Cabinet approved FTA in trade and services with ASEAN

Cabinet approved FTA in trade and services with ASEAN

The Cabinet approved a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) in trade and services with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

Objective: To promote the movement of Indian professionals in the 10-nation ASEAN. The Agreement on Investment would protect, promote and increase foreign investment flows into the country and also removes and barriers.

Note: The Comprehensive Economic Cooperation (CECA) between India and ASEAN was signed in 2003. The Cabinet approved the Agreement on Trade Goods under the CECA with the ASEAN in July 2009.

Highest ever power generation capacity added in a year RGGVY reforms undertaken to benefit the poor

Power generation capacity addition exceeds target in 2012-13

Highest ever power generation capacity added in a year

RGGVY reforms undertaken to benefit the poor

Financial Restructuring Plan to strengthen the State- owned DISCOMs

Grid security and grid discipline becomes priority

Two more UMPPs reach bidding stage under revised bidding norms

6.5 million tons of oil equivalents saved in the PAT scheme within a year of its launch

Year End Review of Ministry of Power

Year End Review-2013

Power is imperative to the overall development of a nation. Be it faring well on the healthcare index or ensuring that every child goes to school, availability of electricity is closely linked to these as well as other indicators of progress. Managing energy resources well not only ensures economic progress but also social development.

The year 2013 saw several important decisions and critical steps  being taken to speed up the languishing power projects, remove bottlenecks, and interact closely with all stakeholders whether state governments, ministries, or the private sector to make power generation a seamless process.

Installed Capacity/Capacity Addition and Power Generation:

The total installed capacity of the power sector stood at 2,29,252 MW by 31st October 2013 with the private sector contributing a significant 72,927 MW and including 12% from Renewable sources. The power sector saw a total capacity addition of 20,622.8 MW during 2012-13 which is the highest record of capacity addition in a year so far with a little less than half of it coming from the private sector and also exceeded the target of 17956 MW  for the year 2012-13. For the year 2013-14 a capacity addition target of 18,432 MW including 2000 MW of nuclear power has been set, with the highest contribution of 7859 MW expected from the private sector. A capacity addition of 7,008 MW has already been achieved till 10.12.2013.

24^th May, 2013 was a historic day in for power generation in India with the highest ever generation of 128 GW in a day.

 Power generation in India is still heavily reliant on coal and gas with thermal accounting for more than 80% of annual power generation. State owned NTPC emerged as the largest power producer in the country accounting for more than 28% of power produced in the country in 2012-13.

The total power generation of 912 Billion Units in 2012-13 from conventional sources fell only marginally short of the target. The power generation target for 2013-14 is 975 BU out of which 562 BU was already achieved by 31st October, 2013.

 Power Supply position in the country has improved during the current year (2013-14). The energy and peak shortages in the country have reduced from 8.6% & 9.0% during April-2012 - Nov, 2012 to 4.5% & 4.2% respectively, during April- Nov, 2013.

Transmission

Inspite of bottlenecks , it was possible to add 17107 ckm of transmission lines during the year 2012-13 and it is proposed to lay 18674 ckm of transmission lines during 2013-14, out of which 7620 ckm is already achieved till November 2013.   Number of substations targeted for the period are 35363 MVA and achieved upto Nov 2013 are 26180 MVA. Purnea- Bihar Sharieftransmission line which was commissioned this year  became the  first transmission line in the private sector .

Work is now on on transmission voltages of -+800kV HVDC & 1200kV 1200kV UHVAC after  Conserving Right-of-Way (RoW), minimizing impact on natural resources, coordinated development of cost effective transmission corridor, flexibility in upgradation of transfer capacity of lines matching with power transfer requirement became  major areas of concern in development of transmission network in the country.

The southern grid connectivity got fast-tracked in the current year and 60 per cent of the work got completed with the establishment of 315 towers.  The grid connectivity is likely to be completed by January, 2014.

R-APDRP (Restructured-Accelerated Power Development and Reforms Programme)

 Under R-APDRP, government gives financial assistance for setting up automated systems of energy data collection and energy accounting and incentives by way of grants for reducing AT & C losses. Projects worth Rs. 37,189.82 cr are now under implementation.

