Courses of Studies 2011
Class : 11th & 12th
22. POLITICAL SCIENCE (Code No 028)
Rationale
At the senior secondary level students who opt Political Science are given an opportunity to get introduced to the diverse concerns of a Political Scientist. At this level there is a need to enable students to engage with political processes that surround them and provide them with an understanding of the historical context that has shaped the present. The different courses introduce the students to the various streams of the discipline of political science: political theory, Indian politics and international politics. Concerns of the other two streams — comparative politics and public administration — are accommodated at different places in these courses. In introducing these streams, special care has been taken not to burden the students with the current jargon of the discipline. The basic idea here is to lay the foundations for a serious engagement with the discipline at the undergraduation stage.
Objectives:
INDIAN CONSTITUTION AT WORK
Enable students to understand historical processes and circumstances in which the Constitution was drafted.
Provide opportunity for students to be familiar with the diverse visions that guided the makers of the Indian Constitution.
Enable students to identify the certain key features of the Constitution and compare these to other constitutions in the world.
Analyse the ways in which the provisions of the Constitution have worked in real political life.
POLITICAL THEORY
Develop the skills for logical reasoning and abstraction
Inculcate attention to and respect for viewpoints other than one’s own
Introduce students to the different political thinkers in relation to a concept and in everyday social life
Enable students to meaningfully participate in a concern of current political life that surrounds them
Encourage the students to analyse any unexamined prejudices that one may have inherited.
POLITICS IN INDIA AFTER INDEPENDENCE
Enable students to be familiar with some of the key political events and figures in the post-independence period.
Develop skills of political analysis through events and processes of recent history.
Develop their capacity to link macro processes with micro situations and their own life.
Encourage the students to take a historical perspective of making sense of the contemporary India.
CONTEMPORARY WORLD POLITICS
Enable the students to expand their horizon beyond India and make sense of the political map of contemporary world.
Familiarise the students with some of the key political events and processes in the post cold war era.
Equip students to be conscious of the way in which global events and processes shape our everyday lives.
Strengthen their capacity for political analysis by thinking of contemporary developments in a historical perspective.
Class XI
One Paper Time 3hrs. Marks 100
Part A: Indian Constitution at work
1. Constitution : Why & How? 12 Periods 10 Marks
2. Rights in the Indian Constitution 12 Periods 10 Marks
3. Election and Representation 10 Periods 10 Marks
4. Legislature 10 Periods 10 Marks
5. Executive 10 Periods 10 Marks
6. Judiciary 10 Periods 10 Marks
7. Federalism 10 Periods 10 Marks
8. Local Governments 10 Periods 10 Marks
9. Constitution as a living document. 10 Periods 10 Marks
10. The Philosophy of the constitution 10 Periods 10 Marks
Part B: Political Theory
11. Political Theory : An Introduction 10 Periods 10 Marks
12. Freedom 10 Periods 10 Marks
13. Equality 10 Periods 10 Marks
14. Social Justice 12 Periods 10 Marks
15. Rights 10 Periods 10 Marks
16. Secularism 10 Periods 10 Marks
17. Nationalism 10 Periods 10 Marks
18. Citizenship 10 Periods 10 Marks
19. Peace 10 Periods 10 Marks
20. Development 10 Periods 10 Marks
Course Content:
Part A: Indian Constitution at work
1. The Constitution : Why and How? The authority of a Constitutuion 12 Periods
Why do we need a constitution?
2. Rights in the Indian Constitution 12 Periods
The Importance of Rights, Fundamental Rights in the Indian Constitution, Directive Principles of State Policy, Relationship between Fundamental Rights and Directive Principles
3. Election and Representation 10 Periods
Elections of Democracy, Election System in India, Reservation of Constituencies, Free and Fair Elections, Electoral Reforms
4. Legislature 10 Periods
What do we need a Parliament? Two Houses of Parliament. Functions and Power of the Parliament, Legistative functions, control over executive. Parliamentary comittees. Self-regulation.
