Q6.(a) "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.

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(b) Affirmative action in socio-economic development has not altogether eliminated discrimination. Discuss it in the context of women empowerment.

The term affirmative action originated in USA to prohibit unfair discrimination against certain groups of people. Affirmative action in Development does not involve changes in the awareness, motivation and behaviour of individuals, in the relations between individuals as well as between groups within a society. These changes can come from within individuals and group , and not necessarily from outside. The experiences of self-reliance have led to attempts to build local level organisation like, cooperatives, credit societies, neighborhood or community development associations, water sharing associations or women’s groups. The Neo- liberal paradigm has also incorporated self-reliance as a strategy for building people’s entrepreneurial spirits and absorption into the capital market. As women experience powerlessness in and through the interaction of multiple social, political and economic institutions, the self-reliance model for women’s development aims to empower them. Thus, an important aspect of SHGs is the implicit assumption that through participation in the groups, women will gain, generate and acquire power, and improve their ‘position’ within the family and the society.

(c) Have political realities thwarted the move towards evidence based policy making ? Critically examine.

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