RGGVY (Rajiv Gandhi Grameen Vidyutikaran Yojana)

The government has been able to surpass the targets set for the RGGVY under the Bharat Nirman programme. Since its inception, electrification works in 1.08 (96%) lakh un-electrified villages, 3.03 lakh (79%) partially electrified villages have been completed and free electricity connections to 2.13 crore (77%) BPL households have been released under RGGVY as on 15.11.2013. Reforms introduced in RGGVY this year are meant to ensure energisation of villages as compared to mere electrification.  Now, villages with just 100 people will also get access to electricity while there has been an increase in prescribed load for a BPL household to 250 watts (up from 40 watts)  and for an APL household to 500 watts (up from 250 watts).

Financial Restructuring of State DISCOMs

To rescue the state owned DISCOMs from their financial difficulties, the scheme of Financial Restructuring Plan was notified this year. The scheme provides for various measures to ensure financial and operational discipline for the state owned DISCOMs and support from the GOI in the form of Transitional Finance Mechanism.  The scheme has been successfully implemented in Tamil Nadu, UP, Rajasthan and Haryana. FRPs have also been finalised for states of Bihar, Jharkhand and Andhra Pradesh.

Rationalisation of tariffs has already been carried out by 24 SERCs/JERCs.

Grid Security & Grid Discipline

Managing the world’s third largest power transmission system grid is an increasingly complex task. India faced major grid failures in July 2012. To ensure grid security, islanding scheme for Delhi has been completed while that for UP, Punjab and Haryana under finalisation. Unscheduled drawals were strictly controlled during the peak season this year. Discoms were asked to ensure compliance within +/- 150 MW or 12% of their schedules irrespective of frequency. Feeder transmission lines were identified for disconnection in case of violation of overdrawal limits.  Installation ofSyncro Phasor Management Units for real time network management at a cost of Rs 655 cr was also approved.

Further, the establishment of Power System Operation Corporation (POSOCO) as an independent wholly owned Government of India Company, under the administrative control of Ministry of Power, is under consideration of the Government of India.

Smart Grid

14 Smart Grid Pilot projects identified in 2012 were approved for 50% funding by Government of India in July 2013.

The Smart Grid Vision and Road map document for India was released during Power Minister’s Conference on 10th Sep’13. Activities for planning the launch of National Smart Grid Mission have been initiated.

Emphasis on clearances & removing bottlenecks

 Large number of power projects have been held up for want of environment and forest and other clearances and due to fuel supply bottlenecks especially with regard to coal and gas. This year the emphasis has been to follow up on these aspects with a sense of extreme urgency. As a result, as many as nine important hydro electric projects received environmental, forest and wildlife clearances this year including Teesta- IV in Sikkim, Kol Dam in HP, Tawang-II in Arunachal Pradesh, Loktak in Manipur among others.

With the concerted efforts made by MOP, Power Unities have already signed fuel supply agreements for 157 Units totalling around 71,000 MW upto 27.11.2013 out of a total of 78,000MW.

To ensure good quality coal to power producers, the Ministry of Power (MoP) had taken up with Ministry of Coal (MoC) for introduction Third Party Sampling in supply of coal.  Coal India Ltd. has appointed an agency for Third Party Sampling.  Third Party Sampling became operational from October onwards. 

 Pass Through Mechanism was also introduced in the current year to allow power producers of competitively bid power projects to pass on the hike in fuel cost like imported coal into the tariff. Hike in fuel costs affect the viability of power projects whose tariff is not charged on cost plus basis.

Due to shortfall in production of domestic coal by 75 MT, Power Utilities have been advised to import 50 MT of imported coal as per the equivalent Gross Calorific Value (GCV) of the imported coal.

In a major victory for the power sector, the government decided that the total domestic gas supply to fertilizer sector be capped at their present level of 31.5 MMSCMD and all additional domestic gas from the year 2013-14, 2014-15 and 2015-16 will be allotted to power sector to help improve generation.

Ultra Mega Power Projects

The revised Standard Bidding Documents for Ultra Mega Power Projects (UMPPs) were introduced this year which include several features that are designed to boost investors’ confidence. On the basis of these revised Bidding Documents, two UMPPs have been brought to bidding stage ie  Odisha and Cheyyur (Tamil Nadu) UMPPs . These UMPPs will provide an investment opportunity of over Rs.40000 crore to private sector both domestic and overseas and would lead to a capacity addition of about 8000 MW.

4 UMPPs have so far been transferred to the selected developer namely (i) Mundra in Gujarat, (ii) Sasan in Madhya Pradesh, (iii) Krishnapatnam in Andhra Pradesh and (iv) Tilaiya inJharkhand.All the five Units (5X 800 MW) of Mundra has been commissioned.

Sasan first Unit (1X 660 MW) commissioned in May, 2013.

