Harpreet

Singh - All India Rank 19 – Public Administration Optional

Public Administration is one tricky subject depending on the average scores candidates have got in
last few years. Relatively in 2018 CSE exam, There is a good number of candidates making it to final
list taking Public Administration as optional. I scored 331 marks in Public Administration this year (
162 + 169).

To score good marks in Public Administration, one has to understand that there is difference
between the understanding aspect of subject and actually reflecting that in your answer copy.

For Understanding part, there are standard books like Prasad & Prasad,Mohit Bhattacharaya, Rajni &
Goyal , Nicholas Henry and reports on Administrative Reforms Commission, which almost every
candidate reads. One has to cover the syllabus thoroughly and has to have sufficient basic
understanding. Once you are done with it, its half battle won.

The real game starts when you are to write the answers. The quality of your answers will improve
when :

1. You actually understand what Question is asking & why the question is being asked in the
first place. It may seem very static question but there is always some hidden theme there
especially in Paper II.
2. One has to relate aspects of the questions with examples from INDIAN ADMINISTRATION.
This, I cannot emphasise more. The more dynamic and updated your examples are, more is
the probabilty of fetching good marks. [For Example: When you are writing about
Performance Appraisal, Write about SPARROW (Smart Performance Appraisal Report
Recording Online Window ) initiative of Government under e-office. Just an example.] The
question is how to find these examples and things ?
a. For this one has to keep googling topics using Google News or other sources like
DOPT news head under PIB or DOPT website syllabus-wise. Newspaper articles also
come handy. [There is no alternative to this work. Every person will find different
things amusing and will eventually end up having his/her own examples and own
understanding ]
b. These new happenings and findings have to be consolidated at one place otherwise
its no use wasting time if you cant remember, in later stages of your preparation,
what you actually looked for.
c. For each and every topic of the syllabus, one should be replete with examples with
facts so that one does not feel wanting during exam.
d. Dig into Government websites, Get the grasp of actual picture of various
Departments and bodies. How they are actually performing, recent controversies
related with them.
3. When writing examples, try to be using accurate information with facts and figures. And
write examples properly and illustrate them. Dont write examples in the old cliched way as :
“eg: x , y, z, etc” . Illustrations can actually help fetching more marks. These things gives
impression that person actually knows what he is writing and that matters.
4. When you are to write Definitions, Try to write latest ones. For Example, Public
administration as defined by MINNOWBROOK III rather than writing anything else.
5. Most of other suggestions are universal and applies everywhere like: Using ARC II , Using
article numbers (in case you remember), using Supreme Court Judgements.



The way I approached exam :
As soon I got the question paper. There are like 2–3 minutes with you before bell rings. During that
time, I read 10 markers question carefully and scribbled my question paper with short intros,
examples and case studies which I was to write, before starting to actually write the answers. This
helped me give broad perspective so that I don’t forget something which I wanted to write.

I approached with 10 markers first taking around 1 hr 15 min(+5) . Next priority was 20 markers.
Then I finished 15 markers.
One Thing I learnt from last attempt : As its usually said that, try relating with Paper II while writing
Paper I and vice-versa . I did it last year. It got me 150 in Paper I and 113 in Paper II. After performing
poorly in Paper II, I skipped “vice-versa” part. It worked for me.

What I feel matters :
1. Reflection of understanding in subject, comes through your ability to relate subject with present
day examples.
2. Your answers being different from the crowd. There has to be some newness. This will
automatically come if you have good examples.
3. Facts and Figures are cherry on the Top.
4. And, of-course, completing the paper matters.

Also, One can join a good test series before actual exam and work on the checked answer copies and
get different viewpoints.
Rest leave it on destiny. In the end, you never know who is going to evaluate your copy. Do your best
and have faith on your preparation