Public administration Assignment

(There are two questions, dono likhne hai, maximum inf daali hai, bas kaise bhi karke 15 page
mai ans bhar dena)

01. Explain administrative functions of chief executive.

-1. Introduction to the Chief Executive:

The chief executive occupies a central position in Public Administration. By chief
executive we mean the person or body of persons at the head of the
administrative system of a country. The administrative structure of a country is
like a pyramid broad at the base and ending in a single point at the apex. The
chief executive is the apex of the administrative pyramid. In England, the chief
executive is the Queen/King, the head of the state. The ruling head in India is the
President, in Switzerland it is the Federal Council headed by a chairman whose
offices rotates yearly among the councillors. In U.S.A. the President is the chief
executive. Sometimes, a difference is made between the nominal and the real
chief executives. In parliamentary governments, the head of the State is called the
nominal chief executive, while the cabinet is called the real chief executive.
In Presidential executive the Chief Executive is head of the state as well as of the
Government. In Public Administration we consider the chief executive and his
functions not as the head of state but as the head of administration. It may be
noted that the chief executive is available at every level of government. For
instance, there is a chief executive at the State level who is called Governor of the
state. At the level of local government, we have the mayor, chairman or president.
They are the administrative heads of their own jurisdiction. It may also be noted
that the chief executive, at whatever level, is the political leader as well as the
administrative head. In public Administration we are concerned with his
administrative functions only. His political role is outside the scope of our study.
In Public Administration, the role of the chief executive has been compared to
that of General Manager in a corporate undertaking. The General Manager in a
corporate enterprise is subordinate to the Board of Directors. He is the agent
through which the Directors carry out their powers of general administration. He
is subject to the direction, supervision and control of the Board of Directors and
is accountable to it. He is actually responsible for running the enterprise
smoothly and efficiently. W.F. Willoughby is strongly of the opinion that the office
of the chief executive must be raised to the status of General Manager. He should
perform the same functions as are performed by the General Manager.
Willoughby wanted the necessary changes in the American constitutional set-up
in order to erect the chief executive, i.e., the President as the General Manager. In
view of the ever-growing complexity of the activities of modern States, it is not
desirable for the legislatures to have direct dealings with the administration.
Consequently, the chief executives of several countries have come to enjoy vast
powers in the administrative field. Today they combine in themselves the three
major functions of political leadership, administrative management and
ceremonial representation. From the standpoint of the legislature this means
that the latter will look primarily to the chief executive for the efficient carrying
out of its administrative determination.

-Administrative Functions of the Chief Executive:

The chief executive has to perform a number of functions. Luther Gulik coined
the word “posdcorb” for the administrative functions of the chief executive. The
‘posdcorb’ stands for Planning, Organising, Staffing, Directing, Co-Ordinating,
Reporting and Budgeting. Marshall Dimock summarises these functions in one
sentence. “He is a trouble shooter, a supervisor and a promoter of the future
programme”.
L.D. White has put these functions under the following main categories:

(i) Deciding Administrative Policy:

The legislature lays down the policy to be followed by the government in general
terms. For the implementation of the general policy the executive has to decide a
large number of questions pertaining to administrative policy. The
administrative policy has been defined by E.M. Gladden as “the form in which the
ministerial administrator or board carries the will of the government into effect.”
As general administrator, the chief executive has to issue a number of
instructions and orders, written or oral, to enable the administrative officers to
perform their duties in a proper manner. Apart from these, the departmental
heads and division chiefs also issue a number of orders, instructions, circulars,
formal letters and proclamations.
The chief executive is sometimes consulted by the departmental heads and other
principal officers on many State matters particularly those which are important
and controversial, e.g., Hindi agitation, Akali movement, etc. in case of India. The
ability and personality of the chief executive has a close bearing on
administrative efficiency.

(ii) To Authorize Details of Organization:

Legislature usually provides for the establishment of main units of organization,
like departments, commissions, corporations. Details are left to be filled in by the
executive at his discretion. The chief executive leaves the shaping of divisions,
branches and sections in the hands of their chiefs subject to his approval. The
number and duties of the various sub-units, the setting up of various ad hoc
committees to meet particular situations are determined by the executive, e.g., In
India the Reorganization of States Commission was appointed by the Union
Cabinet in 1954 without any reference to the legislature. The Boundary
Commission under the chairmanship of Justice Shah of the Supreme Court to
reorganize Punjab in 1966 was also appointed without reference to Parliament.
Many such instances can be quoted from USA.
Similarly, the executive prescribes the manner in which the several operating
services shall perform certain or all of their duties. As told elsewhere, the
working activities of an administra- tive service may be institutional or
functional. The institutional activities are those which the service has to perform
in order that it may exist and operate as an institution. Functional activi- ties are
those which it must perform in order to accomplish the purpose for which it has
been established. The institutional activities embrace such work as maintenance,
care and operation of plant, the recruitment and management of personnel, the
purchase, custody and distribution of supplies, the keeping of accounts, the
maintenance of files, etc. The two types of activities differ not only with regard to
their end for which they are performed but also in character. Institutional
activities differ from service to service. It is highly important, therefore, that
insti- tutional activities should be performed in a uniform manner.
In order that uniformity may be secured and most efficient methods employed, it
is necessary that the power to prescribe and subsequently to enforce the manner
in which these duties shall be performed shall be vested in some agency
exercising general jurisdiction over all services. That agency may be the chief
executive.

