ISC Class 12 Syllabus 2022 Political Science

POLITICAL SCIENCE (852)
CLASS XII

There will be two papers in the subject: Amending procedures of the Constitutions of
U.K., U.S.A and India.
Paper I: Theory 3 hours ------ 80 marks
Conventions: meaning and examples with
Paper II: Project Work ------ 20 marks reference to U.K., U.S.A. and India. The
importance of Conventions in U.K.
PAPER I (THEORY) – 80 Marks
Part I (20 marks) will consist of compulsory short 3. Franchise
answer questions, testing knowledge, application and Universal Adult Franchise; Methods of Election.
skills relating to elementary/ fundamental aspects of Universal Adult Franchise - meaning, reasons
the entire syllabus. for widespread acceptance.
Part II (60 marks) will be divided into two sections Methods of Election: Direct and Indirect –
A & B. Candidates will be required to answer three meaning with examples.
questions out of five from Section A and two
questions out of three from Section B. Each question Organs of the Government
in this part shall carry 12 marks. 4. The Legislature
Functions of Legislature; Unicameral and
SECTION A Bicameral legislatures. The legislature in India
Constitution and Government and U.S.A. - a comparative study.
Meaning and functions of Legislature. Meaning
1. Forms of Government of Unicameral and Bi-cameral legislature. The
Totalitarian and Authoritarian States, Liberal legislatures in India and U.S.A.- Composition
Democratic State, Unitary and Federal States, (strength, method of election and tenure) and
Parliamentary and Presidential forms of functions: legislative, constituent, executive
government. (ways in which the legislature controls the
executive), judicial, electoral and financial.
Meaning and features of Totalitarian State,
Authoritarian State and Liberal Democratic Composition and powers of the House of
State. Representatives and the Senate, Lok Sabha and
Rajya Sabha (including special powers).
Meaning and features of Unitary and Federal
States with reference to U.K. as a Unitary state, Unique powers of the Senate, why is the Senate
U.S.A. as a Federal State and India as a federal considered the world’s most powerful second
state with subsidiary unitary features, chamber?
comparison between unitary and federal state. Comparison of the Rajya Sabha and the U.S.
Meaning and features of Parliamentary and Senate; Lok Sabha with the U.S. House of
Presidential forms of government (U.K. and Representatives.
U.S.A.). Comparison between Parliamentary and
Presidential forms of government. 5. The Executive
Functions; The Civil Services. Difference
2. Constitution between the Political Executive and the
Meaning; kinds of Constitutions: Written and Permanent Executive. Political Executive in
Unwritten, Rigid and Flexible, Enacted and India and U.S.A. - a comparative study.
Evolved: merits and demerits. Amending Meaning, and functions of the Executive.
procedures; Conventions. Meaning and role of Civil Services.
Meaning; kinds: Written and Unwritten, Rigid Difference between the Political and Permanent
and Flexible, Enacted and Evolved: merits, Executive in India. Political Executive in India
demerits of each.
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and U.S.A. - a comparative study. Powers and 9. Local self-government
functions of executive heads of India (President
73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendment Acts.
and Prime Minister), and U.S.A. (President).
Constitutional limitations on the powers of the Key features of the 73rd and 74th Amendments.
President of the USA. Local Self Government-Rural Zila Parishad
(Composition and functions).
6. The Judiciary Urban Municipal Corporation (Composition and
Meaning and functions of Judiciary. Conditions functions.
of Independence of Judiciary. Judiciary in India
and U.S.A. - a comparative study. Judicial 10. Democracy in India – a perspective of the
Review. challenges faced
Meaning and functions of judiciary; conditions of Challenges faced by the Indian Democracy:
independence of judiciary with reference to India Caste, Communalism and Regionalism.
and U.S.A. The Judiciary in India and U.S.A. – Caste: meaning, role of caste in Indian Politics.
composition and powers of Indian Supreme
Court and American Supreme Court. Judicial Communalism: meaning and effects on the
Review – meaning and principles (maxims). functioning of Indian democracy.
Meaning of Judicial Activism and Judicial Regionalism: meaning and causes; kinds of
Restraint. regional aspirations (language issues, sons-of-
the-soil policies, river water disputes, demand for
SECTION B new states, secessionist demands.
