What is the UGC NET Political Science syllabus?
UGC NET Political Science is listed under Subject Code 02. Paper 2 contains ten units covering political theory, Western and Indian political thought, comparative politics, international relations, Indiaโs foreign policy, Indian political institutions and processes, public administration, governance and public policy.
The updated syllabus displayed by the UGC NET Bureau is applicable from the June 2019 examination onward. Candidates should still verify the latest bulletin for dates, eligibility and administrative instructions.
UGC NET Political Science exam pattern
| Paper | Coverage | Questions | Marks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper 1 | Teaching and Research Aptitude, reasoning, communication, ICT, higher education and related aptitude areas | 50 | 100 |
| Paper 2 | Political Science, Subject Code 02 | 100 | 200 |
| Total | Combined examination | 150 | 300 |
Use the complete UGC NET Paper 1 syllabus and the Paper 1 PYQ preparation strategy to plan both papers together.
The complete Political Science syllabus at a glance
Political Theory
Concepts: Liberty, Equality, Justice, Rights, Democracy, Power and Citizenship, Political traditions: Liberalism, Conservatism, Socialism and Marxism, Feminism, Ecologism, Multiculturalism and Postmodernism.
Political Thought
Confucius, Plato, Aristotle and Machiavelli, Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau and Hegel, Mary Wollstonecraft, J. S. Mill, Karl Marx, Gramsci, Hannah Arendt, Frantz Fanon, Mao Zedong and John Rawls.
Indian Political Thought
Dharamshastra, Kautilya, Aggannasutta and Barani, Kabir, Pandita Ramabai, Tilak, Vivekananda, Tagore and Gandhi, Aurobindo, Periyar, Iqbal, M. N. Roy, Savarkar, Ambedkar, Nehru, Lohia, J. P. Narayan and Deendayal Upadhyaya.
Comparative Political Analysis
Approaches: Institutional, Political Culture, Political Economy and New Institutionalism, Colonialism, nationalism, state theory, regimes, constitutions and democratisation, Development, power structures, electoral systems, parties, movements, NGOs, civil society and revolutions.
International Relations
Idealism, Realism, Structural Marxism, Neoliberalism, Neorealism and Constructivism, Power, sovereignty, security, conflict, peace, United Nations, international law and ICC, Global political economy, WTO, G-20, BRICS, regional organisations and contemporary global challenges.
Indiaโs Foreign Policy
Indiaโs postcolonial, developmental and rising-power identities, Non-Alignment, nuclear policy and relations with USA, Russia and China, Neighbourhood policy, multilateral engagement and contemporary security challenges.
Political Institutions in India
Making of the Constitution, Constituent Assembly and constitutional philosophy, Union executive, Parliament, judiciary, states and federalism, Election Commission, local government and constitutional/statutory bodies.
Political Processes in India
State, economy, development and globalisation, Identity politics, social movements and civil society groups, Regionalisation, gender, political parties and electoral politics.
Public Administration
Meaning and evolution; public and private administration, Systems, decision-making, ecological approach, scientific management and bureaucracy, Human relations, leadership, communication, conflict management and Management by Objectives.
Governance and Public Policy in India
Governance, accountability and legislative, administrative and judicial control, RTI, Citizen Charter, Lokpal, Lokayukta and grievance redress, Panchayati Raj, decentralised planning, e-governance, NITI Aayog, public policy and social audit.
Complete UGC NET Political Science Paper 2 syllabus
The list below follows the official ten-unit structure and presents it in a cleaner, readable format.
