CITIZENSHIP AMENDMENT ACT 2019

Citizenship Amendment Act 2019 (CAA) 

The Citizenship Amendment Bill (CAA Bill) was first introduced in 2016 by the Lok Sabha by amending the Citizenship Act of 1955. This bill was referred to a Joint Parliamentary Committee, whose report was later submitted on January 7, 2019. The Citizenship Amendment Bill was passed on January 8, 2019, by the Lok Sabha which lapsed with the dissolution of the 16th Lok Sabha.  This Bill was introduced again on 9 December 2019 by the Minister of Home Affairs Amit Shah in the 17th Lok Sabha and was later passed on 10 December 2019. The Rajya Sabha also passed the bill on 11th December. 

The CAA was passed to provide Indian citizenship to the illegal migrants who entered India on or before 31st December 2014. The Act was passed for migrants of six different religions such as Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan. Any individual will be considered eligible for this act if he/she has resided in India during the last 12 months and for 11 of the previous 14 years. For the specified class of illegal migrants, the number of years of residency has been relaxed from 11 years to five years.

CAA 2019

• Citizenship Amendment Bill 2019 gets Parliament’s nod.

What is Citizenship?

• Citizenship defines the relationship between the nation and the people who constitute the nation.
• It confers upon an individual certain right such as protection by the state, right to vote and right to hold certain public offices, among others, in return for the fulfilment of certain duties/obligations owed by the individual to the state.

Citizenship in India

• The Constitution of India provides for single citizenship for the whole of India.
• Under Article 11 of the Indian Constitution, Parliament has the power to regulate the right of citizenship by law. Accordingly, the parliament had passed the Citizenship act of 1955 to provide for the acquisition and determination of Indian Citizenship.
• Entry 17, List 1 under the Seventh Schedule speaks about Citizenship, naturalization and aliens. Thus, Parliament has exclusive power to legislate with respect to citizenship.
• Until 1987, to be eligible for Indian citizenship, it was sufficient for a person to be born in India.
  • Then, spurred by the populist movements alleging massive illegal migrations from Bangladesh, citizenship laws were first amended to additionally require that at least one parent should be Indian.
• In 2004, the law was further amended to prescribe that not just one parent be Indian; but the other should not be an illegal immigrant.

To know more about citizenship in India, refer to the linked page.

Who is an illegal migrant in India?

Under the Act, an illegal migrant is a foreigner who:

• Enters the country without valid travel documents like a passport and visa, or
• Enters with valid documents, but stays beyond the permitted time period.

Illegal migrants may be put in jail or deported under the Foreigners Act, 1946 and the Passport (Entry into India) Act, 1920.

The  scenario before the passing of the Act

• Under the existing laws, an illegal migrant is not eligible to apply for acquiring citizenship. They are barred from becoming an Indian citizen through registration or naturalisation.
  • The Foreigners Act and the Passport Act debar such a person and provide for putting an illegal migrant into jail or deportation.
• A person can become an Indian citizen through registration.
  • Section 5 (a) of Citizenship act of 1955: A person of Indian origin who is ordinarily resident in India for seven years before making an application for registration;
  • And they should have lived in India continuously for 12 months before submitting an application for citizenship.
• Under the Citizenship Act, 1955, one of the requirements for citizenship by naturalization is that the applicant must have resided in India during the last 12 months, as well as for 11 of the previous 14 years.

What the Act intends to do?

• The Citizenship Amendment Act 2019 aims to make changes in the Citizenship Act, the Passport Act and the Foreigners Act if the illegal migrants belong to religious minority communities from three neighbouring countries of Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan.
• Simply put, the Citizenship Amendment Act will grant the illegal non-Muslim migrants the status of legal migrants despite them having come to India without valid documents and permission.

Features of CAA 2019

• The Act seeks to amend the Citizenship Act, 1955 to make Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi, and Christian illegal migrants from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Pakistan, eligible for citizenship of India. In other words, the Act intends to make it easier for non-Muslim immigrants from India’s three Muslim-majority neighbours to become citizens of India.
  • The legislation applies to those who were “forced or compelled to seek shelter in India due to persecution on the ground of religion”. It aims to protect such people from proceedings of illegal migration.
• The amendment relaxes the requirement of naturalization from 11 years to 5 years as a specific condition for applicants belonging to these six religions.
• The cut-off date for citizenship is December 31, 2014, which means the applicant should have entered India on or before that date.
• The Act says that on acquiring citizenship:
  • Such persons shall be deemed to be citizens of India from the date of their entry into India, and
  • All legal proceedings against them in respect of their illegal migration or citizenship will be closed.
• It also says people holding Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) cards – an immigration status permitting a foreign citizen of Indian origin to live and work in India indefinitely – can lose their status if they violate local laws for major and minor offences and violations.