Several other UMPPs are in the pipeline ie (i) Nayunipalli in Andhra Pradesh, (ii) Husainabad in Jharkhand, (iii) Bijoypatna in Bhadrak district for coastal location and Narla & Kasinga inKalahandi district for inland location in Odisha, (iv) UMPP in Bihar and (v) sites in Tamil Nadu and Gujarat for second UMPPs (Site yet to be finalized).

 Special Focus on Jammu & Kashmir and North-Easter Region (NER)

24 hours power supply was assured to distant Leh and Kargil areas by the full commissioning of the Nimu Bazgo and Chutak Hydro Projects in J&K this year. The Transmission line from Srinagar to Leh was approved which will provide the much needed electricity to the Ladakh region. In J & K, 14 projects (3 projects in 10th Plan and 11 projects in 11th Plan) have been sanctioned under RGGVY. Cumulatively, as on 15.11.2013, the electrification works in 192 UE villages and 3,018 PE villages have been completed and free electricity connections to 64,255 BPL households have been released. 

Adequate funding will be made available to Arunachal Pradesh for their sub-transmission projects. The Northeast Agra link to transmit clean energy from the North-Eastern and Eastern region of India to the city of Agra across a distance of 1,728 kilometers has already been inaugurated. Foundation stone was laid for Bishwanath-Chairyali (6000 MW)  HVDC link for evacuation of power from Hydro projects in NER. Due to constant pursuance with DONER, EGOM has been set up for resolving issued concerning clearances and infrastructure requirements for Hydro Projects in the North-East. 

Efforts on war footing being made for speedy clearances to hydro electric power projects in the J & K and NER like  Dibang Central (3000 MW) by NHPC in Arunachal Pradesh, TipaimukhCentral (1500 MW) by NHPC in Manipur, Pakal Dul (1000 MW) under Joint Venture in J&K, Subansiri in Assam among others.

Energy Efficiency & Energy Saving

The Perform, Achieve and Trade (PAT) scheme under the National Mission for Enhanced Energy Efficiency (NMEEE) has already helped to save 6.5 million tons of oil equivalent within a year of its launch last year.

Various Energy Efficiency Policies of Government of India have resulted in an Avoided Generation Capacity to the tune of 10,836 MW during 11th plan period.

The participating units of 2013 National Energy Conservations Awards programme have achieved an annual monetary savings of Rs. 4141 Crores. These units have also saved energy equivalent to the energy generated from a 711 MW Thermal Power Station.

It has been mandatory from this year onwards that all ministries/departments while procuring appliances will ensure that they show the threshold BEE star rating carried against them. This scheme of public procurement of energy efficient appliances will help to save 15-20% energy use of these offices equivalent to avoided installation of a 250 MW capacity thermal power plant.

Institutional Mechanism to address problems faced by the power sector

For the first time, two conferences of state power Ministers and Secretaries were held in a year. Also for the first time two meetings were held with heads of CERC/SERCs this year. Advisory group of industrialists, consultants and economists has been set up to come up with joint solutions to problems facing the power sector. The group meets very frequently. Frequent meetings of Parliament Consultative Committee are being held on critical issues facing the power sector. 

In a nutshell this has been an action packed year for the power sector wherein all the stakeholders worked with a determination to take this sector to a new high.

The real winners at Bali

At the ninth ministerial meeting at Bali in Indonesia, trade Ministers, representing the 159 members of the World Trade Organization (WTO), managed to reach an agreement in the wee hours of December 6. The fact that an agreement was possible at all is seen to be as significant as the issues on which a consensus was reached. This is because the WTO and the Doha round, in particular, needed a booster shot as it were to retain their relevance.

Days before the Bali meet, discussions, among trade officials, were leading to nowhere. It was widely feared that the Bali ministerial would go the way of all its predecessors.

The Doha development round was launched way back in 2001, soon after the terrorist attack in the U.S. in a bold move to infuse confidence in world trade. Yet, several ministerials, attended by political leaders and countless negotiations involving officials at the WTO headquarters at Geneva and elsewhere, failed to produce a single agreement during the 12-long years.

So much so, the feeling was universal that the Doha round had slipped into irrelevance. Its moribund state called into question the very basis of multilateral trade that the WTO has been propagating.

A dwindling faith in multilateralism has spawned several moves to bypass the WTO. Thus, as member-countries started reposing faith in bilateral agreements among countries and regional pacts to reap short-term gains, world trade was getting ‘balkanised’, making the eventual move towards multilateral trade that much more difficult. India and other developing countries, even while actively pursuing the bilateral route and regional pacts, had every reason to worry over the long-term consequences of the drift away from multilateral trade.

