Syllabus Module of Department of Political Science( Programme)

Political Science (Programme)

 SEMESTER- I
Course Title (Core Course): Introduction to Political Theory
Course Code: APPLS-101/C-1A
                                              Contact Hours/Week: 6

                                  

Sri Amit Pal

1. a. What is Politics?
2. What is Political Theory and what is its relevance?

 Sri Munnalal Tikait

2. Concepts: Democracy, Liberty, Equality, Justice, Rights, Gender.

Dr. Priyanka Banerjee

3. Debates in Political Theory:
4. Is democracy compatible with economic growth?
5. On what grounds is censorship justified and what are its limits?
6. Does protective discrimination violate principles of fairness?
7. Should the State intervene in the institution of the family?

SEMESTER- II

Course Title (Core Course): Indian Government and Politics
Course Code: APPLS-201C-1B
                                             Contact Hours/Week: 6

Prof. Santiram Mondal

        1) Indian Constitution: basic features, debates on Fundamental Rights and Directive
         Principles.

 Dr. Priyanka Banerjee

       2) Institutional Functioning: Prime Minister, Parliament and Judiciary.
       3) Power Structure in India: Caste, class and patriarchy.
       4) Religion and Politics: debates on secularism and communalism.

 Sri Munnalal Tikait

      5) Party systems in India.
      6) Social Movements: Workers, Peasants and Environmental.
      7) Strategies of Development in India since Independence: Planned Economy and Neo-     Liberalism.

SEMESTER- III

Course Title (Core Course): Comparative Government and Politics
Course Code: APPLS-301/C-1C
                                            Contact Hours/Week: 6

 

Prof. Santiram Mondal

1. The nature, scope and methods of comparative political analysis.

 Sri Munnalal Tikait

2. Comparing Regimes: Authoritarian and Democratic.
3. Classifications of political systems:
4. a) Parliamentary and Presidential: UK and USA.
5. b) Federal and Unitary: USA and France.

Dr. Priyanka Banerjee

4. Electoral Systems: First past the post, proportional representation, mixed systems.
5. Party Systems: one-party, two-party and multi-party systems.
6. Contemporary debates on the nature of state: From state centric security to human centric security and the changing nature of nation-state in the context of globalization.

SEMESTER- III

Course Title (Skill Enhancement Course): Legislative Support
Course Code: APPLS-305/SEC-1
                                          Contact Hours/Week: 2

Dr. Priyanka Banerjee

1. Legislative Process:

           Question: Rules of Putting Questions to the Minister: Types of Questions (written and   verbal;supplementary).

           Others: Rules Relating to Calling Attention, Mention, Adjournment, Resolution, Discussion     including Short Discussion, Censure and No-Confidence.

           How a bill becomes law, role of the Standing committee in reviewing a bill, legislative consultants, the framing of rules and regulations.

Sri Amit Pal

1. Supporting the Legislative Committees:

            Types of committees, role of committees in reviewing government finances, policy, programmes, and legislation.

           III. Reading the Budget Document:

            Overview of Budget Process, Role of Parliament in reviewing the Union Budget, Examination    of  Demands for Grants of Ministries, Working of Ministries.

SEMESTER- IV

Course Title (Core Course): International Relations
Course Code: APPLS-401/C-1D
                                                 Contact Hours/Week: 6

Dr. Priyanka Banerjee

1. Evolution and Approaches to International Relations:
2. Evolution of international relations as an autonomous discipline.
3. Major Theories: Realism and Neo-Realism, Liberalism and its variants.
4. Behavioural Theory: Systems Theory, Decision-Making Theory, Communication Theory.

Sri Munnalal Tikait

2. Cold War and Post-Cold War Era:

           (a) Origins and Phases of Cold War; End of Cold War and Collapse of the Soviet Union.
           (b) Post Cold- War Era and Emerging Centers of Power (European Union, China and    Russia)

3. India’s Foreign Policy:

          (a) Basic Determinants (Historical, Geo-Political, Economic, Domestic and Strategic).
          (b) India’s Policy of Non-alignment.
          (c) India’s Relationship with Pakistan, USA and China.

SEMESTER- IV

Course Title (Skill Enhancement Course): Democratic Awareness with Legal Literacy
Course Code: APPLS-405/SEC-2
                                             Contact Hours/Week: 2

Dr. Priyanka Banerjee

          Unit I:

          Outline of the Legal system in India.
          System of courts/tribunals and their jurisdiction in India--- criminal and civil courts, writ
          jurisdiction, specialized courts such as juvenile courts, Mahila Courts and tribunals.
          Role of the police and magistracy in criminal law administration.
          Alternate dispute mechanisms such as Lok Adalats, non‐formal mechanisms.

 Prof. Santiram Mondal

          Unit II:

         Brief understanding of the laws applicable in India.
         Constitution: fundamental rights, fundamental duties, other constitutional rights and their   manner of enforcement, with emphasis on public interest litigation.

 Sri Amit Pal

           Laws relating to criminal jurisdiction: provision relating to filing an FIR, arrest, bail     search and some understanding of the questions of evidence and procedure in Cr. P.C. and     related laws,

           offences against women, juvenile justice, prevention of atrocities on Scheduled Castes and  Scheduled Tribes.
            Concepts of Principles of Natural Justice, Fair comment under Contempt laws.
            Laws relating to consumer rights.
            Laws relating to cyber crimes.
            Anti‐terrorist laws: implications for security and human rights.

 Sri Munnalal Tikait

           Unit III: Access to courts and enforcement of rights:

          Legal Services Authorities Act and right to legal aid.

