RAS TIME TABLE

RAJASTHAN STATE & SUBORDINATE SERVICES COMBINED COMPETITIVE (MAIN) EXAMINATION, 2007

TIME TABLE

DAY	DATE	MORNING 9.00 AM TO 12.00 Noon	EVENING 2.00 PM TO 5.00 PM
		COMPULSORY PAPER www.CompetitionExam.com
Thursday	12-6-2008	General Knowledge & General Science	General Knowledge of Rajasthan, Rajasthani Society, Art & Culture
Friday	13-6-2008	General Hindi	General English
		OPTIONAL PAPER	www.CompetitionExam.com
Monday	16-6-2008	1. Animal Husbandry & Veterinary Science-I 2. Civil Engineering-I 3. Computer Science-I 4. History-I	1. Animal Husbandry & Veterinary Science-II 2. Civil Engineering-II 3. Computer Science-II 4. History-II
Tuesday	17-6-2008	1. Political Science & International Relations-I 2. Public Administration-I	1. Political Science & International Relations -II 2. Public Administration-II
Wednesday	18-6-2008	1. Agricultural Engineering-I 2. Philosophy-I	1. Agricultural Engineering-II 2. Philosophy-II
Thursday	19-6-2008	1. Geography-I 2. Mining Engineering-I 3. Sindhi Lit.-I	1. Geography-II 2. Mining Engineering-II 3. Sindhi Lit.-II
Friday	20-6-2008	1. Sociology-I 2. Anthropology-I 3. Urdu Lit.-I	1. Sociology-II 2. Anthropology-II 3. Urdu Lit.-II
Saturday	21-6-2008	1. Agriculture-I 2. Commerce & Accountancy-I 3. Hindi Lit.-I	1. Agriculture-II 2. Commerce & Accountancy-II 3. Hindi Lit.-II
Monday	23-6-2008	1. Economics-I 2. Zoology-I	1. Economics-II 2. Zoology-II
Tuesday	24-6-2008	1. Botany-I 2. Physics-I 3. Sanskrit Lit.-I	1. Botany-II 2. Physics-II 3. Sanskrit Lit.-II
Wednesday	25-6-2008	1. Law-I 2. Mathematics-I	1. Law-II 2. Mathematics-II
Thursday	26-6-2008	1. Crop Husbandry with Horticulture-I 2. Computer Engineering-I 3. Electrical Engineering-I 4. Electronics & Tele- communication Engineering-I 5. Psychology-I	1. Crop Husbandry with Horticulture-II 2. Computer Engineering-II 3. Electrical Engineering-II 4. Electronics & Tele- communication Engineering-II 5. Psychology-II
Friday	27-6-2008	1. Chemistry-I 2. Dairy Processing & Technology-I 3. Geology-I 4. Management-I 5. English Lit. –I	1. Chemistry-II 2. Dairy Processing & Technology-II 3. Geology-II 4. Management-II 5. English Lit. –II
Saturday	28-6-2008	1. Home Science-I 2. Mechanical Engineering-I 3. Statistics-I	1. Home Science-II 2. Mechanical Engineering-II 3. Statistics-II

 

www.CompetitionExam.com

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RAS Mains 2007 Time Table

RPSC has declared the time table for RAS Mains Examination, which are going to be held from 12th June 2008 to 28th June 2008.

Click here for Time Table

to know your subjects of mains exam

Click here

cheers !

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PSLV C9

India's Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) C-9 blasts off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota. The Indian rocket launched a record 10 satellites into orbit in a single mission, underlining the nation's emergence as a major competitor in the multi-billion-dollar space market.

An Indian Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) has successfully launched ten satellites. The 44-metre long rocket lifted off from the second launch pad at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre at 03:53:51 GMT (09:24 local time), and reached a polar, Sun-synchronous low Earth orbit a little over seven minutes later. Following burnout of the fourth stage of the carrier rocket, the payloads were released. The PSLV flew in the CA, or Core Alone, configuration, with no solid rocket boosters around the first stage.

The ten satellites aboard the rocket will be used for several purposes by a variety of organisations. The primary payload, Cartosat-2A, is a remote sensing satellite, which will be operated by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). IMS-1, also known as TWSAT, another ISRO remote sensing satellite, was the secondary payload. In addition, eight commercial payloads were flown, as part of the Nanosat Launch Service-4 and 5 programmes. There satellites were Cute 1.7+APD-2 and SEEDS-2 for the University of Tokyo, Japan, CanX-2 and CanX-6 for the University of Toronto Institute for Aerospace Studies, Canada, Delfi-C3 for the Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands, AAUSAT-II for the w:University of Aalborg, Denmark, COMPASS-1 for Aachen University, Germany, and RUBIN-8 for German aerospace company OHB System. This is the most satellites ever launched by an Indian rocket, however Indian news agencies have been incorrectly claiming that it is the most satellites ever launched by a single rocket. A number of Russian and American rockets have launched more satellites.

This is the 21st orbital launch of 2008, and the second to be conducted by a PSLV. It is the 13th total PSLV launch. The next PSLV launch is scheduled for either July or December, with the Chandrayaan-I spacecraft, India's first Lunar probe.

Sources :

• "PSLV-C9 blasts off from Sriharikota". Times of India, 2008-04-28
• "India's PSLV-C9 Puts 10 Satellites In Space". RTT News, 2008-04-28
• Stephen Withers "India launches 10 satellites at once". iWire, 2008-04-28
• "PSLV-C9 successfully places 10 satellites into orbit". Press Trust of India, 2008-04-28
• Wikipedia
  

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Collection of Epaper Links

A collection of Electronic version of Indian Newspapers (Epapers)

Most of the newspaper have their online version of newspaper which is almost like newspaper and the good thing about them is that almost all of them are free except some like The Hindu.

here are link to some of them I get while browsing

Aandhra Bhoomi

Andhrajothy

Asomiya Pratidin

Daily Thanthi

Dainik Bhaskar

Dainik Jagran

Deccan Chronicle

Deccan Herald

Dinamalar

Divya Bhaskar

DNA (Daily News & Analysis)

Economic Times

Financial Express

Hindustan Hindi

Hindustan Times

Indian Express

Lokmat

Mid day

Mumbai Mirror

Prabhat Khabar

Rajasthan Patrika

Sandesh

Sanmarg

Tamilmurasu

The Asian Age

The Financial Express

The Hindu

The Kashmir Times

The New Indian Express

The Pioneer

The Siasat Daily

The Telegraph

The Times of India

Vijya Karnataka

Vijya Times

Cheers !

