How Many Students Take Public Administration as Optional?

Introduction

The UPSC Civil Services Examination is not only a test of knowledge and strategy but also of choosing the right optional subject. Among all the optional subjects offered, Public Administration (commonly known as Pub Ad) remains one of the most popular and debated choices. But how many students actually take Public Administration as their optional? Is it still as preferred as it once was? In this article, we dive into the numbers, trends, reasons for its popularity, and expert insights to help you understand the position of Pub Ad in UPSC preparation.

Public Administration as an Optional Subject: Background

Public Administration has been one of the traditional favorites among aspirants. Especially from the 1990s to the early 2010s, it enjoyed a massive following due to its concise syllabus, overlap with General Studies, and practical relevance to administrative roles. The subject focuses on governance, administrative theories, public policy, and the role of bureaucracy – making it directly relevant to the job profile of an IAS or civil servant.

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How Many Students Choose Public Administration?

Over the years, thousands of aspirants have consistently opted for Pub Ad. Let’s look at the approximate figures from UPSC Annual Reports and RTI responses:

As evident, although the numbers have dipped slightly post-2013, Public Administration still sees around 7,500–8,500 aspirants every year, making it among the top 5 most chosen optional subjects.

Why Do So Many Students Take Public Administration?

Here are the top reasons why aspirants continue to choose Public Administration:

• Overlap with GS: It overlaps significantly with General Studies Paper II (Governance, Constitution, Polity) and Paper IV (Ethics).
• Compact Syllabus: Compared to History or Geography, Pub Ad has a shorter, more focused syllabus.
• Easy to Understand: Concepts are often intuitive and relate directly to civil service work.
• Helps in Essay Writing: Many themes in Public Administration assist in UPSC Essay Paper.
• Scoring Potential: With the right strategy and case-study integration, Pub Ad can be scoring.
• Effective Guidance Available: Mentors like Dr. Vivek Raj at PlutusIAS have made the subject easier to tackle through structured notes and test series.

Top Rankers Who Chose Public Administration

Over the years, several toppers have cracked UPSC CSE with Public Administration as their optional. Some of them include:

• Tina Dabi (AIR 1, 2015) – Her success sparked a massive rise in Pub Ad’s popularity.
• Durishetty Anudeep (AIR 1, 2017) – Chose Pub Ad and showcased the subject’s scoring capability.
• Many other rankers consistently appear in the top 100 with Pub Ad, especially when their answer writing is refined and structured.

Challenges Faced by Pub Ad Students

Despite its popularity, Public Administration comes with challenges:

• Unpredictable Marking: From 2013–2017, the subject saw erratic evaluation trends.
• High Competition: Since many choose it, the benchmark to score well is very high.
• Case Study Integration: Students often struggle to use real-life examples or administrative thinkers in their answers.

These challenges can be overcome with proper mentorship, regular test practice, and command over Paper II (Indian Administration), which many find difficult.

Is Public Administration Still a Safe Optional in 2025?

With the return of predictable marking since 2020, Public Administration is regaining its reputation as a safe and strategic optional. Students who can combine theoretical knowledge with real-world examples, governance initiatives, and crisp writing are scoring well in both Paper I and II.

According to Dr. Vivek Raj of PlutusIAS, “Students who follow a structured approach, give mock tests, and refine answer writing consistently are able to score 280+ in Pub Ad, which is excellent by UPSC standards.”

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Who Should Choose Public Administration?

You should consider Public Administration if:

• You have interest in governance, policy, and administration.
• You are comfortable with abstract concepts and theories.
• You prefer a subject that overlaps with GS and Essay.
• You want a concise syllabus compared to History, Geography, etc.
• You are from any academic background – Pub Ad suits both science and humanities students.

Comparison with Other Popular Optionals

Let’s briefly compare Pub Ad with other popular UPSC optionals in terms of numbers:

This shows that Public Administration still holds its ground as one of the top 3 optionals in UPSC Mains.

Conclusion

So, how many students take Public Administration as optional in UPSC? On average, between 7,500 to 8,500 aspirants every year. Despite facing some unpredictability in previous years, Public Administration continues to be a safe, scoring, and strategically sound optional for UPSC aspirants.

With expert mentors like Dr. Vivek Raj at PlutusIAS, a structured test series, and improved answer writing, students have started scoring high again. If you are someone interested in governance and administration, Pub Ad may be your perfect optional in UPSC 2025 and beyond.