(Syllabus) Part - A Preliminary Examination - Syllabus (Political Science)

( UPSC Syllabus )
Part A - Preliminary Examination - Optional Subjects
Examination Syllabus - Subject : Political Science

Section-A


1. Political Science : Nature & scope of the discipline, relationship with allied disciplines like History, Economics, Philosophy, Sociology, Psychology.
   

2. Meaning of Politics : Approaches to the study of Politics.
   

3. Key Concepts : State, Soceity, Sovereignty, Power, Citizenship, Nation, Global order and Imperialism.
   

4. Political Ideas : Rights, Liberty, Equality, Justice, Rule of Law. Civil Soceity Swaraj, Revolution, Democratic Participation.
   

5. Democracy : Meaning and Theories of Democracy, Electoral system, Forms of Representation & Participation, Political accountability.
   

6. Political Ideologies : Liberalism, Neoliberalism, Marxism, Socialism, Fascism, Gandhism.
   

7. Party System and Political Process : Therories of Party System, National and regional parties, Political Parties in the Third World. Patterns of coalition politics, interest and pressure groups.
   

8. Forms of Government : Parliamentary and Presidential. Federal & unitary Modes of decentralisation.
   

9. Bureaucracy Concept : Theories, Weber and critiques of Bureaucracy.
   

10. Theories of Development : Meaning and various approaches. Concept and Theories of underdevelopment Debates in the Third World.
    

11. Social Movements : Meaning, Theories & Forms, Role of Environmental Feminist Peasant & workers movements, Role of Non Government organisation.
    

12. Nationalism and Internationalism
    

13. Major theories of International relations : Realist Marxist, Systems & Decision making & Game theory.
    

14. State & the Global order : Neo-Liberalism, globalisation, structural adjustment, regional economic integration, Nature and Impact of globalisation.


Section-B (Indian Government and politics)


15. Approaches to the study of Governments : Comparative historical, legal institutional, political economy and political sociology, approaches.
    

16. Classification of Political systems : Democratic and Authoritarian, characteristics of Political systems in the third world.
    

17. Typologies of constitutions : Basic features of these constitutions & governments, including U.K., USA. France, Germany, China, and South Africa.
    

18. Constitutional development : in India during British Rule-A historical perspective.
    

19. Constituent Assembly : philosophical and socio-economic dimensions. Salient features of the Indian Constitution.
    

20. Nature of Indian federalism : Centre-state relations, legislative, administrative, financial and political; politics of regional move and National Integration.
    

21. Fundamental Rights : Constitutional provisions and political dynamics. Judicial Interpretations and socio political realities; Fundamental Duties.
    

22. The Union Executive : President, Prime Minister and the Council of Ministers, Constitutional provisions & framework and political trends.
    

23. Parliament : Powers and functions of the Lok Sabha & Rajya Sabha; Parliamentary Committees; Functioning of the Parliamentary system in India.
    

24. The Judiciary : The Supreme Court , Judicial Review Judicial Activism, Public Intrest Litigation; Judicial Reforms.
    

25. The State Executive : Governor, Chief Minister and the Council of Ministers; Constitutional Provisions and Political trends.
    

26. Indian Party System : Evolution and Contemporay trends; coalition government at the Centre and States, pressure groups in Indian politics.
    

27. The interaction of Government & Scientific & Technology business : Previous and now their inter relationship and changing roles in Society, Elites,
     Role of Pressure groups class and voluntary associations in society.
    

28. Local Government & Politics : Panchayti Raj and Municipal Government, structure power & functions. Political realities, significance of 73rd and 74th Amendments, role of women in Panchayats.
    

29. Bureaucracy and Development : Post-colonial India; its changing role in the context of liberatis after, bureauratic Accountability.
    

30. Challenges to Indian Democracy :

    • Communalism Regionalism violence, criminalisation and corruption.

    • Regional disparities, environmental degradation, illiteracy, Mass Poverty, Population, growth, caste oppressions and socio economic inequalities among backward classes.

Courtesy : UPSC