UGC NET Political Science: Syllabus, Exam Pattern & Sample Questions

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Are you searching for the syllabus of UGC NET Political Science? Here you will get the latest syllabus for the National Eligibility Test (UGC-NET) exam. It will surely help you in the effective preparation of NET Political Science exam (Paper II, Paper III-A & Paper III-B). CBSE NET Political Science exam will be conducted by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE). The syllabus given below is based on the latest pattern of the University Grants Commission (UGC) - Political Science curriculum. We suggest you to check our free online mock tests for UGC NET examinations.

We have listed some of the frequently asked questions (FAQs), asked by the UGC NET (Political Science) candidates, so that they will get a basic idea of NET (Political Science) exam pattern.

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UGC NET Political Science Syllabus: Paper II

UGC NET Political Science Syllabus: Paper II
Unit Details
IPolitical Theory and Thought
IIComparative Politics and Political Analysis
IIIIndian Government and Politics
IVUGC NET Public Administration
VInternational Relations

UGC NET Political Science Syllabus: Paper III (Part-A)

  1. Unit - I
  2. Unit - II
  3. Unit - III
  4. Unit - IV
  5. Unit - V
  6. Unit - VI
  7. Unit - VII
  8. Unit - VIII
  9. Unit - IX
  10. Unit - X

UGC NET Political Science Paper II : Detailed Syllabus

Given below is the list of unit wise syllabus for UGC NET (Political Science) paper-II & paper-III (A).

Political Theory and Thought

  • Ancient Indian Political Thought : Kautilya and Shanti Parva.
  • Greek Political Thought : Plato and Aristotle.
  • European Thought - I : Machiavelli, Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau.
  • European Thought - II : Bentham, J. S. Mill, Hegel, Marx and Green.
  • Contemporary Political Thought - I : Lenin, Mao, Gramsci.
  • Contemporary Political Thought - II : Rawls, Nozic and Communitarians.
  • Modern Indian Thought : Gandhi, M. N. Roy, Aurobindo Ghosh, Joy Prakash Ambedkar, Savarkar.
  • Concepts and Issue - I : Medieval Political Thought: Church State Relationship and Theory of Two Swords.
  • Concepts and Issue - II : Behaviouralism and Post-Behaviouralism, Decline and Resurgence of Political Theory. Democracy, Liberty and Equality.

Comparative Politics and Political Analysis

Evolution of Comparative Politics as a discipline; nature and scope.

  • Approaches to the study of comparative politics : Traditional, Structural - Functional, Systems and Marxist.
  • Constitutionalism : Concepts, Problems and Limitations.
  • Forms of Government : Unitary - Federal, Parliamentary - Presidential.
  • Organs of Government : Executive, Legislature, Judiciary - their interrelationship in comparative perspective.
  • Party Systems and Pressure Groups; Electoral Systems.
  • Bureaucracy - types and roles.
  • Political Development and Political Modernization.
  • Political Culture, Political Socialization and Political Communication.
  • Political Elite; Elitist theory of Democracy.
  • Power, Authority and Legitimacy.
  • Revolution : Theories and Types.
  • Dependency : Development and Under Development.

Indian Government and Politics

  • National Movement, Constitutional Developments and the Making of Indian Constitution.
  • Ideological Bases of the Indian Constitution, Preamble, Fundamental Rights and Duties and Directive Principles.
  • Constitution as Instrument of Socio - Economic Change, Constitutional Amendments and Review.
  • Structure and Process - I : President, Prime Minister, Council of Ministers, Working of the Parliamentary System.
  • Structure and Process - II : Governor, Chief Minister, Council of Ministers, State Legislature.
  • Panchayati Raj Institutions : Rural and Urban, their working.
  • Federalism : Theory and Practice in India; Demands of Autonomy and Separatist Movements; Emerging trends in Centre - State Relations.
  • Judiciary : Supreme Court, High Courts, Judicial Review, Judicial Activism including Public Interest Litigation cases, Judicial Reforms.
  • Political Parties, Pressure Groups, Public Opinion, Media; Subaltern and Peasant Movements.
  • Elections, Electoral Behaviour, Election Commission and Electoral Reforms.

UGC NET Public Administration

Development of Public Administration as a discipline; Approaches to the study of Public Administration : Decision - making, Ecological and Systems; Development Administration.

Theories of Organization

  • Principles of Organization : Line and staff, unity of command, hierarchy, span of control, centralization and decentralization, Types of organization - formal and informal; Forms of organization; department, public corporation and board.
  • Chief Executive : Types, functions and roles.
  • Personnel Administration : Recruitment, Training, Promotion, Discipline, Morale; Employee - Employer Relations.
  • Bureaucracy : Theories, Types and Roles; Max Weber and his critics. Civil servant - Minister relationship.
  • Leadership, its role in decision - making; Communication.
  • Financial Administration : Budget, Audit, Control over Finance with special reference to India and UK.
  • Good Governance; Problems of Administrative Corruption; Transparency and Accountability; Right to Information.
  • Grievance Redressal Institutions : Ombudsman, Lokpal and Lokayukta.

