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 :

(a) Political Strategies of India’s Freedom Struggle : Constitutionalism to mass Satyagraha, Noncooperation, 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 74^th 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.

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; Transational 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) Non-aligned 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, 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 :

(a) Regional Co-operation : SAARC-past performance and future prospects.

(b) South Asia as a Free Trade Area.

(c) India’s “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 : 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.

Suggested Readings

Books for Political Science & International Relations :

1A

• An Introduction to Political Theory — O.P. Gauba
• Contemporary Political Theory Political Theory — J.C. Johari
• Modern Political Theory — S.P. Verma
• A History of Political thought — Subrata Mukherjee, SusheelaRamaswamy
• Indian Political thought— V.P. Verma
• Foundations of Indian Political Thought — V.R. Mehta
• Western Political Thought – O.P.Gauba
• Politcal Theory An Introduction – Andrew Heywood
• IGNOU

Section 1B

• India’s Struggle for Freedom – Bipin Chandra
• Politics in India —Rajani Kothari
• Indian Government and Politics — B.L.Fadia
• Indian government and Politics —A.S. Narang
• Introduction to the Constitution of India – DD Basu
• Social background of Indian Nationalism – A.R.Desai
• IGNOU

II – A

• Comparative Politics —J.C. Johari
• Theoretical aspects of International Politics —Mahendra Kumar
• Globalization of World Politics – Oxford
• Global Politics – Andrew Heywood
• IGNOU

II –  B

• Challenge and Strategy: Rethinking India’s Foreign Policy – Rajiv Sikri
• India’s Challenges to Indian Foreign Policy – Mahendra Kumar
• TMH, Bookhives or any market guide
• IGNOU

Reference Books:

• George H. Sabine (Western political theory)
• C.L. Wayper (Political thought)
• A.C. Kapoor (Comparative Governments)
• Paul Brass (Politics in India since independence)
• India’s foreign policy in a changing world (1999) – V.P. Dutt
• Yojana, Kurukshetra Magazines and IGNOU Materials, NCERT Books
• Political Thought in Modern India – Thomas Pantham & Kenneth L. Deustch
• Political Theory – Dr. Vidya Dhar Mahajan
• Political Theory – NCERT Class XI

Section 1B

• Indian Government and Politics – Peu Ghosh

IIA

• International Relations – Peu Ghosh
• International Relations – C.W.Pevehouse & S. Goldstein Joshua

IIB

• India’s Foreign Policy – Sumit Ganguly
• India’s Foreign Policy : Post Cold War Years – R.S Yadav
• India and the Dynamics of world politics – Reetika Sharma & Ramvir Goria & Vivek Mishra (Oxford)