Section-A

• Q1. Answer the following in about 150 words each: 10×5=50
• (a) The preamble to the constitution of India provides a foundational framework of ideals and values for the Indian administration. Discuss.
• (b) Examine the extent to which the ideal of Constitutionalism as ‘government by limited powers’ has been a functional reality in India.
• (c) Red-tapism is a major obstacle to the implementation of ‘good governance’. Comment.
• (d) The role and status of the Speaker in [the] parliamentary system have their foundation in the Speaker’s stance on neutrality. Comment.
• (e) The Union government develops and practices strategies to [an] administer increasing number of existing local government services by sidelining local initiatives and discretion. Examine.
• Q2. (a) Kautilya envisages protection, welfare and prosperity of the State and its people as the utmost concern of a ruler. In this context, discuss the significance of Kautilya’s emphasis on governing, accountability and justice in contemporary India. 20
• (b) District Collector is the most important functionary in district administration in India. In light of the above statement, discuss the multidimensional responsibilities of District Collector in effecting coordinated developmental administration in India. 20
• (c) The role of the Governor is of a sagacious counsellor, mediator and arbitrator rather than that of an active politician. In this context, examine the role of the Governor in state politics in India. 10
• Q3. (a) Recruitment is the cornerstone of the whole public personnel structure and it revolves around the problem of attracting the best. Discuss the essential elements of a good recruitment system. 20
• (b) Traditionally structured administrative systems have outlived their utility. Discuss as how administrative reforms can revamp, restructure and redesign the existing governmental structure to meet the new challenges faced by the Indian administration set-up. 20
• (c) The government policy of large scale privatization of the key sectors of the economy may affect India’s economic health. Comment. 10
• Q4. (a) As a constitutionally mandated body the Finance Commission stands at the centre of fiscal federalism. Evaluate the role of [the] Finance Commission in ensuring just and equitable resources sharing among the states and the union. 20
• (b) Recent market approaches to public services present serious challenges to traditional and state-sponsored public service values. Evaluate the statement in the context of Indian administration. 20
• (c) The increasing criminalization of politics is a major threat to the basic fabric of Indian democracy. Comment. 10

Section-B

• Q.5. Answer the following in 150 words each: 10×5=50
• (a) No rural development strategy can succeed unless it is complemented by appropriate Panchayati Raj Institutions. Examine the statement. 10
• (b) NITI Aayog has been constituted to implement the goal of co-operative federalism. Discuss. 10
• (c) Responsibility and accountability are two major goals of Good Governance. Discuss the statement in the context of Indian administration. 10
• (d) The Prime Minister’s Office has become a powerful institution in itself by virtue of its role in decision- making on strategic issues of utmost importance. Examine the statement. 10
• (e) Well planned and goal-oriented training programmes are the backbone of civil service system in India. Examine the statement. 10
• Q.6. (a) Budget proposals in the Parliament/State Legislatures fail to ensure their effective scrutiny. Identify the factors which constrain effective scrutiny of the budget proposals. 20
• (b) 73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendment Acts aimed at making the third tier of government more powerful and effective for democratic decentralization. Critically examine the extent to which this goal has been transformed into reality. 20
• (c) National Human Rights Commission is handicapped by its jurisdictional limitations of not being able to investigate the cases of violation of human rights by the armed forces. Discuss. 10
• Q.7. (a) Contemporary urbanism advocates the integration of diverse modes of urban planning and management concerns. Discuss the above statement in light of urban development in India. 20
• (b) Rural development programmes are designed to facilitate multifaceted growth of rural poor. Evaluate the role of some key rural development programmes in India in this context. 20
• (c) Police- Public relations in India need to be improved. Suggest measures to strengthen relations between police and public. 10
• Q.8. (a) In the past two decades India’s public policy on Disaster Management has shifted its focus from rescue, relief and rehabilitation efforts to holistic management of disaster. Analyze. 20
• (b) The institutional legacy of ‘well- entrenched state’ affected the post- reforms promises in India. Explain the statement in the light of economic reforms in India. 20
• (c) Do you agree with the view that the civil service in India is losing its neutral and anonymous character? Argue your case. 10

