Question

Difficulty: MediumControl of Civil Service and Bureaucratic Problems

Match each civil service control mechanism or bureaucratic concept on the left with its corresponding institutional function or administrative feature on the right:

  • Public Complaints CommissionInvestigates administrative injustice, victimisation, and official abuse of power against citizens
  • Public Accounts CommitteeExercises legislative financial oversight by scrutinizing audited government ministry expenditure
  • Order of MandamusJudicial writ issued by a court to compel a public official to perform a mandatory statutory duty
  • Red TapeExcessive adherence to rigid rules, formalisms, and routine procedures causing administrative delays

Answer

Public Complaints Commission pairs with investigating administrative injustice and official abuse of power; Public Accounts Committee pairs with legislative financial oversight by scrutinizing audited ministry expenditure; Order of Mandamus pairs with a judicial writ issued to compel performance of a mandatory duty; Red Tape pairs with excessive adherence to rigid rules causing administrative delays.
Each item accurately pairs an administrative control mechanism or problem with its defining institutional function or characteristic: the Public Complaints Commission investigates citizen grievances; the Public Accounts Committee audits public expenditure; an Order of Mandamus compels mandatory administrative action; and Red Tape describes excessive procedural formality.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the primary mechanism for citizen redress against administrative injustice.
The Public Complaints Commission (Ombudsman) serves as an extra-judicial body investigating citizen grievances against civil servants.
This provides protection against bureaucratic high-handedness without formal court litigation.
2
Identify the legislative committee responsible for financial oversight.
The Public Accounts Committee reviews audited accounts submitted by the Auditor-General.
Legislative control ensures financial accountability in ministries and government departments.
3
Distinguish judicial legal remedies from administrative controls.
The Order of Mandamus is a court-issued prerogative writ forcing administrative action.
Courts exercise judicial control when public officers fail or refuse to carry out statutory duties.
4
Identify the common bureaucratic pathology associated with procedural delay.
Red Tape represents obsession with routine, rules, and official protocol.
This is a classic problem in civil service operations leading to inefficiency.

Key Concept

Institutional Mechanisms for Civil Service Control and Bureaucratic Problems
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