Current Public Administration Magazine (OCTOBER 2023)

PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION Online Course

Sample Material of Current Public Administration Magazine

(OCTOBER 2023)

1.Accountability & Responsibility

Indian Judicial System VS USA Judicial System

The Indian judicial system and the USA judicial system are both based on the common law tradition, which originated in England. However, they have some significant differences in their structure, function and role. Here are some of the main differences between the two judicial systems:

Structure: The Indian judicial system consists of a single integrated hierarchy of courts, with the Supreme Court of India at the apex, followed by the High Courts of various states and union territories, and then the subordinate courts at the district and lower levels. The USA judicial system consists of a dual court system, with a federal judiciary and a state judiciary. The federal judiciary comprises of the Supreme Court of the United States, followed by the U.S. Courts of Appeals and the U.S. District Courts. The state judiciary comprises of the Supreme Courts of each state, followed by the intermediate appellate courts and the trial courts.
Function: The Indian judicial system performs various functions, such as interpreting and applying the Constitution and laws, adjudicating disputes between individuals, groups or governments, protecting the fundamental rights of citizens, reviewing the actions of the executive and legislature, and ensuring justice and fairness. The USA judicial system performs similar functions, but with some differences. For instance, the federal judiciary deals only with cases involving federal laws, treaties, constitutionality or disputes between states or foreign parties. The state judiciary deals with cases involving state laws or disputes within a state. Also, the Supreme Court of India has more original jurisdiction than the Supreme Court of the United States, which means it can hear certain cases directly without any lower court's decision.
Role: The Indian judicial system plays a vital role in ensuring the constitutional governance and stability of the country. It acts as a guardian of the Constitution and a protector of the rights and interests of the states and the people. It also acts as a moderator and arbitrator in case of any conflict or deadlock between different organs or levels of government. The USA judicial system plays a similar role, but with some differences. For instance, the federal judiciary has more power and independence than the state judiciary, which is subject to the control and influence of the state governments. Also, the Supreme Court of India has more power and activism than the Supreme Court of the United States, which means it can intervene more frequently and extensively in matters of public policy and social justice.

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2. Indian Government and Politics

Indian PM VS President

The power, role and function of the Indian Prime Minister are as follows:

Power: The Prime Minister is the head of the government and the leader of the majority party or coalition in the Lok Sabha. He has the power to appoint and dismiss the ministers, allocate portfolios, preside over the cabinet meetings, advise the President on various matters, represent the country in international forums, and deal with any emergency or crisis situation. He is also the head of various departments and agencies, such as the NITI Aayog, the Nuclear Command Authority, the Department of Atomic Energy, etc.
Role: The Prime Minister plays a crucial role in shaping the policies and programmes of the government in various sectors and domains. He coordinates and supervises the activities of different ministries and departments. He acts as a link between the political executive and the permanent bureaucracy. He also acts as a platform for cooperative federalism and partnership between the central and state governments. He also acts as a spokesperson and representative of the nation at home and abroad.

Function: The Prime Minister performs various functions, such as:

Policy formulation: He advises the government on strategic policy issues across various sectors and domains. He also drafts vision documents, action plans and reports for long-term and short-term goals.
Policy coordination: He coordinates the policies and programmes of different ministries and departments. He ensures that there is no overlap or contradiction among them. He also resolves any inter-ministerial disputes or conflicts.
Policy implementation: He monitors the implementation of various policies and programmes initiated by the government. He also evaluates their impact and outcomes.
Policy innovation: He fosters innovation and creativity in policy-making and implementation. He encourages the use of technology, data and evidence-based approaches. He also promotes best practices and learning from national and international experiences.
The Prime Minister of India is a powerful, influential and important position in the Indian political system. He is responsible for providing strategic direction and vision to the government in various sectors and subjects. He is also accountable to the Parliament and the people for his actions and decisions.