Indian Democracy PAPER II (PROJECT WORK) – 20 MARKS
7. Indian Constitution Candidates will be required to undertake one project
(i) Preamble which may be any one of the following:
Preamble and its importance. Meaning of the (i) A case study.
key words contained in the Preamble. (ii) Survey study with a questionnaire.
(ii) Salient features of the Indian Constitution. (iii) Research based project with in-depth analysis.
Written and Comprehensive; a Constitution (iv) Local/ national/ global political issue.
drawn from several sources; Federal structure
with Unitary spirit; Partly rigid and Partly (v) Book review/ film review/ documentaries/
flexible; Fundamental Rights and Duties; posters/ newspapers/ advertisements/ cartoons
Directive Principles of State Policy; and art.
Parliamentary form of Government; Single
Citizenship; Bi-cameral legislature; Universal The project must not be based primarily on the
Adult Franchise; Single Integrated and syllabus; students must be encouraged to produce
Independent Judiciary; Judicial Review; original, creative and insightful perspectives on an
Emergency powers; Special provisions for allied aspect of the topic.
Schedule castes and Schedule tribes. For example, if the theme is Fundamental Rights, the
project could deal with violation, protection, court
8. Fundamental Rights and Directive Principles
verdicts, Public Interest Litigations (PILs), etc.
Fundamental Rights and Directive Principles of related to socially relevant issues.
State Policy.
The project will be assessed by the teacher and a
Fundamental Rights: meaning; detailed study of Visiting Examiner appointed locally and approved
all Fundamental Rights in India. by the Council.
Directive Principles of State Policy: meaning;
classification and implementation.
Difference between Fundamental Rights and
Directive Principles of State Policy.
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Assessment of Project Work will be done as Evaluation by the Visiting Examiner
follows:
S. Assessment Criteria Marks
Internal Evaluation by No. objective
1. Teacher 10 Marks 1. Choice of Overall format, 4
Evaluation by Visiting Technique/ referencing
10 Marks Detailed (footnotes &/or
2. Examiner
procedure bibliography), title
TOTAL 20 Marks & page,
Presentation header/footer, etc.
Internal Evaluation by Teacher 2. Analysis and Candidate should 3
evaluation be able to:
S. Assessment Criteria Marks
Interpret, analyze
No. objective
and evaluate
1. Process Candidates should 3 critically a range of
be able to: evidence to present
reasoned,
Identify the topic.
substantiated
Plan and detail a
arguments/
research project.
statement.
Select and use 3. Viva Range of questions 3
appropriate based on the
research methods. project only.
2. Understanding Candidates should 4
application ofbe able to:
TOTAL 10
knowledge Explain issues and
and Analysis themes clearly and
in context. List of suggested topics for Project Work:
Interpret, analyse Given below is a list of suggested topics for Project
and evaluate work, along with guidelines.
critically a range
of evidence to 1. Judicial Activism – two case studies in which the
present reasoned, Judiciary has safeguarded the environment or
substantiated human rights.
arguments/
statement. • Reason for selection of the topic.
3. Presentation Overall format, 3 • Framing the Research Question.
referencing • Hypothesis.
(footnotes &/or • Define Judicial Activism and the need for
bibliography), Judiciary to intervene in the work of
within word limit Legislature and Executive and other matters of
of 2000 words,
social concerns.
title page,
header/footer, etc. • Positive role played by Judiciary in this
TOTAL 10 direction to be highlighted with the help of two
case studies based on environmental protection
or safeguarding human rights.
• Student’s perception of the concept.
• Valid suggestions for reforms in Judiciary.
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2. Public accountability of Civil Servants in India – 5. Role of Local Self Government institutions in
Is it a myth or a reality? women empowerment.
• Reason for selection of the topic. • Reason for selection of the topic.
• Framing the Research Question. • Framing the Research Question.
• Hypothesis. • Hypothesis.
• Meaning of Public accountability of Civil • Need for women empowerment to be explained
Servants to be explained. with reference to a few examples.
• Positive and crucial role of public servants in a • Positive role played by local self-governments
democracy. to be stated.
