Comparative Public Administration – Public Administration Optional PYQs (1995–2026)

Here are all 51 Comparative Public Administration questions asked in UPSC Public Administration Optional Paper I from 1995 to 2026, arranged under the 5 topics of the official syllabus. Within each topic the latest questions come first.

Each question ends with a code such as [2024/15m/3b] – the year, the marks, the word limit (where UPSC set one) and the question number in the paper.

7.1] Historical and sociological factors affecting administrative systems

6 questions

1. Undoubtedly, social and historical factors play a significant role in shaping administrative system, but side by side, understanding of these influences is essential for designing responsive governance structure. Examine. [2024/15m/6c]

2. Integration of different streams of administrative thought to propound a universal administrative theory is hindered by the impact of culture. Critically examine. [2021/20m/3a]

3. “Administrative systems across the world can be understood only in their respective historical and social contexts.” Explain the statement giving examples. [2018/20m/8a]

4. “Many Asian and African countries have inherited the colonial idea of civil service as a privileged elite. Hence, the social status of the civil service is an important aspect of the bureaucracy’s unsuitability for change.” Comment. [2014/15m/7c]

5. “… 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)? [2013/15m/6b]

6. Comment on: “Instead of looking inward in their own values and requirements, the Asian countries looked outward.” [1999/20m/200w/1a]

7.2] Administration and politics in different countries

4 questions

1. “The Constitution of French Republic does not prohibit ministers from being the leader of political party; it is customary that minister should not occupy such a post to ensure impartiality.” Explain. [2023/10m/150w/5a]

2. “Lenin’s concept of Socialist management refers to directing the organisational development of Socialist society.” Explain. [2015/15m/6b]

3. “British philosophy of administration is based on a unification of science of administration with ethics.” Analyze. [2014/15m/8c]

4. “… non-western states often, if not always, have unbalanced politics, but these may not necessarily be bureaucratic politics.” Discuss. [2009/20m/200w/5c]

7.3] Current status of Comparative Public Administration

20 questions

1. Critically analyse the differences between Ferrel Heady’s focus on administrative structures and Fred Riggs’s ecological ‘Prismatic’ model. Which one of these frameworks provides a more effective tool for the study of developing nations? Examine. [2026/15m/6b]

2. The advent of Comparative Public Administration not only widened the knowledge of Public Administration, but also contributed to developing its understanding in a cross-cultural and cross-national framework. Examine. [2026/20m/7a]

3. The basis of comparative study of Public Administration has evolved from institutional approach to the contemporary political economic process approach. Have all these approaches enabled the development of a theory of Comparative Public Administration? Justify your answer. [2025/15m/7b]

4. “The studies in Comparative Public Administration (CPA) got momentum in 1980’s and 1990’s with a new objective and orientation than its previous counterparts.” Critically examine. [2023/20m/6a]

5. Weber’s construct of bureaucracy has served a great heuristic purpose in furthering research in the field of Comparative Public Administration. Do you agree with the statement? Give reasons. [2022/10m/150w/5c]

6. Integration of different streams of administrative thought to propound a universal administrative theory is hindered by the impact of culture. Critically examine. [2021/20m/3a]

7. “Comparative Public Administration started with no paradigm of its own and developed none.” Comment. [2020/10m/150w/5a]

8. “Administrative ideas must be seen in the context of environment in which they develop.” In the light of the above statement, examine the influence of New Public Management and Information and Communication Technologies on comparative study of Public Administration. [2020/20m/6a]

9. The failure to discard its elitist character and west-centric orientation has led to the decline of Comparative Public Administration. Explain. [2019/10m/150w/5b]

10. “Riggs observed that three ‘trends’ could be discerned in the comparative study of Public Administration.” Discuss. [2016/10m/150w/5d]

11. “Comparative Performance Measurement (CPM) bridges everyday work experience with the broader horizons of comparativism.” Explain. [2015/10m/150w/5a]

12. How does Ferrel Heady rationalize the three stages of development in comparative administration? [2015/20m/7a]

13. “Comparative Public Administration both resembles and differs from modern organization theory.” Elaborate. [2013/10m/150w/5a]