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WORLD MALARIA DAY : 25th April 2008

MALARIA : A disease without borders

In May 2007 the World Health Assembly, attended by delegations from all of WHO's 193 Member States, considered the latest malaria reports and observed that global awareness of malaria remains low despite the high death toll and cost of the disease.
The Health Assembly thus resolved that World Malaria Day shall be commemorated annually on 25th April to provide "education and understanding of malaria" and spread information on "year-long intensified implementation of national malaria-control strategies, including community-based activities for malaria prevention and treatment in endemic areas." (WHA 60.18)

25 April is a day of unified commemoration of the global effort to provide effective control of malaria around the world.World Malaria Day is an opportunity for malaria-free countries to learn about the devastating consequences of the disease and for new donors to join a global partnership against malaria. It is an occasion for research and academia institutions to flag their scientific advances to both experts and the general public. It is chance for countries in affected regions to learn from each other's experiences and back each other efforts. It is an opportunity for international partners, companies and foundations to showcase their results and reflect together on how to scale up what has been proven to work.

Malaria is truly a disease without borders, and has plagued humankind since ancient times and is still putting nearly 40% of the world’s population at risk. Estimates suggest that between 350 and 500 million people are affected every year. In addition, as many as 30,000 visitors to tropical countries are infected annually. The WHO estimates that nearly 60% of the world’s clinical malaria cases occur in Africa, 38% in Asia and 3% in the Americas.

As per WHO reports, about 80% of people living in Asia are at risk of malaria, and the region could experience socio-economic problems if efforts to curb the spread of the disease are not increased. About 2-3 million new malaria cases occur annually in India alone. Nevertheless, India has been able to curb the disease to a considerable extent despite the annual growth rate of 2.1%

M4M :

Mobilising for Malaria (M4M) is a Malaria Consortium advocacy programme mainly supported by GlaxoSmithKline’s African Malaria Partnership.

M4M works to combat malaria by raising people’s awareness of the disease in Europe and Africa, in order to bring greater resources to bear against the disease. M4M addresses the shortfall in resources, and also recognises the unique role and urgently needed contribution of civil society, including the media, in the global malaria advocacy movement.

The programme aims to establish a common framework for mobilisation and coordination that strengthens the impact of malaria advocacy at global, regional and national levels. It fosters alliances of effective malaria advocates and activists both in the North and in the South and addresses the need for complementarity and magnifying effect of media coverage, policy debate and NGO action, and therefore the role of each of these elements in securing an effective and comprehensive advocacy response to malaria.

By promoting "Coalitions Against Malaria", the programme encourages partnership working and collaboration between all civil society actors not only in their own countries but through North-South joint initiatives in order to increase public and political awareness and support for an effective and sustained response to Malaria at global, national and local levels. By helping partners work together in the developed and developing world, the programme also aims to broaden the partnership among those shaping the response and bring a new focus to the battle against the disease.

Note : 25 April has also been commemorated as Africa Malaria Day since 2001, a year after the historic Abuja Declaration was signed by 44 African malaria-endemic countries at the African Malaria Summit.

source : mobilising4malaria.org and rbm.who.int

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RBI increases CRR : 17 Apr 2008

It may be recalled that in the Third Quarter Review of the Annual Statement of the Monetary Policy for the year 2007-08, the stance of monetary policy was set out. The review had stated that over the period ahead, liquidity management will continue to assume priority in the conduct of monetary policy. It was further stated that the liquidity conditions are being shaped by several underlying factors and their developments have implications for liquidity management going forward and warrant appropriate and timely action. The liquidity adjustment facility (LAF) had been in an injection mode persistently during the second half of March 2008. Subsequently, there was a large turnaround and, an average amount of Rs.40,088 crore was absorbed through the LAF during April 3-17, 2008 as against average daily injection of liquidity of Rs. 27,385 crore during March 17-31, 2008.

Year-on-year WPI inflation, which was 3.83 per cent on January 12, 2008, i.e., at the time of the announcement of Third Quarter Review, increased to 7.41 per cent on March 29, 2008 and remained at 7.14 per cent as on April 5, 2008 and its overall impact on inflation expectations requires to be monitored and moderated.

In the light of the current macroeconomic, monetary and anticipated liquidity conditions, and with a view to containing inflation expectations, it is essential to take appropriate action on an urgent basis.

On a review of current liquidity situation, it is considered desirable to increase the cash reserve ratio (CRR) of the scheduled commercial banks, regional rural banks (RRBs), scheduled state co-operative banks and scheduled primary (urban) co-operative banks by 50 basis points to 8.0 per cent in two stages, effective from specified fortnights as indicated below:

Effective date CRR on net demand and time liabilities (per cent)
(i.e., the fortnight beginning from)
April 26, 2008 7.75

May 10, 2008 8.00

As a result of the above increase in CRR on liabilities of the banking system, an amount of about Rs.18,500 crore of resources of banks would be absorbed.

Alpana Killawala
Chief General Manager

Press Release: 2007-08/1351

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Special Economic Zones in India

Introduction

India was one of the first in Asia to recognize the effectiveness of the Export Processing Zone (EPZ) model in promoting exports, with Asia’s first EPZ set up in Kandla in 1965. With a view to overcome the shortcomings experienced on account of the multiplicity of controls and clearances; absence of world-class infrastructure, and an unstable fiscal regime and with a view to attract larger foreign investments in India, the Special Economic Zones (SEZs) Policy was announced in April 2000.

This policy intended to make SEZs an engine for economic growth supported by quality infrastructure complemented by an attractive fiscal package, both at the Centre and the State level, with the minimum possible regulations. SEZs in India functioned from 1.11.2000 to 09.02.2006 under the provisions of the Foreign Trade Policy and fiscal incentives were made effective through the provisions of relevant statutes.

