CBSE Class 12 Political Science Syllabus: Topics & Marking Scheme

Overview: Discover the CBSE Class 12 Political Science syllabus with unit-level content and marks distribution. To score 80/80 in theory, learn recommended books and preparation strategies. 

The CBSE class 12 Political Science syllabus describes the course organisation, unit-by-unit course content, marking scheme, project work requirements, and question paper design. 

• The 3-hour exam has 80 marks allotted to theory and 20 marks to projects or practicals.
• The syllabus is divided into 2 parts, each with 40 marks weightage. 

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CBSE Class 12 Political Science Syllabus: Key Highlights 

The CBSE Political Science exam syllabus is divided into two sections:

• Part A, which focuses on Contemporary World Politics.
• Part B, which focuses on Politics in India Post-Independence.

Each section is worth 40 marks and details specific units and topics. Here are the exam highlights: 

Aspects	Details
Exam Duration	3 Hours
Subject Code	028
Theory Marks	80
Project/ Practical Marks	20

CBSE Class 12 Political Science Syllabus: Unit-Wise Weightage

You must check the Political Science Exam Marking scheme to know the questions' type and weightage.

Check the below-given unit-wise marks distribution of the Political Science syllabus:

	Part A: Contemporary World Politics
Chapter	Contents	Marks
1	The End of Bipolarity	6
2	New Centres of Power	6
3	Contemporary South Asia	6
4	United Nations and its Organizations	6
5	Security in the Contemporary World	6
7	Environment and Natural Resources	6
7	Globalization	4
	Part B: Politics in India Since Independence
1	Challenges of Nation-Building	6
2	Era of One-Party Dominance	4
3	Planned Development	2
4	India’s External Relations	6
5	Challenges to and Restoration of the Congress System	4
6	The Crisis of Democratic Order	4
7	Regional Aspirations	6
8	Indian Politics: Recent Trends and Development	8

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CBSE Class 12 Political Science Syllabus: Topics to be focused

Part A: Contemporary World Politics

Chapter 1: The End of Bipolarity

• The Soviet System
• Gorbachev and the disintegration
• Causes and Consequences of Disintegration of the Soviet Union
• Shock Therapy and its Consequences
• New entities in world politics: Russia, Balkan States, Central Asian States
• India's relations with Russia and other post-communist countries

Chapter 2: Contemporary Centres of Power

• European Union
• Association of Southeast Asian Nations
• Rise of China as an economic power
• Japan and South Korea as emerging powers

Chapter 3: Contemporary South Asia

• Military and Democracy in Pakistan and Bangladesh
• Monarchy and Democracy in Nepal
• Ethnic Conflict and Democracy in Sri Lanka
• India-Pakistan Conflicts
• India and its Neighbours
• Peace and Cooperation

Chapter 4: International Organisations

• Meaning and Importance of International Organisations
• Evolution of the UN
• Structure and Function of International Organisations
• Principal Organs of UN
• Reform of the UN after the Cold War
• Reform of Structures, Processes and Jurisdiction of the UN
• India and the UN Reforms
• Key Agencies: IMF, World Bank, WTO, ILO, IAEA.
• NGO: Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch.
• Implications and Future of International Organizations

Sample papers for CBSE Class 12 Political Science Syllabus 

Chapter 5:Security in the Contemporary World

• Meaning and Type of Security
• The traditional concept of security
• Non-tradition notions of Security
• New Sources of Threats
• Cooperative Security
• India’s Security strategy

Chapter 6:Environment and Natural Resources

• Environmental Concerns
• Global Commons
• Common but differentiated Responsibilities
• India’s Stand on Environmental Issues
• Environmental Movements
• Resource Geopolitics
• Rights of Indigenous Peoples

Chapter 7: Globalisation

• Concept of globalisation
• Causes and Consequences of Globalisation
• India and globalization
• Resistance to globalization
• India and resistance to globalisation

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CBSE Class 12 Political Science Syllabus: Topics to be focused

