OPSC Political Science & International Relations: Optional Syllabus Guide
The two optional papers for the Odisha Civil Services examination, explained section by section, with a study plan and links to our notes.
- The optional has two papers. Paper I covers Political Theory and Indian Government and Politics. Paper II covers International Politics and India and the World.
- Each paper has two sections, and Paper I includes a section on State Politics in Odisha.
- Marks, number of papers and exam dates are set by the Odisha Public Service Commission. Check the latest OPSC notification. We are not affiliated with OPSC.
How the optional is organised
The syllabus follows the scheme and syllabus issued by the Odisha Public Service Commission for the optional subject Political Science and International Relations. It is divided into four sections across two papers.
Paper I starts with Political Theory (Section A) and moves to Indian Government and Politics (Section B). Paper II covers International Politics (Section A) and India and the World (Section B).
The optional rewards candidates who can link theory with practice. A thinker from Section A can help you explain an institution in Section B, and a theory from Paper II can help you analyse an Indian foreign-policy decision. Plan your reading so that the four sections support one another.
If you are also preparing for UGC NET, much of this syllabus overlaps with it. See our UGC NET Political Science guide to reuse your notes.
Section-wise topics
Topics follow the OPSC syllabus. Shaded pills link to our notes.
Political Theory
Paper I · Section A. Ideas, ideologies and thinkers. Define each concept in your own words and attach a thinker and an example to it.
- Approaches to the study of political theory: historical, normative and empirical.
- Theories of the state: Liberal, Marxist and Post-colonial.
- State sovereignty: monistic and pluralistic theories; globalisation and the State.
- Democracy: democratic theory, classical and contemporary.
- Human rights: theories of human rights; theories of justice, equality and revolution; political obligation.
- Theories of political culture and political economy.
- Political ideologies: nature of ideology; Liberalism, Socialism, Marxism, Fascism and Gandhism.
- Theories of power and hegemony: Pareto, Mosca, Michels, C. Wright Mills, Weber and Gramsci.
- Indian political thought: Manu, Kautilya, M. N. Roy, Gandhi and Ambedkar.
- Western political thought: Plato, Aristotle, Machiavelli, Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, J. S. Mill, Hegel and Marx, Lenin and Mao Zedong.
Related notes on PoliPrepHub
Indian Government and Politics
Paper I · Section B. From the national movement to Odisha’s politics. Keep dates, articles and cases ready, and follow current developments.
- Indian nationalism: Raja Ram Mohan Roy, Dadabhai Naoroji, Tilak, Gandhi, Nehru, Subhas Bose and Ambedkar.
- Indian freedom struggle: constitutionalism, revolutionary movements, Non-Cooperation, Civil Disobedience and Quit India; role of women in the freedom struggle.
- Constitutional development in the pre-independence era: Morley-Minto Reforms, Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms, Government of India Acts of 1919 and 1935, and the Cripps Mission.
- Socio-economic dimensions of the nationalist movement: the communal question and the demand for partition; backward caste movements, trade union and peasant movements, civil rights movement.
- Salient features of the Indian Constitution: Preamble, Fundamental Rights and Duties, Directive Principles; federalism, parliamentary system; amending procedures; judicial review.
- The executive system: President, Prime Minister and Council of Ministers; Governor, Chief Minister and State Council of Ministers; the bureaucracy.
- Parliament: Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha and parliamentary committees.
- Judiciary: the Supreme Court and High Courts; judicial activism.
- Statutory institutions and commissions: UPSC, Election Commission, Comptroller and Auditor General, Backward Classes Commission, National Commission for Women, National Human Rights Commission, Minorities Commission.
- Party system: ideology and social base of parties; fragmentation and regionalisation; patterns of coalition politics; trends in electoral behaviour; pressure groups.
- Class, caste, backward class and Dalit movements; tribal people’s movements; gender in Indian politics and women’s movements; ethnicity; communalism and politics of regionalism.
- Planning and socio-economic development: role of the Planning Commission; socio-political dimensions of economic reforms.
