Demo Class 01 | PSIR Foundation Batch ⚡ UPSC 2027 | Vivek Waghmare

Added: 2026-05-12

[00:00:00]So uh very good afternoon everyone and welcome to civil front. We are starting this course today. We are starting with PSIR foundation course.

[00:00:14]PSR foundation course. And before we start, I would like to tell you that we will be proceeding with the course by considering and assuming that you have uh never prepared earlier for this subject and uh you hardly know anything about the subject. You are just very much new to this subject and you might have a very different uh background than the political science. You might have the political science background itself also or uh else you can have your other background like you might be from any science background you might be from any other background. So considering all these things we will be starting right from the scratch of the subject like what the subject is what the subject is about. uh before we go into the depth of the subject, let us try to understand. I hope you know that what is the syllabus because these are the basic important things which we require for the uh pro to proceed with the subject. For example, if we have to prepare properly for the political science, let me first tell you political science and international relations.

[00:01:25]a subject which is carrying 500 marks in the UPSC mains examination which has a lot of weight because it is a very much deciding factor in our UPSC preparation.

[00:01:36]Okay. So 500 marks are very important and we have to secure maximum possible numbers out of 500 marks. 500 may say maximum possible like it can go to 300, it can go to 310, it can it must go to 320 like at least this is the maximum possible range which we which we can aim for and which people earlier also secured this much amount of marks in the political science subject. So it means this subject has the potential to carry good amount of marks. That is what I want to tell you and that is something which we have to keep in our mind and we have to be confident that yes this subject political science and international relation holds the potential of carrying at least 300 or 320 marks or the range if I tell you 280 to 320 this is the achievable range one can possibly do by preparing well. So this subject carries the potential of this much of marks and we have to keep in mind that this is achievable. This is the most important task which I would ask you to do that you have to go through the syllabus. You have to repeat each and every topic of the syllabus multiple times so that you uh completely gain the command over the syllabus. That is the first step which we have to do.

[00:03:07]No matter what we have ample amount of time. So please keep this in mind. We have good amount of time.

[00:03:17]We have very comfortable time for the preparation in this given amount of time like let's say we are aiming to conclude the syllabus by the end of the or mid of the December or end of the December. So this 6 months span of time is very much a comfortable time in which we can prepare this subject properly. Not just read and not just complete the syllabus but we can revise we can do answer writing and we can also write some test.

[00:03:47]Okay. So all these things will be done in this in this course itself. So you don't have to worry syllabus will be completed in the stipulated amount of time prescribed in the schedule of our course. But at the same time you have to also make sure that you keep revising the topics whatever we study here topics reise because the commitment has to be from the both levels.

[00:04:18]So effort explain in such a way that you understand it properly. But at the same time you will have to also make sure that you revise them properly more more than one or two times several times collective efforts that is one thing. Secondly, syllabus is something just keep going through the On this telegram channel, I have already shared the document of the syllabus where there is a syllabus and on the base of the syllabus both of the UPSC has ask the questions.

[00:05:25]uh with you all the time and keep looking at it so that you gain a very good command over the syllabus. Okay.

[00:05:33]That is what I want to say.

[00:05:37]Important stage next one week multiple times.

[00:05:47]syllabus. Now directly going into the subject uh the discussion about the strategy like how to prepare uh then if you face any doubt any difficulty how to overcome it all these things we will be uh discussing over the period of time.

[00:06:02]So don't worry that we will be only talking about the subject we will be also talking about the preparation strategy what are the challenges we are facing and how to overcome them and also you can feel free to connect with me whenever you want. So don't worry about uh anything. Let us now try to understand the first topic in the syllabus that is political theory.

[00:06:23]Political theory its meaning.

[00:06:28]Its meaning and approaches.

[00:06:33]Meaning and approaches. I hope you can clearly see this you it is visible.

[00:06:39]This is the first topic as per the syllabus. Okay. And we will go with the syllabus. We will go with the syllabus.

[00:06:47]So now the question is the name of the topic is political theory meaning and approaches and basically PSIR paper one section A the name of the subject is basically political theory to the subject that is political theory. Try to understand paper one. We have two paper political science PS. It has two paper.

