Institute of Public Administration

Head of the Institute : Dr. Khalid Mirza

A Short History of the Institute :

The Institute of Public Administration, Patna University, Patna was established is September, 1954 by the Government of Bihar letter No. 648/Ed. dated 22/7/1954. With the coming into being of the Patna University Act, 1962, the Institute was financially made an integral part of the Patna University and its grants for running research and teaching activities of the Institute were merged in the statutory grant of the Patna University and the Institute started functioning as an extention of the Post Graduate Department of Political Science, Patna University. The Institute works in co-operation with the other allied University Department of the Social and Behavioural Sciences.

Activities :

Institute has been known for undertaking research projects of two types :

(i) Empirical problem oriented research including field studies for socio-economic, political and administrative survey.

(ii) Academic Fundamental Research

Paucity of funds has prevented the Institute from undertaking empirical research projects, holding inordisciplinary seminars and organising extraordinary research lectures by eminent scholars and administrators of wide experience. Despite paucity of funds, the Institute conducted several seminars involving students and the university teachers on the subject of current important topics.

Institute conducts teaching of Diploma in Public Administration. The examination of this course is at present up-to-date.

The teachers of the Institute activity participated in teaching work of the P.G. Department of Political Science.

Advisory Committee of Institute of Public Administration in its meeting on 6.12.1982 resolved that the Institute be separated from the University Department of Political Science. P.U. Further resolved that the Post Graduate teaching in Public Administration be started in the University and necessary formal steps be taken by the University in this connection.

Dr. B.N. Singh, then Director, Institute of Public Administration sent proposal to University for starting M.A. course in Public Administration under the auspices of the Institute of Public Administration on January 11, 1988.

The Academic Council in its meeting held on January 12, 1988 considered the proposal of Dr. B.N. Singh for starting M.A. course in Public Administration under the auspices of Institute of Public Administration, P.U. and it was resolved that the matter be referred to the Faculty of Social Science and then to the Regulation Committee for preparing regulation for M.A. (Public Administration) and the scheme for course.

The Academic Council in its meeting of August 9, 1989 resolved that M.A. Course in Public Administration be started under the auspices of Department of Political Science.

Consequently the M.A. course was started under the auspices of Department of Political Science for two sessions. But the same course in Public Administration was disapproved by the Chancellor, Universities of Bihar vide Raj Bhawan letter no. 3963/GS(1) dated 28.12.1990 on the ground that one department can not run two courses simultaneously.

The fresh proposals to start M.A. course in Public Administration were submitted to University by Head Department of Political Science and Director, Institute of Public Administration separately for consideration of the matter in the meeting of Academic Council, Patna University. The issue was raised in the meeting of the Academic Council and it was decided in the meeting to constitute a four men committee consisting of the following members :

1. Dr. K.K. Jha

2. Dr. J. Thakur

3. Dr. G.P. Ojha

4. Dr. N.N.P. Singh

It is learnt that the committee gave its recommendations to start M.A. course in Public Administration in favour of Department of Political Science by ignoring the genuine claims of the teachers of the Institute of Public Administration. There is no justification in allowing the Department of Political Science to run Public Administration course when there is already exists one Institute of Public Administration having all infrastructure e.g. it has its own building, it has its own library, it has its own teaching and non-teaching staff. It is already running a one year Diploma course in Public Administration. The best the University could in this regard is to convert the Diploma in Public Administration course under the Institute of Public Administration into two years M.A. course in Public Administration under the Institute.

Teachers of the Institute

1. Dr. G.P. Ojha, University Professor and Director, I.P. A., P.U.

2. Dr. Veena Sinha, Reader and Assistant Director, I/C

3. Prof. Mithilesh Kumar Mallick, Reader

Library

The Institute has a well equipped library with above 12000 books on research methodology, behavioural political science and local self government as well as bound volumes of journals.

Nine students have been admitted in the Diploma in Public Administration course in the session 2005-2006 under the Institute of Public Administration, among them B.C.II-1, B.C. I-2, Girl - 3, and 3 is in general category.