PSIR

Plato and Rawls, then the Constitution, the UN and India’s neighbours. Notes for both papers, past questions back to 2013, and an AI you can argue Rawls with.

40 topics
784 past questions
10 standard books

Read the notes Past questions

Ask the PSIR AI

Ask it whatever you’re stuck on. It answers from the 10 books further down this page and shows you the passage it used.

The whole syllabus, one topic at a time

Tap any topic to open its notes. They’re free with your account.

Political Theory

10 topics

1Political Theory: Meaning and ApproachesNature & Scope · Traditional Approach · Behavioural Approach 2Theories of the StateLiberal State · Neo-liberal State · Marxist Theory 3JusticeConceptions of Justice · Rawls: Theory of Justice · Veil of Ignorance & Original Position 4EqualitySocial Equality · Political Equality · Economic Equality 5RightsMeaning & Theories of Rights · Natural Rights · Legal & Moral Rights 6DemocracyClassical Theory · Elitist Theory · Pluralist Theory 7Power, Hegemony and IdeologyConcept of Power · Dahl: Pluralist Power · Lukes: Three Faces of Power 8Political IdeologiesLiberalism & Neo-liberalism · Socialism & Social Democracy · Marxism 9Indian Political ThoughtDharmashastra & Arthashastra · Buddhist Political Thought · Sir Syed Ahmed Khan 10Western Political ThoughtPlato · Aristotle · Machiavelli

Indian Government and Politics

11 topics

11Indian NationalismConstitutionalism to Mass Satyagraha · Non-Cooperation Movement · Civil Disobedience 12Making of the Indian ConstitutionBritish Colonial Legacy · Constituent Assembly · Key Debates & Compromises 13Salient Features of the Indian ConstitutionPreamble · Fundamental Rights & Duties · Directive Principles 14Principal Organs of Union & State GovernmentsUnion Executive · Parliament · Supreme Court 15Grassroots DemocracyPanchayati Raj · Municipal Governance · 73rd & 74th Amendments 16Statutory Institutions and CommissionsElection Commission · CAG · Finance Commission 17FederalismConstitutional Provisions · Centre-State Relations · Cooperative vs Competitive Federalism 18Planning and Economic DevelopmentNehruvian Socialism · Gandhian Economic Thought · Five-Year Plans 19Caste, Religion and Ethnicity in Indian PoliticsCaste as Political Identity · Religion & Communalism · Ethnicity & Regional Identity 20Party SystemNational Political Parties · Regional Parties · Coalition Politics 21Social MovementsCivil Liberties Movements · Human Rights Movements · Women's Movements

The books behind the answers

These are the books the PSIR AI actually reads. When it uses one, you’ll see a small chip next to the line, and you can open the exact passage.

Core TheoryIGNOU Political Science Paper 1IGNOU course material
Core TheoryIGNOU Political Science Paper 2IGNOU course material
Core TheoryAn Introduction to Political TheoryO.P. Gauba
Core TheoryPolitical TheoryHeywood
Core TheoryPoliticsHeywood
IRInternational RelationsV.N. Khanna
IRThe Globalization of World PoliticsBaylis & Smith
IRPolitics Among NationsMorgenthau
Indian PolityThe Indian Constitution: Cornerstone of a NationAustin
Indian PolityIndian PolityLaxmikanth

What UPSC asked in 2026

Three from the latest paper. All 784 are here, sorted by topic, whenever you want to practise.

2026 · Paper I · 10 marksResurgence of political theoryOpen the question 2026 · Paper I · 10 marksPost-colonial theory of StateOpen the question 2026 · Paper I · 10 marksThe freedom of the pike is death to the minnows.Open the question

See all 784 questions

When you’re ready to practise

Get an answer markedWrite an answer by hand, take a photo, and see the marks, what it missed and a model answer.Take a testA short test on one topic, to see what actually stayed with you.Revise with flashcardsShort cards on thinkers, terms and facts, each tied to the past questions it helps you answer.

Not sure where to begin?

Start at the top, with Political Theory: Meaning and Approaches. It sets up the words and ideas the rest of the syllabus keeps coming back to.

Open Political Theory: Meaning and Approaches