Answer format/Synopsis: Public Administration Mains Mock Test-5 (2012)

SECTION A

1.

(a) Independence and impartiality of the speaker is an essential pre-requisite for effectiveness of
Parliamentary process. Comment

Answer format1. As the office of Speaker is vested with great prestige, position and authority, independence and
impartiality becomes its sine qua non.
2. Provisions to secure independence of speaker.

The Speaker is looked upon as the true guardian of the traditions of parliamentary
democracy and is placed very high poistion in the order of precedence.

The Constitution of India provides that the Speaker's salary and allowances are not to be
voted by Parliament and are to be charged on the Consolidated Fund of India.

The Speaker can be removed from office only on a resolution of the House passed by a
majority of all the then members of the House. His work and conduct cant be discussed and
criticised in LokSabha except on a substantive motion

3. Issues:
(1) Speakers office being treated as a gift in the hands of ruling Party (This doctrine deserves a
speedy burial) While in Britain, the speaker is strictly a non-party man. There is a convention
in Britain that the Speaker has to resign from his party and remain political neutral.
(2) Politicisation of the office of Speaker due to the Powers conferred on it by the anti defection
law (to disqualify legislators on charge of defection).
(3) In the recent times, Parliament has seen too much of disruption and walkouts, which has
hampered the functioning and efficiency of parliamentary work. In such situations, an
impartial speaker can be more effective to mediate between various political parties.
(4) Impartiality is regarded as an indespensable condition of the office of speaker, who is
guradian and interpreter of powers and privileges of the House and not of the political party
with whose support he might have been elected to the office. It wont be possible for him to
maintian order in the House unless he enjoys the confidence of minority parties by
safeguarding their rights and privileges.
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(b) The Governors role is that of a sagacious counsellor, mediator and arbitrator rather than an active
politician. Discuss.
Answer formatSagacious Counsellor - Under the cabinet system of government, the Governor as Constitutional head of
the State has "a right to be consulted, to warn and encourage" and his role is overwhelmingly that of "a
friend, philosopher and guide" to his Council of Ministers. Article 167 of the Constitution imposes duties
on the Chief Minister to communicate to the Governor all decisions of the Council of Ministers and
proposals for legislation, so that governor can discharge his duties. However the options available to the
Governor under Article 167 give him persuasive and not dictatorial powers to override or veto the
decisions or proposals of his Council of Ministers relating to the administration of the affairs of the State.
Mediator - Governor is the representatives of the centre in states and hence, they bring a national
perspective to state level actions and activities. However, there may be cases "where the advice of the
Center may clash with advice of the State Council of Ministers" and that "in such cases the Governor
must try to mediate between the two.
Arbitrator The constitution has envisaged the possibility of governor acting at times in his discretion in
some cases like reservation of bill for consideration of President and recommendation for imposition of
Presidents rule in the state. Also there has been situational discretions like in case of appointment of
Chief minister when no party has a clear-cut majority in state legislative assembly or in case of dismissal
of council of ministers when it cant prove the confidence of state legislative assembly.
Not an active politician - The Supreme Court has expressly laid down that Governorship is an
independent constitutional office which is not subject to the control of the Government of India. While
performing all the above duties of Governor, the office of the Governor has been bestowed with the
independence to rise above the day-to-day politics and override compulsions either emanating from the
central system or the state system.

(c) Internal controls (which internal audit is an important element) can be regarded as one of the
foundations of good governance and the first line of defense against improprieties. In light of above
statement discuss the Weaknesses of the Present System of Internal Audit in India.
Answer format

Internal Audit is recognised as an aid to the management for monitoring financial performance and
effectiveness of various programs.

Though Internal Audit is a part of the Internal Control system it plays a distinct role in evaluating and
improving the internal control system.

In Government of India, internal audit is conducted through Internal Audit Wings in the Principal
Accounts Offices of various Ministries / Departments.

There are following deficiencies in the Internal Audit System:

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2.

