CBSE Class 12 Political Science Syllabus - Free PDF Download
CBSE Syllabus 2026-27 Class 12: The CBSE Class 12 Political Science Syllabus for the examination year 2026-27 has been released by the Central Board of Secondary Education, CBSE. The board will hold the final examination at the end of the year following the annual assessment scheme, which has led to the release of the syllabus. The 2026-27 CBSE Class 12 Political Science Board Exam will entirely be based on the most recent syllabus. Therefore, students must thoroughly understand the new CBSE syllabus to prepare for their annual exam properly.
The detailed CBSE Class 12 Political Science Syllabus for 2026-27 is below.
Academic year:
CBSE Class 12 Political Science Revised Syllabus
CBSE Class 12 Political Science Course Structure 2026-27 With Marking Scheme
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Syllabus
1: Contemporary World Politics [Revision]
CBSE Class 12 Political Science Syllabus
1.1 Cold War Era [Revision]
- Introduction to the Cold War Era
- The Berlin Blockade (1948-1949)
- Introduction
- The Formation of NATO, 1949
- Thaw in the Cold War- How Partial was it?
- The Cuban Missile Crisis, 1962
- The Warsaw Pact of May 4, 1955
- Cold War (1945-1991)
- Early Cold War Developments (1945–1947)
- The Potsdam (Germany) Conference of 1945
- Causes of the Cold War
- Emergence of Two Power Blocs After the Second World War
- Arenas of the Cold War
- Challenges to Bipolarity
- Non-Aligned Movement
- New International Economic Order
- The quest for new international economic order
- India and the Cold War
- Disintegration of the Soviet Union and Its Impact Or Consequences on the World Order
1.2 The End of Bipolarity [Revision]
- Introduction to the End of Bipolarity
- What Was the Soviet System?
- Gorbachev and Disintegration
- Why Did the Soviet Union Disintegrate?
- Consequences of Disintegration
- Shock Therapy in Post-communist Regimes
- Introduction of democratic politics and capitalism in post-communist regimes
- Shock Therapy and Its Consequenes
- Tensions and Conflicts
- New entities in world politics: Russia, Balkan states, and, Central Asian states
- India and Post-communist Countries
- India’s relations with Russia and other post-communist countries
- New Entities in World Politics: Russia, Balkan States and Central Asian States
- Introduction of Democratic Politics and Capitalism in Post-communist Regimes
- Overview of The End of Bipolarity
1.3 US Hegemony in World Politics [Revision]
- Introduction of US Hegemony in World Politics
- Ayesha, Jabu and Andrei
- Beginning of the ‘New World Order’
- Growth of unilateralism: Afghanistan, first Gulf War
- The Clinton Years
- 9/11 and the ‘Global War on Terror’
- Response to 9/11
- The Iraq Invasion
- Attack on Iraq
- Hegemony
- What does hegemony mean?
- Hegemony as hard power
- Hegemony as structural power
- Hegemony as soft power
- Constraints on American Power
- India's Relationship with the Us
- India’s renegotiation of its relationship with the USA
- How Can Hegemony Be Overcome?
- Dominance and challenge to the US in economy and ideology
- Growth of Unilateralism - Afghanistan, First Gulf War, Response to 9/11 and Attack on Iraq
- Dominance and Challenge to the Us in Economy and Ideology
1.4 Alternative Centres of Power [Revision]
- Introduction to Alternative Centres of Power
- European Union
- Creation and Expansion of European Union
- Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN)
- The Rise of the Chinese Economy
- Rise of China as an economic power in post- Mao era
- India-China Relations
- India's Changing Relations with China
- Overview of Contemporary Centres of Power
1.5 Contemporary South Asia in the Post Cold War Era [Revision]
- Introduction to Contemporary South Asia
- What is South Asia?
- The Military and Democracy in Pakistan
- Democratisation and its reversal in Pakistan
- Democracy in Bangladesh
- Monarchy and Democracy in Nepal
- Democratisation and its reversal in Nepal
- Ethnic Conflict and Democracy in Sri Lanka
- India-Pakistan Conflicts
- India's Relations with Its Neighbours
- Peace and Cooperation
- Impact of economic globalization on the region
- Conflicts and efforts for peace in South Asia
- Impact of Economic Globalization on the Region
- Conflicts and Efforts for Peace in South Asia
- Overview of Contemporary South Asia
1.6 International Organizations [Revision]
- Introduction to International Organisations
- Why International Organisations?
- Evolution of the UN
- Reform of the UN After the Cold War
- Restructuring and the future of the UN
- Reform of Structures and Processes
- Rise of new international actors: new international economic organizations, NGOs.
- Jurisdiction of the UN
- India and the UN Reforms
- India’s position in the restructured UN
- The UN in a Unipolar World
- How democratic and accountable are the new institutions of global governance?
