Political Science Mains Syllabus - UPSC Civil Services Exam (CSE)

This page contains complete updated Political Science Optional Mains Syllabus for UPSC Civil Services Exam (CSE), this is always a good idea to take a good look at the syllabus and start preparation accordingly.

Paper I

Political Theory and Indian Politics

1.Political theory meaning and approaches

2.Theories of the state: Liberal, Neoliberal, Marxist, Pluralist, Post-colonial and feminist.

3.Justice: Conceptions of justice with special reference to Rawl?s theory of justice and its communitarian critiques.

4.Equality: Social, political and economic;relationship between equality and freedom; Affirmative action.

5.Rights: Meaning and theories; different kinds of rights; concept of Human Rights.

6.Democracy: Classical and contemporary theories; different models of democracy - representative, participatory and deliberative.

7.Concept of power, hegemony, ideology and legitimacy.

8.Political Ideologies: Liberalism, Socialism, Marxism, Fascism, Gandhism and Feminism.

9.Indian Political Thought:Dharamshastra, Arthashastra and Buddhist traditions ; Sir Syed Ahmed Khan, S r i Aurobindo, M.K. Gandhi, B.R. Ambedkar, M.N. Roy .

10.Western Political Thought :Plato ,Aristotle, Machiavelli, Hobbes, Locke, John,S. Mill, Marx, Gramsci, Hannah Arendt.

Indian Government and politics

1.Indian Nationalism: Political Strategies of India?s Freedom struggle : constitutionalism to mass Satyagraha, Non-cooperation, Civil Disobedience ; militant and revolutionary movements, Peasant and workers? movements. Perspectives on Indian National Movement: Liberal, Socialist and Marxist; Radical humanist and Dalit.

2.Making of the Indian Constitution: Legacies of the British rule; different social and political perspectives.

3.Salient Features of the Indian Constitution: The Preamble, Fundamental Rights and Duties, Directive Principles; Parliamentary System and Amendment Procedures; Judicial Review and Basic Structure doctrine.

4. Principal Organs of the Union Government: Envisaged role and actual working of the Executive, Legislature and Supreme Court. Principal Organs of the State Government: Envisaged role and actual working of the Executive, Legislature and High Courts.

5.Grassroots Democracy: Panchayati Raj and Municipal Government; significance of 73rd and 74th Amendments; Grassroot movements.

6.Statutory Inst i tut ions/Commissions: Election Commission, Comptroller and Auditor General, Finance Commission, Union Public Service Commission, National Commission for Scheduled Castes, National Comission for scheduled Tribes, National Commission for Women; National Human Rights Commission, National Commission for Minorities, National Backward Classes Commission.

7.Federalism: Constitutional provisions; changing nature of centre-state relations; integrationist tendencies and regional aspirations; inter-state disputes.

8.Planning and Economic Development : Nehruvian and Gandhian perspectives; role of planning and public sector; Green Revolution, land reforms and agrarian relations; liberalilzation and economic reforms.

9.Caste, Religion and Ethnicity in Indian Politics.

10.Party System: National and regional political parties, ideological and social bases of parties; patterns of coalition politics; Pressure groups, trends in electoral behaviour; changing socio- economic profile of Legislators.

11.Social Movements: Civil liberties and human rights movements; women's movements; environmentalist movements

Paper II

Comparative Politics and International Relations

1. Comparative Politics: Nature and major approaches; political economy and political sociology perspectives; limitations of the comparative method.

2.State in comparative perspective: Characteristics and changing nature of the State in capitalist and socialist economies, and, advanced industrial and developing societies.

3. Politics of Representation and Participation: Political parties, pressure groups and social movements in advanced industrial and developing societies.

4. Globalisation: Responses from developed and developing societies.

5. Approaches to the Study of International Relations: Idealist, Realist, Marxist, Functionalist and Systems theory.

6. Key concepts in International Relations: National interest, Security and power; Balance of power and deterrence; Transnational actors and collective security; World capitalist economy and globalisation.

7. Changing International Political Order: Rise of super powers; strategic and ideological Bipolarity, arms race and Cold War; nuclear threat; Non-al igned movement : Aims and achievements; Collapse of the Soviet Union; Unipolarity and American hegemony; relevance of non-alignment in the contemporary world.

8. Evolution of the International Economic System: From Brettonwoods to WTO; Socialist economies and the CMEA (Council for Mutual Economic Assistance); Third World demand for new international economic order; Globalisation of the world economy.

9. United Nations: Envisaged role and actual record; specialized UN agencies-aims and functioning; need for UN reforms.

10. Regionalisation of World Politics: EU, ASEAN, APEC, SAARC, NAFTA.

11. Contemporary Global Concerns: Democracy, human rights, environment, gender justice, terrorism, nuclear proliferation.

India and the World:

1. Indian Foreign Policy: Determinants of foreign policy; institutions of policy-making; continuity and change.

2. India's Contribution to the Non-Alignment Movement: Different phases; current role

3. India and South Asia: Regional Co-operation: SAARC â?? past performance and future prospects. South Asia as a Free Trade Area. India's "Look East" policy. Impediments to regional co-operation: river water disputes; illegal cross-border migration; ethnic conflicts and insurgencies; border disputes.

4. India and the Global South: Relations with Africa and Latin America; leadership role in the demand for NIEO and WTO negotiations.

5. India and the Global Centres of Power: USA, EU, Japan, China and Russia.

6. India and the UN System: Role in UN Peace-keeping; demand for Permanent Seat in the Security Council.

7. India and the Nuclear Question: Changing perceptions and policy.

8. Recent developments in Indian Foreign policy: India's position on the recent crisis in Afghanistan, Iraq and West Asia, growing relations with US and Israel; vision of a new world order.