POLITICAL SCIENCE AND INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

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Syllabus of POLITICAL SCIENCE AND INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

 Paper I

Political Theory and Indian Politics :

  1. Political Theory: meaning and approaches. 
  2. Theories of state:  Liberal, Neo-liberal, Marxist, Pluiralist, 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, Sri 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 : 
     (a) Political Strategies of India’s Freedom Struggle : Constitutionalism to mass Satyagraha, Noncooperation, Civil Disobedience; Militant and Revolutionary Movements, Peasant and Workers  Movements. 
    (b) Perspectives on Indian National Movement; Liberal, Socialist and Marxist; Radical Humanist and Dalit. 
  1. Making of the Indian Constitution : Legacies of the British rule; different social and political perspectives. 
  2. 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. 
  3. (a) Principal Organs of the Union Government : Envisaged role and actual working of the Executive, Legislature and Supreme Court.
    (b) Principal Organs of the State Government : Envisaged role and actual working of the Executive, Legislature and High Courts. 
  1. Grassroots Democracy : Panchayati Raj and Municipal Government; Significance of 73rd and 74th Amendments; Grassroot movements. 
  2. Statutory Institutions/Commissions : Election Commission, Comptroller and Auditor General, Finance Commission, Union Public Service Commission, National Commission for Scheduled Castes, National  Commission for Scheduled Tribes, National Commission for Women; National Human Rights Commission, National Commission for Minorities, National Backward Classes Commission. 
  3. Federalism : Constitutional provisions; changing nature of centre-state relations; integrationist tendencies and regional aspirations; inter-state disputes. 
  4. Planning and Economic development : Nehruvian and Gandhian perspectives; Role of planning and public sector; Green Revolution, land reforms and agrarian relations; liberalization and economic reforms. 
  5. Caste, Religion and Ethnicity in Indian Politics. 
  6. 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. 
  7. Social Movement : Civil liberties and human rights movements; women’s movements; environmentalist movements. 

PAPER-II

Comparative  Politics  and  International Relations

Comparative Political Analysis and International Politics : 

  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; Transational actors and collective security; World capitalist economy and globalisation. 
  7. Changing International Political Order :
    (a) Rise of super powers; Strategic and ideological Bipolarity, arms race and cold war; Nuclear threat;
    (b) Non-aligned Movement : Aims and achievements.
    (c) Collapse of the Soviet Union; Unipolarity and American hegemony; Relevance of non-alignment in the contemporary world. 
  1. 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. 
  2. United Nations : Envisaged role and actual record; Specialized UN agencies—aims and functioning; need for UN reforms. 
  3. Regionalisation of World Politics : EU, ASEAN, APEC, AARC, NAFTA.
  4. Contemporary Global Concerns : Democracy, human rights, environment, gender justice terrorism, nuclear proliferation.

India  and  the  World

  1. Indian Foreign Policy : Determinants of foreign policy; the 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 :
    (a) Regional Co-operation : SAARC-past performance and future prospects.
    (b) South Asia as a Free Trade Area.
    (c) India’s “Look East” policy.
    (d) Impediments to regional co-operation : River water disputes; illegal cross border migration; Ethnic conflicts and insurgencies; Border disputes. 
  1. India and the Global South : Relations with Africa and Latin America; Leadership role in the demand for NIEO and WTO negotiations. 
  2. India and the Global Centres of Power : USA,  EU,  Japan, China and Russia. 
  3. India and the UN System: Role in UN Peace-keeping; Demand for Permanent Seat in the Security Council. 
  4. India and the Nuclear Question : Changing perceptions and policy.
  5. Recent developments in Indian Foreign Policy : India’s position on the recent crises in Afghanistan, Iraq and West Asia, growing relations with US and Isreal; Vision of a new world order.

Frequently Asked Questions

It depends upon the profile of the student, if a student is Graduate or in final year of Graduation then one year is sufficient to prepare for the IAS examination but this requires complete sincerity along with a strategy to accommodate all the relevant topics in your schedule. To clear the Civil Services Examination one should have clarity about the syllabus, familiarity with the pattern, timely optional preparation, and most importantly revision. Accommodating all this in one’s schedule requires persistent efforts but if a student has just completed his/her 12th or is 1st or 2nd year of Graduation then it will be better to go for 2Year or 3Year courses. We are here to guide you about all these.

UPSC has given a choice of attempting the examination in both English as well as Hindi medium, so there cannot be any bias based upon this. There are so many success stories of candidates with Hindi Medium scoring top ranks. It’s the content, analysis, logical conclusions in the candidate’s answers that make a difference, not the medium.A Hindi medium candidate has equal chances of success as his/ her English counterpart.

Since the Civil Services Examination has an extensive syllabus and requires rigorous practice, an early start will certainly be an advantage! In a 2/3 years’ course which runs parallel to graduation, a candidate can build a solid conceptual foundation of all GS concepts along with the special focus on NCERTs in the first year.

Individual mentorship with evaluation sessions are instrumental in chalking out a complete preparation strategy under expert supervision. The second-year predominantly focuses on Essay Writing and theme-based approach to the GS subjects.

The third-year consolidates upon all the covered dimensions and is packed with extensive Mock Tests, evaluations, Optional subject preparation, and the Pre-Special Course.

Yes, we have separate classes for English and Hindi Medium.

Yes, we do have a well-equipped and air-conditioned library for our enrolled students.

Yes, we do have our mentors working with the students who as of now are preparing by themselves. You may call up at our enquiry numbers and book an appointment.

Yes, we run preparation courses for multiple optional subjects in both English and Hindi medium separately. This year we are starting Online Optional subjects (interactive classes) which include Political Science & IR, Public Administration, Sociology, History, and Geography.

Yes, every day after the completion of Live online classes we provide the recording of the classes and class notes in PDF format, student can access the recording as per their convenience

Off course, you will have the support of academic staff who will guide you to clear your doubts even after the classes.

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