To instill confidence in investors and signal the Government’s commitment to a stable SEZ policy regime and with a view to impart stability to the SEZ regime thereby generating greater economic activity and employment through the establishment of SEZs, a comprehensive draft SEZ Bill prepared after extensive discussions with the stakeholders. A number of meetings were held in various parts of the country both by the Minister for Commerce and Industry as well as senior officials for this purpose. The Special Economic Zones Act, 2005, was passed by Parliament in May, 2005 which received Presidential assent on the 23rd of June, 2005. The draft SEZ Rules were widely discussed and put on the website of the Department of Commerce offering suggestions/comments. Around 800 suggestions were received on the draft rules. After extensive consultations, the SEZ Act, 2005, supported by SEZ Rules, came into effect on 10th February, 2006, providing for drastic simplification of procedures and for single window clearance on matters relating to central as well as state governments. The main objectives of the SEZ Act are:

(a) generation of additional economic activity
(b) promotion of exports of goods and services;
(c) promotion of investment from domestic and foreign sources;
(d) creation of employment opportunities;
(e) development of infrastructure facilities;

It is expected that this will trigger a large flow of foreign and domestic investment in SEZs, in infrastructure and productive capacity, leading to generation of additional economic activity and creation of employment opportunities.

The SEZ Act 2005 envisages key role for the State Governments in Export Promotion and creation of related infrastructure. A Single Window SEZ approval mechanism has been provided through a 19 member inter-ministerial SEZ Board of Approval (BoA). The applications duly recommended by the respective State Governments/UT Administration are considered by this BoA periodically. All decisions of the Board of approvals are with consensus.

The SEZ Rules provide for different minimum land requirement for different class of SEZs. Every SEZ is divided into a processing area where alone the SEZ units would come up and the non-processing area where the supporting infrastructure is to be created.

The SEZ Rules provide for :

* Simplified procedures for development, operation, and maintenance of the Special Economic Zones and for setting up units and conducting business in SEZs;
* Single window clearance for setting up of an SEZ;
* Single window clearance for setting up a unit in a Special Economic Zone;
* Single Window clearance on matters relating to Central as well as State Governments;
* Simplified compliance procedures and documentation with an emphasis on self certification

Approval mechanism and Administrative setup of SEZs

Approval mechanism

The developer submits the proposal for establishment of SEZ to the concerned State Government. The State Government has to forward the proposal with its recommendation within 45 days from the date of receipt of such proposal to the Board of Approval. The applicant also has the option to submit the proposal directly to the Board of Approval.

The Board of Approval has been constituted by the Central Government in exercise of the powers conferred under the SEZ Act. All the decisions are taken in the Board of Approval by consensus. The Board of Approval has 19 Members. Its constitution is as follows:

(1)


Secretary, Department of Commerce


Chairman

(2)


Member, CBEC


Member

(3)


Member, IT, CBDT


Member

(4)


Joint Secretary (Banking Division), Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance


(5)


Joint Secretary (SEZ), Department of Commerce


Member

(6)


Joint Secretary, DIPP


Member

(7)


Joint Secretary, Ministry of Science and Technology


Member

(8)


Joint Secretary, Ministry of Small Scale Industries and Agro and Rural Industries


Member

(9)


Joint Secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs


Member

(10)


Joint Secretary, Ministry of Defence


Member

(11)


Joint Secretary, Ministry of Environment and Forests


Member

(12)


Joint Secretary, Ministry of Law and Justice


Member

(13)


Joint Secretary, Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs


Member

(14)


Joint Secretary, Ministry of Urban Development


Member

(15)


A nominee of the State Government concerned


Member

(16)


Director General of Foreign Trade or his nominee


Member

(17)


Development Commissioner concerned


Member

(18)


A professor in the Indian Institute of Management or the Indian Institute of Foreign Trade


Member

(19)


Director or Deputy Sectary, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Department of Commerce


Member Secretary


(b ) Administrative set up

The functioning of the SEZs is governed by a three tier administrative set up. The Board of Approval is the apex body and is headed by the Secretary, Department of Commerce. The Approval Committee at the Zone level deals with approval of units in the SEZs and other related issues. Each Zone is headed by a Development Commissioner, who is ex-officio chairperson of the Approval Committee.

Once an SEZ has been approved by the Board of Approval and Central Government has notified the area of the SEZ, units are allowed to be set up in the SEZ. All the proposals for setting up of units in the SEZ are approved at the Zone level by the Approval Committee consisting of Development Commissioner, Customs Authorities and representatives of State Government. All post approval clearances including grant of importer-exporter code number, change in the name of the company or implementing agency, broad banding diversification, etc. are given at the Zone level by the Development Commissioner. The performance of the SEZ units are periodically monitored by the Approval Committee and units are liable for penal action under the provision of Foreign Trade (Development and Regulation) Act, in case of violation of the conditions of the approval.

Incentives and facilities offered to the SEZs

The incentives and facilities offered to the units in SEZs for attracting investments into the SEZs, including foreign investment include:-

* Duty free import/domestic procurement of goods for development, operation and maintenance of SEZ units
* 100% Income Tax exemption on export income for SEZ units under Section 10AA of the Income Tax Act for first 5 years, 50% for next 5 years thereafter and 50% of the ploughed back export profit for next 5 years.
* Exemption from minimum alternate tax under section 115JB of the Income Tax Act.
* External commercial borrowing by SEZ units upto US $ 500 million in a year without any maturity restriction through recognized banking channels.
* Exemption from Central Sales Tax.
* Exemption from Service Tax.
* Single window clearance for Central and State level approvals.
* Exemption from State sales tax and other levies as extended by the respective State Governments.

The major incentives and facilities available to SEZ developers include:-

* Exemption from customs/excise duties for development of SEZs for authorized operations approved by the BOA.
* Income Tax exemption on export income for a block of 10 years in 15 years under Section 80-IAB of the Income Tax Act.
* Exemption from minimum alternate tax under Section 115 JB of the Income Tax Act.
* Exemption from dividend distribution tax under Section 115O of the Income Tax Act.
* Exemption from Central Sales Tax (CST).
* Exemption from Service Tax (Section 7, 26 and Second Schedule of the SEZ Act).

