UGC NET Political Science Syllabus 2026 for Paper 1, 2

The University Grants Commission National Eligibility Test (UGC NET) for Political Science assesses candidates’ knowledge across various topics within the discipline. The syllabus is structured into ten comprehensive units, each focusing on distinct areas of political science. Below is an overview of these units:​

1. Political Theory: Explores fundamental concepts such as liberty, equality, justice, rights, democracy, power, and citizenship. It also examines various political traditions, including liberalism, conservatism, socialism, Marxism, feminism, ecologism, multiculturalism, and postmodernism.​

2. Political Thought: Covers the ideas and contributions of prominent thinkers like Confucius, Plato, Aristotle, Machiavelli, Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, Hegel, Mary Wollstonecraft, John Stuart Mill, Karl Marx, Gramsci, Hannah Arendt, Frantz Fanon, Mao Zedong, and John Rawls.​

3. Indian Political Thought: Focuses on indigenous political philosophies and thinkers such as Dharamshastra, Kautilya, Aggannasutta, Barani, Kabir, Pandita Ramabai, Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Swami Vivekananda, Rabindranath Tagore, M.K. Gandhi, Sri Aurobindo, Periyar E.V. Ramasamy, Muhammad Iqbal, M.N. Roy, V.D. Savarkar, Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, Jawaharlal Nehru, Ram Manohar Lohia, Jayaprakash Narayan, and Deendayal Upadhyaya.​

4. Comparative Political Analysis: Introduces various approaches such as institutional, political culture, political economy, and new institutionalism. Topics include colonialism and decolonization, nationalism, state theory, political regimes, constitutions and constitutionalism, democratization, development, and the roles of structures of power, actors, and processes.​

5. International Relations: Examines approaches to the study of international relations, key concepts, conflict and peace studies, the role of the United Nations, political economy of international relations, regional organizations, and contemporary global challenges.​

6. India’s Foreign Policy: Analyzes perspectives on India’s foreign policy, its principles and determinants, the Non-Alignment Movement, India’s nuclear policy, relations with major powers and neighboring countries, engagement with multilateral organizations, negotiation strategies in international regimes, and contemporary challenges.​

7. Political Institutions in India: Discusses the making of the Indian Constitution, the Constituent Assembly, constitutionalism in India, the Union Executive, Parliament, Judiciary, executive and legislature in the states, federalism, electoral processes, and constitutional and statutory bodies.​

8. Political Processes in India: Explores the interplay between the state, economy, and development; globalization; identity politics; social movements; civil society groups; regionalization of Indian politics; gender and politics; ideology and social bases of political parties; and electoral politics.​

9. Public Administration: Covers theories and concepts of public administration, comparative public administration, theories and principles of organization, managing organizations, organizational communication, conflict management, and management by objectives.​

10. Governance and Public Policy in India: Focuses on governance, accountability and control, institutional mechanisms for good governance, grassroots governance, planning and development, public policy as an instrument of socio-economic development, and the monitoring and evaluation of public policy.​

    UGC NET Political Science Exam Pattern 2026

    Paper	Subject	No. of Questions	Marks	Duration	Mode of Exam
    Paper I	General Paper on Teaching & Research Aptitude	50	100	3 Hours (Combined)	Computer-Based Test (CBT)
    Paper II	Political Science	100	200	3 Hours (Combined)	Computer-Based Test (CBT)

    Key Points:

    • Total Marks: 300

    • Total Questions: 150

    • Type of Questions: Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)

    • Marking Scheme: +2 for each correct answer, No negative marking

    • Medium: English & Hindi

    Best Book to Cover UGC NET Political Science Syllabus

    For UGC NET Political Science preparation, here are some of the best books to cover the syllabus effectively:

    1. Paper 1 (General Paper on Teaching & Research Aptitude)

    • “NTA UGC NET/SET/JRF Paper 1 Teaching and Research Aptitude” – KVS Madaan (Pearson)

    • “Trueman’s UGC NET Paper 1” – M. Gagan & Sajit Kumar (Danika Publishing)

    2. Paper 2 (Political Science)

    • “Trueman’s UGC NET Political Science” – Shyam Anand

    • “NTA UGC NET Political Science” – Arihant Experts

    • “UGC NET Political Science” – Rukmini Bhattacharjee (Oxford University Press)

    • “An Introduction to Political Theory” – O.P. Gauba (for Political Theory)

    • “Comparative Politics” – Ronald Chilcote or Rod Hague

    • “International Relations” – Vinay Kumar Malhotra or Andrew Heywood

    • “Indian Government and Politics” – B.L. Fadia or M. Laxmikanth

    • “Public Administration” – M. Laxmikanth

    • “Political Theory” – Rajeev Bhargava & Ashok Acharya

    Download UGC NET Political Science Syllabus PDF

    Get UGC NET Political Syllabus Latest PDF By Clicking on the link Below:

    Political Science_Syllabus PDF

    FAQs

    1. What are the main topics covered in the UGC NET Political Science syllabus?

    The syllabus includes:

    • Political Theory

    • Political Thought (Western and Indian)

    • Indian Government and Politics

    • Comparative Politics

    • International Relations

    • Public Administration

    • Political Institutions and Processes in India

    • Governance and Public Policy in India

    • Political Ideologies

    • Research Methodology and Political Analysis

    2. How many papers are there in the UGC NET Political Science exam?

    There are two papers:

    • Paper 1 (General Paper on Teaching & Research Aptitude) – 50 questions (100 marks)

    • Paper 2 (Political Science) – 100 questions (200 marks)

    3. What is the exam pattern for UGC NET Political Science?

    • Mode: Computer-Based Test (CBT)

    • Type of Questions: Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)

    • Duration: 3 hours (No break between papers)

    • Negative Marking: No

    4. Which political theories are covered in the syllabus?

    • Classical and Contemporary Political Theory

    • Liberalism, Marxism, Socialism, Feminism, Postmodernism

    • Theories of Democracy and Justice

    5. What are the key Indian political thinkers included?

    • Kautilya

    • Raja Rammohan Roy

    • M.N. Roy

    • Mahatma Gandhi

    • B.R. Ambedkar

    • Jawaharlal Nehru

    • Jayaprakash Narayan

    6. What international relations topics are covered?

    • Theories of International Relations

    • Globalization and Global Governance

    • International Political Economy

    • India’s Foreign Policy

    • Regional and International Organizations (UN, WTO, etc.)

    7. How should I prepare for UGC NET Political Science?

    • Understand the syllabus and focus on key areas.

    • Refer to standard books like:

      • Political Theory by O.P. Gauba

      • Comparative Politics by R. Chilcote

      • Indian Polity by M. Laxmikanth

      • International Relations by Andrew Heywood

    • Solve previous years’ question papers to understand the pattern.

    • Attempt mock tests regularly for better time management.

    8. Is there a specific book recommended for research methodology?

    Yes, you can refer to:

    • Social Research Methods by Alan Bryman

    • Political Science Research Methods by Janet Buttolph Johnson

    9. What are the career opportunities after clearing UGC NET Political Science?

    • Assistant Professor in Universities and Colleges

    • Research Scholar (Eligibility for Ph.D. admission)

    • Research Analyst in Think Tanks and Policy Institutes

    • Civil Services and Public Administration Roles

    10. What is the qualifying cutoff for UGC NET Political Science?

    The cutoff varies yearly, but typically:

    • General Category: Around 60-65%

    • OBC/SC/ST/PwD: Around 50-55%