UPSC PSIR Optional Syllabus 2027 for Paper I & II, Booklist

The UPSC PSIR Optional Syllabus 2027 covers Political Science and International Relations. It combines political theory, Indian government, comparative politics, international relations and Indian foreign policy. The syllabus is divided into two papers, each carrying 250 marks in the written examination. Understanding the complete syllabus helps candidates organise their preparation, identify important themes, connect theoretical concepts with contemporary developments and practise analytical answer writing. A structured approach to both papers is essential for comprehensive preparation.

UPSC PSIR Optional Syllabus 2027

The UPSC PSIR Optional Syllabus 2027 includes two papers covering political thought, constitutional institutions, political ideologies, international political developments and India's relations with the world. 

UPSC Political Science Optional Paper I focuses on Political Theory and Indian Politics, while Paper II covers Comparative Politics, International Relations and India and the World. Each paper carries 250 marks, making the optional subject worth 500 marks in total. Candidates preparing for UPSC Mains 2027 should cover every syllabus component systematically.

The UPSC PSIR Optional Syllabus Full Form is Political Science and International Relations Optional Syllabus. Candidates can refer to the UPSC PSIR Optional Syllabus Pdf for an organised overview of the topics and subtopics prescribed for both papers. 

UPSC PSIR Optional Syllabus 2027 for Paper I

UPSC PSIR Optional Syllabus 2027 for Paper I examines political theories, ideologies, political thinkers, the Indian Constitution, governance, federalism, political parties and social movements. It is divided into two major sections.

Political Theory and Indian Politics

This section covers political concepts, competing theories, major thinkers and Indian political institutions. Candidates should understand the central arguments and theoretical perspectives associated with each topic.

1. Political Theory: meaning and approaches.
2. Theories of state:

• Liberal
• Neo liberal
• Marxist
• Pluralist
• Post colonial
• Feminist

3. Justice:

• Conceptions of justice
• Rawls's theory of justice
• Communitarian critiques of Rawls's theory

4. Equality:

• Social equality
• Political equality
• Economic equality
• Relationship between equality and freedom
• Affirmative action

5. Rights:

• Meaning and theories
• Different kinds of rights
• Concept of Human Rights

6. Democracy:

• Classical theories
• Contemporary theories
• Representative democracy
• Participatory democracy
• Deliberative democracy

7. Concept of power:

• Hegemony
• Ideology
• Legitimacy

8. Political Ideologies:

• Liberalism
• Socialism
• Marxism
• Fascism
• Gandhism
• Feminism

9. Indian Political Thought:

• Dharamshastra
• Arthashastra
• Buddhist Traditions
• Sir Syed Ahmed Khan
• Sri Aurobindo
• M. K. Gandhi
• B. R. Ambedkar
• M. N. Roy

10. Western Political Thought:

• Plato
• Aristotle
• Machiavelli
• Hobbes
• Locke
• John S. Mill
• Marx
• Gramsci
• Hannah Arendt

Also Check: UPSC Geography Optional Syllabus

Indian Government and Politics

This section examines India's freedom struggle, constitutional development, government institutions, democratic decentralisation, federalism, economic development, political parties and social movements.

1. Indian Nationalism:

(a) Political Strategies of India's Freedom Struggle

• Constitutionalism
• Mass Satyagraha
• Noncooperation
• Civil Disobedience
• Militant and Revolutionary Movements
• Peasant and Workers Movements

(b) Perspectives on Indian National Movement

• Liberal
• Socialist
• Marxist
• Radical Humanist
• Dalit

2. Making of the Indian Constitution:

• Legacies of British rule
• Different social and political perspectives

3. Salient Features of the Indian Constitution:

• The Preamble
• Fundamental Rights and Duties
• Directive Principles
• Parliamentary System
• Amendment Procedures
• Judicial Review
• Basic Structure doctrine

4. (a) Principal Organs of the Union Government:

• Envisaged role and actual working of the Executive
• Envisaged role and actual working of the Legislature
• Envisaged role and actual working of the Supreme Court

(b) Principal Organs of the State Government:

• Envisaged role and actual working of the Executive
• Envisaged role and actual working of the Legislature
• Envisaged role and actual working of High Courts

5. Grassroots Democracy:

• Panchayati Raj
• Municipal Government
• Significance of the 73rd Amendment
• Significance of the 74th Amendment
• Grassroot movements

6. Statutory Institutions/Commissions:

• Election Commission
• Comptroller and Auditor General
• Finance Commission
• Union Public Service Commission
• National Commission for Scheduled Castes
• National Commission for Scheduled Tribes
• National Commission for Women
• National Human Rights Commission
• National Commission for Minorities
• National Backward Classes Commission

7. Federalism:

• Constitutional provisions
• Changing nature of centre-state relations
• Integrationist tendencies
• Regional aspirations
• Inter state disputes

8. Planning and Economic Development:

• Nehruvian perspectives
• Gandhian perspectives
• Role of planning and public sector
• Green Revolution
• Land reforms and agrarian relations
• Liberalization and economic reforms

9. Caste, Religion and Ethnicity in Indian Politics.
10. Party System:

• National and regional political parties
• Ideological and social bases of parties
• Patterns of coalition politics
• Pressure groups
• Trends in electoral behaviour
• Changing socio economic profile of Legislators

11. Social Movement:

• Civil liberties and human rights movements
• Women's movements
• Environmentalist movements

Also Check: UPSC Public Administration Optional Syllabus

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UPSC PSIR Optional Syllabus 2027 for Paper II

UPSC PSIR Optional Syllabus 2027 for Paper II focuses on comparative political systems, international relations, global institutions, international economic developments and India's foreign policy. It has two major sections covering theoretical and contemporary dimensions of world politics.

