Paper I
UPSC_CSE_OPTIONAL_PSIR_PAPER_I.md
SECTION A — POLITICAL THEORY
1. Political Theory: Meaning and Approaches
Meaning of political theory
Nature and scope of political theory
Traditional approaches
Modern approaches
Normative political theory
Empirical political theory
2. Concepts of Politics
State
Meaning of state
Elements of state
Theories of origin of state
Functions of state
State and society
Nation
Concept of nation
Nation vs state
Nationalism
Sovereignty
Meaning of sovereignty
Legal sovereignty
Political sovereignty
Popular sovereignty
Pluralist theory of sovereignty
Power
Concept of power
Authority
Legitimacy
Force
Influence
3. Liberty
Concept of Liberty
Meaning of liberty
Negative liberty
Positive liberty
Safeguards of Liberty
Constitutional safeguards
Rule of law
Separation of powers
Liberty and Responsibility
Limits on liberty
Liberty and equality
4. Equality
Concept of Equality
Meaning of equality
Types of equality
Formal equality
Substantive equality
Equality and Justice
Equality of opportunity
Equality of outcome
5. Justice
Concept of Justice
Meaning of justice
Social justice
Economic justice
Political justice
Theories of Justice
Liberal theory of justice
Marxist theory of justice
Rawls’ theory of justice
6. Rights
Concept of Rights
Meaning of rights
Moral rights
Legal rights
Kinds of Rights
Civil rights
Political rights
Economic rights
Social rights
Human Rights
Universal Declaration of Human Rights
Human rights debates
7. Democracy
Concept of Democracy
Meaning of democracy
Direct democracy
Representative democracy
Models of Democracy
Liberal democracy
Participatory democracy
Deliberative democracy
Democracy and Development
Democracy and inequality
Challenges to democracy
8. Ideologies
Liberalism
Classical liberalism
Modern liberalism
Neo-liberalism
Socialism
Utopian socialism
Democratic socialism
Scientific socialism
Marxism
Historical materialism
Class struggle
Dictatorship of proletariat
Fascism
Features of fascism
Critique of fascism
Feminism
Liberal feminism
Radical feminism
Socialist feminism
Gandhism
Gandhian philosophy
Non-violence
Satyagraha
9. Political Thinkers
Western Thinkers
Plato
Aristotle
Machiavelli
Hobbes
Locke
Rousseau
Bentham
J.S. Mill
Hegel
Marx
Gramsci
Hannah Arendt
Indian Thinkers
Kautilya
Mahatma Gandhi
B.R. Ambedkar
Jawaharlal Nehru
M.N. Roy
SECTION B — INDIAN GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS
10. Indian Constitution
Constitutional Framework
Making of the Constitution
Philosophy of the Constitution
Preamble
Salient features
Fundamental Rights
Right to equality
Right to freedom
Right against exploitation
Right to religion
Cultural and educational rights
Right to constitutional remedies
Directive Principles
Nature of DPSPs
Classification of DPSPs
DPSPs and Fundamental Rights
Fundamental Duties
Nature and significance
11. Federalism in India
Centre–State Relations
Legislative relations
Administrative relations
Financial relations
Issues in Federalism
Role of Governor
President’s rule
Interstate disputes
Devolution
Panchayati Raj institutions
Urban local bodies
Finance Commissions
12. Union Government
Executive
President
Prime Minister
Council of Ministers
Cabinet system
Legislature
Parliament
Lok Sabha
Rajya Sabha
Parliamentary committees
Judiciary
Supreme Court
Judicial review
Judicial activism
13. State Government
Executive
Governor
Chief Minister
Council of Ministers
Legislature
State legislature
Legislative procedures
Judiciary
High Courts
Subordinate courts
14. Party System in India
Political Parties
National parties
Regional parties
Party System
One-party dominance
Coalition politics
Pressure Groups
Trade unions
Business groups
Farmers’ organizations
15. Electoral System
Elections
Election Commission of India
Electoral process
Electoral Reforms
Voting behaviour
Money and muscle power
Electoral reforms
16. Social Cleavages in Indian Politics
Caste
Caste and politics
Reservation politics
Religion
Communalism
Secularism
Language
Linguistic politics
Regionalism
17. Public Policy and Governance
Public Policy
Policy formulation
Policy implementation
Governance
Good governance
Accountability
Transparency
Bureaucracy
Role of bureaucracy
Administrative reforms
18. Challenges to Indian Democracy
Criminalization of politics
Corruption
Political violence
Decline of institutions
Paper II
UPSC_CSE_OPTIONAL_PSIR_PAPER_II.md
SECTION A — INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS: THEORY AND PRACTICE
1. International Relations: Meaning and Evolution
Meaning of international relations
Scope of international relations
International relations as a discipline
Evolution of international relations after World War I
Post–World War II developments
Cold War and post–Cold War changes
