UPSC Prelims 2020— Question 25

This question tests bureaucracy and public policy. The key concept is: Bureaucracy in a modern constitutional state is an institutional machinery for implementing public policy. Civil servants provide continuity, expertise and administrative capacity, but bureaucracy is not defined simply as an agency for widening parliamentary democracy or strengthening federalism. The verified answer for the uploaded Set-B paper is option D. Option A — An agency for widening the scope of parliamentary democracy: This is not the correct option. The option does not match the verified combination or conclusion. The decisive point is the distinction explained above: Bureaucracy in a modern constitutional state is an institutional machinery for implementing public policy. Civil servants provide continuity, expertise and administrative capacity, but bureaucracy is not defined simply as an agency for widening parliamentary democracy or strengthening federalism. Therefore this alternative should be eliminated even if part of its wording appears plausible in isolation. Option B — An agency for strengthening the structure of federalism: This is not the correct option. The option does not match the verified combination or conclusion. The decisive point is the distinction explained above: Bureaucracy in a modern constitutional state is an institutional machinery for implementing public policy. Civil servants provide continuity, expertise and administrative capacity, but bureaucracy is not defined simply as an agency for widening parliamentary democracy or strengthening federalism. Therefore this alternative should be eliminated even if part of its wording appears plausible in isolation. Option C — An agency for facilitating political stability and economic growth: This is not the correct option. The option does not match the verified combination or conclusion. The decisive point is the distinction explained above: Bureaucracy in a modern constitutional state is an institutional machinery for implementing public policy. Civil servants provide continuity, expertise and administrative capacity, but bureaucracy is not defined simply as an agency for widening parliamentary democracy or strengthening federalism. Therefore this alternative should be eliminated even if part of its wording appears plausible in isolation. Option D — An agency for the implementation of public policy: This is the correct option. It matches the verified conclusion because Bureaucracy in a modern constitutional state is an institutional machinery for implementing public policy. Civil servants provide continuity, expertise and administrative capacity, but bureaucracy is not defined simply as an agency for widening parliamentary democracy or strengthening federalism. The wording of the option is consistent with the governing concept tested by the question. For UPSC-style elimination, first identify the exact proposition being tested, then evaluate each statement independently before comparing the answer codes. Avoid treating a broad or absolute statement as correct merely because its general theme is familiar. The precise qualifiers in the question—such as 'all', 'only', 'cannot', 'largest', 'always' or a specific institutional role—often determine the answer. On that basis, option D is the verified answer.