CBSE Class 11 Political science Syllabus 2026-27

a) Why do we need a Constitution?

• Constitution allows coordination and assurance
• Specification of decision-making powers
• Limitations on the powers of government
• Aspirations and goals of a society
• Fundamental identity of a people

b) The authority of a Constitution

• Mode of promulgation
• The substantive provisions of constitution
• Balanced institutional design

c) How was the Indian Constitution made?

• Composition of the Constituent Assembly
• Procedures
• Inheritance of the nationalist movement
• Institutional arrangements

d) Provisions adapted from Constitutions of different countries

• Appreciate the need for a Constitution.
• Understand the historical processes and the circumstances in which the Indian Constitution was drafted.
• Critically evaluate how constitutions govern the distribution of power in society.
• Analyse the ways in which the provisions of the Constitution have worked in real political life.

a) The importance of rights

• Bill Of Rights

b) Fundamental rights in the Indian Constitution

• Right to Equality
• Right to Freedom
• Right against Exploitation
• Right to Freedom of Religion
• Cultural and Educational Rights
• Right to Constitutional Remedies

c) Directive principles of state policy

• What do the directive principles contain?

d) Relationship between fundamental rights and directive principles

• Analyse the working of the Constitution in real life
• Learn to respect others, think critically, and make informed decisions
• Identify violations of the rights to equality and freedom in the society around them
• Justify the need for reasonable restrictions on the rights guaranteed.
• Use freedom of expression to advocate for ensuring rights is given to people around them.

a) Elections and democracy

b) Election system in India

• First Past the Post System
• Proportional Representation

c) Why did India adopt the FPTP system?

d) Reservation of constituencies

e) Free and fair elections

• Universal franchise and right to contest
• Independent Election Commission

f) Electoral Reforms

• Identify different types and methods of election
• Develop critical thinking about the role of various stakeholders in ensuring free and fair elections.
• Demonstrate the innate role played by Election Commission
• Compare election systems of different countries of the world.

a) What is an executive?

b) What are the different types of executives?

c) Parliamentary executive in India

• Power and position of President
• Discretionary Powers of the President

d) Prime Minister and Council of ministers

e) Permanent Executive: Bureaucracy

• Recognise the meaning of Executive.
• Compare and contrast the Parliamentary and Presidential Executive.
• Analyse the composition and functioning of the executive.
• Know the significance of the administrative machinery.

a) Why do we need a parliament?

b) Why do we need two houses of parliament?

• Rajya Sabha
• Lok Sabha

c) What does the parliament do?

• Powers of Rajya Sabha
• Special Powers of Rajya Sabha

d) How does the parliament make laws?

e) How does the parliament control the executive?

f) What do the committees of parliament do?

g) How does the parliament regulate itself?

• Describe the law-making process in India.
• Differentiate between the powers and functions of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha.
• Define the parliamentary control over the Executive.
• Analyse the role of Parliamentary Committees for the success of Indian democracy.

a) Why do we need an independent judiciary?

• Independence of Judiciary
• Appointment of Judges
• Removal of Judges

b) Structure of the Judiciary

• Identify the different aspects which makes the Judiciary independent
• Compare and contrast the different jurisdictions

c) Jurisdiction of supreme Court

• Original Jurisdiction
• Writ Jurisdiction
• Appellate Jurisdiction
• Advisory Jurisdiction
• Judicial Activism

d) Judiciary and Rights

• Judiciary and Parliament

• Analyse the reasons why Judiciary has become proactive.
• Examine the reasons for the conflicts between the judiciary and parliament with respect to Constitutional Amendments.

a) What is Federalism?

b) Federalism in the Indian Constitution

• Division of Powers

c) Federalism with a strong central government

d) Conflicts in India’s federal system

• Centre-State Relations
• Demands for Autonomy
• Role of Governors and President’s Rule
• Demands for New States
• Interstate Conflicts

e) Special provisions

• Jammu and Kashmir

• Explain the basic features of a federation.
• Identify the different levels of the government &subjects on which the union and state governments can make laws.
• Discuss the various constitutional provisions that led to a strong Centre in India.

a) Why local governments?

b) Growth of Local Government in India

• Local Governments in Independent India

c) 73rd and 74th amendments

d) 73rd Amendment

• Three Tier Structure
• Elections
• Reservations
• Transfer of Subjects
• State Election Commissioners
• State Finance Commission

e) 74th Amendment

• Implementation of 73rdand 74th Amendments

• Understand the Panchayati Raj system of local government in India, its emergence and significance
• Identify the objectives, functions and sources of income of rural and urban local government bodies
• Justify the significance of 73rd and 74th constitutional amendments
• Acknowledge and examine the significance of decentralization
• Introspect and realise the need to empower local government bodies

a) Are constitutions static?

b) How to amend the constitution?

c) Why have there been so many amendments?

• Analyse the working of the Constitution.
• Appreciate why the Constitution is called a Living Document

• Differing Interpretations
• Amendments through Political Consensus
• Controversial Amendments

e) Basic structure and evolution of the constitution

f) Constitution as a Living Document

• Contribution of the Judiciary
• Maturity of the Political Leadership

• Know the various amendments that have taken place and the controversies raised.

a) What is meant by philosophy of the constitution?

• Constitution as Means of Democratic Transformation

b) Why do we need to go back to the Constituent Assembly?

c) What is the political philosophy of our constitution?

• Individual freedom
• Social Justice
• Respect for diversity and minority rights
• Secularism
• Universal franchise
• Federalism
• National identity

d) Procedural Achievements

e) Criticisms

• Limitations

• Appreciate the philosophical vision of our Constitution.
• Recognise the core features of the Indian Constitution.
• Evaluate the strengths and limitations of the Constitution.