Exception

• The Act adds that the provisions on citizenship for illegal migrants will not apply to the tribal areas of Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram, and Tripura, as included in the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution.
  • These tribal areas include Karbi Anglong (in Assam), Garo Hills (in Meghalaya), Chakma District (in Mizoram), and Tripura Tribal Areas District.
• It will also not apply to the areas under the Inner Line Permit under the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation, 1873.

Criticism

It is against Muslims

• The fundamental criticism of the Act has been that it specifically targets Muslims. Thus, the religious basis of citizenship not only violates the principles of secularism but also of liberalism, equality and justice.
  • It fails to allow Shia, Balochi and Ahmadiyya Muslims in Pakistan and Hazaras in Afghanistanwho also face persecution, to apply for citizenship.
  • A key argument against the CAA is that it will not extend to those persecuted in Myanmar and Sri Lanka, from where Rohingya Muslims and Tamils are staying in the country as refugees.
  • Neither is religious persecution the monopoly of three countries nor is such persecution confined to non-Muslims.

It violates Article 14

• Critics argue that it is violative of Article 14 of the Constitution, which guarantees the right to equality.
  • The CAA is in the teeth of Article 14, which not only demands reasonable classification and a rational and just object to be achieved for any classification to be valid but additionally requires every such classification to be non-arbitrary.
  • The Act is an instance of class legislation, as classification on the ground of religion is not permissible.

Why North East is objecting to CAA?

• In the Northeastern states, the prospect of citizenship for massive numbers of illegal Bangladeshi migrants has triggered deep anxieties, including fears of demographic change, loss of livelihood opportunities, and erosion of the indigenous culture.
• The Act appears to violate the Assam Accord, both in letter and spirit.
  • The Assam Accord, signed between the then Rajiv Gandhi-led central government and the All Assam Students’ Union (AASU), had fixed March 24, 1971, as the cutoff date for foreign immigrants. Those illegally entering Assam after this date were to be detected and deported, irrespective of their religion.
  • The Citizenship Amendment Act moved the cutoff date for six religions to December 31, 2014, something that is not acceptable to the Assamese-speaking people in Brahmaputra Valley, who insist that all illegal immigrants should be treated as illegal.
• There is also an economic problem. If tens of thousands leave Bangladesh and start staying legally in Assam and North East, the pressure will first show in the principal economic resource—land.
  • Also, since these will be legitimate citizens, there will also be more people joining the queue of job hopefuls that can potentially lower opportunities for the indigenous and the locals.
• It also boils down to the political rights of the people of the state. Migration has been a burning issue in Assam.
  • There is a view that illegal immigrants, who will eventually become legitimate citizens, will be determining the political future of the state.

Other issues surrounding CAA

• CAA does not consider Jews and atheists. They have been left out of the Act.
• The basis of clubbing Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Bangladesh together and thereby excluding other (neighbouring) countries is unclear.
  • A common history is not a ground as Afghanistan was never a part of British India and was always a separate country.
• Countries such as Nepal, Bhutan, and Myanmar, which share a land border with India, have been excluded.
  • The reason stated in the ‘Statement of Objects and Reasons’ of the Act is that these three countries constitutionally provide for a “state religion”; thus, the Act is to protect “religious minorities” in these theocratic states.
  • The above reasoning fails with respect to Bhutan, which is a neighbor and constitutionally a religious state with the official religion being Vajrayana Buddhism.
    • Non-Buddhist missionary activity is limited, construction of non-Buddhist religious buildings is prohibited and the celebration of some non-Buddhist religious festivals is curtailed. Yet, Bhutan has been excluded from the list.
  • Focus only on religious persecution:
    • On the classification of individuals, the Act provides benefits to sufferers of only one kind of persecution, i.e. religious persecution neglecting others.
    • Religious persecution is a grave problem but political persecution is also equally existent in parts of the world. If the intent is to protect victims of persecution, the logic to restrict it only to religious persecution is suspect.
  • The seemingly unconstitutional provisions of the CAA will deny equal protection of laws to similarly placed persons who come to India as “illegal migrants” but in fact grant citizenship to the less deserving at the cost of the more deserving.
    • The provisions of CAA might lead to a situation where a Rohingya who has saved himself from harm in Myanmar by crossing into India will not be entitled to be considered for citizenship, while a Hindu from Bangladesh, who might be an economic migrant and have not faced any direct persecution in his life, would be entitled to citizenship.
    • Similarly, a Tamil from Jaffna escaping the atrocities in Sri Lanka will continue to be an “illegal migrant” and never be entitled to apply for citizenship by naturalization.
  • There is also a reduction in the residential requirement for naturalization — from 11 years to five. The reasons for the chosen time frame has not been stated.

