureaucracy debate, Vohra Committee 1993)
Show its effect on professional integrity with examples (Santhanam Committee 1962-64, CVC 1964 and CVC Act 2003, 2nd ARC 4th Report 2007)
Show its effect on civil service conduct (AIS Conduct Rules 1968, CCS Conduct Rules 1964; T.S.R. Subramanian v. Union of India 2013; Articles 311 and 312)
Balance with positive examples of a participant culture (RTI, social audits) and conclude
Define vertical and horizontal application, with the Article 12 definition of 'State'
Show the constitutional basis of the general rule and its textual exceptions (Articles 15(2), 17, 23, 24)
Explain what made Vishaka (1997) horizontal: Articles 14, 15, 19(1)(g), 21; CEDAW; guidelines binding on all employers, public and private, as law under Article 141
Comment on the trajectory and its limits (POSH Act 2013; Kaushal Kishor 2023; concerns about judicial legislation)
(a) Planning Commission planned for economic development and social justice, but NITI Aayog has been structured to realise growth potential across the sectors. Discuss. (20 marks)
(b) Government of India has done Corporatisation of Ordnance Factory Boards. Discuss the rationale in the light of Disinvestment Policy of the government. (20 marks)
(c) Competitive federalism in India while intended to have healthy competition among states has shown tendencies towards parochialism. Comment. (10 marks)
हिंदी में पढ़ें
(a) योजना आयोग ने आर्थिक विकास एवं सामाजिक न्याय हेतु नियोजन किया है, किन्तु नीति आयोग को विभिन्न क्षेत्रों में वृद्धि की सम्भावनाओं को साकार करने हेतु संरचित किया गया है । विवेचना कीजिए । (20 अंक)
(b) भारत सरकार ने आयुध फैक्टरी मण्डल का निगमीकरण किया है । सरकार की विनिवेश नीति के परिप्रेक्ष्य में इसका औचित्य स्पष्ट कीजिए । (20 अंक)
(c) भारत में प्रतियोगी संघवाद के पीछे राज्यों में स्वस्थ प्रतियोगिता की भावना निहित थी, किन्तु इसने संकीर्णतावादी प्रवृत्तियों को प्रदर्शित किया है । टिप्पणी कीजिए । (10 अंक)
Answer approach & key points
(a) 'Discuss' a contrast in stated purposes: the Planning Commission as an instrument of economic development with social justice, versus NITI Aayog as an instrument structured to realise sectoral growth potential. The answer must compare mandates, structures, instruments and federal roles, and must reach a judgement on whether the contrast is as sharp as the statement claims. (b) 'Discuss the rationale' of OFB corporatisation specifically 'in the light of the Disinvestment Policy'. Two things must be done: state the facts of the corporatisation accurately (what was dissolved, when, into what), and locate it within the government's disinvestment/PSE policy framework - while noting that corporatisation is not itself privatisation. (c) 'Comment' on a two-step claim: competitive federalism was designed to produce healthy inter-state competition, but has produced parochial tendencies. The answer must show the intended mechanism with named instruments, then evidence the parochial turn with concrete instances, and end with a balanced position.