Internal Audit Guidelines are outdated and there are no Internal Audit Manuals in many cases.

Internal Audit is not being conducted in many departments due to lack of manpower and/or
insufficient allocation of funds.

The limited staffs of Internal Audit Wings are diverted to Accounting and Budgeting.

Lack of response by Auditee units to the Internal Audit Reports.

Many Central and State Schemes, PSUs etc have been kept outside the purview of Internal Audit.

All reports of Internal Audit are not communicated to the top level.

In few cases Internal Auditors are expected to act as advisers on financial and operational matters.
This compromises the independence of internal audit.

Risk areas such as environmental impact, third party risks, risk of law suits etc. are not factored in
Internal Audit.

No enforcement mechanism in case of non-compliance with Internal Audit reports.

These weaknesses must be rectified in accordance with the recommendations of the 2nd ARC.

The resultant sound internal control system would help in ensuring several characteristics of Good
Governance such as transparency, accountability, effectiveness and efficiency.

(a) The pattern of Departmental Related standing committees of Parliament can be followed to
reorganise the ministerial set up in the Union Government. Discuss

Answer format1. Ministerial setup [Briefly describe]

- Significance of Art 77(3)
- No Parliamentary authorization for departmental organisation/ Reorganisation.
- Departments/Ministries created in response to increasing work load but often to
accommodate increasing number of ministerial aspirants. Thus there has been a mindless
proliferation of departments and ministries( No less than 56 ministries/department in
government of India today)
2. Implication of the above
- Task of coordination becomes difficult
- Interdepartmental overlap in jurisdiction and consequent conflicts
- Inflates size of council of ministers
- Illogical division of work
- Examination of issues from a comprehensive, integrated and national perspectives become
difficult
- Poor team work
- Illustration
Energy

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Transport
External Affairs
Urban Affairs
3. ARCII has recommended the reorganisation of concept of ministry to include the departments
whose work is efficiently related. For this purpose the pattern organisation of department related
standing committees in number, comprehensibly cover most aspects of governance can be used.
2nd ARC - A pragmatic approach is to retain the existing size of the council of Ministers but increase the
level of coordination among the departments by providing for a senior cabinet Minister to head each of
the 20-25 closely related Departments. He/she may be designated as the First or coordinating Minister
(or any other suitable nomenclature) and would coordinate and provide the overall lead for the entire
group of departments. Within the broad groups (20-25), there could be several departments. Individual
departments or any combination of these could be headed as required by the coordinating/First
Minister, other cabinet Minister(s)/Minister(s) of state. In India, the Departmentally Related standing
committees of Parliament is a good example of integration of inter-connected subject matters.
-

This would enable a reduction in the number of departments and thus facilitates coordination.
It would allow consideration of issues from integral and national perspectives.
It would reduce the cost of maintaining the council of Ministers.
It would improve Parliamentary control of the Executives.

(b) CEOs and employees of PSUs get confused by different statements of decision makers at different
platforms and this has a demoralizing effect on the performance Public Enterprises of public
enterprises. Examine the assertion with suitable examples. In this context also, enlist and discuss the
utility of United Nations Organizations recently listed freedoms to be enjoyed by public enterprises.
Comment.
Answer formatAt Standing Conference of Public Enterprises (SCOPE) in New Delhi, Mr Pranab Mukherji has emphasized
that all operational decisions of the PSUs should be taken at the board level.
The SCOPE chairman, Mr.A.C. Wadhawan, said CEOs and employees of PSUs were confused by different
statements of decision makers at different platforms and regretted that this had a demoralizing effect
on the performance of public enterprises.
Examples- of sick units in PSUs

Govts disinvestment policy, which has never been clear. Similarly we can take the example of
Air India Pvt limited, in which govts arbitrary decisions have hampered the performance. Also
confusion over decision to deregulate the prices of oil has a negative impact on the performance
of oil marketing companies.

The United Nations Organization recently listed the freedoms to be enjoyed by public enterprises:
1) Freedom from annual appropriation process, at least for operating expenses.
2) Freedom to receive and retain operating revenues.

