PHILOSOPHY OF

PUBLIC
A D M I N I S T R AT I O N

Dr. Raihana Azmeera Sultana

SLS Noida
 I stage: Politics administration Dichotomy (Woodrow Wilson,
Dwight Waldo)

II stage: Evolve a Value Free science

Evolution of Public III Stage: Human Relations approach (Elton MayoHawthrone

studies)
Administration
IV Stage: Administrative Behaviour and science (Decision Making
theory by Herbert Simon, Robert Dahl- Norms cannot be
completely excluded, PA includes human behaviour, very limited
study conducted by scientific approach proponents)

V stage: Public Policy analysis

RECENT TRENDS IN
A D M I N I S T R AT I V E
STUDY
 Development of the discipline

Public New Public New Public

Administration Administration Management
 Minnowbrook I- Late 1960s scholars
challenged the givens of orthodox PA
Minnowbrook I and pluralist Political Science in the
leadership of Dwight Waldo. The
young scholars with the background of
Political Science expressed their
concerns over inefficiency. • NPA: It
rests on Relevance, Values, Equity,
Change
 Minnowbrook II- 1988 had attendees of
Minnowbrook II- variety of disciplines and were practical and
1988 respectful to seniors: Social Equity,
Democratic values, Normative and
behavioural perspective, free interchange
between generalists and specialists,
changed outlook of government.
 Minnowbrook III (2008)was held in two phases-
• Pre Conference workshop where issues like
democratic performance management, financial
management, globalisation, IT and
Management, law, politics and public
Minnowbrook III administration management, leadership,
(2008) performance management, social equity, justice,
transparency and accountability
• The actual conference where 300 proposals
were submitted, out of which 80 were accepted
for discussion. Conference took note of “Dark
times in respect of war, terrorism, climate
change, economic calamity.”
 The underlying idea of public administration is to be result oriented and productive by
spending least resources
Government has a universalistic character. It has to serve the common good without
making any sort of distinction between man and man. Efficiency in government has
Philosophy of thus a moral tone. Hence it is concerned with morality or ethics. Hence, public interest
as a wider ethical commitment has been focussed in theory and has emerged to provide
a general framework for the functioning of public administration.
Public Background: the members of the bureaucracy constitute a power elite. They are likely
to take decisions in self-interest or under pressure from powerful interest groups. In
Administration: either case, public interest may be in jeopardy.
Also, bureaucracy is a mindless machine that turns out decisions mechanically. The
Public Interest rule-bound administration may look neat and tidy but it may not be able to serve the
wider cause of public interest.
Four classes of Public Interest
I want this because it serves my interest: I want this because it is right
1. Intuitionist philosophy: seeks to justify existing practices by pointing out that in conflicting
situations, the administrator chooses an alternative by intuition
2. Perfectionist philosophy: views public interest from the standpoint of promotion of excellence in
all spheres of social activities. According to this school of thought, public resources should be
spent in such a way that the best members of the society benefit most from the expenditure. It is
an elitist philosophy and non-egalitarian
3. Utilitarianism: the public interest is served when a public policy makes everyone slightly better
off even though it makes a few individuals slightly worse off
4. Theory of Justice: by john Rawls who suggested two principles of justice to test public interest.
1) each person is to have an equal right to the most extensive basic liberty compatible with a
similar liberty for others. 2) social and economic inequalities are to be arranged so that they are
both a)reasonably expected to be to everyone’s advantage and b) attached to positions and offices
open to all
New Public Administration

The basic
purpose and Relevance
cohesion of
public
administratio Values
n would be
heightened by
closer Equity
association
with political
science
change
New Public Management: Components