[00:07:18]Paper one and paper two. Each of the paper has section A, section B, you per B, section A, section B. Okay, I think this is very much clear to you. You already know all these things. I know you many of the things I will be discussing. You might be definitely knowing about those things. So paper one section A this is political theory.

[00:07:42]So entire paper one section A is named as a political theory. So it becomes very natural for us to first understand what the political theory is. Okay, I repeat because the title of the section one section A paper one section A title theory that is the important thing.

[00:08:10]Okay. Political theory meaning what is the meaning of the political theory and what are the different various approaches through which we can understand the political theory.

[00:08:25]Yeah. Clear sub we will try to understand meaning and then we will go with the approaches.

[00:08:32]So from what perspective we need to look upon it. For example, political theory, political theory subject, political theory, we will try to understand what political theory is. But when we understand any particular discipline any particular subject so we need to carry particular approach and in that way one particular thing and that is the beauty of the subject subject for that matter humanities subject I would I would like to tell A basic difference between see political science or let's say history sociology history first try to understand what is the like what is the purpose of telling the difference between humanities and science but that is what we are going to understand in the political theory political theory humanities subject or at the same time we will also try to understand because the name of the subject is political science. So what is there in this subject because of which we call it a science subject humanities but humanities subjects they are basically first of all they are subjective subjective there is a subjectivity in the subjects of humanities subjective that there can be different perspective perspective. For example, political science may we will be talking about liberalism, we will be talking about Marxism, we will be talking about commun communism, we will be talking about libertarianism, we'll be talking about feminism and there are any number of different approaches not just in the political theory but also in the international relation, international relation, political theory, comparative politics, different different approaches.

[00:10:54]Okay. So and that's why this subject uh this this humanity subject like political theory is basically a subjective thing because there is no one particular fact for example when we talk about science science physics chemistry biology subjects now on which basis we decide or we define particular subject as a scientific subject because In some point of time in this chapter we will be talking about normative approaches and empirical approaches.

[00:11:37]Normative approaches and empirical approaches. Empirical approaches are basically scientific approaches and normative approaches are basically uh subjective, descriptive and sorry subjective and prescriptive. Actually we'll talk about what is prescriptive and descriptive. So normative is basically about humanities. So empirical empirical means data facts formulas into acceleration.

[00:12:16]For example, gravitational force gravitational force. Okay.

[00:12:23]Gravitational force to g1 g2 constant radius square both different formulas.

[00:12:31]Now what these formulas are they are fixed. Force is equal to mass into acceleration. There is no subjectivity.

[00:12:38]There is no different opinion. Force is equal to mass into acceleration. This is fixed thing. Let's say 1 + 1 is equal to 2. This is the established fact. Let's say if we talk about the chemistry soy number so that is fixed. It cannot be changed. It cannot be changed.

[00:13:16]Hydrogen have the atomic number one. It means it has one electron. It means that is the fixed thing.

[00:13:25]There cannot be like 10 different people liberals.

[00:13:39]There is no subjectivity to it. And that's why it is a science.

[00:13:44]Correct. That's why it's a science. But when I talk about justice, justice is really a normative idea because we feel that it has to be there.

[00:14:02]But then is there any scientific basis that we prove what justice is formula that justice is equal to this this this Are you getting it? We talk about justice.

[00:14:20]We talk about liberty.

[00:14:23]We talk about democracy.

[00:14:27]We talk about equality.

[00:14:32]We talk about all these things. Is there any defined formula like equality is equal to mass into acceleration?

[00:14:38]Nothing like this. Equality equal mass into acceleration. Equality is something a moral philosophical conceptuality equality definition understanding different. There can be some other person who can come up with his own definition of equality and that is the debate. That is the entire debate which the political science is about.

[00:15:06]Political theory, political science is about the continuous continuous and continuously evolving debate and discussion about the particular concept.

[00:15:17]Like even the times of Aristotal, even the times of Aristotal, there was a discussion about equality and he came up with his own ideas of equality. His idea of equality was meritocratic equality.

[00:15:35]kind of if someone is contributing more into particular thing then he deserves more. So equals to be treated equally and unequals to be treated unequally.

[00:15:48]That is what his concept of equality equality.