Arguments put forward by supporters of the Act

It is not against Muslims

• The Ahmediyas and Rohingyas can still seek Indian citizenship through naturalization (if they enter with valid travel documents).
  • In any case, since India follows the principle of non-refoulment (even without acceding to the Refugee Convention 1951), they would not be pushed back.
  • If a Shia Muslim is facing persecution and is in India seeking shelter, his case to continue to reside in India as a refugee shall be considered on its merits and circumstances.
  • With regard to Balochi refugees, Balochistan has long struggled to be independent of Pakistan and including Balochis in the CAA could be perceived as interference in Pakistan’s internal affairs.
  • The CAA, therefore, does not exclude Muslims from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan to apply for Indian citizenship. They can continue to do so in the same way singer Adnan Sami, for example, applied for citizenship.
• It is important to note that even minorities shall not be granted automatic citizenship. They would need to fulfill conditions specified in the Third Schedule to the Citizenship Act, 1955, namely, the good character requirement as well as physical residence in India
• Harish Salve, one of India’s biggest names in national and international law, has stated that the Citizenship Amendment Act is not anti-Muslim
  • Salve stated that the countries specified in the CAA have their own state religion and Islamic rules. He added that Islamic majority nations identify their people as per who follows Islam and who does not. Addressing governance problems in neighbouring countries is not the purpose of the CAA.
  • Over the issue of Rohingyas, Salve stated that a law that addresses one evil does not need to address all the evils in all countries. It is notable here that Myanmar, though a Buddhist majority nation, does not have a state religion and Myanmar does not feature in CAA bill.

The Act is not a violation of Article 14

Sovereign space

• To begin with, the justiciability of citizenship or laws that regulate the entry of foreigners is often treated as a ‘sovereign space’ where the courts are reluctant to intervene.
  • Thus in Trump v Hawaii No. 17-965, 585 U.S. (2018), the US Supreme Court upheld travel ban from several Muslim countries holding that regulation of foreigners including ingress is “fundamental sovereign attribute exercised by the government’s political departments largely immune from judicial control.”
  • Indian courts have generally followed a similar reasoning. In David John Hopkins vs. Union of India (1997), the Madras High Court held that the right of the Union to refuse citizenship is absolute and not fettered by equal protection under Article 14.
  • Similarly in Louis De Raedt vs. Union of India (1991), the Supreme Court held that the right of a foreigner in India is confined to Article 21 and he cannot seek citizenship as a matter of right.

With respect to North East

• Citizenship Amendment Act does not dilute the sanctity of the Assam Accord as far as the cut-off date of March 24, 1971, stipulated for the detection/deportation of illegal immigrants is concerned.
• Citizenship Amendment Act is not Assam-centric. It is applicable to the whole country. Citizenship Amendment Act is definitely not against National Register of Citizens (NRC), which is being updated to protect indigenous communities from illegal immigrants.
• Further, there is a cut-off date of December 31, 2014, and benefits under Citizenship Amendment Act will not be available for members of the religious minorities who migrate to India after the cut-off date.

Historical Connections

• The Act does not give a carte blanche to Hindus and Christians and Sikhs from other countries to come to India and get citizenship. Just these three countries. Why?
• Because each of these has been civilizationally tied with India. The circumstances in which they were partitioned from India have created a situation where Hindus and other minority population have been dwindling ever since the partition took place.
• Regarding including other countries in the neighbourhood the argument could be that we can deal with them separately if the need arises as we did in the case of persecuted Sri Lankan Tamils.

