UPSC 2015

CIVIL SERVICES OPTIONAL SYLLABUS ANALYSIC

POLITICAL SCIENCE AND INTERNATIONAL REALTIONS

PAPER-I
SECTION-A (Political Theory and Indian Politics)
1. Political Theory :
 meaning and
 approaches
2. Theories of the State:

Y
 Liberal
 Neoliberal

EM
 Marxist
 Pluralit
 Post-colonial B
 feminist
3. Justice :
CS



AD
Conceptions of justice with sepcial reference to,
Rawl’s theory of justice and its communitarian critiques.
4. Equality:
Social
political and
AC


 economic
 relationship between equality and freedom
 Affirmative action
5. Rights : It will be useful in writing Eassay
Meaning and theories and Ethics case studies
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 diffrent kinds of rights

 concept of Human Rights
6. Democracy :
 Classical and
 differnet models of democracy
 representative,
 participatory and
 deliberative.
7. Concept of :
 power
 hegemony
 ideology and
 legitimacy
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8. Political Ideologies :
 Liberalism
Socialism
it covers GENERAL STUDIES - I


 Marxism (world history)

 Fascism
 Gandhism and
 eminism
9. Indian Political Thought:
 Dharamshastra
 Arthashastra and Buddhist traditions
 Sir Syed Ahmed Khan
Sri Aurobindo

Y


 M.K.Gandhi India political thinkers it covers GENERAL STUDIES - IV

B.R.Ambedkar (contributions of phiolosophers &

EM


 M.N.Roy Moral thinkers from India and

World)
10. Western Political Thought :



Plato
Aristotle
B
CS



Machiavelli
Hobbes
Loke
John S.Mill
Marx
AD western political thinkers
AC
 Gramsci
 Hannah Arendt

SECTION-B (Indian Government and Politics)

1. Indian Nationalism :
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a) Political Strategies of India’s Freedom Struggle :

 Constitutionalism to mass Satyagraha
 Non-cooperation
 Civil Disobedience
 Millitant and revolutionary movements.
it covers GENERAL STUDIES - I
 Peasant and worker’s movements. (Modern Indian history - significant
b) Perspectives on Indian National Movement : events & the freedom struggle)
 Liberal
 Socialist
 Marxist
 Radical humanist and
 Dalit
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2. Making of the Indian Constitution : it covers GENERAL STUDIES - II
 Legacies of the British rule (Historical underpinnings &
 different social and political perspectives. evolution of Indian constitution)
3. Salient Features of the Indian Constitution :
 The Preamble
 Fundamental Rights and Duties
 Directive Principles (Features, amendments, significant
 Parliamentary system provisions & basic structure)
 Amendment Procedures
 Judicial Review and
Basic structure doctrine

Y


4. a) Principal Organs of Union Government :

it covers GENERAL STUDIES - II

EM
1. Envisaged role and actual working of the (Functions and responsibilites of the state
 Executive, B & the union separation of powers between
 Legislature various organs, dispute redressal
 Supreme Court. rmechanism and institutions)
parliament & state legislature :
CS
b) Principal Organs of State Government :

 Executive

 Legislature
AD
2. Envisaged role and actual working of the
structure, functioning, conduct of business,
powers & preveliges and issues arisingout
of the these. (Structure, functioning,
organisation of executive and judiciary).
 High Courts.
AC
5. Grassroots Democracy :
 Panchayati Raj
it covers GENERAL STUDIES - II
 Municipal Government
(Devolution of powers and finances upto
 significent of 73rd and 74th Amendments. local levels and challenges there in)
 Grossroot movements.
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6. Statutory Institutions Commissions :

 Election Commission
 Comptroller and Auditor General
 Finance Commission
 Union Public Service Commission it covers GENERAL STUDIES - II
 National Commission for Scheduled Castes Statutory, regulatory and various quasi ju-
 National Commission for Scheduled Tribes dicial bodies & appointment to various con-
 National Commission for Women stitutional posts powers, functions and re-
sponsibilities.
 National Human Rights Commission
 National Commission for Minorities
 National Backward Classes Commission.

3
7. Fedaralism :
 Constitutional provisions
it covers GENERAL STUDIES - II
 changing nature of centre-state relations issues and challenges pertaining to
 Integrationist tendencies and regional aspirations the federal structure
 Inter-state disputes.
8. Planning and Economic Development :
 Nehruvian and Gandhian perspectives
 ole of planning and public sector
 Green Revolution it covers GENERAL STUDIES - III
 Land reforms and (Economic development)
 agrarian relations

Y
 liberalization and
 economic reforms.

