Updated CBSE Class 12 Political Science Syllabus for 2025-26 – Get the latest chapter-wise syllabus, marking scheme, and study tips. Download the official PDF at the end!
Overview of CBSE Class 12 Political Science Syllabus 2025-26
The Class 12 CBSE syllabus for Political Science plays a crucial role in board exams and competitive exams like CUET. This year, CBSE has introduced competency-based questions and a revised weightage system to encourage conceptual learning over rote memorization.
| Board | CBSE |
| Class | 12 |
| Session | 2025-26 |
| Subject | Political Science |
| Content-Type | Syllabus/Curriculum |
| Official Website | https://cbseacademic.nic.in |
CLASS XII POLITICAL SCIENCE – COURSE STRUCTURE
Total Marks: 80
PART A: CONTEMPORARY WORLD POLITICS (40 Marks)
| Chapter No. | Chapter Name | Marks Allotted |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | The End of Bipolarity | 6 |
| 2 | Contemporary Centres of Power | 6 |
| 3 | Contemporary South Asia | 6 |
| 4 | International Organizations | 6 |
| 5 | Security in the Contemporary World | 6 |
| 6 | Environment and Natural Resources | 6 |
| 7 | Globalisation | 4 |
| PART A TOTAL | 40 |
PART B: POLITICS IN INDIA SINCE INDEPENDENCE (40 Marks)
| Chapter No. | Chapter Name | Marks Allotted |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Challenges of Nation-Building | 6 |
| 2 | Era of One-Party Dominance | 4 |
| 3 | Politics of Planned Development | 2 |
| 4 | India’s External Relations | 6 |
| 5 | Challenges to & Restoration of the Congress System | 4 |
| 6 | The Crisis of Democratic Order | 4 |
| 7 | Regional Aspirations | 6 |
| 8 | Recent Developments in Indian Politics | 8 |
| PART B TOTAL | 40 |
CLASS XII COURSE CONTENT
PART A: CONTEMPORARY WORLD POLITICS (40 Marks)
Chapter 1: The End of Bipolarity
Topics to be Focused:
a) The Soviet System
b) Gorbachev and the Disintegration
c) Causes and Consequences of the Disintegration of the Soviet Union
d) Shock Therapy and Its Consequences
e) New Entities in World Politics
- Russia
- Balkan States
- Central Asian States
f) India’s Relations with Russia and Other Post-Communist Countries
Learning Outcomes:
Students will be able to:
- Identify the basic features of the Soviet System.
- Discuss the background and outcomes of the Soviet Union’s disintegration.
- Examine the consequences of a unipolar world.
- Assess the features of Shock Therapy.
- Explore recent developments in post-communist countries.
- Trace the developments in India-Russia relations.
Chapter 2: Contemporary Centres of Power
Topics to be Focused:
a) European Union
b) Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)
c) Rise of China as an Economic Power
d) Japan and South Korea as Emerging Powers
Learning Outcomes:
Students will be able to:
- Compare and contrast the importance of the European Union and ASEAN.
- Evaluate the rise of the Chinese economy and its impact on world politics.
- Summarize India’s relations with China.
Chapter 3: Contemporary South Asia
Topics to be Focused:
a) Military and Democracy in Pakistan and Bangladesh
b) Monarchy and Democracy in Nepal
c) Ethnic Conflict and Democracy in Sri Lanka
d) India-Pakistan Conflicts
e) India and Its Neighbours
f) Peace and Cooperation
Learning Outcomes:
Students will be able to:
- Identify and locate the seven countries of the South Asian region.
- Appreciate the mixed record of democracy in South Asia.
- Examine the role of political leaders in the region.
- Reflect on the causes of conflicts and movements in South Asia.
- Justify the creation of SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation).
- Understand the involvement of the US and China in South Asia.
Chapter 4: International Organizations
Topics to be Focused:
a) Meaning and Importance of International Organizations
b) Evolution of the United Nations (UN)
c) Structure and Function of International Organizations
d) Principal Organs of the UN
e) Reform of the UN After the Cold War
f) Reform of Structures, Processes, and Jurisdiction of the UN
g) India and UN Reforms
h) Key Agencies: IMF, World Bank, WTO, ILO, IAEA
i) NGOs: Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch
j) Implications and Future of International Organizations
Learning Outcomes:
Students will be able to:
- Define what an international organization is.
- Appreciate the role of the United Nations and its agencies.
- Reflect on events in the post-Cold War era.
- Understand the need for reforms in the United Nations.