Planning Commission: executive resolution of 15 March 1950, mandate of development with social justice, National Development Council (1952), five-year plans, allocative role (Gadgil formula 1969)
NITI Aayog (1 January 2015): think-tank structure, Governing Council, no allocative power; instruments (Three Year Action Agenda, Strategy for New India @75, Aspirational Districts 2018, indices, DMEO)
Compare mandates, structures, instruments and federal roles
Link to fiscal federalism (14th FC 42 per cent, 15th FC 41 per cent, 16th FC 41 per cent for 2026-31; end of Plan/Non-Plan from 2017-18)
Judge whether the contrast is as sharp as claimed (social justice now pursued through ministries and CSS; loss of redistributive leverage)
State the facts accurately: OFB dissolved with effect from 1 October 2021 (Cabinet approval 16 June 2021); 41 factories reorganised into seven wholly government-owned DPSUs under the Department of Defence Production
Explain the rationale: autonomy, accountability, efficiency, competitiveness, exports and self-reliance (Atmanirbhar Bharat announcement, 16 May 2020)
Locate it within disinvestment and PSE policy: New PSE Policy 2021 with defence as a strategic sector; corporatisation is neither privatisation nor disinvestment; DIPAM's role
Note prior committee recommendations, contestation and early outcomes, and reach a balanced conclusion
Explain competitive federalism (a policy posture, not a constitutional term) and its intended mechanism with named instruments (NITI Aayog indices, DPIIT Business Reform Action Plan rankings)
Evidence the parochial turn with concrete instances (domicile job quotas such as Haryana's 2020 Act struck down in 2023; subsidy and incentive races)
Link to constitutional limits (Articles 16(2), 16(3), 19, 301-307)
Balance with cooperative counterweights (GST Council, Article 279A; Inter-State Council, Article 263) and reach a reasoned verdict
(a) Doctrine of Pith and Substance, and the Doctrine of severability in the legislative relations between the Indian Union and states are supplementary in nature but distinct in application. Discuss. (20 marks)
(b) District administration in India is characterised by the dichotomy between law and order maintenance and development management, even though both functions are interdependent and mutually reinforcing. Explain. (20 marks)
(c) Trace the reasons for growing incidences of disagreements between the Governors and state governments. (10 marks)
हिंदी में पढ़ें
(a) भारत में संघ एवं राज्यों के मध्य विधायी सम्बन्धों में सार एवं तत्व का सिद्धान्त और पृथक्करणीयता का सिद्धान्त, अपनी प्रकृति में सम्पूरक किन्तु अनुप्रयोग में पृथक हैं । विवेचना कीजिए । (20 अंक)
(b) भारत में जिला प्रशासन कानून एवं व्यवस्था बनाए रखने, तथा विकास प्रबन्धन के मध्य द्वैतभाव के लिए जाना जाता है, यद्यपि दोनों कार्य अन्तर्निर्भर और परस्पर सुदृढ़कारी हैं । व्याख्या कीजिए । (20 अंक)
(c) राज्यपालों एवं राज्य सरकारों के मध्य बढ़ती असहमति की घटनाओं के पीछे के कारणों को उल्लेखित कीजिए । (10 अंक)
Answer approach & key points
(a) 'Discuss' requires both doctrines to be explained with their tests and leading cases, and then the express proposition to be tested: that they are supplementary in nature (both serve the presumption of constitutionality and save legislation) but distinct in application (competence versus consequence of invalidity). Both limbs must be argued. (b) 'Explain' the dichotomy between regulatory (law and order) and developmental functions in Indian district administration, while simultaneously demonstrating that the two are interdependent and mutually reinforcing. The answer must trace the historical origin of the dichotomy, describe its present institutional expression, and then show the interdependence with evidence. (c) 'Trace the reasons' - the demand is causal and diagnostic, not narrative. The answer must identify the constitutional, political and institutional sources of Governor-state friction, anchored in specific Articles, cases and commission recommendations, and should note the flashpoints where friction has recently concentrated.
Explain pith and substance: Article 246 and the Seventh Schedule; the true-nature test; incidental encroachment permitted (Profulla Kumar Mukherjee, 1947; F. N. Balsara, 1951)
Explain severability: Article 13 'to the extent of such inconsistency'; the R.M.D. Chamarbaugwalla (1957) test; examples of severance
Argue the 'supplementary' limb: both serve the presumption of constitutionality and save legislation
