UPSC Optional Subject Syllabus: Political Science and International Relations

The Political Science and International Relations (PSIR) optional subject for the UPSC Civil Services Mains Examination is a popular choice among aspirants due to its overlap with the General Studies papers, its analytical nature, and its relevance to current affairs. The PSIR syllabus is divided into two papers, Paper I and Paper II, each carrying 250 marks, for a total of 500 marks. Below is the detailed syllabus for PSIR as prescribed by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC).

Why Choose PSIR as an Optional?

• Overlap with General Studies: Significant portions of Paper I (Indian Politics) and Paper II (International Relations) overlap with GS Paper II (Governance, Constitution, Polity, International Relations).
• Scoring Potential: PSIR is considered scoring due to its objective and analytical nature, provided answers are well-structured and backed by current examples.
• Interest and Relevance: The subject is dynamic and appeals to candidates interested in political systems, governance, and global affairs.
• Resource Availability: Abundant study materials, coaching, and online resources are available, making preparation manageable.

Paper - I

Political Theory and Indian Politics

• Political Theory: meaning and approaches.
• Theories of the State: Liberal, Neoliberal, Marxist, Pluralist, 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
• Political Strategies of India's Freedom Struggle: Constitutionalism to mass Satyagraha, Non-cooperation, Civil Disobedience; Militant and revolutionary movements, Peasant and workers' movements.
• 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 74th 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; liberalilzation 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 Movements: Civil liberties and human rights movements; women's movements; environmentalist movements.

Paper - II

Comparative Politics and International Relations Comparative Political Analysis and International

• 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; Transnational actors and collective security; World capitalist economy and globalisation.
• Changing International Political Order: Rise of super powers; strategic and ideological Bipolarity, arms race and Cold War; nuclear threat; Non-aligned movement: Aims and achievements; 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代理机构-aims and functioning; need for UN reforms.
• Regionalisation of World Politics: EU, ASEAN, APEC, SAARC, NAFTA.
• Contemporary Global Concerns: Democracy, human rights, environment, gender justice, terrorism, nuclear proliferation.

India and the World

• Indian Foreign Policy: Determinants of foreign policy; institutions of policy-making; continuity and change.
• India's Contribution to the Non-Alignment Movement: Different phases; current role.
• India and South Asia: Regional Co-operation: SAARC - past performance and future prospects. South Asia as a Free Trade Area. India's "Look East" policy. 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 crisis in Afghanistan, Iraq and West Asia, growing relations with US and Israel; vision of a new world order.

Preparation Tips for PSIR Optional

1. Understand the Syllabus: Thoroughly familiarize yourself with the syllabus to create a structured study plan.
2. Standard Books and Resources:

• Political Theory: "An Introduction to Political Theory" by O.P. Gauba.
• Indian Government and Politics: "Indian Polity" by M. Laxmikanth.
• Comparative Politics: "Comparative Politics Today" by Gabriel Almond.
• International Relations: "International Relations" by V.N. Khanna, "Theories of International Relations" by Scott Burchill.
• Indian Foreign Policy: "India's Foreign Policy" by Rajiv Sikri.

3. Current Affairs Integration: Regularly read newspapers (e.g., The Hindu, Indian Express) and magazines (e.g., Frontline, Yojana) to connect theoretical concepts with contemporary events.
4. Answer Writing Practice: Practice writing answers for previous years' questions to improve articulation and time management.
5. Map-Based Questions: For Paper II, practice questions related to geopolitical events and India's relations with other countries.
6. Revision and Mock Tests: Regularly revise notes and take mock tests to assess preparation and identify weaknesses.
7. Toppers' Strategy: Refer to strategies by toppers like Vaibhav Rawat (AIR 25, 2020) for integrating current affairs and scholarly arguments into answers.