Introduction
The New Public Administration (NPA) emerged in the late 1960s as a response to the limitations of traditional Public Administration and New Public Management. It was first formally discussed at the Minnowbrook Conference (1968) organized by Dwight Waldo in the U.S. NPA emphasized relevance, values, equity, and change, making administration more people-oriented rather than rule-bound.
✅ Features of New Public Administration
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Social Equity
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Core value of NPA.
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Administration should work for the poor, marginalized, and disadvantaged groups.
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Relevance
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Public Administration must address real social problems like poverty, unemployment, inequality, and justice.
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Change-Oriented
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Instead of maintaining the status quo, NPA advocates for transforming society towards greater equity and justice.
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Values over Efficiency
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Unlike classical administration focused on efficiency and neutrality, NPA stresses human values, ethics, and responsiveness.
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Client-Oriented Approach
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Citizens are not just customers but active participants in governance.
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Interdisciplinary Nature
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Draws from political science, sociology, psychology, and development studies.
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✅ Principles of New Public Administration
According to scholars like Dwight Waldo, Frank Marini, and George Frederickson, the guiding principles of NPA are:
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Equity (justice, fairness, inclusiveness)
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Efficiency with human values
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Democratic decision-making
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Flexibility and innovation
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Responsiveness to citizens’ needs
✅ Criticism of NPA
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Considered too idealistic and value-laden.
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Lacks a clear theoretical framework.
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Neglects efficiency and economy which are vital in administration.
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More relevant to developing countries than industrial ones, but still lacks universal applicability.
✅ Significance and Relevance Today
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NPA laid the foundation for citizen-centric governance and good governance concepts.
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Its emphasis on equity and participation resonates with modern policies like inclusive development, RTI, social justice, and digital governance.
📌 Conclusion
The New Public Administration movement marked a paradigm shift in administrative thought by emphasizing equity, relevance, and responsiveness over narrow efficiency. Though criticized, its principles continue to influence contemporary governance and welfare administration in India and across the globe.