Updated NTA UGC NET Syllabus for International and Area Studies

Unit – I

• Nature of International Politics.


• Theories and approaches to the study of International Politics (including the area studies approach).


• Nationalism, Nation-State and challenges to Nation – States.

Unit – II

• Contemporary World Order : End of Cold War, United States as a pre-eminent power and multipolarity ( European Union, China and Japan ).


• Globalisation and its implications.


• Environment and Ecological Problems.


• Human Rights

Unit – III

• Indian Foreign Policy:


• Basic Objectives and Principles.


• India and its neighbours.


• India and major powers.


• Major issues of Indian Foreign Policy.

Unit – IV

• United Nations:


• Collective security, peace – keeping and peace-making.


• Role of International Law.


• UN agencies and other International Organizations.


• Restructuring of the United Nations.

Unit – V

• Theories of International Politics: Realist, Idealist, Systems and Decision making.


• Role of Power in International Politics: Balance of Power, Bipolarity, Unipolarity and Multipolarity.


• The concept of Nation, National Interest and National Security Collective Security; The role of the United Nations.


• Post – Cold War and the emerging World Order.


• Politics of Liberalisation, Globalisation and World Trade Organization. Nuclear Weapons, Deterrence and World Peace.

Unit – VI

• Concept, components and models of National and International security.


• Challenges and threats to India’s security since Independence – external and internal dimensions.


• Defence mechanism of Nation-States: India, US and the Peoples Republic of China.


• India’s Security policies and Nuclear doctrine.


• Problems of Armament and Disarmament – Economic, Political and Scientific dimensions.


• Concept and theories of conflict and conflict resolution including Confidence Building Measures (CBMs).


• Trans-national Threats and Security: International Terrorism, Drug – trafficking, Proliferation of small arms.


• Weapons of mass – destruction – nuclear, biological, chemical and weather weapons and arms control and disarmament.


• Evolution of strategic thoughts – Kautilya, Clausewitz, A. T. Mahan, Mackinder and Douhet.


• New modes of warfare – Low Intensity conflict, Electronic and Cyber warfare.

Unit – VII

• Introduction:


• Historical Background-Empires


• Geo-political set-up


• Interaction with the West


• National Awakening


• Disintegration of Ottoman Empire


• Palestine problem


• Inter – war Developments


• Ideologies:


• Pan – Arabism


• Pan – Islamism


• Pan – Turanism


• Etatism


• Zionism


• Nasserism


• Secularism


• West Asia and the World:


• Major powers’ interests in West Asia


• Cold War


• Oil Dynamics


• West Asia and India


• General Themes:


• Regional Organizations


• Intra – Arab relations / rivalries


• Post – Cold War Scenario – Continuity and Change


• Social transformation


• Economy


• Islamic Resurgence


• State Systems 

Unit – VIII

• Basic Features of the Region:


• Land and People – Geo – political and Socio – economic Setting.


• Colonialism and Nationalism :


• Patterns, Major Feature’s and Impact of Western Colonialism-Independence Movements-Maintenance of Independence by Thailand throughout its History.


• Developments in Post-Independent Period:


• Problems of Communalism and Nation-Building – Communist Challenges.


• Role of Military – Challenges to Democracy – Secessionist Movements – Economic Transformation – mtra – Regional Conflicts and Cooperation.


• Foreign Policies of South East Asian Countries :


• Determinants, Objectives and Goals-Role of External Powers – USA, Russia, China, Japan and India.

Unit – IX

• Geo – cultural Aspects:


• Land, People, Ecology, Environment, Languages and Culture.


• Historical Aspects:


• Ancient African Empires


• Indigenous political systems


• Atlantic slave trade – its impact and implications.


• Industrial Revolution and the elimination of slave trade.


• Colonialism in Africa:


• European partition of Africa


• Asian (Indian) migration into Africa


• Patterns of Colonial rule in Africa


• Legacy of Colonialism


• Growth of nationalism and Liberation Movements in Africa.


• Political Aspects:


• Political independence and Constitutional changes in Africa.


• Growth of political parties and party – systems.


• The role of military


• Democratisation process in Africa.


• Rise and fall of Apartheid in South Africa.


• Concepts of Pan – Africanism and African socialism.


• Economic Aspects:


• Nature of African Economy.


• Underdevelopment and Dependency patterns in Africa.


• Neo – colonial penetration and problems of economic independence.


• Development strategies in post – independence period.


• Structural adjustment programs in Africa – an evaluation.


• Problem of poverty in Africa.


• Africa’s debt crisis.


• Globalisation and its impact on Africa.


