SYLLABUS of Political Science and International Relations - Optional of Part B - UPSC Main Examination of Civil Services Exam. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- PAPER - I ---------------- Political Theory and Indian Politics: Political Theory: meaning and approaches. Theories of the State: Liberal, Neo-liberal, Marxist, Pluralist, Post-colonial and feminist. Justice: Conceptions of justice with special reference to Rawl�s theory of justice and its communitarian critiques. Equality: Social, political and economic; relationship between equality and freedom; Affirmative action. Rights: Meaning and theories; different kinds of rights; concept of Human Rights. Democracy: Classical and contemporary theories; different models of democracy representative, participatory and deliberative. Concept of power, hegemony, ideology and legitimacy. Political Ideologies: Liberalism, Socialism, Marxism, Fascism, Gandhism and Feminism. Indian Political Thought : Dharamshastra, Arthashastra and Buddhist traditions; Sir Syed Ahmed Khan, Sri Aurobindo, M.K. Gandhi, B.R. Ambedkar, M.N. Roy . Western Political Thought: Plato, Aristotle, Machiavelli, Hobbes, Locke, John S. Mill, Marx, Gramsci, Hannah Arendt. Indian Government and Politics: Indian Nationalism: a. Political Strategies of Indias Freedom Struggle: Constitutionalism to mass Satyagraha, Non-cooperation, Civil Disobedience; Militant and revolutionary movements, Peasant and workers movements. b. Perspectives on Indian National Movement: Liberal, Socialist and Marxist; Radical humanist and Dalit. Making of the Indian Constitution: Legacies of the British rule; different social and political perspectives. 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. (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. Grassroots Democracy: Panchayati Raj and Municipal Government; significance of 73rd and 74th Amendments; Grassroot movements. 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. Federalism: Constitutional provisions; changing nature of centre-state relations; integrationist tendencies and regional aspirations; inter-state disputes. 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. Caste, Religion and Ethnicity in Indian Politics. 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 Social Movements: Civil liberties and human rights movements; women movements; environmentalist movements. PAPER II ---------------- Comparative Politics and International Relations Comparative Political Analysis and International Politics: Comparative Politics: Nature and major approaches; political economy and political sociology perspectives; limitations of the comparative method. State in comparative perspective: Characteristics and changing nature of the State in capitalist and socialist economies, and, advanced industrial and developing societies. Politics of Representation and Participation: Political parties, pressure groups and social movements in advanced industrial and developing societies. Globalisation: Responses from developed and developing societies. Approaches to the Study of International Relations: Idealist, Realist, Marxist, Functionalist and Systems theory. 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. Changing International Political Order: (a) Rise of super powers; strategic and ideological Bipolarity, arms race and Cold War; nuclear threat; (b) Nonaligned movement: Aims and achievements; (c) Collapse of the Soviet Union; Unipolarity and American hegemony; relevance of non-alignment in the contemporary world. 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. United Nations: Envisaged role and actual record; specialized UN agencies-aims and functioning; need for UN reforms. Regionalisation of World Politics: EU, ASEAN, APEC, SAARC, NAFTA. Contemporary Global Concerns: Democracy, human rights, environment, gender justice, terrorism, nuclear proliferation. India and the World: Indian Foreign Policy: Determinants of foreign policy; institutions of policy-making; continuity and change. Indias Contribution to the Non-Alignment Movement: Different phases; current role. India and South Asia: (a) Regional Co-operation: SAARC past performance and future prospects. (b) South Asia as a Free Trade Area. (c) Indias Look East policy. (d) Impediments to regional co-operation: river water disputes; illegal cross-border migration; ethnic conflicts and insurgencies; border disputes. India and the Global South: Relations with Africa and Latin America; leadership role in the demand for NIEO and WTO negotiations. India and the Global Centres of Power: USA, EU, Japan, China and Russia. India and the UN System: Role in UN Peace-keeping; demand for Permanent Seat in the Security Council. India and the Nuclear Question: Changing perceptions and policy. Recent developments in Indian Foreign policy: Indias position on the recent crises in Afghanistan, Iraq and West Asia, growing relations with US and Israel; vision of a new world order.
Posted on: Wed, 10 Dec 2014 02:41:34 +0000