ISC Political Science Class 11 Syllabus 2025-26

Part I (20 marks) consists of compulsory short answer questions, testing knowledge, application and skills relating to elementary or fundamental aspects of the entire syllabus.

Part II (60 marks) is divided into two sections A & B. You are required to answer three questions out of five from Section A and two questions out of three from Section B. Each question in this part carries 12 marks.

Section A: Political Theory

1. Introduction to Political Science

(i) Meaning of Political Science; Scope of contemporary Political Science: Political Theory, Comparative Politics, International Relations, Public Administration and Political Economy. Nature of Political Science.

Meaning of Political Science; Scope of contemporary Political Science with reference to Political Theory, Comparative Politics, International Relations, Public Administration and Political Economy. Nature of Political Science - Is Political Science a Science?

(ii) Fundamental Concepts

State and its elements; Difference between State and Society, State and Association, State and Government, State and Nation; Nationality.

Definition of State and elements of the State: (a) Population (b) Territory (c) Government (d) Sovereignty. Definition of Society; Association; Nation and nationality. Differences between – State and Society; State and Association; State and Government; State and Nation.

2. The Origin of the State

Divine Origin Theory; the Social Contract Theory (Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau); the Evolutionary Theory.

Various theories of the origin of State:

Divine Theory: brief history of this theory, divine rights of the kings - examples from modern monarchical states like England and Bhutan. Critical evaluation of the theory.

The Social Contract theory: Views of Hobbes, Locke and Rousseau; Critical evaluation of the theory.

Evolutionary Theory: factors for the growth of this theory such as kinship, religion, economic factors, wars and conflicts and the need for political power.

3. Political Ideologies

Liberalism, Socialism; Communism and Fascism.

Liberalism, Socialism; Communism and Fascism: Meaning, features with reference to the purpose of the State. Critical evaluation of each ideology.

4. Sovereignty

Meaning, kinds and characteristics. A historical analysis and contemporary issues.

Meaning, definition and characteristics. Kinds: Titular and Real, Legal and Political; de-jure and de-facto Sovereign, Popular Sovereignty. Is Sovereignty absolute and indivisible? Brief study of Austin’s Theory and Pluralistic view of Sovereignty with reference to Laski and MacIver. Sovereignty in a globalised World: the role of non-state actors.

5. Law

Meaning; Sources and Kinds of Law.

Meaning, definition of law. Sources - Customs, Usages, Religion, Judicial Decisions, Scientific Commentaries, Equity, Legislation. Kinds of law - definition and examples of Municipal, National, Constitutional and International Law, Statute Law, Ordinances.

6. Liberty

Meaning; Dimensions and kinds of Liberty; Relationship between Liberty and Law; safeguards of liberty.

Definition and meaning of Liberty; Dimensions - negative and positive; kinds of Liberty - Civil, Political and Economic Liberty. Relationship between Liberty and Law: Does Law help or hinder Liberty? Safeguards of Liberty - fundamental rights. Separation of judiciary from executive, well-knit party system, economic justice for all, free press and media, vigilance by the people.

7. Equality

Meaning and kinds of Equality; Relationship between Equality and Liberty.

Meaning and kinds of Equality - legal, social, political and economic; relationship between Equality and Liberty: How do they complement each other?

8. Justice

Meaning, Kinds and Contemporary theories.

Meaning of Justice; kinds: Legal, Social, Economic and Political. Theories of Justice – John Rawls and Amartya Sen.

Section B: Contemporary International Relations

9. End of Cold War and its impact on the World Order

Disintegration of the Soviet Union and its impact on the World Order.

Meaning of Cold War. Impact of disintegration of the Soviet Union on the World Order - end of Cold War confrontation, change of power equations in world politics, emergence of new countries. India’s relations with Russia after Cold War (after 1991).

10. Unipolar World

U.S. unilateralism: case studies of U.S. intervention in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Meaning of unilateralism.

Case studies of the following (causes, main events and consequences): Iraq - Operation Desert Storm, Operation Iraqi Freedom; Afghanistan - Operation Enduring Freedom;

India’s relations with USA after 1991.

11. Regional Cooperation

ASEAN and the European Union.

Aims, achievements and challenges.

12. The Non Aligned Movement

Relevance of Non Aligned Movement

Meaning of Non-Aligned Movement (NAM); Relevance of NAM in the contemporary World. Role of India in NAM.