New syllabus renews interest in political science

New syllabus renews interest in political science


NEW DELHI: BA (honours) in political science is a much sought-after course in Delhi University among the students of humanities. It's demand can be guaged from the fact that admissions to this course last year were closed just after the first cut-off list in many popular colleges.

BA (honours) political science is available in as many as 45 DU colleges. It's curriculum was revised only last year giving it a contemporary edge and an interesting line-up of papers. According to teachers, many commerce students have lately started showing interest in this course as it helps them get a seat in DU at reasonable cut-offs.

For instance, last year the first cut-off for political science at Lady Shri Ram College was 90.5% while it was 90-92% at Hindu, 88-92% at Ramjas, and 77-80% at IP College for Women. There was an increase of 0.5%-2% in the first cut-off as compared to the previous year. Most colleges closed filled up their seats in the first list itself.

Eligibility: Political science is the study of the structure of state and society at large. So students from all backgrounds can pursue this course.

However, the cut-offs are slightly higher for candidates who are not from the humanities stream. Gopa Joshi, associate professor, Ramjas College, said, "Normally we look for students who are socially aware and sensitive. These days many people decry politics. But students of political science can't do well in course if they do so too. So the right attitude is very important."

Course Content: The syllabus of political science was revised only last year. This means that the freshers will only be the second batch to study the new course that has 10 main papers over three years with a few interdisciplinary papers in the first or second year.

"In the first year, we want students to form a good base in political science. So the curriculum is largely theoretical. Students are introduced to the concepts of society, development, gender and environment. We also teach about thinkers like Gandhi and Ambedkar," said Madhu Jha, assistant professor, Lakshmibai College.

The papers covered in the first year are nationalism & colonialism in India, political theory and Indian political thought. The papers covered in the second and third years include western ideas, foreign relation, comparative government & politics.

Road Ahead: Media, law, civil services and teaching are the traditional options for students of political science. "Teaching is attractive option now because of better pay packages and job security. With so much expansion happening in education, the demand for teachers is never going to die," Jha said. She added that students of this course generally perform well in group discussions and interviews when they go for competitive exams after graduation.

"They are clued in to current affair, study about environment and social issues like gender. So they are usually well-informed and analytical," Jha said. Studying international relations is another option after graduating in political science.

According to Joshi, political science students now have prospects in different sectors.

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