Argue the 'distinct' limb: competence versus the consequence of partial invalidity; distribution of powers versus Part III and other constitutional limits
Trace the historical origin: the Collector (1772), Cornwallis's separation (1793), Bentinck's reunion of magisterial powers (1831); the developmental role from Community Development (1952) and NES (1953)
Describe the present institutional expression: DM under the BNSS 2023 (formerly CrPC 1973) and DDMA (Section 25, Disaster Management Act 2005) versus development through the Zila Parishad CEO, scheme coordinators and district committees
Show the interdependence with evidence (order enables delivery; development reduces the causes of disorder; disasters, elections and epidemics need both)
Use committee diagnoses and a way forward (Balwantrai Mehta 1957, Ashok Mehta 1978, G.V.K. Rao 1985, 2nd ARC 15th Report 2009)
Constitutional sources: Articles 153-156 (tenure at pleasure), 163 (discretion), 174, 200-201 (assent with no time limit), 356
Answer the following in about 150 words each :
(a) Lateral Entry in Government of India has not moved in the intended direction. Explain the reasons. (10 marks)
(b) Though seldom enacted, Cut Motions remain vital instruments of parliamentary accountability. Comment. (10 marks)
(c) Administrative reforms in India have been a double-edged sword. Comment. (10 marks)
(d) Ease of living index lays the foundation for data driven approach to urban planning. Analyse critically. (10 marks)
(e) Ethical and privacy issues limit the emerging use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) by police to combat cyber crimes. Comment. (10 marks)
हिंदी में पढ़ें
निम्नलिखित प्रत्येक प्रश्न का उत्तर लगभग 150 शब्दों में दीजिए :
(a) भारत सरकार में पार्श्व प्रवेश (लेटरल एन्ट्री) वांछित दिशा में अग्रसर नहीं हो पाया है । इसके कारणों की व्याख्या कीजिए । (10 अंक)
(b) कभी-कभार ही अधिनियमित किए जाने के बावजूद भी कटौती प्रस्ताव संसदीय जवाबदेही के अहम उपकरण है । व्याख्या कीजिए । (10 अंक)
(c) भारत में प्रशासनिक सुधार एक दोधारी तलवार रही है । टिप्पणी कीजिए । (10 अंक)
(d) जीवन सुगमता सूचकांक शहरी नियोजन हेतु आंकड़ा संचालित उपागम के लिए आधार प्रदान करता है । आलोचनात्मक विश्लेषण कीजिए । (10 अंक)
(e) नैतिकता और निजता के मामले पुलिस द्वारा साइबर अपराधों का मुकाबला करने में कृत्रिम बुद्धिमत्ता (ए. आई.) के उभरते उपयोग को सीमित करते हैं । टिप्पणी कीजिए । (10 अंक)
Answer approach & key points
(a) The question presumes the shortfall and asks only for reasons. The answer must first state, briefly and accurately, what lateral entry was intended to achieve and what has actually happened, then supply distinct categories of reasons - design, legal-social, institutional and incentive-related - rather than a single grievance repeated. (b) 'Comment' on a paradox: cut motions are almost never carried, yet remain vital instruments of accountability. The answer must state what a cut motion is, name and define its three types with their exact wording, explain why passage is rare, and then explain the accountability value that survives non-passage. (c) 'Comment' on the metaphor: administrative reforms cut both ways. A strong answer names specific reforms, shows the intended gain and the unintended cost of the same reform, and does not simply list benefits in one paragraph and drawbacks in another without linking them. (d) 'Analyse critically' requires both sides: what the Ease of Living Index contributes to data-driven urban planning, and what its methodological and institutional limits are. The answer must show knowledge of the Index itself - who runs it, its pillars, its editions - not merely discuss data in governance generally. (e) 'Comment' on the claim that ethical and privacy concerns are limiting police adoption of AI against cyber crime. The answer must show what AI policing actually involves in India, then specify the ethical and privacy constraints with constitutional and statutory anchors, and take a position on whether these constraints are a limitation or a necessary discipline.
State the intent and record briefly: domain expertise at Joint Secretary, Director and Deputy Secretary levels; NITI Aayog's recommendation (2017); June 2018 advertisement, nine joined in 2019; about 63 appointments by 2024; 45-post advertisement withdrawn in August 2024
Legal-social reason: no SC/ST/OBC reservation because each contractual post was treated as a single-post cadre
Design and incentive reasons: short three-to-five-year contracts and placement without real authority