Conclusion

The parliament has unfractured powers to make laws for the country when it comes to Citizenship. But the opposition and other political parties allege this Act by the Government violates some of the basic features of the constitution like secularism and equality. It may reach the doors of the Supreme Court where the Supreme Court will be the final interpreter. If it violates the constitutional features and goes ultra-wires it will be struck down, if it is not we will continue to have the law.

But one thing that is most important is, an equilibrium has to be attained by New Delhi as this involves neighboring countries too. Any exaggerated attempt to host the migrants should not be at the cost of goodwill earned over the years. India being a land of myriad customs and traditions, a birthplace of religions and the acceptor of faiths and protector of persecuted in the past should always uphold the principles of Secularism going forward.

Nehru-Liaquat Pact

• It was an agreement between the Governments of India and Pakistan regarding Security and Rights of Minorities that was signed in Delhi in 1950 between the Prime ministers of India and Pakistan, Jawaharlal Nehru and Liaquat Ali Khan
• The need for such a pact was felt by minorities in both countries following Partition, which was accompanied by massive communal rioting.
• In 1950, as per some estimates, over a million Hindus and Muslims migrated from and to East Pakistan (present-day Bangladesh), amid communal tension and riots such as the 1950 East Pakistan riots and the Noakhali riots.

Under the Nehru-Liaquat pact

• refugees were allowed to return unmolested to dispose of their property
• abducted women and looted property were to be returned
• forced conversions were unrecognized
• minority rights were confirmed

What did India and Pakistan agree upon?

• “The Governments of India and Pakistan solemnly agree that each shall ensure, to the minorities throughout its territory, complete equality of citizenship, irrespective of religion, a full sense of security in respect of life, culture, property and personal honour, freedom of movement within each country and freedom of occupation, speech and worship, subject to law and morality,” the pact said.
• “Members of the minorities shall have equal opportunity with members of the majority community to participate in the public life of their country, to hold political or other office, and to serve in their country’s civil and armed forces. Both Governments declare these rights to be fundamental and undertake to enforce them effectively.”

Context

• Amit Shah referred to the Nehru-Liaquat pact on a few occasions in Parliament to justify the Citizenship Act.

PRESIDENT OF INDIA

President of India - Article 52-62

Indian President is the head of the state and he is also called the first citizen of India. He is a part of Union Executive, provisions of which are dealt with Article 52-78 including articles related to President (Article 52-62.)Under these articles, information on how a President is elected, his powers and functions and also his impeachment process is given.

   Table of Contents:

Who is President of India?

How is President elected? Who does not take part in the President’s elections? What is the term of President’s office? Questions related to President’s elections for UPSC

What are the qualifications of President? What are the conditions of the President’s office?

What is the procedure for impeachment of a President? Can the President’s office be vacant?

What are the powers and functions of President of India? Can the President’s office be vacant? Legislative Powers of President Financial Powers of President Judicial Powers of President Diplomatic Powers of President Military Powers of President Emergency Powers of President

Who is President of India?

Indian President is the head of the state. He is the first citizen of India and is a symbol of solidarity, unity and integrity of the nation. He is a part of Union Executive along with Vice-President, Prime Minister, Council of Ministers and Attorney-General of India.

How is President elected?

There is no direct election for the Indian President. An electoral college elects him. The electoral college responsible for President’s elections comprises elected members of:

1. Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha
2. Legislative Assemblies of the states (Legislative Councils have no role)
3. Legislative Assemblies of the Union Territories of Delhi and Puducherry

Note:

• Value of the vote of an MLA is given below:

• Value of the vote of MP is given below:

Who does not take part in the President’s elections?

The following group of people are not involved in electing the President of India:

1. Nominated Members of Lok Sabha (2) and Rajya Sabha (12)
2. Nominated Members of State Legislative Assemblies
3. Members of Legislative Councils (Both elected and nominated) in bicameral legislatures
4. Nominated Members of union territories of Delhi and Puducherry

What is the term of President’s office?

Once President is elected, he holds office for five years. He sits in the office even after the completion of five years given no new election have taken place or no new President has been elected till then. He can also be re-elected and there is no cap on his re-election.