International Relations

  • Contending Theories and Approaches to the study of International Relations; Idealist, Realist, Systems, Game, Communication and Decision - making.
  • Power, Interest and Ideology in International Relations; Elements of Power : Acquisition, use and limitations of power, Perception, Formulation and Promotion of National Interest, Meaning, Role and Relevance of Ideology in International Relations.
  • Arms and Wars : Nature, causes and types of wars / conflicts including ethnic disputes; conventional, Nuclear / bio - chemical wars; deterrence, Arms Race, Arms Control and Disarmament.
  • Peaceful Settlement of Disputes, Conflict Resolution, Diplomacy, World - order and Peace studies.
  • Cold War, Alliances, Non - Alignment, End of Cold war, Globalisation.
  • Rights and Duties of states in international law, intervention, Treaty law, prevention and abolition of war.
  • Political Economy of International Relations; New International Economic Order, North - South Dialogue, South - South Cooperation, WTO, Neo - colonialism and Dependency.
  • Regional and sub - regional organisations especially SAARC, ASEAN, OPEC, OAS.
  • United Nations : Aims, Objectives, Structure and Evaluation of the working of UN; Peace and Development perspectives; Charter Revision; Power - struggle and Diplomacy within UN, Financing and Peace - keeping operations.
  • India's Role in International affairs : India's relations with its neighbours, Wars, Security Concerns and Pacts, Mediatory Role, distinguishing features of Indian Foreign Policy and Diplomacy.

UGC NET Political Science Paper III-A & Paper III-B : Detailed Syllabus

Given below is the list of (elective / Optional) unit wise syllabus for paper III (Part B).

Unit - I

  • Political Theory
  • Nature of Political Theory, its main concerns; decline and resurgence since 1970s.
  • Liberalism and Marxism
  • Individual and Social Justice
  • Role of Ideology
  • Theories of change : Lenin, Mao, Gandhi.

Unit - II

  • Political Thought.
  • Plato and Aristotle.
  • Machiavelli
  • Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau and J. S. Mill.
  • Karl Marx
  • Gandhi, M. N. Roy, Aurobindo Ghosh.

Unit - III

  • Comparative Politics and Political Analysis.
  • Approaches to the study of comparative Politics Constitutionalism in theory and practice.
  • Executive, Legislature and Judiciary with special reference to India, USA, UK and Switzerland.
  • Party system and role of opposition.
  • Electoral Process Separation of Powers, Rule of Law and Judicial Review.

Unit - IV

  • Political Development.
  • Political Modernization.
  • Political Socialisation and Political Culture.
  • Power and Authority.
  • Political Elite.

Unit - V

  • Making of the Indian Constitution.
  • Fundamental Rights and Duties, and Directive Principles.
  • Union Executive, Parliament.
  • Supreme Court, Judicial Activism.
  • Indian Federalism : Theory, Practice and Problems.

Unit - VI

  • Dynamics of State Politics.
  • Local Governments : Rural and Urban.
  • Political Parties, Pressure Groups, and Public Opinion.
  • Elections, Electoral Reforms.
  • Class, Caste, Gender, Dalit and Regional Issues, Problems of Nation - Building and Integration.

Unit - VII

  • Growth of Public Administration as a discipline; and New Public Administration.
  • Theories of Organisation (Classical, Scientific, Human Relations).
  • Principles of Organisation.
  • Chief Executive.
  • Control over Administration Judicial and Legislative Bureaucracy.

Unit - VIII

  • Development Planning and Administration in India.
  • Bureaucracy and Challenges of Development.
  • Administrative Culture; Administrative Corruption, and Administrative Reforms.
  • Panchayati Raj.
  • Impact of Liberalization on Public Administration.

Unit - IX

  • Theories of International Relations.
  • Ideology, Power and Interest.
  • Conflicts and Conflict - Resolution.
  • Changing concept of National Security and Challenges to the Nation - State System Arms and Arms - Control.

Unit - X

  • End of Cold War, Globalisation and Political Economy of International Relations in the Contemporary World.
  • Determinants and Compulsions of India's Foreign Policy; India's Nuclear Policy.
  • India's Relations with Neighbours and USA.
  • India's Role in the UN.
  • India and Regional Organizations (SAARC, ASEAN), Indian Ocean.

UGC NET Political Science: Exam Pattern (FAQs)

Is it mandatory to qualify UGC General Paper-1?
Yes, it is necessary for all UGC (Political Science) candidates to pass UGC General Paper-1: Teaching & Research Aptitude (TRA) exam
How many question papers are there in the UGC NET (Political Science) exam?
Two: Paper II and Paper III
How many questions will be their in NET Political Science (Paper II)?
Their will be a total of 50 questions in UGC Political Science Paper II
What type of questions are asked in UGC Political Science exam?
Paper-II contains questions of objective nature: MCQs; Matching type; Assertion-Reasoning; True / False. Paper-III (Part A): Essay type questions. Paper III (Part B): Essay type questions from each of the electives

UGC NET Political Science - Paper II: Sample Questions

(1) Voting behaviour means

  1. The voters do not behave properly at the time of elections
  2. Study of the factors that influence the choice of the voters
  3. Study of those workers who do not vote for the ruling party
  4. Study of the phenomenon of bandwagon effect

(2) Your state government wants to nationalise the private transport companies and create a public corporation.

  1. Which of the following step will be the first condition for its creation?
  2. Order of Governor for the appointment of the Chairman
  3. Creation of a fund for the purpose
  4. Make it a juristic personality
  5. Pass a law defining the field of autonomy

UGC NET Political Science - Paper III (Part A): Sample Questions

  1. Write the Marxist critique of liberalism.
  2. What is the contribution of cultural revolution in the theory of change?

UGC NET Political Science - Paper III (Part B): Sample Questions

  1. Discuss the challenges of the Nation-State building in developing countries with a special reference to India.
  2. Discuss the changing context of the Indian constitution and examine the relevance of constitution review.

Note You can easily download UGC NET (Political Science) syllabus in PDF format form the official website of the University Grants Commission (UGC) by simply clicking on the subject (Political Science) link on the UGC syllabus page.