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3)
4)
5)
6)
7)
8)

Freedom to apply operating revenues to operating expenses.

Freedom from general government restrictions, particularly in the field of expenditure.
Freedom from normal government appropriation accounting.
Freedom from normal government audit operations.
Freedom from central purchasing and contracting requirements.
Other related freedom to borrow money, freedom to hire and fire, freedom to pay salaries at
the discretion of the enterprises and freedom to control Its long- term planning.

E.g.- Coal India was forced by govt to sign FSA (Fuel Supply Agreement) with power companies which can
hamper the performance of Coal India.
Conclusion- Inculcate accountability with professionalism

3.

(a) It is foolhardy to compare company form of Public Sector Organisation in terms of efficiency, as
there is other, and perhaps, more important determinants of efficiency of PSEs. Explain

Answer format1) Basic differences between Company form & Corporation Form
2) Views of Estimates Committee & ARC\
3) Correlation between organizational form & Operational efficiency.
It may be asked whether some correlation exists between the legal form of management and
organizational performance. Some persons emphasize the role of individuals who form the organisation,
others feels that in a sound structure even the mediocre would give better results and over a longer
period of time.
The state road transport undertakings have among themselves statutory corporations, Joint stock
companies and also departmentally run units. It seems almost impossible to correlate the success or
otherwise of a road transport undertaking with reference to its legal type of organisation. The success
would depend on effective decentralization of authority and getting away from the established
procedures and tradition. As amongst the various form of organisations the government prefers a form
permitting easier and closer control over its unit. For example, the Central Governments preference was
for the joint stock company to the statutory corporation. In the case of State Government, if the
situation otherwise permit, they would prefer a cooperative society to a government Company, as the
former is regulated by their own laws and officers and not those of the Central Government.
Between the Public corporation and the Government company there is not much to choose from the
point of commercial efficiency. It is not possible to point out to any significant practical difference in
these two forms in regard to securing operational efficiency, and in holding them accountable. Mr.
Appleby who said that there is a fruitless debate over the advantages of companies as compared to
corporations, and vice versa, they are essentially the same and differ- unimportantly- only on the basis
of their legal authorization. Far more important determinants are the quality and experience of
management, the ability of management to resist improper pressures, the determination of
management to achieve the purpose of the enterprise and the readiness of the superior authorities to
recognize that here is a sphere of autonomy.

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(b) Increasing collaboration and cross-fertilization between the public and private sectors is expected
to have a profound and positive impact on the public sectors leadership ethos. Comment.
Answer formatThe public sector enterprises can follow a 3BL approach (Triple Bottom Line). This approach expands
beyond the traditional framework of reporting to take into account ecological and social performance in
addition to financial performance.

The Department of Public Enterprise has already taken first steps by publishing Corporate Social
Responsibility (CSR) guidelines for CPSEs. These guidelines demand that the CPSEs invest a part
of their profit on social and environment issues, thereby focusing profitability on the triple
bottom line social, environmental and economic - with an integrated approach.

Reforms in public sector enterprises demands proactive and strategic planning on the part of
public sector enterprises instead a compliant and reactive approach.

The public sector enterprises should be allowed to set up an independent recruitment board
or appointment commission.

Since for several years public sector enterprises have been acting as a convenient medium for
absorbing surplus labor there is an urgent need to rethink if there is a need to continue doing so
in future.

Lastly, competitive advantage can be sustained by infusion of state-of-art technology and

refreshing them at appropriate intervals.

Simultaneously, investments need to be made in research and self development of products and
solutions that serve emergent societal needs at affordable prices.

Further, greater autonomy must be allowed to PSE boards to adopt such modern techniques
across all aspects of the business value chain such as manufacturing, supply chain, procurement,
distribution, information management and overall quality of goods and service delivery.

Disinvestment is not the only solution of turning-around the sick units. The Mahratnas and
Navratnas can set up a consulting board and assist the sick public sector enterprises in
achieving financial closures.