Part B: Politics in India Since Independence

Chapter 1: Challenges of Nation-Building

• Challenges for the new Nation: Three Challenges.
• Partition: Displacement and Rehabilitation: Consequences of Partition
• Integration of Princely States: The problem, Government’s approach, Hyderabad, Manipur
• Reorganisation of States

Chapter 2:Era of One-Party Dominance

• The challenge of building democracy
• Emergence of opposition parties

Congress's dominance in the first three general elections

• Nature of Congress dominance
• Congress as a social and ideological coalition.
• Tolerance and management of Factions

Chapter 3: Politics of Planned Development

• Political contestation: Ideas of Development, Planning, Planning Commission
• The Early Initiatives: The First Five-Year Plan, Rapid Industrialisation

Chapter 4: India’s External Relations

• International Context
• India’s Nuclear Policy
• The Policy of Non-Alignment: Nehru’s role, Distance from two camps, Afro-Asian Unity
• Peace and Conflict with China: The Chinese Invasion1962, War and Peace with Pakistan, Bangladesh War 1971

Chapter 5: Challenges to and Restoration of the Congress System

• Challenge of Political Succession: From Nehru to Shastri, From Shastri to Indira Gandhi
• Fourth General Election 1967: Context of the Election, Non-Congressism, Electoral Verdict, Coalitions, Defections
• Split in the Congress: Indira vs the Syndicate, Presidential Election 1969
• The 1971 Election and Restoration of Congress: The outcome and after Restoration?

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Chapter 6: The Crisis of Democratic Order

• Background to Emergency: Economic Context, Gujarat and Bihar Movements, Conflict with Judiciary
• Declaration of Emergency: Crisis and Response, Consequences
• Lessons of the Emergency
• Politics after Emergency: Lok Sabha Elections 1977, Janata Government, Legacy

Chapter 7:Regional Aspirations

• Region and the Nation: Indian Approach, Areas of Tension, Jammu and Kashmir, Roots of the Problem, External and Internal Disputes
• Politics since 1948, Insurgency and After 2022 and Beyond
• Punjab: Political Context, Cycle of Violence, Road to Peace
• The Northeast: Demand for autonomy, Secessionist Movements, Movements against outsiders, Assam and National integration

Chapter 8:Recent Developments in Indian Politics

• Context of 1990s
• Era of Coalition: Alliance Politics
• Political rise of the Backward Classes: Mandal Implemented, Political Fallouts
• Communalism: Secularism and Democracy, Ayodhya Dispute, Demolition and after
• Emergence of New Consensus
• Lok Sabha Elections 2004
• Growing Consensus

Prescribed Books for CBSE Class 12 Political Science Syllabus 

Out of class 12th Humanities books, here are the recommended ones for Pol. Science exam: 

1. Contemporary World Politics, Class XII, Published by NCERT
2. Politics in India since Independence, Class XII, Published by NCERT
3. Reference Material is available with this document.

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Preparation Strategy for CBSE Class 12 Political Science Exam

Here's the best preparation strategy for the CBSE Class 12 Political Science exam:

• Understand the Syllabus: Familiarize with the syllabus of political science class 12 CBSE 2024-25. Prioritize units based on weightage.
• Utilize Study Materials: Focus primarily on NCERT textbooks and consult reference materials for challenging topics.
• Draft a Timetable: Allocate time-based on unit weightage and ensure daily consistent study.
• Concise Notes: Create summarized notes, emphasizing key terms and concepts.
• Practice: Regularly solve past year papers and take mock tests for better time management.
• Group Study: Occasionally study with peers to reinforce and clarify concepts.
• Stay Updated: Monitor recent political events nationally and internationally.
• Revision: Dedicate the last month for revision, prioritizing challenging topics.

Key Takeaways 

To cover the CBSE Class 12 Political Science Syllabus, systematic planning, persistent effort, and a proactive approach to learning are necessary.

• The syllabus covers the important chapters and portions divided into 15 chapters.
• The CBSE class 12 Political Science syllabus pdf will help you learn all the important topics and the paper pattern. 
• The syllabus highlights the complete course design and the weightage distribution for each section. 
• A structured approach to the syllabus, a keen eye on important topics, and regular practice will help you easily ace the exam.