HIDDEN SYLLABUS OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION

FOR CSE
UPSC has been asking questions from topics not directly mentioned in the syllabus.
These topics may be derived from the existing topics by a veteran player, but
newcomers may find difficulty in doing that. UPSC can also ask questions from these
hidden topics, as and when it wants to punish the aspirants opting for Public
Administration.
I have tried to make a list of these hidden topics. If any of the veteran players find
something wrong or something extra please mention that so that I can correct it.
P.S : I got a clue of some topics from the speculated new syllabus, which was never
released by UPSC. :)
Paper 1
Unit 1: Introduction
a. British and French philosophy of Public Administration.
Source: The comparison of the administrative systems of various countries is given in
the book: Pub Ad by Laxmikany
b. Minnowbrook 3 and its comparison with Minnowbrook 1 and 2.
Source: Covered in the book: Restructuring Pub Ad: A New Look by Mohit
Bhattacharya
c. Public Administration: emerging crisis and new directions.
Source: Covered in the book: Restructuring Pub Ad: A New Look by Mohit
Bhattacharya
Unit 2: Administrative Thought
a. Karl Marx- In Administrative Thinkers by Prasad and Prasad
b. Dwight Waldo- In New Horizons of Pub Ad by Mohit Bhattacharya
c. Yehezkel Dror. In Administrative Thinkers by Prasad and Prasad and IGNOU notes
on public policy (already mentioned in the strategy for paper 1)
d. View of Indian leaders like Gandhiji, and Chinese leader Mao Zedong on Public

Administration.- Views of Gandhiji is mentioned in IGNOU MPA notes; for view of Mao
Zedong read about Maoism from the internet and the history of China during the Maos
period.
Unit 3: Administrative Behavior
Nothing hidden.
Unit 4: Organization
a. Theories- (a) Critical Theory of Public Organization- Cocered in New Horizonz of Pub
Ad by Mohit Bhattacharya
, (b) Postmodernism- in Mohit Bhattacharya and Poststructuralism in Public
Administration.- One can read from this
pdf- http://digitalcommons.unomaha.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?
article=1070&context=pubadfacpub
b. General understanding of the following theories of organization- Classical, NeoClassical, Systems, Structural, Structural-Functional, neo-Human Relations, Pluralist,
Organizational- Social Psychological, Strategic-contingencies, Market, Critical.- Already
covered in Mohit Bhattacharya and IGNOU notes.
c. Organisational Culture and its effect on organizational efficiency.- Any MBA book.
Unit 5: Accountability and control
a. Judicial Activism- GS topic. One should be awared of recent happenings.
b. Ombudsman- Lokpal
c. Whistleblower
d. Concept of Social Capital.- ARC report on social capital
Unit 6: Administrative Law
a. Administrative Law in France, UK, Germany, and US.- Covered in the administrative
law pdf I have shared in the strategy for pub ad paper 1.
Unit 7: Comparative Public Administration
a. Comparative study of Administrative systems: U.K., France, U.S.A, Brazil and Chinarecent structures should be emphasized.- It is covered in the book pub ad by
Laxmikant

Unit 8: Development Dynamics

a. Supermarket State and development.
b. Karl Marx views on development.- Covered in the book : Social theory and
development administration by Mohit Bhattacharya
c. Amartya Sens views on development. Covered in the book : Social theory and
development administration by Mohit Bhattacharya
d. Bhagwati Sen and Amartya Sen debate over development.- It is a very general topic;
can be read on net; it is also similar to a comparison between Gujarat model of
development with the Bihar and Tamil Nadu model.
Unit 9: Personnel Administration
Nothing hidden, it is a clear topic.
Unit 10: Public Policy
This is a very dynamic topic and UPSC generally asks difficult questions from it. Its
good to read more in this topic to be on the safe side. Every year UPSC throws a
surprise by asking something different. So, the best one can do is to understand the
answers of the questions asked previously.
Unit 11: Techniques of Administrative Improvement
a. Social Impact Assessment.
b. Management by Objective.- In Prasad and Prasad; in the chapter on Peter Drucker.
c. Program Evaluation ( given nicely in Nicholas Henry, and also read about the
program evaluation scenario in India).
Unit 12: Financial Administration
The topic is clear and complete.
Paper 2:
Unit 1: Evolution of Indian Administration
a. Comparison on Kautilya with western thinkers like Weber, and so on.- Covered in
Rajni Goyal and Ramesh Arora.
Unit 2: Philosophical and Constitutional framework of government
a. Gandhian and Nehruvian approaches to development: critical assessment. It is
covered in IGNOU MPA notes.

Unit 3: Public Sector Undertakings

a. Status of Navratna and Maharatna undertakings.- Read India book latest edition for
this.
Unit 4: Union Government and Administration
a. Regulatory Authorities- SEBI, IRDA, TRAI, and so on.
Unit 5: Plans and Priorities
The syllabus is clear and complete.
Unit 6: State Government and Administration
a. Emerging Trends in Union-State Relations: Recent trends in inter and intra
governmental relations in the context of federalism.
b. Chief Ministerialization of State Governments in the contexts of liberalization and
coalition governments.
Unit 7: District Administration since Independence
The syllabus is clear and complete.
Unit 8: Civil Services
The syllabus is clear and complete.
Unit 9: Financial Management
The syllabus is clear and complete.
Unit 10: Administrative Reforms since Independence
a. Important committees and commissions; a critical review of ARC I and ARC II.
b. Performance Mointoring and Evaluation Systems (PMES) and Results Framework
Document(RFD)
c. Social and political obstacles to reforms.
Unit 11: Rural Development
a. Ideas of Mahatma Gandhi, Vinoba Bhave, Jayaprakash Narain, and so on.
b. PESA act and problems in its implementation.
c. Local governance in 5th and 6th schedule areas; status of local governance in all the
north-east states.

Unit 12: Urban Local Government

Nothing extra.
Unit 13: Law and Order Administration
Nothing extra.
Unit 14: Significant issues in Indian Administration
a. Tribal development administration.
b. Water Management.
c. Environment and Sustainable Development.
d. Land acquisition for development.
e. Women in administration sexual violence.\
f. Corporate Social Responsibility.

By Lohit Matani, I.A.S