Note: There is need to link the above points to the similar practices in private sector.
4.

(a) In many cases, public sector enterprises have delivered beyond expectations. However in several
cases, such undertakings have underperformed, thereby causing social and economic damage of a kind
for which there is no quantitative measure. Analyze the issues which concern the public sector
enterprises of India?

Answer formatSuccessful public sector enterprises give their economies a great sense of confidence in their abilities
and help in opening up their economies more rapidly and accelerate the process of global economic
integration. Having said this, however, the reality is that today, a majority of the Indian public sector

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enterprises are facing challenges and have invited criticism about their need in modern India. Some of
these challenges are:
1. Multiple principals with multiple goals: Too many cooks spoil the broth:
The public sector enterprises face today an issue of multiple principals with multiple goals which are
often conflicting, making it difficult for the public sector enterprises to ascertain the outcomes that are
expected of them. Such conflicting goals can at times affect the overall corporate performance.
2. The talent trouble: Surplus is here:
Indian public sector enterprises were created with the intent of using them as convenient medium for
absorbing surplus labour to curb unemployment rates; however, this has resulted in inefficiency and
underemployment in the public sector enterprises thereby affecting their competitiveness in the long
run. Recruitment procedures are rigid, old-school, time-consuming and beset with political interference
and considerations.
3. Compensation concerns: Private sector taking it all:
The compensation structure in Indian public sector enterprises has been largely regulated by the state
and has fallen behind their corporate counterparts in the same industry. With economic liberalization
taking roots in India and compensation structures significantly deviating from a socialist era / philosophy,
the differentials between public sector enterprises and the corporate competitors are widening.
4. Linking quantity to quality: Far from reality
Traditionally, in public sector enterprises, measuring performance through financial and operational
metrics (like productivity and efficiency) was not rigorously adopted. Inadequate implementation of such
quantitative measures of performance over the past years has resulted in degeneration of accountability
at all levels.
5. Lack of autonomy in decision making- The not me syndrome
The original concept of multiple levels and closer scrutiny of decisions taken along with restricted
delegation of powers was devised for public sector enterprises to function in a closed economy and in
situations of monopoly or by adopting administered pricing mechanism in oligopoly.

(b) To call the President a rubber stamp would be a mistake. He can certainly have a mind of his own
free of all political trammels and without any urge or ambition to take an active hand in governmental
decision makingor towards changing the provisions of the existing constitution related to his position
and power. Analyse.
Answer formatThe President's role as defender of the Constitution and the powers as Head of State, especially in
relation to those exercised by the Prime Minister as leader of the government, have changed over time.
-

Proving majority in the parliament

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Requirement to demonstrate support of parliament before invitation to form the government

President Zail Singh exercises Pocket Veto by not signing Postal Bill
President Narayanan introduces Rashtrapati Bhavan communiqus
President Kalam returns offices of profit bill

Presidential Activism- Situations-

Era of coalition govt

Era of judicial activism
Irresponsible care-taker govt
Maintenance of good governance
Counter-mechanism on govt in action
To maintain discipline in governance

Under the Indian Constitution, the President has no executive role to play, but his or her actions
whether, for instance, in approving Bills or sending these back for reconsideration, or in forming a
new government or in asking the incumbent to face a vote of confidence have political
importance.

People do look upon President as a person having some authority in the governance of the country,
and he can justify his position only by tendering such advice and giving such suggestions as he
considers necessary to the cabinet before it takes any decision.

The President is no rubber stamp, and is not required to sign on the dotted line irrespective of the
issue at hand. While there are strict statutory limits to his discretion, his advisory or cautionary role
is well recognised by the Constitution.

The occupant of the highest office of the land is also the custodian of the Constitution. The oath
administered to the president-elect is therefore quite different from that administered to the prime
minister, chief ministers and the ministers of the Union and states. While they owe their allegiance
to the Constitution, the president takes the oath to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution.
The president also promises to dedicate himself/ herself to the service and well-being of the people.

