CUET will likely be held in May 2026, in the computer-based test mode. CUET Political Science syllabus covers important topics including Politics in India, the Rise of Social Movements, Contemporary World Politics, etc. Know the important topics to focus and the weightage of each topic based on the previous year's CUET question paper.
CUET Political Science syllabus is provided by the National Testing Agency (NTA) in the form of a PDF. The Common University Entrance Test (CUET) is a UG entrance exam for admission to the top universities in India. CUET Political Science syllabus covers a wide range of important topics such as Politics in India, Rise of Social Movements, Contemporary World Politics, etc. The CUET syllabus for Political Science includes the names of the units and the various important topics covered under each unit. Candidates can also download the CUET Political Science syllabus PDF from the official website, nta.ac.in or cuet.samarth.ac.in. Read the article below to know the important topics to focus and the weightage of each topic of the Political Science syllabus based on the previous year CUET question paper.
Explore colleges based on CUET
CUET 2026 exam will likely be held in May 2026, in the CBT mode. The CUET application form 2026 is expected to be released in the first week of March 2026. CUET is a national-level exam which serves as a gateway to various undergraduate courses offered in the central, state, private and deemed universities across India.
CUET UG question paper for each subject will consist of 50 questions. Candidates will be required to attempt all questions and no optional questions will be provided. In CUET UG 2026 there are 37 subjects- 13 languages, 23 domain subjects and general tests. While filling the CUET application form, candidates can select upto five CUET subjects aligning with the subjects studied in class 12th and course requirement.
Candidates must attempt all the questions of the subjects selected. However, candidates must keep in mind the negative marking and select the options carefully.
As per the CUET UG 2026 exam pattern, the question paper will include 50 multiple-choice questions (MCQs). The CUET UG 2026 exam will be conducted for 13 languages, 23 domain subjects, and general test. Each subject will consist of 50 MCQs and there will no optional questions. All questions are mandatory to attempt. For every wrong answer negative marking of one mark will be attracted.
Also Read: CUET Accepting Colleges
- CUET Political Science Exam Pattern 2026
- CUET Political Science Syllabus 2026
- CUET Chapter Wise Weightage
- CUET Domain Subjects: Syllabus and Question Paper
- CUET 2026 Political Science Preparation Tips
CUET Political Science Exam Pattern 2026
Aspirants must be through with the CUET exam pattern for Political Science. Refer to the table below to know the CUET Political Science exam pattern.
| Features |
Details |
|---|---|
| Number of questions |
50 |
| Type of question |
Multiple Choice Question (MCQ) |
| CUET exam duration |
60 minutes or 1 hour |
| CUET marking scheme |
+5 for each correct answer -1 for each incorrect answer |
CUET Political Science Syllabus 2026
The table below presents the unit-wise topics under CUET Political Science syllabus:
| CUET Political Science Units |
CUET Political Science Syllabus Topics |
CUET Political Science Syllabus Subtopics |
|---|---|---|
| Politics in India Since Independence |
The era of One-Party Dominance |
- 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 |
| Nation-Building and Its Problems |
- Nehru’s approach to nation-building, in terms of Legacy of partition, the challenge of ‘refugee’ resettlement, the Kashmir problem - Organization and reorganisation of states - Political conflicts over language. |
|
| Politics of Planned Development |
- Five- year plans - expansion of state sector - rise of new economic interests - Famine and suspension of five-year plans - Green revolution and its political fallouts |
|
| India’s External Relations |
- Nehru’s foreign policy - Sino-Indian war of 1962 - Indo-Pak war of 1965 and 1971 - India’s nuclear programme - shifting alliances in world politics |
|
| Challenge to and Restoration of Congress System |
- Political succession after Nehru - Non-Congressism and Electoral Upset of 1967 - Congress split and reconstitution - Congress’ victory in 1971 - Politics of ‘garibi hatao’ |
|
| Crisis of the Constitutional Order |
- Search for ‘committed’ bureaucracy and judiciary. - Navnirman movement in Gujarat - Bihar movement - Emergency: context, constitutional and extra-constitutional dimensions, resistance to emergency. - 1977 elections and the formation of the Janata Party - Rise of civil liberties organisations. |
