Public administration answers

hi all,
thanks for regularly visiting my blog
One of my optional for mains is public administration.
In mains, more than depth of knowledge, its answer presentation that matters

I will try posting a Q&A on public administration everyday. request members to read it and give feedback so that i can improve my answer writing skills.

You can also post your answers in comments to same question


Public administration hitherto an art developed into a science.comment 20 Marks(200 words)

In early 20th century, scholars of classical theory sought to make public administration , hitherto an art, into a science.
             The great depression in 1930 led US president Franklin Roosevelt to setup an administrative commiittee on industrial relations. This committee recommended to develop a science of administration in order to make administration rational and predictable.
              Science of administration was built through principles which were developed based on experiments on humans. Classical scholars focused on building an organisational structure comprising of procedures, rules, regulations, principles etc. They believed that lack of design was cruel and wasteful. A structured organisation facilitated in rational decision making and replaced chaos with a conflict free soft organisation
              All these made public administration predictable, rational and programmable. hence gulick said that public administration hitherto an art developed into a science.
              However the universal validity of science of administration was criticised by robert dahl who said that administrationw as culture bound. Public administration could be developed as a science based on a comparative study.  The principles were criticsed by simon who said that occurred in contradicting pairs just like proverbs and lacked practicality.
             Classical theorists focus on structure led to neglect of human dimension in an organisation. hence it came to be known as physiological organisation theory.
             Hence classical theorists attempt to build a science of administration failed.

Kashmir step by step

·         So far home, commerce, defence secretary have held talks

·         They have agreed

o   On blueprint for visa liberalisation

o   Pakistan ahs agreed in principle to offer MFN to India

o   Both agreed to shift from positive to negative list of items for trade

o   Pakistan has shown interest in allowing indians to invest in energy and fuel sector

·         Earlier mushraff and manmohan had come close to reachign a solution on kashmir issue through a 4 step formula

·         The 4 steps were

o   Maintain peace along LoC.

§  It has been mor eor less epaceful since 2003

o   Demilitarise kashmir valley

§  Positive signs on this considering that no major army interference was seen during the protests in valley last summer

o   Strengthen local governance and reduce interference of center in state affairs

§  The succesfull panchayat elections after 33 years is a good sign

o   Make borders irrelevant through cross LoC linkages and cross border management

§  Despite mumbai attacks, bus services acrosss border werent suspended

§  Cross border trade is on the rise

A bill to settle a terrible debt

COMMUNAL VIOLENCE BILL

·        It seeks to protect religious and linguistic minorities
in any state in India including SC/ST and any other social group as declared
under the law from targeted violence

·        It envisages creation of a national authority for
communal harmony, justice and reparation

·        It will investigate complaints of communal
violence and dereliction of duty

·        Similar bodies will be setup at state level

·        It has certain positives . they are

o  It expands the defn of sexual assault to cover crimes other than rape

o  It prescribes equal entitlement to relief for all those who suffer mental, physical harm in communal violence "irrespective of the fact that they belong to minority or majority group

o  it recognises dereliction of duty by public servant as a crime and can be punished with max 10 yr imprisonment

o  also no prior sanction is required from government to prosecute a pub servant in case of dereliction of duty

o  for other offenses, a sanction is to be given or rejected within 30 days with a
written explanation by government

·        drawbacks

o  it seeks to protect only the minorities and leaves out a possible scenario where a minority group targets the majority groups

should water be shifted to concurrent list?

·        What is current position?

o  Water per se is under state list

o  But in matters related to inter state river regulation and development , it is under union list

§ This allows center to pass laws to regulate inter state rivers

§ Under this provision river boards act 1956 was passed

o  The river board act provides for establishment of river boards for inter state rivers. But so far no such board has been setup

·        So ideally center can take control of inter state rivers but it hasn’t done so coz of political reasons

Why under concurrent list?

·        Consttn makers considered water as only rivers
and irrigation. They ddidn’t consider groundwater, aquifers, wetlands

·        In context of a growing threat of water scarcity, increased depletion og aquifers, there is a need for national level coordinated intiative

·        Also in view of cliamte change, it calls for
international cooperation in water management. This will require that water be
under central government

·        Hence there is a need for putting water under
concurrent list

A digital ESIC- PROJECT PANCHDEEP

·        Panchdeep is a project to provide health and social security services to members of ESIC through a ntional digital network

·        This will allow members to avail benefits with their ID cards. Also it will aloow family mebers to avail health benefits even in absence of insured member

·        ESIC has 56 mn members and 2000+ hospitals, dispensaries

·        In 2010 ESIC act amended to cover mfctrng facilties with 10+ workers

·        It plans to setup medical colleges to bridge the human resource gap for its
hospitals

·        ESIC is under labour ministry

The discreet charm of civil society

P sainath articles oflate have less substance and more politics. please find below relevant information from the article. these points will be of use also in public administration.

·        World Bank definition of civil society is

o  It is a wide array of non government and non
profit organisations that have a presence in public life and express interests
and values of their members or others, based on ethical, moral, political,
scientific , religious or philanthropic considerations

·        Civil society in India is dominated by human
right lawyers and activists, NGO leaders, celebrities and not the common man

·        Civil society can act as advisory groups. But
now the likes of anna hazare and ramdev are seeking to dictate terms to
government and legislature which is unconstitutional

experts call for crackdown on black carbon

·        Major air pollutants like black carbon, methane and ground level ozone
result from incomplete combustion of fossils, wood and biomas

·        These pollutants though remian in air for short time , contribute to
25-30% of climate change emissions

Black carbon impact

·        Intercepts and absorbs sun light

·        Darkens snow and ice when deposited on them

·        Linked to glacial melt in himlalayas, fall in yields of maize, rice

·        Changes in rainfall patterns in India and africa

·        Grnd level ozone and blackc arbon together reduce crop yield by as much
as 50m tonnes a year

SOLUTION

·        \Remove inefficient vehicles

·        Ban burning of straw and farm waste

·        Improve technology used in brick kilns

·        These emasures can cut down  temp
rise by .5 deg celsius wrt pre industrial levels

·        Since industrial revoltn temp has gne up by .8 deg celsius till date