5. Executive 10 Periods
What is an Executive? Different Types of Executives. Parliament ary Executive in India: Prime Ministers and Council of Ministers. Permanent Executive-Bureaucracy,
6. Judiciary 10 Periods
Why do we need an Independent Judiciary? Structure of the Judiciary, Judicial Activism, Judiciary and Rights, Judiciary and Parliament
7. Federalism 10 Periods
What is Federalism? Federalism in the Indian Constitution, Federalism with a strong Central Government, conflicts in India's federal system, Special Provisions.
8. Local Governments 10 Periods
Why do we need Local Governments? Growth of Local Government in India, 73rd and 74th Amendments, implementation of 73rd and 74th Amendments
9. Constitution as a Living Document 10 Periods
Are Constitutions static? The procedure to amend the Constitution. Why have there been so many amendments? Basic Structure and Evolution of the Constitution. Constitution as
a Living Document
10. The Philosophy of the Constitution 10 Periods
What is meant by Philosophy of the Constitution? The Political philosophy of our Constitution? Procedural Achievements, Criticisms
Part B: Political Theory
11. Political Theory: An Introduction 10 Periods
What is Politics? What do we study in Political Theory? Putting Political Theory to practice. Why should we study Politial Theory?
12. Freedom 10 Periods
The Ideal of Freedom. What is Freedom? Why do we need constraints? Harm principle. Negative and Positive Liberty
13. Equality 10 Periods
Significane of Equality. What is Equality? Various dimensions of Equality. How can we promote Equality?
14. Social Justice 12 Periods
What is Justice? Just Distribution. Justice as fairness. Pursuing Social Justice
15. Rights 10 Periods
What are Rights? Where do Rights come from? Legal Rights and the State. Kinds of Rights. Rights and Responsibilities
16. Secularism 11 Periods
What is Secularism? What is Secular State? The Western and the Indian approach to Secularism. Criticisms and Rationale of Indian Secularism.
17. Nationalism 10 Periods
Nations and Nationalism, National Self-determination, Nationalism and Pluralism
18. Citizenship 11 Periods
What is citizenship? Citizen and Nation, Universal Citizenship, Global Citizenship
19. Peace 10 Periods
What is Peace? Can violence ever promote peace? Peace and the State. Different Approaches to the pursuit of peace. Contemporary challenges to peace.
20. Development 10 Periods
What is development? Criticism of the dominant. Development Model. Alternative conceptions of development Challenge of and responses to globalization: new economic policy and its opposition. Rise of OBCs in North Indian politics. Dalit politics in electoral and non-electoral arena.
Challenge of communalism: Ayodhya dispute, Gujarat riots.
Recommended text books :
1. Indian Constitution at Work, Published by NCERT
2. Political Theory, Published by NCERT
Class XII
Part A: Contemporary World-Politics
Units
1. Cold War Era in World Politics 14 Periods 14 Marks
2. Disintegration of the 'Second World' and the Collapse of Bipolarity 12 Periods 14 Marks
3. US Dominance in World Politics 12 Periods 16 Marks
4. Alternative centres of Economic and Political Power 10 Periods 16 Marks
5. South Asia in the Post-Cold War Era 12 Periods 16 Marks
6. International organizations in a unipolar world 12 Periods 10 Marks
7. Security in Contemporary World 10 Periods 10 Marks
8. Environment and Natural Resources 10 Periods 10 Marks
9. Globalisation and its Critics 12 Periods 10 Marks
Part B: Politics in India since independence
10. Nation-Building and its Problems 12 Periods 16 Marks
11. Era of One-Party Dominance 12 Periods 16 Marks
12. Politics of Planned Development 10 Periods 6 Marks
13. India’s External relations 12 Periods 6 Marks
14. Challenges to and Restoration of Congress System 12 Periods 12 Marks
15. Crisis of the Constitutional order 12 Periods 12 Marks
16. Regional aspirations and conflicts 10 Periods 16 Marks
17. Rise of New Social Movements 10 Periods 16 Marks
18. Recent Developments in Indian Politics 12 Periods 16 Marks
COURSE CONTENTS
Part A: Contemporary World Politics
Course Content: Periods
1. Cold War Era in World Politics 14 Periods
Emergence of two power blocs after the second world war. Arenas of the cold war. Challenges to Bipolarity: Non Aligned Movement, quest for new international economic order. India and the cold war.