Unit 1: Political Theory
- Concepts: Liberty, Equality, Justice, Rights, Democracy, Power and Citizenship
- Political traditions: Liberalism, Conservatism, Socialism and Marxism
- Feminism, Ecologism, Multiculturalism and Postmodernism
Unit 2: Political Thought
- Confucius, Plato, Aristotle and Machiavelli
- Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau and Hegel
- Mary Wollstonecraft, J. S. Mill, Karl Marx, Gramsci, Hannah Arendt, Frantz Fanon, Mao Zedong and John Rawls
Unit 3: Indian Political Thought
- Dharamshastra, Kautilya, Aggannasutta and Barani
- Kabir, Pandita Ramabai, Tilak, Vivekananda, Tagore and Gandhi
- Aurobindo, Periyar, Iqbal, M. N. Roy, Savarkar, Ambedkar, Nehru, Lohia, J. P. Narayan and Deendayal Upadhyaya
Unit 4: Comparative Political Analysis
- Approaches: Institutional, Political Culture, Political Economy and New Institutionalism
- Colonialism, nationalism, state theory, regimes, constitutions and democratisation
- Development, power structures, electoral systems, parties, movements, NGOs, civil society and revolutions
Unit 5: International Relations
- Idealism, Realism, Structural Marxism, Neoliberalism, Neorealism and Constructivism
- Power, sovereignty, security, conflict, peace, United Nations, international law and ICC
- Global political economy, WTO, G-20, BRICS, regional organisations and contemporary global challenges
Unit 6: Indiaโs Foreign Policy
- Indiaโs postcolonial, developmental and rising-power identities
- Non-Alignment, nuclear policy and relations with USA, Russia and China
- Neighbourhood policy, multilateral engagement and contemporary security challenges
Unit 7: Political Institutions in India
- Making of the Constitution, Constituent Assembly and constitutional philosophy
- Union executive, Parliament, judiciary, states and federalism
- Election Commission, local government and constitutional/statutory bodies
Unit 8: Political Processes in India
- State, economy, development and globalisation
- Identity politics, social movements and civil society groups
- Regionalisation, gender, political parties and electoral politics
Unit 9: Public Administration
- Meaning and evolution; public and private administration
- Systems, decision-making, ecological approach, scientific management and bureaucracy
- Human relations, leadership, communication, conflict management and Management by Objectives
Unit 10: Governance and Public Policy in India
- Governance, accountability and legislative, administrative and judicial control
- RTI, Citizen Charter, Lokpal, Lokayukta and grievance redress
- Panchayati Raj, decentralised planning, e-governance, NITI Aayog, public policy and social audit
Do not study the ten units as isolated subjects
| Core unit | Connected units | Why the connection matters |
|---|---|---|
| Political Theory | Political Thought and Indian Political Thought | Concepts such as liberty, equality and justice become clearer through thinkers and traditions. |
| Comparative Political Analysis | Political Processes in India | States, regimes, parties, movements and development appear in both comparative and national contexts. |
| International Relations | Indiaโs Foreign Policy | Theories of power, security and global order provide the framework for foreign-policy analysis. |
| Political Institutions in India | Political Processes in India | Formal constitutional structures must be studied with parties, movements, identity and elections. |
| Public Administration | Governance and Public Policy | Administrative theory supports accountability, reforms, decentralisation and policy implementation. |
A practical order for completing the syllabus
- Begin with Political Theory. Build clarity in liberty, equality, justice, rights, democracy, power and citizenship.
- Study Political Thought and Indian Political Thought. Use thinker-wise comparison tables.
- Move to Comparative Political Analysis. This builds the language of states, regimes, constitutions and democratisation.
- Study International Relations followed by Indiaโs Foreign Policy.
- Complete Political Institutions and Political Processes in India together.
- Finish with Public Administration and Governance/Public Policy.
How to prepare the UGC NET Political Science syllabus
1. Convert the official syllabus into a tracker
Break every unit into subtopics and mark concept learning, notes, PYQs and revision separately.
2. Connect thinkers with concepts
Study each thinker through context, core arguments, key concepts and criticism.
3. Build comparison tables
Compare ideologies, thinkers, political systems, IR approaches and administrative theories.
4. Study institutions and processes together
Connect constitutional provisions with elections, parties, social movements and identity politics.
5. Practise PYQs after every concept cluster
Do not postpone all previous-year questions until the syllabus is complete.
6. Separate static and update-sensitive content
Keep foreign policy, governance and current public-policy developments in a separate update notebook.
What makes Political Science preparation difficult?
- Memorising thinkers without their arguments
- Ignoring chronology and historical context
- Studying institutions without political processes
- Reading current affairs without theoretical context
- Skipping Public Administration
- Assuming fixed unit-wise weightage
- Leaving Paper 1 until the end
A repeatable system for Political Science preparation
A unit is exam-ready only when the learner can recognise the concept, connect it with the correct thinker or institution, distinguish it from similar options and apply it to unfamiliar questions.
Prepare Paper 1 alongside Political Science Paper 2
Use the complete Paper 1 syllabus and PYQ strategy to create a balanced preparation plan.
UGC NET Political Science syllabus FAQs
What is the subject code for UGC NET Political Science?
Political Science is listed under Subject Code 02 in the official UGC NET syllabus repository.
How many units are there in Political Science Paper 2?
There are ten official units, beginning with Political Theory and ending with Governance and Public Policy in India.
Is Public Administration included in Political Science Paper 2?
Yes. Public Administration is Unit 9.
Is Indiaโs Foreign Policy a separate unit?
Yes. Indiaโs Foreign Policy is Unit 6.
Is there fixed unit-wise weightage?
The official syllabus does not prescribe a fixed number of questions from each unit.
Should Paper 1 and Political Science be prepared together?
Yes. Both papers contribute to the combined UGC NET score and are attempted in the same examination session.