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.