UPESSC Assistant Professor Political Science syllabus

1Political Theory

• Concepts: Democracy, Rights, Liberty, Equality, Justice, Nationalism, Behaviouralism and Post- Behaviouralism, Multiculturalism, Cosmopolitanism, Neo – Liberalism, Post-Modernism, Feminism

2Political Thinkers (Indian and Western)

• Ancient Indian Political Thought : Manu, Kautilya and Shanti Parva (Mahabharata), The Indian Renaissance
• Greek Political Thought: Plato and Aristotle.
• Western Political Thought–I : Machiavelli, Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau.
• Western Political Thought – II: Bentham, J. S. Mill, Hegel, Marx, Green and Mao
• Contemporary Political Thought – I: Gramsci, Althusser, Hannah Arendt
• Contemporary Political Thought – II: Rawls and Nozic.
• Modern Indian Thought: Tilak, Jay Prakash Narayan, Gandhi, Ambedkar and Pt. Deendayal Upadhyaya.

3Comparative Politics and Political Analysis

• Evolution of Comparative Politics as a discipline: Nature and Scope.
• Approaches to the study of Comparative Politics: Traditional, Structural – Functional, Systems, Neo – Institutionalism, Marxist, and Political economy approach.
• Constitution & Constitutionalism
• Forms of Government: Unitary – Federal, Parliamentary – Presidential.
• Organs of Government: Executive, Legislature, Judiciary, Executive – Legislative-Judicial relationship in Comparative perspective, Decline of Legislature
• Models of State : Capitalist, Socialist, Developmental & Welfare State.
• Party System and Pressure Group
• Representation and Electoral Systems.
• Political Development & Political Decay
• Political Modernization, Political Culture and Political Socialization.
• Revolution: Theories and Types.
• Dependency theory: Development and Under Development.

4Political Institutions in India

• Ideological Bases of the Indian Constitution: Constituent Assembly Debates, Preamble, Philosophy of the Indian Constitution
• Fundamental Rights and Duties
• Directive Principles of the State Policy
• Constitutional Amendment: Procedure, Major Constitutional Amendments
• Structure and Process – I: President, Prime Minister, Cabinet, Council of Ministers, Working of the Parliamentary System.
• Structure and Process –II: Governor, Chief Minister, Council of Ministers, State Legislature.
• Judiciary: Supreme Court, High Courts, Judicial Review, Public Interest Litigation Judicial Activism, Judicial Reforms.

5Political Processes in India

• Panchayati Raj Institutions: Urban, Local self governments- their organization and functions, PESA (Panhayat Extension in Scheduled Area)
• Federalism: Theory and Practice in India, Demand of New States, Demands of Autonomy and Separatist Movements;
• Emerging trends in Centre – State Relations.
• Political Parties, Pressure Groups, Public Opinion, Mass Media
• Election: Election Commission, Electoral Behaviour and Electoral Reforms.
• Politics of Identity and Democratic upsurge: Caste, Gender & Ethnicity.
• Emerging Trends in Indian Politics

6Theories of Public Administration

• Nature, Scope and significance of Public Administration
• Evolution of Public Administration as a Discipline with a special focus on New Public Administration and New Public Management
• Classical Theory – Fayol, Luther Gullick, Marry Parker Follet
• Scientific Management Theory- F.W. Taylor
• Theory of Bureaucracy - MaxWeber and its critics
• Ecological Theory- F.W. Riggs

7Public Administration in India

• Development and Welfare Administration.
• Planning, Impact of liberalization on planning, NITI Ayog.
• Personnel Administration: Recruitment, Training & Promotion, Role of UPSC and State PSC.
• Bureaucracy –Characteristics, Civil servant – Minister Relationship. Committed Bureaucracy.
• Financial Administration: Budget, Audit, Parliamentary Control over Public Finance.

