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Tuesday, 6 October 2026 · New Delhi

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UPSC CSE Mains · Optional Subject

Political Science & International Relations

Political thought and theory, the working of the Indian state, and India's place in the world.

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Paper I

250marks

3 hours each

Paper II

250marks

3 hours each

Optional total

500marks

Counts toward the Mains merit

Paper I syllabus

250 marks · 3 hours

Political Theory and Indian Politics

  1. 1. Political Theory: meaning and approaches.
  2. 2. Theories of state : Liberal, Neo-liberal, Marxist, Pluralist, post-colonial and Feminist.
  3. 3. Justice : Conceptions of justice with special reference to Rawls' theory of justice and its communitarian critiques.
  4. 4. Equality : Social, political and economic; relationship between equality and freedom; Affirmative action.
  5. 5. Rights : Meaning and theories; different kinds of rights; Concept of Human Rights.
  6. 6. Democracy : Classical and contemporary theories; different models of democracy—representative, participatory and deliberative.
  7. 7. Concept of power : hegemony, ideology and legitimacy.
  8. 8. Political Ideologies : Liberalism, Socialism, Marxism, Fascism, Gandhism and Feminism.
  9. 9. Indian Political Thought: Dharamshastra, Arthashastra and Buddhist Traditions; Sir Syed Ahmed Khan, Sri Aurobindo, M. K. Gandhi, B. R. Ambedkar, M. N. Roy.
  10. 10. Western Political Thought : Plato, Aristotle, Machiavelli, Hobbes, Locke, John S. Mill, Marx, Gramsci, Hannah Arendt.

Indian Government and Politics

  1. 1. 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.
  2. 2. Making of the Indian Constitution : Legacies of the British rule; different social and political perspectives.
  3. 3. 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.
  4. 4. (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.
  5. 5. Grassroots Democracy : Panchayati Raj and Municipal Government; Significance of 73rd and 74th Amendments; Grassroot movements.
  6. 6. 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.
  7. 7. Federalism : Constitutional provisions; changing nature of centre-state relations; integrationist tendencies and regional aspirations; inter-state disputes.
  8. 8. 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.
  9. 9. Caste, Religion and Ethnicity in Indian Politics.
  10. 10. 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.
  11. 11. Social Movement : Civil liberties and human rights movements; women's movements; environmentalist movements.

Paper II syllabus

250 marks · 3 hours

Comparative Political Analysis and International Politics

  1. 1. Comparative Politics : Nature and major approaches; Political economy and political sociology perspectives; Limitations of the comparative method.
  2. 2. State in Comparative Perspective : Characteristics and changing nature of the State in capitalist and socialist economies, and advanced industrial and developing societies.
  3. 3. Politics of Representation and Participation : Political parties, pressure groups and social movements in advanced industrial and developing societies.
  4. 4. Globalisation : Responses from developed and developing societies.
  5. 5. Approaches to the Study of International Relations : Idealist, Realist, Marxist, Functionalist and Systems theory.
  6. 6. 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.
  7. 7. 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.
  8. 8. Evolution of the International Economic System : From Bretton Woods 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.
  9. 9. United Nations : Envisaged role and actual record; Specialized UN agencies—aims and functioning; need for UN reforms.
  10. 10. Regionalisation of World Politics : EU, ASEAN, APEC, SAARC, NAFTA.
  11. 11. Contemporary Global Concerns : Democracy, human rights, environment, gender justice, terrorism, nuclear proliferation.

India and the World

  1. 1. Indian Foreign Policy : Determinants of foreign policy; the institutions of policy-making; Continuity and change.
  2. 2. India's Contribution to the Non-Alignment Movement Different phases; Current role.
  3. 3. 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.
  4. 4. India and the Global South : Relations with Africa and Latin America; Leadership role in the demand for NIEO and WTO negotiations.
  5. 5. India and the Global Centres of Power : USA, EU, Japan, China and Russia.
  6. 6. India and the UN System: Role in UN Peace-keeping; Demand for Permanent Seat in the Security Council.
  7. 7. India and the Nuclear Question : Changing perceptions and policy.
  8. 8. Recent developments in Indian Foreign Policy : India's position on the recent crises in Afghanistan, Iraq and West Asia, growing relations with US and Israel; Vision of a new world order.

Syllabus as per the official UPSC Civil Services (Main) Examination notification. Topic-wise study notes for Political Science & International Relations are being added — check back soon.

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