PSIR Optional

The UPSC Political Science and International Relations (PSIR) optional syllabus is divided into two papers, each focusing on different aspects of the subject. Paper I primarily covers political theory, including concepts like justice, equality, and democracy, along with Western and Indian political thought. Paper II delves into international relations, encompassing topics such as international politics theories, global governance, and India’s foreign policy.

 

Paper I: Political Theory and Indian Politics

Political Theory:
This section explores fundamental concepts like power, justice, equality, and democracy, examining various theoretical perspectives.
Political Ideologies:
Candidates need to understand liberalism, socialism, Marxism, Gandhism, and feminism.
Western Political Thought:
The syllabus includes thinkers like Plato, Aristotle, Machiavelli, Hobbes, Locke, J.S. Mill, Marx, Gramsci, and Hannah Arendt.
Indian Political Thought:
This section covers thinkers like Raja Ram Mohan Roy, Swami Vivekananda, Mahatma Gandhi, B.R. Ambedkar, and M.N. Roy.
Indian Government and Politics:
This part examines the Indian Constitution, its making, and its salient features, including the preamble, fundamental rights, and the parliamentary system. It also covers topics like federalism, centre-state relations, and the role of political parties and social movements.
Planning and Economic Development:
This segment explores Nehruvian and Gandhian perspectives on planning, the role of the public sector, and economic reforms.
Caste, Religion, and Ethnicity:
Candidates need to understand the impact of these factors on Indian politics.

 

Paper II: Comparative Politics and International Relations

Comparative Politics:
This section focuses on comparative analysis of political systems, including political parties, pressure groups, and social movements in different societies.
International Relations:
This part covers various approaches to studying international relations, including idealism, realism, and Marxism.
Key Concepts in International Relations:
Candidates need to understand concepts like national interest, security, power, and balance of power.
Globalisation:
The syllabus includes the impact of globalization on different countries and the responses of developed and developing societies.
International Institutions:
This section covers organizations like the UN, EU, ASEAN, and others, examining their role and functioning.
India’s Foreign Policy:
This includes India’s relations with its neighbors and its role in international affairs.
Emerging Issues:
The syllabus also includes contemporary issues like democracy, human rights, environment, and terrorism.

Complete Syllabus

Paper – I

Political Theory and Indian Politics

Chapters	Topics
Political Theory	Meaning and approaches
Theories of 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

Chapters	Topics
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.
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
Principle organs of the government	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.
Rights	Meaning and theories; different kinds of rights; Concept of Human Rights
Grassroots Democracy	Panchayati Raj and Municipal Government; Significance of 73rd and 74th Amendments; Grassroots 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; liberalization 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 Movement	Civil liberties and human rights movements; women’s movements; environmentalist movements

Paper – II

Comparative Political Analysis and International Politics

Chapters	Topics
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	Rise of super powers; Strategic and ideological Bipolarity, arms race and cold war; Nuclear threat;   Non-aligned Movement: Aims and achievements.   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, AARC, NAFTA
Contemporary Global Concerns	Democracy, human rights, environment, gender justice terrorism, nuclear proliferation

India and the World

Chapters	Topics
Indian Foreign Policy	Determinants of foreign policy;   The institutions of policy-making;   Continuity and change
India’s Contribution	To the Non-Alignment Movement Different phases; Current role
India and South Asia	Regional Co-operation: SAARC-past performance and future prospects   South Asia as a Free Trade Area   India’s “Look East” policy   Impediments to regional cooperation:River water disputes;illegal cross-border migration;Ethnic conflicts and insurgencies;Border disputes
India and the Global South	Relations with Africa and Latin America;   A 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	India’s position on the recent crises in Afghanistan, Iraq and West Asia, growing relations with the US and Israel;   Vision of a new world order