KSLU Solved Question Papers
Political Science (Public Administration)
Previous Year Question Paper with Solution
B.A. LL.B. (Five Years) · Sem 4
2019 Dec Examination
munotes.in
Mumbai
B.A. LL.B. (Five Years) Sem 4 Political Science (Public Administration) 2019 Dec Question Paper with Solutions
First published on munotes.in on 21 October 2026.
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The question paper reproduced here is the paper as set by Karnataka State Law University at the 2019 Dec examination.
Contents
The questions below are the paper as Karnataka State Law University set it at the 2019 Dec examination, in the order it was set.
MarksPage
The Paper as Set
The questions in this volume are the questions asked at the 2019 Dec examination, reproduced as Karnataka State Law University set them, in the order it set them. Long reading passages are shortened to their first and last lines and our summary; the original paper prints them in full. Only the answers are ours. See the original question paper.
Duration 3 hours · Total marks 100 · 13 questions answered
How to use this volume
Solve the paper first, under exam conditions and against the clock. Then read the answers here and mark your own. Reading a solution before attempting the question feels productive and teaches very little, because recognising an answer is not the same as being able to write one.
Q1What is Organisation ? Explain its importance and principles.[16]
Answer
For full marks, cover: what organisation is (Mooney's definition; Barnard's "system of consciously coordinated activities"; Fayol's "dual structure, material and human"), as structure and as process; its importance in nine points for any undertaking and for government in particular; its principles, presented as balances between pairs that pull against each other, as Simon (1946) showed: hierarchy and short chains (Fayol's "gang plank"), unity of command and specialisation, narrow and wide span (Gulick; Urwick; Graicunas), centralisation and decentralisation (Fayol; the 73rd and 74th Amendments), specialisation and coordination (Mooney's "first principle"), line and staff, formal and informal organisation (Barnard), and stability and flexibility; how the principles are applied with judgement; a table; a conclusion.
What organisation is
James D. Mooney wrote: "Organization is the form of every human association for the attainment of a common purpose."
Chester Barnard (1938) defined a formal organisation as "a system of consciously coordinated activities or forces of two or more persons". Its three elements are communication, willingness to serve and a common purpose.
Henri Fayol wrote that to organise "means building up the dual structure, material and human, of the undertaking".
Put simply, organisation is the arrangement of people and work, with roles and lines of authority, so that a common purpose is achieved together. It is both a structure, the pattern of posts and relationships, and a process, the work of building and adjusting that pattern.
Importance of organisation
1. It turns individual effort into group achievement. No one person can run a hospital or a district. Organisation lets many people combine their efforts towards one purpose.
2. It makes specialisation possible. By dividing work, it lets each person become skilled in one part, which raises efficiency.
3. It fixes authority and responsibility. Everyone knows who decides what, and who answers for what. Without this, work is duplicated or neglected.
4. It coordinates. It links the parts so that they move in step, which Mooney called "the first principle of organization".
5. It uses resources well. It places people, money and equipment where they are needed and prevents waste.
6. It supports growth and change. A sound structure can add new units or functions without collapsing.
7. It gives continuity. The organisation outlasts its members. A department continues though its officers retire.
8. It builds morale. Clear roles and fair relationships let people work with confidence.
9. It makes accountability possible. Only when duties are assigned to known posts can the public, the legislature and the courts ask who failed. In India, the Council of Ministers is "collectively responsible to the House of the People" under Article 75(3). That responsibility has meaning only because each ministry's work is fixed by the Allocation of Business Rules. The work is then carried out through a known chain of officers.
In government in particular, organisation decides whether laws and budgets reach the people. A well-organised district can deliver relief in a flood within hours, while a badly organised one wastes the same money and effort.
The principles of organisation as balances
The classical writers stated principles as rules. Herbert Simon, in "The Proverbs of Administration" (1946), showed that they come in pairs that contradict each other. For each one examined, "there was found, instead of an unequivocal principle, a set of two or more mutually incompatible principles". The best way to understand the principles is therefore as balances: each answers a real need but becomes harmful when pushed too far.
