Political Science and International Relations Syllabus Civil Services

Mains Exam UPSC :

UPSC Civil Services Mains Exam Optional Subject consists of 2 papers. Each paper is of
250 marks, making a total of 500 marks.
PAPER I
Political Theory and Indian Politics:
1. Political Theory: meaning and approaches.
2. Theories of the State: Liberal, Neoliberal, Marxist, Pluralist, Post-colonial and feminist.
3. Justice: Conceptions of justice with special reference to Rawls theory of justice and its
communitarian critiques.
4. Equality: Social, political and economic; relationship between equality and freedom;
Affirmative action.
5. Rights: Meaning and theories; different kinds of rights; concept of Human Rights.
6. Democracy: Classical and contemporary theories; different models of democracy
representative, participatory and deliberative.
7. Concept of power, hegemony, ideology and legitimacy.
8. Political Ideologies: Liberalism, Socialism, Marxism, Fascism, Gandhism and Feminism.
9. Indian Political Thought : Dharamshastra, Arthashastra and Buddhist traditions; Sir Syed
Ahmed Khan, Sri Aurobindo, M.K. Gandhi, B.R. Ambedkar, M.N. Roy.
10. Western Political Thought: Plato, Aristotle, Machiavelli, Hobbes, Locke, John S. Mill,
Marx, Gramsci, Hannah Arendt.
Indian Government and Politics:
1. Indian Nationalism:

(a) Political Strategies of Indias Freedom Struggle: Constitutionalism to mass Satyagraha,

Non-cooperation, Civil Disobedience; Militant and revolutionary movements, Peasant and
workers movements.
(b) Perspectives on Indian National Movement: Liberal, Socialist and Marxist; Radical
humanist and Dalit.
2. Making of the Indian Constitution: Legacies of the British rule; different social and political
perspectives.
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.

Also read: Maithili Literature Syllabus - Civil Services Mains Exam UPSC

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. Grassroots Democracy: Panchayati Raj and Municipal Government; significance of 73rd
and 74th Amendments; Grassroot movements.
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. Federalism: Constitutional provisions; changing nature of centre-state relations;
integrationist tendencies and regional aspirations; inter-state disputes.

8. Planning and Economic Development : Nehruvian and Gandhian perspectives; role of

planning and public sector; Green Revolution, land reforms and agrarian relations;
liberalilzation and economic reforms.
9. Caste, Religion and Ethnicity in Indian Politics.
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; womens movements;
environmentalist movements.
PAPER II
Comparative Politics and International Relations
Comparative Political Analysis and International Politics:
1. Comparative Politics: Nature and major approaches; political economy and political
sociology perspectives; limitations of the comparative method.
2. State in comparative perspective: Characteristics and changing nature of the State in
capitalist and socialist economies, and, advanced industrial and developing societies.
3. Politics of Representation and Participation: Political parties, pressure groups and social
movements in advanced industrial and developing societies.

Also read: Management Syllabus Civil Services Mains Exam UPSC

4. Globalisation: Responses from developed and developing societies.

5. Approaches to the Study of International Relations: Idealist, Realist, Marxist, Functionalist
and Systems theory.

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 globalisation.
7. Changing International Political Order:
(a) Rise of super powers; s
1.

hysical Geography - Made Simple, Rupa Publisher Buy Now

2.

Physical GEography by Strahler & Strahler Buy Now

3.

Section -B: Human Geography Buy Now

4.

Perspectives in Human Geography : Evolution of Geographic Thought by Majid Husain

Economic Geography:
1.

Economic Geography by Hertshorn & Alexander Buy Now

2.

Economic and Social Geography - Made Simple by Rupa Publisher Buy Now

3.

Agricultural Geography by Masjid Husain Buy Now

Population Settlement Geography:

1.

Human Geography by Majid Husain Buy Now

2.

Urbanization & Urban Systems in India by Ramachandran Buy Now

3.

Economic and Social Geography - Made Simple, Rupa Publishers Buy Now

4.

A Geography by Population by R.C. Chandna Buy Now

5.

Regional Planning: Regional Planning - by Chand & Puri Buy Now

Environmental Geography:
1.

Environmental Geography by Savindra Singh Buy Now

2.

Environmental Awareness by R.C.Chandna Buy Now

3.

Environmental Geography by Saxena Buy Now

4.

Models, Theories and Geographys in Human Geography : Buy Now

5.

Economic and Social Geography - Made Simple, Rupa Publisher Buy Now

6.