Questions related to President’s elections for UPSC

There are a few facts which an IAS aspirant must know for UPSC 2020. Those facts are in given in a question-answer format in the table below:

What is the principle of election used in the President’s election?	Proportional Representation with means of a single transferable vote
How does voting take place in the election of Indian President?	It is a secret ballot system of voting
What is a quota of votes in President’s elections?
How is the Supreme Court (SC) involved in the President’s election?	Any dispute related to his election is taken up by SC. SC’s decision is final. Note: After the election of President is declared null and void, the acts done by the President in his office remain valid even after his removal.

What are the qualifications of President?

A candidate has to meet some qualifications to be elected as the president. Those qualifications of the President are:

1. He should be an Indian Citizen
2. His age should be a minimum of 35 years
3. He should qualify the conditions to be elected as a member of the Lok Sabha
4. He should not hold any office of profit under the central government, state government, or any public authority

What are the conditions of the President’s office?

There are a few conditions for the candidate running for the President’s elections:

1. He cannot be a member of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. If he has been a member of either of the house, he should vacate the seat on his first day as President in the office
2. He should not hold any office of profit
3. For his residence, Rashtrapati Bhavan is provided to him without the payment of rent
4. Parliament decides his emoluments, allowances and privileges
5. Parliament cannot diminish his emoluments and allowances during his term of office
6. He is given immunity from any criminal proceedings, even in respect of his personal acts
7. Arrest or imprisonment of President cannot take place. Only civil proceedings can be initiated for his personal acts that too after giving two months’ of prior notice.

What is the procedure for impeachment of a President?

The only condition for the initiation of impeachment of Indian president is the ‘violation of the constitution.’

Note: Indian Constitution contains no definition of ‘violation of constitution.’

The impeachment process of President is given below. (We have taken Lok Sabha as the first house to initiate the impeachment charges, however, Rajya Sabha too can initiate the impeachment charges against President and in that case, it will pass the resolution and send the charges to Lok Sabha which will investigate and pass it if it finds those charges valid.)

Can the President’s office be vacant?

Yes, his office can be vacant in the following ways:

1. When President of India completes his term of five years in the office
2. If the President resigns by putting forward his resignation to the Vice-President of India
3. If Lok Sabha/Rajya Sabha initiates an impeachment charge and they stand valid, he is removed
4. If he dies in the office
5. If Supreme Court declares his election invalid

What are the powers and functions of President of India?

Executive Powers of President

1. For every executive action that the Indian government takes, is to be taken in his name
2. He may/may not make rules to simplify the transaction of business of the central government
3. He appoints the attorney general of India and determines his remuneration
4. He appoints the following people:
   1. Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG)
   2. Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners
   3. Chairman and members of the Union Public Service Commission
   4. State Governors
   5. Finance Commission of India chairman and members
5. He seeks administrative information from Union government
6. He requires PM to submit, for consideration of the council of ministers, any matter on which a decision has been taken by a minister but, which has not been considered by the council
7. He appoints National Commissions of:
   1. Scheduled Castes
   2. Scheduled Tribes
   3. Other Backward Classes
8. He appoints inter-state council
9. He appoints administrators of union territories
10. He can declare any area as scheduled area and has powers with respect to the administration of scheduled areas and tribal areas

Legislative Powers of President

1. He summons or prorogues Parliament and dissolve the Lok Sabha
2. He summons a joint sitting of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha in case of deadlock
3. He addresses the Indian Parliament at the commencement of the first session after every general election
4. He appoints speaker, deputy speaker of Lok Sabha and chairman/deputy chairman of Rajya Sabha when the seats fall vacant (to know the difference between Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha check the linked article.)
5. He nominates 12 members of the Rajya Sabha
6. He can nominate two members to the Lok Sabha from the Anglo-Indian Community
7. He consults Election Commission of India on questions of disqualifications of MPs.
8. He recommends/ permits the introduction of certain types of bills 
9. He promulgates ordinances
10. He lays the following reports before the Parliament:
    1. Comptroller and Auditor General
    2. Union Public Service Commission
    3. Finance Commission, etc.