Consumers

Shift from central departments to specific agencies-

decentralization

Rewards-contractual jobs

Human and technological resources- best talent-attractive

salary-equity initiatives

Receptiveness to competition-privatisation
GOOD GOVERNANCE
Good Governance

The concept of “Governance” has been applied to the processes through which the public decisions are
made.
Landell-Mills and Serageldin (1991) have defined Governance as “…the use of political authority and
exercise of control over a society and the management of resources for social and economic
development” (Landell-Mills and Serageldin, 1991, p 3).
This definition emphasizes the political nature and the management aspect of Governance but it does
not define the nature of relationship between the authorities and the public. Another definition is
offered by Charlick (1992) for the USAID Africa Bureau Democracy and Governance program, as
Governance is “… the effective management of public affairs through the generation of a regime which
set rules, accepted as legitimate for the purpose of promoting and enhancing societal values sought by
individuals and groups” (Charlick, 1992, p 3).
The definition of Charlick provides a more normative dimension to the concept in terms of the
outcomes of the process and the nature of the relationship between “power holders” and the “rest of
society”. It has also spoken about the quality of the management process.
Contd.
The Cotonou Partnership Agreement defines Good Governance as “The transparent and
accountable management of human, natural, economic and financial resources for the purposes
of equitable and sustainable development, in the context of a political and institutional
environment that upholds human rights, democratic principles and the rule of law” (Cotonou
Partnership Agreement Art 9.3).
Other definitions range between social and political concerns and those of a more technical
economic nature.
– Technical dimension: “economic aspect of governance, namely the transparency of
government accounts, the effectiveness of public resources management, and the stability of the
regulatory environment for private sector activity” (IMF);
– Social dimension: “to build, strengthen and promote democratic institutions as well as
tolerance throughout society” (OSCE);
– Political dimension: “the legitimacy of government, the accountability of the political elements
of government and respect of human rights and the rule of law” (OECD, 1997).
Good Governance as a Concept
In general, work by the World Bank and other multilateral development banks on good
governance addresses economic institutions and public sector management, including
transparency and accountability, regulatory reform, and public sector skills and leadership.
Other organizations, like the United Nations, European Commission and OECD, are more likely
to highlight democratic governance and human rights, aspects of political governance avoided
by the Bank.
Some of the many issues that are treated under the governance programmes of various donors
include election monitoring, political party support, combating corruption, building independent
judiciaries, security sector reform, improved service delivery, transparency of government
accounts, decentralization, civil and political rights, government responsiveness and “forward
vision”, and the stability of the regulatory environment for private sector activities (including
price systems, exchange regimes, and banking systems).
Governance and Development

In the 1992 report entitled “Governance and Development”, the World Bank set out its definition of Good
Governance. It defined Good Governance as “the manner in which power is exercised in the management of a
country’s economic and social resources for development”.
Good governance has 8 major characteristics. It is
• participatory,
• consensus-oriented,
• accountable,
• transparent,
• responsive,
• effective and efficient,
• equitable and inclusive and
• follows the rule of law.

It assures that corruption is minimized, the views of minorities are taken into account and that the voices of the most
vulnerable in society are heard in decision-making.
It is also responsive to the present and future needs of society.
Contd.
Participation:

• People should be able to voice their own opinions through legitimate immediate organizations or
representatives.
• This includes men and women, vulnerable sections of society, backward classes, minorities, etc.
• Participation also implies freedom of association and expression.

Rule of Law:

• Legal framework should be enforced impartially, especially on human rights laws.

• Without rule of law, politics will follow the principle of matsya nyaya ie law of fish which means the strong
will prevail over the weak.
Consensus Oriented:

• Consensus oriented decision-making ensures that even if everyone does not achieve what they want to the
fullest, a common minimum can be achieved by everyone which will not be detrimental to anyone.
• It mediates differing interests to meet the broad consensus on the best interests of a community.
Contd.
Equity and Inclusiveness:

• Good governance assures an equitable society.

• People should have opportunities to improve or maintain their well-being.

Effectiveness and Efficiency:

• Processes and institutions should be able to produce results that meet the needs of their community.
• Resources of the community should be used effectively for the maximum output.

Accountability:

• Good governance aims towards betterment of people, and this can not take place without the government
being accountable to the people.
• Governmental institutions, private sectors, and civil society organizations should be held accountable to
the public and institutional stakeholders.
Contd.
Transparency:

• Information should be accessible to the public and should be understandable and monitored.
• It also means free media and access of information to them.

Responsiveness:

• Institutions and processes should serve all stakeholders in a reasonable period of time.
References of Good Governance

Bhagavad Gita provides numerous cues for good governance, leadership, dutifulness and self-
realization which are re-interpreted in the modern context.
In Kautilya’s Arthashastra (2nd-3rd century BC), the welfare of people was considered paramount in
the role of King. Mahatma Gandhi emphasized “su-raj'' which essentially means good governance.
Importance of governance is clearly inscribed in Indian Constitution which is built on-premise of
Sovereign, Socialist, Secular and Democratic Republic committing itself to democracy, rule of law
and welfare of people.
Under Sustainable Development Goals, Goal 16 (promote peaceful and inclusive societies) can be
considered to be directly linked as it is dedicated to improvement in governance, inclusion,
participation, rights, and security.
According to former United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan, "Good governance is ensuring
respect for human rights and the rule of law; strengthening democracy; promoting transparency
and capacity in public administration." He also said that “Good Governance is perhaps the single
most important factor in eradicating poverty and promoting development”.
 Initiatives for Good Governance in India
Right to Information
• As a party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), India is under an international
obligation to effectively guarantee citizens the Right to Information as per Article 19 of the ICCPR.
• RTI Act, 2005 marks a significant shift in Indian democracy. It gives greater access of the citizen to the information
which in turn improves the responsiveness of the government to community needs.
• The right to information, promotes openness, transparency and accountability in administration by making the
government more open to public scrutiny.
E-Governance
• The National e-Governance Plan envisions to make all government services accessible to the common man in his
locality, through common service delivery outlets and ensure efficiency, transparency & reliability of such services at
affordable costs.
• E-Governance effectively delivers better programming and services in the era of newly emerging information and
communication technologies (ICTs), which herald new opportunities for rapid social and economic transformation
worldwide.
• E-Governance has a direct impact on its citizens who derive benefits through direct transactions with the services
offered by the government.

