MA Political Science Syllabus

MA Political Science Syllabus

MA political science syllabus will help you as a guiding light for the students Pursuing a Master of Arts(MA) in any prestigious University or Institution. Here the syllabus mentioned is mostly followed by all the Indian universities or Colleges.

FIRST SEMESTER

PSC –C101: COMPARATIVE POLITICS: CONCEPTS AND MODELS
Unit- I
Comparative Politics: Approaches: Systems Approach, Structural-Functional Approach, Marxist
Approach
Unit-II
State Theory: Debate over the nature of State in capitalist and socialist societies; Post-colonial
State; Welfare State; Globalization and Nation-States
Unit-III
Constitutionalism: Concepts, Problems and Limitations; Typologies of Constitutions.
Unit-IV
Political Regimes: Democratic (Electoral, Liberal, Majoritarian and Participatory) and Non-Democratic Regimes (Authoritarian , Military- dictatorial, Totalitarian and Fascist).
Unit-V
Political Elite: Meaning and Theories; Elite Theory of Democracy.

PSC –C102: PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION: PRINCIPLES AND APPROACHES
Unit-I
Nature and Scope of Public Administration, Development of Public Administration as an
academic discipline, Public and Private Administration, Role of Public Administration in
Developed and Developing Countries.
Unit-II
Theories of Organization: The Classical Theory, The Scientific Management Theory,
Human Relations Theory, Rational Choice Theory.
Unit-III
Approaches to Public Administration: Comparative Public Administration, New Public
Administration, New Public Management, Feminist Approach, New Public Service.
Unit-IV
Concepts of Public Administration: Leadership: Types, Functions and Theories, Motivation,
Organisational Communication: Theories and Principles, Chester Bernard‘s Principles of
Communication.
Unit-V
Development Administration: Nature, Issues and Characteristics; Riggs‘s Model; Citizens‘
Participation in Administration, Changing Nature of Public Administration in the era of
Liberalisation and Globalisation.

PSC –C103: INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS: CONCEPTS AND THEORIES
Unit I
Approaches to the study of International Relations: Idealism, Realism, Neo-realism, Neo-liberalism,
Neo-Neo Debate, Marxism
Unit II
Social Constructivism, Critical International Theory, Feminism, Post-modernism, PostStructuralism
Unit III
Key Concepts: State as an Actor, Challenges of Globalization and Information Revolution.
Power, Sovereignty, Security: Traditional and Non-traditional, National Interest and Ideology.
Unit IV
War and Pacifism: Conflict Resolution, Conflict transformation, Deterrence, Arms control and
Strategic Stability.
Unit V
United Nations: Aims, Objectives, Structure and Evaluation of the Working of UN; Peace and
security Challenges; International Criminal Court.

PSC –C104: CONTEMPORARY POLITICAL THEORY

Unit-1
Approaches to the Study of Political Theory: Normativism, Positivism, Behaviouralism and PostBehaviouralism
Unit-II
Debates on the Decline and Resurgence of Political Theory
Role of Ideology; End of Ideology Debate
Concept of Power and Hegemony
Unit-III
Theories of State: Liberal, Neo-Liberal, Marxist, Pluralist, Post-Colonial and Feminist, Globalization and State
Unit-IV Concepts
Liberty
Equality
Justice
Rights
Unit-V
Democracy: Classical and Contemporary Models of Democracy: Procedural, Participatory
and Deliberative.

PSC –C105: INDIAN GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS – I

Unit-I: Making of the Indian Constitution: The Constituent Assembly -Background, Composition,
Nature and its working
Ideological Contents: Preamble, Fundamental Rights and Directive Principles of State Policy,
Distinctiveness of Indian Secularism
Unit-II: Constitution as an Instrument of Social Change: Basic Structure Debate & Major
Constitutional Amendments
Federalism and its working: Nature and Areas of Tension in Centre-State Relations, Inter-State
Council
State & Nation Building in India: State Reorganization, Demand for State Autonomy, Separatist
Movements
Unit-III: Union Executive: President, Prime Minister& Council of Ministers: Critical Assessment
State Executive & Legislature: Governor, Chief Minister and Council of Ministers, Legislative
Assembly and Legislative Council
Unit-IV: Union Legislature: Parliament (Composition and Role), Working of the Parliamentary
System of Democracy, Parliamentary Committees
Unit-V: Judiciary: Integrated Judicial System in India, Judicial Review, Judicial Activism, Judicial
Reforms.