(iii) To Coordinate the Organisation:

Modern administration is a mosaic of departments, commissions, divisions,
sections each performing only a specialized part of the function. In order to
create unity in this huge mass of diversified activities, a very high degree of
coordination and integration is needed. This has to be done at lower as well as
higher levels. To achieve the purpose of administration, i.e., the general good of
the people, integration is desirable from every point of view. In spite of the
presence of coordinating machinery, mutual feuds due to personnel rivalries are
likely to arise. All these are settled by the executive. Coordination is rightly
considered as the heart of administration. Hence Chief Executive’s role in this
field is of pivotal importance. It is suggested that the chief executive should adopt
a strong line of action in the matter so that the conflicts may be reduced in
number and his decisions may be readily acceptable to the parties concerned.

(iv) To Appoint and Remove the Personnel:

The chief executive is responsible as general manager for the manager in which
the heads of the several departments perform their duties. Since the
responsibility ultimately is that of the chief executive, it is logical that he should
have the power to select and remove the officers. In modern times thousands of
people are required to fill in the various administrative posts. A substantial
majority of these is appointed on the basis of merit Most of the personnel are
selected by the Civil Service Commissions. The Commissions are merely
recommendatory and not appointing authorities. The executive which is the
appointing authority may refuse to accept the recommendation. Appointments of
a high category such as of ambassadors are made by the chief executive. In the
United States the President makes high appointments subject to the approval of
the Senate. After appointment all the questions of training, pay, increment, and
promotion are determined by the executive.
The chief executive also has the power of dismissal or demotion of public
servants, if he finds it necessary in the interests of administrative efficiency. In
general, with regard to the removal of high officers whose appointments he has
made, he has full discretion; but, in the removal of personnel of the lower cadre,
he is guided by the Civil Service rules. There are certain constitutional and
statutory guarantees which the executive cannot override, e.g. Article 311 of our
Constitution provides that no member of the civil service will be removed or
dismissed by any authority subordinate to that by which he was appointed, and
that no such person shall be removed or dismissed or reduced in rank until he
has been given a reasonable opportunity of showing cause against the action
proposed to be taken against him.

(v) To Control the Management of Finance:

With regard to public finance, especially in the parliamentary system of
government, the chief executive enjoys wide authority. As general manager, he
has the duty of making full report regarding past operations and present
conditions and to make a statement as to the provision, which, in his opinion,
should be made for meeting the revenue and expenditure needs of the
government in the future. This recommendation goes in the form called ‘Budget’.
The legislature after considering the various items passes it in the form of an
Appropriation Act. After the passage of this Act the executive has the duty of
supervising the expenditure and collection of money. In parliamentary form of
government, the chief executive or his representative presents the budget in the
legislature and sees to its passage. Rejection of budget means no confidence in
the government. In the Presidential form of government, the formal budgetary
authority is vested with the legislature. In actual practice the President of U.S.A.
is the Chairman of the Bureau of Budget which frames the budget and then it is
handed over to the Congress for its passage. The President possesses effective
veto power over the Budget. Hence generally Congress passes the budget with
minor modifications.

(vi) To Supervise, Control and Investigate the Administrative Operations:

The function of the executive is not only to carry on the public business itself, but
also to see that it is being carried on properly. As such, it has to supervise the
work, give necessary instructions, warn when the work is not being done
properly and encourage when it is running smoothly. It can make inquiries to
investigate any administrative matter and set up investigation committees for
the purpose, e.g., the Government of Punjab set up Vigilance Committee to
investigate into the charges of corruption against high public officials including
the Ministers and Chief Minister. Similarly, the central government set up Das
Commission to enquire into the conduct of the Punjab Chief Minister, Partap
Singh Kairon. An Administrative Vigilance Commission and the Central Bureau of
Investigation which are working on permanent basis in the central government
are also meant for the same purpose.