Chapter 5: Security in the Contemporary World
Topics to be Focused:
a) Meaning and Types of Security
b) Traditional Concept of Security
c) Non-Traditional NotionsA of Security
d) New Sources of Threats
e) Cooperative Security
f) India’s Security Strategy
Learning Outcomes:
Students will be able to:
- Recognize the causes of security threats.
- Enhance analytical skills to provide solutions to security concerns.
- Develop critical thinking about the roles of stakeholders in ensuring security today.
Chapter 6: Environment and Natural Resources
Topics to be Focused:
a) Environmental Concerns
b) Global Commons
c) Common but Differentiated Responsibilities
d) India’s Stand on Environmental Issues
e) Environmental Movements
f) Resource Geopolitics
g) Rights of Indigenous Peoples
Learning Outcomes:
Students will be able to:
- List and explain facts related to global environmental issues.
- Recognize and understand the need to conserve critical resources.
- Demonstrate knowledge and appreciation of India’s responsibility in protecting the environment.
- Realize the need to conserve resources and show responsibility for sustainable development.
- Understand the concerns of indigenous communities and how governments respond to them.
Chapter 7: Globalisation
Topics to be Focused:
a) Concept of Globalisation
b) Causes and Consequences of Globalisation
c) India and Globalisation
d) Resistance to Globalisation
e) India and Resistance to Globalisation
Learning Outcomes:
Students will be able to:
- Appreciate the significance of globalization.
- Explain the political, economic, and cultural dimensions of globalization.
- Critically evaluate the impact of globalization on India.
- Highlight resistance movements to globalization and predict its future trends.
PART B: POLITICS IN INDIA SINCE INDEPENDENCE (40 Marks)
Chapter 1: Challenges of Nation Building
Topics to be Focused:
a) Challenges for the New Nation
- Three Challenges
b) Partition: Displacement and Rehabilitation - Consequences of Partition
c) Integration of Princely States - The Problem
- Government’s Approach
- Hyderabad
- Manipur
d) Reorganisation of States
Learning Outcomes:
Students will be able to:
- Analyze the challenges faced by independent India.
- Describe the factors that led to the partition of India.
- Explain the circumstances under which different princely states signed the Instrument of Accession.
- Assess how language became the basis for the reorganization of states.
- Evaluate the role played by leaders in nation-building.
Chapter 2: Era of One-Party Dominance
Topics to be Focused:
a) Challenge of Building Democracy
b) Congress Dominance in the First Three General Elections
- Nature of Congress Dominance
- Congress as a Social and Ideological Coalition
- Tolerance and Management of Factions
c) Emergence of Opposition Parties
Learning Outcomes:
Students will be able to:
- Appreciate the sustenance of democratic politics in the country.
- Evaluate electoral politics post-independence.
- Assess the dominance of the Indian National Congress from 1952 to 1967.
- Evaluate the role of opposition parties.
Chapter 3: Politics of Planned Development
Topics to be Focused:
a) Political Contestation
- Ideas of Development
- Planning
- Planning Commission
b) The Early Initiatives - The First Five-Year Plan
- Rapid Industrialisation
Learning Outcomes:
Students will be able to:
- Identify the various options considered by the government to balance growth and socio-economic justice.
- Understand the difference between Left and Right ideologies.
- Recognize the need for the formation of the Planning Commission.
- Appreciate the need for a strategic, long-term development program and policies.
Chapter 4: India’s External Relations
Topics to be Focused:
a) International Context
b) The Policy of Non-Alignment
- Nehru’s Role
- Distance from Two Camps
- Afro-Asian Unity
c) Peace and Conflict with China - The Chinese Invasion of 1962
d) War and Peace with Pakistan - Bangladesh War of 1971
e) India’s Nuclear Policy
Learning Outcomes:
Students will be able to:
- Recognize the significance of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM).
- Interpret, compare, and contrast multi-lateral aspects of the Indo-China relationship.
- Demonstrate knowledge of Indo-Pak wars.
- Appreciate the steps taken by the Indian government to develop military capacity.
- Reflect on the choices India must consider for development and peace-building.
Chapter 5: Challenges to and Restoration of the Congress System
Topics to be Focused:
a) Challenge of Political Succession
- From Nehru to Shastri
- From Shastri to Indira Gandhi
b) Fourth General Election, 1967 - Context of the Election
- Non-Congressism
- Electoral Verdict
- Coalitions
- Defections
c) Split in the Congress - Indira vs. the Syndicate
- Presidential Election, 1969
d) The 1971 Election and Restoration of Congress - The Outcome and After Restoration
Learning Outcomes:
Students will be able to:
- Understand the challenges of political succession after Nehru.
