Detailed Month-wise Schedule: Public Administration

 Detailed month-wise schedule for Public Administration preparation. Assuming you have at least 6 months before your CS Mains Exams, the plan is structured to ensure thorough coverage, revision, and practice.

By Dr Sunil S Rana 
(M.D.), Rana's IAS Academy 


Month 1: Foundational Concepts and Thinkers (Paper 1)


Week 1:

Topic: Introduction to Public Administration


Meaning, scope, significance.


Evolution of Public Administration.


New Public Administration (NPA), New Public Management (NPM).


Source: Nicholas Henry (Chapters 1-2), Mohit Bhattacharya.


Week 2:

Topic: Administrative Thought (Classical to Neo-Classical)


Taylor, Fayol, Weber, Simon, Barnard.


Source: Prasad & Prasad.


Practice: Write short notes on Taylor vs. Fayol, Weber's bureaucracy.



Week 3:

Topic: Administrative Behaviour


Decision-making (Simon), Motivation (Maslow, Herzberg).


Source: Mohit Bhattacharya.


Link with GS: Ethics—Role of Motivation and Decision-making.



Week 4:

Topic: Organisations


Formal and Informal Organizations, Communication, Leadership.


Source: Nicholas Henry.


Month 2: Thematic Topics (Paper 1)


Week 1:

Topic: Accountability and Control


Legislative, Executive, Judicial Control.


RTI, Citizen Charter.


Source: Mohit Bhattacharya, 2nd ARC Reports.


Week 2:

Topic: Administrative Law and Governance


Delegated Legislation, Administrative Adjudication.


Concepts of Governance, E-Governance.



Source: Nicholas Henry, Kurukshetra.



Week 3:

Topic: Financial Administration


Budget, Performance Budgeting, Zero-Based Budgeting.


Source: Mohit Bhattacharya.


Week 4:

Topic: Development Administration


Riggs’ Models, Public Choice Approach.


Source: Nicholas Henry.


Month 3: Indian Administration (Paper 2)


Week 1:

Topic: Evolution of Indian Administration


Mauryan to Mughal Administration.


Post-Independent Developments.


Source: Ramesh Arora, S.R. Maheshwari.


Week 2:

Topic: Union and State Government


President, PMO, Cabinet Secretariat, Chief Secretary.


Role of Governors.


Source: S.R. Maheshwari.


Week 3:

Topic: District Administration


Role of District Collector, Disaster Management, Law and Order.


Source: Ramesh Arora.


Practice: Write a case study on disaster management.


Week 4:

Topic: Public Sector and PSU Reforms


Role of PSUs, PPP Models, Disinvestment.


Source: Kurukshetra, Yojana.


Month 4: Advanced Topics and Current Affairs


Week 1:

Topic: Social Welfare Administration


Schemes for SCs, STs, Women, and Children.


Source: S.R. Maheshwari, Yojana.


Week 2:

Topic: Planning and Economic Administration


NITI Aayog, Planning Commission.


Source: Ramesh Arora.


Week 3:

Topic: Administrative Reforms


Major reforms from Kothari Commission to 2nd ARC.


Source: 2nd ARC Reports.



Week 4:

Topic: Local Governance


Panchayati Raj, Urban Local Bodies, 73rd & 74th Amendments.


Source: Ramesh Arora, Yojana.


Month 5: Revision and Writing Practice


Week 1-2:


Revise Paper 1 (Thinkers, Governance, Financial Administration).


Solve previous year’s Paper 1 questions.



Week 3-4:


Revise Paper 2 (Indian Administration).


Solve previous year’s Paper 2 questions.


Month 6: Tests and Final Touch


Join a test series and practice under time constraints.


Focus on weak areas identified during the tests.


Prepare short, crisp notes for last-minute revision.


Update your answers with recent examples from current affairs.




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