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Commencement Date

Announce Later

Mode OF Classes

Live - Online

Duration Of Course

10 Months Duration

Course Time

To Be Announced

About UPSC PSIR Optional Coaching

Political Science and International Relations (PSIR) remains a favored optional subject for UPSC CSE Mains, consistently yielding high scores and providing candidates with a comfortable margin for success. Paper I comprises two sections: Political Theory and Indian Politics, and Indian Government and Politics. Political theory delves into state theories, justice, equality, human rights, and democracy, while Indian Government and Politics cover Indian Nationalism, the Indian Constitution, Federalism, and the Party system, among other topics.

Paper 2 of the PSIR Optional subject is divided into Comparative Politics and International Affairs, and India and the World. It encompasses themes such as Globalization, International Relations, Comparative Politics, Participation, and Representation in Comparative Politics, while the India and the World section covers Foreign Policy, India and South Asia, India's Participation in NAM, the UN system, and Global Centers of Power.

Notably, PSIR is highly relevant for Mains General Studies, particularly GS Paper II focusing on polity and governance. Choosing this UPSC optional subject overlaps with GS Paper I, GS Paper III, and GS Paper IV. Additionally, essay papers typically include questions on political or related issues, providing candidates with ample material to draw from. Moreover, Paper II of this optional subject often integrates current affairs topics, enhancing preparation for contemporary issues.

SVI UPSC recognizes the significance of PSIR as an optional subject and provides comprehensive support to candidates in mastering this domain, ensuring they are well-prepared to excel in the UPSC examination.

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SVI UPSC PSIR Optional's whole idea is to reinvent:

how preparation for Competitive Exams has to be approached

how to make the best use of time to lay a strong foundation as early as possible

Help the student realise her strong and weak areas as soon as possible to work on them

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Political Science and International Relations (PSIR) Optional Syllabus

Paper I

Political Theory and Indian Politics

1. Political Theory: meaning and approaches.

2. Theories of state : Liberal, Neo-liberal, Marxist, Pluiralist, post-colonial and Feminist.

3. Justice : Conceptions of justice with special reference to Rawl’s 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 India’s 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.

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; liberalization 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 Movement: Civil liberties and human rights movements; women’s 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.

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; Transational actors and collective security; World capitalist economy and globalisation.

7. Changing International Political Order :

(a) Rise of super powers; Strategic and ideological Bipolarity, arms race and cold war; Nuclear threat;
(b) Non-aligned Movement : Aims and achievements.
(c) Collapse of the Soviet Union; Unipolarity and American hegemony; Relevance of non-alignment in the contemporary world.

8. Evolution of the International Economic System : From Brettonwoods to WTO; Socialist economies and the CMEA (Council for Mutual Economic Assistance); Third World demand for new international economic order; Globalisation of the world economy.

9. United Nations : Envisaged role and actual record; Specialized UN agencies—aims and functioning; need for UN reforms.

10. Regionalisation of World Politics : EU, ASEAN, APEC, AARC, NAFTA.

11. Contemporary Global Concerns : Democracy, human rights, environment, gender justice terrorism, nuclear proliferation.

India and the World

1. Indian Foreign Policy : Determinants of foreign policy; the institutions of policy-making; Continuity and change.

2. India’s Contribution to the Non-Alignment Movement Different phases; Current role.

3. India and South Asia :

(a) Regional Co-operation : SAARC-past performance and future prospects.
(b) South Asia as a Free Trade Area.
(c) India’s “Look East” policy.
(d) Impediments to regional co-operation : River water disputes; illegal cross border migration; Ethnic conflicts and insurgencies; Border disputes.

4. India and the Global South : Relations with Africa and Latin America; Leadership role in the demand for NIEO and WTO negotiations.

5. India and the Global Centres of Power : USA, EU, Japan, China and Russia.

6. India and the UN System: Role in UN Peace-keeping; Demand for Permanent Seat in the Security Council.

7. India and the Nuclear Question : Changing perceptions and policy.

8. Recent developments in Indian Foreign Policy : India’s position on the recent crises in Afghanistan, Iraq and West Asia, growing relations with US and Isreal; Vision of a new world order.

Benefits of choosing PSIR Optional
  • The syllabus of PSIR is interlinked with the General Studies Syllabus and has many convergences with GS Papers I, II, III, and IV. Thus, there is a spillover of optional in GS, which gives PSIR students a competitive edge over their competitors.
  • Every year there are several Essay topics in the paper related to the PSIR syllabus. PSIR background in political thought and IR greatly helps in acing the essay exam.
  • PSIR is extremely helpful in Personality Tests/Interviews.
  • Comprehensiveness and greater Predictability in Question Pattern make it the ‘Most Suitable subject for Students with Science (Engineering and Medicine) and Commerce Background.
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