Programs launched under e-Governance: Pro-Active Governance and Timely Implementation (PRAGATI), Digital India Program,
MCA21 (to improve the speed and certainty in the delivery of the services of Ministry of Company Affairs), Passport Seva Kendra
(PSK), online Income tax return, etc.
• Focus on 'Minimum Government, Maximum Governance’.
 C o n td .

Legal Reforms
• The Central Government has scrapped nearly 1,500 obsolete rules and laws with an aim to bring about transparency and improve
efficiency.
• Reform criminal justice and procedural laws with focus on pre-institution mediation.

Ease of Doing Business

• Steps were taken by the government to improve business conditions including legislation meant to improve the country’s business
environment and policy ecosystems (such as the Bankruptcy Code, the Goods and Services Tax or GST, and the anti-money-
laundering law).
• Government has launched the ‘Make in India’ initiative.

Decentralization
• Centralised Planning Commission was abolished, replacing it with the think tank called the National Institution for Transforming
India (NITI Aayog), which would usher in an era of “cooperative federalism”.
• 14th Finance Commission increased the tax devolution of the divisible pool to states from 32% to 42% for years 2015 to 2020. It
provides more freedom to states to initiate schemes based on local factors.

Police Reforms
• Modernizing police forces and implementing the Model Police Act of 2015.
• Reform of the First Information Report (FIR) lodging mechanism, including introducing filing e-FIRs for minor offences.
• Launch a common nation-wide emergency number to attend to emergency security needs of citizens.

Aspirational Districts Programme

• The Aspirational Districts Programme (ADP) was launched in January 2018 to transform the lives of people in the under-developed
areas of the county in a time bound manner.
• Anchored in NITI Aayog, the programme is aimed at transforming 115 most backward districts with focused interventions in the field
of health and nutrition, education, agriculture and water management, financial inclusion and skill development.
Good Governance Index

The Good Governance Index was launched on the occasion of Good Governance Day on 25
December 2019.
The Good Governance Index is a uniform tool across States to assess the Status of Governance
and impact of various interventions taken up by the State Government and Union Territories.
The objectives of Good Governance Index are to provide quantifiable data to compare the state
of governance in all states and Union Territories, enable states and Union Territories to formulate
and implement suitable strategies for improving governance and shift to result oriented
approaches and administration.
Challenges to Good Governance
Criminalization of Politics
Corruption
Gender disparity
Increasing violence
Delay in Justice
Centralisation of Administrative System
Marginalization of Socially and Economically Backward People
Conclusion
The effective functioning of governance is the prime concern of every citizen of the country. The
citizens are ready to pay the price for good services offered by the state, but what is required is a
transparent, accountable and intelligible governance system absolutely free from bias and
prejudices.
There is a need to reformulate our national strategy to accord primacy to the Gandhian principle
of ‘Antyodaya” (upliftment of the poorest leading to Sarvodaya) to restore good governance in
the country.
India should also focus on developing probity in governance, which will make the governance
more ethical.
The government should continue to work on the ideals of Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas and Sabka
Vishwas which will lead to inclusive and sustainable development.
 DEVELOPMENT
ADMINISTRATION
 Administration
The essence of development administration is to bring about change through integrated, organised and properly
directed governmental action. In the recent past the governments in most of the developing nations have shifted their
focus on development by means of planned change and people’s participation. With this shift of administrative
concern towards developmental objectives the researchers and practitioners of Public Administration have been
forced to conceptualise the developmental situation and to bridge the gaps in administrative theory. The growing
welfare functions of the government have brought into limelight the limitations of the traditional theory of
administration.
The essence of administration in the present conditions lies in its capacity to bring about change in the structure and
behaviour of different administrative institutions, to develop an acceptance for the change and to create a system
which can sustain change and improve the capacity of institutions to change. All this calls for renewed efforts on the
part of institutions engaged in the tasks of development. Thus development administration as an area of study and as
means to realise developmental goals assumes importance.
There is no uniform definition of development administration which is agreeable to all. But we can at least arrive at
certain basic features and characteristics of order to understand the concept of development administration, we
should try to understand the meaning of the concept viz., administration of development and development of
administration.
Development Administration

