UGC-NET: Political Science

Unit – 1 : Political Theory

Concepts

Political Traditions

Unit – 2 : Political Thought

  • Confucius,
  • Plato,
  • Aristotle,
  • Machiavelli,
  • Hobbes,
  • Locke,
  • Rousseau,
  • Hegel,
  • Mary Wollstonecraft,
  • John Stuart Mill,
  • Karl Marx,
  • Gramsci,
  • Hannah Arendt,
  • Frantz Fanon,
  • Mao Zedong,
  • John Rawls

Unit – 3 : Indian Political Thought

  • Dharamshastra,
  • Kautilya,
  • Aggannasutta,
  • Barani,
  • Kabir,
  • Pandita Ramabai,
  • Bal Gangadhar Tilak,
  • Swami Vivekanand,
  • Rabindranath Tagore,
  • M.K Gandhi,
  • Sri Aurobindo,
  • Periyar E. V. Ramasamy,
  • Muhammad Iqbal,
  • M.N.Roy,
  • V D Savarkar,
  • Dr. B.R.Ambedkar,
  • J L Nehru,
  • Ram Manohar Lohia,
  • Jaya Prakash Narayan,
  • Deendayal Upadhyaya

Unit – 4 : Comparative Political Analysis

  • Approaches: Institutional, Political Culture, Political Economy and New Institutionalism; Comparative Methods
  • Colonialism and decolonization: forms of colonialism, anti-colonial struggles and decolonization
  • Nationalism: European and non-European.
  • State theory: debate over the nature of state in capitalist and socialist societies; post-colonial state; welfare state; globalization and nations-states
  • Political regimes: democratic (Electoral, Liberal, Majoritarian and Participatory) and non-democratic regimes (Patrimonialism, Bureaucratic authoritarianism, Military dictatorship, Totalitarianism, and fascist).
  • Constitutions and Constitutionalism: forms of constitutions, rule of law, judicial independence and liberal constitutionalism; emergency powers and crisis of
    constitutionalism.
  • Democratisation: democratic transition and consolidation.
  • Development: Underdevelopment, Dependency, Modernization, World Systems Theory, development and democracy.
  • Structures of Power: ruling class, power elites, democratic elitism
  • Actor and Processes: Electoral Systems, Political Parties and Party System, Interest groups, Social movements, new social movements, Non Governmental
    Organisations (NGOs) and civil society campaigns; Revolutions.

Unit – 5 : International Relations

  • Approaches to the study of International relations: Idealism, Realism, Structural Marxism, Neoliberalism, Neorealism, Social Constructivism, Critical International
    Theory, Feminism, Postmodernism.
  • Concepts: State, state system and non-state actors, Power, Sovereignty, Security: traditional and non- traditional.
  • Conflict and Peace: Changing Nature of Warfare; Weapons of mass destruction; deterrence; conflict resolution, conflict transformation.
  • United Nations: Aims, Objectives, Structure and Evaluation of the Working of UN; Peace and Development perspectives; Humanitarian intervention. International
    law; International Criminal Court
  • Political Economy of IR; Globalisation; Global governance and Bretton Woods system, North-South Dialogue, WTO, G-20, BRICS.
  • Regional Organisations: European Union, African Union, Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, ASEAN.
  • Contemporary Challenges: International terrorism, Climate change and Environmental Concerns, Human Rights, Migration and Refugees; Poverty and Development; Role of Religion, Culture and Identity Politics.

Unit – 6 : India’s Foreign Policy

  • Foreign Policy: Meaning, Nature and Objectives
  • Perspectives on India’s Foreign Policy: India’s Identity as postcolonial, development, rising power and as emerging political economy
  • Evolution of India’s Foreign Policy
  • Continuity and change in India’s Foreign Policy: Principles and determinants; Non-Alignment movement: historical background and relevance of Non Aligned
    Movement; India’s Nuclear Policy
  • India’s relations with major powers: USA, USSR/Russia, People’s Republic of China-India’s Engagement with multipolar world: India’s relations with European Union,
    BRICS, ASEAN, Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, African Union, Southern African Development Community, Gulf Cooperation Council
  • India’s relations with neighbourhood: SAARC, Gujaral doctrine, Look East/ Act East, Look West.
  • India’s Negotiation Strategies in International Regimes: The United Nations, World Trade Organisation, International Monetary Fund, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
  • Contemporary challenges: maritime security, energy security, environmental security, migrants and refugees, water resources, international terrorism, cyber
    security