1. Hierarchy and short chains of communication
Hierarchy gives a clear chain of authority from top to bottom. Fayol called it the scalar chain, "the chain of superiors ranging from the ultimate authority to the lowest ranks". Pushed too far, it makes every matter travel up and down many levels. Fayol's own remedy was the "gang plank", which lets two persons at the same level in different branches deal directly, with their superiors' consent.
2. Unity of command and specialisation
Unity of command means "For any action whatsoever, an employee should receive orders from one superior only", in Fayol's words. It prevents confusion. Specialisation means that experts in law, finance or engineering should guide work in their fields. Simon wrote that unity of command "is incompatible with the principle of specialization". The balance is to keep one line of command while giving specialists advisory or limited functional authority.
3. Narrow and wide spans of control
Gulick wrote that "the mind and will of man can span but a limited number of immediate managerial contacts". V. A. Graicunas (1933) showed that relationships multiply fast as subordinates are added. Urwick advised no more than "five, or at the most, six" whose work is interrelated. But a narrow span adds levels, and Simon set against it the rule that levels should be few. Gulick himself noted that on routine work in one room, one man can perhaps direct "several score". The right span depends on the work.
4. Centralisation and decentralisation
Fayol wrote: "Everything which goes to increase the importance of the subordinate's role is decentralization, everything which goes to reduce it is centralization." Centralisation gives uniformity and control, and decentralisation gives speed and local knowledge. India keeps defence and foreign affairs at the centre. Through the 73rd and 74th Amendments, it allows panchayats and municipalities to be given powers over the matters in the Eleventh and Twelfth Schedules.
5. Specialisation and coordination
Division of work, which Fayol placed first among his principles, raises skill. But each specialised unit tends to pursue its own goal. Coordination, Mooney's "orderly arrangement of group effort to provide unity of action in the pursuit of a common purpose", must grow with specialisation. In the Government of India, the Cabinet Secretariat and Committees of Secretaries do this work.
6. Line and staff
Line units command and deliver services, while staff units advise. Mooney wrote that "the line represents the authority of man; the staff, the authority of ideas." Too little staff leaves the head uninformed. Too much staff, or staff that begins to command, confuses the line.
7. Formal and informal organisation
The formal organisation is the official structure. Barnard showed that informal organisations "are found within all formal organizations, the latter being essential to order and consistency, the former to vitality". A structure that ignores the informal side becomes rigid and lifeless. One that relies only on it becomes disorderly.
8. Stability and flexibility
An organisation needs stable rules and roles, so that people know what to expect. It also needs flexibility, so that it can adapt to new tasks. Indian ministries are stable under the Allocation of Business Rules 1961, yet can be reorganised by amending them.
Applying the principles with judgement
Because the principles pull in opposite directions, no rule tells the designer exactly what to do. Gulick admitted that students seeking a single best basis of departments were like "alchemists" seeking "the philosophers' stone". The organiser must ask, for each case, which danger is greater: delay or confusion, rigidity or disorder, uniformity or local neglect. A police force facing riots needs firm hierarchy and unity of command. A research body needs wide spans and flexibility.
The balances at a glance
| Principle | Its benefit | If pushed too far | Balancing device |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hierarchy | Clear authority | Delay | Fayol's gang plank |
| Unity of command | No conflicting orders | Specialists ignored | Advisory or functional staff |
| Narrow span | Close supervision | Too many levels | Span suited to the work |
| Centralisation | Uniformity | Slowness, local neglect | Decentralisation |
| Specialisation | Skill | Fragmentation | Coordination |
| Line authority | Action | Lack of expert advice | Staff agencies |
| Formal structure | Order | Rigidity | Informal organisation |
| Stability | Predictability | Inability to change | Flexibility |
Conclusion. Organisation is, in Mooney's words, "the form of every human association for the attainment of a common purpose". It is both a structure and a process. Its importance lies in turning individual effort into group achievement, making specialisation possible and fixing authority and responsibility. It also coordinates the parts, uses resources well, supports growth, gives continuity and builds morale, which in government decides whether policies reach the people. Its principles are best seen as balances, as Simon showed. These are hierarchy against short chains, unity of command against specialisation, and narrow against wide spans. They also include centralisation against decentralisation, specialisation against coordination, line against staff, formal against informal and stability against flexibility. Good organisation lies in striking each balance to suit the task.
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