- Restructuring and the Future of the UN
- India'S Position in the Restructured UN
- Rise of New International Actors - New International Economic Organisations, Ngos
- How Democratic and Accountable Are the New Institutions of Global Governance
- Overview of International Organizations
1.7 Security in Contemporary World [Revision]
- Introduction to Security in the Contemporary World
- What is Security?
- Traditional Notions: External
- Traditional Security and Cooperation
- Traditional concerns of security and politics of disarmament
- Non-traditional Notions
- Human security
- Global security
- New Sources of Threats
- Non-traditional conceptions: Terrorism, Human rights, Global poverty, Migration, Health epidemics.
- Cooperative Security
- India’s Security Strategy
- Traditional Concerns of Security and Politics of Disarmament
- Non-traditional Or Human Security - Global Poverty, Health and Education
- Issues of Human Rights and Migration
- Overview of Security in Contemporary World
1.8 Environment and Natural Resources [Revision]
- Introduction to Environment and Natural Resources
- Environmental Concerns in Global Politics
- The Protection of Global Commons
- Evolution of global environmental norms
- Common but Differentiated Responsibilities
- Common Property Resources
- Conflicts Over Traditional and Common Property Resources
- India's Stand on Environmental Issues
- India's Stand in Global Environmental Debates
- Environment Movements: One Or Many?
- Resource Geopolitics
- The Indigenous Peoples and Their Rights
- Rights of Indigenous People
- Overview of Environment and Natural Resources
1.9 Globalisation [Revision]
- Political Consequences
- Economic Consequences
- Cultural Consequences
- India and Resistance to Globalisation
- Economic, Cultural and Political Manifestations
- Debates on the Nature of Consequences of Globalisation
- Anti-globalisation Movements
- India as an Arena of Globalization and Struggle Against It
- Name Or Description
- Overview of Globalisation
- Opportunities and Threats of Globalization
- Opportunities and threats of globalization for business
2: Politics in India since Independence [Revision]
CBSE Class 12 Political Science Syllabus
2.1 Challenges of Nation-building [Revision]
- Nehru's Approach to Nation-building
- Legacy of Partition - Challenge of 'Refugee' Resettlement, the Kashmir Problem
- Organisation and Reorganization of States
- Political Conflicts Overlanguage
- Challenges for the New Nation
- Nehru's Approach to Nation-building
- Three Challenges for the New Nation
- Partition: Displacement and Rehabilitation
- Process of Partition
- Consequences of Partition - The challenge of ‘refugee’ resettlement
- Integration of Princely States
- The problem
- Government’s approach
- Hyderabad
- Manipur
- Kashmir problem
- Overview of Challenges of Nation-building
2.2 Era of One-party Dominance [Revision]
- Introduction of Era of One-party Dominance
- Congress Dominance in the First Three General Elections
- Nature of Congress Dominance at the National Level
- Congress as a social and ideological coalition
- Tolerance and management of factions
- Uneven dominance at the state level
- Coalitional nature of Congress
- Uneven Dominance at the State Level
- Coalitional Nature of Congress
- Emergence of Opposition Parties
- Challenge of Building Democracy
- Overview of Era of One-party Dominance
2.3 Politics of Planned Development [Revision]
- 12th Five Year Plan (2012-2017)
- Introduction
- Core Objective
- Targets of 12th Five-Year Plan
- Economic Growth Targets
- Poverty Reduction and Employment
- Education Transformation
- Health and Demographics
- Infrastructure Development
- Environmental Sustainability
- Service Delivery Revolution
- Key Point Summary
- Expansion of State Sector and the Rise of New Economic Interests
- Famine and Suspension of Five Year Plans
- Green Revolution and Its Political Fallouts
- Introduction of Politics of Planned Development
- Political contestation
- Ideas of development
- Planning - Planning Commission, Niti Ayog
- The Early Initiatives
- Five Year Plans
- The First Five Year Plan (1951-1956)
- Expansion of state sector and Rise of new economic interests
- The Second Five Year Plan - Rapid Industrialisation
- The Third Five Year Plan - Industrialisation
- Suspension of Five Year Plans
- Key Controversies
- Agriculture versus industry
- Public versus private sector
- Major Outcome
- Foundations
- Land Reforms
- Food Crisis - Famine
- Suspension of five-year plans
- The Green Revolution and its political fallouts
- Later developments
- Overview of Politics of Planned Development
2.4 India's External Relations [Revision]
- Nehru's Foreign Policy
- Sino-Indian War
- Tibet Issue and Chinese Annexation
- Sino-Indian War (1962)
- Consequences
- Pakistan (1948–49, 1965, 1971)
- Causes of the First Indo-Pak War of 1948–1949
- The Second Indo-Pak War of 1965
- The Third Indo-Pak War, 1971
- Consequences of the War
- India'S Nuclear Programme
- Shifting Alliance in World Politics
- International Context
- The Policy of Non-alignment
- Nehru's Foreign Policy
- Distance from two camps (NATO and Warsaw Pact)
- Afro-Asian Unity
- Peace and Conflict with China
- The Chinese invasion, 1962
- Sino-Indian war of 1962
- Wars and Peace with Pakistan
- Indo-Pak war of 1965
- Bangladesh war, 1971
- India's Nuclear Policy
- India's Nuclear Programme
- Shifting alliances in world politics
- Overview of India's External Relations
2.5 Challenges to the Congress System [Revision]
- Political Succession After Nehru
- From Nehru to Shastri
- From Shastri to Indira Gandhi
- Non-congressism and Electoral Upset of 1967
- Congress Split and Reconstitution
- Congress Victory in 1971 Elections
- Politics of Garibi Hatao
- Fourth General Elections, 1967
- Context of the elections
- Non-Congressism
- Electoral verdict
- Coalitions
- Defection
- Split in the Congress
- Indira vs. the 'Syndicate'
- Presidential election, 1969
- The 1971 Election and Restoration of Congress
- The contest
- Politics of 'Garibi Hatao'
- The outcome and after
- Restoration?