Institutional reasons: career-service resistance over Central Staffing Scheme posts, low peer acceptance, no published evaluation, no parallel domain specialisation within the services
Define a cut motion (Lok Sabha only, Demands for Grants stage, Articles 113-114) and its three types: policy cut (to Re 1), economy cut (by a specified amount), token cut (by Rs 100)
Explain why passage is rare (government majority; defeat implies loss of confidence) and the guillotine
Explain the accountability value despite non-passage (ministers must defend demands, opposition sets the agenda, grievances go on record)
Note the complementary role and limits (DRSC scrutiny since 1993; shrinking discussion time) and conclude
Name specific reforms with correct attribution (1st ARC 1966-70; 2nd ARC 2005-09 with 15 reports; RTI 2005; DBT and Aadhaar; Section 17A of the PC Act, 2018; Mission Karmayogi 2020)
Show the intended gain and the unintended cost of the same reform (RTI narrowed by the 2019 Amendment and DPDP Section 44(3); DBT leakage versus exclusion; 17A protection versus delay)
Explain why reforms cut both ways (incentives, sequencing, capacity, evaluation)
Reach a balanced conclusion
Describe the Index: Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs; 2018 and 2020 editions (111 cities); million-plus and below-million categories; pillars and Citizen Perception Survey; companion Municipal Performance Index
State what it contributes to data-driven planning (benchmarking, competition, citizen voice, link to Smart Cities and the Data Smart Cities Strategy)
Institutional limits and a verdict (no link to devolution or statutory duties; planning-capacity shortfall per NITI Aayog 2021)
Describe AI use in Indian cyber policing (facial recognition, pattern analysis by I4C, CCTNS/ICJS, NAFIS)
Privacy constraints with anchors: Puttaswamy (2017) proportionality; DPDP Act 2023 and its State exemptions; Criminal Procedure (Identification) Act 2022
Ethical constraints: algorithmic bias, opacity and explainability, function creep, chilling effects
Take a position with safeguards (purpose limitation, human-in-the-loop, audits, independent oversight, NITI Aayog's Responsible AI)
(a) Civil services is grappling with severe capacity issues and which is a major bottleneck in implementing ambitious programmes across sectors. Mission Karmayogi can only supple-ment but not solve the entire capacity constraint. Give your opinion. (20 marks)
(b) Public debt of states in India has increased significantly in the last one decade. In this context discuss the constraints of the states in planning prudent fiscal management. (20 marks)
(c) Community based Disaster Risk Management is a response to the gaps within the existing Disaster Risk Management strategy. Evaluate. (10 marks)
हिंदी में पढ़ें
(a) सिविल सेवा, क्षमता के गम्भीर मुद्दों से द्वन्द्वरत है और ये विभिन्न क्षेत्रों में महत्वाकांक्षी कार्यक्रमों को क्रियान्वित करने में एक प्रमुख बाधा है। मिशन कर्मयोगी केवल इसका सम्पूरक हो सकता है किन्तु क्षमता की समस्त बाध्यताओं का निराकरण नहीं कर सकता। अपना मत दीजिए। (20 अंक)
(b) भारत में राज्यों का सार्वजनिक ऋण पिछले एक दशक में काफी बढ़ गया है। इस संदर्भ में राज्यों के विवेकपूर्ण राजकोषीय प्रबन्धन के नियोजन के अवरोधों का उल्लेख कीजिए। (20 अंक)
(c) समुदाय-आधारित आपदा जोखिम प्रबन्धन, विद्यमान आपदा जोखिम प्रबन्धन रणनीति की खामियों को पाटने का एक प्रत्युत्तर है। मूल्यांकन कीजिए। (10 अंक)
Answer approach & key points
(a) 'Give your opinion' on a stated thesis with two parts: that capacity deficits in the civil services are a major implementation bottleneck, and that Mission Karmayogi can only supplement rather than solve them. The answer must define capacity beyond training, describe Mission Karmayogi's design accurately, and then take and defend a position. (b) The question stipulates the fact of rising state public debt over the last decade and asks specifically for the constraints on states in planning prudent fiscal management. The answer must classify constraints - constitutional/institutional, revenue-side, expenditure-side, contingent and political-economy - and must engage the constitutional and Finance Commission framework, not merely list problems. (c) 'Evaluate' the claim that Community Based Disaster Risk Management is a response to gaps in the existing Disaster Risk Management strategy. The answer must name the gaps in the statutory top-down system, show how CBDRM addresses each, and then judge how far it actually closes them.
