Accountability and Control – Public Administration Optional PYQs (1995–2026)

Here are all 61 Accountability and Control questions asked in UPSC Public Administration Optional Paper I from 1995 to 2026, arranged under the 8 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.

5.1] Concepts of accountability and control

9 questions

1. Have governments under governance become more transparent and accountable? Elucidate. [2026/10m/150w/1d]

2. “Accountability under New Public Management has undergone a radical change, although the focus has continued to remain on management.” Comment. [2020/15m/3c]

3. Thrust on the citizen centricity and Right based approaches, aim to empower the citizens. In the light of the above, has the administrative accountability improved? Justify your argument. [2020/15m/4c]

4. “New Public Management and post-New Public Management reforms initiatives have affected the balance between managerial, political, administrative, legal, professional and social accountability.” Analyze. [2014/20m/4a]

5. How did traditional public administration “resolve a fundamentally irresolvable problem — creating an administration strong enough to be effective but not so strong enough to endanger accountability”? [2013/10m/150w/1a]

6. Public Administration in the neo-liberal era is governed less by instruments of internal accountability and more by those of external accountability. Elaborate. [2013/10m/150w/1d]

7. “Instruments of public accountability can be truly effective only if the people and their associations, backed by a responsible media, are assertively pro-active.” Comment. [2008/20m/200w/1d]

8. “The weakest aspect of Indian Administrative System is utter disregard of accountability.” Examine the current mechanism for enforcing accountability. What steps are necessary to make it more effective? [2000/60m/7]

9. Comment on: Hierarchic control, whereby instructions are passed down the line is not the only dimension of control. [1995/20m/200w/5b]

5.2] Legislative, executive and judicial control over administration

13 questions

1. The fine demarcation between judicial control and judicial overreach disappears when judicial prudence is replaced by activism. Critically examine. [2026/15m/3c]

2. The principles of checks and balances count among the most fundamental constitutional values. Comment. [2025/15m/3c]

3. Ineffectiveness of legislative control over administration can stem from various factors, hence in ensuring effectiveness a comprehensive approach is the need of the hour. Discuss. [2024/15m/3c]

4. “The judiciary is playing a more positive role in policy formulation, not just in limiting government actions, but also in mandating them.” Comment. [2023/10m/150w/1d]

5. Judicial review, prevention of misuse or abuse of administrative power and provision of suitable remedies are the basic principles of administrative law. Justify as how various organs of the State are able to uphold these principles. [2021/15m/3b]

6. “The legislative control over administration is not as effective as it ought to be.” Comment. [2016/15m/3c]

7. What is judicial activism? How far has it been successful in exercising a check over administration? [2005/60m/4]

8. Write a short note on: Judicial control over administration in India and concept of judicial activism. [2000/20m/200w/5b]

9. Comment on: “Public Interest Litigation is an effective innovation in realizing social justice.” [1999/20m/200w/5d]

10. Comment on: “Executive control over administration is much more real.” [1998/20m/200w/5b]

11. Comment on: “The controls exercised over administration by legislature are, in sum, of greater theoretical than practical efficacy.” [1997/20m/200w/5a]

12. Comment on: At one extreme, the vigour of judicial control may paralyze effective administration; at the other the result may be offensive bureaucratic tyranny. Exactly where the balance may be best struck is a major problem of judicial administration relationship. [1996/20m/200w/5d]

13. Describe the methods by which the Public Accounts Committee and the Estimates Committee control administration. [1995/60m/8]

5.3] Citizen and administration

4 questions

1. Thrust on the citizen centricity and Right based approaches, aim to empower the citizens. In the light of the above, has the administrative accountability improved? Justify your argument. [2020/15m/4c]

2. “For those who use the euphemism of ‘shared power’ for participation, the appropriate literature for guidance is practical politics, not organization and management.” “Strong 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 associated with public participation. [2013/20m/6a]

3. What are the various institutional devices available for the redressal of citizen’s grievances against the excesses and malfunctioning of administration? How successful have they been? [2003/60m/8]

4. In what respects, the powers of proposed institution of Lok Pal in the Bill already introduced in Indian Parliament, will strengthen the institution as compared to Parliamentary Commissioner of UK? [2001/60m/4]

5.4] Role of media, interest groups and voluntary organizations

11 questions

1. Has the media nixed its role in holding the governments accountable and ensuring transparency? Argue. [2025/10m/150w/1c]

2. Media has become more of a societal lens than institutional lens. Analyse. [2024/10m/150w/1e]

3. Groups work to elevate issues on the policy agenda or seek to deny other groups the opportunity to place issues. In this background, discuss the role of interest groups in agenda setting in the developing countries. [2021/15m/8b]

