UPSC Political Science Syllabus

UPSC Political Science Syllabus (PSIR) and Exam Pattern will help the candidates know what they will have to include in their IAS preparation so as to cover the syllabus. The UPSC has released the official notification for the detailed Political Science and International Relations UPSC Syllabus. In the UPSC IAS Exam, Political Science and International Relations (PSIR) is one of the optional subjects. Since political science is a rational subject, aspirants from any domain can choose political science as their optional subject. To prepare for PSIR, it is important to understand the UPSC Syllabus for this subject. So, in this article, we have provided the UPSC political science syllabus optional, exam pattern, best reference books and exam preparation tips.

Check the detailed UPSC IAS Mains Syllabus here.

UPSC Political Science Syllabus PDF -Download Now

The provided PDF covers the complete UPSC Political Science optional syllabus and it has been carefully organized to support a productive and efficient preparation strategy for the Political Science optional paper. Aspiring candidates are recommended to make use of the provided hyperlink to access the PDF, which offers a well-structured and easily comprehensible presentation of the UPSC Political Science Optional Syllabus.

UPSC Political Science Optional Syllabus - Paper 1

Political Science and International Relations or PSIR is a popular UPSC Optional Subject for the UPSC Mains Exam. The initial preparation for the exam starts with a thorough knowledge of the syllabus and the exam pattern. Following is the Political Science optional syllabus for UPSC (Paper I):

Political Theory and Indian Politics

• Political Theory: Meaning and Approaches
• Theories of State: Liberal, Neo-liberal, Marxist, Pluiralist, 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
  • Political Strategies of India’s Freedom Struggle: Constitutionalism to mass Satyagraha, Noncooperation, 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
• 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
• 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; 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

UPSC Political Science Optional Syllabus - Paper 2

Following is the Political Science and International Relations UPSC syllabus for Paper 2:

Comparative Politics and International Relations

• 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; Transational 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

• 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 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 : 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

Enroll for PSIR Optional Course here!

UPSC Political Science Optional Paper Pattern

The UPSC exam has three stages examination viz. Prelims, Mains, and an Interview. The UPSC IAS mains exam consists of 9 papers, out of which 2 are for optional subjects. The candidates are given a choice of 48 optional subjects to choose from. Here are the details about the UPSC political science exam pattern for IAS mains:

• There will be 2 papers for the political science optional subject in UPSC IAS Mains.
• Each paper would comprise 250 marks, which makes it 500 marks in total.
• The time duration to attempt the UPSC political science paper is 3 hours.
• Each paper would have objective answer-type questions.
• There is no negative marking.

Check the detailed UPSC IAS exam pattern here.

How To Prepare for UPSC Political Science Syllabus (PSIR)?

• Opting for Political Science and International Relations syllabus for UPSC offers long-term advantages, particularly for IAS, IFS, and IPS roles, enhancing understanding of governance and international relations.
• Political Theory and Indian Politics in Section A provide a foundation for diverse backgrounds, demanding a comprehensive grasp of key thinkers' ideologies.
• Thorough comprehension of concepts like equality and justice is vital for producing well-structured answers, requiring strong analytical skills.
• Section B, focusing on Indian government and politics, aligns with General Studies paper II, necessitating a refined understanding of complex concepts.
• Linking land reforms to state reorganization and current events boosts performance in Section B, requiring research into court cases and recommendations.
• Comparative and International Politics, addressed in Section A, benefits from online sources, interlinking static and dynamic events for success.
• Understanding international actors' drivers aids in comprehending international politics, connecting actions to concepts.
• Insights like the casteism-communalism relationship enrich answers on India's political evolution, referencing reports like 6th, 9th, 7th, and 12th.
• Emphasizing Current Affairs and news relevance is crucial for excelling in Political Science, particularly in the context of current events.
• Crafting balanced answers that connect ideas and demonstrating in-depth understanding is key for effective preparation in UPSC Political Science Syllabus.

Get the Detailed UPSC Political Science Book List here.

This was a detailed article about the UPSC Political Science Optional Syllabus. To start the preparation for your examination, download the Testbook App and get access to world-class education, mock tests, etc.