Define capacity beyond training (numbers, skills, tenure, systems, state and local capacity) and show it as an implementation bottleneck
Describe Mission Karmayogi accurately: NPCSCB approved 2 September 2020; rules-to-roles shift through FRAC; iGOT-Karmayogi; Capacity Building Commission (2021); Karmayogi Bharat SPV; PM's Human Resource Council
Identify what training cannot fix (vacancies and recruitment, tenure and transfers, specialist induction, appraisal, state and local capacity)
Take and defend an explicit opinion with complementary reforms (e.g., minimum tenure and Civil Services Boards under T.S.R. Subramanian 2013; 2nd ARC 10th Report 2008)
Constitutional and institutional constraints: Article 293(3) consent and the net borrowing ceiling; state Fiscal Responsibility Acts (not the Union's FRBM Act 2003); N.K. Singh Committee (2017) 60/40/20 targets
Revenue-side constraints: limited rate autonomy under GST, end of GST compensation (30 June 2022), cesses and surcharges outside the divisible pool, Finance Commission devolution (41 per cent under the 15th and 16th)
Expenditure-side and contingent constraints: committed salaries, pensions and interest; OPS reversal; DISCOM losses despite UDAY 2015 and RDSS 2021; guarantees and off-budget SPV borrowing
Political-economy and debt-dynamics constraints (competitive subsidies, loan waivers, electoral cycles, interest-growth differential), with RBI's State Finances as a source
Identify the gaps in the statutory top-down system (DM Act 2005: NDMA, SDMA, DDMA, NDRF; last-mile reach, local knowledge, response-centred approach)
Explain CBDRM and how it addresses each gap (participatory hazard, vulnerability and capacity assessment; local preparedness and first response), aligned with the Sendai Framework 2015-2030 and the PM's Ten-Point Agenda (2016)
Give Indian evidence (Aapda Mitra; Odisha cyclone shelters and the Phailin 2013 evacuation)
Evaluate its limits and conclude that CBDRM complements rather than substitutes for the statutory system
(a) Supreme Court of India in Prakash Singh case laid the foundation for effective police reforms in India, but the states have frittered the opportunity. Discuss. (20 marks)
(b) Disconnect between the rural development institutions and state level agencies have led to each operating in silos at both levels resulting in inefficiencies. Find the reasons. (20 marks)
(c) ‘Zero tolerance against Corruption’, commitment of Government of India has multi-pronged approach. Critically analyse. (10 marks)
हिंदी में पढ़ें
(a) भारत के सर्वोच्च न्यायालय ने प्रकाश सिंह केस (मामला) में भारत में प्रभावी पुलिस सुधारों की आधारशिला रखी, किन्तु राज्यों ने इस अवसर को व्यर्थ ही गवां दिया। विवेचना कीजिए। (20 अंक)
(b) ग्रामीण विकास संस्थाओं और राज्य स्तरीय अभिकरणों के मध्य सम्पर्क के अभाव में प्रत्येक अपने-अपने स्तर पर अलग-थलग परिचालन को बढ़ावा देता है जिससे दोनों स्तरों पर अकुशलता परिलक्षित होती है। इसके कारण खोजिए। (20 अंक)
(c) ‘भ्रष्टाचार के विरुद्ध शून्य सहिष्णुता’ की भारत सरकार की प्रतिबद्धता एक बहु आयामी दृष्टिकोण है। आलोचनात्मक विश्लेषण कीजिए। (10 अंक)
Answer approach & key points
(a) 'Discuss' a two-part claim: that Prakash Singh (2006) laid the foundation of police reform, and that states have squandered it. The answer must reproduce the Court's directives accurately, then evidence non-compliance and dilution, and close with an assessment of why compliance failed and what remains. (b) 'Find the reasons' - a diagnostic question. The candidate must identify why rural development institutions (panchayats, DRDAs, block agencies) and state-level agencies (line departments, missions, societies) operate in silos, organising the reasons structurally rather than listing complaints, and should indicate the remedies implied by each reason. (c) 'Critically analyse' the claim that the zero-tolerance commitment is being pursued through a multi-pronged approach. The answer must map the prongs - preventive, punitive, technological and institutional - with named statutes and bodies, and then test the claim against implementation evidence and identified gaps.
