PSIR Political Science & IR Optional

Political Theory: Meaning and Approaches

Nature and scope of political theory, traditional vs modern approaches, normative and empirical traditions

Theories of the State

Liberal, Neo-liberal, Marxist, Pluralist, Post-colonial and Feminist theories of the state

Justice

Conceptions of justice — Rawls' theory of justice as fairness, veil of ignorance, difference principle, communitarian critiques

Equality

Social, political and economic equality; relationship between equality and freedom; affirmative action

Rights

Meaning and theories of rights, natural rights, legal rights, moral rights, concept of human rights

Democracy

Classical and contemporary theories of democracy; models — representative, participatory and deliberative democracy

Power, Hegemony and Ideology

Concept of power, Dahl vs Lukes, Gramsci's hegemony, ideology as legitimation, false consciousness

Political Ideologies

Liberalism, Socialism, Marxism, Fascism, Gandhism and Feminism as political ideologies

Indian Political Thought

Dharmashastra, Arthashastra, Buddhist traditions; Sir Syed Ahmed Khan, Sri Aurobindo, Gandhi, Ambedkar, M.N. Roy

Western Political Thought

Plato, Aristotle, Machiavelli, Hobbes, Locke, J.S. Mill, Marx, Gramsci, Hannah Arendt

Indian Nationalism

Political strategies of India's freedom struggle: constitutionalism, mass satyagraha, non-cooperation, civil disobedience, militant movements; liberal, socialist, Marxist, Dalit perspectives

Making of the Indian Constitution

Legacies of British rule, Constituent Assembly debates, different social and political perspectives in constitution-making

Salient Features of the Indian Constitution

Preamble, Fundamental Rights and Duties, Directive Principles, parliamentary system, amendment procedures, judicial review, basic structure doctrine

Principal Organs of Union & State Governments

Envisaged role and actual working of the Executive, Legislature, Supreme Court; and State-level Executive, Legislature, High Courts

Grassroots Democracy

Panchayati Raj and Municipal Government, significance of 73rd and 74th Amendments, grassroots movements

Statutory Institutions and Commissions

Election Commission, CAG, Finance Commission, UPSC, NCSC, NCST, NCW, NHRC, NCM, NCBC

Federalism

Constitutional provisions, changing nature of centre-state relations, integrationist tendencies, regional aspirations, inter-state disputes

Planning and Economic Development

Nehruvian and Gandhian perspectives, role of planning and public sector, green revolution, land reforms, liberalisation and economic reforms

Caste, Religion and Ethnicity in Indian Politics

Role of caste, religion and ethnicity as political identities, communalism, reservations policy, minority rights

Party System

National and regional parties, ideological and social bases, coalition politics, pressure groups, electoral behaviour, changing profile of legislators

Social Movements

Civil liberties and human rights movements, women's movements, environmentalist movements in India

Comparative Politics

Nature and major approaches to comparative politics, political economy and political sociology perspectives, limitations of comparative method

State in Comparative Perspective

Characteristics and changing nature of the state in capitalist and socialist economies; advanced industrial and developing societies

Politics of Representation and Participation

Political parties, pressure groups and social movements in advanced industrial and developing societies

Globalisation

Globalisation and its political dimensions; responses from developed and developing societies

Approaches to International Relations

Idealist, Realist, Marxist, Functionalist and Systems theory approaches to the study of International Relations

Key Concepts in International Relations

National interest, security, power, balance of power, deterrence, transnational actors, collective security, world capitalist economy, globalisation

Changing International Political Order

Rise of superpowers, Cold War bipolarity, Non-Aligned Movement, collapse of USSR, American unipolarity, post-cold war world order

Evolution of the International Economic System

Bretton Woods to WTO, socialist economies and CMEA, Third World demand for NIEO, globalisation of world economy

United Nations

Envisaged role and actual record of the UN, specialized agencies, need for UN reforms, Security Council expansion

Regionalisation of World Politics

EU, ASEAN, APEC, SAARC, NAFTA — regional organisations and their role in international politics

Contemporary Global Concerns

Democracy, human rights, environment, gender justice, terrorism, nuclear proliferation as global concerns

Indian Foreign Policy

Determinants of Indian foreign policy, institutions of policy-making, continuity and change in India's foreign policy

India and the Non-Alignment Movement

India's contribution to NAM, different phases, Nehru's role, current relevance of non-alignment

India and South Asia

SAARC — performance and prospects, South Asia as free trade area, Look East policy, impediments to regional co-operation

India and the Global South

India's relations with Africa and Latin America, leadership in NIEO demand, WTO negotiations and developing nations

India and the Global Centres of Power

India's relations with USA, EU, Japan, China and Russia — bilateral and multilateral dimensions

India and the UN System

India's role in UN peace-keeping, demand for permanent seat in Security Council, India and UN agencies

India and the Nuclear Question

India's changing nuclear perceptions and policy, Pokhran tests, Indo-US nuclear deal, no-first-use doctrine

Recent Developments in Indian Foreign Policy

India's positions on Afghanistan, Iraq, West Asia; growing India-US and India-Israel relations; vision of a new world order