SEZ Approval Status

Consequent upon the SEZ Rules coming into effect w.e.f. 10th February, 2006, Twenty-one meetings of the Board of Approvals have since been held. During these meetings, formal approval has been granted to 439 SEZ proposals. There are 138 valid in-principle approvals. Out of the 439 formal approvals, 195 SEZs have been notified.

Land requirements for approved Special Economic Zones:

The total land requirement for the formal approvals granted till date is approximately 59685 hectares out of which about 97 approvals are for State Industrial Development Corporations/State Government Ventures which account for over 20000 hectares. In these cases, the land already available with the State Governments or SIDCs or with private companies has been utilized for setting up SEZ. The land for the 195 notified SEZs where operations have since commenced involved is approximately over 26072 hectares only.

Out of the total land area of 2973190 sq km in India, total agricultural land is of the order of 1620388 sq km (54.5%). It is interesting to note that out of this total land area, the land in possession of the 195 SEZs notified amounts to approximately over 260 sq km only. The formal approvals granted also works out to only around 596 sq km.

SEZs- leading to the growth of labour intensive manufacturing industry:

Out of the 439 formal approvals given till date, 150 approvals are for sector specific and multi product SEZs for manufacture of Textiles & Apparels, Leather Footwear, Automobile components, Engineering etc.. which would involve labour intensive manufacturing. SEZs are going to lead to creation of employment for large number of unemployed rural youth. Nokia and Flextronics electronics hardware SEZs in Sriperumbudur are already providing employment to 9645 and 2069 persons, majority of which are women. Hyderabad Gems SEZ for Jewellery manufacturing in Hyderabad has already employed 2000 persons, out of which 1200 are women, majority of whom are from landless families, after providing training to them. They have a projected direct employment for about 30,000 persons. Apache SEZ being set up in Andhra Pradesh will employ 20, 000 persons to manufacture 10,00,000 pairs of shoes every month. Current employment in Apache SEZ is 4500 persons. Brandix Apparels, a Sri Lankan FDI project would provide employment to 60,000 workers over a period of 3 years. Even in the services sector, 12.5 million sq meters space is expected in the IT/ITES SEZs which as per the NASSCOM standards translates into 12.5 lakh jobs. It is, therefore, expected that establishment of SEZs would lead to fast growth of labour intensive manufacturing and services in the country.

Benefits derived from SEZs

Benefit derived from SEZs is evident from the investment, employment, exports and infrastructural developments additionally generated. The benefits derived from multiplier effect of the investments and additional economic activity in the SEZs and the employment generated thus will far outweigh the tax exemptions and the losses on account of land acquisition. Stability in fiscal concession is absolutely essential to ensure credibility of Government intensions.

Exports from the functioning SEZs during the last three years are as under:

Year


Value (Rs. Crore)


Growth Rate ( over previous year )

2003-2004


13,854


39%

2004-2005


18,314


32%

2005-2006


22 840


25%

2006-07


34,615


52%

Projected exports from all SEZs for 2007-08: Rs. 67088 crores

(b) Investment and employment in the SEZs set up prior to the SEZ Act, 2005:

At present, 1277 units are in operation in the SEZs. In the SEZs established prior to the Act coming into force, there are 998 units providing direct employment to over 1.83 lakh persons; about 40% of whom are women. Private investment by entrepreneurs in these SEZs established prior to the SEZ Act is of the order of over Rs. 7104 crore.

(c) Investment and employment in the SEZs notified under the SEZ Act 2005:

Current investment and employment:

o Investment: Rs. 67347 crore
o Employment: 61015 persons

Impact of the scheme

The overwhelming response to the SEZ scheme is evident from the flow of investment and creation of additional employment in the country. The SEZ scheme has generated tremendous response amongst the investors, both in India and abroad, which is evident from the list of Developers who have set up SEZs:

* Nokia SEZ in Tamil Nadu
* Quark City SEZ in Chandigarh
* Flextronics SEZ in Tamil Nadu
* Mahindra World City in Tamil Nadu
* Motorola, DELL and Foxconn
* Apache SEZ (Adidas Group) in Andhra Pradesh
* Divvy’s Laboratories, Andhra Pradesh
* Rajiv Gandhi Technology Park, Chandigarh
* ETL Infrastructure IT SEZ, Chennai
* Hyderabad Gems Limited, Hyderabad

source : sezindia.nic.in

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Civil Services (Prel.) - 2008 Venue Information

Check out Civil Services (Prel.) - 2008 Venue Information



Click here

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Book List For Public Administration

Preliminary Examination

Basic
1. Introduction to the Study of Public Administration L.D. White
2. Public Administration A.R. Tyagi
3. Public Administration in Theory and Practice
M.P. Sharma & B.L. Sadana
4. Administrative Thinkers Prasad & Prasad
5. Public Administration Avasthi & Maheshwari
6. Public Administration Mohit Bhattacharya

Specific Topics
1. Financial Administration : Financial Administration in India
M.J.K. Thavaraj
2. Comparative Administration : Public Administration : A Comparative Perspective (Topic No. 5 & 6) Ferrel Heady
3. Constitution of India D.D. Basu
4. Indian Administration Avasthi & Avasthi

Relevant Topics : 1. Union Executive 2. State Executive 3. Centre-State Relations 4. Public Services & Public Service Commission 5. Rights & Liabilities of Civil Servants.
Note : M.Laxmi Kanth's Book on Public Administraion of Tata McGraw Hill's for Prel.

