Makes sense! Especially given the fact that a significant number of students are likely following almost exactly the same source every year.
Do you know what GS Score does differently?
No clue as I’ve not enrolled into any paid programs anywhere yet, but I think each teacher has a particular area of the syllabus on which he/she spends the most time on and I think that area is IR for Piyush Sir and Political Theory for SR.
If you see his introduction video on strategy for political science he’ll repeatedly emphasise part B of both the papers - saying how dynamic nature increases scope for scoring higher et al. Who knows really, all this is just a HOT TAKE tbh.
@Caesar @Villanelle Okay. Guess we just have to collect more independent content then!
That’s pretty much what I’ve concluded too.
Q. "Transnational actors have become driving forces of global politics." Elaborate.
How will you all approach this ques?
1. Explain transnational actors.
2. A few lines about Realist, Marxist, Feminist perspective on them.
3. Transnational actors increasing clout. Substantiate through 3D chess board model, globalization, HR consciousness, global civil society, etc.
4. Then write a paragraph each on MNCs, NGOs and Terrorism
5. MNCs - vanguards of liberal democratic order, promote democratic values (pulling out of Saudi Arabia after Kashoggi assassination) seek good governance and accountability even beyond their home state, MNCs of the west with net-worth more than combined GDP of n states, shaping international negotiations on data and how that connects to sovereignty, Cox -"internationalization of state", humanitarian crisis (slave labour, fast fashion brands paying peanuts in countries like Bangladesh), environmental crisis (Shell in Africa), etc.
6. NGOs - participating in UN, bringing local concerns to global level; NGO as consultative bodies in UNHRC and ECOSOC; Western dominated; interference in internal affairs, driving key debates on environment and human rights at the global level (like Fridays for Future and Amnesty and Greenpeace); blame of acting at behest of home state
7. Terrorism - Iran using proxies to balance Israel and Saudi Arabia in the Middle East and how that pushes the others forge ties for possible collective security (maybe cite UAE-Israel, Jordan-Israel), ISIS, US-Taliban deal and Taliban's rise from being a insurgent group to the key political actor in Afghan where vested interests of so many nations coincide
8. Conclude.
Hey guys, does SR have any other material for the PT meaning & approaches other than what’s in the notes?
What is Political Theory.pdfIdeology is just a facade used for calculated political gains - more so back home, than in the international arena. Drum beating helps with political gains, like has been the case with Turkey. Foreign policy wise, nearly all nations are juggling contradictory and self defeating stances.
Whoops, I did not know that. I searched for that quote earlier but couldn’t find it. Could you post the full quote or the source if you have it?
And yeah, since Nietzsche obviously will carry weight, it seems good to go :)
I don't remember reading this either. But then, Nietzsche did straight up call Plato a "bore" :P XD
Seriously though, I think he might have criticized Plato, for Plato differentiated b/w experienced reality (forms) and actual reality but for Nietzsche true reality is whatever is experienced.
Still, quoting him out of context, might not be worth it.
Not sure about Nietzsche but Bertrand Russell traced the ideas of Fascism to the Republic:
Yeah Plato’s conception as a proto fascist by Karl Popper is one of the themes we read about.
@Jammu Can't say about Karl Popper. I don't have PSIR optional. A physics guy here.It's just that I am fascinated by the ideas and works of Nietzsche a lot. So I tend to kill a lot of time by listening podcasts and reading blogs about his works. I haven't ever come across Nietzsche's statement on Plato and Fascism.Bertrand Russell's statement, on the other hand, is given in Subbarao itself.
Nietzsche always looks uber cool on the surface. Reddit always jokes about how woke teens and edge lords on the Internet get carried away by Nietzsche :P
In one of his books Ecco Homo, he has written chapters on himself titled “why I am so wise”, “why I write such good books” and “why I am destiny”. So taking that into account, Nietzsche might just be the first ever troller in philosophy, and for that he has my utmost respect :P XD
I see Post Modernist calls every body a liar. But calling someone ‘biggest liar’ is a cause of concern :DWhat if someone “reverse Uno card” the postmodernists and call their version of truth as a lie instead. One can’t argue against objectivity, but expect themselves to be taken as objective XD
To my understanding, Post modernists never claim finality. They don’t seek filmfare award of objectivity. They are just offering alternate way of thinking, just like the way you are doing presently : )
Areh, I was only kidding. Why so serious?
@thesleepyhead Ummm, maybe we should write some full length tests too apart from the daily thing we are doing. I am worried now.
Anyone joining SR CC for 2021 ?
Thanks
@babu_bisleri Planning to. Giving June and July to psir, thought it would be good if answer writing can be included as well. Wbu?
Same plan but i am apprehensive about Online test as I am not sincere so giving test for 3hr at home is achilles heel.