[00:15:54]But if you see socialism according to socialism ideas or at the same time socialism equality concept these are all might be this can be you may feel that these are completely new terms but don't worry we are taking just a reference of all these terms to understand we will be understanding all these things separately socialism differently separately.

[00:16:28]I am just taking the reference equality concept to John RS John RS. Okay. So John RS if he come he will talk that equality is this. If Khal Mas came, he will talk about equality in a very different way because his perspective of equality is very different because scholar ideology school of thought ideal context different cultural context Are you getting me?

[00:17:21]That is the political science. That is political theory. Okay. Political theory is basically a discussion of various different political ideas related to the human beings. Now this is very important. I'm talking about human beings. So I hope you got the difference between science or humanities.

[00:17:49]liberalism, there is feminism, there is Marxism, why all these different different theories different theories? Why there cannot be one one single theory? A single simple democracy.

[00:18:14]There are many different ideas about democracy.

[00:18:33]democracy.

[00:18:34]So there are different various concepts and ideas about one particular thing. So that is the beauty. Now political science is a subject of humanities.

[00:18:48]Subject of humanities. It means it means it is about human beings.

[00:18:55]It is about human beings. It is about you and me. So we are talking about the subject of humanities. It means it is about human beings. The subject is about human beings. So if the subject is about human beings, it means the subject is about you and me. It means political science as a subject is not an isolated or a disconnected discipline. It is about people. It is about human beings.

[00:19:23]Are you getting me?

[00:19:32]Importance system.

[00:19:36]If you see our education system focus more upon the science, math all these things instead of like we have more engineers than the the people from humanities background.

[00:19:49]We have more engineers, we have more mathematicians. Okay. And why this is that is a completely different debate.

[00:19:55]So that is a task for you. You have to think why a education system has produced more engineers, doctors and mathematician etc. than the people from the humanities discipline education system.

[00:20:25]But okay.

[00:20:32]demand the job market. The job market and overall the society social condition like India is a society where there is a tremendous poverty.

[00:20:45]The immediate requirement of the person is to get a job and to get a job you need to become engineer or doctor or something else where there is a professional job market available. instead of in in case of humanities uh there is there are less job opportunities. So it's about job opportunities the more job opportunities available uh because we have a huge service sector and we have huge manufacturing sector also and that is the reason so you can think from that perspective. So this subject is about human beings. It means human definitely individual not individual but human beings a better life.

[00:21:36]Human beings better system create that is the political science. So political science ultimate goal the ultimate goal of the political science as a discipline is centered around one thing. The aim of the political science is to make the life of an human being better and better.

[00:22:08]Please keep this in mind and that is the central line of this subject.

[00:22:27]So while navigating through this subject human being better life, a better society or a better political setup create which can a better political setup which facilitate a better society and better human being a better life for a human That is what the ultimate goal is this clear goal being better life better society better political setup create that is the important concept that is the important goal now and that's why we need to understand key political science and international relations subject for that matter let us focus right now on political theory only let's skip this political theory Political theory is not just about politics.

[00:23:31]Let's understand this political science misunderstanding.

[00:23:44]It is not about politics and if at all it is about them about politics then we need to also underline very important fact that politics again is about human beings and a better life for them.

[00:23:55]Politics is about social justice.

[00:23:57]Politics is about equality. Politics is about liberty. Politics is about freedom. Politics is about democracy.

[00:24:04]Politics is about good governance.

[00:24:05]Politics is about all those things which help to make a life better.

[00:24:11]individual let's say wellunction properly functioning democracy equality social justice end of the day if we get all these things if we get all these things from the politics like good governance uh better services etc Then again this leads to a better life for a human being and it will create a better society. Correct? A better society better human life human better life create. So political theory is not exclusively about politics.

[00:24:55]Rather political theory is about a human being.

[00:25:00]Correct?

[00:25:02]So political theory is about human being. It's not about politics. It's not about politics. This is the major misconception which we need to uh remove from our mind that political science is not exclusively about politics and if at all it is about politics then politics is about a better life for a human being. Political science or political theory is difference there is a political theory.

[00:25:30]Okay. Then there is a political science.

[00:25:36]Then there is a political philosophy.