Mains Examination

Paper I ::: Basic

1. Introduction to the study of Public Administration L.D. White
2. New Horizons of Public Administration : Mohit Bhattacharya
3. Administrative Thinkers : Prasad & Prasad
4. Public Administration : A.R. Tyagi
5. Public Administration : C.P. Bhambri
6. Organization Behaviour : Luthans or Robbins

Specific Topics :
1. Basic premises : Modern Public Administration : Nigro & Nigro
2. Vaids Fundamentals of Public Admninistrative Series (Ashtam Prakashan)
(i) Principles of Organisation and Comparative
Public Administration
(ii) Administrative Behaviour
3. Personnel Administration : Public Personnel Administration
O. Glenn. Stahl
4. Administrative Law : Administrative Law M.P. Jain
5. Comparative and Development Administration :
Comparative Public Administration R.K. Arora
6. Public Policy : Public Policy R.K. Sapru

Paper II : Basic

1. Constitution of India D.D. Basu
2. Indian Administration Avasthi & Avasthi
3. Administrative Reform Commission (ARC) Report on
(a)Machinery of Planning
(b)Centre-state relationships
(c)Financial Administration
(d)State Administration
(e)District Administration
4. Public Administration A.R. Tyagi
5. Issues in Indian Administration R.B. Jain
6. Special volumes of Indian Journal of Public Administration
Specific Topics :
1. Evolution of Indian Administration : NCERT Books (Class XI & XII) on Indian History : Administrative portion.
2. Centre-State Relations : A brief reference to Sarkaria Commission Report.
3. Public Undertakings : Principles and Practices of Public Enterprise ManagementLaxmi Narayan
4. Control of Public Expenditure : Financial Administration in IndiaM.J.K. Thavaraj
5. State Administration : State Administration J.D. Shukla
6. District Administration : District Administration S.S. Khera
7. Local Administration : Local Government in India S.R. Maheshwari
8. Administration for Welfare : Social Welfare Administration D. Paul Choudhary
Annual Report of Department of Justice & Empowerment

Note:Consult IGNOU Materials, Yojna and Kurukshetra

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22 April : Earth Day

Earth Day 2008 falls on Tuesday, April 22: It's a special day to learn about our planet and how to take care of it!

Actually, the idea for Earth Day evolved over a period of seven years starting in 1962. For several years, it had been troubling me that the state of our environment was simply a non-issue in the politics of the country. Finally, in November 1962, an idea occurred to me that was, I thought, a virtual cinch to put the environment into the political "limelight" once and for all. The idea was to persuade President Kennedy to give visibility to this issue by going on a national conservation tour. I flew to Washington to discuss the proposal with Attorney General Robert Kennedy, who liked the idea. So did the President. The President began his five-day, eleven-state conservation tour in September 1963. For many reasons the tour did not succeed in putting the issue onto the national political agenda. However, it was the germ of the idea that ultimately flowered into Earth Day. I continued to speak on environmental issues to a variety of audiences in some twenty-five states All across the country, evidence of environmental degradation was appearing everywhere, and everyone noticed except the political establishment. The environmental issue simply was not to be found on the nation's political agenda. The people were concerned, but the politicians were not.

After President Kennedy's tour, I still hoped for some idea that would thrust the environment into the political mainstream. Six years would pass before the idea that became Earth Day occurred to me while on a conservation speaking tour out West in the summer of 1969. At the time, anti-Vietnam War demonstrations, called "teach-ins," had spread to college campuses all across the nation. Suddenly, the idea occurred to me – why not organize a huge grassroots protest over what was happening to our environment? I was satisfied that if we could tap into the environmental concerns of the general public and infuse the student anti-war energy into the environmental cause, we could generate a demonstration that would force this issue onto the political agenda. It was a big gamble, but worth a try. At a conference in Seattle in September 1969, I announced that in the spring of 1970 there would be a nationwide grassroots demonstration on behalf of the environment and invited everyone to participate. The wire services carried the story from coast to coast. The response was electric. It took off like gangbusters. Telegrams, letters, and telephone inquiries poured in from all across the country. The American people finally had a forum to express its concern about what was happening to the land, rivers, lakes, and air – and they did so with spectacular exuberance. For the next four months, two members of my Senate staff, Linda Billings and John Heritage, managed Earth Day affairs out of my Senate office. Five months before Earth Day, on Sunday, November 30, 1969, The New York Times carried a lengthy article by Gladwin Hill reporting on the astonishing proliferation of environmental events:

"Rising concern about the environmental crisis is sweeping the nation's campuses with an intensity that may be on its way to eclipsing student discontent over the war in Vietnam… a national day of observance of environmental problems… is being planned for next spring… when a nationwide environmental 'teach-in'… coordinated from the office of Senator Gaylord Nelson is planned… ."

It was obvious that we were headed for a spectacular success on Earth Day. It was also obvious that grassroots activities had ballooned beyond the capacity of my U.S. Senate office staff to keep up with the telephone calls, paper work, inquiries, etc. In mid-January, three months before Earth Day, John Gardner, Founder of Common Cause, provided temporary space for a Washington, D.C. headquarters. I staffed the office with college students and selected Denis Hayes as coordinator of activities.

Earth Day worked because of the spontaneous response at the grassroots level. We had neither the time nor resources to organize 20 million demonstrators and the thousands of schools and local communities that participated. That was the remarkable thing about Earth Day. It organized itself.

Senator Gaylord Nelson

Founder of Earth Day

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10 ways to Go Green

Think a child or a family can't make a difference? Not so. Little things -- like using a colorful cloth bag, or tossing potato peels and eggshells into the compost heap-- can help the environment. And if your child develops good habits now, they'll endure as he grows.

Here are 10 ways you can encourage your kids to go green during Earth Day.

Reduce electricity
Explain to your children that lights, computers, televisions and furnaces use energy, and that energy is in short supply. One parent encourages her 3-year-old to always flip off the light when she leaves a room and shut off the TV when she's no longer watching. Now the toddler even reminds others: "Turn off the light!"

Appliances like DVD players use energy even when off, so cutting the power totally is the only way to conserve. Go shopping together to buy power bars and plug your electronics into them (watch little ones closely so there are no shocks).

Take small steps
There are dozens of small things your kids can do every day to save energy and keep the world cleaner and greener.