Development is integral to the aims and activities of the government especially in the developing countries.
Because of paucity of resources, human and material in their counties, the need for making optimum utilization of
available means and augmenting new means assumes a great importance. Development administration thus
becomes a means through which the government brings quantitative and qualitative changes in an economy.
Government is engaged in not only fixing priorities but also making efforts to realise them. Hence, we can say
that development administration is an effort towards planned transformation of the economy involving not only
the sphere of administration but also formulation of policies and indeed the society as a whole. It is an effort at
the synchronisation of changes in all spheres of development-economic, political, social and cultural. Thus
development is not only viewed in terms of growth process, but it includes a process of social change.
It concentrates on the needs and desires of the people and concerned with formulation of plans, programmes,
policies and projects and their implementation. It plays a central role in carrying out planned change i.e. it is
concerned with planning, co-ordination, control, monitoring and evaluation of plans and programmes. It is not
only concerned with the application of policies as determined by the political representatives in existing situation
but also with introducing efforts to modify existing situations so as to serve the cause of the masses
Objectives of Administration

Application of innovative strategies for development

Emphasis on development at the grassroots level. Development has to be a need-oriented and self-reliant
process
Stress on social development and human capital as a major resource
Development has to be viewed not merely as a technological problem but also as an ideological norm
Profound and rapid change in order to establish a distinct and just social order
Recognizing and highlighting the unity, rather than dichotomy between politics and administration
Effective and efficient use of scarce resources
Creation of a politics-administrative environment which is oriented towards securing basic needs of the
population
Freedom of administrative machinery to express its values and beliefs
Development of Administration or Administrative
Development

Development of administration means cultural change in administration. It has to be efficient

and effective. For that purpose it has to aim at enlargement of administrative capabilities and
structural and behavioural change. It is this aspect of administration that is called administrative
development or development of administration. In simple terms it means development of
administrative system, of administrative health by introducing-administrative rationalisation and
institution building. The purpose implicit in this concept is not merely changing the
administrative procedures and channels but also bringing out fundamental change in
administration that leads to:
1) political development,
2) economic growth, and
3) social change.
Concerns of Administrative Development

 The capacity of an administrative system to take decisions in order to meet the ever increasing
demands coming from the environment and with the objective of achieving larger political and
socioeconomic goals.
 Increase in size, in specialization and division of tasks and in the professionalization of its personnel.
 A pattern of increasing effectiveness in the optimum utilization of available means and further
augmentation of the means, if necessary.
 Increase in administrative capability and capacity.
 Transformation of existing administrative mechanism into a new machinery through modernizing the
bureaucracy by external inducement, transfer of technology and training.
 Replacement of initiative, practices etc. with those based on realistic needs.
 Reducing the dependence on foreign experts by producing adequate trained manpower.
Contd.

 Promotion of development initiative.

 Administrative reorganisation and rationalisation.
 Making modernisation culturally related.
 Removing or reducing bureaucratic immobility and widespread corruption.
 Reorientation of established agencies, and the delegation of administrative powers to them.
 Creation of administrators who can provide leadership in stimulating and supporting
programmes of social and economic improvement.
Features

