10 Things to Keep in Mind While Choosing Public Administration as Optional

There are many important aspects to be kept in mind while choosing any Optional Subject. Prominently, Optional Subject selection process broadly involves the following steps:-

Opt for the optional whose syllabus overlaps with the General Studies syllabus in both Prelims and Mains of the Civil Services Examination. In this regard, Public Administration is generally regarded as the safest optional among the UPSC aspirants. The advantage of having Public Administration as an optional for Civil Services Examination is that it covers the majority of topics of General Studies papers and leads to smart preparation for India’s most prestigious competitive exam. Public Administration is not only an academic subject but also a consolidated curriculum to understand the bureaucratic culture. This is the only optional which is all about learning the various components of bureaucracy and implementing it in a practical sense. Key topics like Governance will always be a part of every civil servant. Like every other optional, there are many books, and reading material is available in the market for Public Administration optional. But merely grasping topics and reading these voluminous materials won’t help to score any good marks in this optional. The analytical approach is required to understand the basics of public administration and frame answers in exams. Apart from in-depth conceptual clarity on topics, extra-ordinary vocabulary is also desired.

The prominent incentive of opting Public Administration as an optional is that it will save time and efforts. This optional is regarded as the smartest choice to crack the UPSC exam in the every first attempt. Furthermore, the Public Administration subject syllabus is comparatively concise when compared to other optional subjects such as- Literature, History, Geography, Political Science, etc. and contains numbered core concepts to comprehend. With this concise syllabus one can finish the syllabus on time and leave ample room for revision and preparation of General Studies papers and Essay writing.

In case you choose any other optional subject, then also, you would have to read a considerable amount of Public Administration related topics especially in General Studies Paper II, III and IV

There are already four General Studies papers and an essay paper that are merit-oriented. Choosing an optional with a lengthy syllabus would mean that you’ll have to dedicate more time to prepare the optional subject. Hence, choosing a Public Administration Optional will can finish the syllabus on time and leave ample room for revision and preparation of General Studies papers and Essay writing.

Perks of choosing Public Administration as an optional:

1. Public Administration is the most scoring optional among other optional subjects. It is relatively easier compared to other optional subjects since the entire Paper II is governance and polity based. The aspirants can easily score 300+ marks if optional is prepared with the analytical approach and in a strategic manner, preferably under the expert guidance. So, the ratio of Number of Candidates Recommended per the total Number of Candidates who appeared with Public Administration as optional is contrastingly big and statistically labelled as most scoring optional in the UPSC exam.

2. The subject basically gives you a brief idea about government and constitutional machinery of the world’s greatest democracy, with a comparative approach. As future administrators, you should have this hand-on knowledge. The study of Public Administration is inter-linked with study of Science, Political Science, Policy Making, Constitution, Law, Social Justice, Indian Society, History, Finance and Economy, Ethics, Human Resource Management and Contemporary Issues.

3. The subject is generally regarded as conceptual, analytical, concise and simple to understand and comprehend. To comprehend the concepts of Public Administration, ample resources are available in the market and over the internet. The availability of study material plays a crucial in deciding the right optional for you. For a CSE optional like Public Administration, sufficient study resources are available. But, there can be a lot of confusion regarding the optional even if you hold any academic degree in the subject as students is not able to filter the content from the UPSC exam point of view. One can easily master the art of qualifying exam with the Public Administration Optional under the guidance of India’s best teachers from SYNERGY IAS– M. K. Mohanty Sir and Ashutosh Pandey Sir.

4. Syllabus of the Public Administration is comparatively short, compared to other optional subjects’ like- Geography, Political Science and History, etc. Public Administration is a subject that is regarded as very simple to understand. If the aspirant approaches the subject with proper analysis and the right strategy, this subject is sure to add shine to their final marks.

5. For this optional academic background of the aspirant doesn’t act as a hindrance. The Public Administration is the most preferred choice of optional among aspirants of Civil Services. It is the first choice of optional among engineers, doctors, lawyers and arts students. Mostly, graduates of top institutes like IITs, NITs, IIMs, AIIMS etc. prefer Public Administration as an optional for UPSC as it is closely interlinked with science and management.

6. The questions are generally straightforward. Most of the questions are statements made by administrative thinkers’, prominent political scientist and economist, as majority of the concepts are based on scientific and management principles.

7. Public Administration contains very limited core concepts so students need not read a plethora of topics. A concise syllabus aids you to finish the course on time, revise the subject thoroughly and leaves ample room for preparation of General Studies Papers (Paper-II, III and IV).

8. Topics are the optional necessarily forms the part of the Essay paper. Topics related to polity, governance, democracy, gender budgeting, disaster management, finance etc. features in the essay paper every year.

9. Inculcate an aptitude to comprehend the mind of the examiner, which aids in cracking interview and scoring maximum marks in personality test.

10. Last but not the least it is extensively taught at the LBSNAA Training for Civil Servants.