14. Comment on the reasons why universal theory remains elusive in comparative public administration. [2012/20m/7a]

15. Comment on: “Truly comparative administrative studies are empirical, nomothetic and ecological.” (Riggs) In this perspective, examine the current status of Comparative Public Administration. [2008/20m/200w/5c]

16. “Not to be comparative is to be naively parochial” (Riggs). Comment. [2007/20m/200w/5c]

17. “No science of public administration is possible unless …. there is a body of comparative studies from which it may be possible to discover principles and generalities that transcend national boundaries and peculiar historical experiences.” Discuss. [2005/20m/200w/5d]

18. Explain the meaning, significance and Models of Comparative Public Administration. [2004/60m/7]

19. “As long as the study of public administration is not comparative, claim for a ‘science of public administration’ sounds rather hollow.” Explain. [1998/30m/7b]

20. Comment on: A major problem with comparative public administration is that it has been behavioural. [1995/20m/200w/5d]

7.4] Ecology and administration

4 questions

1. The study of Public Administration must include its ecology. Discuss. [2024/10m/150w/5e]

2. The approach to the study of administration in its environmental context is especially more useful for developing countries. Comment. [2021/10m/150w/5a]

3. How did Fred W. Riggs conceptualise the interactions between administrative systems and their environment? [2002/60m/7]

4. Comment on: “Political environment conditions administrative system.” – (F. W. Riggs) [2000/20m/200w/1d]

7.5] Riggsian models and their critique

17 questions

1. Critically analyse the differences between Ferrel Heady’s focus on administrative structures and Fred Riggs’s ecological ‘Prismatic’ model. Which one of these frameworks provides a more effective tool for the study of developing nations? Examine. [2026/15m/6b]

2. F. W. Riggs’s ‘industria’-interdependent economy is a precursor for some features of post-modern Public Administration. Analyse. [2025/20m/6a]

3. Riggs’ Prismatic Model has been criticised as overly gloomy and technical complex, but it remains as a useful starting point for Comparative Public Administration research. Analyse. [2024/20m/7a]

4. “The more exogenetic the process of diffraction, the more formalistic and heterogenous its prismatic phase; the more endogenetic, the less formalistic and heterogenous.” Examine this hypothesis of Riggs. [2022/20m/6a]

5. In modern context, Riggsian terms have not altogether disappeared, but have emerged in different forms with newer meanings. Discuss. [2021/15m/6b]

6. “Development Administration and Administrative Development have a chicken and egg kind of relationship” — (Riggs). Elaborate. [2017/10m/150w/5b]

7. “The Riggsian models of Fused-Prismatic-Diffracted Societies and their administrative systems have been inspired by Max Weber’s typology of Traditional-Charismatic-Legal-Rational Authorities.” Analyse. [2017/20m/7a]

8. “Fred Riggs continuously changed his theory in order to create the perfect model.” Comment. [2016/20m/6a]

9. Critically examine the Riggsian concept of differentiation in the context of post-globalization era. [2014/10m/150w/5a]

10. ‘Riggs’s classification of societies into fused, prismatic, and diffracted is built around the concept of differentiation.’ Analyze. [2012/12m/150w/5a]

11. Neither Edward Weidner nor Fred Riggs was able to describe the process of development administration adequately. Explain the drawbacks and weaknesses in their theoretical analyses. [2011/30m/6a]

12. “The Prismatic model of Riggs is equally applicable to developing as well as developed society.” Comment. [2010/20m/200w/5b]

13. Which of the model(s) in development administration is/are characterised by ‘Selectivism’, ‘Attainment’ and ‘Poly-functionalism’? Describe the corresponding theoretical roots and attributes. [2009/30m/300w/2b]

14. Critically comment on Riggsian Prismatic Sala model of administration of developing societies. To what extent Indian Administrative system exhibits prismatic characteristics? [2001/20m/200w/5c]

15. Critically examine the approach and methodology adopted by Fred W. Riggs in his study of prismatic and sala societies. What is valid-content of Raj Krishna’s criticism of refraction? [2000/60m/8]

16. What, according to Riggs, are the three important characteristic features of the prismatic society? [1996/30m/7a]

17. Comment on: Riggs’s key concepts have alerted the researcher that Weberian bureaucracy might not be entirely predictive of behaviour in most Third World countries. [1995/20m/200w/1b]

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Last updated: 30 October 2026