- Evaluate the opposition unity and the Congress split as challenges to Congress dominance.
- Compare and contrast the new Congress and the old Congress.
- Summarize the initiatives taken by Indira Gandhi to overcome challenges.
- Analyze the process of restoration of the Congress system.
Chapter 6: The Crisis of Democratic Order
Topics to be Focused:
a) Background to Emergency
- Economic Context
- Gujarat and Bihar Movements
- Conflict with Judiciary
b) Declaration of Emergency - Crisis and Response
- Consequences
c) Lessons of the Emergency
d) Politics After Emergency - Lok Sabha Elections, 1977
- Janata Government
e) Legacy
Learning Outcomes:
Students will be able to:
- Understand the causes and consequences of the Emergency.
- Examine the lessons learned from the Emergency.
- Evaluate the rule of the Janata Government.
Chapter 7: Regional Aspirations
Topics to be Focused:
a) Region and the Nation
- Indian Approach
- Areas of Tension
- Jammu and Kashmir
- Roots of the Problem
- External and Internal Disputes
- Politics Since 1948
- Insurgency and After
- 2022 and Beyond
b) Punjab
- Political Context
- Cycle of Violence
- Road to Peace
c) The Northeast - Demand for Autonomy
- Secessionist Movements
- Movements Against Outsiders
- Assam and National Integration
Learning Outcomes:
Students will be able to:
- Discuss the implications of regional demands.
- Analyze the importance of integrity in India.
- Appreciate the initiatives taken by the government to address regional aspirations.
Chapter 8: Recent Developments in Indian Politics
Topics to be Focused:
a) Context of the 1990s
b) Era of Coalition
- Alliance Politics
c) Political Rise of the Backward Classes - Mandal Implemented
- Political Fallouts
d) Communalism, Secularism, and Democracy - Ayodhya Dispute
- Demolition and After
e) Emergence of a New Consensus
f) Lok Sabha Elections, 2004
g) Growing Consensus
Learning Outcomes:
Students will be able to:
- Understand the momentous changes in the nation since 1989.
- Trace the rise and growth of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
- Identify areas of growing consensus in Indian politics.
Prescribed Books:
- Contemporary World Politics, Class XII, Published by NCERT
- Politics in India Since Independence, Class XII, Published by NCERT
- Added Reference Material available with the document in the Annexure
CLASS XII POLITICAL SCIENCE – QUESTION PAPER DESIGN (2025-26)
Total Marks: 100 (Theory 80 + Project 20)
Section-wise Distribution
| Section | Question Type | Marks per Q | No. of Qs | Total Marks | Competencies Assessed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | Objective Type (MCQs) | 1 | 12 | 12 | Knowledge & Remembering |
| B | Short Answer Type-I (SA) | 2 | 6 | 12 | Understanding |
| C | Short Answer Type-II (SA) | 4 | 5 | 20 | Applying |
| D | Passage/Map/Cartoon-based Qs | 4 | 3 | 12 | Analysis & Evaluation |
| E | Long Answer (LA) | 6 | 4 | 24 | Synthesis & Creativity |
Book-wise Weightage
| Book | MCQs (1M) | SA-I (2M) | SA-II (4M) | Source-Based (4M) | LA (6M) | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Contemporary World Politics | 6 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 40 |
| Politics in India Since Independence | 6 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 40 |
| Project Work | – | – | – | – | – | 20 |
| Total | 12 | 6 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 100 |
Competency-wise Marks Distribution
| Competency | Marks | Percentage | Question Types |
|---|---|---|---|
| Knowledge & Remembering | 22 | 27.5% | MCQs, Basic SA |
| Understanding | 24 | 30% | SA-I, SA-II |
| Applying | 22 | 27.5% | SA-II, Map/Cartoon-based Qs |
| Analysis & Evaluation | 12 | 15% | Passage-based, LA (with inference) |
Key Notes:
- Internal Choices: Provided in Section C (SA-II) and Section E (LA).
- Visual-Based Questions:
- Maps: From Politics in India Since Independence (Official Govt. maps preferred).
- Cartoons/Passages: From either book, maintaining lesson weightage.
- Competency Focus:
- 50% competency-based questions (as per CBSE 2025-26 guidelines).
- Emphasis on analytical (30%) and applied skills (27.5%).
- Project Work:
- 20 marks (internal assessment) – Viva, reports, or presentations.
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