Structure:

Introduction: Define public administration and why public administration is called as an art and science at a time.

 Body: List out the points why public administration cannot be called as exact science.

 Conclusion: By saying that  what makes public administration to be called as science in Modern times.

Supporting points:

Public administration refers to orderly managing the resources, to achieve the purposes established by the government.

Public administration lends itself to 2 usages:

As an activity of administering government affairs it is decidedly an art.

As a subject of study of government affairs is a science.

Existence of body of principles in a discipline entitles it to claims the title and status of science. If public administration can prove it has set of principles it qualifies to be rated as science.

 The essential characteristics of Sciences are:

1. Absence of normative value
2. Predictability of behaviour
3. Universal application
4. Objectivity
5. Verifiability
6. Abstractness

 These factors are imperfectly developed in public administration

• First, feature is concerned namely absence of normative behaviour it must be admitted that while its scope can be reduced it cannot be altogether eliminated from public administration.  As public administration is politics, normative value cannot be completely sacrificed.  On the other hand science as such has no ethical content.
• Secondly, public administration as any other social science studies human behaviour or certain aspects of human behaviour, that is in the area of activities undertaken by the government organisations.  No science of Public Administration is possible unless the place of normative values is made clear,  the nature of man in the area of Public Administration is better understood and his conduct is more predictable  and there is a body of comparative studies from which it may be possible to discover principles and generalities that transcend national boundaries and Peculiar historical experiences.
• Thirdly,  the public administration has had its growth in the cultural framework of the west.   As such its findings and principles were not necessarily hold valid in other parts of the world where different cultures prevail.  So,  until principles of public administration are either derived or verified from cross cultural studies they cannot be claimed to Universal validity.
• Fourth, Objectivity simply means the ability to accept facts as they are, not as one might wish them to be. In public Administration as it is the subjects which are administered which attach meaning to their actions, administration includes biases, beliefs, wishes, values and preferences.
• Fifth, Verifiability - Scientific knowledge is based on verifiable evidence (concrete factual observations) so that other observers can observe, weigh or measure the same phenomena and check out observation for accuracy. Verifiability in Public administration is near impossible due to the sheer size of the subjects involved in the process.
• Sixth, Abstractness- A General scientific principle is highly abstract. It is not interested in giving a realistic picture. But to deal with the problems of society and to provide adequate solution to them realistic scenario of society is much needed.
• Other features of Science like Reliability, Ethical neutrality, Precision and accuracy also does not hold to public administration due to ethical dialemma involved with subjects also due to sheer size of people.

 To conclude,  the public administration cannot be called as science until the following three conditions are fulfilled.  First, the place of normative values should be clearly identified and made clear. Second, greater understanding should be gained of human nature in the field of public administration and Third, there should be developed a body of  cross cultural studies which should be derive the principles of Administration not suffering from being cultural bound.

Public administration is not an exact science like physics but a part of it which has already been mechanized like initiatives of digitalization ( GST, digitization of land records) can be   classified as science.  The impact of computer and the statistical and mathematical techniques is gradually making administration as science.