Civil Service Basic flashcards

32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

Main idea

The central claim that the whole passage supports. It must cover every paragraph; a statement that covers only one paragraph is a supporting detail, not the main idea.

Contrapositive

The logically equivalent form of 'If P then Q', namely 'If not Q then not P'. The converse, 'If Q then P', is not equivalent and is a common wrong answer in reasoning items.

Simple interest formula

Interest equals principal multiplied by rate multiplied by time, divided by one hundred. It is computed only on the original principal, so it grows linearly with time.

Compound interest formula

Amount equals principal times one plus rate over one hundred, raised to the power of the number of periods. Compound interest exceeds simple interest for periods longer than one year.

Harmonic mean speed

For equal distances travelled at speeds x and y, average speed equals two times x times y divided by x plus y. This is lower than the arithmetic mean of the two speeds.

Rule of law

Dicey's principle that no one is punished except for a proven breach of law, that all are equal before the law, and that rights arise from ordinary court decisions rather than a separate code.

Natural justice

Two procedural rules: no one may judge their own cause, and both sides must be heard. Administrative decisions affecting rights are generally void if either rule is breached.

Ultra vires

Latin for 'beyond the powers'. An administrative act that exceeds the authority granted by statute is void from the outset, not merely voidable, and can be quashed on judicial review.

Mandamus

A writ commanding a public authority to perform a legal duty it has refused or failed to perform. It does not lie against a private person or to enforce a discretionary power.

Certiorari

A writ quashing a decision already made by a judicial or quasi-judicial body for jurisdictional error, error of law on the face of the record, or breach of natural justice.

POSDCORB

Gulick and Urwick's list of administrative functions: planning, organising, staffing, directing, coordinating, reporting, and budgeting. It is a standard framework in public administration theory.

Line versus staff agencies

Line agencies hold command authority over operational units; staff agencies advise and support without commanding. Confusing the two is a standard distractor in administration questions.

Delegation of authority

The transfer of decision-making power from a superior to a subordinate. Authority moves downward, but accountability for the outcome remains with the delegating officer.

New Public Management

A reform approach that applies market tools to government: performance contracts, citizen charters, outsourcing, competition, and outcome-based budgeting instead of process compliance.

Zero-base budgeting

A budgeting method that starts each cycle from zero and justifies every expenditure afresh. It contrasts with incremental budgeting, which adjusts the previous year's allocation.

Mean and outliers

The arithmetic mean uses every value and is therefore pulled by extreme values. The median depends only on position and resists outliers, so it is preferred for skewed data.

Correlation and causation

A correlation coefficient measures the strength of a linear association only. It does not establish that one variable causes the other; a third variable or reverse causation may explain it.

Absolute versus relative reference

In a spreadsheet, a dollar sign fixes a row or column when a formula is copied, while an unmarked reference shifts by the copied offset. Mixing them is a common formula error.

Circular reference

A spreadsheet error that occurs when a formula refers to its own cell, directly or through a chain of dependent cells. Calculation cannot proceed until the loop is broken.

Minutes of a meeting

A formal record of decisions taken and action points assigned, with owners and deadlines. Minutes are not a verbatim transcript of the discussion and should be confirmed at the next meeting.

Percentage points

The arithmetic difference between two percentages. A move from 20% to 25% is five percentage points but a 25% relative increase; confusing the two is a common data error.

Alligation rule

A method for mixture problems: the ratio of quantities equals the difference between the mean and the cheaper value, divided by the difference between the dearer value and the mean.

Boats and streams

Downstream speed equals boat speed plus stream speed; upstream speed equals boat speed minus stream speed. Boat speed is the average of the two, stream speed half their difference.

Modus tollens

A valid argument form: if P then Q; not Q; therefore not P. It is the basis of the contrapositive and is often tested against the invalid form denying the antecedent.

Necessary condition

A condition that must hold for the outcome but does not guarantee it. In a sentence it usually follows 'only if'; confusing it with a sufficient condition is a standard reasoning trap.

Syllogism validity

A syllogism is valid when its conclusion follows necessarily from its premises in every arrangement. Validity concerns form alone; the premises need not actually be true.

Sustainable Development Goals

Seventeen goals adopted in 2015 under the 2030 Agenda, succeeding the eight Millennium Development Goals of 2000. They cover poverty, health, education, climate, and institutions.

Constitutional versus statutory body

A constitutional body is created by the Constitution itself, such as the Election Commission or the Comptroller and Auditor General. A statutory body is created by an ordinary Act of the legislature.

Fundamental Rights and Directive Principles

Fundamental Rights in Part III are enforceable in court against the State. Directive Principles in Part IV are goals for a welfare state and are not directly enforceable.

Audi alteram partem

Latin for 'hear the other side'. A decision-maker must give notice of the case, disclose the material relied on, and allow a genuine opportunity to reply before deciding.

Legitimate expectation

A doctrine protecting a person's procedural interest in a promised benefit or a settled practice. It usually requires a fair hearing before withdrawal, not automatic grant of the benefit.

Standard deviation

A measure of the spread of values around the mean, in the same units as the data. A small value means values cluster near the mean; it says nothing about whether the mean is correct.