UGC NET Political Science Syllabus: Chapter Wise Topics, PDF Download, Pattern & More

NTA conducts UGC NET exam in two sessions. Candidates taking the UGC NET Political Science exam can check the syllabus in brief for the June session. The candidates can also learn about the UGC NET exam pattern, exam highlights, and more in the article.

UGC NET Political Science Syllabus

UGC NET Political Science Syllabus: The National Testing Agency (NTA) conducts the UGC NET exam twice a year (June and December sessions). Aspirants preparing for Political Science (Paper 2) should thoroughly understand both the subject syllabus and the general Paper 1 pattern to score well. This article provides a unit-wise breakdown of the UGC NET Political Science syllabus, marking scheme, exam pattern, and essential preparation strategies.

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UGC NET Exam Highlights

UGC NET exam highlights have been given below for the candidates in the table:

UGC NET Exam Pattern

The exam pattern for the UGC NET has been given below for the candidates. The candidates must know the exam pattern before applying for the UGC NET exam:

• The time duration of UGC NET exam is 180 minutes (3 hours)
• No negative marks are given for wrong answers
• No marks are deducted for unanswered questions

Also Read: UGC NET Psychology Syllabus 2025

Check the exam pattern for Paper 1 and Paper 2 in the table below:

UGC NET Political Science Syllabus

The UGC NET exam is conducted across 85 subjects. Candidates appear for two compulsory papers: Paper 1 (General Paper on Teaching & Research Aptitude) and Paper 2 (Subject-specific). Below is the syllabus for both papers.

UGC NET Political Science Paper 1 Syllabus

The Paper 1 syllabus is the common paper for all the candidates who are taking the UGC NET exam. Paper 1 comprises 50 questions that hold two marks for each correct answer. The total mark for Paper 1 is 100 marks. The syllabus for paper 1 has been given below for the candidates:

• Teaching Aptitude
• Research Aptitude
• Reading Comprehension
• Communication
• Reasoning
• Logical Reasoning
• Data Interpretation
• Information and Communication Technology
• People and Environment
• Higher Education System: Governance, Polity, and Administration

Also Read: UGC NET English Syllabus 2025

UGC NET Political Science Paper 2 Syllabus

Paper 2 is subject-specific and holds 200 marks for 100 questions. There is no negative marking for the exam. The syllabus for Political Science comprises 10 units. The detailed syllabus for the political science has been given below for the candidates:

Unit 1: Political Theory

• Political Traditions
• Liberalism
• Conservatism
• Socialism
• Marxism
• Feminism
• Ecologism
• Multiculturalism
• Postmodernism

Unit 2: Political Thought

• Confucius, Plato, Aristotle, Machiavelli, Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, Hegel, Mary Wollstonecraft, John Stuart Mill, Karl Marx, Gramsci, Hannah Arendt, Frantz
  Fanon, Mao Zedong, John Rawls

Unit 3: Indian Political Thought

• Dharmashastra, Kautilya, Aggannasutta, Barani, Kabir, Pandita Ramabai, Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Swami Vivekanand, Rabindranath Tagore, M.K Gandhi, Sri Aurobindo, Periyar E. V. Ramasamy, Muhammad Iqbal, M.N.Roy, V D Savarkar, Dr. B.R.Ambedkar, J L Nehru, Ram Manohar Lohia, Jaya Prakash Narayan, Deendayal Upadhyaya

Unit 4: Comparative Political Analysis

• Approaches: Institutional, Political Culture, Political Economy and New, Institutionalism; Comparative Methods
• Colonialism and decolonisation: forms of Colonialism, anti-colonial struggles, and decolonisation
• Nationalism: European and non-European
• State theory: the debate over the nature of the state in capitalist and socialist societies; post-colonial state; welfare state; globalization and nations-states
• Political regimes: democratic (Electoral, Liberal, Majoritarian and Participatory) and non-democratic regimes (Patrimonialism, Bureaucratic authoritarianism,
  Military dictatorship, Totalitarianism, and fascism)
• Constitutions and Constitutionalism: forms of constitutions, rule of law, judicial independence and liberal constitutionalism; emergency powers and the crisis of
  constitutionalism
• Democratisation: democratic transition and consolidation
• Development: Underdevelopment, Dependency, Modernization, World Systems, Theory, development and democracy
• Actor and Processes: Electoral Systems, Political Parties, and Party Systems, Interest groups, social movements, new social movements, Non-Governmental
  Organisations (NGOs) and civil society campaigns; Revolutions

Unit 5: International Relations

• Approaches to the study of International relations: Idealism, Realism, Structural, Marxism, Neoliberalism, Neorealism, Social Constructivism, Critical International
  Theory, Feminism, Postmodernism
• Concepts: State, state system and non-state actors, Power, Sovereignty, Security: traditional and non-traditional
• Conflict and Peace: Changing Nature of Warfare; Weapons of mass destruction; deterrence; conflict resolution, conflict transformation
• United Nations: Aims, Objectives, Structure, and Evaluation of the Working of UN; Peace and Development perspectives; Humanitarian intervention. International law; International Criminal Court
• Political Economy of IR; Globalisation; Global governance and Bretton Woods system, North-South Dialogue, WTO, G-20, BRICS
• Regional Organisations: European Union, African Union, Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, ASEAN
• Contemporary Challenges: International terrorism, Climate change and Environmental Concerns, Human Rights, Migration and Refugees; Poverty and Development; Role of Religion, Culture and Identity Politics

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Unit 6: India’s Foreign Policy