Financial Powers of President

1. To introduce the money bill, his prior recommendation is a must
2. He causes Union Budget to be laid before the Parliament
3. To make a demand for grants, his recommendation is a pre-requisite
4. Contingency Fund of India is under his control
5. He constitutes the Finance Commission every five year

Judicial Powers of President

1. Appointment of Chief Justice and Supreme Court/High Court Judges are on him
2. He takes advises from Supreme Court however, those advise are not binding on him
3. He has pardoning power: Under article 72, he has been conferred with power to grant pardon against punishment for an offence against union law, punishment by a martial court or death sentence.

Note: Pardoning powers of the president includes the following types:

• Pardon with the grant of pardon convicts both conviction and sentence completely absolved
• Commutation  with this nature of the punishment of the convict can be changed
• Remission reduces the term of the imprisonment
• Respite  awards lesser punishment than original punishment by looking at the special condition of a convict
• Reprieve stays the execution of the awarded sentence for a temporary period

Diplomatic Powers of President

1. International Treaties and agreements that are approved by the Parliament are negotiated and concluded in his name
2. He is the representative of India in international forums and affairs

Military Powers of President

He is the commander of defence forces of India. He appoints:

1. chief of the Army
2. chief of the Navy, and
3. chief of the Air Force

Emergency Powers of President

He deals with three types of emergencies given in the Indian Constitution:

1. National Emergency (Article 352)
2. President’s Rule (Article 356 & 365); and
3. Financial Emergency (Article 360)

What is the Ordinance Making Power of the President?

Article 123 deals with the ordinance making power of the President. President has many legislative powers and this power is one of them. President promulgates an ordinance on the recommendation of the union cabinet. To read more on Ordinance Making Power of the President, check the linked article.

What is the Veto Power of the President?

When a bill is introduced in the Parliament, Parliament can pass the bill and before the bill becomes an act, it has to be presented to the Indian President for his approval. It is on President of India to either reject the bill, return the bill or withhold his assent to the bill. The choice of the President over the bill is called his veto power. Veto Power of the President of India is guided by Article 111 of the Indian Constitution. 

PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION – Strategy: How to Prepare Better to Deal With Uncertainties

The recent performance of Public Administration has not been very encouraging. A number of factors have contributed to the same which include relatively tougher papers; abstract questions; stricter evaluation; less generous marking; mysterious scaling/moderation by UPSC etc.

However, as the number of ‘Pub Ad’ applicants reduces year by year (given its performance), it may be assumed that the present trend is unlikely to continue for long.

But, apart from these factors that are ‘external’ to the aspirants, some ‘internal’ factors also have contributed to the subject’s overall below par performance. Choosing ‘Pub Ad’ based on bandwagon effect; writing very general answers in Paper-2; not stressing enough on basics; attempting to write scholarly answers etc. are some of the most prominent factors. It is because of some of these general mistakes made frequently by aspirants that they end up scoring low in ‘Pub Ad’. And, the situation becomes even more difficult when these mistakes are not figured out.

To address the same, this article provides a detailed strategy while highlighting these issues wherever they deserve mention.

Coming straight to the core issue of scoring good marks in Public Administration, you will need the following:

• Clear Concepts – More on this will be explained later in the article
• Ability to express the concept clearly (logically) on paper which requires a lot of writing practice
• Ability to relate the subject with current affairs especially administrative and political issues
• Ability to substantiate your argument with facts, evidence, and committee reports etc.

• Imparting these angles to almost every answer that you write

1.  Backing you answer with theoretical foundations and perspective of various thinkers
2. Contemporary Administrative Practices
3. Comparative Public Administration angle

Before dealing with the above, an even more important issue deserves discussion. And, this is one of the most frequently made mistakes.

Why should you choose or not choose Public Administration?

You should NOT take the subject solely because

• Some neighbour/friend/relative/acquaintance IAS officer took it and scored good marks
• It overlaps with GS II, III & IV substantially
• Syllabus is shorter and can be finished earlier than most other optional papers
• It seems easy to comprehend and effort is less

You should GO for it

• If administrative matters in general genuinely evoke your interest
• If you enjoy reading highly abstract and theoretical stuff for e.g. perspective of administrative thinkers
• If you really like reading Indian Polity.
• If you have some experience of working in an organization and you have begun to show interest in group management/organizational behaviour/personnel management etc.

But, please do not choose the subject if you are not interested in it. This might sound cliché but that is the eternal truth. A lot of aspirants take this subject and lose interest after some time. They cover the syllabus, understand the subject, do writing practice too; but here is a catch.