While the presidents function as the protector and defender of the Constitution has been
adequately highlighted, the role played by the president to serve and promote the well-being of the
people of India has not received much attention.

There is a subtle influence of the office of the president on the executive and the other arms of the
government and on the public as a whole. It is a position which has to be used with a philosophy of
indirect approach. There are one or two things which you can directly do in very critical times. But,
otherwise, this indirect influence that you can exercise on the affairs of the state is the most
important role he can play

An ideal President is one who becomes a source of wise counsel to the Prime Minister. If the
President joins hands with the Prime Minister, the two can become a powerful source of
constitutional and political wholesomeness. A President can help the Prime Minister ward off
unhealthy demands of coalition partners. Or, similarly, the President can play a welcome corrective

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part in the matter of judicial appointments by the simple stratagem of keeping a dubious file
pending, just as President Kalam once did.

In the era of coalition politics and government, the role of the president is of critical significance. The
provisions of the Constitution coupled with the precedents set by the successive presidents
constitute the source of inspiration and guidance to the future presidents of our country.

Today, a President can easily succumb to the temptation of muddying the waters and dominate the
news waves. The Indian republic finds itself at a crossroads when every institution is seeking to
maximise its reach and influence at the expense of the executive. It should be remembered that
Rashtrapati Bhavan is not a rival centre of authority. It is against the letter and spirit of the
Constitution to inject the notions of an activist President.

SECTION B

5.

(a) "Police Reform must be based on certain core principles failing which it will reduce to a cosmetic
and ineffective makeover of the Police." Elaborate.

Answer format

It is generally agreed that the Police system in India is in need of reform in line with the changes in
the nature of state post-independence.
However, there is divergence of opinion on many issues pertaining to reforms in the police.
This necessitates a framework of following principles on the basis of which specific issues of reform
may be debated upon:
Repsonsibility of the Elected Government: Elected government is accountable to the Legislature and
to the people. Thus while granting autonomy to the police is necessary, broad direction and
supervision of the police by the elected government (political executive).
Authority, Autonomy and Accountability: For each arm of the police (e.g. Traffic, intelligence, riotcontrol etc.) functional autonomy and authority commensurate with its requirements is needed. The
authortiy and autonomy should be clearly codified. At the same time, strong and clearly verifiable
means of accountability must be present to ensure Good Governance and protect citizens from
abuse of authority.
Disaggregation and Deconcentration: As of now generally a single monolithic police force discharges
several functions although certain special wings (tourist police etc.) have been created. Thus many
functions from support to state functionaries in removal of unauthorised structures to fire
protection and rescue and relief are treated as police functions. This system is dysfunctional because
(i) core functions are often neglected; (ii) there is dilution of accountability since duties are not
clearly and unambiguously stated; (iii) skills and aptitude needed for various functions are unique
and combination of unrelated functions undermines morale and professional competence; (iv) each
system requires different system of control and level of accountability. Police must be re-structured
on lines of three categories of functions: (i) Crime Investigation; (ii) Law and Order with emphasis
on progressive outsourcing of peripheral functions such as ceremonial duties, service of summons,
protection of state assets etc.; and (iii) Local Policing.

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Self-esteem of Police: Close to 90% of police force consists of Police Constables. As a result of various
levels of recruitment, a constable can generally expect only one promotion in service and retires as
Head Constable. Long and difficult working hours, menial duties they are forced to perform and
contiunal interference in service matters tend to dehumanise and brutalise the police especially the
constabulary. Thus police recruitment must be restructured so as to enhance the motivation, morale
and self-esteem of police.
Professionalisation, Expertise and Infrastructure: Specialised training facilities, forensic laboratories
for every 3 to 4 million population, strong communications support, state-of-the art weapons and
non-lethal means of riot-control etc.
Attendant Criminal Law Reform: Police reform is necessary but not sufficient - Judicial manpower
must be increased (mention comparative ratio of judge: population in India v. Developed countries),
reform of procedural laws for protection of witnesses and enhanced penalty for perjury etc.
Police should be a Service: Preamble of UN Basic Principles on Use of Force mentions that the work
of law enforcement officials is a social service. The concept of services entails focus on citizen centric
police, respect for human rights and dignity etc. The Police Act and other relevant laws must be reformulated in order to meet these ends.
Police reforms must be based on the abovementioned principles. These principles are not exhaustive
and may be supplemented with other principles where situation so demands.