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MA Political Science Syllabus for SECOND SEMESTER

PSC –C201: COMPARATIVE POLITICAL PROCESS
Unit-I
Approaches: Institutional, Political Economy and New Institutionalism; Comparative Methods.
Unit-II
Political Culture: Theories and Critique; Political Socialization, Political Recruitment and Political
Communication.
Political Change; Revolution: Theories and Types; Social Movements; New Social Movements.
Unit -III
Development: Underdevelopment, Dependency, Modernization, World Systems Theory,
Development and Democracy.
Unit-IV
Theories and Functions of Political Parties, Pressure Groups ; Political Representation; Role of
NGOs.
Unit-V
Public Policy Making; Role of Legislature, Executive, Judiciary; Civil Society and its Role.

PSC –C202: PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION AND MANAGEMENT

Unit-I
Financial Administration: The Budget (Types, Preparation and Implementation of Budget),
Performance Budgeting, Zero- base Budgeting, Audit and CAG.
Unit-II
Major Issues in Administration: Relationship between Permanent Executive and Political
Executive, Generalist –Specialist Controversy
Unit-III
Personnel Management: Recruitment, Training and Development, Employees‘ Morale, Workers‘
Participation in Management, Managing Conflict in the Organization: Mary Parker Follett,
Employee-Employer Relationships, Management by Objectives (MBO): Peter Drucker
Unit-IV
Civil Service in India: Conduct of Civil Service, Neutrality and Anonymity, Ethics in
Administration.
Control over Administration- Legislative, Executive and Judicial.
Unit-V
New Trends: Good Governance, Citizen‘s Charter, e-Governance, Time Bound Service, Corporate
Social Responsibility (CSR).

PSC –C203: GLOBAL POLITICS: CONTEMPORARY ISSUES AND CHALLENGES

Unit-I
End of Cold War; Uni-polarity, American Hegemony and New World Order, Contending Images of
Global Future
Unit-II
Functionalism and Neo- Functionalism: Approaches to National Integration and World Government
Unit-III
Political Economy of International Relations: Dependency Theory, World System Analysis, New
Imperialism Debate
Unit-IV
Alternative Perspectives on Security: Environmental Security, Peace and Development, Human
Security and Security Privatization
Unit-V
Contemporary Global Concerns: International Terrorism, Environmental Concerns, Migration and
Refugees, Human Rights and Humanitarian Intervention.

PSC –C204: CONTEMPORARY DEBATES IN POLITICAL THEORY

Unit I- Political Ideologies
Liberalism , Marxism, Conservatism ,
Neo-Liberalism, Neo-Marxism
Unit II – Debates on Liberalism:
Liberal Egalitarianism( Rawls)
Libertarianism ( Nozick)
Communitarianism ( Sandel and Walzer)
Unit III – Cultural Pluralism and Liberal Theory
Multiculturalism
Identity Politics
Cosmopolitanism
Unit IV– Critical Approaches
Feminism
Ecologism
Post Modernism
Unit V-
State and Civil society
Citizenship in the Age of Globalization

PSC –C205: INDIAN GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS-II

Unit-I: Nature of Party System: Emerging Trends, Imperatives of Coalition Politics, Defection
Politics and the Anti-Defection Law
Unit-II: Electoral System in India: Features, Elections -New Forces and Trends, Voting Behaviour
and Electoral Reforms
Unit-III:
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.
Unit-IV:
Political Economy and Development: Development Planning Model, Growth & Human
Development
Globalization and the Indian State
Unit – V:
Identity Politics- Issues and Challenges: Religion, Tribe, Caste, Region and Language
Social Movements: Farmers, Dalits, Tribals, Women, Environment Movements and Trade Union