[00:25:44]Political philosophy. Okay. So this is something we need to understand. What is the difference between political theory, political science and political philosophy?

[00:25:54]Important discussion.

[00:25:58]Science.

[00:26:00]Let us first understand what science is.

[00:26:02]Science. Political science. It means uh for example there are institutions institutions parliament election electoral system parliament judiciary constitution different different institutions. Okay.

[00:26:23]So how they functions functions how they functions and we can measure ity science is about data. Science is about facts. Science is about explanation.

[00:26:46]Science is about description.

[00:26:51]Description I will explain the meaning of everything. Uh science is about uh description. Science is about Yes. science mainly data explanation description. So for example functioning Raja Sabha let's say let's say 24 five members correct so that is the fact that is the fact which laws they are there are the member of parliament who make the laws okay and at the same time for example there is election election going on to election process process medium Methodology.

[00:27:36]Political science talks about the methods.

[00:27:42]Methods. Okay.

[00:27:46]Simple example.

[00:27:49]Justice.

[00:27:51]Justice.

[00:27:53]Recently there was a discussion about the cast sensus. Yes or no? Do we are we aware about this discussion? There was a discussion about the cast senses. Cast sens discussion.

[00:28:09]Yes. Correct. Now cast sensus heated hot topic.

[00:28:16]For that matter of women reservation important discussion women reservation.

[00:28:24]For that matter there is a discussion of delimitation also.

[00:28:29]The limitation discussion the limitation right uh see as far as if you uh uh if you see the entire discussion is mainly in English.

[00:28:53]Okay the discussion is mainly in English. Whatever we are discussing that is completely in English. And if at all uh in between we use some some amount of Hindi. So that is not that we are telling some different content in Hindi.

[00:29:08]That is simply what we have explained in English. The same thing which we we we are explaining in Hindi. So don't worry about key don't worry that if I tell something in Hindi it means you are missing out on some content. Don't worry about it. You won't miss anything. That is my promise. So don't worry and have patience because even those who understand Hindi they can also clearly see that everything I'm explaining is mainly in English only and if at all I am whatever uh the the words or the sentences I'm using in Hindi they are primarily the repetition of whatever I have told in English. Okay. So you might have heard the discussion about delimitation woman reservation etc. Let's talk about the cast census. Cast census has been the ongoing discussion. Now cast sensus means what? What is the goal? What is the goal? First of all, there are two things in cast sensus. One is the ultimate goal.

[00:30:12]There is some goal. It is not that it is not an endless activity. It is not an endless activity. It has some aim. It has some goal. Correct? And second thing is that there is a methodology.

[00:30:28]Now what is the goal? The goal is to achieve social justice.

[00:30:38]The goal is to achieve social justice.

[00:30:40]Right or wrong? By doing this exercise of cast sensors. What we aim for? We aim for social justice because uh by doing the cast census we will understand that uh of which particular cast the people belong to are backward educationally, economically, socially. So on the basis of that we will be able to frame the policies and the laws and the benefits and the government schemes as per the data provided by the cast senses so that we ensure that there is a social justice right this is the ultimate goal. So ultimate goal is social justice. But and now again please understand that social justice or for that matter justice is a subjective idea like everyone feel that there has to be justice.

[00:31:37]Ought to be ought to be. It has to be.

[00:31:47]This is the normative approach. This is the empirical approach.

[00:31:55]There are two approaches in the uh political theory. Normative approaches and empirical approaches. Normative approaches. In the name itself, it is given norm.

[00:32:10]Norm. Norm. What is the meaning of norm?

[00:32:13]Norms are basically the values, the philosophical aspect, the ethical aspect of particular thing. Let's say in society when we talk about justice. So justice is a normative idea. It is a normative idea because it is coming from ethics. It is coming from morals. Right?

[00:32:33]Justice is a normative idea. Why?

[00:32:35]Because it is coming from ethics.

[00:32:39]It is coming from morals.

[00:32:43]But the problem is But the problem is But the problem is my ethics and your ethics are different. My morals, your morals are different. The morals of every person are different. The morals of every community, every society are different. And that's why if particular practice is acceptable in particular society, the same is not acceptable in another society.