4. “Media, the fourth estate, is in chains.” Examine the statement in the context of governmental accountability. [2019/15m/4c]

5. When the media is controlled by vested interests, how can it control the vested interests in the government? How can the media become more responsible and impartial? [2017/15m/3c]

6. How far do you agree with the view that the growing influence of media comes in the way of agenda-setting by the Government? [2015/15m/4c]

7. “Voluntary organizations have become tools of sensitization of governmental agencies.” Comment. [2014/15m/4c]

8. Should media exposure be included in rules for administrative accountability in India? State your views. [2012/15m/4b]

9. ‘Media is a Parliament of citizens.’ Explain. [2011/20m/200w/1b]

10. “Instruments of public accountability can be truly effective only if the people and their associations, backed by a responsible media, are assertively pro-active.” Comment. [2008/20m/200w/1d]

11. Comment on: Voluntarism is not anti-thesis of state-centricism. [1999/20m/200w/5c]

5.5] Civil society

8 questions

1. The effectiveness of civil society in development process is only when state institutions are receptive to inputs from the civil society organizations. Discuss. [2025/20m/8a]

2. Interaction between the State and Civil society has hitherto been largely neglected, especially in developing countries. Examine. [2022/10m/150w/1e]

3. In theory, the ‘civil society organizations’ promote cooperation between people and public service organizations, but in practice, their activities restrict the promotion of government programmes. Analyze. [2021/10m/150w/1d]

4. Civil Society supplements and complements the State. However, its capacity and role depend upon the will of the State. Comment. [2017/15m/2c]

5. “Civil society performs a key role in defending people against the State and market and in asserting the democratic will to influence the State.” Analyze the statement with suitable examples. [2016/15m/4c]

6. Comment on the role of Civil Society in facilitating administrative accountability with special reference to the ‘Janlokpal’ issue in India. [2012/15m/4c]

7. Define the term ‘civil society’. How does civil society influence the public policy? [2006/60m/3]

8. “Civil society exists to ensure that government does provide good governance.” Discuss. [2002/20m/200w/1b]

5.6] Citizen’s Charters

6 questions

1. “Citizen Charter’s focus is on empowering citizens concerning public service delivery.” Analyze. [2023/10m/150w/1e]

2. “Right from the days of the ‘Peoples’ Charter’ to the new concept of ‘Precariat Charter’, the concept of Citizen’s Charter and its scope is constantly evolving.” Comment. [2015/20m/4a]

3. Explain the basic principles underlying Citizen’s Charter with special reference to its administrative philosophy. [2010/20m/4a]

4. Explain the basic principles underlying Citizen’s Charter with special reference to promoting public accountability. [2010/20m/4b]

5. Explain the basic principles underlying Citizen’s Charter with special reference to ensuring standards of public service. [2010/20m/4c]

6. “‘Citizens’ charter’ is the most important innovation in the context of promotion of customer-orientation of administration.” Discuss. [2003/20m/200w/1d]

5.7] Right to Information

5 questions

1. “The backlash against Right to Information (RTI) by the State hampered the citizen’s right to know.” Examine and point out the need to amend the RTI Act to provide protection to RTI activists. [2023/15m/3c]

2. “The Right to Information is not all about citizens’ empowerment, it essentially redefines the concept of accountability.” Discuss. [2014/15m/3c]

3. ‘Open access to government records is … the hallmark of a democratic government’, but ‘governments are not hesitant about destroying records — very deliberately — in order to prevent investigations, as well as to generally weaken accountability’. Do you think that in this situation right to information can go to the extent of demanding complete declassification and ‘de-archivization’ of government records? Argue. [2012/30m/4a]

4. “Right to information promotes transparency and accountability in the working of every public authority.” Explain. [2007/60m/4]

5. Discuss the legal and political implications of Right to information. Is it a feasible concept in the developing countries? [2004/60m/4]

5.8] Social audit

5 questions

1. Strengthening social audit through appropriate ways will promote inclusive government. Comment. [2024/20m/3a]

2. Social auditing is not just saving the money, it creates positive impact on governance. Comment. [2022/15m/4c]

3. Can we say that statutory audit and social audit are two sides of the same coin? Or, are they two separate coins with varying values? Discuss. [2017/15m/7c]

4. “In spite of certain advantages, Social Audit arrangements have mostly been ineffective because there is no legal provision for punitive action.” Comment. [2016/10m/150w/1e]

5. Whereas ‘value for money’ audit aims at economy and ‘performance’ audit seeks efficiency, ‘social’ audit goes beyond both, to examine the effectiveness of a programme or activity. Examine this statement with suitable illustrations. [2011/30m/4a]

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Last updated: 30 October 2026