In many ways, the Bali agreement was driven by a fear that the big emerging economies would be left out of two giant trade pacts in the offing. Specifically, the U.S. and the EU have launched negotiations to conclude a trans-atlantic trade agreement. Japan and ten other Pacific Rim countries are getting close to finalising a Trans-Pacific Partnership. India, Indonesia, Brazil and Russia, which are unlikely to figure in the above pacts, see in a revived WTO their best hope for having a voice in global trade.

To the WTO’s rescue

The role of the new WTO Secretary-General, Roberto Azevedo, has been very significant. In fact, many commentators say he is the real star of the Bali meet. There were apprehensions that a career diplomat from Brazil, a developing country, would not quite fit the bill. Neither the E.U. nor the U.S. had backed his candidature unequivocally. In these circumstances, Mr. Azevedo pulled off a deal, which, under WTO rules, requires unanimous support from all members.

A revived WTO is good for all countries. Its success in years to come will depend how the more intractable parts of the Doha round are taken care of.

The Bali Declaration has major implications for India and other developing countries. Of the two main issues — food security and trade facilitation — on which the agreement was reached, the former concerns India and other developing countries, which need to subsidise food for the poor, while the latter is significant for developed and developing countries. India, represented by Commerce Minister Anand Sharma, has claimed victory for holding out and eventually securing important concessions in food subsidy.

The core discussions on agriculture centred on two viewpoints on the price benchmark for the valuation of food stocks that a country can legally hold. India wanted current prices to be the basis, but that was not acceptable to the U.S. and many others.

Among other reasons, it would involve amending the Uruguay Round agreements. India, as an alternative, proposed an interim solution.

The U.S. suggestion for a sunset clause of four years was not acceptable to India. A final deal was struck to have an interim agreement until a more permanent arrangement was worked out. So, obviously, many more rounds of discussions are on the cards.

The interim nature of the agreement is just one of the reasons that diminish the gloss from India’s ‘victory’.

Strong provisions, weak implementation

Although the state is required to give wide publicity to the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, the law is relatively unknown even to those who need to apply it

Amid the public outcry raging on the streets over instances of rape of children across the nation, the victimised and abused child suffers in silence. Traumatised, dejected and horrified family members of the unfortunate victims find themselves helpless, confused and unable to cope in the aftermath of the heinous crime.

Even though on May 22, 2012, Parliament passed the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 (POCSO), which came into force on November 14, 2012, this special law to protect children from offences of sexual assault, sexual harassment and pornography, remains an unimplemented law, unknown to most and beyond the reach of those who need to apply it. Sadly, the result is that POCSO — a necessity in India where 40 per cent of the population is below the age of 18 and where over 53 per cent of children reportedly surveyed in 2007 stated that they had experienced one or more forms of sexual abuse — is not complied with despite being in the statute book. There are demands for stiff penalties, expeditious new laws and fast-track courts although POCSO, as a wholesome law, already says it all.

Until recently, various provisions of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) were used to deal with sexual offences against children as the law did not make a distinction between an adult and a child. POCSO deals with sexual offences against persons below 18, who are deemed as children. POCSO provides definitions of “penetrative sexual assault”, “sexual assault” and “sexual harassment” — the offence is considered graver if it is committed by a police officer, public servant, any member of the staff at a remand home, protection or observation home, jail, hospital or educational institution, or by a member of the armed or security forces.

POCSO provides for relief and rehabilitation as soon as the complaint is made to the Special Juvenile Police Unit or the local police, who are required to make immediate arrangements for care and protection. The intent to commit an offence, as defined under POCSO, is also punishable, besides abetment of sexual abuse against a child.

Special emphasis has been placed on ensuring the speedy disposal of trials in special children’s courts as well as following of special procedures to keep the accused away from the child at the time of testifying. Awareness

