Critical Perspectives on Public Systems Management in India Through the Lens of District Administration, Amar K. J. R. Nayak and Ram Kumar Kakani Routledge: New York/London, 2021, 325 pp. (including index), $165 (hardback), ISBN 9780367540234
| Published date | 01 December 2021 |
| Author | Zubair Nazeer |
| Date | 01 December 2021 |
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1111/padm.12783 |
BOOK REVIEW
Critical Perspectives on Public Systems
Management in India Through the Lens of District
Administration
Amar K. J. R. Nayak and Ram Kumar Kakani
Routledge: New York/London, 2021, 325 pp. (including index), $165 (hardback), ISBN 9780367540234
In recent years, public systems management that focuses on the functioning of various institutional systems from
public policy perspective has been a significant area of research. Understanding of public systems management is
essential to comprehend governance in any country. In India, a district is a basic unit of administration and the nature
of governance and understanding of public systems management to a large extent is dependent upon the functioning
of this institution.
Critical Perspectives on Public Systems Management in India is an exploration of research into understanding the
management of public systems in India through the study of district administration. Through a micro level analysis,
the book explores the operation of public systems in India. Public systems management is studied from a behavioral
perspective thoroughly exploring innovation, ethics, creativity, altruism, and decision-making of India Administrative
Service officers who head districts in India. From a methodology point of view, it is action research and employs case
studies of two districts selected for the study. From representation perspective to reflect diversity of India,
one district is an urban one and the other rural and this brings forth different challenges to public system manage-
ment in different contexts. The book provides insights into the working of bottom-up framework of public adminis-
tration with a focus on civil servants and the opportunities a district posting provides to these officers to utilize their
skills in resolving public issues and providing public services.
Chapter 1 begins with the overview of public systems management from a theoretical perspective. It establishes
common principles that contextualize the working of public systems management, but at the same time exploring
the plurality of public systems with their own peculiarities. A historical overview of district administration in India is
provided tracking its growth from a colonial institution of regulation during British era to a development institution
in post-independence era. In a shift from the classical school to human relations schools, the chapter underlines the
significance of the officer who heads district administration through a comprehensive stock of the officer's role and
responsibilities, especially with working relationship with the staff. Amar K. J. R. Nayak and Ram Kumar Kakani
exploring comparatively draw a parallel with similar institutions in other countries while manifesting a district as a
unique administrative institution in India acting as a linchpin in a system where there is a constitutionally mandated
three-tier system of government: federal government, provincial government, and local governments.
Often the institution of the district has been studied without theoretical context reflecting a gap between theory
and practice. A theoretical debate regarding administration and contextualizing it within district administration is a
dominant feature of the book. This is what Chapter 2 is all about. The authors propose a four perspective model of
public administration. These four perspectives are efficiency perspective, effectiveness perspective, anthropocentric
perspective of sustainability, and all interacting systems perspective. The authors have within these broad perspec-
tives covered various theories and movements. Within the efficiency perspective, a review of Taylor's Scientific
Received: 23 August 2021 Accepted: 29 August 2021
DOI: 10.1111/padm.12783
876 © 2021 John Wiley & Sons Ltd. Public Admin. 2021;99:876–878.wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/padm
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