           Practical application: What to do if you are arrested; if you are a consumer with a       grievance; if you are a victim of sexual harassment; domestic violence; filing a public interest   litigation. How can you challenge

        administrative orders that violate rights, judicial and administrative remedies.

        Using a hypothetical case of (for example) child abuse or sexual harassment or any         other violation of a right, preparation of an FIR or writing a complaint addressed to the appropriate   authority.

SEMESTER- V

Course Title (Discipline Specific Elective Course):
Administration and Public Policy--- Concepts and Theories
Course Code: APPLS-501/DSE-1A
                                         Contact Hours/Week: 6

 Prof. Santiram Mondal

1. Public administration:
   Meaning, scope and significance; public and private administration; brief evolution and     major approaches; from comparative approaches to public administration.

2. Administrative theories:
   Classical; Scientific Management; Human-Relations; and Rational Decision-Making.

Dr. Priyanka Banerjee

3. Understanding public policy:
   Concept and theories; relevance of policy making in public administration; process of policy formulation and implementation; evaluation.

Sri Munnalal Tikait

4. From Development Administration to New Public Management:
   Elements and politics of development administration, the New Public Management paradigm --- a critical perspective in the post globalized era.

SEMESTER- V

Course Title (Generic Elective Course): Human Rights, Gender and Environment
(to be opted by students from other departments)
Course Code: APPLS-503/GE-1
                                              Contact Hours/Week: 6

Sri Munnalal Tikait

1. Understanding Social Inequality:
   Caste, Gender, Ethnicity and Class as distinct categories and their interconnection.Globalisation and its impact on workers, peasants, dalits, adivasis and women.

 Prof. Santiram Mondal

1. Human Rights:
   Human Rights: Various Meanings.
   UN Declarations.
   Human Rights and Citizenship Rights.
   Human Rights and the Indian Constitution.
   The role of the National Human Rights Commission.
   Human Rights of Marginalized Groups: Dalits, Adivasis, Women, Minorities and Unorganized Workers.
   Human Rights Movement in India.

Dr. Priyanka Banerjee

              III. Gender:
              Gender, Culture and History
              Economic Development and Women
              The issue of Women’s Political Participation and Representation in India
              Women’s Movements in India

            IV Environment:
            Environmental and Sustainable Development.
            UN Environment Programme: Rio, Johannesburg and after.
            Environment Policy in India.
            Environmental Movement in India.

SEMESTER- V

Course Title (Skill Enhancement Course): Public Opinion and Survey Research
Course Code: APPLS-504/SEC-3
                                              Contact Hours/Week: 2

Prof. Santiram Mondal

1. Introduction to the course:
   Public Opinion: Definition and characteristics.
   Debates about its role in a democratic political system, uses for opinion poll.

Dr. Priyanka Banerjee

1. Measuring Public Opinion with Surveys--- Representation and sampling:
2. What is sampling? Why do we need to sample? Sample design.
3. Sampling error and non‐response.
4. Types of sampling: Non random sampling (quota, purposive and snowball sampling); random sampling: simple and stratified.

III. Survey Research:

1. Interviewing: Interview techniques pitfalls, different types of and forms of interview.
2. Questionnaire: Question wording; fairness and clarity.

Sri Munnalal Tikait

1. Quantitative Data Analysis:
2. Introduction to quantitative data analysis
3. Basic concepts: correlational research, causation and prediction, descriptive and inferential Statistics.

SEMESTER- VI

Course Title (Discipline Specific Elective Course): Democracy and Governance
Course Code: APPLS-601/DSE-1B
                                          Contact Hours/Week: 6

1. Structure and Process of Governance:
   Indian Model of Democracy, Parliament, Party Politics and Electoral behaviour, Federalism, The Supreme Court and Judicial Activism, Units of Local Governance (Rural and Urban).

2. Ideas, Interests and Institutions in Public Policy:
3. Contextual Orientation of Policy Design.
4. Institutions of Policy Making.
5. Regulatory Institutions – SEBI, TRAI, Competition Commission of India.
6. Lobbying Institutions: Chambers of Commerce and Industries, Trade Unions, Farmers Associations, etc.

3. Contemporary Political Economy of Development in India:
   Policy Debates over Models of Development in India, Recent trends of Liberalisation of Indian Economy in different sectors, E‐governance.

4. Dynamics of Civil Society:
   New Social Movements and Various interests, Role of NGO’s, Understanding the political significance of Media and Popular Culture.

SEMESTER- VI

Course Title (Generic Elective Course): Reading Gandhi
Course Code: APPLS-603/GE-2
(to be opted by students from other departments)
                                                Contact Hours/Week: 6

1. A) Hind Swaraj:
2. Gandhi in his own words: A close reading of Hind Swaraj.
3. Commentaries on Hind Swaraj and Gandhian thought:
4. B) Gandhi and modern India:
5. Nationalism.
6. Communal unity.
7. Women’s Question.
8. Untouchability.

SEMESTER- VI

Course Title (Skill Enhancement Course): Conflict and Peace Building
Course Code: APPLS-604/SEC-4
                                          Contact Hours/Week: 2

 

           Unit 1: Basic Concepts on War and Peace:

1. Causes of War
2. Approaches to Peace.

          Unit III: Dimensions of Conflict:

1. Ideology: Ideologies and Conflict in the Post-Cold War Era.
2. Socio-Cultural Conflicts: Ethnic.

          Unit II: Sites of Conflict:

1. Local.
2. Sub‐National.
3. International.

          Unit III: Methods for Conflict Resolution:

1. Mediation, Negotiation and Diplomacy (Track- I, Track- II and Multi Track).
2. Peace Movement during Gandhi’s Period.