Despite POCSO enjoining the Central and State governments to take measures for giving wide publicity through the media — television, radio and print — and imparting periodic training to all stakeholders on the matters relating to implementation of POCSO’s provisions, the Act is relatively unknown. Shockingly, in the most recent rape case, the Delhi Police included the Act’s provisions in the FIR reportedly after two days of its filing on April 15, 2013. In the infamous Apna Ghar Rohtak shelter home case of May 2012, where over 100 inmates were allegedly subjected to sexual abuse, the POCSO provisions have reportedly still not been invoked against the accused. The passing of the salutary law is more than significant for a variety of reasons. It defines exclusively the crime of sexual offences against children and fulfils the mandatory obligations of India as a signatory to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of The Child, acceded to on December 11, 1992. For monitoring and implementation of the provisions of POCSO, the Act enjoins that the National Commission and State Commissions for Protection of Child Rights constituted under the Commissions for Protection of Child Rights Act, 2005, shall ensure the effective implementation of the provisions of POCSO. The Supreme Court had, in a hard-hitting directive issued on February 7, 2013, ordered all States to ensure that the regulatory and monitoring bodies are constituted and made functional. However, till date, such Commissions are either only partially-functional or effectively non-functional.

Acting upon a petition by the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR), the High Court, in a path-breaking judgment rendered on April 9, 2013, directed Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh to ensure that State Commissions for Protection of Child Rights become fully functional, are headed by a person who has been a Judge of the High Court, and that chairpersons and members are appointed through a transparent selection process.

The High Court further directed mandatory registration of all children’s homes, constitution and notification of children’s courts and appointment of special public prosecutors besides ordering the setting up of a proper panel to select members of various committees to be set up for child welfare.

Hence, the entire machinery for monitoring child rights has been galvanised. It has also been ordered that the National Commissions and State Commissions shall start implementing POCSO’s provisions while discharging their functions and that modules/training programmes be initiated in the Chandigarh Judicial Academy to sensitise all stakeholders on child rights and deal with cases in Children’s Court. It is now for the State governments to implement this beneficial mandate and create an effective machinery to check heinous crimes of gross sexual abuse against children.

The Justice Verma Committee Report, in one of its conclusions on child sexual abuse, holds that “there is an urgent need to audit the performance of all institutions of governance and law and order”.

We need to consolidate our efforts and focus our energies on existing laws rather than looking to amend more laws and making still further newer laws, alien to our culture, society, habits, lifestyles and harsh realities of the common man. Insofar as child sex abuse is concerned, POCSO is a wholesome law. The government must create the machinery to implement it and educate its officers besides all stakeholders on what it contains.

The state must not waste time exploring alternatives when the answers exist in a law made by Parliament for these special offences against children, the most vulnerable section of society.

Ending ‘VIP culture’ in public governance

The political executive and the permanent executive should realise they are public servants first and work in harmony to achieve the constitutional objectives

There is a need to arrest the ‘laal batti’ [red beacon] culture in public governance. The Supreme Court of India has been delivering a variety of judgments on matters of public governance, and these have been the subject of debate and discussion. Some of these related to the role of criminals in legislatures, the option to exercise the voting right to reject all contesting candidates by what is known as the “none of the above” option (NOTA), insisting on a fixed tenure for top civil servants’ postings, effecting the transfer of senior civil servants through a Civil Services Board, and civil servants necessarily obtaining written orders from their political masters before implementation. The latest judgment on the use of the red beacon has become a bone of contention. It is indeed timely, significant and relevant as it attacks the feudal mindset of our public servants.

A view has often been expressed that such intervention by the Supreme Court to improve the quality of public governance and democracy would amount to judicial overreach, not warranted by the spirit of the constitutional provisions. In line with this critical view, Pinky Anand, a Senior Advocate in the Supreme Court, wrote in The Hindu (“Keeping politicians at bay”, Nov. 26, 2013) raising some issues on the role of the bureaucracy and politicians, and the maintainability of the petition filed under Article 32 of the Constitution on the relationship between politicians and civil servants. The author stated: “The Supreme Court has assumed itself to be superior to Parliament and is directing Parliament to enact new laws, which seems to be violating the fundamental principle of Separation of Powers.”

But nowhere did the judgment suggest or imply such a view. Para 29 recognises Parliament’s authority to bring in legislation to set up a Civil Services Board. A reference is made to the statement by the Union government’s counsel to the effect that a draft Bill titled “Civil Services Performance Standards And Accountability Bill, 2010” was under the government’s consideration. In several cases, includingVineet Narain (1998) and Prakash Singh (2006), the Supreme Court had recommended legislation to fill the vacuum, and issued directions as an interim measure.

The Supreme Court invoked this approach in the landmark judgment in Vishaka vs. State of Rajasthan(1997), setting out guidelines to prevent sexual harassment and discrimination at the workplace. Although one may not differ with Ms. Anand in arguing that the vacuum in governance prompted the judiciary to step in, the reluctance, indifference and insensitivity on the part of governments cannot be overlooked. The main reason for such an attitude seems to be the fear of erosion of political authority in governance.