(b) Centre-State financial relation is a very delicate issue and it needs a complete change not only in
the perceptions, but also at the implementation level. Comment.
Answer formatThe most important problem for all the state governments is the shortage of financial sources within the
present structure of Centre-State relations. On the one hand, the financial requirements of the states
are vastly increasing, and on the other hand, the Centre has been gradually encroaching on financial
powers and cornering for itself a major share of the total national resources.

Another tendency noticed has been the increasing indebtedness of the States to the Centre for
various developmental purposes. The states are finding themselves unable to repay the installments
or interests on the debts without further central assistance.

The Seventh Schedule of the Constitution vests the taxing powers both in the Union List and the
State List but there is a contradiction between the elastic sources of revenue earmarked for the
Centre' and the expansive developmental expenditure of the States.

Note: Also we need to write how the FCs role being hindered by (PC and Art. 275). Impact of GST and
Centrally Sponsored Scheme can also be illustrated. And we can correspondingly write in conclusion what
needs to be done to make these relationships better.

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(c) Are the coalition governments the main reason behind Policy Paralysis in India?
Answer FormatCoalition govt.-

More instances of difference of opinion in the same ministry

Lack of clear ideology creates confusion in public service
Instability in politics creates instability in public service
Faulty decision making and coordination
Because coordination capacity of PM gets diluted, it has bearings over effectiveness of cabinet
secretary.
Political consensus over any public policy within govt lacks which has bearings on public service
At times frequent changes in policies and programmes have implications on the policy accountability

Though Coalition govt is one of the reason of policy paralysis but the main reason is lack of strong will of
the govt.
Note: Some current examples of FDI in retail, deregulation of oil prices can be mentioned. Also we can
mention in conclusion how the govt can handle the coalition govt as UPA-1 did during the Indo-US
nuclear deal.

(d) Discuss the factors that cause conflict between State governor and State chief minister & council of
ministers.
Answer FormatIntro- Briefly describe article 164 and 167 defining the relationships b/w the two
-

Tendency of gov to interfere in top administrative matters

Difference of opinion in calling special session of state legislative assembly
During care taker govt governor may try to intervene in some matters
There may be difference of opinion regarding special message to be sent to the legislative assembly
Special responsibilities of the governor may overlap with the normal functional areas of the state
govts
If governor criticizes the policies & prog of the state govt
When bill passed by the state legislature is reserved by the governor for the assent of president
Appointment of governor without the consultation of state chief minister
If party in power at union level and state level is different and governor is of opposite party
Adverse reporting by the governor to the president.

Note: There can be some recent examples like in Gujarat on issue of appointment of Lokayukta, similarly
in Karnataka there were issues between CM and Governor over the prosecution of ministers. And end the
answer with a positive conclusion for a harmonious role between the two.

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6.

(a) The process known as agencification has been the cornerstone of public service reforms around
the world. Examine the above preposition with suitable examples from India and abroad.

Answer format

Government organisational structures are usually based on Weberian principles such as division of
work, hierarchy, adherence to rules, impersonal functioning etc. However, such structures are more
suited to command and control functions and less suited to developmental functions of state.

Hence structures need to be redesigned to make the government apparatus an instrument of service
to people.

The concern for effective governance that gives best value for money to taxpayers, meets the needs
of its citizens and is accountable has led to a number of mechanisms and techniques such as
Agencification.

The basic idea behind agencification is that agencies should be carved out of government
departments to carry out specific executive functions within a policy framework and with the help of
resources provided by the concerned Ministry.