[00:33:13]Are you getting me? And that's where in the discussion of rights we will be talking about rights.

[00:33:22]There is a chapter rights. In the rights we will be discussing about that there are some universal rights.

[00:33:32]Universal rights and there are uh there is a cultural relativism.

[00:33:40]There will be a discussion of universalism and cultural relativism that they claim that the rights has to be universal. Right to property has to be universal but it is not possible because in some in particular society in particular culture the property is not considered much important right. So there is a variation. It means the normative ideas are subjective.

[00:34:11]Right? Normative ideas are subjective because there is no fixed definition of justice. Justice is a concept coming from the norms coming from the ethics and morals. And that's why there is a variation of about the understanding not just with the space but also with the time with the space and time. For example, the understanding of justice 1,000 years ago and understanding of justice in the present 21st century is different. So the idea and the understanding of justice also varies with time and space.

[00:34:47]Time and space. In the western society the idea of justice might be different.

[00:34:53]In Indian society the idea of justice is different. Right? In the west the idea of justice is different. In the east the idea of justice is different. So that is the variation because of the space and also there is a variation of the time.

[00:35:08]So cast sensus the goal of the cast sensus is social justice. The justice which is a normative idea. Normative idea means everyone of us feels from inside that it has to be done.

[00:35:25]It ought to be All of us think that there has to be a justice. So we think it ought to be or uh for that matter we all prescribe. We all prescribe prescribe prescribe. We all suggest prescription you know prescription doctor prescription. So prescription we all prescribe we all suggest that there has to be a justice.

[00:36:03]So the normative approach to the political theory is prescriptive uh it is subjective.

[00:36:13]It focuses upon ought to be correct.

[00:36:17]That is what normative perspective.

[00:36:20]It means any idea, any concept where there is a subjectivity, there is a prescription which is coming from the morals, ethics or let's say norms, then that is a normative idea. Liberty is a normative idea, justice is a normative idea, democracy is a normative idea. But then the question is one particular idea if we think from today's perspective from the contemporary perspective one particular idea cannot be exclusively normative or for that matter you cannot understand the meaning of democracy simply from the normative perspective.

[00:37:01]You have to also apply some methodology.

[00:37:04]You also need to have some data, some fact to understand it in a better way.

[00:37:09]For example, cast census is an exercise is an exercise is an activity. Now the uh to complete this exercise you need to you need to do survey.

[00:37:26]Survey survey we need to collect data.

[00:37:31]We need to create the statistics.

[00:37:39]Statistics. Okay. And this is what we have to do.

[00:37:46]Statistics develop. And on the basis of that we will be able to find out. We will be able to find out and we will be able to basically figure out that how we are going to make sure the social justice. We are going to ensure the social justice. Although social justice is a normative idea in the political theory but to ensure the social justice we need to take help of the scientific methodologies.

[00:38:19]scientific methodology we will need to take help of it. Without scientific methodology we cannot achieve the philosophical goal. So this is basically philosophical normative. Are you getting me? This is philosophical.

[00:38:38]So this is about political philosophy.

[00:38:43]Political philosophy is basically the normative angle. it focuses upon uh the philosophical, moral, ethical ideas.

[00:38:51]Okay. Whereas this aspect of empirical which focuses now when we gather the data when we do this survey what we do we identify the pattern we identify the overall scenario and we explain that in particular in in India there are let's say 6,000 different cast out of which these are the 67 cast which belong belongs to the tribal community. These are other 55 cast which comes under the scheduled cast and these are 150 cast which comes under the OBC section. So what we are doing on the basis of the data and fact we are explaining.

[00:39:40]So empirical approach focus on the explanation.

[00:39:51]explanation there is no subjectivity there is a clearcut data facts available on the bas of which you are explaining the real situation so it's not about what ought to be it's about what is empirical approach in the political theory explains what the situation is what the reality is it means it explain things the way they are it does not prescribe what supposed to be rather it focuses upon what is your focus.

[00:40:34]These are the two different things. I hope you are getting me. Normative approach tells us that what ought to be whereas empirical approach explains us what is situation reality. Okay. And that is also very important. So because normative approach is more about prescription. It suggest what ought to be does. It suggest empirical approach.