PS : Anyone who faced similar problem and now able to complete 3 hr tests can tell me how to do it !
@babu_bisleri I write sectional test (1.5 hours) every morning. I know this is overkill but it became a necessity for me as I was taking 4-5 hours to complete a 3 hr test at home when I gave it casually ( It was so casual that I even used to have tea breaks between the test). So I decided to time the test and submit the paper as soon as the time's up even if the answer sheet is blank. Believe me, all the sincerity will come when you score a 20-30 out of 120. I did it for 2 weeks, now I complete the paper (full test- which I give every saturday) with 5 minutes to spare .
@whatonly you overcame this thing after pre ? Must have took some revision ! I feel confident wrt concepts in most of the psir topics but cant recall keyword and scholars of even Part a of Paper1 sometimes. As you suggested will try revising and write the paper. Thanks a ton !!
@Aquaman I can relate to the break b/w writing test thing, it is just me. Can I DM you ? like how you do it and all ?
Haan after prelims only. I didn't even do answer writing before prelims. That was not smart and could have backfired in my face, but I do think doing full length tests can wait until after prelims. Revision is far more important now.
Preach :P Abhi FLTs na karne ka bahana mil gaya :D
Got it! I initially thought this Robert Dahl's polyarchy hi, until I saw madam's notes. She has done pluralist and monistic theory of sovereignty too under Theories of State which isn't technically in syllabus...that got me confused.
Thanks yaar :)
Got it! I initially thought this Robert Dahl's polyarchy hi, until I saw madam's notes. She has done pluralist and monistic theory of sovereignty too under Theories of State which isn't technically in syllabus...that got me confused.
Thanks yaar :)
Nahi, imo Pluralist theory of sovereignty (of SR notes - MacIver and Laski) should form the core of your answer. Even@whatonly has covered that partially (see "impartial arbiter" "association of associations" in the top point). You can also mention Dahl's Polyarchy but that isn't as theoretically rich as the other one (at least as far as SR's notes are concerned)
EDIT: UPSC asked it in 2019 and I wrote the Pluralist theory of Sovereignty. I'm pretty sure that's the way to go but you can make up your own mind.
Yeah, fine. I'll keep this in mind. Thank you.
There was a question on this in sr test series . I wrote polyarchy they still gave me decent marks and the guy who wrote pluralist theory of sovereignty also got the same marks. I think teacher's are also confused here :p
Although the model answer says it's theory of sovereignty.
It’s both basically. Best to mention pluralist theory of sovereignty (Laski and MacIver) as the main and others pluralist theories in passing.
Got it! I initially thought this Robert Dahl's polyarchy hi, until I saw madam's notes. She has done pluralist and monistic theory of sovereignty too under Theories of State which isn't technically in syllabus...that got me confused.
Thanks yaar :)
yes she has covered under same headline or topic.. so in the end both are same??
More or less yes. Refer to@KropotkinSchmopotkin’scomment above.
Ek bar padha tha. Uske bad se notes bnake thikaane laga diya hai inn notes ko. :P Hope to never see them again.
Ek bar padha tha. Uske bad se notes bnake thikaane laga diya hai inn notes ko. :P Hope to never see them again.
Hey@Villanelle , can you share how you've made your notes? Like, you can share one topic ke notes. I am just trying to see how can deal with the mess that I've made with multiple sources.
Fosho. Sending in 5.
Ek bar padha tha. Uske bad se notes bnake thikaane laga diya hai inn notes ko. :P Hope to never see them again.
@Villanelle to shubra Ranjan notes
Dude thanks I look totally in my element here :D :P
I gone through 4 booklets of this.. why people dislike this. I found it very useful to understand topics.
These are the notes we need, but not the ones we deserve. 😂
It is fun to see optionals pulling eachothers legs.
Slowly mind drifts into my optional - philosophy - and then 'Do you think that the prevailing pandemic will lead to anarchism in society ?' happens in 2020 mains 😐
Why do you do this to us, we're nice untill you [paper-setter] asked me to 'Evaluate Mahatma Gandhi as a political anarchist.'
Can't help.
I read the Story of Philosophy by Will Durant and now I like to pretend I know all about philosophy :P
Ek bar padha tha. Uske bad se notes bnake thikaane laga diya hai inn notes ko. :P Hope to never see them again.
Hey@Villanelle , can you share how you've made your notes? Like, you can share one topic ke notes. I am just trying to see how can deal with the mess that I've made with multiple sources.
+1
@Villanelle could you share on the discussion forum as well
Here you go.
I have not made very concise notes, as in, they're still around 5-8 pages per topic/thinker. I realised to evade the need to keep going back to source texts/ma'am's notes, I would have to keep them so.