Your kids can:

* Shut off the water when they brush their teeth
* Walk, ride a bike or take the bus instead of traveling by car
* Take faster showers or baths in just a small amount of water
* Help hang clothes on the line instead of putting them in the dryer
* Choose products that are not over packaged
* Recycle
Explain to your kids that every bottle and can they use is waste that just sits in a big pile at the local dump if we don't recycle. Get them involved by making it their job to sort recyclables and take them out for pickup. (Remind them to watch out for broken glass and ask for help if this happens.) If there's no recycling collection in your area, find out where you can drop off items.
* Consider recycled crafts too.
* Compost
It's easy to collect your own food scraps and garden waste and turn it into healthy compost in your own yard. Take help to find out some local NGO to help you out, dig a small pit and fill it with kitchen scraps and garden waste on a daily basis and even help stir it to get things breaking down. And, in a few months when you've got compost, they can take part in spreading it over the garden and seeing how "garbage" can become rich dark dirt to make a garden grow.
* Do a donation tour
A great way to get across the message of "reuse" and "recycle" is to take kids on a trip to your local thrift store, recycling center, or church. If your children have old clothing, toys, shoes, or other items in reusable condition, make a family trip down to the donation center so they can see how their trash is someone else's treasure. Teach kids how items can be reused for different purposes--for example old towels, blankets, and comforters can often be donated to local animal shelters for bedding. These real-life examples will teach kids that many items they would normally throw away can actually have a second life.
* No matter how little, you can teach kids to be pro-active about initiating eco-friendly practices in their homes and communities. Below are some examples of how kids can get involved:
* Write a letter
Your children can write letters to government leaders and corporations about pollution and other environmental issues, and you can give them a hand in looking up addresses and help them decide what they're going to write. Talk about how you live in a democracy and every voice counts, no matter how small.
* Make a reusable bag
Plastic shopping bags are a big garbage problem -- it takes 1,000 years for a bag to break down! Here's how: Have your kids help you choose some heavy fabric and sew it into simple rectangular bags with handles. Or, buy some canvas bags at a craft or environmentally friendly gift shop. Then use fabric pens to draw pictures on them. Take the bags out with you every time you shop.
* Do a project
If your child has an independent research project coming up at school, suggest she tackle an environmental issue like pollution, garbage or energy. Check out these resources:
* Enjoy the earth
Kids have to love the world to want to protect it. So take nature walks and look at the trees, flowers and sky. When you're away on vacation, don't forget to enjoy the local natural environment, not just the tourist sites. Encourage them to take pictures, draw pictures, read books and write stories about the world and its beauty.
* Talk about it
"We focus on just being aware," says one parent. She often talks to her daughter about birds, plants, gas-guzzling vehicles and energy use. Indeed, just asking your children to shut off the lights and reuse plastic bags is not enough -- they must understand why we're doing these things and what impact they might have.

Source : kaboose.

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IAS Mains 2007 Marks

IAS Mains 2007 Mark Statement

Visit UPSC website

Click Here

OR

If most of you are not able to access the UPSC website to know your IAS Mains Marks,

Here is link through which you can access that, what you have to do is
Replace the roll_no and the DOB.

Replace

1. XXXXXX with your roll number ie 000121
2. DD with Date ie 23
3. MON with month ie Jan
4. YYYYY with year ie 1980



http://www.upsc.gov.in/cgi-bin1/CSM/Marks/csm_wf_marks_response.pl?roll_no=XXXXXX&dd=DD&mmm=MON&yyyy=YYYY&Submit=Submit

for ex.

http://www.upsc.gov.in/cgi-bin1/CSM/Marks/csm_wf_marks_response.pl?roll_no=284077&dd=01&mmm=Aug&yyyy=1979&Submit=Submit

Cutoff marks for Interview : around 1005 to 1008 for general for OBC its around 1000 (not sure)

cheers !

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Public Administration 2006 Mains Q. Paper

Time Allowed : Three Hours Maximum Marks : 300

Candidates should attempt Questions 1 and 5 which are compulsory, and any three of the remaining questions selecting at least one question from each Section. All questions carry equal marks.

Candidates should attempt Questions 1 and 5 which are compulsory, and any three of the remaining questions selecting at least one question from each Section. All questions carry equal marks.

Paper I
Section A

1.Answer any three of the following questions in not more than 200 words each: 20x3=60
(a)If public administration is to play a major legitimizing role in governing our complex society, it needs to be more fully conceptualized. Discuss.
(b)Simons work has had major implications for the study of public administration and the practice of public administration professionalism. Comment.
(c)The main problem with Mary Parker Follett's work is that her idealism is showing. Explain.
(d)Autonomy and accountability in Public Enterprises cannot walk together. Explain.

2.Critically examine the Classical Science of Administration with special reference to its criticism by Dwight Waldo and Robert Dahl. 60

3.Define the term civil society. How does civil society influence the public policy? 60

4.Today the content of administrative law is driven primarily by the scope of public administrative activity. Explain. 60


Section B

5.Answer any three of the following questions in not more than 200 words each: 20x3=60
(a)The rise of information technology is an opportunity to overcome historical disabilities. Explain.
(b)Audit continues to be considered as something alien, something extraneous and something of the nature of an impediment. Explain.
(c)Nothing comes across more strongly than the great naivete about policy implementation. Discuss.
(d)Successfully implementing budgeting approach requires favourable incentive structures. Discuss.

6.Do you agree with the view that development administration has in recent years lost its impetus without making any significant intellectual breakthrough? Discuss.60

7.To what extent has the human relations movement contributed to the knowledge and practice within the field of personnel administration? 60

8.Discuss the main approaches to increase the efficiency of government and public administration. 60


PAPER II
SECTION A

1.Comment on any three of the following in not amore than 200 words each: 20x3=60
(a)In the happiness of his subjects lies the kings happiness; in their welfare his welfare. Comment on Kautilyan state administration. In what respects is modern democratic rulers behavior different from Kautilyan rulers?
(b)The basic values of the Constitution of India enshrine social, political and economic philosophy symbolizing sovereignty of the people, rule of law and basic characteristics of a socialist, secular, democratic republic. comment.
(c)The 73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendments are major landmarks in Indias Constitutional History and Local Governance. Comment.
(d)Not the Potomac, but the Thames, fertilizes the flow of Yamuna. In the light of the statement comment on the symbolic institution of the President of India.

2.The role played by the National Human Rights commission in Maintaining and preserving dignity of Indias citizens has been satisfactory and up to the expectations. Elucidate. 60

3.Indian Prime Minister should not only be accountable to the Indian Parliament but should appear to be so. Comment on the accountability of the Prime Minister to the Indian Parliament in the context of extra-constitutional power. 60

4.The District Collector, the additional Deputy Commissioner and Sub-Divisional Officer, have virtually become officers-in-attendance and have lost initiative and independence of judgement . Comment. 60


SECTION B

5.Comment on any three of the following in not more than 200 words each; 20x3=60
(a)The generalist character of I.A.S. is its chief characteristic as well as its chief criticism. Comment.
(b)All efforts in the field of reforms in public administration by the political executive have resulted in no significant output.Comment.
(c)By taking some offices out of the jurisdiction of the Office of Profit Act, the Government of India has doubly assured the public mind of its duplicity. Comment.
(d)Audit, like the judiciary, the executive and the legislature is one of the Important ingredients of democracy. Comment.