[00:41:02]Empirical approach is prescriptive or explanatory. It is explanatory because it focuses upon explanation because why it is able to explain because they have the data facts.

[00:41:15]Okay. So this is political science.

[00:41:21]It's political science.

[00:41:25]So if you see political science, we understood political science plus political philosophy is political theory. So political theory is basically political science plus political philosophy.

[00:41:42]Understood?

[00:41:46]Political theory because political theory is not simply about normative. Political theory is not also about science because you cannot fulfill because ultimate goal end goal end goal was making a better life for a human being and making a better society or creating a better political system.

[00:42:08]So to ensure that we cannot only take the help of the normative ideas or philosophical ideas like justice we will also have to consider the component of a science which will give us more clarity to achieve the normative ideals or the philosophical goals. So political theory is about political philosophy and political science collectively both. So political theory is about political theory have the normative perspective also plus empirical perspective also understood uh no I don't think you need to make any running notes because everything which we are discussing here that is there in the nodes but defi but definitely we are not just reading the notes notes we already have but then uh whatever the explanation part is from my side. I will take the examples impromptu examples all of sudden if I remember any example I will explain through that. So through the examples we will try to understand uh all these things. So today we completed what the meaning of the political theory political theory meaning this is the meaning of a political theory and also we understood that what are the different approaches we tried to understand normative approach and empirical approach. There are many other approaches in the political science. Traditional approaches, contemporary approaches and then in contemporary approaches, there are behavioral approach, there is post-bearal approach. All these things which we are going to study in the later classes. But I think for today this is enough as a uh just to begin with to begin with the subject. I think today's understanding of what political theory is and how we are going to proceed with the subject what is the meaning of this subject I think this important discussion uh is enough for today. If there is any doubt, if there is any doubt, uh many of you might have already started preparation and they might knowing things properly.

[00:44:11]They might feel that these are very simple discussion. But then always understand and keep in mind that with the simple discussions only we can get the depth of the particular idea.

[00:44:25]Yes.

[00:44:28]Uh how to connect on laptop? On laptop you can simply log to ci.in then go to courses and uh you can just login with your own number to connect with me. Uh the the number which is given 920 something that on the office number you can directly call me on that number. I pick up the call. Okay. Also, if you want to text me, you can text me on Telegram at the rate academic_v.

[00:45:04]You can connect with me on telegram. You can uh share your queries, your doubts and uh I will answer to you on the telegram. You can join from the app also. There is app uh through the mobile but you can also join through the laptop. You can also join through the laptop. You can do web blogging. You only have to uh insert your mobile number which you have used during the subscription of the course.

[00:45:32]mobile.

[00:45:36]First two topics notes upload theory of theory of state.

[00:45:46]Yes. The notes of first two topics political theory and theory of state those two PDFs will be like single PDF.

[00:45:55]In the single PDF only these two topics are covered. These notes will be shared to you uh very soon today immediately also. And uh one more important thing about the PYQS uh handwritten PYQS physical copy will be delivered to you. The PYQS written by Allinda rank 59 those PYQs handwritten PYQS will be delivered to you. Right now we are in a process of this. So it may take at least 15 days uh to deliver. Okay. But by the end of the month you can expect by the end of the month you can expect that the physical hard copies of the PYQ document or books you will be received.

[00:46:42]This is the number 92 7 0 27 68 and 7 9 this is the number you can connect fine okay so don't worry if you even even in the next class we are going to meet in the next class also we will discuss so many things so don't worry about it just be relaxed just start with your preparation right from the today notes will be uploaded immediately and uh you can just start with the with reading notes. Don't take much tension of even if you don't understand particular thing because this is a completely altogether new subject. So it may take some time to understand. So just relax keep your mind relaxed for a couple of days you will automatically develop understanding over the period of time. So don't worry about it and even after one month two month I am still there. Even if you if you don't understand any topic which is taught today uh even after two months you can connect with me on the topic which we are discussing today. So don't worry about it. So just enjoy the process of uh just enjoy the process of this uh learning and enjoy the political science. It is very interesting subject.

[00:47:58]See you in the next class. Thank you very much for your time and see you in the next session.