• Regional economic cooperation and development (ECOWAS, SADC, COMESA, EAC and AEC).


• Social Aspects:


• Problems of nation – building in Africa.


• Role of education


• State of Human Rights in Africa.


• Role of civil society and women.


• Problem of AIDS in Africa.


• Ethnic conflicts in Africa.


• Social change and structural transformation.


• Africa and the World:


• Africa and the emerging International System


• Africa and European dominance


• Africa and the Cold War


• Post – Cold War scenario in Africa


• Africa and the New World Order


• Africa and the United Nations


• Inter-regional Cooperation


• Role of the Organization of African Unity ( OAU )


• Africa and the Non – aligned Movement ( NAM )


• The Role and Relevance of the African Union ( AU ) 2001


• Africa and the Arab World


• India – Africa Relations

Unit – X

• Russia and the CIS (Commonwealth of Independent States) in World Affairs.


• Soviet Period From Lenin to Stalin:


• Civil War in Russia and its impact on polity and economy War, Communism and New Economic policy.


• Nationality Policy after the Revolution and the formation of the USSR.


• Industrialization debate and Economic Development under the Five-Year Plans.


• Soviet Foreign Policy


• Constitutional Theories and Soviet Federalism.


• Soviet Union Under Khrushchev and Brezhnev:


• Twentieth Congress of the CPSU and Destalinization.


• New Approaches to Third World and the Non-aligned Movement.


• Brezhnev and Kosygin leadership in World Affairs.


• Constitution of 1977


• Mikhail Gorbachev Period:


• Gorbachev’s New Political Thinking-Political and economic reforms.


• Foreign Policy under Gorbachev and end of the Cold War.


• Break-up of the USSR.


• Post-Soviet Russia and CIS:


• Russia under Boris Yeltsin – Political and economic dimensions.


• Systemic transformation of Russia and the CIS.


• New Orientation in Russia’s Foreign Policy.


• Russia and the CIS


• Indo-Russian Relations


• Developments in Central Asia and the Transcaucasia. 

Unit – XI

• Land and People:


• Geo – political setting


• Multi – culture social structures – diversities of race, language and religion Resource endowment – natural and human resources.


• Colonialism and Nationalism:


• Patterns of Colonialism


• Major features of Colonialism


• Nature of colonial impact on South Asian societies.


• Nationalism and Nationalist movements.


• Communal and Separatist Movements – genesis of Pakistan and Bangladesh.


• Society and Culture of South Asia:


• Population – General attributes and migration patterns.


• Major Social institutions and Groups.


• Dynamics of Social change.


• Political Systems of South Asian States:


• Organization of Government Order and Underlying principles.


• Post-independence Era – constitutional developments and movements for democracy – Elections, Political parties and Pressure groups.


• Problems of nation-building and Issues of national integration-Communal – ism, Regionalism, Linguism, Ethnic cleavages, Ideology and Strategies of leadership.


• Economic Profile and Development Strategies:


• Traditional economics – nature and bases.


• Pattern of economic development and growth strategies.


• Trade, aid and investment.


• Problems of economic development.


• Foreign Policies of South Asian States:


• Determinants and objectives.


• Role of external powers.


• Intra – regional cooperation and conflict – India’s relations with its neighbours.


• Regional Cooperation in South Asia:


• Historical antecedents – Political and economic imperatives.


• Genesis and growth of South Asian Association of Regional Cooperation ( SAARC ).


• Challenges and prospects of regional cooperation in South Asia.


• South Asia in World Affairs, South – East Asia in World Affairs.

Unit XII

• Making of the Constitution – Development of the Republic and making of the nation.


• Constitutional Amendments-Structural changes, political and social movements.


• Presidency, congress and judiciary in recent times.


• US Role in UN and other international organizations.


• United States Economic and Global role in post-Cold War Era.


• Problems of minorities; Afro – American, Hispanic and Asian Americans Diasporic experience.


• Contemporary American Society and polity.


• International Economic Issues: Trade regime (WTO ) and economic groupings, Role of International Financial Institutions.


• Role of Multi – national Corporations.

Unit – XIII

• America and Europe in World Affairs, Latin America in World Affairs.


• Development of Constitutional process in Latin America – Translation from authoritarianism of democracy.


• US-Latin American relations and its implications in inter-American affairs. Cultural, economic and trade relations between Europe and Latin America. Problems of Human Rights in Latin America.


• The role of multilateral agencies in containing international and narcot terrorism; Legal mechanism to preserve peace and security in the region.


• Role of Latin America and the Caribbean in global and regional organizations


• Trade and Economic grouping in Latin America.


• India and Latin America – growing partnership.