6.The main problem of Centre-State relations in India is bottlenecks in fiscal federalism. Comment. 60

7.Lok-Ayuktas are judicial institutions without adequate teeth. Comment. 60

8.(a) Critically evaluate the policies of the Union Government with regard to the welfare of women and children of India in not more than 200 words.
(a)What measures have been taken by the Union and the States for the Welfare of women in the profession of sex?
(b)What concrete steps have been taken by the Union and the State Governments to protect child labour and prevent abuse of children?40+10+10=60

 

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5. 2001 IAS Pub Admn. Mains Paper
   
6. 2002 IAS Pub. Admn. Mains Paper
   
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Public Administration 2005 Mains Q. Paper

Time Allowed : Three Hours Maximum Marks : 300

Candidates should attempt Questions 1 and 5 which are compulsory, and any three of the remaining questions selecting at least one question from each Section. All questions carry equal marks.
PAPER I
SECTION-A

1. Answer any three of the following in not more than 200 words each: 3x20=60
(a) "Administrative question are not political questions." Discuss.
(b) "Organisation is a system of consciously coordinated activities or forces of two or more persons." Comment.
(c) In Follett's view, "authority belongs to the job and stays with the job." Explain.
(d) "The failure of classical science of administration lies in its capacity to confront theory with evidence." Discuss.

2. In what ways and how can information technology playa crucial role in effective government-citizen interaction in the context of good governance. 60

3. "Today the content of administrative law is driven primarily by. the scope of public administration activity." Explain. 60

4. What is judicial activism? How far has it been successful in exercising a check over administration? 60

SECTION-B

5. Answer any three of the following in not more than 200 words each: 3x20=60
(a) "Development administration is starved for theories which will guide the pooling of empirical knowledge, orient new research, and recommend administrative policy." Explain.
(b) "If positions are the raw material of classification, the class is the operating unit." Discuss.
(c) "The budget is an instrument of coordination." Explain.
(d) "No science of public administration is possible unless.... there is a body of comparative studies from which it may be possible to discover principles and generalities that transcend national boundaries and peculiar historical experiences." Discuss.

6. Why do public organisations evaluate employees' performance? How can performance evaluation systems affect employees' behaviour? How can administration effectively evaluate employees? 60

7. Give an assessment of the processes of policy formulation and discuss the problems of policy implementation. 60

8. Why does the issue of budgeting as politics versus budgeting as analysis remain important in the budgeting process? Do you agree that some synthesis of the two positions seems possible? Illustrate. 60

PAPER II
SECTION-A

1. Comment on any three of the following in not more than 200 words each:
20x3=60
(a) "The Mughal Administrative System was a military rule by nature and was centralized despotism."
(b) "The veto-power of the Indian President is a combination of the absolute, suspensive and pocket veto."
(c) "The District Collector is an overburdened officer due to the expansion and increasing developmental activities."
(d) "A strong PMO is a salvation for any Indian Prime Minister, but concentration of power is a danger to democracy."

2. "The Chief Minister symbolizes ruling power structure and is the real executive head of the State Government." Discuss the above statement in the light of his position in a Coalition Government. 60

3. (a) "The Cabinet Secretariat provides the eyes and ears for the Prime Minister to keep in touch with the process of official business in Central Government." Comment.
(b) "The primary emphasis in District Administration has to be on implementation of development programmes in cooperation with active support of people." Elucidate. 30x2=60

4. "Even after a decade of having adopted the 73rd Amendment to the Constitution, the Panchayat Raj institution still faces a number of problems towards making it a strong and vibrant unit of Government." Comment. 60

SECTION-B

5. Comment on. any three of the following in not more than 200 words each: 20x3=60
(a) "One of the most distinctive characteristics of Indian Administrative Service is its multipurpose character."
(b) "Public Accounts Committee conducts a post-mortem examination of Public Accounts."
(c) "Efforts made towards administrative reforms so far have been lacking in congruence between strategy, structure and substance."
(d) "The role played by Central and State Governments in maintaining law and order is inadequate and unmatched to growing criminalization."

6. "From highly centralized planning system, India has moved towards indicative planning under which long-term strategic vision of the future is built and nation's priorities are decided." Elucidate. 60

7. (a) "Audit provides a healthy safeguard against pub1ic Money going down the drain." Comment.
(b) "National Development Council is criticized as an usurping authority - functioning as a virtual supercabinet." Explain. 30 x 2 = 60

8. "The Lokayuktas in States have not succeeded in tackling maladministration, while the Bill on Lokpal still faces stiff opposition on the floor of the Parliament." Comment. 60

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4. 2000 IAS Pub. Admn. Mains Paper
   
5. 2001 IAS Pub Admn. Mains Paper
   
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8. 2007 IAS Pub Admn Paper I
   
9. 2007 IAS Pub Admn Paper II
   

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Public Administration 2001 Mains Q. Paper

Time Allowed : Three Hours Maximum Marks : 300

Candidates should attempt Questions 1 and 5 which are compulsory, and any three of the remaining questions selecting at least one question from each Section. All questions carry equal marks.

