PS&I: India (L2093)
Political Systems and Issues: India
Module L2093
Module details for 2025/26.
15 credits
FHEQ Level 5
Module Outline
The Politics and Governance component of the Politics major concentrates on the relationship between political institutions and the wider society. This module is concerned with the ability of institutions such as structures of governance, bureaucracies and political parties to adapt to changing circumstances and respond to demands from interest groups while dealing with the ongoing pressures of social and economic development in India.
This module will be divided into two main parts. The first part will deal with India's political history from independence with a focus on analysing the institutional mechanisms of governance in the country. We will look at the design of the Indian constitution at independence, examining its key features such as federalism, secularism and the choice of political and electoral system. The module would also examine and evaluate how key constitutional features have functioned in India to support governance and its democracy. We also analyse the evolution of the party system in India focusing on its key features, attributes, determinants and the linkages between the national and the sub-national party systems.
The second part of the module will analyse the key instruments of governance in India: the legislatures, bureaucracy, judiciary, army and the election commission We will examine the ability of these institutions to support governance in a highly complex political and social environment. The focus will be on the relationship between politics and economy, politics and society, and politics and conflict.
The module primarily uses an empirical approach but also presents relevant theoretical constructs and some comparative analysis to provide students a rich insight into the politics of governance in India.
Module learning outcomes
Analyse the structure and operation of an aspect of contemporary Indian politics
Locate and evaluate academic literature related to a particular topic in contemporary Indian politics
Identify and research a key issue or question relating to contemporary indian politics
| Type | Timing | Weighting |
|---|---|---|
| Essay (3500 words) | Semester 2 Assessment Week 2 Tue 16:00 | 100.00% |
Timing
Submission deadlines may vary for different types of assignment/groups of students.
Weighting
Coursework components (if listed) total 100% of the overall coursework weighting value.
| Term | Method | Duration | Week pattern |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring Semester | Seminar | 1 hour | 11111111111 |
| Spring Semester | Lecture | 1 hour | 11111111111 |
How to read the week pattern
The numbers indicate the weeks of the term and how many events take place each week.
Dr Rekha Diwakar
Convenor, Assess convenor
/profiles/317231
Dr Hannah Richter
Assess convenor
/profiles/341320
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