• Loopholes in the existing bureaucratic set up. • Collection of data based on statistics and
• Inferences can be drawn about Public analysis.
accountability being a myth or reality from • The project could be in the form of a case study
various sources like print/electronic media, for example - a film review, book review,
film review, documentaries. advertisements, T.V. serials, documentaries,
newspaper articles, journals.
3. Party System in India – changing phases. • Student’s suggestions for more active
• Reason for selection of the topic. participation of women in Indian electoral
• Framing the Research Question. politics.
• Hypothesis. 6. Explore the controversies around the
• A brief timeline of Party Systems since development of a Uniform Civil Code mentioned
independence to be prepared. in the Directive Principles.
• Strengths and limitations of different systems • Reason for selection of the topic.
to be highlighted.
• Framing the Research Question
• Success and failure of various systems to be
• Hypothesis
analysed with reference to the role of regional
parties in coalition era. • Clarification of the concept of Uniform Civil
Code with instances from world constitutions.
• Few examples to be explained with the help of
statistical information. • Need for a Uniform Civil Code with reference
to Constituent Assembly Debates, historical
• Student’s vision of rapidly evolving Party
perspective (parliamentary debates and judicial
system in India.
pronouncements), the present socio-political
4. Examine one Supreme Court case dealing with scenario and the stand of various political
Fundamental Rights. Identify the issues of the parties.
case and analyse the final ruling. • Controversies and reasons for non-adoption.
• Reason for selection of the topic • Student’s view point and position on the issue.
• Framing the Research Question. Alternately this project could also be undertaken
survey method or any other method.
• Hypothesis.
• Nature and reasons of violation of Fundamental 7. Identify and explain the electoral reforms that are
Rights to be explained. urgently needed in India.
• A case study of violation and protection of • Reason for selection of the topic.
Fundamental Rights in the light of the ruling
given by the apex court to be analysed. • Framing the Research Question.
• Remedial steps to be taken to prevent this • Hypothesis.
problem to be suggested. • Define electoral reforms.
• Urgency for electoral reforms.
• Efforts made in the past.
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• Parliamentary debates on this issue. GUIDELINES FOR TEACHERS:
• Role of the Election Commission.
1. It must be emphasized that the process of doing
• Stand of various political parties. the project is as important as the final project.
• Judicial pronouncements. 2. Once the project/projects are chosen, there
• Student’s observations. should be a process of brainstorming to
encourage students to make out a draft/structure
8. Discrimination faced by a girl child. for the project before embarking on research.
• Reason for selection of the topic. 3. During the brainstorming/discussion, the teacher
should discuss the assessment criteria with the
• Framing the Research Question.
students.
• Hypothesis.
4. The teacher should discuss the draft with the
• Gender as an identity. student with regard to the central question and
• Collection of data based on statistics and the type of sources to be used.
analysis. 5. The students should be guided on doing the
• The project could be in the form of a case study research and looking at different types of
for example a film review, book review, evidence.
advertisements, T.V. serials, documentaries 6. Books and suitable reference material could be
• Inferences drawn. suggested by the teachers and made available to
the students.
9. Right to Education: To what extent has it 7. Internet sites could be suggested, but care must
benefited the slum children? be taken in selecting, using and citing these sites.
• Reason for selection of the topic. 8. Students must be cautioned against plagiarism
• Framing the Research Question. and be penalized for the same.
• Hypothesis. 9. Marks to be awarded for the content and
originality and not for decorative elements and
• Constitutional provisions. embellishments.
• Parliamentary debates leading to the enactment 10. Projects must be the original work of the student.
of the right.
• A case study of a slum area based on a survey.
• Student’s inferences.

10. Role of National Human Rights Commission in
safeguarding the rights of the under-privileged.
• Reason for selection of the topic.
• Framing the Research Question.
• Hypothesis.
• United Nations Universal Declaration of
Human Rights (1948).
• Constitutional provisions.
• Formation of National Human Rights
Commission.
• Its composition and functions.
• Identifying the under-privileged and
understanding their plight.
• Efforts made by the NHRC (a minimum of two
case studies).
• Student’s viewpoint.
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