Understanding a subject and expressing it on paper showing that you have understood it are two entirely different ball games. This is where most of the candidates miss it.

For e.g. you might study Chester Bernard’s ideas and feel confident about your grasp. But if you answer a twisted question on Bernard, you will notice that your writing suffers from incoherence, looks abstract and lacks a logical flow. This gives a bad impression to the examiner and you will be awarded low marks despite your intuitive understanding of the topic.

Public Administration is not rocket science. It is very easy to understand. But, to understand it in a way so that you can express it beautifully on paper requires you to spend considerable time with the subject. You will need to read the same book 5-6 times and until you internalize the entire vocabulary of Public Administration, the job is not done. You will need to understand the subject both intuitively and logically.

To do the above, you really need a strong interest in the subject. Otherwise, reading becomes a ritual and ritualistic reading leads nowhere.

While falling in love with Public Administration might sound outlandish, nothing less works.

Strategy for Paper-1

For clear concepts, you need to refer books that deal with the subject in the simplest manner possible. Avoid poorly edited books or coaching material that may seem to cover the entire syllabus because they will not add much to your conceptual clarity.

Before referring any book, go through previous year papers of 20 years for that topic to become acquainted with the demand of the subject.

1. Introduction: Read it from Sharma and Sadana or S Polianaidu. Supplement your reading with Mohit Bhattacharya. It will enrich your perspective. Almost all the pages will be important. We see little possibility of converting them into short notes. But you should jot down key ideas and concepts after second reading. Do not make notes right after first reading as you will not have a broader outlook of the subject and you may write everything in your notes.
2. Administrative Thought: One and only Prasad and Prasad should be referred for this. Since questions will inter-link thinkers, try relating the theory of one thinker to that of other. Also read the background of the thinker. You can always correlate his theories with his background for e.g. Max weber ideas on bureaucracy were also a product of him being under the German authoritative system of the 1920s.
3. Underline important lines/keywords like Mental Revolution, Zone of Indifference etc. Do try to remember some lines of these thinkers verbatim. It adds value to your answers in exam. Also, learn to apply these theories in real life administrative situations. UPSC has been asking case studies on the same. For e.g. you can relate Mcgregor’s theories to the present condition of the lower bureaucracy in India.
4. Administrative Behaviour: Sharma and Sadana covers it pretty exhaustively. For motivation theories of Herzberg, Maslow etc, you can also refer to Prasad and Prasad. There is immense scope of making short notes here. The topics are also very easy to understand.  
5. Organisations: Refer Sharma and Sadana for all topics except PPP. For PPP refer Fadia and Fadia. Please do not refer Fadia for other topics because this book, in my view, is poorly edited; very repetitive; lacks coherence and clarity. There is a lot of scope for relating this part to the Indian administration (paper-2). Quote examples and facts from the Indian context in answers. You need not necessarily quote international examples.
6. Accountability and control; 6. Administrative Law: For both of them refer Sharma and Sadana. For dynamic topics like Civil Society, Right to Information, Citizen Charters keep an eye on international and national developments. Quote them heavily in your answers. Use small case studies if possible.
7. Comparative Public Administration; 7. Development Dynamics: Ramesh K Arora – CPA is a brilliant book. It is a small book and covers the topic exhaustively. You can be assured of answering even the most twisted questions on CPA. For those who don’t have Arora, refer S. Polianaidu. Even though he covers CPA in a fragmented manner, it covers the topic thoroughly. Development administration is covered better in Polianaidu.
8. Try to use cross-cultural examples heavily in answers. For e.g. Pakistan is an unbalanced polity with military at the helm of affairs in major policy matters; but India is a balanced polity where all organs of the government get their due share in policy making.

9. Personnel Administration: Sharma and Sadana should be referred. And as Prince Dhawan (AIR-3, CSE 2011) rightly pointed out this topic should be covered alongwith Civil Services of Paper-2.
10. Public Policy: IGNOU BA and MA Public Policy cover it thoroughly. There will be various modules that cover the same topic in BA and MA modules. So read it selectively. You can analyse present Indian policy decisions with respect to the various models given here.
11. Techniques of Administrative Improvement: There is no single good source. Mohit Bhattacharya covers in a scanty manner, nevertheless go through it once. You will need to rely on the internet mostly. Questions from these topics do not carry much weightage.
12. Financial Administration: Combine this with Financial Management from Paper-2. Both can be covered from Sharma and Sadana and current events in India. A lot of questions are being asked from this area. Prepare it well. Try making consolidated notes of both theoretical financial administration and Indian financial management.