Unit – 7 : Political Institutions in India

  • Making of the Indian Constitution: Colonialism heritage and the contribution Indian National Movement to the making of the Indian Constitution
  • Constituent Assembly: Composition, Ideological Moorings, Constitutional Debates
  • Philosophy of the Constitution: Preamble, Fundamental Rights, Directive Principles
  • Constitutionalism in India: Democracy, Social Change, National Unity, Checks and Balances, Basic Structure Debate, Constitutional Amendments
  • Union Executive: President, Prime Minister and Council of Ministers
  • Union Parliament: Structure, Role and Functioning, Parliamentary Committees
  • Judiciary: Supreme Court, High Court, Judicial Review, Judicial Activism, Judicial Reform.
  • Executive and Legislature in the States: Governor, Chief Minister, State Legislature
  • Federalism in India: Strong Centre Framework, Asymmetrical Federal Provisions and Adaption, Role of Intergovernmental Coordination Mechanisms, Inter-State
    Council, Emerging Trends.Electoral Process and Election Commission of India: Conduct of Elections, Rules, Electoral Reforms.
  • Local Government Institutions: Functioning and reforms.
  • Constitutional and Statutory Bodies: Comptroller and Auditor General, National Commission for Scheduled Castes, National Commission for Scheduled Tribes, National Commission for Human Rights, National Commission for Women, National Commission for Minorities.

Unit – 8 : Political Processes in India

  • State, Economy and Development: Nature of Indian State, Development Planning model, New Economic Policy, Growth and Human Development.
  • Process of globalisation: social and economic implications.
  • Identity Politics: Religion, Tribe, Caste, Region, Language.
  • Social Movements: Dalit, Tribal, Women, Farmers, labour
  • Civil Society Groups: Non-Party Social Formations, Non-Governmental Organisations, Social Action Groups.
  • Regionalisation of Indian Politics: Reorganisation of Indian States, States as Political and Economic Units, Sub-State Regions, Regional disparities, Demand
    for New States,
  • Gender and Politics in India: Issues of Equality and Representation.
  • Ideology and Social basis of Political Parties: National Parties, State Parties.
  • Electoral Politics: Participation, Contestation, Representation, Emerging trends.

Unit – 9 : Public Administration

  • Public Administration: meaning and evolution; public and private administration
  • Approaches: System Theory, Decision Making, Ecological Approach
  • Public administration theories and concepts: Scientific Management Theory, Rational Choice theory, New Public Administration, Development Administration,Comparative Public Administration, New Public Management, changing nature of Public Administration in the era of liberalisation and Globalisation
  • Theories and Principles of Organization: Scientific Management Theory, Bureaucratic Theory, Human Relations Theory
  • Managing the organization: Theories of leadership and motivation.
  • Organisational Communication: Theories and Principles, Chester Bernard Principles of Communication, Information Management in the organization
  • Managing Conflict in the Organization: Mary Parker Follett Management by Objectives- Peter Drucker

Unit – 10 : Governance and Public Policy in India

  • Governance, good governance and democratic governance, role of state, civil society and individuals.
  • Accountability and control: Institutional mechanism for checks and balances, legislative control over executive, administrative and budgetary control, control through parliamentary committees, judicial control over legislature and executive, administrative culture, corruption and administrative reforms
  • Institutional mechanisms for good governance: Right to Information, Consumer Protection Act, Citizen Charter; Grievance redress system: Ombudsman, Lokpal,
    Lokayukta
  • Grassroots Governance: Panchayati Raj Institutions and their functioning
  • Planning and Development: Decentralised planning, planning for development, sustainable development, participatory development, e-governance; NITI Aayog
  • Public policy as an instrument of socio-economic development: public policies with special reference to housing, health, drinking water, food security, MNREGA,
    NHRM, RTE
  • Monitoring and evaluation of public policy; mechanisms of making governance process accountable: jansunwai, social audit.
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