POLITICAL SCIENCE & INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

SYLLABUS & READINGS

PAPER 1 Part A: Political Theory and Indian Politics

Political theory meaning and approaches 1. Introduction to Political

Theories of the state: Liberal, Neoliberal, Marxist, Pluralist, Post-colonial Theory by O P Gauba
and feminist.
Justice: Conceptions of justice with special reference to Rawl's theory of 2. Political Theory: An
justice and its communitarian critiques. Introduction by Rajeev
Equality: Social, political and economic; relationship between equality Bharagava
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 Political Ideologies by
and Feminism. Andrew Heywood
Indian Political Thought: Dharamshastra, Arthashastra and Buddhist 1. Readings from IGNOU
traditions; Sir Syed Ahmed Khan, Sri Aurobindo, M.K. Gandhi, B.R.
Ambedkar, M.N. Roy. 2. Modern Indian Political
Thought by Bidyut
Chakravarthy

3. Indian Political Thought by

Himanshu Roy & MP Singh
Western Political Thought: Plato, Aristotle, Machiavelli, Hobbes, Locke, 1. History of Political
John,S. Mill, Marx, Gramsci, Hannah Arendt. Thought from Plato to Marx
by Subratha Mukherjee &
Susheela Ramaswamy

2. Western Political Thought:

From Socrates to the Age of
Ideology by Brian Nelson

POLITICAL SCIENCE AND INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS_VARUN MOHAN

 PAPER 1 Part B: Indian Government and Politics

Indian Nationalism: 1. Selected Chapters from

India’s Struggle for
Political Strategies of India's Freedom struggle: constitutionalism to Independence by Bipin
mass Satyagraha, Non-cooperation, Civil Disobedience; millitant and Chandra
revolutionary movements, Peasant and workers' movements.
2. Modern Indian Political
Perspectives on Indian National Movement: Liberal, Socialist and Thought by Bidyut
Marxist; Radical humanist and Dalit. Chakravarthy
Making of the Indian Constitution: Legacies of the British rule; 1. Indian Government and
different social and political perspectives. Politics by B L Fadia
Salient Features of the Indian Constitution: The Preamble,
Fundamental Rights and Duties, Directive Principles; Parliamentary 2. Indian Government and
System and Amendment Procedures; Judicial Review and Basic Politics by Bidyut
Structure doctrine. Chakravarty
Principal Organs of the Union Government: Envisaged role and
actual working of the Executive, Legislature and Supreme Court. 3. The Oxford Companion to
Principal Organs of the State Government: Envisaged role and Politics in India by Niraja
actual working of the Executive, Legislature and High Courts. Gopal Jayal, Pratap Bhanu
Grassroots Democracy: Panchayati Raj and Municipal Government; Mehta
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 Comission 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 behavior; changing socio- economic
profile of Legislators.
Social Movements: Civil liberties and human rights movements;
women's movements; environmentalist movements

POLITICAL SCIENCE AND INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS_VARUN MOHAN

 PAPER 2 Part A: Comparative Political Analysis and International Politics

Comparative Politics: Nature and major approaches; political economy and 1. Selected Readings from
political sociology perspectives; limitations of the comparative method. IGNOU
State in comparative perspective: Characteristics and changing nature of
the State in capitalist and socialist economies, and, advanced industrial and 2. Theoretical Foundations of
developing societies. Comparative Politics by
Politics of Representation and Participation: Political parties, pressure Subrata Mukherjee and
groups and social movements in advanced industrial and developing Sushila Ramaswamy
societies
Globalization: Responses from developed and developing societies.
Approaches to the Study of International Relations: Idealist, Realist, 1. Global Politics by Andrew
Marxist, Functionalist and Systems theory. Heywood
Key concepts in International Relations: National interest, Security and
power; Balance of power and deterrence; Transnational actors and 2. The Globalization of
collective security; World capitalist economy and globalization. World Politics - An
Introduction to International
Relations by John Baylis,
Steve Smith, Patricia Owens
Changing International Political Order: 1. Cold War Videos by CNN
• Rise of super powers; strategic and ideological Bipolarity, arms race
and Cold War; nuclear threat; 2. International Relatons by
• Non-aligned movement: Aims and achievements; Peu Ghosh
• Collapse of the Soviet Union; Unipolarity and American hegemony;
relevance of non-alignment in the contemporary world.
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;
Globalization of the world economy.
United Nations: Envisaged role and actual record; specialized UN agencies-
aims and functioning; need for UN reforms.
Regionalization of World Politics: EU, ASEAN, APEC, SAARC, NAFTA.
Contemporary Global Concerns: Democracy, human rights, environment, 1. The Globalization of
gender justice, terrorism, nuclear proliferation. World Politics - An
Introduction to International
Relations by John Baylis,
Steve Smith, Patricia Owens

POLITICAL SCIENCE AND INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS_VARUN MOHAN

 PAPER 2 Part B: India and the World:

Indian Foreign Policy: Determinants of foreign policy; institutions of policy- 1. Does the Elephant Dance?
making; continuity and change. By David M. Malone
India's Contribution to the Non-Alignment Movement: Different phases;
current role 2. The Oxford Handbook of
India and South Asia: Indian Foreign Policy by
David M Malone, C Raja
• Regional Co-operation: SAARC – past performance and future Mohan and Srinath Raghavan
prospects.
• South Asia as a Free Trade Area. 3. Newspapers
• India's "Look East" policy.
• Impediments to regional co-operation: river water disputes; illegal 4. Internet - Reports of Think
cross-border migration; ethnic conflicts and insurgencies; border tanks like ORF, Vivekananda,
disputes. IPCS
India and the Global South: Relations with Africa and Latin America;
leadership role in the demand for NIEO and WTO negotiations. 5. Rajya Sabha TV’s India’s
India and the Global Centres of Power: USA, EU, Japan, China and Russia. World
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.

POLITICAL SCIENCE AND INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS_VARUN MOHAN