After reading all these books once, go through Mohit Bhattacharya which is often called as the “Gita” of Public Administration. After finishing this book, you will begin to see the entire subject much more clearly and seamlessly connected. A lot of questions come directly from this book. Also, this covers the “new horizons” of Public Administration like Network Governance; Feminism in Administration etc. which may not be found in other traditionally rooted books.

Now, go through previous year papers again. Try answering questions. If you cannot, you will need a few more readings.

Start making notes from all these books in the second or third reading. Revise your notes as frequently as possible and as many times as possible. Understand the subject in and out. When you write, this understanding should reflect on paper.

Strategy for Paper-2

We need not pinpoint different books for different topics here because you only need to refer three sources:

1. Indian Administration by Rajni Goyal and Ramesh Arora – entire book. Making notes is not very useful as a large part of the syllabus coincides with Indian Polity of GS-II. The book covers almost all topics exhaustively

2. Second ARC reports cover the rest of the issues. These are very high quality reports. Its recommendations should be used heavily in your Paper-2 answers. Also try to make short notes. Reports that should be referred are:

• Personnel Administration
• State and District Administration
• Public Order
• Disaster Management
• Local Government
• Ethics in Governance (Selectively)
  3.  Other topics are mostly dynamic. Newspapers are the best source. The Hindu, Indian Express and Livemint editorials frequently comment on administrative matters. Also note down any new policies, plans, committees etc. Make issue-wise notes. Questions from current issues have a very high weightage. Do not ignore these at any cost. You will also need to quote facts/examples/ideas from the editorials quite often in your answers.

You need not refer to IJPA journals. Even if you refer them where will you use the content in your answers? IJPA journals are PhD plus stuff. You only need a graduate plus level of understanding here.

Answer Writing

There are no separate strategies for Paper-1 and Paper-2. In both the cases you will need to give Indian examples, write logically, and present arguments from both sides. Once you internalize the subject, answer writing will not require a lot of effort. But, if you have read the subject only once, you may face problems in presenting your viewpoint logically. Keep the following in mind while writing answers.

Do not write general answers as you write in GS. They should be ‘Pub Ad’ answers. Use administrative terminology from the subject; quote thinkers and theories in your answer; and explore the issue on administrative lines.

For e.g. if a question on reducing the size of Indian Cabinet comes, you should be able to write its positive and negative implications based on delegation and decentralization; efficiency; organizational behaviour; informal grouping angle etc.

In paper-1 especially, try relating your answer with the basic theories, contemporary and cross-cultural practices. For e.g. in comparing the strength of executive accountability to legislature, compare that of US and India. You can also quote that in 2013 US Congress stopped fund flow to the executive. Such financial control is difficult to achieve in India given the dominance of executive in the Indian Parliament.

Also, try to cover almost any answer right from its basics. For e.g. if a question on comparison between Bernard and Simon comes, you should first clearly state what both thinkers claim, and then explore similarities or dissimilarities.

Same works for Paper-2 as well. For e.g. when writing an answer on local government, start from the basic provisions in the constitution relating to that question. When analysis of a policy or judgment is asked, first give a small introduction of the policy.

Try to quote committees like Punchhi, 2nd ARC, Sarkaria in your answers wherever possible. For e.g. there was a question in 2014on the possibility of giving regulatory powers to the PRIs apart from developmental functions. You can directly quote both 2nd ARC and Padmanabhaiah committee that recommend giving local policing powers to PRIs. The answer looks richer this way making a good impression on the examiner.

You can write either in paragraphs or points. A mixture of points and paragraphs written under sub-headings give a structure to your answer, and make the job of the examiner easier.

Finally, do not write in a complicated language. Use Simple English in an administrative style with short sentences covering relevant examples after every one-two paragraphs.

UPSC is not looking for scholars of Public Administration. You should only be able to state the concept clearly on paper and take a fair stand on issues after giving appropriate arguments and evidence from both sides. That is enough.

“You have to learn the rules of the game. And then you have to play better than anyone else.” – Albert Einstein

Please just make sure you are doing it right. Wish you all the best!