The public administration syllabus for UPSC is one of the most searched topics among UPSC aspirants in India. This optional subject is favored because of its simple concepts, short syllabus, and good overlap with General Studies papers. Many students prefer public administration as their optional subject. The public administration syllabus for UPSC contains both Paper I and Paper II. This article defines every part of the public administration syllabus for UPSC in detail.

The Public Administration Syllabus for UPSC is among the 48 optional Civil Services Mains Exam subjects and holds great significance. It includes two papers—Paper I and Paper II—each carrying 250 marks. Paper I focuses on administrative theories, while Paper II deals with Indian administration. The Public Administration syllabus for UPSC clearly explains how the government functions. This knowledge is essential as you prepare to take on a future role as an administrator.

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UPSC Public Administration Optional Syllabus

With 500 out of 1750 marks in the UPSC Mains, the optional subject plays a key role in boosting your chances for the interview.

• Public Administration is typically considered simple and easy to understand as an optional paper.
• The public administration syllabus for UPSC has a wealth of available reading material.
• The general studies papers overlap a lot with public administration. However, some argue that the subject matter is quite vast.
• Since most aspirants choose this optional subject, this field has severe competition.
• Studying the Public Administration syllabus will help with UPSC interviews and essays.

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Paper I of the Public Administration Syllabus for UPSC carries 250 marks and covers administrative theories, thinkers, and concepts. It builds foundational knowledge of public systems, behavior, policy, and organizational structures.

Administration Theory

1. Introduction: Meaning, scope, or Definition, nature and scope and significance of Public Administration, Wilson's vision of Public Administration; Evolution of Public Administration as a discipline, and its present status. New Public Administration, Public, and private administration comparison, Importance of public administration in a modern state, Challenges of liberalization, Privatisation, Globalisation; Public Choice approach, Good Governance: New Public Management, concept, and application;
2. Administrative Thought: Classical Theory; Weber's bureaucratic model; its critique and post-Weberian Developments; Simon's decision-making theory; Scientific Management and Scientific Management movement; Human Relations School (Elton Mayo and others); Dynamic Administration (Mary Parker Follett); Participative Management (R. Likert, C. Argyris, D. McGregor.), Functions of the Executive (C.I. Barnard).
3. Administrative Behaviour: Process and decision-making techniques; Morale; Communication; process and contemporary; Motivation Theories content, Theories of Leadership: Traditional and Modern.
4. Organizations: contingency; Structure and forms: Ministries and Departments, Corporations, Companies; Boards and Commissions; Headquarters and Field relationships; Ad hoc and advisory bodies; Regulatory Authorities; Public-Private Partnerships, Theories systems.
5. Accountability and Control: Executive, Legislative, and Judicial control over administration; Concepts of accountability and control; Role of media, Citizen and Administration; voluntary organizations; interest groups, Civil society; Citizen's Charters; Social audit, Right to Information.
6. Administrative Law: Administrative Tribunals; Dicey on Administrative law; Delegated legislation; Meaning, scope, and significance.
7. Comparative Public Administration: Riggsian models and their critique; Ecology and administration; Current status of Comparative Public Administration; Administration and politics in different countries; Historical and sociological factors affecting administrative systems.
8. Development Dynamics: Changing profile of development administration; Concept of development; 'Anti-development thesis'; Strong state versus the market debate; Women and development the self-help group movement. Bureaucracy and development; Impact of liberalization on administration in developing countries.
9. Personnel Administration: Recruitment, training, career advancement, Importance of human resource development, position classification, performance appraisal, discipline, promotion, employer-employee relations, Pay and service conditions, Administrative ethics, grievance redressal mechanism, Code of conduct.
10. Public Policy: Processes of conceptualization, Models of policy-making and their critique; State theories and public policy formulation, planning, implementation, monitoring, evaluation, and review, and their limitations.
11. Techniques of Administrative Improvement: e-governance and information technology; Work study and work management; Organisation and methods; Management aid tools like network analysis, PERT, MIS, and CPM.
12. Financial Administration: Monetary and fiscal policies: Budgetary process; public borrowings and public debt; Budget types and forms; accounts and audit; Financial accountability.

Public Administration Syllabus For UPSC - Paper II

Paper II of the Public Administration Syllabus for UPSC carries 250 marks. It is created to deliver an in-depth knowledge of various aspects of governance, development administration, public policy, and the challenges faced by administrative systems.

Indian Administration 

1. Evolution of Indian Administration: Mughal administration; Kautilya Arthashastra; revenue administration; Indianization of Public services, district Administration, local self-government.
2. Philosophical and Constitutional framework of Government: Constitutionalism; Salient features and value premises; Political culture; Bureaucracy and development; Bureaucracy and democracy; Legacy of British rule in politics and administration.
3. Public Sector Undertakings: Forms of Public Sector Undertakings; Public sector in modern India; Impact of liberalization and privatization Problems of autonomy, accountability and control.
4. Union Government and Administration: Parliament, Executive, Structure, work processes, functions; Recent trends; Cabinet Secretariat; Prime Minister's Office; Intragovernmental relations; Central Secretariat; Ministries and Departments; Commissions; Attached offices; Boards; Field organizations. 
5. Plans and Priorities: Machinery of planning; composition, Constitutional Amendments (1992) and decentralized planning for economic development and social justice, 'Indicative' planning; plan formulation process at Union and State levels; Role and functions of the Planning Commission and the National Development Council.
6. State Government and Administration: Chief Minister; Council of Ministers; Chief Secretary; State Secretariat; Directorates. Role of the Finance Commission; Governor; Union-State administrative, legislative, and financial relations.
7. District Administration since Independence: Union-State-local relations; Imperatives of Development Management and Law and Order Administration; The changing role of the Collector; District Administration and democratic decentralization.
8. Civil Services: Good governance initiatives; Code of conduct and discipline; Constitutional position; recruitment, Structure, training, and capacity building; Staff associations; Political rights; Grievance redressal mechanism; Civil service activism; Civil service neutrality.
9. Financial Management: Role of finance ministry in the monetary and fiscal area; Budget as a political instrument; Parliamentary control of public expenditure; Accounting techniques; Audit; Controller General of Accounts and Comptroller and Auditor General of India.
10. Administrative Reforms since Independence: Important Committees and Commissions; Major concerns; implementation problems; Reforms in financial management and human resource development.
11. Rural Development: Rural development programs: foci and strategies; 73rd Constitutional amendment; Decentralization and Panchayati Raj, Institutions and agencies since independence.
12. Urban Local Government: 74th Constitutional Amendment; Municipal governance: main features, structures, finance, and problem areas; New localism; Global-local debate; Development dynamics, politics, and administration with special reference to city management.
13. Law and Order Administration: National Police Commission; British Legacy; Investigative agencies; Criminalisation of politics and administration; Role of Central and State agencies, including paramilitary forces, in maintaining law and order and combating insurgency and terrorism; Reforms in Police; Police-public relations.
14. Significant issues in Indian administration: Regulatory commissions, the National Human Rights Commission, Values in public service, problems in coalition regimes, citizen administration interface, administration and corruption, and disaster management.

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