PSIR
PSIR notes
From Plato and Rawls to the Constitution and India’s place in the world, cut down to what an answer actually uses. 40 topics, free with your account.
Political Theory
1Political Theory: Meaning and ApproachesNature and scope of political theory, traditional vs modern approaches, normative and empirical traditionsNature & ScopeTraditional ApproachBehavioural Approach+22Theories of the StateLiberal, Neo-liberal, Marxist, Pluralist, Post-colonial and Feminist theories of the stateLiberal StateNeo-liberal StateMarxist Theory+33JusticeConceptions of justice: Rawls' theory of justice as fairness, veil of ignorance, difference principle, communitarian critiquesConceptions of JusticeRawls: Theory of JusticeVeil of Ignorance & Original Position+24EqualitySocial, political and economic equality; relationship between equality and freedom; affirmative actionSocial EqualityPolitical EqualityEconomic Equality+25RightsMeaning and theories of rights, natural rights, legal rights, moral rights, concept of human rightsMeaning & Theories of RightsNatural RightsLegal & Moral Rights+26DemocracyClassical and contemporary theories of democracy; models: representative, participatory and deliberative democracyClassical TheoryElitist TheoryPluralist Theory+37Power, Hegemony and IdeologyConcept of power, Dahl vs Lukes, Gramsci's hegemony, ideology as legitimation, false consciousnessConcept of PowerDahl: Pluralist PowerLukes: Three Faces of Power+28Political IdeologiesLiberalism, Socialism, Marxism, Fascism, Gandhism and Feminism as political ideologiesLiberalism & Neo-liberalismSocialism & Social DemocracyMarxism+39Indian Political ThoughtDharmashastra, Arthashastra, Buddhist traditions; Sir Syed Ahmed Khan, Sri Aurobindo, Gandhi, Ambedkar, M.N. RoyDharmashastra & ArthashastraBuddhist Political ThoughtSir Syed Ahmed Khan+410Western Political ThoughtPlato, Aristotle, Machiavelli, Hobbes, Locke, J.S. Mill, Marx, Gramsci, Hannah ArendtPlatoAristotleMachiavelli+6
Indian Government and Politics
11Indian NationalismPolitical strategies of India's freedom struggle: constitutionalism, mass satyagraha, non-cooperation, civil disobedience, militant movements; liberal, socialist, Marxist, Dalit perspectivesConstitutionalism to Mass SatyagrahaNon-Cooperation MovementCivil Disobedience+312Making of the Indian ConstitutionLegacies of British rule, Constituent Assembly debates, different social and political perspectives in constitution-makingBritish Colonial LegacyConstituent AssemblyKey Debates & Compromises+113Salient Features of the Indian ConstitutionPreamble, Fundamental Rights and Duties, Directive Principles, parliamentary system, amendment procedures, judicial review, basic structure doctrinePreambleFundamental Rights & DutiesDirective Principles+314Principal Organs of Union & State GovernmentsEnvisaged role and actual working of the Executive, Legislature, Supreme Court; and State-level Executive, Legislature, High CourtsUnion ExecutiveParliamentSupreme Court+315Grassroots DemocracyPanchayati Raj and Municipal Government, significance of 73rd and 74th Amendments, grassroots movementsPanchayati RajMunicipal Governance73rd & 74th Amendments+216Statutory Institutions and CommissionsElection Commission, CAG, Finance Commission, UPSC, NCSC, NCST, NCW, NHRC, NCM, NCBCElection CommissionCAGFinance Commission+417FederalismConstitutional provisions, changing nature of centre-state relations, integrationist tendencies, regional aspirations, inter-state disputesConstitutional ProvisionsCentre-State RelationsCooperative vs Competitive Federalism+218Planning and Economic DevelopmentNehruvian and Gandhian perspectives, role of planning and public sector, green revolution, land reforms, liberalisation and economic reformsNehruvian SocialismGandhian Economic ThoughtFive-Year Plans+219Caste, Religion and Ethnicity in Indian PoliticsRole of caste, religion and ethnicity as political identities, communalism, reservations policy, minority rightsCaste as Political IdentityReligion & CommunalismEthnicity & Regional Identity+220Party SystemNational and regional parties, ideological and social bases, coalition politics, pressure groups, electoral behaviour, changing profile of legislatorsNational Political PartiesRegional PartiesCoalition Politics+321Social MovementsCivil liberties and human rights movements, women's movements, environmentalist movements in IndiaCivil Liberties MovementsHuman Rights MovementsWomen's Movements+2