2. Key Concepts in International Relations
National Interest
Meaning of national interest
Elements of national interest
National interest and foreign policy
Power
Concept of power
Hard power
Soft power
Smart power
Balance of Power
Meaning of balance of power
Mechanisms of balance of power
Criticism of balance of power
Collective Security
Concept of collective security
Collective security vs balance of power
Security
Traditional security
Non-traditional security
Human security
Globalization
Political globalization
Economic globalization
Cultural globalization
3. Theories of International Relations
Realism
Classical realism
Neo-realism
Key assumptions of realism
Liberalism
Classical liberalism
Neo-liberal institutionalism
Democratic peace theory
Marxist and Neo-Marxist Theories
Marxist approach to international relations
Dependency theory
World-systems theory
Constructivism
Social construction of international politics
Role of ideas and identity
Feminist Theory
Gender perspectives in IR
Feminist critique of IR
Post-Colonial Theory
Colonial legacy
North–South relations
4. International Political Economy
Economic Systems
Capitalism
Socialism
Mixed economy
Global Economic Institutions
IMF
World Bank
WTO
Trade and Development
Free trade
Protectionism
North–South divide
Globalization and Inequality
Global economic inequality
Development challenges
5. International Organizations
United Nations
UN Charter
General Assembly
Security Council
Economic and Social Council
International Court of Justice
Regional Organizations
European Union
ASEAN
African Union
SAARC
BRICS
SCO
Role and Relevance
Peacekeeping
Conflict resolution
Development cooperation
6. Conflict and Peace
War
Causes of war
Types of war
Peace
Concepts of peace
Peace-building
Peacekeeping
Arms and Disarmament
Arms race
Nuclear weapons
Disarmament treaties
Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT)
Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT)
7. Cold War and Post–Cold War World
Cold War
Origins of Cold War
Bipolar world order
Major Cold War crises
Post–Cold War Developments
End of bipolarity
Unipolar moment
Multipolar world
8. Regional Conflicts and Global Issues
Middle East
Arab–Israel conflict
Gulf wars
Iran–Saudi rivalry
East Asia
Korean Peninsula
South China Sea disputes
Taiwan issue
Africa
Civil wars
Ethnic conflicts
Global Issues
Terrorism
Climate change
Migration
Refugee crisis
SECTION B — INDIA AND THE WORLD
9. Indian Foreign Policy: Foundations
Historical Background
Colonial legacy
Freedom struggle and foreign policy ideas
Principles
Non-alignment
Panchsheel
Strategic autonomy
Objectives
Security
Development
Global status
10. Evolution of India’s Foreign Policy
Nehruvian Phase
Non-alignment movement
Relations with superpowers
Post-Nehru Period
Indira Doctrine
Regional security
Post–Cold War Phase
Economic liberalization and foreign policy
Strategic partnerships
11. India and Its Neighbours
South Asia
India–Pakistan relations
India–China relations
India–Nepal relations
India–Sri Lanka relations
India–Bangladesh relations
India–Bhutan relations
India–Myanmar relations
India–Afghanistan relations
Regional Cooperation
SAARC
BIMSTEC
12. India and Major Powers
United States
Strategic partnership
Defence cooperation
Economic relations
Russia
Defence ties
Energy cooperation
China
Border disputes
Economic engagement
Strategic competition
European Union
Trade relations
Political cooperation
Japan
Strategic partnership
Infrastructure cooperation
13. India and International Organizations
United Nations
India’s role in UN
Peacekeeping operations
UN Security Council reforms
Global Economic Institutions
IMF
World Bank
WTO
Emerging Groupings
BRICS
G20
SCO
Quad
14. India’s Security Policy
National Security
Internal security challenges
External security threats
Nuclear Policy
Nuclear doctrine
No First Use policy
Defence Policy
Defence modernization
Indigenous defence production
15. India’s Economic Diplomacy
Trade Policy
Free trade agreements
Regional trade agreements
Energy Diplomacy
Energy security
Oil and gas diplomacy
Renewable energy cooperation
Development Cooperation
Aid and assistance
South–South cooperation
16. India and Global Issues
Climate Change
India’s climate commitments
International negotiations
Sustainable Development
SDGs
Development partnerships
Human Rights
India’s position on human rights
Global human rights debates
Indian Diaspora
Role of diaspora
Diaspora diplomacy
17. Contemporary Challenges and Future Directions
Global Power Shifts
Rise of Asia
Decline of unipolarity
Multilateralism
Crisis of multilateral institutions
Reform of global governance
Technology and IR
Cyber security
Space security
Artificial intelligence
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