International Relations is a key topic in the General Studies Paper-2 in UPSC Mains Exam. Every year questions worth 100 marks are asked from this topic making it highly important for securing good marks in this paper. It is important to note that International Relations for UPSC Mains is majorly a current-affairs-based topic. Thus, you need to have a strong command over current happenings to write elaborate yet effective answers to the questions asked in the exams.
In this article, we will discuss the International Relations UPSC syllabus, preparation approach as well as booklist to follow for preparing this topic.
The General Studies -II mentions the syllabus of International Relations very briefly. In order to have a better understanding of the syllabus, we’ve here provided the topic-wise syllabus:
India & Neighbouring Countries |
India – Nepal Relations India and Bhutan Indo-Afghan Bilateral Relations India-Bangladesh Relations India-Maldives Relations India-Sri Lanka Relations India-Myanmar Relations Indo-Pak Relations Indo-China Relations South China Sea Dispute Security Challenges in the Indian Ocean Region |
India & Asian Nation Relations |
CIS Countries of Central Asia India-Mongolia India – UAE Relations India – IRAN India – ISRAEL India – Saudi Arabia Asia-Pacific Region India-South East Asia Indo-Japan Bilateral Relationship India – South Korea India-Vietnam |
India & Other Nations & Organizations |
India and Africa Indo-Australia Relationship Indo-France Indo-Germany Indo-UK India-USA Relations The World Trade Organization International Monetary Fund Nuclear Security Summit BRICS BIMSTEC IBSA SAARC Relevance of Non-Alignment in present India India-ASEAN Economic Cooperation |
International Relations is a part of the General Studies-II paper of UPSC Mains. Although the paper is majorly divided into Polity and Governance, questions worth 100+ marks are asked from the International Relations topic. Hence, this topic must be prepared extremely well. Here’s the strategy to ace International Relations UPSC preparation:
Mind-Map the Syllabus:
First and foremost, it is important to mind-map the syllabus of International Relations for UPSC Mains. This will allow you to have a fair bit of idea of what exactly to read while reading standard books or newspapers.
Make short and concise notes:
Since there is no one single book to prepare all the content, it is best to prepare short and concise notes for this topic. Further, the International Relations topic in UPSC is an extremely dynamic topic and depends too much on current affairs. Hence, other than the prescribed standard books, read newspapers and the official website of external affairs to prepare your own notes.
Revise optimally:
Since it involves relations with all the important countries, it is natural to get confused. Hence, keep revising your notes optimally to retain whatever you’re studying on a daily basis.
Solve previous year’s questions:
Now, the most important part is to expect the questions you may get in the exam and prepare the answers accordingly. This comes with solving the previous year’s papers. It will allow you to have a first-hand understanding of how the questions are asked. Thus, you’ll be able to better prepare the answers that may be asked from this topic.
You can refer to the following books for preparing International Relations for UPSC Mains Exam:
India’s Foreign Policy Since Independence by V.P. Dutt
Pax Indica by Shashi Tharoor
Challenge and Strategy: Rethinking India’s Foreign Policy – Rajeev Sikri
India’s Foreign Policy: Coping with the Changing World – Muchkund Dubey
Additionally, you must also read relevant articles on the official website of the Ministry of External Affairs and The Hindu Newspaper. It is very important to make crisp handwritten notes for International Relations UPSC preparation for a thorough revision right before the examination.
Also Read | How to prepare Current Affairs for UPSC?
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