UPSC Political Science and IR Optional Syllabus — Complete Guide
May 6, 2026 · 10 min read · My UPSC Syllabus
Political Science and International Relations (PSIR) is a prestigious optional chosen by approximately 5,000–6,000 candidates annually. It is particularly popular among humanities graduates and those with law or social science backgrounds.
Political Science and International Relations (PSIR) is a prestigious optional chosen by approximately 5,000–6,000 candidates annually. It is particularly popular among humanities graduates and those with law or social science backgrounds. The syllabus spans political theory, comparative politics, India's political system, and international relations.
PAPER I — POLITICAL THEORY AND INDIAN GOVERNMENT:
1. Political Theory: Meaning and approaches. Traditions of political theory. Theories of state: liberal, Marxist, pluralist, post-colonial. Theories of justice: Rawls, Nozick, Amartya Sen.
2. Key Concepts: Power, hegemony, ideology, legitimacy, sovereignty, democracy, liberty, equality, rights, citizenship, civil society, multiculturalism.
3. Indian Government: Constitutional framework. Parliament and state legislatures. Executive: President, Prime Minister, Cabinet. Judiciary: Supreme Court, independence, judicial review.
4. Indian Party System: Electoral system, party competition, coalition politics. Social movements and pressure groups.
5. Political Ideologies: Liberalism, Marxism, Socialism, Fascism, Feminism, Environmentalism, Post-modernism.
PAPER II — COMPARATIVE POLITICS AND INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS:
1. Comparative Politics: Approaches (structural-functional, systems, rational choice). Comparative constitutionalism. Democracy: classical, deliberative, participatory.
2. International Relations Theories: Realism (Morgenthau, Waltz), Liberalism (Keohane, Nye), Constructivism (Wendt), Marxism (dependency theory), Post-colonialism.
3. Changing International Order: End of Cold War, unipolarity, rise of China, multipolarity debates, global governance, UN reform.
4. India's Foreign Policy: Nehruvian non-alignment, post-Cold War pragmatism, Modi doctrine. India-USA (QUAD, Indo-Pacific), India-China (LAC, border), India-Russia, Act East Policy.
5. Regional Organisations: ASEAN, EU, African Union, SCO, BRICS, SAARC, BIMSTEC.
6. Global Issues: Nuclear non-proliferation (NPT, CTBT), terrorism, climate change, WTO, global financial architecture.
GS II OVERLAP: PSIR covers virtually the entire GS Paper II syllabus — Constitutional provisions, governance, IR. Candidates with PSIR optional often score very well in GS II as a direct result.
Tags: PSIR, Political Science, Optional, Mains