Topics
Contemporary World Politics
Cold War Era
- Introduction to the Cold War Era
- The Berlin Blockade (1948-1949)
- Cold War (1945-1991)
- Emergence of Two Power Blocs After the Second World War
- Arenas of the Cold War
- Challenges to Bipolarity
- New International Economic Order
- India and the Cold War
- Disintegration of the Soviet Union and Its Impact Or Consequences on the World Order
The End of Bipolarity
- 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
- Shock Therapy and Its Consequenes
- Tensions and Conflicts
- India and 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
US Hegemony in World Politics
- Introduction of US Hegemony in World Politics
- Ayesha, Jabu and Andrei
- Beginning of the ‘New World Order’
- The Clinton Years
- 9/11 and the ‘Global War on Terror’
- The Iraq Invasion
- Hegemony
- Constraints on American Power
- India's Relationship with the Us
- How Can Hegemony Be Overcome?
- 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
Alternative Centres of Power
- Introduction to Alternative Centres of Power
- European Union
- Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN)
- The Rise of the Chinese Economy
- India-China Relations
- Overview of Contemporary Centres of Power
Contemporary South Asia in the Post Cold War Era
- Introduction to Contemporary South Asia
- What is South Asia?
- The Military and Democracy in Pakistan
- Democracy in Bangladesh
- Monarchy and Democracy 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
- Overview of Contemporary South Asia
International Organizations
- Introduction to International Organisations
- Why International Organisations?
- Evolution of the UN
- Reform of the UN After the Cold War
- Reform of Structures and Processes
- Jurisdiction of the UN
- India and the UN Reforms
- The UN in a Unipolar World
- 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
Security in Contemporary World
- Introduction to Security in the Contemporary World
- What is Security?
- Traditional Notions: External
- Traditional Security and Cooperation
- Non-traditional Notions
- New Sources of Threats
- 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
Environment and Natural Resources
- Introduction to Environment and Natural Resources
- Environmental Concerns in Global Politics
- The Protection of Global Commons
- Common but Differentiated Responsibilities
- Common Property Resources
- India's Stand on Environmental Issues
- Environment Movements: One Or Many?
- Resource Geopolitics
- The Indigenous Peoples and Their Rights
- Rights of Indigenous People
- Overview of Environment and Natural Resources
Globalisation
- 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
Politics in India since Independence
Challenges of Nation-building
- 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
- Partition: Displacement and Rehabilitation
- Integration of Princely States
- Overview of Challenges of Nation-building
Era of One-party Dominance
- Introduction of Era of One-party Dominance
- Congress Dominance in the First Three General Elections
- Nature of Congress Dominance at the National Level
- 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
Politics of Planned Development
- 12th Five Year Plan (2012-2017)
- 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
- The Early Initiatives
- Key Controversies
- Major Outcome
- Overview of Politics of Planned Development
India's External Relations
- Nehru's Foreign Policy
- Sino-Indian War
- Pakistan (1948–49, 1965, 1971)
- India'S Nuclear Programme
- Shifting Alliance in World Politics
- International Context
- The Policy of Non-alignment
- Peace and Conflict with China
- Wars and Peace with Pakistan
- India's Nuclear Policy
- Overview of India's External Relations
Challenges to the Congress System
- Political Succession After Nehru
- Non-congressism and Electoral Upset of 1967
- Congress Split and Reconstitution
- Congress Victory in 1971 Elections
- Politics of Garibi Hatao
- Fourth General Elections, 1967
- Split in the Congress
- The 1971 Election and Restoration of Congress
- Overview of Challenges to the Congress System
Crisis of the Democratic Order
- 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
- Declaration of Emergency
- Controversies Regarding Emergency
- Politics After Emergency
- Overview of Crisis of the Democratic Order
Rise of Popular Movements
- Farmer's Movements
- Womens’ Movement in India
- Environment and Development - Affected People'S Movements
- Implementation of Mandal Commission Report and Its Aftermath
- Nature of Popular Movements
- Dalit Panthers
- Bharatiya Kisan Union
- Anti Arrack Movement
- Narmada Bachao Aandolan
- Lesson from Popular Movements
Regional Aspirations
- Rise of Regional Parties
- Punjab Crisis and the Anti Sikh Riots of 1984
- The Kashmir Situation
- Challenges and Responses in the North East
- Region and the Nation
- Accommodation and National Integration
- Dravidian Movement
- Overview of Regional Aspirations
Recent Developments in Indian Politics
- 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
- Era of Coalitions
- Political Rise of Other Backward Classes
- Communalism, Secularism, Democracy
- Emergence of a New Consensus
- Overview of Recent Developments in Indian Politics
Estimated time: 35 minutes
CBSE: Class 12
Key Points: Vladimir Lenin (1870-1924)
- Russian revolutionary and Marxist leader
- Founder of the Bolshevik Communist Party
- Leader of the Russian Revolution (1917)
- Founder and first head of the USSR
CBSE: Class 12
Key Points: Joseph Stalin (1879-1953)
- Ruled from 1924 to 1953.
- Introduced rapid industrialisation and forced collectivisation of agriculture.
- Led the USSR to victory in the Second World War.
- Established an authoritarian regime.