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• Section-A
• Q1. Answer the following in about 150 words each: 10*5
• (a) “Governance is about managing self-organizing networks.” Elaborate
• (b) “Two dimensional taxonomy was used by Herbert Simon to describe the degree to which decisions are programmed or non-programmed.” Explain.
• (c) Examine the approach of public service motivation as an inducement to bring the desired level of efficiency in public service delivery.
• (d) In theory, the ‘civil society organizations’ promote cooperation between people and public service organizations, but in practice, their activities restrict the promotion of government programmes. Analyze.
• (e) Fayol and Taylor had different management perspectives, while having similar goal of organizational efficiency. Comment.
• Q2. (a) Behavioral approach has been questioned on the basis of its utility in the analysis of administrative problems. Discuss the weaknesses of the approach and the shifts made therein. 20
• (b) Public Administration has been viewed as a socially embedded process of collective relationship, dialogue and action. Examine the statement in light of the consensus achieved in the Third Minnowbrook Conference. 15
• (c) Public-private Partnership phenomenon has been transformed into a type of governance scheme or mechanism. Discuss its capacity to overcome future challenges. 15
• Q3. (a) Integration of different streams of administrative thought to propound a universal administration theory is hindered by the impact of culture. Critically examine. 20
• (b) Judicial review, prevention of misuse or abuse of administrative power and provision of suitable remedies are the basic principles of administrative law. Justify as how various organs of the State are able to uphold these principles. 15
• (c) Regulation is an old but increasingly necessary mode of social coordination and political intervention into societal processes. Examine it in the context of globalization. 15
• Q4. (a) The new public service model approaches governance on the premises of an active and involved citizenship, wherein the role of public officials is to facilitate opportunities for citizens’ engagement in governance. Explain. 20
• (b) Neo-Weberian State involves changing the model of operation of administrative structures into a model focused on meeting citizens’ needs. Discuss. 15
• (c) Nothing in public administration is more important, interesting or mysterious than leadership. Analyze the statement in the context of strategic leadership. 15
• Section-B
• Q 5. Answer the following in 150 words each: 10*5 = 50
• (a) The approach to the study of administration in its environmental context is especially more useful for developing countries. Comment.
• (b) Gender equality and women’s rights have laid down a strong foundation of development. Elaborate.
• (c) Performance appraisal needs to be seen beyond the mere suitability of the official for vertical promotion. Explain.
• (d) It is widely agreed that the government ought to provide the goods that market fails to provide or does not provide efficiently. Argue.
• (e) MIS has evolved and gone far beyond its traditional advantages due to technological advancements. Comment.
• Q.6. (a) Emphasis on cost control and reducing public expenditure has diverted the focus of government budgets from the basic objectives of reallocation of resources, bringing economic stability and promoting social equity. Examine. 20
• (b) In modern context, Riggsian terms have not altogether disappeared, but have emerged in different forms with newer meanings. Discuss. 15
• (c) A striking feature of economic development is an apparent symbiotic evolution of strong States and strong market economies. Analyze. 15
• Q.7. (a) Policy problems are increasingly tending towards being wicked. Discuss the capacity and preparedness of the State to tackle such problems. 20
• (b) Zero- based budgeting was intended to get away from incrementalism, but ended up being the most incremental of any budgetary approach. Discuss. 15
• (c) ICT has immense potential to transform governance and empower citizens. Examine. 15
• Q.8. (a) The successful attainment of SDGs objectives largely depends upon the wisdom, experience and farsightedness of the actors involved and their willingness to cooperate in the implementation process. Analyze. 20
• (b) Groups work to elevate issues on the policy agenda or seek to deny other groups to place issues. In this background, discuss the role of interest groups in agenda setting in the developing countries. 15
• (c) Civil servants generally tend to exhibit the values and ethical framework of the political executives under whom they function. Explain. 15

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THE CONTEXT: The data of Phase II of NFHS 5 was recently released by the government. The data of Phase I was released last year in December 2020. This marks the completion of NFHS 5 and thus in this article, we will learn about the findings of the survey and what they mean for India’s development.

