Political Science Syllabus for Preliminary Examination

Political Theory and Indian Politics

1. Political Science: Nature & scope of the discipline, relationship with allied disciplines like History, Economics, Philosophy, Sociology, Psychology.

2. Meaning of Politics: Approaches to the study of Politics.

3. Key Concepts: State, Soceity, Sovereignty, Power, Citizenship, Nation, Global order and Imperialism.

4. Political Ideas: Rights, Liberty, Equality, Justice, Rule of Law. Civil Soceity Swaraj, Revolution, Democratic Participation.

5. Democracy: Meaning and Theories of Democracy, Electoral system, Forms of Representation & Participation, Political accountability.

6. Political Ideologies: Liberalism, Neoliberalism, Marxism, Socialism, Fascism, Gandhism.

7. Party System and Political Process: Therories of Party System, National and regional parties, Political Parties in the Third World. Patterns of coalition politics, interest and pressure groups.

8. Forms of Government: Parliamentary and Presidential. Federal & unitary Modes of decentralisation.

9. Bureaucracy Concep: Theories, Weber and critiques of Bureaucracy.

10. Theories of Developmen: Meaning and various approaches. Concept and Theories of underdevelopment Debates in the Third World.

11. Social Movements: Meaning, Theories & Forms, Role of Environmental Feminist Peasant & workers movements, Role of Non Government organisation.

12. Nationalism and Internationalism:

13. Major theories of International relations: Realist Marxist, Systems & Decision making & Game theory.

14. State & the Global order: Neo-Liberalism, globalisation, structural adjustment, regional economic integration, Nature and Impact of globalisation.

Section-B

Indian Government and Politics
1. Approaches to the study of Governments: Comparative historical, legal institutional, political economy and political sociology, approaches.
2. Classification of Political systems: Democratic and Authoritarian, characteristics of Political systems in the third world.
3. Typologies of constitutions; Basic features of these constitutions & governments : including U.K., USA. France, Germany, China, and South Africa.
4. Constitutional development: in India during British Rule-A historical perspective.
5. Constituent Assembly: philosophical and socio-economic dimensions. Salient features of the Indian Constitution.
6. Nature of Indian federalism: Centre-state relations, legislative, administrative, financial and political; politics of regional move and National Integration.
7.Fundamental Rights: Constitutional provisions and political dynamics. Judicial Interpretations and socio political realities; Fundamental Duties.
8. The Union Executive: President, Prime Minister and the Council of Ministers, Constitutional provisions & framework and political trends.
9. Parliament: Powers and functions of the Lok Sabha & Rajya Sabha; Parliamentary Committees; Functioning of the Parliamentary system in India.
10. The Judiciary The Supreme Court , Judicial Review Judicial Activism, Public Intrest Litigation; Judicial Reforms.
11. The State Executive: Governor, Chief Minister and the Council of Ministers; Constitutional Provisions and Political trends.
12. Indian Party System: Evolution and Contemporay trends; coalition government at the Centre and States, pressure groups in Indian politics.
13. The interaction of Government & Scientific & Technology business : Previous and now their inter relationship and changing roles in Society, Elites, Role of Pressure groups class and voluntary associations in society. 14. Local Government & Politics : Panchayti Raj and Municipal Government, structure power & functions. Political realities, significance of 73rd and 74th Amendements, role of women in Panchayats.
15. Bureaucracy and Development : Post-colonial India; its changing role in the context of liberatis after, bureauratic Accountability.
16. Challenges to Indian Democracy :

• Communalism Regionalism violence, criminalisation and corruption.
• Regional disparities, environmental degradation, illiteracy, Mass Poverty, Population, growth, caste oppressions and socio economic inequalities among backward classes.