UGC NET Political Science Syllabus 2024: PDF Download

Hafsha Qureshi
Hafsha Qureshi

Updated on - Apr 19, 2024

UGC NET Political Science Syllabus 2024 is a mixture of contemporary politics, traditional politics, history, civics, and even philosophies. Candidates will have to cover a lot of ground to get a surface-level understanding of the fundamentals. Keeping track of the syllabi for each and every one of them can be daunting, which is why the syllabus has been comprehensively listed down below.

UGC NET political science syllabus can be reviewed on this page, and is also available for download in the section below.

 

UGC NET Political Science Syllabus 2024 Subject-Wise

UGC NET Political Science syllabus is dense, it would help to break down each component that makes a lesson. This is why the political science UGC NET syllabus has been broken down according to the names of the units themselves. It would be easier to digest what topics under the subject are involved so that it would be easy for candidates to be prepared for the upcoming exams.

Political Theory

This unit deals with the basic concepts of political theory, including equality, justice, liberty and democracy, with the addition to Political Traditions that apply even to contemporary society, such as feminism, conservatism, multiculturalism and so on. It’s the most fundamental and essential unit as far as the syllabus goes, so keep the focus on it!

Political Theory Chapters and Topics
Chapters Topics
Concepts Liberty, Equality, Justice, Rights, Democracy, Power, Citizenship
Political Traditions Liberalism, Conservatism, Socialism, Marxism, Feminism, Ecologism, Multiculturalism, Postmodernism

Political Thought

This unit is all about the political thoughts conjured by famous philosophers and politicians such as Karl Marx, Machiavelli, Plato and many more. Students obtain a firm understanding of why these individuals adopted their beliefs, what drove them to voice their thoughts, what the differences are between these schools of thought and many other aspects related to politico-philosophical studies.

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

Indian Political Thought

Much like its Political Thought counterpart, the Indian Political Thought unit explores the hows and whys of the schools of thought conjured by famous individuals who come from India, such as JL Nehru, Sri Aurobindo, Swami Vivekananda, Kabir, Bal Gangadhar Tilak, and many more.

Indian Political Thought Chapters and Topics
Chapter Topics
Indian Political Thought Chapters Deendayal Upadhyaya, Barani, Kabir, Pandita Ramabai, Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Swami Vivekanand, Rabindranath Tagore, M K Gandhi, Sri Aurobindo, Periyar Ramasamy, Muhammad Iqbal, M N Roy, V D Savarkar, Dr BR Ambedkar, Jawaharlal Nehru, Ram Manohar Lohia, Jaya Prakash Narayan, Dharamshastra, Kautilya, Aggannasutta

Comparative Political Analysis

This unit is all about how each school of thought, perspective, philosophy, and many other political and philosophical aspects compare with each other. Students get to understand topics such as political culture, the shortcomings of colonialism, fascism, totalitarianism, dictatorship, democracy, communism, the aspects of development, constitutions, power structures and so on.

Comparative Political Analysis Chapters and Topics
Chapters Topics
Approaches Institutional, Political Culture, Political Economy and New Institutionalism
Colonialism and Decolonisation Forms of Colonialism, Anti-colonial Struggles, Decolonisation
Nationalism European and Non-European Nationalism
State Theory Nature of State in Capitalist and Socialist Societies, Post-Colonial State, Welfare State, Globalisation and Nations-States
Political Regimes Electoral, Liberal, Majoritarian and Participatory Democracies, Patrimonialism, Bureaucratic Authoritarianism, Military Dictatorship, Totalitarianism, Fascism
Constitutions and Constitutionalism Forms, Rule Of Law, Judicial Independence and Liberal Constitutionalism
Democratisation Democratic Transition and Consolidation
Development Underdevelopment, Dependency, Modernisation, 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

International Relations

Students get to explore topics such as the state, its systems and non-state powers, the aims and objectives of the United Nations, regional organisations, conflict and peace, the different approaches to studying international relations, and many more. This topic is essential to the development of an aspiring politician since it teaches them the fundamentals of creating and maintaining relations with countries, along with the benefits of that.