Political Geography by R.D.Dixit

MAP QUESTIONS 1.

Any School level atlas and the maps given in the above mentioned books.

PAPER - II: GEOGRAPHY OF INDIA

1.

Section A
Buy Now

Geomorphology:
2.

Physical Geography by Strahler & Strahler Buy Now

3.

Principles of Geomorphology by W.D. Thornbury Buy Now

4.

Physical Geography - Made Simple, Rupa Publisher Buy Now

5.

Physical Geography in Diagrams by Bunnett Buy Now

6.

Physical Geography by Savindra Singh Buy Now

1.

Geomorphology by Savindra Singh

Biogeography

Now

2.

General Climatology by Critchfield Buy Now

3.

Physical Geography - Made Simple, Rupa Publisher

4.

Physical Geography by Strahler & Strahler Buy Now

Oceanography:
1.

Oceanography by Sharma & Vatal, NCERT

Climatology by D.S.Lal Buy

2.

Physical Geography by Savindra Singh Buy Now

the UPSC. so it helps to know the best reference books for the ias exam.
Books on Geography as Optional subject for IAS Exam are as Follows:
PAPER - I: Section A: Physical Geography

7. :
Physical Setting:
1.

Economic and Commercial Geography of India by Sharma & Coutinho Buy Now

2.

Geography of India - Majid Husain Buy Now

3.

Oxford School Atlas - Oxford Buy Now

4.

Certificate Physical and Human Geography - Goh Cheng Leong Buy Now

5.

Economic and Commercial Geography of India by C.B. Mamoria

6.

A Geography of India by Gopal Singh

7.

Resources : Economical Geography - A Study of Resources by Guha and Chattoraj (NCERT books)

Agriculture:
1.

Agriculture Geography by Majid Husain Buy Now

2.

Indian Economy by Dutt and Sundaram Buy Now

3.

India Year Book, published by Ministry of Information and Broadcasting

4.

Hindu's Survey on Agriculture.

Industry:
1.

Economical and Commercial Geography of India by C.B. Mamoria

2.

Economical and Commercial Geography by Sharma & Coutinho Buy Now

3.

Indian Economy by Dutt and Sundaram Buy Now

4.

The Hindu's Survey on Industry

5.

Transport, Communication and Trade

6.

Economical and Commercial Geography of India by C.B. Mamoria

7.

Economical and Commercial Geography of India by Sharma & Coutinho

8.

India Year Book published by Ministry of Information and Broadcasting

Section B:

Cultural Setting:
1.

Human Geography by Majid Husain Buy Now

2.

Geography of Population by R.C.Chandna Buy Now

3.

NCERT Books

Settlements:
1.

Human Geography by Majid Husain Buy Now

2.

Urbanization and Urban Systems in India by Ramachandran Buy Now

3.

Regional Development and Planning Buy Now

4.

Regional Planning and Development by Chand and Puri Buy Now

5.

India Year Book

6.

Indian Economy by Dutt and Sundaram Buy Now

7.

Political Aspects: Modern Political Geography of India by B.L. Sukhwal. Buy Now

Contemporary Issues:
1.

Environmental Geography by Savinder Singh Buy Now

2.

India disasters - Report

3.

Environmental Awareness by R.C.Chandna

4.

Environmental Geography by Saxena Buy Now

Map Questions for paper II : Any School level Atlas & the maps in the above mentioned
books.
NOTE: Current Articles on various syllabus topics in different magazines and newspapers will
be quite useful for Paper - II.
Main Syllabus of Geography| Question Papers of Geography | Civil Service Exam Book for Geography
Quick Links

About Civil Services

How To Prepare For IAS

Current Affairs News

Subscribe for Newsletter

Civil Services News

IAS Exam Study Material

IAS &IPS Group

Results UPSC Civil Services

IAS Chat

Articles on Current Affairs

Educational Games

New Resources for UPSC Exams

E- magazine for Current Affairs

IAS Coaching Centres In India

Important Information

Essay Contest **

Tips for UPSC Interview **

Earn With Us

Civil Services Exam Schedule 2016

IAS Subject Resources

UPSC Mains Syllabus

UPSC Preliminary Syllabus

UPSC Question Papers

IAS Strategy

Suggested Books

Free IAS Coaching

Scholarship

IAS Link Resources

Study Together for UPSC Exams

Civil Services Book Center

Free NCERT Books

Free History Notes

Free Law Notes

Free Management Notes**

Civil Service FAQ

Other UPSC Exams

KPSC Examination**

Disclaimer

About Us