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UGC NET Political Science Political Processes in India Syllabus
Every chapter and topic of Political Processes in India examined in UGC NET Political Science — 9 chapters, 30 topics, plus 50 flashcards written against it.
Political Processes in India syllabus — full chapter and topic list
Expand any chapter to see its topics and sub-topics. This is the whole examinable outline for Political Processes in India in UGC NET Political Science, not a summary of it.
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State, Economy and Development
4 topics- Nature of Indian State
- Development Planning model
- New Economic Policy
- Growth and Human Development
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Process of Globalisation
1 topic- Social and Economic Implications
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Identity Politics
5 topics- Religion
- Tribe
- Caste
- Region
- Language
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Social Movements
5 topics- Dalit
- Tribal
- Women
- Farmers
- Labour
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Civil Society Groups
3 topics- Non-Party Social Formations
- Non-Governmental Organisations
- Social Action Groups
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Regionalisation of Indian Politics
5 topics- Reorganisation of Indian States
- States as Political and Economic Units
- Sub-State Regions
- Regional disparities
- Demand for New States
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Gender and Politics in India
1 topic- Issues of Equality and Representation
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Ideology and Social basis of Political Parties
2 topics- National Parties
- State Parties
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Electoral Politics
4 topics- Participation
- Contestation
- Representation
- Emerging trends
Political Processes in India flashcards for UGC NET Political Science
20 of 50 cards from the Political Processes in India deck — real questions with worked answers.
What is the defining character of the Indian State as conceived in the Constitution?
A sovereign, socialist, secular, democratic republic with a parliamentary, federal structure committed to welfare; it acts as an interventionist developmental state balancing capitalist growth with social justice.
Which model of economic development did India adopt after independence under Nehru?
A mixed economy with centralized development planning, led by the public sector and import-substituting industrialization, guided by Five-Year Plans.
What was the Nehru-Mahalanobis model of development planning?
The strategy of the Second Five-Year Plan (1956) emphasizing rapid industrialization through state-led investment in heavy and basic (capital goods) industries to build a self-reliant economy.
Which body formulated India's Five-Year Plans, and what replaced it in 2015?
The Planning Commission (set up 1950) formulated the plans; it was replaced by NITI Aayog (National Institution for Transforming India) on 1 January 2015.
What were the three pillars (LPG) of the New Economic Policy of 1991?
Liberalisation (removing licensing/controls), Privatisation (reducing the public sector role), and Globalisation (integrating with the world economy).
What crisis triggered India's New Economic Policy reforms of 1991?
A severe balance-of-payments crisis with foreign reserves enough for only about two weeks of imports, forcing India to pledge gold and accept IMF/World Bank structural adjustment conditions.
Who were the key architects of the 1991 economic reforms?
Prime Minister P.V. Narasimha Rao and Finance Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh.
What is the difference between economic growth and human development?
Economic growth measures the rise in national output/income (e.g., GDP), whereas human development is the enlargement of people's choices and capabilities, measured by health, education and standard of living (e.g., the HDI).
What three dimensions make up the Human Development Index (HDI)?
A long and healthy life (life expectancy), knowledge (mean and expected years of schooling), and a decent standard of living (GNI per capita).
Who pioneered the capability approach underlying the human development paradigm?
Amartya Sen (capabilities and functionings), with Mahbub ul Haq creating the Human Development Index and the UNDP Human Development Reports (from 1990).
Name two major social and economic implications of post-1991 liberalisation in India.
High aggregate growth and a rising middle class alongside widening income/regional inequality, jobless growth, agrarian distress and retrenchment of welfare-oriented state roles.
How does the Indian Constitution treat the relationship between religion and the state (secularism)?
Through 'principled distance' / equal respect for all religions (sarva dharma sambhava) rather than strict separation, allowing state intervention to reform religious practices and protect minority rights (Articles 25-28).
What is communalism in the Indian political context?
The ideology that members of one religious community share common secular (political/economic) interests opposed to those of other communities, used to mobilise religious identity for political ends.
How does the Constitution define a 'tribe' for affirmative action?
As Scheduled Tribes (STs) notified under Article 342, identified by indicators such as geographical isolation, distinct culture, primitive traits, shyness of contact and economic backwardness.
What is the caste system, and which concept describes movement up the caste hierarchy?
A hereditary, hierarchical system of social stratification based on ritual purity and occupation; M.N. Srinivas termed the upward mobility of lower castes by adopting upper-caste practices 'Sanskritisation'.
What is meant by the 'politicisation of caste' in Indian democracy?
The use of caste as a basis for political mobilisation, vote-banks, and identity assertion; Rajni Kothari argued democracy 'caste-ised' politics while politics secularised caste.
What does 'region' refer to as a basis of political identity in India?
A territorial area sharing a common language, culture, history or economic interest that becomes the basis of regionalism, sons-of-the-soil sentiment, and demands for autonomy or statehood.
On what primary basis were Indian states reorganised in 1956?
On linguistic basis, following the States Reorganisation Act, 1956 and the recommendations of the Fazl Ali Commission.
Why is language a sensitive issue in Indian federal politics?
India has many language groups; language defines regional identity and statehood, and disputes (e.g., anti-Hindi agitations in Tamil Nadu) shaped the three-language formula and the linguistic reorganisation of states.
Who coined the term 'Dalit' and what does it signify?
Popularised by Jyotirao Phule and the Dalit Panthers, 'Dalit' (meaning 'broken/oppressed') is a term of self-assertion adopted by ex-untouchable communities (Scheduled Castes) rejecting the label 'Harijan'.
Planning Political Processes in India for UGC NET Political Science
Political Processes in India is about 10% of the UGC NET Political Science syllabus by topic count — 30 of 315 topics, spread over 9 chapters. At roughly 45 minutes per topic plus 12 minutes per sub-topic, a first pass runs to about 25 hours.
The heaviest chapters are Identity Politics (5 topics), Social Movements (5 topics), Regionalisation of Indian Politics (5 topics) . Front-load those while your energy is high; the short chapters are better revision filler later.
Work top-down: read the chapter, then tick topics off individually rather than marking the whole chapter done. Sub-topics are where silent gaps hide.
Political Processes in India (UGC NET Political Science) FAQ
What is in the UGC NET Political Science Political Processes in India syllabus?
Political Processes in India is split into 9 chapters — State, Economy and Development, Process of Globalisation, Identity Politics, Social Movements, Civil Society Groups and Regionalisation of Indian Politics, and 3 more, containing 30 topics and 0 sub-topics in total.
How is Political Processes in India structured in the UGC NET Political Science syllabus?
9 chapters. Political Processes in India accounts for about 10% of the topics in the whole UGC NET Political Science syllabus (30 of 315).
How long should I spend on Political Processes in India for UGC NET Political Science?
Budget around 25 hours for a first pass through Political Processes in India — about 45 minutes per topic plus 12 minutes per sub-topic across its 30 topics. Add revision cycles on top.
Are there flashcards for UGC NET Political Science Political Processes in India?
Yes — a 50-card Political Processes in India deck. Sample cards are printed on this page, and the full deck is free in the Examius app with spaced repetition scheduling.