The preparation period has officially begun for candidates shortlisted for the UPSC Civil Services Main Exam 2024. According to the official website, the Civil Services Mains Examination is scheduled for September 20, 2024.
Candidates need to prepare for the General Studies papers, the optional subject, and the Language papers. Scoring qualifying marks in Paper A (an Indian Language chosen from the Eighth Schedule to the Constitution) and Paper B (English) is mandatory.
One of the popular optional subjects candidates can choose is Political Science and International Relations, comprising two papers (Paper 1 and Paper 2), each worth 250 marks. Below is the detailed syllabus for both papers:
Political Science and International Relations Paper 1
Political Theory and Indian Politics:
- Political Theory
- Theories of State
- Justice
- Equality
- Rights
- Democracy
- Concept of Power
- Political Ideologies
- Indian Political Thought
- Western Political Thought
Indian Government and Politics:
- Indian Nationalism
- Making of the Indian Constitution
- Salient Features of the Indian Constitution
- Principal Organs of the Union Government
- Principal Organs of the State Government
- Grassroots Democracy
- Statutory Institutions/Commissions
- Federalism
- Planning and Economic Development
- Caste, Religion, and Ethnicity in Indian Politics
- Party System
- Social Movements
Political Science and International Relations Paper 2
Comparative Political Analysis and International Politics:
- Comparative Politics
- State in Comparative Perspective
- Politics of Representation and Participation
- Globalisation
- Approaches to the Study of International Relations
- Key Concepts in International Relations
- Changing International Political Order
- Evolution of the International Economic System
- United Nations
- Regionalisation of World Politics
- Contemporary Global Concerns
India and the World:
- Indian Foreign Policy
- India’s Contribution to the Non-Alignment Movement
- India and South Asia
- India and the Global South
- India and the Global Centres of Power
- India and the UN System
- India and the Nuclear Question
- Recent Developments in Indian Foreign Policy
Both papers (Paper VI and Paper VII) are of honours degree level, higher than a bachelor’s degree but lower than a master’s degree, as per the official notice.
For more detailed information about the syllabus and other exam-related updates, candidates are advised to visit the official UPSC website.