Introduction to Public Administration

By Prof Ajmer Singh Malik | Chaudhary Devi Lal University Sirsa (Haryana)

Learners enrolled: 730

This course is prepared to acquaint the learners with the evolution, conceptual developments and current status of the discipline. After completing the course, the students will be able to acquire the knowledge of the basic principles of an organization, various approaches used in studying the discipline of Public Administration and also about the changes and impacts of globalization, privatization and application of information technology etc. on the structure and functioning of public administrative systems in general.

Indicative Program Alignments :

M.A.

Summary

Course Status :	Ongoing
Course Type :	Core
Language for course content :	English
Duration :	15 weeks
Category :	Humanities and Social Sciences
Credit Points :	4
Level :	Postgraduate
Start Date :	07 Jul 2025
End Date :	31 Oct 2025
Enrollment Ends :	31 Aug 2025
Exam Date :	13 Dec 2025 IST
NCrF Level	6.5
Course Exam Shift :	II

Note: This exam date is subject to change based on seat availability. You can check final exam date on your hall ticket.

Page Visits

Course layout

Week: 01 - Public Administration: Meaning, nature, scope and importance
Week: 02 - Public Administration: Evolution
Week: 03 - New Public Administration
Globalization and Public Administration
Week: 04 - Approaches to Study Public Administration: Classical and Scientific
Human Relations approach
Week: 05 - Behavioural approach
Week: 06 - Hierarchy
Unity of Command
Week: 07 - Span of Control
Control and Supervision
Week: 08 - Centralization and Decentralization
Authority, Power and Responsibility
Week: 09 - Line, Staff and Auxiliary Agencies
Week: 10 - Delegation and De-concentration
Coordination
Week: 11 - Communication
Week: 12 - Decision making
Paradigm shift from Government to Governance
Week: 13 - Ethics in administration
Week: 14 - Public Accountability
Week: 15 - Revision

Books and references

Theme wise list of readings and web-resources is provided on the dashboard of the course

Instructor bio

Prof Ajmer Singh Malik

Chaudhary Devi Lal University Sirsa (Haryana)

Dr Ajmer Singh Malik is formerly Vice Chancellor, Chaudhary Devi Lal University Sirsa ( Haryana) and earlier Professor of Public Administration in the Kurukshetra University Kurukshetra (Haryana) India. He is former Chairperson of the Department of Public Administration (2009-2012) and Coordinator, UGC’s Special Assistance Program (SAP) in between 2012-2015. He has also held the position of Director, Mahatma Gandhi All India Service Coaching Institute and Coordinator and directed the Certificate Course in Panchayati Raj and Rural Development in his University.

He is the Chief Editor of the Public Affairs & Governance – interdisciplinary journal in the field of social sciences and is also Coordinator of Massive Open Online Course on State and Local Governance: Machinery & Processes in addition to this MOOC on Introduction to Public Administration.

He has also been associated with the University Grant Commission and other national level bodies and connected with almost all public and many private universities of north India as subject expert or as member of their academic bodies.

Outside India, he has also been empanelled as an External Foreign Reviewer by the University Grant Commission, Bangladesh and acted as convener of the review process of many science, engineering and arts and humanities departments of public and private universities. Recently, the United Nations Project Office on Governance and Korea Institute of Public Administration invited him for a presentation in an international webinar.

Above all, he has a rich and varied experience of 30 years of teaching, research and extension work. He has supervised 19 Ph. D students for their degree and published two books and 30 research papers in national and international journals of repute.

Course certificate

Internal Assessment

Weekly assessments released in the course shall be considered for Internal Marks and will carry 30 percent for the Overall Result. Out of all weekly assignments, the best/top five scores will be considered for the final Internal Assessment marks.

End-term Assessment

The final exam shall be conducted by NTA, and will carry 70 percent for the overall Result.

All students who obtain 40% marks in the internal assessment and 40% marks in the end-term proctored exam separately will be eligible for the SWAYAM Credit Certificate.

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