State the case and its seven directives accurately (Prakash Singh v. Union of India, 22 September 2006): State Security Commission; DGP selection from UPSC-empanelled officers with two-year tenure; minimum tenure for field officers; separation of investigation from law and order; Police Establishment Board; Police Complaints Authorities; National Security Commission
Place it in the reform lineage (National Police Commission 1977-81; Ribeiro 1998; Padmanabhaiah 2000; Model Police Act 2006 by the Soli Sorabjee Committee)
Evidence non-compliance and dilution by states (police a State subject; diluting Acts that keep control of transfers; missing or toothless Police Complaints Authorities)
Explain why compliance failed and what remains (transfers as political currency, vacancies, police-population ratio, forensic and training deficits) and assess
Constitutional reason: Article 243G enables but does not compel devolution of the 29 Eleventh Schedule subjects, leaving activity mapping and the 3Fs incomplete
Planning reason: non-functional District Planning Committees (Article 243ZD); GPDPs unlinked to departmental budgets; weak State Finance Commissions (Article 243I)
Institutional reason: parallel bodies under executive control (DRDA as a registered society until its April 2022 merger; DAY-NRLM 2011 through SRLMs and SHG federations)
Information and accountability reason (non-interoperable scheme MIS; vertical accountability of line departments), with the remedies each implies, citing the 2nd ARC 6th Report (2007)
Map the punitive prong with named statutes (PC Act 1988 and its 2018 amendment; PMLA 2002; Black Money Act 2015; Benami amendment 2016; Fugitive Economic Offenders Act 2018)
Map the institutional and preventive prongs (CVC, executive 1964 and statutory 2003; Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act 2013, Lokpal functional from 2019; RTI 2005)
Map the technological prong (DBT/JAM, GeM e-procurement, faceless assessment) and show how it reduces discretion
Critically test the claim (Section 17A prior approval, low PMLA conviction rate, Whistle Blowers Protection Act 2014 unnotified, political-finance gap) and give a balanced verdict
(a) Discuss the major management challenges faced by Indian Mega Cities and explore sustainable, inclusive urban development strategies for balanced future growth. (20 marks)
(b) Lack of political will to support several administrative reforms has led to their inadequate implementation. Critically validate. (20 marks)
(c) Women in panchayats challenge the established patriarchal norms and contest structural inequalities in society. Explain. (10 marks)
हिंदी में पढ़ें
(a) भारत के मेगा सिटीज (महानगरों) के सम्मुख प्रमुख प्रबंधन चुनौतियों और इनमें सन्निहित भावी वृद्धि हेतु टिकाऊ एवं समावेशी शहरी विकास की रणनीतियों की विवेचना कीजिए। (20 अंक)
(b) अनेक प्रशासनिक सुधारों को समर्थन देने की राजनीतिक इच्छा शक्ति का अभाव उनके अपर्याप्त क्रियान्वयन का कारण बना है। आलोचनात्मक पुष्टि कीजिए। (20 अंक)
(c) पंचायतों में महिलायें स्थापित पितृसत्तात्मक मानकों को चुनौती देती हैं और समाज में व्याप्त संरचनात्मक असमानताओं का मुकाबला कर रही है। व्याख्या कीजिए। (10 अंक)
Answer approach & key points
(a) Two express tasks: discuss the major management challenges of Indian mega cities, and explore sustainable and inclusive urban development strategies for balanced future growth. Roughly equal treatment is expected; an answer that only lists problems forfeits half the marks. (b) 'Critically validate' means test the proposition rather than assume it: does lack of political will explain inadequate implementation of administrative reforms? The answer must define political will, validate the claim with cases of stalled reform, then qualify it with reforms that did succeed and with non-political causes of failure, and reach a defensible verdict. (c) 'Explain' how women in panchayats challenge patriarchal norms and contest structural inequality. The answer must combine the constitutional basis of their presence, evidence of substantive (not merely descriptive) impact, and the counter-pressures such as proxy leadership - while remaining an explanation of challenge, not a catalogue of obstacles.
Establish scale with dated data (Census 2011: about 377 million urban, 31 per cent, 53 million-plus agglomerations)
Discuss financial, capacity, environmental and social challenges (municipal finance per RBI 2022; planner shortage per NITI Aayog 2021; floods; air quality under NCAP 2019; informality and housing)
Explore sustainable and inclusive strategies in roughly equal measure: empowered city governments, own-revenue reform and municipal bonds, transit-oriented development (Metro Rail Policy 2017), AMRUT 2.0, PMAY-Urban, street vendors' rights
Link the strategies to balanced growth and SDG 11, and conclude
Define political will and the mechanism by which its absence stalls implementation
Validate with stalled cases (Whistle Blowers Act 2014 unnotified; Public Procurement Bill 2012 lapsed; dilution of Prakash Singh 2006; All India Judicial Service under Article 312; Lokpal delayed from 1966 to 2019)
Qualify with successes and non-political causes (RTI 2005, GST 2016, IBC 2016; bureaucratic resistance, capacity, federal division of powers)
Deliver an explicit verdict (e.g., necessary but not sufficient)
Constitutional basis: 73rd Amendment 1992, Article 243D - not less than one-third, raised to 50 per cent in many states
Explain how women challenge norms: substantive rather than merely descriptive representation (Pitkin), changed public-goods priorities (Chattopadhyay and Duflo, 2004), the gram sabha as a site of contestation
Link to wider structural change (SHG federations under DAY-NRLM, reduced bias, changed aspirations)
Acknowledge counter-pressures (proxy sarpanch pati, two-child norms, caste disadvantage) while keeping the focus on challenge