Strategy for Political Science Optional - Mains

                             

Hello all, Prelims are over and we all are thinking about our next big challenge [Mains]. The problem is that no matter how good knowledgeable we think we are or how good we feel we have written the paper there is always a certain level of uncertainty. This is especially true for optional subjects. So all we can do is keep preparing and in the path keep improving ourselves. For us online preparees, it is us each other and sites like IASbaba that will help us do that.

So having found very less for political science in the internet, I decided to share my strategy with you out there and hope to benefit from it.

The Actual Strategy:

Paper 1- Section A:

This here is mostly static portion and there are many recommended books as such for this. The most common and effective being

1. OP Gauba - Introduction to political theory.
2. Rajeev Bhargava - Political theory.
3. VP Verma - Modern Indian political thought.
4. Andrew Heywood - Political ideologies.
5. IGNOU material on political thought.

I think the key to mastering this portion is understanding the basics very thoroughly and logically. That we can write dynamic answers. But we often doubt ourselves if we have reached that point. So i have followed a method to check myself

1. To make sure I have understood different political thoughts properly I have gone through IGNOU material - Now these are written in a complicated way but when you have a good grasp on basics they make excellent reading - You can even start directly from them but just make sure to keep googling stuff and not get disappointed initially.
2. For the other concepts such as rights, democracy, ideologies - These parts I think newspaper play a major role. Because we will only be able to connect the news to these concepts if we understood the basics correctly. This is why I am trying this http://nottatti.blogspot.in/  initiative. Helps me understand and also revise.

Paper 1 - Section B:

The classic book list goes like this

1. DD Basu - Constitution.
2. Laxmikanth - Indian Constitution.
3. Oxford.Indian politics student edition 
4. IGNOU.
5. Bipin Chandra - Indian struggle for independence 

Now this part is pretty much static with dynamic links not so hard to find as most of the important news will some how be connected to these topics. Just make sure to go through all the topics in the syllabus and form some short notes in each one. For example recently there is a call for education body on lines of EC. So if after adding the static part, you can point out this as the awesomeness of EC or at the same time you can also point this out as the lack of faith in government structure to handle government and so the call for a independent body like EC.

So the key lies in spinning things to the benefit of answer. Just make sure you take a little extra time while reading newspaper. It will go a long way to add marks. Again, I am trying this http://nottatti.blogspot.in/  initiative to benefit through your help into doing this right.

Paper 2 - Section A:

The Classic list

1. IGNOU for comparative politics.
2. http://kkhsou.in/main/polscience/approaches_polscience.html - This is awesome and covers very good basics.
3. Andrew Heywood - Global politics.

I know people suggest other books for international relations, But I am confident that Andrew Heywood will suffice, because it gives examples and explains in a lively and dynamic way. The book is big but goes like a novel. Also seeing the last year paper, I think the dynamic and historical knowledge is playing a bigger role which can only be achieved by contemplating on concepts and Heywood.

Paper 2 - Section B:

This part is as everybody knows is very dynamic. But first the book list

1. David Malone - Does the elephant Dance.
2. Rajeev Sikri - Indian foreign policy.
3. IGNOU material.

Here too the key lies in picking the important words from the syllabus such as continuity, change, determinants and looking at everything in that perspective. "Akand Bharath" concept can be used as determinant in foreign policy - UNSC votes - Political rallies - Political leader's relations - Everything and anything can be used as long as you can link it to some contemporary news.

Final Note [Very important - Please read]:

I know that I have missed some important books, but I truly believe that if you can read the books that I have read [Everything mentioned except the highlighted ones], I believe you will get the static part right. So keep thinking about them when reading news and I am hopeful that we will gain the extra edge.

Also of you have seen I have mentioned IGNOU everywhere. That is because they are beautiful and offer wide sets of examples for every topic, not just the concepts but examples. These can be valuable while writing answers. So please go through them as if you are reading a novel, they wont take much time if you read like one or two topics per day. 

All the being said, I have to end this by saying that I have never yet written the exam yet and this year is going to be my first attempt. So please bear that in mind and this effort by me is more in the hope for seeing things more clearly by myself through your help than to help others [Not that I don't want that].

Thankyou IASbaba for giving this opportunity.