A case in point is the lackadaisical approach to the subject of electoral reforms. Although some electoral reforms were recommended by the Election Commission of India, the Law Commission and civil society organisations, ruling parties have justified their inaction on the ground that there was no political consensus. It is amazing that while many pieces of legislation are being enacted with the necessary majority, election reforms and such other governance reforms are not getting through owing to lack of political consensus. This is but lack of political will, and is based on selfish reasons of survival.

Ms. Anand questioned the competence and expertise of the petitioners in asking the “judiciary to overreach into the domain of the executive”. The petitioners made no such request. Their expertise cannot be doubted, considering that collectively they had 2,500 man-years of hands-on experience in public administration. All that they sought was action on the reports of government-appointed commissions and committees, including the Administrative Reforms Commission which was headed by political personalities.

The court’s direction on the subject of the tenure of officers is criticised as an act of “taking away the privilege of Ministers to work with the best officers of their choosing”. But the author overlooks the fact that the judgment explicitly recognises the right of the political leadership to overrule the recommendations of the Civil Services Board by stating that in such a case the reasons had to be recorded by the political masters. The judgment does not in any way impinge upon the domain of the political executive.

An obnoxious nexus

Supreme Court judgments on such matters relating to public administration should not be seen as an issue between the political class and the permanent executive. On the other hand, it has to be seen as an attempt to promote good governance and quality democracy in order to achieve the rule of law and equality of opportunities. Unfortunately, in India there is an obnoxious nexus between some members of both the political class and the bureaucracy, which has, over time, gradually resulted in deterioration of public governance.

This process seems to have started soon after Independence. Vallabhbhai Patel, India’s first Deputy Prime Minister, said in 1950: “Certain tendencies and developments in our administration and public affairs fill me with some disquiet and sadness of heart. Our public life seems to be degenerating. We talk when the paramount need is that of action. With all the sincerity and earnestness at my command I appeal to all my countrymen to reflect on what they see in and around themselves.”

This aspect was highlighted in detail by the Shah Commission report which inquired into irregularities in administration during the Emergency (1975-77). The feudal culture of public servants (and politicians in office) seems to be the bane of our public administration. And it is spreading, resulting in lack of sensitivity, efficiency and accountability in public service.

It is therefore necessary that the political executive and the permanent executive realise they are public servants first, and that it is their duty to work in harmony to achieve the constitutional objectives. Let it be clearly understood that public governance in a democracy is not the private business of any one section. It is the collective responsibility of the government as a whole.

Today, the conditions and circumstances of public administration are different from what they were some time ago. A vigilant civil society, ever-watchful media and the Right to Information Act require that politicians and the bureaucracy are held accountable and their actions remain transparent. They will frequently seek intervention by the judiciary to protect the fundamental rights under a good and effective public governance.

Caveat against power hunger

In 1947, India was an infant aspiring to grow in the comity of nations. The freedom fighters undertook another task of drafting the Constitution based on other countries’ experiences.

One of the issues highlighted in the discussions at the drafting stage was the anxiety to avoid concentration of power in a few individuals as naked greed for power will destroy democratic principles. However, what has actually happened in India in the last few decades is shocking and demoralising. The best political and governance practices have been distorted and twisted by those in power.

We have to realise that there is an urgent need to change the country’s administrative culture if we have to survive as a nation. We need to get away from the leisure culture where public holidays and delays contribute to deficiencies in the delivery of public services. We need to get away from the feudal culture of politicians and civil servants, who adopt a domineering attitude while dealing with the common man. We need to get away from the hostile attitude between the politicians and civil servants vying with each other in exercise of their power.

What we need is not keeping at bay either the politician or the civil servant; what we need is a clear demarcation of their respective roles in rendering public service. The laal batti culture, frowned upon by the Supreme Court, highlights the need for urgent administrative and attitudinal change.

Public Administration Paper II

Section A
Question 1 (Compulsory)

Attempt following about 150 words each. 10 marks x 5 = 50m

Q The charter act of 1853 marked the beginning of parliamentary system in India. Explain
Q Civil service neutrality is founded on the application of the principles of rule of law. Comment
Q The second generation reforms in Panchayati Raj institution have changed Panchayats from an agency of Development at local level into a political institution. comment
Q Finance commission in India performs the job of statistics aggregation. comment
Q Planning enables comprehensive and scientific understanding of problems. Examine the statement in context of planning methodology.

