Political Science and International Relations or PSIR as an optional paper for UPSC Civil Service Exam is a very interesting subject or paper. A student with their absolute focus and dedication can score good marks on PSIR optional paper as well as it will be also helpful to other GS Papers of UPSC.
There is no single source for studying the whole vast subject as Political Science and International Relations. An aspirant should approach the following books for the depth of understanding – First, for Political Thought, Ideologies, Indian and Western Political Thought – O.P. Gauba for Political Thought and Theories, Brian Nelson for Western Political Thought, V.R. Mehta, IGNOU for Indian Political Thought. Second, for Indian National Movement, Indian Govt and Politics – Laxmi Kant, Bipin Chandra, and Spectrum are the recommended options. Third, for Comparative Politics – IGNOU MA Modules (selectively, topic-wise from syllabus), Global Politics – Andrew Heywood for in-depth conceptual understanding. Lastly, for International Relations – Challenges and Strategies – Rajiv Sikri
Does the Elephant Dance – David Malone
We brought here complete study materials and Notes of Political Science based on the syllabus provided by UPSC on their official website.
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Now all the UPSC aspirants who want to pursue Political Science as an optional paper in Upsc exams can explore our study materials based on the syllabus. Now you don’t need to wander anywhere in search of your knowledge just go throughout this as provided below:
Paper-I
Political Theory and Indian Politics
- Political Theory: Meaning and Approaches
- Theories of the state: Liberal
Theories of the state: Neoliberal
Theories of the state: Marxist
Theories of the state: Pluralist
Theories of the state: Post-Colonial
Theories of the state: Feminist - Justice: Conceptions of Justice with special reference to Rawl’s theory of Justice and its Communitarian Critiques
- Equality: Social, political and economic; the relationship between equality and freedom; Affirmative action
- Rights: Meaning and theories; different kinds of rights; the concept of Human Rights
- Democracy: Classical and Contemporary Theories
- Political Ideologies: Liberalism
Political Ideologies: Socialism
Political Ideologies: Fascism
Political Ideologies: Gandhism
Political Ideologies: Feminism - Indian Political Thought: Dharamshastra
Indian Political Thought: Arthashastra
Indian Political Thought: Buddhist Traditions
Indian Political Thought: Sir Syed Ahmed Khan
Indian Political Thought: Sri Aurobindo
Indian Political Thought: M.K. Gandhi
Indian Political Thought: B.R. Ambedkar
Indian Political Thought: M.N. Roy - Western Political Thought: Plato
Western Political Thought: Aristotle
Western Political Thought: Machiavelli
Western Political Thought: Hobbes
Western Political Thought: John Locke
Western Political Thought: John Stuart Mill
Western Political Thought: Karl Marx
Western Political Thought: Antonio Gramsci
Western Political Thought: Hannah Arendt - Indian Government and Politics
- Indian Nationalism-
Political strategies of India’s freedom struggle: Constitutionalism to mass strategies
Political strategies of India’s freedom struggle: Non-Cooperation
Political strategies of India’s freedom struggle: Civil Disobedience; Militant and Revolutionary Movements, Peasants and Workers Movements. - Perspectives on Indian National Movements:
Liberal Perspective
Socialist Perspective
Marxist Perspective; Radical Humanist and Dalits - 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, Legislative, and Supreme Court - Principal Organs of the State Government:
Envisaged role and actual working of the Executive, Legislature, and High Court. - Grassroots Democracy: Panchayati Raj and Municipal Government, the Significance of 73rd and 74th Amendments; Grassroot Movements
- Statutory Institutions/Commissions: Election Commission
Statutory Institutions/Commissions: Comptroller and Auditor General
Statutory Institutions/Commissions: Finance Commission
Statutory Institutions/Commissions: Union Public Service Commission
Statutory Institutions/Commissions: National Commission for Scheduled Castes
Statutory Institutions/Commissions: National Commission for Scheduled Tribes
Statutory Institutions/Commissions: National Commission for Women
Statutory Institutions/Commissions: National Human Rights Commission
Statutory Institutions/Commissions: National Commission for Minorities
Statutory Institutions/Commissions: National Backward Classes Commission - Planning and Economic Development: Nehruvian and Gandhian Perspectives
Planning and Economic Development: Role of Planning and Private Sector
Planning and Economic Development: Green Revolution
Planning and Economic Development: Land Reforms and Agrarian Relations
Planning and Economic Development: Liberalization and Economic reforms - Caste, Religion, and Ethnicity in Indian Politics.
- Party System: National and Regional Parties
Party System: Ideological and Social Bases of parties
Party System: Pattern of Coalition Politics
Party System: Pressure Groups
Party System: Trends in Electoral Behaviour
Party System: Changing Socio-economic profile of legislators - Social Movements: Civil liberties and human rights movements
Social Movements: Environmental movement
Social Movements: women’s movements
Paper-II
Comparative Politics and International Relations, Comparative Political Analysis and International Politics
- Comparative Politics: Nature and major approaches.
- Comparative Politics: political economy and political sociology perspectives
- Comparative Politics: limitations of the comparative method
- State in Comparative Perspective: Characteristics and the changing nature of the State in capitalist and socialist economies
- State in Comparative Perspective: Advanced Industrial and Developing societies
- Politics of representation and participation: Political Parties
- Politics of representation and participation: 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
- Approaches to the study of International Relations: Realist
- Approaches to the study of International Relations: Marxist
- Approaches to the study of International Relations: Functionalist and System Theory
- Key Concepts in International Relations: National Interest
- Key Concepts in International Relations: Security and Power
- Key Concepts in International Relations: Balance of Power and deterrence
- Key Concepts in International Relations: Transnational actors and collective security
- Key Concepts in International Relations: World capitalist economy and globalisation
- Changing International Political Order: Rise of superpowers; strategic and ideological bipolarity, arms race and cold war; Nuclear threat
- Changing International Political Order: Non-Aligned Movements; aims and achievements
- Changing International Political Order: Collapse of the Soviet Union; unipolarity and American hegemony; Relevance of Non-Alignment in the Contemporary World