CUET 2026 Political Science Syllabus: The
Common Entrance Exam (CUET) is the primary entrance exam for admissions to undergraduate courses offered by more than 240 Central, State, Private and other
CUET 2026 participating institutes in India in Humanities, Science, and Commerce streams. Political Science is one of the most popular subjects among students who want to pursue a UG degree in Humanities discipline and make their career in Political Science, International Relations, Public Administration, or related fields. Appearing in
CUET 2026 can help them achieve this goal. Therefore, they need to prepare for the exam that requires complete understanding of the
CUET 2026 Political Science syllabus and plan their preparation strategy accordingly. To help candidates with the exam preparation, SciAstra has provided the complete
CUET UG 2026 Political Science syllabus along with preparation tips, previous year question papers and recommended books. So, read on!Note: The CUET 2026 syllabus has not been released yet. The information mentioned in this article is based on the previous year’s exam syllabus. This article will be updated once the official CUET 2026 syllabus is released.
CUET 2026 Exam Pattern
The CUET Political Science exam is based on a fixed structure. NTA decides this structure, mentioning important details such as the number and types of questions in the paper, the test medium, mode, and duration. Check out the main details of the
CUET 2026 Political Science exam pattern below:
| Section | Number of Questions | Duration | Question Types |
| Section IA & IB – Language | 50 Questions | 60 minutes (for each chosen language) | Reading Comprehension based on different types of passages – Factual, Literary, and Narrative. Includes testing of Literary Aptitude and Vocabulary. |
| Section II – Domain Subjects | 50 Questions | 60 minutes | MCQs based on the Class 12 NCERT syllabus. Input text may be provided for certain questions. |
| Section III – General Test | 50 Questions | 60 minutes | MCQs based on:- General Knowledge & Current Affairs
- General Mental Ability
- Numerical Ability
- Quantitative Reasoning (basic concepts of Arithmetic, Algebra, Geometry, Mensuration taught up to Grade 8)
- Logical & Analytical Reasoning
|
| Subject Mapping for BA in Political Science | Section I: EnglishSection II: Political Science+ Any 2 domain subjectsSection III: General Aptitude Test |
Also Read: CUET 2026 Political Science Syllabus
The CUET UG Political Science syllabus is primarily based on the NCERT Class 12 curriculum for Political Science. It is divided into two parts: The Politics of India Since Independence and Contemporary World Politics.Check out below the complete syllabus along with important topics from these two parts:
| Topics | Area Covered |
| Politics in India Since Independence |
| Era of One-Party Dominance | First three general elections, nature of Congress dominance at the national level, uneven dominance at the state level, coalitional nature of Congress. Major opposition parties. |
| Nation-Building and Its Problems | Nehru’s approach to nation-building; legacy of partition; challenge of refugee resettlement; the Kashmir problem; organisation and reorganisation of states; political conflicts over language. |
| Politics of Planned Development | Five year plans, expansion of state sector, and the rise of new economic interest. |
| India's External Relations | Nehru’s foreign policy; Sino-Indian war of 1962; Indo-Pak wars of 1965 and 1971; India’s nuclear programme and shifting alliance in world politics. |
| Challenge to and Restoration of Congress System | Political succession after Nehru; Non-Congressism and electoral upset of 1967; Congress split and reconstitution; Congress’ victory in the 1971 elections; politics of Garibi Hatao. |
| Crises of the Constitutional Order | Search for committed bureaucracy and judiciary; Navnirman movement in Gujarat and the Bihar movement; Emergency – context, constitutional and extra-constitutional dimensions; resistance to Emergency; 1977 elections and formation of Janata Party; rise of civil liberties organisations. |
| Regional Aspiration and Conflicts | Rise of regional parties; Punjab crisis and the anti-Sikh riots of 1984; the Kashmir situation; challenges and responses in the North East. |
| Contemporary World Politics |
| Democratic Upsurge and Coalition Politics | Participatory upsurge in the 1990s; rise of the JD and the BJP; increasing role of regional parties and coalition politics; UF and NDA governments; elections 2004–2019 and UPA government with addition of NDA government. |
| Recent Issues and Challenges | Challenges of and responses to globalization; new economic policy and its opposition; rise of OBCs in North Indian politics; Dalit politics in electoral and non-electoral arena; challenge of communalism – Ayodhya issue. |