- Local governance: Panchayati Raj and municipal government; significance of the 73rd and 74th Amendments; women’s empowerment.
- State politics in Odisha: social bases of Odia nationalism; freedom movement and Praja Mandal movements in Odisha; integration of princely states in Odisha; coalition politics, people’s movement and women’s movement.
Related notes on PoliPrepHub
International Politics
Paper II · Section A. Theories, concepts and landmark events. Link every theory to a crisis or institution it explains.
- International system: evolution; the modern state and the sovereign state system.
- Concepts of international politics: power, balance of power, national interest, collective security.
- Theories of international politics: Idealist, Realist, Systems, Decision-making and Game Theory.
- Determinants of foreign policy: ideology, domestic compulsions, geopolitics and global order.
- Origin and decline of the Cold War; New World Order.
- Major issues of world politics: Cuban Missile Crisis, Vietnam War, Oil Crisis, collapse of the Soviet Union, Yugoslav Crisis, Afghan Crisis and Iraq War.
- Non-alignment: the Non-Aligned Movement and its relevance in the post-Cold War era.
- Disarmament and arms control.
- The evolution of the international economic order: from Bretton Woods to WTO; the North–South dimension.
- The UN and its specialised agencies.
- Regional organisations: ASEAN, EU and SAARC.
- Global concerns: human rights, ecology and gender justice.
Related notes on PoliPrepHub
India and the World
Paper II · Section B. India’s foreign policy from origins to present choices. Maintain a timeline of doctrines, treaties and key visits.
- Indian foreign policy: historical origins, determinants; the institutions of policy-making; continuity and change.
- The Non-Alignment Movement: India’s contribution to NAM; its contemporary relevance.
- India and the major powers: USA, EU, China and Russia.
- India and its neighbours: Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Nepal.
- Conflict and co-operation in South and South-East Asia: Kashmir, SAARC and ASEAN.
- India’s nuclear policy: PNE, NPT and CTBT.
- India and the UN system: India’s role in UN peacekeeping and global disarmament.
- India and the international economic order: WTO, IMF, IBRD and globalisation.
Related notes on PoliPrepHub
A practical plan for the optional
- Start with Section A of Paper I. Theory gives you the concepts you will use in every answer.
- Build the history of the national movement. Section B of Paper I begins with nationalism and constitutional reforms; make a dated timeline.
- Master the Constitution. Know the Articles, amendments and landmark cases, and write short notes on each institution.
- Prepare Odisha separately. Study Odia nationalism, the Praja Mandal movements, the integration of princely states, coalitions and people’s movements, and write answers that use local examples.
- Learn events with theories. For Paper II, tie each crisis, such as the Cuban Missile Crisis or the collapse of the Soviet Union, to the theory it explains.
- Keep a foreign-policy diary. Record treaties, doctrines and developments with neighbours and major powers.
- Write answers regularly. Practise structured answers with an introduction, analysis and a balanced conclusion, then check them against the syllabus wording.
Common questions
What does the OPSC optional syllabus include?
Paper I: Political Theory and Indian Government and Politics. Paper II: International Politics and India and the World.
Is there an Odisha-specific topic?
Yes. Paper I, Section B ends with State Politics in Odisha: Odia nationalism, the freedom movement and Praja Mandal movements, the integration of princely states, coalition politics, people’s movements and the women’s movement.
How is this different from UGC NET?
The topics overlap, but the OPSC syllabus has its own paper structure and includes the Odisha section. UGC NET is objective and has its own ten-unit syllabus. See our UGC NET guide.
Where can I find marks, dates and eligibility?
Only on the official OPSC website and its latest advertisement. This page covers the optional syllabus; the notification is final.
Does PoliPrepHub guarantee selection?
No. We offer study material only, and results depend on your own preparation. Read our Disclaimer.
Source: Odisha Public Service Commission, scheme and syllabus for the optional subject Political Science and International Relations. PoliPrepHub is an independent resource and is not affiliated with OPSC, UPSC, UGC, NTA or any university.
Begin with Paper I
Start with political theory, then move to the Indian Constitution and Odisha politics.