SECTION 'A'

Q. 1. Comment on any three of the following in not more than 200 words each :

(a) "Administrative efficiency is enhanced by keeping at a minimum the number of organizational levels through which a matter must pass before it is acted upon." - (Herbert A. Simon) 20

(b) "A science of administration would be a body of for mal statements describing invariant relationships between measurable objects, units, or elements. Unquestionably, administrative re
search has produced definite precepts and hypotheses that are applicable to concrete situations."
- (Fritz Morstein Marx) 20

(c) ... "a more thorough consideration leads to the understanding that communication, authority, specialisation and purpose are all aspects comprehended in coordination."
- (Chester I. Barnard) 20

(d) "Political environment conditions administrative system." - (F. W Riggs) 20

Q. 2. "... The paradigms of public administration may be understood in terms of locus an focus."
- Golembiewski

In the light of the above statement describe the "five-paradigms" of Nicholas Henry about the evolution of the discipline of public administration. 60

Q. 3. "Information constitutes the life-blood of the functioning of organization." In the light of this statement, explain the utility and importance of communication in decision-making. 60

Q. 4. What opportunities are available to All India Services and state services in career development ? Do you agree that days of generalists in modern administrative state are
numbered ? 60

SECTION `B'

Q. 5. Write short notes on any three of the following in not more than 200 words each :

(a) Budget as an instrument of socio-economic transformation. 20

(b) Judicial control over administration in India and concept of judicial activism. 20

(c) Effectiveness and utility of Central and State Administrative Tribunals. 20

(b) Work study and work-measurement in Indian Administration. 20

Q.6. Give reasons for the failure of Government of India to introduce the performance programme budgetary technique in Union Ministries. What type of budgetary system is being currently practised in India and why ? 60

Q. 7. "The weakest aspect of Indian Administrative System is utter disregard of accountability." Examine the current mechanism for enforcing accountability. What steps are necessary to make it more effective ? 60

Q. 8. Critically examine the approach and methodology adopted by Fred W. Riggs in his study of prismatic and sala societies. What is valid-content of Raj Krishna's criticism of refraction ? 60

Paper - II


Time Allowed : Three Hours Maximum Marks : 300

INSTRUCTIONS
Each question is printed both in Hindi and in English.
Answers must be written in the medium specified in the Admission Certificate issued to you, which must be stated clearly on the cover of the answer-book in the space provided for the purpose. No mark will be given for the answers written in a medium other than that specified in the Admission Certificate.
Candidates should attempt questions 1 and 5 which are compulsory, and any THREE of the remaining questions selecting at least ONE question from each Section.
All questions carry equal marks.

SECTION 'A'

Q. 1. Comment on any three of the following in not more than 200 words each :

(a) "The period of British rule generated most of the structural and behavioural values of Indian Administration not by imitation but through interaction."

(b) "Though the dictatorship of the Cabinet is a stark reality in modern times, it does not mean that the Cabinet is omnipotent."

(c) "National Development Council, it seems, is like a super-Cabinet."

(d) "Indian Constitution confers vast legislative powers on the President."

Q. 2. "Among several other problems, the Problem of financial relationship is perhaps the most complex one." Explain in the context of recent developments in Union-State relations in India.

Q. 3. (a) "The leadership qualities of a civil servant are tested most during his tenure as the Cabinet Secretary - a dream-post for even-bureaucrat.- Elucidate.

(b) "All India Services play a crucial unifying role in the whole administrative system of the country." Explain.

Q.4. Discuss the major problems of management and working of Public Sector Undertakings in India. Give suggestions in the light of liberalization policy to improve their performance.

SECTION 'B'

Q. 5. Comment on any three of the following in not more than 200 words each :

(a) "Maintenance of law and order is a State subject but the Union Government can deploy armed forces in any State."

(b) "Most administrative reforms have a political cost."

(c) "It is a major challenge to balance the role of District Collector with the powers of democratic bodies."

(d) "A middle way- should be worked out to utilize the services of both generalists and specialists for the national development."

Q. 6. Do you think that our administration is sensitive to public grievances ? Discuss the existing grievances redressal mechanism and give suggestions for enhancing its capabilities.

Q. 7. (a) "Reservation policy and its implementation has had some positive impact in relative terms on the socio-economic development of the SCs and STs but it is very meagre in absolute terms. Comment.

(b) "In the Chief Secretary, the State Government has an officer whose counterpart does not obtain in the Union Government.' Elucidate.

Q. 8. Do you agree that globalization, liberalization and privatization policies are going to change the very fabric of Indian Administration? What, according to you, are the major challenges before it in the 21st century ?

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1. 1997 IAS Pub. Admn. Mains Paper
   
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3. 1999 IAS Pub. Admn. Mains Paper
   
4. 2000 IAS Pub. Admn. Mains Paper
   
5. 2002 IAS Pub. Admn. Mains Paper
   
6. 2003 IAS Pub. Admn. Mains Paper
   
7. 2007 IAS Pub Admn Paper I
   
8. 2007 IAS Pub Admn Paper II

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CDS Exam (II) 2008

Combined Defence
Services Examination (II) 2008 Including SSC (Women Non Technical) Course

New Delhi, the 19th April, 2008  
F. 8/5/2007-E.I(B)-A Combined Defence Services Examination will be conducted by the Union Public Service Commission on 14th September, 2008  for admission to the under mentioned courses.

Name of the Course and Approximate No. of Vacancies  

1.	Indian Military Academy Dehradun 127th Course Commencing in  July, 2009 [includes 32 vacancies reserved for NCC 'C' Certificate (Army Wing) holders].	250
2.	Naval Academy Goa-Course commencing in July, 2009 Executive (General service/Hydro) [including ten reserved for NCC 'C' Certificate holders (Naval Wing)].	40
3.	Air Force Academy, Hyderabad (Pre-Flying) Training Course commencing in July, 2009 i.e. No.186th F(P) Course.	32
4.	Officers' Training Academy, Chennai  90th SSC Course (for men) commencing in October, 2009.	175
5	Officers' Training Academy, Chennai  (Madras) 4th  SSC Women Non-Technical Course commencing in October, 2009.	29

 

Conditions of Eligibility

How to Apply

PENALTY FOR WRONG ANSWERS:

     Candidates should note that there will be penalty (negative marking) for wrong answers marked by a candidate in the Objective Type Question Papers.

Centres of Examination

LAST DATE FOR RECEIPT OF APPLICATIONS :

        All applications must reach the "Secretary, Union Public Service Commission, Dholpur House, Shahjahan Road, New Delhi - 110069" either by hand or by Post/Speed Post or by Courier, on or before the 19th May, 2008.

       However, in respect of candidates residing abroad or in certain remote localities specified in para 6 of this Notice the last date for receipt of application by Post/Speed Post only (not by Hand or by Courier) is 26th May 2008.

 

For more details visit : http://upsc.gov.in/exams/notifications/cds2-2008/ntf-index.htm

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