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3. Social Administration

NITI Aayog VS Planning Commission

NITI Aayog is an acronym for National Institution for Transforming India, which is a policy think tank and advisory body of the Government of India. It was established on January 1, 2015, to replace the Planning Commission, which was seen as outdated and ineffective. The organisation, function and role of NITI Aayog are as follows:

Organisation: NITI Aayog is headed by the Prime Minister of India, who is the chairperson of the institution. It has a governing council, which consists of the chief ministers of all states and union territories, and the lieutenant governors of some union territories. It also has a vice-chairperson, who is appointed by the Prime Minister, and four full-time members, who are experts in various fields. It has two part-time members, who are selected from leading universities and research institutions. It also has four ex-officio members, who are the ministers of finance, home affairs, defence and agriculture. It has a chief executive officer (CEO), who is appointed by the Prime Minister, and a secretariat, which provides administrative support.
Function: NITI Aayog performs various functions, such as:
Policy formulation: It advises the government on strategic policy issues across various sectors and domains. It also drafts vision documents, action plans and reports for long-term and short-term goals.
Policy coordination: It coordinates the policies and programmes of different ministries and departments. It ensures that there is no overlap or contradiction among them. It also resolves any inter-ministerial disputes or conflicts.
Policy implementation: It monitors the implementation of various policies and programmes initiated by the government. It also evaluates their impact and outcomes.

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4. Current Topics

President VS Governor
The power, role and function of the Indian President and the Governor are different in the Indian political system. The President is the head of the state and the supreme commander of the armed forces, while the Governor is the head of a state and the representative of the centre. The President is indirectly elected by an electoral college, while the Governor is nominated by the President. The President can be removed only by impeachment, while the Governor can be removed at any time by the President. The main differences between their powers and functions are as follows:
Executive powers: The President appoints and dismisses the Prime Minister, the ministers, the judges of the Supreme Court and the High Courts, the governors of the states, and other constitutional authorities. The Governor appoints and dismisses the Chief Minister, the ministers, and some state officials. The President exercises his executive powers through his council of ministers, headed by the Prime Minister. The Governor exercises his executive powers through his council of ministers, headed by the Chief Minister.
Legislative powers: The President is an integral part of the Parliament, along with the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha. He summons and prorogues the Parliament, dissolves the Lok Sabha, assents or withholds assent to bills, promulgates ordinances, nominates 12 members to the Rajya Sabha and two members to the Lok Sabha. The Governor is not a part of the state legislature, but he can summon and prorogue it, dissolve the legislative assembly, assent or withhold assent to bills, reserve bills for consideration of the President, promulgate ordinances, nominate one member to the legislative assembly.
Financial powers: The President causes to be laid before Parliament the annual financial statement (budget), demands for grants, appropriation bills and finance bills. He also appoints the finance commission every five years to recommend the distribution of revenues between the centre and the states. The Governor causes to be laid before the state legislature the annual financial statement (budget), demands for grants, appropriation bills and finance bills. He also appoints a state finance commission every five years to review the financial position of local bodies.

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5. Indian Administration

Central Secretariat VS Cabinet Secretariat

The central secretariat and the cabinet secretariat are two important institutions in the Indian administrative system. They have different roles and functions, as explained below:

The central secretariat is a collection of departments or ministries in the central government, headed by various secretaries of the government. It assists the ministers in policy-making, legislation, coordination, budgeting and implementation of various programs and schemes. It also acts as a communication channel between the government and its agencies. The central secretariat is under the charge of the respective ministers and is governed by the Central Secretariat rules of 1962.
The cabinet secretariat is a special department that provides secretarial assistance to the cabinet of India, headed by the prime minister. It facilitates smooth transaction of business between ministries and departments of the government, and ensures adherence to the Government of India (Transaction of Business) Rules, 1961 and the Government of India (Allocation of Business) Rules 1961. It also handles sensitive matters such as national security, intelligence, defence, foreign affairs and crisis management. The cabinet secretariat is under the charge of the prime minister and is headed by the cabinet secretary.
The main difference between the central secretariat and the cabinet secretariat is that the former is a general administrative body that deals with various subjects and sectors, while the latter is a specific administrative body that deals with high-level and confidential matters. The central secretariat is divided into several ministries and departments, each with its own secretary, while the cabinet secretariat is a single department with one secretary. The central secretariat works under the supervision and direction of the respective ministers, while the cabinet secretariat works under the direct control and authority of the prime minister.