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UPSC Civil Services Examination

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Mains GS-II · Polity, Governance & IR

17 topics · 9 sections — from the official UPSC syllabus. Study material lands topic by topic.

Indian Constitution

  1. 1
    Historical Underpinnings, Evolution, Features, Amendments, Significant Provisions & Basic Structure Magazine Film Podcastsoon
    1. 1.Making of the Constitution — The Constituent Assembly and the Birth of the Republic15 min
    2. 2.Salient Features of the Constitution — The Design Choices That Define India's Founding Charter15 min
    3. 3.The Preamble — Identity, Authority and the Conscience of the Constitution14 min
    4. 4.Union and its Territory — The Indestructible Union and the Reorganisation of States16 min
    5. 5.Citizenship — Membership, the Single-Citizenship Design and the Democratic Project14 min
    6. 6.Fundamental Rights — The Magna Carta of India15 min
    7. 7.Directive Principles of State Policy — The Conscience of the Constitution15 min
    8. 8.Fundamental Duties — The Code the Constitution Forgot and the Courts Revived15 min
    9. 9.Basic Structure Doctrine — The Unamendable Core of the Constitution16 min
    10. 10.Amendment of the Constitution — The Power to Mend, Not to Destroy20 min

Federal Structure

  1. 1
    Functions & Responsibilities of the Union & the States; issues & challenges of the federal structure; devolution of powers & finances to local levels & challenges therein Magazine Film Podcastsoon
    1. 1.Federal System — 'Union of States', the Quasi-Federal Debate, and Cooperative Federalism16 min
    2. 2.Centre-State Relations — The Three-Dimensional Machinery of Divided Power18 min
    3. 3.Inter-State Relations — The Horizontal Machinery of a Single Nation14 min
    4. 4.Emergency Provisions — A Constitution That Can Suspend Itself17 min
    5. 5.Panchayati Raj — From Article 40 to the 73rd Amendment and PESA24 min
    6. 6.Municipalities — Urban Local Self-Government Under the 74th Amendment20 min
    7. 7.Union Territories — A Deliberate Unitary Exception in a Federal Constitution22 min

Separation of Powers

  1. 1
    Separation of powers between various organs; dispute redressal mechanisms & institutions; comparison of the Indian constitutional scheme with that of other countries Magazine Film Podcastsoon
    1. 1.Parliamentary System — Responsible Government, Article 74 and the Logic of Collective Responsibility15 min

Parliament & State Legislatures

  1. 1
    Structure, Functioning, Conduct of Business, Powers & Privileges & the issues arising out of these Magazine Film Podcastsoon
    1. 1.Parliament — The Union Legislature and the Heart of Indian Democracy22 min
    2. 2.State Legislature -- Organisation, Composition and Legislative Procedure of the Vidhan Sabha and Vidhan Parishad16 min

Executive & Judiciary

  1. 1
    Structure, Organization & Functioning of the Executive & the Judiciary; Ministries & Departments of the Government; Pressure Groups & formal/informal associations & their role in the polity Magazine Film Podcastsoon
    1. 1.The President — Head of the Indian State and Nominal Executive of the Union23 min
    2. 2.The Vice-President — India's Second-Highest Office and the Guarantee of Continuity13 min
    3. 3.The Prime Minister and Council of Ministers — India's Real Executive18 min
    4. 4.The Governor — Nominal Head of the State Executive and the Centre's Constitutional Link17 min
    5. 5.Chief Minister and State Council of Ministers — The Real Executive Behind the Governor15 min
    6. 6.The Supreme Court of India — Composition, Independence and Jurisdiction23 min
    7. 7.High Court and Subordinate Courts — The State Judiciary Beneath the Supreme Court21 min
    8. 8.The Attorney-General of India — Chief Law Officer Held at the President's Pleasure8 min
    9. 9.Advocate General of the State — The Governor's Law Officer, Not the State's5 min

Representation of the People

  1. 1
    Salient features of the Representation of People's Act Magazine Film Podcastsoon