CBSE: Class 12
Key Points: Nikita Khrushchev
- Leader of USSR (1953–64).
- Denounced Stalin (1956).
- Advocated “peaceful coexistence” with the West.
- Linked to Hungary revolt suppression & Cuban Missile Crisis.
CBSE: Class 12
Key Points: Leonid Brezhnev (1906-82)
- Leader of USSR (1964–82).
- Promoted détente with the USA.
- Proposed Asian Collective Security system.
- Suppressed the Czechoslovakia revolt & invaded Afghanistan.
CBSE: Class 12
Key Points: Mikhail Gorbachev (Born 1931)
- Last leader of the USSR (1985–91).
- Introduced Perestroika & Glasnost.
- Ended Cold War tensions; withdrew troops from Afghanistan & Eastern Europe.
- Linked to the disintegration of the Soviet Union.
CBSE: Class 12
Key Points: Boris Yeltsin (1931-2007)
- First elected President of Russia (1991–99).
- Led protests against Soviet regime in 1991.
- Played a key role in dissolving the USSR.
- Led Russia’s transition from communism to capitalism.
CBSE: Class 12
Key Points: The Soviet System
- Born after the 1917 Russian Revolution USSR was created to build a socialist, egalitarian society.
- One-party authoritarian system.
- State-controlled planned economy.
- Superpower and leader of the socialist bloc.
- Economic stagnation and decline.
CBSE: Class 12
Key Points: Gorbachev and the Disintegration of the Soviet Union
- Reforms under Gorbachev (1985).
- End of Soviet control in Eastern Europe.
- Internal crisis and opposition.
- 1991 Coup & rise of Boris Yeltsin.
- Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus declared the USSR dissolved.
CBSE: Class 12
Key Points: Reasons for the Disintegration of the Soviet Union
- Economic stagnation and shortages: Long-term economic stagnation led to consumer shortages, low productivity, and declining living standards.
- Over-emphasis on military spending: Huge resources were spent on the arms race, nuclear arsenal, and satellite states.
- Authoritarian and unaccountable system: The Communist Party was not accountable to the people.
- Loss of faith in the system: Exposure to Western prosperity highlighted the backwardness of the Soviet system.
- Gorbachev’s reforms and rising expectations: Perestroika and Glasnost loosened controls, raised public expectations, and exposed weaknesses.
- Internal divisions within the Party and society: Reformists and hardliners were in conflict; no group fully supported Gorbachev, leading to political instability.
- Rise of nationalism in republics: Strong nationalist movements in republics like Baltic states, Ukraine, and Georgia.
CBSE: Class 12
Key Points: Timeline of Disintegration of the Soviet Union
- 1985 (March) – Mikhail Gorbachev becomes General Secretary of the Communist Party
- 1988 (June) – Independence movements start in Lithuania
- 1989 (October–November) – USSR allows Warsaw Pact countries freedom of choice
- 1990 (February) – Communist Party’s monopoly on power ends
- 1990 (March) – Lithuania becomes the first Soviet republic
- 1990 (June) – Russian Parliament declares sovereignty
- 1991 (June) – Boris Yeltsin elected President of Russia
- 1991 (August) – Failed coup by Communist hardliners against Gorbachev weakens
- 1991 (September) – Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania gain international recognition
- 1991 (December) – Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus dissolve the USSR, form the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS); Gorbachev resigns on 25 December
CBSE: Class 12
Key Points: Consequences of the Disintegration of the Soviet Union
- End of the Cold War
- Change in global power structure
- Rise of capitalism and liberal democracy
- Greater role of international institutions
- Emergence of new independent states
CBSE: Class 12
Key Points: Shock Therapy in Post-Communist Regimes
- Rapid shift to capitalism.
- Privatisation of state assets.
- No ‘third way’ allowed.
- Opening to global markets.
- Integration with the West.
CBSE: Class 12
Key Points: Consequences of Shock Therapy
- Economic collapse and inflation.
- Hasty privatisation and unemployment.
- Breakdown of agriculture and food security.
- Rising inequality and social distress.
- Weak democracy and authoritarianism.
CBSE: Class 12
Key Points: Tensions and Conflicts
- Widespread conflicts in former Soviet republics.
- Secessionist movements in Russia.
- Ethnic and civil conflicts in Central Asia & Caucasus.
- Role of external powers.
- Eastern Europe and Balkan conflicts.
CBSE: Class 12
Key Points: India and Post-Communist Countries
- Strong India–Russia relationship.
- Cultural and popular links.
- Shared vision of a multipolar world.
- Strategic and defence cooperation.
- Energy, space, and scientific cooperation.
- Mutual economic and geopolitical benefits.
CBSE: Class 12
Key Points: Flashback: India and the USSR
- Special Cold War relationship: India and the USSR shared a close, multi-dimensional partnership
- Economic cooperation: USSR helped India build steel plants (Bhilai, Bokaro, Visakhapatnam) and heavy industries; accepted Indian currency for trade.
- Political support: USSR backed India on the Kashmir issue at the UN and supported India during major conflicts, including the 1971 war.
- Military cooperation: India received most of its defence equipment from the USSR; joint production of military hardware was encouraged.
- Cultural ties: Indian films and culture were very popular in the USSR, strengthening people-to-people relations.