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MA Political Science Syllabus for THIRD SEMESTER

PSC –C301: POLITICAL THOUGHT- I

Unit-I- Plato, Aristotle
Unit- II- Machiavelli, Hobbes
Unit- III- Locke, Rousseau
Unit- IV- Hegel, Karl Marx
Unit- V- Jeremy Bentham, J.S. Mill

PSC –C302: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY AND STATISTICAL METHODS

Unit-I- Social and Political Research: Objectivity, Types of Research,
Scientific Method: Characteristics, Process, Limitations.
Unit-II- Research Design: Meaning, Components, Identifying and Planning Research,
Hypothesis: Meaning, Types, Sources, Formulation and Functions of Hypothesis.
Unit-III- Survey Methods; Tools and Techniques of Data Collection: Observations, Questionnaire,
Interviewing, Sampling: Meaning, Types and Selection of Samples.
Unit-IV- Content Analysis; Data Analysis; Report Writing; Referencing Style
Unit-V- Basic Statistical Techniques: Frequency and Percentage Distribution, Measures of Central
Tendency, Standard Deviation, Correlation, Coefficients, Chi-Square Test, SPSS

PSC –C303: INDIA’S FOREIGN POLICY

Unit 1
India‘s Foreign Policy: Determinants of foreign policy; Continuity and Change
Making of India‘s Foreign Policy: PMO, Parliament, MEA
Unit 2
India‘s Relations with Neighbours: SAARC, BIMSTEC, ASEAN, Look East & Act East
policy
India‘s Relations with Major Powers: USA, Russia, China
Unit 3
India‘s Engagement with multipolar world: India‘s relations with European Union, BRICS,
Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, African Union, Gulf Cooperation Council
Unit 4
India and the United Nations: Role in UN Peace Keeping, Demand for Reforms in the UN
Unit 5
India‘s Approach to Major Global Issues : International Terrorism, Climate Change ;
India‘s Nuclear Policy, Energy Security
Recent developments in India‘s Foreign Policy: West Asia Policy, Indo-Pacific, Indian
Ocean RIM.
PSC –CE 304 (A): WORKING OF DEMOCRACY IN INDIA
Unit-I: Democracy: A Historical Overview, Democracy and its Types.
Unit-II: Democracy in India: Origin and Growth; Major Democratic Institutions.
Unit-III: Grass-roots Democracy: Rural Local Self-Governments: Structure, Functions and
Finances
Unit-IV: Grass-roots Democracy: Urban Local Self-Governments: Structure, Functions, and
Finances.
Unit-V: Democracy in India: Performance, Issues and Challenges.

PSC –CE 304 (B): POLITICAL SOCIOLOGY: ISSUES AND CONCEPTS

Unit-I
Political Sociology: Meaning and Scope, Development and Approaches.
Unit-II
Political Socialization, Political Recruitment, Political Participation and Political Communication.
Unit-III
The Sociological Tradition and Political Sociology: Seminal Ideas of Karl Marx and Max Weber,
Sociological Ideas of Emile Durkheim and Talcott Parsons.
Unit-IV
Social Stability, Social Change, Political Role, Politics and Society, Nation and Society.
Unit-V
Elite Theories of Democracy: Circulation of Elites, Mosca, Pareto, C. Wright Mills and Pluralistic
Critique.