2. Disintegration of the ‘Second World’ and the Collapse of Bipolarity. 12 Periods
New entities in world politics: Russia, Balkan states and Central Asian states, Introduction of democratic politics and capitalism in post-communist regimes. India’s relations with Russia and other post-communist countries.
3. US Dominance in World Politics: 12 Periods
Growth of unilateralism: Afghanistan, first Gulf War, response to 9/11 and attack on Iraq. Dominance and challenge to the US in economy and ideology. India’s renegotiation of its relationship with the USA.
4. Alternative Centres of Economic and Political Power: 10 Periods
Rise of China as an economic power in post-Mao era, creation and expansion of European Union, ASEAN. India’s changing relations with China.
5. South Asia in the Post-Cold War Era: 12 Periods
Democratisation and its reversals in Pakistan and Nepal. Ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka, Impact of economic globalization on the region. Conflicts and efforts for peace in South Asia. India’s relations with its neighbors.
6. International Organizations in a unipolar World: 12 Periods
Restructuring and the future of the UN. India’s position in the restructured UN. Rise of new international actors: new international economic organisations, NGOs. How democratic and accountable are the new institutions of global governance?
7. Security in Contemporary World: 10 Periods
Traditional concerns of security and politics of disarmament. Non-traditional or human security: global poverty, health and education. Issues of human rights and migration.
8. Environment and Natural Resources in Global Politics: 10 Periods
Environment movement and evolution of global environmental norms. Conflicts over traditional and common property resources. Rights of indigenous people. India's stand in global environmental debates.
9. Globalisation and Its Critics. 12 Periods
Economic, cultural and political manifestations. Debates on the nature of consequences of globalisation. Anti-globalisation movements. India as an arena of globalization and struggle against it.
Part B: Politics of India Since Independence
10. Nation-Building and Its Problems: 12 Periods
Nehru’s approach to nation-building: Legacy of partition: challenge of ‘refugee’ resettlement, the Kashmir problem. Organisation and reorganization of states; Political conflicts over language.
11. Era of One-Party Dominance: 12 Periods
First three general elections, nature of Congress dominance at the national level, uneven dominance at the state level, coalitional nature of Congress. Major opposition parties.
12. Politics of Planned Development 10 Periods
Five year plans, expansion of state sector and the rise of new economic interests. Famine and suspension of five year plans. Green revolution and its political fallouts.
13. India’s External Relations 12 Periods
Nehru’s foreign policy. Sino-Indian war of 1962, Indo-Pak war of 1965 and 1971. India’s nuclear programme and shifting alliances in world politics.
14. Challenge to and Restoration of Congress System: 12 Periods
Political succession after Nehru. Non-Congressism and electoral upset of 1967, Congress split and reconstitution, Congress’ victory in 1971 elections, politics of ‘garibi hatao’.
15. Crisis of the Constitutional Order: 12 Periods
Search for ‘committed’ bureaucracy and judiciary. Navnirman movement in Gujarat and the Bihar movement. Emergency: context, constitutional and extra-constitutional dimensions, resistance to emergency. 1977 elections and the formation of Janata Party. Rise of civil liberties organisations.
16. Regional Aspirations and Conflicts 10 Periods
Rise of regional parties. Punjab crisis and the anti-Sikh riots of 1984. The Kashmir situation. Challenges and responses in the North East.
17. Rise of New Social Movements: 10 Periods
Farmers’ movements, Women’s movement, Environment and Development-affected people’s movements. Implementation of Mandal Commission report and its aftermath.
18. Recent Developments in Indian politics: 12 Periods
Participatory upsurge in 1990s. Rise of the JD and the BJP. Increasing role of regional parties and coalition politics. UF and NDA governments. Elections 2004 and UPA government.
Recommended text books:
1. Contemporary World Politics, Published by NCERT
2. Politics of India Since Independence, Published by NCERT
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