|
| Regional Aspirations and Conflicts |
- Rise of regional parties - Punjab crisis and anti-sikh riots of 1984 - The Kashmir situation - Challenges and responses in the North East |
|
| Rise of New Social Movements |
- Farmers’ movements - Women’s movement - Environment - Development-affected people’s movements - Implementation of Mandal Commission report and its aftermath |
|
| Democratic Upsurge and Coalition Politics |
- Participatory upsurge in the 1990s - Rise of the JD and the BJP - The increasing role of regional parties and coalition politics - UF and NDA governments - Elections 2004 and UPA government. |
|
| Recent Issues and Challenges |
- Challenge of and responses to globalisation - New economic policy and its opposition - Rise of OBCs in North Indian politics - Dalit politics in the electoral and non-electoral arena - Challenge of communalism - Ayodhya dispute - Gujarat riots |
|
| Contemporary World Politics |
Cold War Era in World Politics |
- Emergence of two power blocs after the second world war - Arenas of the cold war - Challenges to Bipolarity - Non-Aligned Movement - the quest for new international economic order - India and the cold war |
| Disintegration of the ‘Second World’ and the Collapse of Bipolarity |
- 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. |
|
| US Dominance in World Politics |
- 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. |
|
| Alternative Centres of Economic and Political Power |
- Rise of China as an economic power in post- Mao era - Creation, and expansion of European Union, ASEAN. - India’s changing relations with China |
|
| South Asia in the Post-Cold War Era |
- Democratisation and its reversals in Pakistan and Nepal - Ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka - Impact of economic globalisation on the region - Conflicts and efforts for peace in South Asia - India’s relations with its neighbours. |
|
| International Organisations in a Unipolar World |
- Restructuring and the future of the UN - India’s position in the restructured UN - Rise of new international actors - new international economic organisations, NGOs. - Accountability & democracy of new institutions of global governance? |
|
| Security in the Contemporary World |
- Traditional concerns of security and politics of disarmament - Non-traditional or human security: global poverty, health, and education. - Issues of human rights and migration. |
|
| Environment and Natural Resources in Global Politics |
- 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 |
|
| Globalisation and Its Critics |
- Economic, cultural and political manifestations. - Debates on the nature of consequences of globalisation - Anti-globalization movements - India as an arena of globalisation and struggles against it. |
Also Read: CUET syllabus for Humanities/Arts students
CUET Chapter Wise Weightage
Based on the previous years’ CUET analysis, candidates can know the CUET Political Science important topics and the expected number of questions of each topic:
| Topics |
Weightage |
|
|---|---|---|
| Recent Developments in Indian Politics |
8-9 |
|
| Challenges to the Congress System |
5 |
|
| The End of bipolarity |
2-3 |
|
| Cold War Era |
3-4 |
|
| US Hegemony in World Politics |
2-3 |
|
| Alternative Centers of Power |
2-3 |
|
| Contemporary South Asia |
2-3 |
|
| International Organizations |
2-3 |
|
| Security in the Contemporary World |
2-3 |
|
| Globalisation |
2-3 |
|
| Environment and Natural Resources |
2-3 |
|
Also Read:
CUET Domain Subjects: Syllabus and Question Paper
Students preparing for CUET can now download the CUET domain subject wise question paper and detailed syllabus for other commerce subjects.
| Subjects |
CUET Syllabus |
CUET Question Paper |
|---|---|---|
| English |
||
| General Test |
||
| History |
||
| Geography |
||
| Fine Arts |
CUET Fine Arts Question Paper (Awaited) |
|
| Psychology |
||
| Sociology |
||
| Mass Media/ Mass Communication |
CUET Mass Media/ Mass Communication Question Paper PDF (Awaited) |
CUET 2026 Political Science Preparation Tips
Candidates can check a few CUET preparation tips for Political Science below:
The CUET questions are objective in nature and carries four options also known as MCQs. Candidates will have to choose the correct answer option and click on it with the help of mouse. Since CUET UG 2026 exam will be conducted in a CBT mode, test-takers will be able to mark only one answer option. In case it is the correct option, students will get +5 marks and in case of wrong answer, negative marking scheme will be applied. Hence, candidates must ensure the accuracy of the answer before selecting the answer.