Constitutional & Statutory Bodies

  1. 1
    Appointment to various Constitutional Posts — powers, functions & responsibilities of various Constitutional Bodies Magazine Film Podcastsoon
    1. 1.The Election Commission — Guardian of Free and Fair Elections Under Article 32417 min
    2. 2.The Union Public Service Commission — Recruiting the Civil Services Under Articles 315-32314 min
    3. 3.The State Public Service Commission — A Calibrated Mirror of the UPSC Under Articles 315-32315 min
    4. 4.The Finance Commission — Article 280 and the Balancing Wheel of Fiscal Federalism14 min
    5. 5.The Comptroller and Auditor-General — Guardian of the Public Purse Under Articles 148-15115 min
    6. 6.The National Commission for Scheduled Castes — A Constitutional Template Extended Three Times11 min
    7. 7.The National Commission for Scheduled Tribes — A Constitutional Safeguard Born of Bifurcation9 min
    8. 8.The National Commission for Backward Classes — Completing a Constitutional Template14 min
    9. 9.The Special Officer for Linguistic Minorities — the Half of Part XVII That Protects, Not Promotes13 min
  2. 2
    Statutory, Regulatory & various Quasi-judicial Bodies Magazine Film Podcastsoon

Governance, Welfare & Social Sector

  1. 1
    Government policies & interventions for development in various sectors & issues arising out of their design & implementation Magazine Film Podcastsoon
    1. 1.GS Paper II — Governance & International Relations: Government Policies and Interventions for Development — A Sectoral Overview81 min
  2. 2
    Development processes & the development industry — role of NGOs, SHGs, various groups & associations, donors, charities, institutional & other stakeholders Magazine Film Podcastsoon
    1. 1.GS Paper II — Governance & International Relations: Development Processes and the Development Industry: NGOs, SHGs, Civil Society79 min
  3. 3
    Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections by the Centre & States & their performance; mechanisms, laws, institutions & bodies for the protection & betterment of these sections Magazine Film Podcastsoon
    1. 1.GS Paper II — Governance & International Relations: Welfare Schemes for Vulnerable Sections: SC/ST/OBC/Minorities95 min
    2. 2.GS Paper II — Governance & International Relations: Welfare Schemes for Vulnerable Sections: Women, Children, Elderly, Persons with Disabilities124 min
  4. 4
    Issues relating to development & management of Social Sector/Services — Health, Education, Human Resources; issues relating to Poverty & Hunger Magazine Film Podcastsoon
    1. 1.GS Paper II — Governance & International Relations: Social Sector Development: Health and Education89 min
    2. 2.GS Paper II — Governance & International Relations: Poverty, Hunger, and Human Resource Development105 min
  5. 5
    Governance, Transparency & Accountability; E-governance — applications, models, successes, limitations & potential; Citizens' Charters; Role of Civil Services in a democracy Magazine Film Podcastsoon
    1. 1.GS Paper II — Governance & International Relations: Governance, Transparency, and Accountability: E-Governance, RTI, and Citizens' Charters106 min
    2. 2.GS Paper II — Governance & International Relations: Role of Civil Services in a Democracy110 min

International Relations

  1. 1
    India & its Neighbourhood relations Magazine Film Podcastsoon
    1. 1.GS Paper II — Governance & International Relations: India-Pakistan Relations178 min
    2. 2.GS Paper II — Governance & International Relations: India-China Relations172 min
    3. 3.GS Paper II — Governance & International Relations: India's Immediate Neighbourhood — Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar and the Maldives107 min
    4. 4.GS Paper II — Governance & International Relations: India-Afghanistan Relations and Central Asia34 min
  2. 2
    Bilateral, Regional & Global Groupings & Agreements involving India and/or affecting India's interests Magazine Film Podcastsoon
    1. 1.GS Paper II — Governance & International Relations: India-United States Relations64 min
    2. 2.GS Paper II — Governance & International Relations: India-Russia Relations105 min
    3. 3.GS Paper II — Governance & International Relations: India, the European Union, and Other Major Powers127 min
    4. 4.GS Paper II — Governance & International Relations: Regional Groupings — SAARC, BIMSTEC, ASEAN and SCO53 min
    5. 5.GS Paper II — Governance & International Relations: Global Groupings: G20, BRICS, QUAD, IBSA55 min
  3. 3
    Effect of policies & politics of developed & developing countries on India's interests; Indian Diaspora Magazine Film Podcastsoon
    1. 1.GS Paper II — Governance & International Relations: Indian Diaspora and Its Role in India's Foreign Policy76 min
  4. 4
    Important International Institutions, Agencies & Fora — their structure & mandate Magazine Film Podcastsoon
    1. 1.GS Paper II — Governance & International Relations: International Institutions: the UN, UNSC Reform, and Global Governance Bodies (WTO, IMF, World Bank, WHO)109 min

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