A fun read on Machiavelli
Have we got Machiavelli all wrong? | Books | The Guardian
The author says that on closer reading of Machiavelli, it can be argued that through The Prince, Machiavelli was actually trying to warn people against tyrants and despotic regimes. And even later philosophers like Bacon, Spinoza and Rosseau thought of it this way. Rousseau called The Prince "a book of republicans" under the guise of giving advise to kin.
Hi dost, @whatonly has very well explained what crash course is all about.
Since she has not watched videos, let me deliberate on this issue. I have watched her every video, right from before Prelims was conducted to a night before PSIR actual exam.
- In case you have any inconvenience in writing answers or making structure of answer, she, in her initial videos would very well illustrate on it. These are like workshop videos, where she would make you write first, and then after 10 min she will tell minute changes in how to write intro and conclusion for different topics. No personal attention though. Like Ideologies, quotation based thinkers, IR questions all have different way of writing, so she focuses very much on what is demand of question and how to write. She will give insights as to what a Political Science Professor, who would be checking your answer, would be looking for there. So first model answer will be discussed in 6-8 hours. Subsequent model answers would take 60 minutes only and handout of model answers would be given.
- There is no fixed pattern, as to when videos would be uploaded. Test 2 video might upload after test 5 is conducted
- Towards the mains exam, her frequency of video upload would triple. Task would be to end everything before time.
- Then there are zoom calls where you can ask doubts. In case your doubt is genuine and speaks of your chances of clearing Mains, she will definitely explain. Otherwise, she might say something that will make you feel embarassed that why did you even ask for it. If same doubt is repeated, it will annoy her.
- Videos are even uploaded after GS subjects are over, in fact a night before PSIR actual exam. These videos would enhance your ‘feel good factor’ and bring you with hope.
However, in case you are atma nirbhar and have faith that you can manage well, these videos would be of no use at such a crucial time. Like all these videos are 40 days X 2 hours approximately
Her content in Model Answer is superb. It will make good value addition in your already prepared notes. She would give excellent intro and conclusion for most probable questions. Also, IR is very well covered. But itna zyada ho jayega ki retain bhi nahi kar paoge.
In case you need her 4 years Model Answers or other value additions, I can help you with that : )
Dropping videos for us to watch a night before exam won’t give me a feel good factor, personally 😅
Have we got Machiavelli all wrong? | Books | The Guardian
The author says that on closer reading of Machiavelli, it can be argued that through The Prince, Machiavelli was actually trying to warn people against tyrants and despotic regimes. And even later philosophers like Bacon, Spinoza and Rosseau thought of it this way. Rousseau called The Prince "a book of republicans" under the guise of giving advise to kin.
I like this reading of him :) thanks for sharing. It’ll make a good conclusion to an answer even.
If he were just a cynic that would indeed display a great deal of intelligence, because he understood exactly how the world around him worked. But, having understood it, if he was trying to warn people, it displays something more and better. A phrase Gramsci used: pessimism of the intellect, but optimism of the will.
Yes, 100%.
And that Gramsci quote is *chef’s kiss*
@whatonly @KropotkinSchmopotkin
This Indian Express article from two months ago also say so:
In 1991, when he published the book, he observed that signs of the commencement of a third reverse wave were already there, with nascent democracies like Haiti, Sudan returning to authoritarianism.
@whatonly @KropotkinSchmopotkin
This question came in PSIR 2A (2019)
At that time, I had superficial knowledge about 2A. I knew in case ‘Democracy’ is asked, Huntington is to be quoted. I didn’t know then if in case, he has given 3rd Reverse Wave. I do remember this was how I introduced the answer. I feel it turns out very well. The examiner for sure, considered my negligence as extra ordinary assessment :D
Waise, I feel this question was asked in context of Yellow Vest Movement, France and in reference to growth of Social Movement seeking issue based instant justice.
Wasn’t this from the topic - Politics for Participation and Representation under Comparative Politics?
Thanks yaar. this is so nice. have they covered entire syllabus from notes or will i still have to refer handwritten ones ? because at the outset it seems whole syllabus is there.
Sorry, I haven’t used it personally. Found it late 😪 but I think they’ve covered it all - at least all of what constitutes ma’am’s notes.
One more point that West mein people are generally indifferent to political parties.
Worldwide, political parties remain among the least trusted institutions.
And collective action problem is more common in the west, people find it hard to find common position (so that leaves a lot of people hanging?)
Like all concepts of Political Science, mapping of this question based on topic in syllabus is also contested :D
Source is La Excellence PYQ.
I feel answer to this question would be very comprehensive covering various sub topics, inter sectional as well. Maybe that is why, the institute has kept it under Global Concerns : )
Areh, they have made many such mistakes.
Kept Kautilya PYQ of Saptanga theory of state under Theories of State.