Question 2

Q Bureaucratic agencies, characterized by established procedures, specialization, leadership, clean objectives, are not ideal to handle disaster Management. examine with reference to the need for Administrative flexibility in managing disasters. (20 marks | 250 words)
Q The liberal -democratic ideology of the west influenced in shaping of value premises of the Indian Constitution. Discuss. (20 marks | 250 words)
Q Autonomy to public sector undertakings is a myth. Analyze in the context of the use of government Expenditure by politicians to control governments at different levels. (10 marks | 150 words)

Question 3

Q Laws are enacted without involving police in the conception stage, with the result implementation of these laws leaves much to be desired. Examine the role of police in protection of children. (10 marks | 150 words)
Q Central Secretariat is the nodal agency for administering the union subjects and establishing coordination among the various activities of government discuss. (20 marks | 250 words)
Q Is there is need to dispense with the office of the governor? Examine in the context of coalition governments. (10m | 150w)

Question 4

Q “There is a tendency of centralism in Indian federalism, but it is not because of its institutional framework but because of its socialist goals and centrally devised plan development.” explain the statement in the context of union-state relationships (20m|250w)
Q Use of information and communication technology in Panchayat’s function enhances efficiency, transparency and accountability and also induces mass ICT culture. Examine (20m|250w)
Q Judicial review of administrative tribunal’s decision defeats the very objective of establishing tribunals. Comment with reference to central Administrative tribunal. (10m|150w)

PubAd.Paper 2: Section B

Question 5 (Compulsory)

Attempt following about 150 words each. 10 marks x 5 = 50m

Q Public Administration today tends to be less of public in quantitative terms, but more responsive to public needs than before in qualitative terms. Examine with reference to citizen centric administration
Q Performance budgeting failed because it was applied to sectors/ programs where quantitative evaluation was not feasible. Examine the principles underlying performance budgeting techniques.
Q The design of the Indian police was to subjugate the India n people in the aftermath of 1857. Analyze in the context of Indian police Act of 1861.
Q Reducing the size (geographical area) of the district will provide relief to the overburdnened and overworked collector. comment
Q The concept of social audit is more comprehensive than that of traditional audit. comment

Question 6

Q Gandhian model of decentralization is similar to the process of reinventing governance. Analyze in the context of good governance. (20m|250 words)
Q Accounting is the essence of producing promptly and clearly the facts relating to financial conditions and operations that are required as a basis of management. Substantiate the statement in the context of accounting methods and techniques in government (20m|250 words)
Q Explain the important recommendations of VT Krishanamachary Committee (1952) on the Indian and State Administrative services and problems of district administration. (10m|150w)

Question 7

Q The 73rd amendment, it is felt, may accentuate fiscal indiscipline by establishing between states and local governments a system of transfers, similar to the one in place between central and state government (world d bank) Comment (20m|250w)
Q Municipal administration in India faces both structural and operational challenges. examine in context of the post 74th amendment act (20m|250w)
Q Self-help groups (SHG) have contributed to a change in the role of rural women in development from symbolic participation of empowerment (10m|150w)

Question 8

Q There is both criminalization of politics and politicization of criminals in India . Examine and identify the challenges they cause for law and order administration. (20m|250w)
Q The basic ethical problem of an administrator is to determine how he/she can use discretionary power in a way that is consistent with democratic values. comment with reference to corruption in administration (20m|250w)
Q Justify the Constitutional provisions to treat certain expenditure as charged upon Consolidate fund of India (10m|150w)

optional subject -public administration paper,IAS MAINS-2013

UPSC comes with new word limits here: 10 marks = 150 words and 20 marks = 250 words. There is one question worth 30 marks- but word limit not mentioned.
Gandhi Prem continues here also. (in paper II)
The Question Paper ‘skeleton’ remains same like earlier i.e.

Eight Questions in two sections (A and 
Candidate has to attempt five questions.
Question #1 and #5 are compulsory.
Out of the remaining, pick any three- but choose at least one from each section.

PAPER I

Questions 1 (Compulsory)

Answer the following, questions in not more than 150 words each. 5 questions x 10 marks each.

Q How did the traditional Public Administration resolve the fundamentally irresolvable problem- creating an administration strong enough to be effect but not strong enough to endanger accountability?
Q The theory of organizational incompetence has two separate and distinct faces. Examine Chris Argyris’ views on this
Q In the globalized Public Administration, hierarchy creates more ethical problems than it solves. Comment
Q Public Administration in the neo-liberal era is government less by the instruments of accountability and more by those of external accountability Elaborate
Q Discuss the views that “tribunals should have the same degree of independence from the Executive as that enjoyed by the supreme court and high courts, especially for those tribunals that look over the functions of high courts.

