Lectures on administration law

Administrative law strode further since the appearance of the seventh edition of the book and maintained its evergrowing character in modern times. The judicial techniques of providing remedies to the citizens against the administrative maladies are fast expanding. There is unexpected increase in the administrative regulations and discretions today enhancing the possibilities of encroachment on our civil rights and liberties. Public grievances against the adminis tration multiply everyday. The cases of delay, omission, negligence arbitrariness, mala fides, bias and non-observance of procedural due process are becoming very common.. The want of other proper forums to get suitable remedies has made Indian Courts doubly conscious to play an effective role in the protection of civil rights and liberties of people and hence judicial activism came to fore. In the cases involving the exercise of the administrative powers new judicial trends are discernible. The period since nineteen eighties is proving quite responsive in the area of redressal actions through Courts. Maneka Gandhi's case considerably widened the scope of personal liberty by emphasizing the need of procedural checks on the exercise of administrative powers. Recent approch of the Supreme Court in Biru Mahto v. D. M. Dhanbad (AIR 1982 SC 1539), Kadra Pahadia Case (AIR 1981 SC 934), Miss Veena Setht v. State of Bihar (AIR 1983 SC 339) are the clear exhibits of the exten sion.

The liberalization of the locus standi rule by the Supreme Court is a new experiment in social justice. It aimed at extending remedies to the ignored specimen of humanity This liberalizing trend reached its new heights in Asiad Case (AIR 1982 SC 1473); Bandhud Mukti Morcha v. Union of India, (AIR 1984 SC 802) and State of Himachal Pradesh v. A Parent of Student of Medical College, Simla, (AIR 1985 SC 910).

The goal of administrative law is in no way to stifle administra tion but to promote good administration and to develop public faith in it. With this end a new emphasis on the exercise of administrative power in a lawful manner is laid by the Courts. Besides this, the institution of Lokpal and Lokayukta, intended to be established in our country aims to achieve the same objective. The Lokayukta institution is in operation in many States of the Country and the Lokpal Bill of 1985 is awaiting clearance by the Parliament. The present edition contains a detailed discussion of the provisions of the bill. Although the provisions of the bill are controversial and doubts are cast on the success of its intended goals yet it does not lessen the need of the institution. The present edition deals with myriad problems of administration and administra tive law in new perspectives.