- Overview of Challenges to the Congress System
2.6 Crisis of the Democratic Order [Revision]
- Search for Committed Bureaucracy and Judiciary
- Navnirman Movement in Gujarat and the Bihar Movement
- Emergency - Context, Constitutional and Extra-constitutional Dimensions, Resistance to Emergency
- 1977 Elections and the Formation of Janata Party
- Rise of Civil Liberties Organisations
- Background to Emergency
- Economic context
- Navnirman movement in Gujarat and Bihar
- The Naxalite Movement
- Railway strike of 1974
- Conflict with Judiciary
- Search for ‘committed’ bureaucracy and judiciary
- Declaration of Emergency
- Crisis and response
- Consequences
- Controversies Regarding Emergency
- Emergency: context, constitutional and extra-constitutional dimensions, resistance to emergency
- Was the Emergency necessary?
- What happened during an emergency?
- Lessons of the Emergency
- Politics After Emergency
- Lok Sabha Elections, 1977
- The formation of the Janata Party
- Janata Government
- Legacy
- Overview of Crisis of the Democratic Order
2.7 Rise of Popular Movements [Revision]
- Farmer's Movements
- Womens’ Movement in India
- The 19th century social reform movements and early women's organisations
- Agrarian struggles and revolts
- Post 1947
- Environment and Development - Affected People'S Movements
- Implementation of Mandal Commission Report and Its Aftermath
- Nature of Popular Movements
- Chipko movement
- Party based movements
- Non-party movements
- Dalit Panthers
- Origins
- Activities
- Bharatiya Kisan Union
- Growth of BKU
- Characteristics of BKU
- Anti Arrack Movement
- Origins
- Linkages
- Narmada Bachao Aandolan
- Sardar Sarovar Project
- Debates and struggles
- Lesson from Popular Movements
- Movement for Right to Information
- Implementation of Mandal Commission report and its aftermath
2.8 Regional Aspirations [Revision]
- Rise of Regional Parties
- Punjab Crisis and the Anti Sikh Riots of 1984
- Political context
- Cycle of violence
- Road to peace
- The Kashmir Situation
- Roots of the Problem
- External and Internal
- Politics since
- Insurgency and After
- 2002 and Beyond
- Challenges and Responses in the North East
- Demands for autonomy
- Secessionist movements
- Movements against outsiders
- Region and the Nation
- Indian approach
- Areas of tension
- Rise of regional parties
- Accommodation and National Integration
- Dravidian Movement
- Overview of Regional Aspirations
2.9 Recent Developments in Indian Politics [Revision]
- Participatory Upsurge in 1990s
- Rise of the JD and the BJP
- Increasing Role of Regional Parties and Coalition Politics
- Coalition Governments - NDA (1998 - 2004) UPA (2004 - 2014) NDA (2014 Onwards)
- Context of the 1990s
- Participatory upsurge in the 1990s
- Era of Coalitions
- Decline of Congress
- Alliance politics
- Rise of the JD and the BJP.
- The increasing role of regional parties and coalition politics.
- UF and NDA governments
- Political Rise of Other Backward Classes
- Rise of OBCs in North Indian politics.
- 'Mandal' implemented
- Political fallout - Dalit politics in the electoral and non-electoral arena
- Communalism, Secularism, Democracy
- Ayodhya dispute
- Demolition and after
- Gujarat riots
- Emergence of a New Consensus
- Lok Sabha Elections 2004 and UPA government
- Growing consensus
- Overview of Recent Developments in Indian Politics