Question 2

Q New Public Administration may have neither been the savior its enthusiasts promised, nor the devil its critics worried it would be. Discuss. (25 marks | word limit not mentioned)
Q “The design of physical structures, the anatomy of the organization came first, and was indeed the principle consideration.” “An organization is a system of interrelated social behaviors of participants” Analyses these statements and evaluate the contribution of the respective approach to Administrative theory. (25 marks | word limit not mentioned)

Question 3

Q Decisions are not made by organizations, but by human beings behaving as the members of organizations. How do Bernard and Herbert A. Simon conceptualize the relation between decision of the individual employee and the organizational authority? 20 marks
A variety of different organizational arrangement can be used to provide different public goods and services. Example the theory underlying this proposition and its potential contribution. 15 marks.
Q What is the nature of psychological contract persued by organizational management through authority and employees through exertion of upward influence? 15
Question 4

Q Structure theory is by and large, grounded in classical principles of efficiency, effectiveness and productivity. Explain. 25 marks
Q Public interest is still inadequate as a ground concept to evaluate public policy. Discuss. 25 marks.

PubAd Paper I: Section B (Question 5 to 

Question 5 (Compulsory)

Answer all five, in not more than 150 words each. 10 marks x 5 = 50 marks.

Q Comparative Public Administration both resembles and differs from modern organization theory. elaborate
Q In organizational analysis, there is always gender around (Gouldner). Argue
Q What is Administrative elitism? How does it evolve in Public Administration? elaborate your response with reference to historical examples
Q The success of e-government projects in most developing countries s is state to be rather low. Assess the reason.
Q What new models of budgetary capacity and incapacity have emerged after the decline of planning programming budgeting and zero based budgeting?

Question 6

Q “For those who use the euphemism of ‘shared power’ for participation, the appropriate literature for guidance is practical politics and not organization and Management.” “Stronger state and strong civil society are the need to develop both participatory democracy and responsive government as mutually reinforcing and supportive.” Bring out the myths and realities associate with public participation. 20 marks
Q “….in most cases….newly independent states, of the nations of Africa, Asia and Latin America, despite their differences…are in transition.” (Ferrel Heady). What common features are indicative of characteristics of their Administrative patterns (cultures)? 15m
Q “To talk about the regulatory framework is to talk about short governance.” Analyze the statement in the context of public private partnership and identify the elements of regulation. 15m

Question 7

Q Economic reforms are a work in progress, with the state reluctant to fully relinquish its reins. Discussion the statement with regard to implementation of economic reforms in India . 15
Q “the policy process was not structured in the way required by bureaucratic planning.” ”Arguably, instrumentalism now stands most in contrast to neo liberal nationality that impose market against both gradual change and democratic liberalism.” analyses these two statements. 20 marks.
Q Budget allocations involves series of tensions between actors with different backgrounds, orientations and interests and between the short term goals and long term institutional requirements. Discuss. 15 marks

Question 8

Q8a. Read following instances carefully and suggest what specific perspectives on organizational psychology of motivation would help the concerned organization to reconcile the needs of the following four persons with the needs of organization: 30m

Mr.A comes to his office with clocklike punctuality; does his work with impeccable honesty and integrity; takes orders from above gladly; responds well to overtures by peers; but neither mixes with anyone himself nor seeks anyone’s company. what is more, he seem quite happy in his isolation.
Mr.B is an efficient charge hand at the welding shop. He is very outgoing and makes friends fast, but falls out with them very fast too. He is, however, easily pacified when anyone asks him to calm down in the name of the organization.
Mr.C is completely happy and absorbed when he is teaching in the classes, and doesn’t at all mind when is workload gets heavier and covers new areas. But he gets angry when the finance section raises objection about his medical bills; and is furious that the higher administration is yet to give him full tenure.
Mr.D is a metallurgist in the forge shop of the steel plan, and has received honors for his innovativeness in modifying conventional alloys. He also paints well and values his painting skills far more than his metallurgy and is extremely unhappy that company house journal did not finally carry his water sketch on its front cover.
Q8b. Suppose the government of India is thinking of constructing a dam in a mountain valley girded by forests and inhibited by ethnic communities. What rational techniques of policy analysis should it resorts to for coping with likely uncertainties and unforeseen contingencies.