ABOUT THE SURVEY

1. Objective: The main objective of successive rounds of the NFHS is to provide reliable and comparable data relating to health and family welfare and other emerging issues.
2. Sample Size: The NFHS-5 survey work has been conducted in around 6.1 lakh sample households from 707 districts of the country; covering 724,115 women and 101,839 men to provide disaggregated estimates up to district level.
3. Indicators: It is based on 131 indicators with most of them being the same as that of NFHS 4.
4. New Areas: It includes some new areas such as death registration, pre-school education, expanded domains of child immunization, components of micro-nutrients to children, menstrual hygiene, frequency of alcohol and tobacco use, additional components of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), expanded age ranges for measuring hypertension and diabetes among all aged 15 years and above.

FINDINGS OF THE REPORT

1. POSITIVE FINDINGS:

• Parameter: TOTAL FERTILITY LEVELS (TFR)
• Finding: The Total Fertility Rates (TFR), the average number of children per woman has further declined from 2.2 to 2.0 at the national level and all 14States/UT’s ranging from 1.4 in Chandigarh to 2.4 in Uttar Pradesh.
• Parameter: OVERALL CONTRACEPTIVE PREVALENCE RATE (CPR)
• Finding: Overall Contraceptive Prevalence Rate (CPR) has increased substantially from 54% to 67% at the all-India level.
• Parameter: SEX RATIO AT BIRTH
• Finding: For the first time in India, between 2019-21, there were 1,020 adult women per 1,000 men at birth.
• Parameter: UNMET NEEDS OF FAMILY PLANNING
• Finding: Unmet needs of family Planning have witnessed a significant decline from13 percent to 9 percent at the all-India level.
• Parameter: FULL IMMUNISATION DRIVE
• Finding: Full immunization drives among children aged 12-23 months has recorded a substantial improvement from 62 percent to 76 percent at the all-India level.
• Parameter: INSTITUTIONAL BIRTHS
• Finding: Institutional births have increased substantially from 79 percent to 89 percent at all-India levels.
• Parameter: CHILD NUTRITION
• Finding: Child Nutrition indicators show a slight improvement at the all-India level as Stunting has declined from 38 percent to 36 percent, wasting from 21 percent to 19 percent, and underweight from 36 percent to 32 percent at all India levels.
• Parameter: EXCLUSIVE BREASTFEEDING
• Finding: Exclusive breastfeeding to children under age 6 months has shown an improvement in the all-India level from 55 percent in 2015-16 to 64 percent in 2019-21.
• Parameter: WOMEN OPERATING BANK ACCOUNTS
• Finding: Women operating bank accounts have improved from 53 percent to 79 percent at the all-India level.

2. NEGATIVE FINDINGS:

• Parameter: ANAEMIA AMONG CHILDREN AND WOMEN
• Finding: More than half of the children and women (including pregnant women) are anemic in all the phase-II States/UTs and all-India levels compared to NFHS4.
• Parameter: FAMILY PLANNING
• Finding: Female sterilization continues to dominate as the method of contraception in states like Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Kerala, Karnataka, Bihar, and Maharashtra.

PROBLEMS WITH THE REPORT

1. Clarity of Terms: Various terms lacked clarity which create doubt over the meaning of the data. For example, improved drinking water sources failed to differentiate between piped water, public tap, dug well, rainwater, etc.
2. The anomaly with Phase 1: In Phase 1, several states showed a worsening in nutrition indicators while in Phase 2, no state showed worsening. Experts have questioned it alleging that the COVID-19 might have led to undercounting of incidences.
3. Blanket Approach: On the micronutrients aspect, the study uses a blanket approach despite dietary variation across the nation.

THE WAY FORWARD

1. Making Health Services Accessible and Equitable: The survey showcases the widespread inequity in the health services and thus policy intervention is required to make them accessible to the poor. Ayushman Bharat Scheme is a step in this direction but more needs to be done.
2. Gender Equity: The survey highlights the gender inequity in education and nutrition. These need to be corrected through affirmative action for women’s rights.
3. Education as change catalyst: Sex education and health education need to be taught at school especially with regards to women’s health issues and sexual health so as to create a behavior change in the family regarding the sexual rights of women.
4. Food Fortification: Food fortification needs to be encouraged so as to battle malnutrition in women and children.

THE CONCLUSION: A nation’s growth is determined by the health levels of its population. The NFHS data while showing good improvement on various issues also showcase the glaring inequity and disparities in Indian society. These need to be tackled with affirmative action by the state along with the support of the private sector.