EM
9.
 Caste,
it covers GENERAL STUDIES - III
religion and In Indian Politics


 Ethinicity
B (salient features of Indian Society)

10. Party System :

CS



AD
National and regional political parties
Ideological and social bases of parties.
patterns of coalition politics
Pressure groups
it covers GENERAL STUDIES - III
(pressure groups and informal /
formal associations and their role in
trends in electoral behaviour polity)
AC


 changing socio economic profile of legislators.

11. Social Movements:
 Civil liberties and human rights movements
 women’s movements
environmentalist movements.
IAS

PAPER-II
Comparative Politics and International Relations
SECTION-A (Comparative Political Analysis and International Politics)
1. Comparative Politics :
 Nature and major approaches ;
 political economy and
 political sociology perspectives ;
 limitations of the comparative method.
2. State in comparative perspective :
 Characteristics and changing nature of the State in capitals and socialist advanced indus-
trial and developing societies.

4
3. Politics of Representation and Participation :
 Political parties,
 pressure groups and advanced industrial and developing societies
 social movements in
4. Globalisation : it covers GENERAL STUDIES --
 Responses from developed and developing societies. (effects of global Indian society)
5. Approaches to the Study of International Relations:
 Idealist
 realist

Y
 Marxist
 Functionalist and

EM
 Systems theory
6. Key concepts in International Relations:
B
 National interest
 Security and power
Balance of power
CS



deterrence
AD
Transnational actors and
collective security
World capitalist economy and globalisation.
AC
7. Changing International Political Order:
(a)
 Rise of super powers
 strategic and Ideological Bipolarity
 arms race and
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 cold war
 nuclear threat
(b) Non-aligned movement: Useful ir
 Aims
General
 Achievements

(c)
 Collapse of the Soviet Union
 Unipolarity and
 American hegemony
 relevance of non-alignment in the contemporary world.

5
8. 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
Usefull in writing
 Globalisations of the world economy.
General Essay
9. United Nations:
 Envisaged role and actual record ;
 specialized UN agencies-aims and functioning;
 need for UN reforms.
10. Regionalisation of World Politics :

Y
 EU it covers GENERAL STUDIES - III
 ASEAN (Bilateral regional and global groupings and

EM
 APEC agreements involving India and affecting
 SAARC India’s interests)
 NAFTA
B
11. Contemporary Global Concerns :
CS
Democracy



human rights
environment
gender justice
terrorism
AD ISSUES convered in all GENERAL STUDIES
PAPERS & CURRENT AFFAIRS

nuclear proliferation
AC


SECTION-B (India and the World)

1.
 Indian Foreign Policy
IAS

 Determinants of foreign policy ;

 Institutions of policy -making;
 continuity and change.
2. India’s Contribution to the Non-Alignment Movement:
 Differnet phases
 current role.
3. India and South Asia :
(a) Regional Co-operation :
SAARC - past performance and Future prospects.
(b) South Asia as a Free Trade Area. it covers GENERAL STUDIES - II
(c) India’s ‘Look East’ policy. (India & its neighbourhood Relations)
(d) Impediments to regional cooperation

6
  river water disputes it covers GENERAL STUDIES - II
 illegal cross-border migration (Dispute redressal mechanism and instit--
 ethnic conflicts and it also covers GENERAL STUDIES - III
 insurgencies (Security Issues)
 border disputes
4. India and the Global South :
 Relations with Africa and Latin America.
 leadership role in the demand for NIEO and WTO negotiations.
5. India and the Global Centres of Power:
 USA
EU

Y
 it covers GENERAL STUDIES - II
 Japan (Effect of policies and politics of developed and devel
China and oping Countries on India’s interests)

EM


 russia
6. India and the UN System :
B
 Role in UN Peace-keeping :
 deman for permanent Seat in the Security Council.
CS
 AD
7. India and the Nuclear Question :
Changing perceptions and policy
8. Recent developments in Indian Foreign policy:
India’s position on the recent crisis in
Essential for INTERNATIONAL R---
Preparation
 Afghanistan
AC
 Iraq

 and West Asia

 growing relations with US and Israel

 vision of a new world order.

IAS