• Perspectives on India’s Foreign Policy: India’s Identity as postcolonial, development, rising power, and as emerging political economy
  Continuity and change in India’s Foreign Policy: Principles and determinants; Non-Alignment movement: historical background and relevance of Non Aligned
  Movement; India’s Nuclear Policy India’s relations with major powers: USA, USSR/Russia, People’s Republic of China
• India’s Engagement with the multipolar world: India’s relations with European Union, BRICS, ASEAN, Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, African Union, Southern African Development Community, Gulf Cooperation Council
• India’s relations with neighbourhood: SAARC, Gujaral doctrine, Look East/ Act East, Look WestIndia’s Negotiation Strategies in International Regimes: The United Nations, World Trade Organisation, International Monetary Fund, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
  Contemporary challenges: maritime security, energy security, environmental security, migrants and refugees, water resources, international terrorism, cyber security

Unit 7: Political Institutions in India

• Making of the Indian Constitution: Colonialism heritage and the contribution Indian National Movement to the making of the Indian Constitution
• Constituent Assembly: Composition, Ideological Moorings, Constitutional Debates
• Philosophy of the Constitution: Preamble, Fundamental Rights, Directive Principles
• Constitutionalism in India: Democracy, Social Change, National Unity, Checks and Balances, Basic Structure Debate, Constitutional Amendments
• Union Executive: President, Prime Minister and Council of Ministers
• Union Parliament: Structure, Role and Functioning, Parliamentary Committees
• Judiciary: Supreme Court, High Court, Judicial Review, Judicial Activism, Judicial Reform.
• Executive and Legislature in the States: Governor, Chief Minister, State Legislature
• Federalism in India: Strong Centre Framework, Asymmetrical Federal Provisions and Adaption, Role of Intergovernmental Coordination Mechanisms, Inter-State
  Council, Emerging Trends
• Electoral Process and Election Commission of India: Conduct of Elections, Rules, Electoral Reforms
• Local Government Institutions: Functioning and reforms
• Constitutional and Statutory Bodies: Comptroller and Auditor General, National Commission for Scheduled Castes, National Commission for Scheduled Tribes, National Commission for Human Rights, National Commission for Women, National Commission for Minorities

Unit 8: Political Processes in India

• State, Economy and Development: Nature of Indian State, Development Planning model, New Economic Policy, Growth and Human Development
• Process of globalisation: social and economic implications
• Identity Politics: Religion, Tribe, Caste, Region, Language
• Social Movements: Dalit, Tribal, Women, Farmers, labour
• Civil Society Groups: Non-Party Social Formations, Non-Governmental Organisations, Social Action Groups
• Regionalisation of Indian Politics: Reorganisation of Indian States, States as Political and Economic Units, Sub-State Regions, Regional disparities, Demand
  for New States
• Gender and Politics in India: Issues of Equality and Representation
• Ideology and Social basis of Political Parties: National Parties, State Parties
• Electoral Politics: Participation, Contestation, Representation, Emerging trends

Unit 9: Public Administration

• Public Administration: meaning and evolution; public and private administration
• Approaches: System Theory, Decision Making, Ecological Approach
• Public administration theories and concepts: Scientific Management Theory, Rational Choice theory, New Public Administration, Development Administration, Comparative Public Administration, New Public Management, changing nature of Public Administration in the era of liberalisation and Globalisation
• Theories and Principles of Organization: Scientific Management Theory, Bureaucratic Theory, Human Relations Theory
• Managing the organization: Theories of leadership and motivation
• Organisational Communication: Theories and Principles, Chester Bernard Principles of Communication, Information Management in the organization
• Managing Conflict in the Organization: Mary Parker Follett
• Management by Objectives- Peter Drucker

Unit 10: Governance and Public Policy in India

• Governance, good governance, and democratic governance, the role of the state, civil society, and individuals
• Accountability and control: Institutional mechanism for checks and balances, legislative control over the executive, administrative and budgetary control, control through parliamentary committees, judicial control over legislature and executive, administrative culture, corruption, and administrative reforms
• Institutional mechanisms for good governance: Right to Information, Consumer Protection Act, Citizen Charter; Grievance redress system: Ombudsman, Lokpal, Lokayukta
• Grassroots Governance: Panchayati Raj Institutions and their functioning
• Planning and Development: Decentralised planning, planning for development, sustainable development, participatory development, e-governance; NITI Aayog
• Public policy as an instrument of socio-economic development: public policies with special reference to housing, health, drinking water, food security, MNREGA, NHRM, RTE
• Monitoring and evaluation of public policy; mechanisms of making governance process accountable: Jansunwai, Social Audit

Age Limit for UGC NET/JRF

There is no upper age limit to apply for the UGC NET Assistant Professor role. For the Junior Research Fellowship (JRF), the upper age limit is 30 years (or 31 years as specified in the official NTA notification for the session), with up to 5 years relaxation for reserved categories (OBC-NCL, SC, ST, PwD, third gender) and women applicants.

UGC NET 2025 Preparation Tips

The candidates who want to qualify for the UGC NET exam with flying colours must follow the tips given below for the candidates:

• Start preparation during post-graduation to align master’s coursework with the UGC NET syllabus.
• Refer to standard reference texts and master’s curricula of central universities for core political concepts.
• Practice previous years' question papers (PYQs) and analyze high-frequency topics and trend shifts.
• Take timed online mock tests to improve time management and adapt to the Computer-Based Test (CBT) environment.
• Balance study time equally between Paper 1 and Paper 2; Paper 1 often acts as the key rank booster for securing a JRF.

Read More: UGC NET Preparation Tips 2025