MPSC Political Science Syllabus 2023: PSIR Optional Syllabus - Download PDF

MPSC Political Science Optional Syllabus Paper 1

No.

Section 1: Political Theory and Thinkers

No

Section 2: Indian Government and Politics

1

Political Theory: meaning and approaches.

1

Indian Nationalism:

• Political Strategies of India’s Freedom Struggle: Constitutionalism to mass Satyagraha, Non-cooperation Movement, Civil Disobedience; Militant and revolutionary movements, Peasant and workers’ movements.
• Perspectives on Indian National Movement: Liberal, Socialist and Marxist; Radical humanist and Dalit.

2

Theories of the State: Liberal, Neoliberal, Marxist, Pluralist, Post-colonial and feminist.

2

Making of the Indian Constitution: Legacies of the British rule; different social and political perspectives.

3

Justice: Conceptions of justice with special reference to Rawl’s theory of justice and its communitarian critiques.

3

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.

4

Equality: Social, political and economic; relationship between equality and freedom; Affirmative action.

4

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.

5

Rights: Meaning and theories; different kinds of rights; concept of Human Rights.

5

Grassroots Democracy: Panchayati Raj and Municipal Government; the significance of 73rd and 74th Amendments; Grassroot movements.

6

Democracy: Classical and contemporary theories; different models of democracy – representative, participatory and deliberative.

6

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.

7

Concept of power, hegemony, ideology and legitimacy.

7

Federalism: Constitutional provisions; changing nature of centre-state relations; integrationist tendencies and regional aspirations; inter-state disputes.

8

Political Ideologies: Liberalism, Socialism, Marxism, Fascism, Gandhism and Feminism.

8

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.

9

Indian Political Thought : Dharamshastra, Arthashastra and Buddhist traditions; Sir Syed Ahmed Khan, Sri Aurobindo, M.K. Gandhi, B.R. Ambedkar, M.N. Roy .

9

Caste, Religion and Ethnicity in Indian Politics.

10

Western Political Thought: Plato, Aristotle, Machiavelli, Hobbes, Locke, John S. Mill, Marx, Gramsci, Hannah Arendt.

10

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.

11

Social Movements: Civil liberties and human rights movements; women’s movements; environmentalist movements.

MPSC Political Science Optional Syllabus Paper 2

No.

Section 1: Comparative Political Analysis and International Politics

No

Section 2: India and the World

1

Comparative Politics: Nature and major approaches; political economy and political sociology perspectives; limitations of the comparative method.

1

Indian Foreign Policy: Determinants of foreign policy; institutions of policy-making; continuity and change.

2

State in comparative perspective: Characteristics and changing nature of the State in capitalist and socialist economies, and, advanced industrial and developing societies.

2

India’s Contribution to the Non-Alignment Movement: Different phases; current role.

3

Politics of Representation and Participation: Political parties, pressure groups and social movements in advanced industrial and developing societies.

3

India and South Asia:

• Regional Cooperation: SAARC – past performance and future prospects.
• South Asia as a Free Trade Area.
• India’s “Look East” policy.
• Impediments to regional cooperation: river water disputes; illegal cross-border migration; ethnic conflicts and insurgencies; border disputes.

4

Globalisation: Responses from developed and developing societies.

4

India and the Global South: Relations with Africa and Latin America; leadership role in the demand for NIEO and WTO negotiations.

5

Approaches to studying International Relations: Idealist, Realist, Marxist, Functionalist and Systems theory.

5

India and the Global Centres of Power: USA, EU, Japan, China and Russia.

6

Key concepts in International Relations: National interest, Security and power; Balance of power and deterrence; Transnational actors and collective security; World capitalist economy and globalization.

6

India and the UN System: Role in UN Peace-keeping; demand for Permanent Seat in the Security Council.

7

Changing International Political Order:

7

India and the Nuclear Question: Changing perceptions and policy.

8

Rise of superpowers; strategic and ideological Bipolarity, arms race and Cold War; nuclear threat;

8

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.

9

Non-aligned movement: Aims and achievements;

10

The collapse of the Soviet Union; Unipolarity and American hegemony; relevance of non-alignment in the contemporary world.

11

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; Globalisation of the world economy.

12

United Nations: Envisaged role and actual record; specialized UN agencies-aims and functioning; the need for UN reforms.

13

Regionalization of World Politics: EU, ASEAN, APEC, SAARC, NAFTA.

14

Contemporary Global Concerns: Democracy, human rights, environment, gender justice, terrorism, nuclear proliferation.

MPSC Political Science Preparation Strategy

Paper 1: Political Theory and Indian Politics

Section 1

Focus on completing the static part of the section.
Then, review it several times to solidify your understanding of this section.

Section 2

This section contains significant syllabus overlap with GS 1 and 2 but has to be read with an alternative flavour.
Cracking this segment also requires good command over current affairs.

Paper 2: Comparative Politics and International Relations

Section 1

This section is a combination of dynamic & static topics. For the static part, aspirants can check IGNOU and YCMOU notes. However, be very selective while reading IGNOU and YCMOU notes. You don't need to read every subject; just read as per syllabus demands.

Section 2

Section 2 of the Paper 2 is heavily dependent on current affairs. Questions are generally asked on the current/ trending topics. Hence, make sure you’re thorough with the current affairs.