How to prepare International Relations for UPSC Mains | International Relations UPSC Preparation Guide

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.

International Relations UPSC Syllabus

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


Preparation Strategy for International Relations for UPSC Mains

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.


Booklist for International Relations UPSC

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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Current Affairs analysis