Indian Government and Politics

The course “Indian Government and Politics” is a core course in B.A. Political Science under the Choice Based Credit System (CBCS). The course is specially designed to supplement and enhance the understanding of students about the philosophical, theoretical and functional aspects of Indian Polity. The course starts from the varied perspectives regarding Indian Political System followed by the Constitutional provisions and Social Movements in India.The objectives of this course are to give the target students/audience an understanding of:➢ Fundamentals of Indian Political System analyzed from varied perspectives➢ Philosophical basis of Indian Constitution➢ Working of Indian Constitution as a living document➢ Theoretical Basis and Practices of Directive Principles of State Policy and Fundamental Rights as available in the Constitution➢ Institutional Structure and functions of Indian Polity➢ Social Issues in India and Political Responses to approach them➢ Political Economy of Indian State➢ Nature and Purpose of Social Movements in India

COURSE LAYOUT

Week 1Day 1 Approaches to the Study of Indian PoliticsDay 2 Nature of Indian State: Liberal PerspectiveDay 3 Nature of Indian State: Marxist and Gandhian PerspectivesDay 4 Constituent Assembly: Overview
Week 2Day 1 Constituent Assembly: DebateDay 2 Basic Features of Indian ConstitutionDay 3 Ideological Basis of Indian Constitution: Democracy, Secularism and SocialismDay 4 Fundamental Rights in Indian Constitution: Classification and Content—Part I
Week 3Day 1 Fundamental Rights in Indian Constitution: Classification and Content—Part IIDay 2 Introduction to the Directive Principles of State PolicyDay 3 Classification of Directive Principles of State PolicyDay 4 President: Powers and Functions

Week 4Day 1 Prime Minister— Appointment, Powers, Functions and RoleDay 2 Prime Minister— Features and RoleDay 3 Parliament of India— Origin, Functions and CompositionDay 4 Parliament of India— Thoughtful Choice, Committees and Sovereignty
Week 5Day 1 Independence of Judiciary in IndiaDay 2 Judicial Review— A conceptual frameworkDay 3 Judicial Review in IndiaDay 4 Judicial Activism in India
Week 6Day 1 Public Interest LitigationDay 2 Federalism in India— Part IDay 3 Federalism in India— Part IIDay 4 Governance, Decentralization and Panchayati Raj
Week 7
Day 1 73rd and 74th Amendment ActsDay 2 Election Commission of IndiaDay 3 Electoral Reforms in IndiaDay 4 Planning in India
Week 8Day 1 Party System - A conceptual frameworkDay 2 Party System in IndiaDay 3 Pre-Independence Women’s movement in IndiaDay 4 Post-Independence Women’s movement in India
Week 9Day 1 Political Participation of Women in IndiaDay 2 Caste and Power in IndiaDay 3 Dalit movement – Emergence and ContoursDay 4 Religion and Politics in India
Week 10Day 1 Peasant movement in India—Theoretical Enigma and Practical PoliticsDay 2 Peasant movement in Colonial and Post-Colonial IndiaDay 3 Workers Movement in IndiaDay 4 Environmental Movement in India—Part I
Week 11Day 1 Environmental Movement in India—Part IIDay 2 Development Strategies in IndiaDay 3 Neo-Liberalism and Economic Reforms in India –Part IDay 4 Neo-Liberalism and Economic Reforms in India—Part II