QUESTION 5
GS4
10 marks
Two attitudes exhibited by public servants towards work are the bureaucratic attitude and the democratic attitude. Distinguish between them with merits and demerits, and examine whether they can be balanced for better and faster administration.
WRITE IN
7 min
150 words
What the examiner wants
Contrast bureaucratic and democratic attitudes, weigh merits and demerits, and see if they can be balanced.
Distinguish + ExamineBring out the differences clearly, point by point. Go into the details, test each point against evidence, and conclude on what it shows.
Demand-wise check
- 1Bureaucratic: rule-bound, hierarchical, impersonal, procedural - merits: consistency, accountability, neutrality; demerits: red tape, rigidity, goal displacement≈30 words
- 2Democratic: participative, citizen-centric, flexible, consultative - merits: responsiveness, legitimacy; demerits: delays, populism, inconsistency≈30 words
- 3Balance: rules for fairness with discretion for citizens; citizen charters, Sevottam, e-governance, grievance redress≈30 words
- 4Example: participatory planning within rule framework≈30 words
Open in about 20 words and close in about 20.
Answer plan
Define bothMerits/demerits tableCan they be balancedHowConclusion
Where marks usually go
- Calling one good and the other bad
- Missing 'faster administration' angle
Draw this
- Comparison table with merits and demerits
Value addition
- ThinkerRobert Merton (1940) warned that bureaucratic rule-following can turn into 'goal displacement' where rules become ends in themselves.Merton, 1940
- Report2nd ARC 12th Report 'Citizen Centric Administration' (2009) recommended Sevottam and citizen charters.2nd ARC, 2009
Mapped topper copies
Reviewed public-source references related to this PYQ. Same-syllabus references are labelled separately.
- Shakti Dubey · AIR 1 · Page 3 ↗Same syllabus reference
- Aakash Garg · AIR 5 · Page 7 ↗Same syllabus reference
- G Sanjana · AIR 55 · Page 3 ↗Same syllabus reference
- Vidushi Singh · AIR 13 · Page 5 ↗Same syllabus reference
Links open original public sources. MainsBuddy does not host these answer sheets.
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