- To perform well in the CUET Political Science exam, the students need to go through the best books for the domain subject. They should refer to the recommended CUET preparation books.
- Solving previous year's question papers and taking CUET mock tests 2026 can also help candidates become familiar with the CUET exam pattern and difficulty level of the question paper.
- Students should prepare notes during the course of their CUET preparation to keep track of the important topics.
- Candidates should focus on managing time to complete the CUET syllabus for Political Science by making a proper study plan.
Read More:

News & Updates
Explore Other Exams
Aug '25 | NEST NISER commencement of cla... |
18 Aug '25 | NEST CEBS 2025 Counselling: Cl... |
16 Aug '25 - 19 Aug '25 | IISER 2025 Round 4 Seat Allotm... |
8 Aug '25 - 12 Aug '25 | IISER 2025 Round 3 Seat Allotm... |
Jul '25 | ITM NEST 2025 Result Date |
Jun '25 | ITM NEST 2025 Exam date |
24 Nov '25 | OUAT 2025 Campus Reporting for... |
Jan '26 | OUAT 2025 Campus Reporting for... |
Jul '22 | DAVV CET 2022 Registration |
Student Forum
Answered Yesterday
Hi...
h
Scholar-Level 17
Answered Yesterday
Hi.
h
Scholar-Level 17
Answered 4 weeks ago
No, CUET UG exam 2026 date has not been announced yet. It is expected that National Testing Agency will announce the CUET exam date 2026 anytime soon. The exam is expected to be scheduled in May-June. Candidates willing to appear for the exam must make sure to register for the exam online. As per th
Answered a month ago
The exam (CUET UG 2025) was held from May 13 to early June (roughly) for many programmes.
The counselling/admission process for BCA programmes at many universities began in July 2025. For example, one news source for a university in Indore said counselling and registration “will soon open … likely b
B
Beginner-Level 1
Answered a month ago
No you can't. To get admission in ipu in BBA LLB course you have to give CLAT Exam
H
Beginner-Level 1
Answered a month ago
Career College Bhopal provides CUET Scholarships. Students who have appeared for the CUET exam are eligible for this scholarship. Shortlisted students get 10% waiver in the fee under this scholarship.
N
Guide-Level 15
Answered a month ago
The table below shows the top colleges in India accepting CUET scores along with their tuition fees:
Top Colleges | Tuition Fees |
|---|---|
Hindu College | INR 86,010 |
Miranda House | INR 19,014 |
Hansraj College | INR 540 |
Kirori Mal College | INR 50,445 |
ARSD College | INR 540 |
Disclaimer: This info. is taken from official website and may vary.
T
Contributor-Level 10
Answered a month ago
You can't do BBA from CUET with PCB in 12 th as CUET requires the same subjects as in 12th for BBA you need math's English and general test
L
Beginner-Level 1
Answered a month ago
No, Bapuji Academy of Management & Research (BAMR) is not under CUET. The academy accepts the scores of certain other entrance exams such as, MAT/PGCET/KMAT. Candidates who have passed graduation with a minimum of 50% aggregate (45% for reserved category) can apply for admission.
S
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 2 months ago
No, Terna Global Business School is not under CUET. Rather the college accepts scores of various other entrance exams such as CAT, XAT, GMAT, MAT, MAH-CET, etc. Candidates are not required to appear for the CUET exam rather they must appear for any of these exams.
S
Contributor-Level 10
CUET UG Language section will include 50 questions. Candidates must attempt all questions. There will be no optional questions.
The language section will check candidate's reading comprehension based on different types of passages. This section will also include questions from grammar. To prepare for the CUET UG language section, candidates must solve previous year question papers and mock tests to become familiar with the type of questions asked in the exam.