BPSC Political Science Optional Syllabus

You have to chose one optional subject in the Mains Examination of BPSC. There are around 34 optional subject in the BPSC Mains from which you have to chose only one. Political Science is one among them. Optional subject has been made qualifying and BPSC has changed the format of optional into MCQs. In this post you will read the syllabus of optional Political Science and International Relations for BPSC Mains.

BPSC PSIR Optional Section- 1

Part- A

POLITICAL THEORY:

Main feature of ancient Indian Political Thought; Manu and Kautilya; Ancient Greek thought Plato. Aristotle; General characteristics of European medieval political thought; St. Thomas Aquinas, Marsiglip of padua; Machavelli. Hobbes, Locke. Montesq-uien, Rousseau, Bentham, J.S. Mill, T.H.Green, Hegal Marx, Lenin and Mao-se Tung.

Nature and scope of political Science; Growth of political Science as a discipline. Traditional Vs. Contemporary approaches; Behaviourlism and Post-behavioural development; Systems theory and other recent approaches to political analysis, Marxist approach to political analysis.

The emergence and nature of the modern State: Sovereignty; Monistic and Pluralistic analysis of sovereignty; Power Authority and Legitimacy.

Political obligation: Resistance and Revolution; Rights, Liberty, Equality, Justice.

Theory of Democracy.

Liberalism, Evolutionary Socialism (Democratic and Febian); Marxian Socialism; Fascism.

Part- B

Government and Politics with special reference to India

1. Approaches to the study of comparative politics, traditional, structural functional approach.
2. Political Institution; The Legislature, Executive and Judiciary; Parties and Pressure Groups; Theories of party system. Lenin, Michels and Duverger; Electoral System; Bureaucracy- weber’s view and Modern critiques of weber.
3. Political Process: Political Socialisation, Modernçation and Communication; the nature of the non-western Political Process; A general study of the Constitutional and Political Problems affecting Afro-Asian Societies.
4. Indian Political system:

(a) The Roots; colonialism and nationalism in India; A general Study of modern Indian Social and Political thought; Raja Ram Mohan Roy, Dadabhai Nauroji, Tilak, Sri Aurobindo, Iqbal, jinnah, Gandhi, B.R.Ambedkar, M.N.Roy, Nehru and Jay Prakash Narain.

(b) The Structure: Indian Constitution, Fundamental Rights and Directive Principles; Union Government; Parliament, Cabinet, Supreme Court and Judicial Review; Indian Federalism Centre-State relation, State Government role of the Governor; Panchayati Raj, Panchayati Raj System in Bihar.

(c) The Functioning: Class and Caste in Indian Politics, Politics of regionalism, linguism and Communalism. Problems of secularçation of the Policy and national integration. Political elites; the changing Composition; Political Parties and Political Participation; Planning and Developmental administration, Socio-economic changes and its impact on Indian democracy, Regionalism with Special reference to Jharkhand Movement in Bihar.

BPSC PSIR Optional Section- 2

Part- 1

1. The nature and functioning of the Sovereign State System.
2. Concepts of International Politics; Power; National Interest; Balance of Power, “Power vacuum.’
3. Theories of International Politics, The realist theory; System theory: Decision making.
4. Determinants of foreign Policy: National Interest; Ideology; Elements of National Power (including nature of domestic socio-political institution).
5. Foreign Policy: Choices – Imperialism; Balance of Power; Alleg hances; Isolationalism: Nationalistic Universalism (pax Britiannica pax Amricana Pax-Sovietica); The “Middle Kingdom” Complex of China; Non alignment.
6. The cold war: Origin, evolution and its impact on international relation: Defence and its impacts: a new Cold War.
7. Non-alignment: HEANING Bases (National and International) the non-aligned Movement and its role in international relations
8. De-coloncation and expansion of the international community; Neo-colonialism and racialism, their impact on international relations; Asian-African resurgence.
9. The present International economic order; Aid trade and economic development, the struggle for the new International Economic, Order; Sovereignty over natural resources; the crisis in energy resources.
10. The role of International Law in International relations; the international Court of Justice.
11. Origin and Development of International Organisations; The United Nations and specialçed Agencies; their role in international relations.
12. Regional Organisation: OAS, OAU, the Arab League, the ASEAN, the EEC, their role in international relations.
13. Arms race disarmament and arms control; Conventional and nuclear arms, the Arms trade, its impact on Third World role in international relations.
14. Deplomatic theory and practice.
15. External intervention: Ideological, Political and Economic; Cultural imperialism, Covert intervention by the major power.

Part- 2

1. The uses and mis-uses of nuclear energy; the impact of nuclear weapons on internation relations; the partial Test-ban, Treaty; the nuclear Neo-Proliferation. Treaty (NPT) peaceful nuclear explosions (PNE).
2. The problems and prospects of the Indian Ocean being made a peace zone.
3. The Conflict situation in West Asia.
4. Conflict and co-operation in South Asia.
5. The (Post-war) foreign policies of the major powers; United States, Soviet Union, China.
6. The third world in international relations; the North-South “Dialogue” in the United Nations and outside.
7. India’s foreign policy and relations; India and the Super powers; India and its neighbonr; India and South east Asia; India and African Problems; India’s economic diplomacy; India and the question of nuclear weapons.

BPSC Political Science Optional Syllabus FAQ