PSC –C401: POLITICAL THOUGHT-II

Unit-I – Mary Wollstonecraft
Unit II- Lenin, Mao Zedong
Unit III- Antonio Gramsci
Unit IV- Hannah Arendt, John Rawls
Unit V- Frantz Fanon

PSC –C402: INDIAN POLITICAL IDEAS
Unit –I
Raja Rammohun Roy, Bal Gangadhar Tilak
Unit –II
Swami Vivekananda and Sri Aurobindo
Unit –III
Mahatma Gandhi, V.D. Savarkar and M.N Roy
Unit- IV
B. R. Ambedkar, Jayaprakash Narayan, Ram Manohar Lohia
Unit- V
Jawahar Lal Nehru, Deendayal Upadhyay

PSC –C403: STATE AND LOCAL ADMINISTRATION IN INDIA: WITH SPECIAL
REFERENCE TO ODISHA

Unit I:
State Machinery: Executive at the State Level: Governor, Council of Ministers, Chief Minister,
Legislature: Vidhan Sabha: Composition and Functions.
Judiciary: High Court.
Lokayukt, State Information Commission
Unit II:
Odisha Secretariat: Structure and Functions, Chief Secretary, Development Commissioner, State
Administration: Board of Revenue: Role and Functions, Revenue Divisional Commissioner: Role
and Functions; Mo Sarkar.
Unit III:
District and Block Administration: Role of the Collector and the B.D.O.
Unit IV:
Urban Local Governance: Historical Evolution of Urban Local Governance in India, Urban
Governance in Odisha: 74th Constitutional Amendment Act, Municipal Corporation, Municipality,
NAC: Structure, Functions and Finance, Reforms in Urban Governance.
Unit V:
Rural Local Governance: Historical Evolution of Rural Local Governance in India, Rural
Government in Odisha: PRI Institutions, 73rd Constitutional Amendment Act, Reforms in Rural
Governance and PESA Act.
PSC –C404: Governance and Public Policy in India

Unit- 1:
Governance, Good Governance; Role of State, Civil Society and individuals.
Unit- 2:
Institutional Mechanisms for Good Governance: Right to Information, Consumer Protection Act,
Citizens‘ Charter; Grievance Redressal System: Ombudsman, Lokpal, Lokayukta
Unit- 3:
Grassroots Governance: Panchayati Raj Institutions and their Functioning
Planning and Development: Decentralised Planning, Planning for Development, Sustainable
Development, Participatory Development, e-Governance; NITI Aayog
Unit- 4:
Public Policy as an instrument of socio-economic development: public policies with special
reference to Housing, Health, Drinking Water, Food Security, MGNREGA, NHRM, RTE , NEP
2020
Unit -5:
Monitoring and Evaluation of Public Policy; Mechanisms of making governance process
accountable: Jansunwai, Social Audit.

PSC –C405: DISSERTATION

Details about MA Political Science Syllabus

Semesters- I, II have five papers each having 20 Credits to be covered within 225 hours and
Semester- III has 5 papers(three compulsory and two allied/ free papers) having 20 Credits,
Semester- IV has 4(four) papers and 2(two) term papers having 20 Credits which is to be covered
within 315 hours (Total Credits= 80; Total Marks=2000).

The course provides students with the opportunity to understand a body of seminal ideas in
different papers including Indian Administration, Political theory, Indian Government and Politics,
International Relations, Comparative Politics and Society and Politics in India that form normative
benchmarks of public life and political process, and introduce students to certain original writings
on the subjects cited above.

The program also introduces students to important theoretical and contemporary debates in practical political life. The Research Methodology paper is intended to secure analytical mastery over basic concepts, and approaches, and introduce students to the basic tools and techniques of research.

The Course also offers wide-ranging optional papers that focus on gender and politics, human
rights, political economy and social movements in India . These papers supplement the above
core papers and provide students with the opportunity for a more intensive study of political ideas
in modern India, public institutions, political parties, pressure groups, regional politics, social
movements, center-state relations, development policy, and administration.
The Programme also offers two elective papers in Semester III for students from other departments.
This provides basic insights to workings of democracy in India and interdisciplinary understandings
to politics and society.

The Evaluation of the learning level of students is done of 100 marks for each paper divided
into two parts .

1. Mid- Semester Examination of 30 marks
2. End Semester Exams of 70 marks
3. Third Semester: 2 Elective papers (100 marks each )
   Note : In MA 4th semester, evaluation of Paper XX is based on Dissertation Writing ( 70 marks )
   and Presentation (30 marks)

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UGC NET Political Science Syllabus