I think how they classify is by running a keyword search, they must have classified it under that due to "democracies" mentioned in question.
Whoops though. I put it in the thread description. If anyone has a better document please suggest, I'll update.
Also, you can link politicsforindia.com for SR's notes. :)
@nerdfighter I'm really sorry yar. Maine dhyaan hi ni diya :(
SR has asked in her Home Assignments - "Difference in direct and radical democracy?" (sic)Are we talking about MN Roy's Radical Democracy here? If so, can you list the differences? From my understanding of it, Radical Democracy is only a model of direct democracy.
I can think of only a few exclusive features of radical democracy.
One was it’s objective not just simple participatory, but radical extension of liberty and equality.
Talked about democracy at grass roots.
Special focus on marginalised and sub altern class.
Then maybe Nancy Fraiser with that concept of counter republic.
Is it right to term Locke's Liberalism as Justification of Capitalism?
His statement "No Law, No liberty" which gives us Due process of Law did limit the arbitrary power of State
Yes, I think so. Locke focused mainly on negative liberty and natural rights (Right to Property mainly).
Through his Labour Theory of property, Locke went on to justify unequal ownership of property.
Locke refuted Robert Filmer. Filmer used the theological idea of Adam (who inherited all the resources on earth) to justify how all citizens have equal stake in natural resources. Locke, while agreeing that everyone equally inherited resources, said that when labour is mixed with resources to produce something new, it becomes private property to the one who produced it.
This very notion of converting public assets into private assets became the central idea of Capitalism. Hence, he justified absolute right to property and was called father of possessive individualism, etc etc.
I don’t think limiting arbitrary power of the State is an argument against Capitalism to be honest, if anything, it’s a case for it. Because individualism, and keeping self prior to the whole, putting limits on the State are again features of Capitalism.
Are you sure about Filmer being a supporter equitable distribution of resources? I thought his "inheritance of Adam" idea was to place all resources squarely in the hands of the monarchy (heirs of Adam).
Although, I'm not very sure. My understanding of Filmer comes mostly from SR notes.
Yeah. I’m not too sure either. I read that he did not believe in natural property rights. So in theory, while property is equally inherited…there was to be no ownership of property. And in practice, this would mean property being managed the way King sees fit.
@whatonly @Villanelle Would you use "brahminical patriarchy" in an answer, or would you be worried that a conservative examiner would hold that against you? Talking about a purely academic context of course eg "Uma Chakravarty uses the term "brahminical patriarchy" to draw attention to the intersectionof caste and gender oppression."
Context- While writing answers I'm always worried that my urban naxal membership card is showing
😂 I don’t know…it shouldn’t matter considering it’s someone else’s words.
I do think though that what we write has to be more nuanced. Sometimes, the way things are said in THE notes makes them sound pathetic.
@whatonly thoughts?
Doesn't this make them the same as postmodernist? For Postmodernist socially constructed can be replaced by dominant narrative ( as it is legitimized by the majority of society) and the definition becomes the same.
Yes, I think they are similar in the sense that they both dismiss objectivity, and argue for relative interpretation. But while Postmodernists dismiss the very assumptions of Realists, like lets say anarchy, Social Constructivists argue while there may be anarchy, it doesn't have to lead a certain thing. What it (anarchy) would mean for the states is socially constructed - instead of self help as the realists argue, it can also lead to cooperation among states.
I did start reading a few chapters on Secularism, Federalism from here, but then in my haste to be done with 1B anyhow - I ditched it all together. 😐
700 pages book toh nhi ho sakti 1 month me ab1b = gs2 stuff and SR
Touché
rolling back of Farm laws is an example of Relative autonomy of Indian state? It's a clear evidence of hamza alavi's thesis that due to plurality of fundamental classes, no single class can be called as ruling class, and no class is able to completely dominate the overdeveloped state, which dominates all of them.
So…Bonapartisim?
rolling back of Farm laws is an example of Relative autonomy of Indian state? It's a clear evidence of hamza alavi's thesis that due to plurality of fundamental classes, no single class can be called as ruling class, and no class is able to completely dominate the overdeveloped state, which dominates all of them.So…Bonapartisim?
Yes. If Bonapartism indeed means what mam has taught us 😆 because i have not read it anywhere , except in the references dropped by her in her notes
Fair point 😂
guys what are some hot current related topics for 2a this year?
Democracy(Bidens focus and freedom house report), climate change(cop26), all time fav CW2.0, iran nuke deal , WHO, plurilateralism and IPR waiver in WTO, Return of big state in pandemic times, EU SAARC , G7 cornwall consensus ?
what others?
that's pretty much it. India's term at UNSC could be A or B. Climate justice is a probable one. Not sure of G7. Maybe something of Nuclear Proliferation and IAEA maybe, was in news with respect to Iran.