The intention is to separate policy making from implementation and to bring in professional
management for implementation. Each agency is headed by a Chief Executive with considerable
operational freedom.

This model has been used in several countries:

UK: government expenditure reduced by more than 10% within a couple of years of implementation
of agencification.

New Zealand: Chief Executives were vested with sufficient power. Performance agreements
between Ministry and agency define the parameters of performance.

Australia: All line departments function in the agency mode.

Similar examples in Japan, Sweden etc.

In India, some agencies are structured as departments, some have statutory backing and others are
registered as a company, cooperative, trust etc.

However, because of centralised controls, there is lack of operational autonomy and flexibility. There
is a focus on inputs rather than results.

Hence although there is a need to structure organisations involved in policy implementation as

agencies mere creation of agencies is not sufficient.

Depending on the nature of functions to be carried out, an agency can be in the form of a company
or society or statutory corporation.

Further, a balance needs to be created between Autonomy and Accountability. Illustration with the
help of MoU and RFD.

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Thus, agencification needs to be remodelled to suit specific requirements in the case of India.
Provided the issues discussed above are addressed, agencification can serve as an important tool in
creation of citizen-centric administration.

(b) Collector, by virtue of his position, still acts as a leader, a motivator and a peoples developer.
Discuss with recent examples from various districts of India.
Answer formatMulti-dimensional role1)
2)
3)
4)
5)

Law & Order- developmental role

Coercive role- welfaristic
Controlling- facilitator
Laissez faire- participatory
Autocratic/centric- democratic decentralization

Roles in detail-(just mention in a paragraph)

1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
7)
8)
9)

Revenue administration
Law and order admn
DC as developmental officer
DC as district officer
Role in elections
DC as census officer
Crisis manager
DC as public relations officer
DC as a bridge b/w civil & military admn

Coordinator at district level

Below mentioned examples of collectors from various districts of India1)
2)
3)
4)
5)

Vineel Krishnan Malkangiri

Peoples IAS officer- S. R. Sankaran
U Sagayam, Collector of Namakkal district
Arjun Ram Meghwal- Former IAS officer
Roopa Mishra- Orissa

Conclusion: how the role of collector needs to be defined in wake of local self-govt.

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7.

(a) Parliament no longer controls government, it is the other way round. In regard to the statement
given, analyze the declining role of parliament in the Indian democracy.

Answer formatThe decline of parliament is qualitative and quantitative.

For over 30 years no private members bill had been passed while government bills were passed
unthinkingly.

Parliament has no financial control over the government. Hundreds of financial demands are passed
in hours, even the whole budget is passed within minutes.

The Indian governance structure does not require an elected government to seek prior
parliamentary approval of any international agreement that it wishes to sign. In many countries,
including those in Europe and Greece, a governments commitment to an international agreement is
always subject to its Parliaments approval.
This is a governance structure that always suits the govt, giving it flexibility to decide on international
agreements or sign bilateral or multilateral treaties. For instance, it does not need Parliaments prior
approval before making necessary changes in its double tax avoidance treaty with Mauritius, or for
that matter any other country
There was a time when the government was debating whether any disinvestment of its equity in a
public sector undertaking should be first cleared by Parliament. That debate did not last very long
and the rules on this remain unchanged. The government of the day can go ahead and divest its
stake in a public sector company without Parliaments approval.
At the time of framing the fiscal responsibility and budget management legislation, there was a
proposal that any change in the target of deficit covered under the law should be allowed only after
Parliaments approval. However, this proposal, too, was rejected and the deficit targets are set and
revised through notifications, which can be issued by the executive, without any reference to
Parliament as long as the levels are within the broad limits fixed in the legislation.
GAAR has also raised issues about Parliamentary authority - There are concerns about whether
unilateral action by an arm of the government, in this case the revenue department, can override a
treaty with another nation in this case, eg Mauritius approved by Parliament.