(vii) To Participate in and Control Public Relations:

The chief executive has important responsibilities affecting administration
outside the system, notably in representing and defending its work. Since the
public administration is ultimately responsible to the public, it has always to
keep the people informed about the nature and purpose of its activities and
remove all the misunderstandings of the people. Very often we hear of
corruption and red-tapism in a particular department, of indifference or bad
treatment of an officer towards the public. In the face of these complaints it
becomes the duty of the executive to clarify the position and defend the
administration. It is for the executive to maintain relations with the press,
interested groups, voters, and the legislature, hear their views and tell them the
views of the government. So important is this function that a Department of
Public Relations has become almost indispensable for every government. Donald
C. Stove has nicely portrayed the significance of this function in the words “It is
the executives’ job to cultivate relationships with the heads of others government
agencies with members of legislative bodies with private institutions and with
the public so that his staff will have a favourable climate within which to
function.”
The above functions of the chief executive make it clear that he is the
administrator-in- chief or the General Manager of public administration. He is the
head of administration and all the administrative departments are responsible to
him. He looks after the entire administration. As general manager it is his
primary responsibility to see that the administrative affairs of the government
are being honestly, efficiently and economically run. In short, the responsibility
of proper administration rests upon the chief executive.

02. UPSC
-The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) is a premier central recruiting
agency in India, responsible for conducting examinations and selecting
candidates for various civil services and other prestigious government positions.
Established in 1926, UPSC plays a crucial role in shaping the administrative
framework of the country, ensuring that the civil service is staffed by individuals
of the highest calibre.

- Historical Background
The origins of UPSC can be traced back to British India when the Public Service
Commission was set up in 1926. Post-independence, the UPSC was established
under Article 315 of the Indian Constitution. The commission's mandate was to
ensure merit-based selection and transparency in the recruitment process, thus
fostering an efficient and effective bureaucracy.

-Role and Functions

UPSC conducts a range of examinations, including the Civil Services Examination
(CSE), Indian Forest Service Examination (IFoS), Engineering Services
Examination (ESE), and Combined Defence Services Examination (CDS), among
others. These examinations are designed to evaluate candidates on various
parameters such as knowledge, analytical ability, and personality.

1. Recruitment: The primary function of UPSC is to conduct competitive exams

for recruitment to various civil services and posts under the Union government.
The Civil Services Examination, for instance, is one of the toughest and most
prestigious exams, recruiting officers for the Indian Administrative Service (IAS),
Indian Police Service (IPS), and Indian Foreign Service (IFS).

2. Advisory Role: UPSC also advises the government on matters relating to

recruitment, promotion, and disciplinary actions. It ensures that the recruitment
process is fair and merit-based, maintaining the integrity of the civil services.

3. Policy Formulation:The commission plays a vital role in formulating policies

related to recruitment and selection. It regularly updates the examination
process and syllabus to reflect the changing needs of governance and
administration.

-Examination Process
The Civil Services Examination, the most prominent exam conducted by UPSC, is
a multi-stage process comprising the Preliminary Examination, the Main
Examination, and the Personality Test (Interview).

1. Preliminary Examination:This is a screening test consisting of two objective-

type papers – General Studies and Civil Services Aptitude Test (CSAT). It aims to
filter candidates for the Main Examination.

2. Main Examination:This stage is more comprehensive, involving nine papers,

including four General Studies papers, two optional subject papers, an Essay
paper, and two language papers. This phase assesses candidates’ in-depth
knowledge and their ability to present ideas coherently.

3. Personality Test:The final stage is an interview conducted by a board of

experts. It evaluates candidates’ personality traits, leadership qualities, and
overall suitability for a career in public service.

-Challenges and Reforms

While UPSC is lauded for its rigorous and transparent selection process, it faces
several challenges. The high level of competition often leads to stress and
burnout among aspirants. Additionally, the need to keep the syllabus and
examination process aligned with contemporary developments poses an ongoing
challenge.
Reforms have been introduced to address these issues. For instance, the
introduction of the CSAT in 2011 aimed to evaluate candidates' aptitude
comprehensively.
-Impact on Governance
The officers selected through UPSC play a pivotal role in the administration and
governance of India. They are instrumental in policy formulation,
implementation, and administration at various levels. The integrity and efficiency
of these officers directly impact the effectiveness of government functioning and
public service delivery.

-Conclusion
The Union Public Service Commission stands as a cornerstone of India's
democratic framework, ensuring that the nation's civil services are staffed by
capable and dedicated individuals. Through its rigorous selection process, UPSC
not only upholds the values of merit and transparency but also contributes
significantly to the robust functioning of the Indian administrative system. As it
evolves with changing times, UPSC continues to be a beacon of excellence in
public service recruitment.