Change- Orientation: The first and foremost element of development administration is its change
orientation. Change forms part of philosophic values of development administration. Development
administration involves itself in establishing a new social order in which growth and distributive justice
coexist. For Pai Panandikar the central theme of development administration is socioeconomic and political
change. Development administration cannot be status-quo oriented. No development can take place unless
and until it introduces certain positive changes in a system. Changes such as structural reorganisation of
administration, innovative programme to increase production, remove unemployment, poverty etc., new
schemes to improve employer-employee relations must form a part, of development administration.
Goal- Orientation: Developing countries are facing the problems of poverty, squalor (very dirty),
injustice, unequal distribution of wealth, lopsided agricultural growth, underdeveloped technology etc.
These colossal issues need to be tackled systematically by fixation of priorities and goals. Development
administration is the means through which the goals of development viz., social justice, modernisation,
industrialisation and economic growth can be achieved.
Contd.
Innovative Administration: Development administration focuses on replacing/ improving the existing governing
structures and norms with the ones that suit the changing political and social environment. In other words,
Development Administration is one that is dynamic and progressive in thought and action. It is interested in
identifying and applying new structures, methods, procedures, techniques, policies, planning projects and
programmes so that the objectives and goals of development are achieved with minimum possible resources and
time. India, for example, has experimented with many new institutions and procedures which can be termed as the
hallmarks of development administration. We have introduced various development programmes like IRDP
(Integrated Rural Development Programme), TRYSEM (Training Rural Youth for Self Employment), NREP
(National Rural Employment Programme), DWACRA (Development of Women and Children in Rural Areas),
Tribal Development Programmes etc. These pragrammes broadly aim at removal of unemployment, creation of
job opportunities and reduction of poverty. We have also established some development agencies like the District
Rural Development Agency, District Planning Cells, State Planning Boards, Co-operatives etc. Thus development
administration has to be innovative enough in order to realise the pre-determined objectives of development. In
fact, innovative and creative administration leads to speedy realisation of goals.
Contd.

Client-Oriented Administration: Development administration is positively oriented towards meeting the needs of
the specific target groups, like small and marginal farmers of landless agricultural labourers and rural artisans in
India. The socio-cultural and politico-economic progress of these sections forms the essential basis of performance
appraisal of development administrators. Many target group centered or beneficiary-group oriented organisations
have to be created so as to provide these under-privileged sections the requisite goods and services. It has been
suggested that development administration is ‘people-oriented’ administration which gives priority to the needs of its
beneficiaries by preparing, reviewing and, if necessary, changing the programmes, policies and activities aimed at
the satisfaction of the needs of people in question. The administration is involved in the betterment of the lot of the
deprived and the weak. Their upliftment becomes a part of the whole administrative ethos. The welfare of the
weaker sections is a part of the administrative value. The members of any development organisation are highly
motivated and committed to a progressive philosophy aiming at cutting the roots of vested interests in the society.
‘This is possible if the people of initiative, extra-dedication and perseverance are inducted into the development
administrative structures. Training of personnel can be one effective method of creating such a team. Development
administrators should not just formulate plans for the people but even monitor them in such a way that the
beneficiaries are actually benefited.
Contd.
Participation-Oriented Administration: Development administration accepts for its purposes
the principle of associative and participative system of administration. Here, people are not
treated as mere passive recipients of benefits or goods and services. They are taken as active
participants in the formulation and execution of development plans, policies and programmes. It
is recognised that centralised administration will not only be unable to take cognisance of local
problems in a realistic frame, but it would also be deprived of the use of local initiatives,
energies and resources. Hence, effective formulation of programmes and their implementation
with the help and association of the local people is now a well recognised principle of
administration. It involves giving people an increasing share in the governance and management
of developmental affairs of the government. That is why the involvement of Panchayati Raj
institutions in planning and administration has found renewed support in the development
strategy of India.
Effective Co-ordination: Since development implies increasing specialization and
professionalization, the number of agencies and organizations involved in development tasks has
considerably gone up. In order to have the maximum benefit of this emergent administrative
system, co-ordination between various administrative units and activities is essential. To achieve
maximum results, wastage of resources, time and cost has to be avoided.
Development administration has to co-ordinate the activities of development agencies and
organisations to integrate their efforts and energies for the realisation of development goals. This
would even save the administration from the problems of duplication of functions, neglect of
important functions and unnecessary focus on irrelevant or marginally relevant activities. It
would thus minimise administrative lag.
Ecological Perspective: Development administration shapes the environment-political, social
and economic and also gets affected by it in turn. It is not a closed system. It receives a feedback
from the social system and responds to the demands put on it by the system. In a way,
development administration is related to the environment and involves close interaction between
the administration and environment. The environment sets forth the operative parameters of
development administration. It requires the qualities of flexibility and responsiveness in
administrative actions and methods. The changes in administration affect its environment and
changes in environment also has its bearing on administration.
Conclusion
The administration is being studied now a days in the contextual perspective. Comparative
analysis of the administrative system in terms of organisation, administration and development
management brings out two distinct elements of administration :
(1) Administrative reforms are improvements that each nation has been trying so as to match
administration with development needs and
(2) Concentration of efforts at acceleration of rate of growth and change so as to meet the challenges of
socio-political development and nation-building effectively.
It is in this context that the concept of development administration has come to be used.
However, the concept has varied dimensions-social, cultural, economic and political. The issue
regarding the focus or scope of development administration as a discipline and as a process has
assumed importance.
Decentralization
Relationship with other Disciplines
• Politics • Economics • Psychology • History • Law