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(b) "Police is just one of the many instrumentalities of the State to maintain Public Order." Comment.
Answer format

Public Order implies absence of riot, revolt, unruliness and lawlessness. Irrespective of nature of
polity, maintenance of public order is regarded as one of the most important functions of state.

Instrumentalities of state to ensure Public Order include:

PREVENTION
Good
Governance

DETERRENCE
Intelligence

Preventive Measures

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Explain the importance of each of the above elements.

(c) Amalgamation, bifurcation, trifurcation and again mergers are a continuing process of
departmentalization in India at the Union as well as State. Substantiate.
Answer formatThere are several reasons of creation, bifurcation, amalgamation, trifurcation and abolition of the
Departments in India1. In India, The power of making any adjustment in Department is centered in Political Executive, the
Political executive is at liberty to design and redesign its Administrative system. But in USA it lies in
hand of Legislature. (Quote Examples- Education Department in Rajasthan)
2. State has experimented from time to time with new Departments according to the needs of time.
Some have survived and some have not. Like the existence of Ecclesiastical Department in Sikkim
even today. And Abolition of Department of State Public undertaking and corporations in Odisha.
3. Size of Population in states led to increased responsibilities so creation of new department is
unavoidable.
4. Revenue of state is also a factor which led to abolition as well as merger of some underperforming
Departments.

8.

(a) The personality of chief minister- his ability, behavior and character are of paramount significance
because on his vision and competence depends the effectiveness of the state administration.
Elaborate.

Answer FormatThe visible tendency of centralization of power in the seats of Governance and the position of CM has
gained substantially greater strength than before because-

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1. CM is the real head of the state political Administrative system

2. He is the
- chief policy makers
- Principal Planner
- Head of council of Ministers
- Political Head of key Department
- Coordinator of state Administration
- Catalyst to Administrative reform
- Guardian of civil services
- Leader of political Party and voice of People
3. He is not Primus inter pares.
So considering the above, we can say the personality of chief minister- his ability, behavior and character
are of paramount significance for bringing the effectiveness in state Administration.
Note: There can be examples of some states like Bihar, Gujarat, and Delhi. Similarly the case of
Karnataka can be shown where a poor CM has eroded the efficiency of administration.

(b) "Any financial management system, howsoever sound, will not be able to deliver the desired
outcomes unless there are strong internal and external oversight mechanisms" Discuss.
Answer format

Public Financial Management deals with all aspects of resource mobilisation and expenditure
management in the government. Rising aspirations of citizens are placing a heavy demand on the
financial resources of the government.

In view of this value for money, effectiveness and efficiency of government has become very
important. In order to ensure this strong internal as well as external oversight mechanisms are
necessary.

Points mentioned in ans to Q. 1(c) need to be included in discussion of Internal mechanisms.

External control in the context of India consists primarily of: External Audit (CAG) and Parliamentary
Control.

Parliamentary control can be strengthened by utilising the existing Committee mechanisms in a

better manner - sub-committees to examine the reports of CAG in greater detail etc.

External Audit refers to review of financial statements and reports of an entity by someone not
affiliated with the entity.

External Audit is considered important for ensuring accountability of the executive because it carries
out the following roles:

Assurance to the Parliament /State Legislature that public money has been spent for the purpose for
which it was sanctioned.

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Helps in acertaining whether the purpose for which public money had been sanctioned has been
achieved.

By its very nature of independent external scrutiny, it becomes an important element of ensuring
public accountability.

Acts as a deterrent against careless decision making and irresponsible attitude towards public
expenditure.

Helps in establishing public confidence that public money is being spent properly.

Helps in achieving full value for money by checking the economy, efficiency and effectiveness of
public expenditure and evaluation of service quality.

Adds value not merely by analysing and reporting what has happened but also identifying lessons
learned for the future.

Thus External Audit safeguards the financial interests of the Union/ States. It also promotes
accountability and sound financial management.

Note: The examples from the recent CAG reports and their impact can be quoted. Also the need for more
coordination between PAC and CAG can be emphasised in the same context. Also we can give more
details about the parliamentary control.

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