| Disintegration of the ‘Second World’ and the Collapse of Bipolarity | New entities in world politics – Russia, Balkan states, and Central Asian states; introduction of democratic politics and capitalism in post-communist regimes; India’s relations with Russia and other post-communist countries. |
| Alternative Centers of Economic and Political Power | Rise of China as an economic power in post-Mao era; creation and expansion of European Union; ASEAN; India’s changing relations with China, Japan, and South Korea. |
| South Asia in the Post-Cold War Era | Democratisation and its reversals in Pakistan and Nepal; ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka; impact of economic globalization on the region; conflicts and efforts for peace in South Asia; India’s relation with its neighbours. |
| International Organisations in a Unipolar World | Restructuring and the future of the UN; India’s position in the restructured UN; rise of new international actors – new international economic organisations, NGOs; how democratic and accountable are the new institutions of global governance? |
| Security in Contemporary World | Traditional concerns of security and politics of disarmament; non-traditional concerns of human security – global poverty, health, and education; issues of human rights and migration. |
| Environment and Natural Resources in Global Politics | Environment movement and evolution of global environmental norms; conflicts over traditional and common property resources; rights of indigenous people; India’s stand in global environmental debates. |
| Globalisation and its Critics | Economic, cultural, and political manifestations; debates on the nature and consequences of globalization; anti-globalisation movements; India as an arena of globalization and struggles against it. |
Also Read:CUET Previous Year Political Science Syllabus PDF
The CUET syllabus for Political Science generally remains consistent. Therefore, referring to the previous year’s syllabus PDF can help candidates understand the important topics from the exam’s perspective. The CUET previous year's syllabus PDF for Political Science is available below:
Also Read:CUET 2026 Political Science Syllabus PDF
NTA will release the CUET 2026 Political Science syllabus along with the CUET 2026 Exam Notification on the official CUET website – cuet.nta.nic.in. The syllabus is likely to be released in the first week of March 2026. Candidates will be able to download the syllabus from the table below once it is released.
| CUET 2026 Political Science Syllabus (Official) | To be released |
Also Read: CUET Political Science Previous Years’ Question Papers
Practising with CUET Political Science previous year question papers (PYQs) is important, as they help candidates understand the style and framing of questions in the upcoming exam session. Additionally, it helps them estimate the difficulty level of the test paper.Check out the PDFs of the CUET Political Science previous years’ question papers provided below:
CUET 2026 Political Science Recommended Books
While NCERT books are the core foundation to learn the concepts important for the CUET 2026 Political Science exam, many students also refer to additional reference books by credible authors and publishers for deeper understanding and extra practice.To help candidates boost their exam preparation, we have provided a list of the best books for CUET Political Science exam preparation:
| Book / Resource | Author / Publisher | Topics Covered |
| Indian Polity | M. Laxmikanth | Explains Indian political institutions and constitutional framework in detail |
| Political Ideologies | Andrew Heywood | Builds strong conceptual understanding of global political ideologies |
| NCERT Class 12 Political Science textbooks | NCERT | Basis of CUET syllabus; must be mastered |
| Objective Indian Polity | Various | Useful for quick MCQ practice |
CUET 2026 Political Science Preparation Tips
After knowing the CUET Political Science syllabus, the next step is to build an effective exam preparation strategy. The following tips can be a part of your preparation strategy:
- Thoroughly study Class 12 Political Science NCERT textbooks, as the syllabus is based on the concepts mentioned in these books.
- Break the syllabus into smaller topics and revise them regularly.
- Create notes of important events in a table format with the date of occurrence and a short description. This will make the learning process easier.
- Solve previous years’ question papers and take mock tests
Conclusion
CUET is India’s key entrance exam for UG courses in 240+ institutes. For admission to undergraduate programmes in Political Science through CUET, candidates are tested on their knowledge of the topics mentioned in the syllabus. The CUET 2026 Political Science syllabus is based on the NCERT Class 12 Political Science textbooks. It covers topics related to Politics in India Since Independence and Contemporary World Politics. Candidates should use the official syllabus, previous papers, and top reference books, regular revision and mock tests for preparation.
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