Comparative Politics and International Relations

This section examines comparative political analysis, international relations theories, globalisation, international political order, economic institutions, regional organisations and global concerns.

1. Comparative Politics:

• Nature and major approaches
• Political economy perspectives
• Political sociology perspectives
• Limitations of the comparative method

2. State in Comparative Perspective:

• Characteristics and changing nature of the State in capitalist economies
• Characteristics and changing nature of the State in socialist economies
• State in advanced industrial societies
• State in developing societies

3. Politics of Representation and Participation:

• Political parties in advanced industrial and developing societies
• Pressure groups in advanced industrial and developing societies
• Social movements in advanced industrial and developing societies

4. Globalisation:

• Responses from developed societies
• Responses from developing societies

5. Approaches to the Study of International Relations:

• Idealist
• Realist
• Marxist
• Functionalist
• Systems theory

6. Key Concepts in International Relations:

• National interest
• Security and power
• Balance of power and deterrence
• Transnational actors and collective security
• World capitalist economy and globalisation

7. Changing International Political Order:

(a) Rise of superpowers

• Strategic and ideological Bipolarity
• Arms race and Cold War
• Nuclear threat

(b) Non aligned Movement

• Aims
• Achievements

(c) Collapse of the Soviet Union

• Unipolarity and American hegemony
• Relevance of non alignment in the contemporary world

8. Evolution of the International Economic System:

• From Bretton Woods to WTO
• Socialist economies and the CMEA (Council for Mutual Economic Assistance)
• Third World demand for a new international economic order
• Globalisation of the world economy

9. United Nations:

• Envisaged role and actual record
• Specialised UN agencies: aims and functioning
• Need for UN reforms

10. Regionalisation of World Politics:

• EU
• ASEAN
• APEC
• AARC
• NAFTA

11. Contemporary Global Concerns:

• Democracy
• Human rights
• Environment
• Gender justice
• Terrorism
• Nuclear proliferation

India and the World

This section focuses on Indian foreign policy, India's international role, regional cooperation, major global powers, multilateral institutions, nuclear policy and contemporary international developments.

1. Indian Foreign Policy:

• Determinants of foreign policy
• Institutions of policy making
• Continuity and change

2. India's Contribution to the Non Alignment Movement:

• Different phases
• Current role

3. India and South Asia:

(a) Regional Co operation- SAARC: past performance and future prospects

(b) South Asia as a Free Trade Area.

(c) India's "Look East" policy.

(d) Impediments to regional co-operation

• River water disputes
• Illegal cross border migration
• Ethnic conflicts and insurgencies
• Border disputes

4. India and the Global South:

• Relations with Africa and Latin America
• Leadership role in the demand for NIEO
• WTO negotiations

5. India and the Global Centres of Power:

• USA
• EU
• Japan
• China
• Russia

6. India and the UN System:

• Role in UN Peace keeping
• Demand for a Permanent Seat in the Security Council

7. India and the Nuclear Question:

• Changing perceptions and policy

8. Recent Developments in Indian Foreign Policy:

• India's position on recent crises in Afghanistan, Iraq and West Asia
• Growing relations with the US and Israel
• Vision of a new world order

UPSC PSIR Optional Preparation Strategy

Effective preparation for the UPSC PSIR Optional Syllabus requires conceptual clarity, complete syllabus coverage, regular revision and analytical answer writing. Candidates should connect political theories with Indian politics and international developments.

• Understand the syllabus: Divide both papers into sections and track each topic to ensure complete coverage without neglecting smaller syllabus components.
• Build conceptual clarity: Study political thinkers, ideologies, constitutional concepts and international relations theories before moving towards advanced analysis.
• Prepare concise notes: Organise notes topic wise, including definitions, arguments, comparisons and relevant examples for quick revision.
• Follow current affairs: Connect contemporary political developments, foreign policy issues and global events with relevant Paper II themes.
• Practise answer writing: Solve previous year questions and develop structured answers with clear arguments, appropriate concepts and balanced conclusions.
• Revise and evaluate: Revise regularly, practise timed tests and assess answers to improve content quality, presentation and time management.

UPSC PSIR Optional Books List 2027

A focused booklist helps candidates cover the UPSC PSIR Syllabus without collecting excessive resources. The following UPSC PSIR Optional Books List cover political theory, political thought, Indian politics, comparative politics and international relations.

• A History of Political Thought: Plato to Marx - Subrata Mukherjee and Sushila Ramaswamy
• Western Political Thought - O. P. Gauba
• Political Ideologies - Andrew Heywood
• Political Theory: An Introduction to Political Science - Rajeev Bhargava and Ashok Acharya
• Foundation of Indian Political Thought - V. R. Mehta
• India's Struggle for Independence - Bipan Chandra
• Indian Government and Politics - B. L. Fadia
• The Oxford Companion to Politics in India - Pratap Bhanu Mehta
• Comparative Politics - J. C. Johari
• Global Politics - Andrew Heywood
• The Globalization of World Politics - John Baylis, Steve Smith and Patricia Owens
• The Oxford Handbook of Indian Foreign Policy - David M. Malone, C. Raja Mohan and Srinath Raghavan