IAS Examination Syllabus : 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)

  1. Approaches to the study of Governments : Comparative historical, legal institutional, political economy and political sociology, approaches.
  2. Classification of Political systems : Democratic and Authoritarian, characteristics of Political systems in the third world.
  3. Typologies of constitutions : Basic features of these constitutions & governments, including U.K., USA. France, Germany, China, and South Africa.
  4. Constitutional development : in India during British Rule-A historical perspective.
  5. Constituent Assembly : philosophical and socio-economic dimensions. Salient features of the Indian Constitution.
  6. Nature of Indian federalism : Centre-state relations, legislative, administrative, financial and political; politics of regional move and National Integration.
  7. Fundamental Rights : Constitutional provisions and political dynamics. Judicial Interpretations and socio political realities; Fundamental Duties.
  8. The Union Executive : President, Prime Minister and the Council of Ministers, Constitutional provisions & framework and political trends.
  9. Parliament : Powers and functions of the Lok Sabha & Rajya Sabha; Parliamentary Committees; Functioning of the Parliamentary system in India.
  10. The Judiciary : The Supreme Court , Judicial Review Judicial Activism, Public Intrest Litigation; Judicial Reforms.
  11. The State Executive : Governor, Chief Minister and the Council of Ministers; Constitutional Provisions and Political trends.
  12. Indian Party System : Evolution and Contemporay trends; coalition government at the Centre and States, pressure groups in Indian politics.
  13. 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.
  14. Local Government & Politics : Panchayti Raj and Municipal Government, structure power & functions. Political realities, significance of 73rd and 74th Amendements, role of women in Panchayats.
  15. Bureaucracy and Development : Post-colonial India; its changing role in the context of liberatis after, bureauratic Accountability.
  16. Challenges to Indian Democracy :
    1. Communalism Regionalism violence, criminalisation and corruption.
    2. Regional disparities, environmental degradation, illiteracy, Mass Poverty, Population, growth, caste oppressions and socio economic inequalities among backward classes.