8International Relations: Theories, Concepts & Issues

• Theories
• Great Debate in IR Theory
• Realism, Neo-Realism
• Liberalism, Neo-Liberalism
• Social Constructivism, Critical Theory, World System Theory
• Feminism, Environmentalism
• Concepts
• State, Power, National Interests, Ideology
• Globalization
• Disarmament, Arms Control, Arms Race, Nuclear Disarmament, Nuclear Nonproliferation Regime, Deterrence and Nuclear Deterrence
• Geopolitics: Heartland Theory, Rimland Theory, Sea Power Theory
• Conflict Resolution & Peace
• Conflict: Definition, Types, Theories of Conflict
• Peace: Positive Peace & Negative Peace.
• Global Governance
• International Organizations, Inter Governmental Organizations, Regional Organisations Institutions of Global Governance
• UN, Organs, Functions, Role in Peace Keeping, Maintenance & Enforcement; Reform of the UN
• Economic Governance: Bretton Woods Institutions IMF & World Bank, GATT & WTO, BRICS, G-7 & G-20
• Humanitarian Intervention: R2P, ICC, ICJ
• Regional Organizations: European Union, ASEAN, SAARC, RCEP
• Contemporary Issues
• Global Warming & Climate Change
• Civil Wars, Global Terrorism
• Nuclear Proliferation, Weapons of Mass Destruction.
• North-South Dialogue, Global South
• Cold war, Post-Cold War & Contemporary Global Order

9Indian Foreign Policy

• Determinants of Indian Foreign Policy
• History of India's relations with its neighbors during Mauryan Empire, Mughal Empire and British Empire
• India's foreign policy since independence: Non-alignment.
• Wars in South Asia
• India's and its Neighbours: Pakistan, China, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bhutan
• Rise of China, and India in International Relation
• BRICS, RIC, Shanghai. Cooperation Organization (SCO)
• India's Security Concerns: Cross Border Terrorism, Chinese Assertion in Himalayan region and Indian Ocean

10Public Policy in India

• Good Governance; Governance, Good Governance and Democratic Governance
• Problems of Administrative Corruption: Transparency and Accountability; Right to Information.
• Grievance Redressal Institutions: Ombudsman, Lokpal and Lokayukta.
• Institutional mechanisms for good governance: Right to Information, Consumer Protection Act, Citizen Charter;
• Grassroots Governance: Panchayati Raj Institutions and their functioning
• Monitoring and evaluation of public policy;
• Mechanisms of making governance process accountable: jansunwai, social audit.
• Major flagship programmes of the Government: MANREGA, NRHM, Ayushman Bharat, Ujjawala Yojana
• E-governance in India: National e-governance programme, Digital India Programme, Kisan Call Centres.

General Knowledge — common to every subject

1Current Affairs

• A. Major events & Current Affairs : National/International
• B. Personalities in News
• C. Sports News
• D. Current Research in the field of Science.

2Teaching and Research Aptitude

• A. Teaching : Nature, Objectives, Need, Methods Evaluation and Factor Affecting Teaching
• B. Research : Meaning and Methods
• C. Data : Source, Collection and Analysis
• D. Role of UGC in Qualitative Development in Higher Education.

3Information and Communication Technology (ICT)

• A. ICT : Meaning, Advantages and Disadvantages
• B. Basics of Internet & E-mailing
• C. General Abbreviation and Terminology.

4People and Environment

• A. People & Environment Interaction
• B. Environmental Depredation : cause & Solution
• C. National and International affairs for better Environment
• D. Environmental Control.

5Indian History and Geography

• A. Salient Features of Indian Culture
• B. Indian National Movement (1857-1950)
• C. Origin of Universe and Solar System
• D. Indian Geography (General).

6Indian Constitution and Economy

• A. Preamble, Fundamental Rights and Directive Principles
• B. Indian political system : Legislative Executive and Judiciary
• C. Election Commission and Public Service Commission
• D. Population, Poverty, Unemployment; Planning and Development; Income Tax
• E. Agriculture, Industry, Trade; Money, Currency, Banking and Capital Market.

UPESSC Assistant Professor syllabus, Political Science (Subject Code-44), Syllabus/upessc_2026/Political_Science_en.pdf — transcribed from the scanned pages, wording as printed.