UPSC Political science and international relations Syllabus

UPSC Political science and international relations Syllabus(PSIR)

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.

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. (a) Principal Organs of the Union Government : Envisaged role and actual working of the Executive, Legislature and Supreme Court.
4. (b) 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 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.
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; liberalization 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 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 138 Government strives to have a workforce which reflects gender balance and women candidates are encouraged to apply. 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.

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, AARC, 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; 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.

(d) 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. 139 Government strives to have a workforce which reflects gender balance and women candidates are encouraged to apply.
7. India and the Nuclear Question : Changing perceptions and policy.
8. 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.

Pros & Cons

Choosing PSIR as a UPSC optional offers benefits like significant overlap with General Studies (GS) papers, a good scoring potential, and strong relevance for the essay and interview stages, making it a balanced choice for interested candidates. However, challenges include a vast syllabus requiring continuous current affairs updates, high competition due to its popularity, subjective answer evaluation, and the need for strong analytical and writing skills to present unique insights.

Pros of Choosing PSIR

1. Overlap with General Studies: PSIR has a high overlap with GS papers, essay writing, and the interview stage, providing a significant advantage and reducing the overall preparation effort.
2. High Scoring Potential: When concepts are understood clearly and answers are well-articulated with a strong theoretical foundation, PSIR can yield good scores.
3. Interdisciplinary Nature: The subject is multidisciplinary, which aligns well with the broad nature of the UPSC examination and helps in understanding contemporary issues from a political and international perspective.
4. Availability of Resources: Due to its popularity, there is abundant study material, standard books, coaching notes, and online resources available for PSIR aspirants.
5. Conceptual Clarity: PSIR emphasizes conceptual understanding and analytical skills over rote memorization, which can be rewarding for aspirants who enjoy analytical thinking.

Cons of Choosing PSIR

1. Vast and Dynamic Syllabus: While the syllabus might seem manageable initially, it is vast and demands continuous updating with current affairs, especially for the international relations portion.
2. High Competition: Being a popular optional subject chosen by many aspirants, including toppers, the competition for high marks is very intense.
3. Subjective Evaluation: PSIR answers are open to subjective interpretation by the examiner, meaning the marks can vary significantly based on the evaluator's perspective.
4. Requirement for Analytical & Writing Skills: Success in PSIR demands strong analytical skills and mature writing abilities to structure complex answers and provide unique, value-added insights to stand out.
5. Integration of Concepts: Aspirants must be able to integrate theoretical concepts with current events and the ideas of various political thinkers, which can be challenging.

Sources

To prepare for the UPSC optional in Political Science and International Relations (PSIR), you should use a combination of core textbooks, supplementary books, class notes, and contemporary resources. It is crucial to interlink static concepts with current events and practice answer writing. Here is a breakdown of recommended sources for each paper:

Paper I: Political Theory and Indian Politics

Part A: Political Theory and Indian Political Thought

Political Theory: Key texts include An Introduction to Political Theory by O.P. Gauba and Political Ideologies: An Introduction by Andrew Heywood.
Western Political Thought: Sources like Fifty Major Political Thinkers by Ian Adams and R.W. Dyson, and A History of Political Thought: Plato to Marx by Subrata Mukherjee and Sushila Ramaswamy are helpful. IGNOU material can supplement understanding of additional thinkers.
Indian Political Thought: Recommended books include Foundations of Indian Political Thought by V.R. Mehta and Indian Political Thought by M.P. Singh and Himanshu Roy.

Part B: Indian Government and Politics:

Indian Politics: Indian Government and Politics by B.L. Fadia and Indian Politics by M.P. Singh and Himanshu Roy are useful texts.
Indian Constitution: M. Laxmikanth's Indian Polity provides a foundation, while D.D. Basu's An Introduction to the Constitution of India offers more detail.
Historical Context: To understand the historical background, refer to books like India's Struggle for Independence by Bipan Chandra and A New Look at Modern Indian History by B.L. Grover and Alka Mehta.

Paper II: Comparative Politics and International Relations

Part A: Comparative Politics

IGNOU study materials are often recommended for core topics.
For concepts like globalization, Global Politics by Andrew Heywood is a valuable resource.
Relevant chapters from specialized books can aid in understanding political economy.

Part B: International Relations

International Relations Theory: Texts like Global Politics by Andrew Heywood and The Globalization of World Politics by Baylis, Smith, and Owens are essential.
Indian Foreign Policy: Key books include The India Way: Strategies for an Uncertain World by S. Jaishankar, India's Foreign Policy by V.P. Dutt, and Challenge and Strategy: Rethinking India's Foreign Policy by Rajiv Sikri.

Contemporary and supplementary sources

Current affairs and analysis: Stay updated through newspapers such as The Hindu and The Indian Express (editorials), magazines like EPW and Frontline, and international relations journals like Foreign Affairs. Official websites of the MEA and PIB, along with analysis from think tanks like ORF, are also useful.
Foundational knowledge: IGNOU books are particularly helpful for Comparative Politics.
Practice and review: Utilize UPSC Previous Year Question Papers (PYQs) and test series from coaching centers.
Strategy: Topper copies and analysis can be found on various online platforms.

Strategic tips for preparation

Prioritize understanding concepts over memorization.
Connect theoretical knowledge with current events.
Limit your sources to allow for thorough revision.
Practice answer writing consistently.
Create concise notes for quick review.

Political science and international relations