BA.LLB (H) 5 Year IV Political Science IV  



Course Introduction:   

Political Science is a very useful social discipline. Its concepts, theories and methods are the outcome of a long academic tradition that started twenty five hundred years ago with Aristotle and Plato. Since then many philosophers and scholars like Machiavelli, J. S. Mill, Rousseau, Hegel, Marx and Gandhi have contributed theirs theories and enriched the subject. The concepts like state, sovereignty, power, authority, legitimacy, liberty, equality, democracy, justice have been analyzed in a scientifically as well philosophically and political theories have been formulated. The understanding of these theories can be very useful for our students of law who will be confronting these concepts in coming days. Political science provides students the understanding of the processes of politics. Such an understanding is very useful in many ways .In the first place, the political participation of such people who understand the processes of politics is much higher than those who don’t understand it. Secondly, the study of political science enlightens the people about basic elements of politics and makes the process of reconciliation easy as the politics involves resolutions of conflicts. The failure to recognize these basic elements of politics creates various confusions in society.

Once our students have mastered political theory  and International Politics in first  and Second Semesters the course, Indian Government and Politics in the Third  and Fourth Semester would offer them an interesting study in many ways. In the first place they would get familiar to the structure of union and state governments as outlined in the Indian constitution. Secondly, the study of the political institutions in the light of constitutional provisions needs to be supplemented by the style and contents of the politics in Indian political domain. Thirdly, the extra constitutional agencies like political parties, caste regional religious and linguistic groups also need to be analyzed in order to have the complete insight into the political system of our country. The political trends like; the political  Issues of black money, corruption politicizing caste, Communalisms vs. Secularism debate, growth of regionalism, role of language, etc.  need to be looked into. The course Indian Government and Politics has been framed keeping in view of these considerations.

Course Objective:

  1. The various learning to explain the philosophy of our constitution as laid in the preamble and learning to the political structure of the government both at the union as well state level.
  2. The student will be able to grasp the issues of politics as well the role of caste, region, religion and language.
  3. See the real nature of politics and role of money, muscle power.

          Course Outcome:

  1. Demonstrate awareness of the Indian Government and politics. The student would better understand the political issues, political processes, and political activities.


Module –I             Indian Federalism

  1. Nature of Indian Federalism
  2. quasi Federal.
  3. Federation with unitary biases


Module-II             Centre-state relations

  1. Legislative relations
  2. Financial relations.
  3. Administrative relations.


Module –III          Judiciary in India

  1. Supreme Court ; Composition and Organization of Supreme Court
  2. High Courts. composition  and Organization of High Courts.
  3. Jurisdiction and role of the Supreme Court and High Courts.
  4. Judicial Review; meaning and role.


Module IV-           Political Parties; national and regional

  1. Features of Indian Political Parties.
  2. National Parties.
  3. Regional Parties.


Module-V-            The Election Commission and Electoral reforms

  1. Organization of Election Composition.
  2. Functions of Election Commission.
  3. Case for electoral reforms in India.


Module-VI-           Major issues in Indian Politics; Caste, Regionalism, Secularism vs. communalism, Language.

  1. Caste and politics
  2. Secularism vs. Communalism debate.
  3. Role of regionalism and language in Indian politics.
  4. Role of black money and violence in Indian politics.

Books Recommended  

  1. Rajani Kothari, \Politics in India, Orient Longman, 1970.
  2. D.Basu, An Introduction to the Constitution of India, New Delhi, Prentice Hall, 1980.
  3. Austin, The Indian Constitution: Corner Stone of a Nation, Oxford University Press, 1966.
  4. P. Bhambhari, The Indian state,: fifty years, New Delhi, Shipra, 1997.
  5. V.Pylee, Constitutional Government in India, Bombay, Asia Publishing house,1977.
  6. C.Johri, Indian politics, Vishal publication Agra.
  7. Weiner, Party Politics in India, Princeton University Press, 1957.