International Relations Chapters and Topics
Chapters Topics
Approaches to the Study of International Relations Institutional, Political Culture, Political Economy and New Institutionalism; Comparative Methods
Concepts State, State System and Non-State Actors, Power, Sovereignty, Security
Conflict and Peace Changing Nature Of Warfare, WMDs, Deterrence, Conflict Resolution, Conflict Transformation
United Nations Aims and Objectives, Structure and Evaluation, Peace and Development, Humanitarian intervention, International Law, International Criminal Court
Political Economy of IR Globalisation, Global Governance, 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

India’s Foreign Policy

The previous unit deals with the fundamentals of establishing international relations. However, it’s important to understand how that’s done. India’s foreign policy is an exhaustive resource for understanding how the country works as a whole. Students get to explore concepts such as the policy perspectives, the country’s relations with major powers, the negotiation strategies involved and many more.

India’s Foreign Policy Chapters and Topics
Chapters Topics
Perspectives on India’s Foreign Policies India’s Identity as a Post-Colonial Country, Development, Rising Power, India’s Emerging Political Economy
Continuity and Change in India’s Foreign Policy Principles and Determinants, Non-Alignment Movement, India’s Nuclear Policy
India’s Relations with Major Powers The USA, Russia (formerly USSR), People’s Republic of China
India’s Engagement with a Multi-Polar World Relations with EU, BRICS, ASEAN, Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, African Union, Southern African Development Community, Gulf Cooperation Council
India’s Relation with its Neighbourhood SAARC, The Gujarat Doctrine, Look East/Act East, Look West
India’s Negotiation Strategies in International Regimes The UN, WTO On Climate Change
Contemporary Challenges Maritime Security, Energy Security, Environmental Security, Migrants And Refugees, Water Resources, International Terrorism, Cyber Security

Political Institutions in India

Students will dig deeper into the political aspects of India, how India achieved its global status, its identity, its economic, social, and political performances, what its constitution comprises, the judiciary, the local and national institutions, statutory bodies and many more.

Political Institutions in India Chapters and Topics
Chapters Topics
Making of the Indian Constitution India’s Identity as a Post-Colonial Country, Development, Rising Power, India’s Emerging Political Economy
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

Political Process in India

In this unit, many important chapters are explored which are related to India, such as identity politics, the social movements, the globalisation process as well as the regionalisation of Indian politics, the politics surrounding gender, and many other important topics to have a firm understanding of where India stands in terms of politics.

Political Process in India Chapters and Topics
Chapters Topics
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, Caste, Region, Language, Tribe
Social Movements Women, Farmers, Labour, Tribal, Dalit
Civil Society Groups Non-Party Social Formations, Non-Governmental Organisations, Social Actions Groups
Regionalisation of Indian Politics The 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

Public Administration

This unit focusses more on the administrative aspects of Indian politics, such as the theories and principles of India’s political organisations, how to manage them, the conflicts behind them, as well as the concepts surrounding its public administration.

Public Administration Chapters and Topics
Chapters Topics
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 Organisation Scientific Management Theory, Bureaucratic Theory, Human Relations Theory
Managing the Organisation Theories of Leadership and Motivation
Organisational Communication Theories and Principles, Chester Bernard Principles of Communication, Information Management in the organization
Managing Conflict in the Organisation Mary Parker Follett
Management by Objects Peter Drucker

Governance and Public Policy in India

In this unit, students are exposed to a library of knowledge consisting of India’s longstanding policies such as the MGNREGA, NHRM, Grassroots Governance, and some fundamental concepts such as the role of the state, the civil society, the workings of government and how they are accountable, and many more.

Governance and Public Policy in India Chapters and Topics
Chapters Topics
Governance Good And Democratic Governance, Role Of The 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, MGNREGA, NHRM, RTE
Monitoring and Evaluation of Public Policy Mechanisms Of Making Governance Process Accountable: Jansunwai, Social Audit

UGC NET Best Books for Political Science 2024

Here are some of the best UGC NET political science books you can get your hands on if you want to maximise your performance in the UGC NET political science exam.

  • UGC NET/JRF/SET Political Science (Paper-II) — Ashutosh Rai
  • A Dictionary of Public Administration — Vikram Singh
  • Indian Polity — M Laxmikant
  • Indian Polity — Spectrum
  • Our Constitution — Subhash C Kashyap

Read More: UGC NET Exam Pattern 2024

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