COURSE CONDUCT MODULE

Course Name: Indian Political Thought

Course Code: 2LA202CC24

Core Course

Semester - IV

Programme: B.A: LL. B (Hons.)

February 2025 to July 2025

Course Coordinator: Kunal Kishore

 A. Course Title / Course Code / Teaching and Examination Schemes:

Indian Political Thought/2LA202CC24

Evaluation Scheme
Teaching
Scheme Examinatio
(Hrs./Week) Credit n Hours Component Weightage
Course
Course Code Title L T PW C SEE CE SEE PW
2LA202CC2
4 Indian
Political
Though
t 3 1 4 3 Hours .60 .40 -

B. Course Learning Outcomes (CLOs):

At the end of the course, students will be able to -

1. Identify the major strands of Modernity, Colonialism, and Democracy in India
2. Analyse the major debates regarding the idea of nation and nationalism in India
3 Develop a nuanced perspective about the social and political changes in contemporary India

C. Course Syllabus
 D. List of Books / Reference books / E-books

1. Parekh, B. (1991). Gandhi’s Political Philosophy: A Critical Examination. New Delhi,

Palgrave Macmillan.

2. Parekh, B. (1989). Colonialism, Tradition and Reform: An Analysis of Gandhi’s Political

Discourse. New Delhi, Sage Publications.

3. Mehta, V.R. and Panthem, Thomas (eds.) (2006) Political Ideas in Modern India:
Thematic Explorations. New Delhi, Sage Publication.

4. Datta, P.K. and Palshikar, Sanjay (eds.) (2013) Indian Political Thought. New Delhi,
OUP.

5. De Barry, Wm.Theodore et.al. (eds.) (1958) Dharma. In Sources of Indian Tradition

Volume 1. New York, Columbia University Press.

6. De Barry, Wm.Theodore et.al. (eds.) (1958) Sources of Indian Tradition Volume 1. New
York, Columbia University Press.

7. Freeden, Michael, Vincent, Andrew (eds.) (2012) Comparative Political Thought:

Theorizing Practices. London and New York, Routledge

8. Hawley, John Stratton (2005) Three Bhakti Voices: Mirabai, Surdas, and Kabir in their
Time and Ours. U.S.A. Oxford University Press.

9. Sarkar, Sumit (1985). A Critique of Colonial India. Calcutta, Papyrus.

10. Pantham, Thomas and Deutsch, Keeneth. L. (eds.) (1986) Political Thought in Modern
India. New Delhi, Sage.

11. Brown, Judith M. and Parel, Anthony, (eds.) (2011) The Cambridge Companion to
Gandhi. New York, Cambridge University Press.

12. Ramchandra Guha (ed.). (2010) Makers of Modern India. New Delhi, Penguin Viking.

E. Course related Important Web-links

 1. https://www.ideasofindia.org

F. Video Lectures, if available (like NPTEL, MOOC, IMP You-tube Lecture.)

1. Engaging Modern Indian Political Thought: Ramachandra Guha

https://youtu.be/qyaKax952WY
2. Fatal Love: Intimacy and Interest in Indian Political Thought: Faisal Devji,
https://youtu.be/mRdVYyVRW3E
3. How conservative is Indian conservatism?: Swapan Dasgupta
https://youtu.be/z0l_3m4w0Tg
4. The Civilizational Roots of Indian Democracy: Dipesh Chakrabarty
https://youtu.be/UX31U50-1pQ
5. The Politics of Social Justice in India: Pratap Bhanu Mehta
https://youtu.be/xBFSF7TwU8Q
6. Dark Genealogies Ambedkar's Struggle with Historical Past: Sudipta Kaviraj
https://youtu.be/GMgAhEM3idU
7. Thinking the Contemporary: Rajeev Bhargava https://youtu.be/0tI14C1waqM
8. 'A Relativist View of India: Partha Chatterjee https://youtu.be/gARp-XuD6p4
9. Nehru as a theorist of the International Order: Sudipta Kaviraj
https://youtu.be/v11KJYFPqo8
10. The Indian Tradition of Public Debate: Bhiku Parekh https://youtu.be/6-
eXwNx3V9w
11. We the People: General Will (volonté générale) Re-Considered: Arindam
Chakrabarti https://youtu.be/1oSt5465Ejw
12. Ambedkar in His Time and Ours: Anupama Rao https://youtu.be/yVUTog0unKE
13. Kabir: Then and Now: Purushottam Agrawal https://youtu.be/UkULhmshsNg
14. What is Indian Knowledge Good For?: Sheldon Pollock
https://youtu.be/WXdNjfw6Drw
15. Modernity in the Home: A Reflection on 20th Century India: Gyanendra Pandey
https://youtu.be/K_FPEsbOeuk
16. Postcolonial Relations: Rajeswari Sunder Rajan https://youtu.be/CaNw5LSbHjQ "
Indian Modernity: Once Colonial, Now Global: Dipesh Chakrabarty
https://youtu.be/9ABmMC6zC8

G. List of International / National Journals related to the Course

1. https://journals.sagepub.com/home/inp, Studies in Indian Politics

2. https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/modern-intellectual-history, Modern Intellectual
History Review
3. https://www.tandfonline.com/journals/rgih20, Global intellectual History
4. https://www.tandfonline.com/journals/csas20, South Asia: Journal of South Asian studies
5. https://www.tandfonline.com/journals/ccsa20, Contemporary South Asia

H. Unit / sub-unit wise content of the syllabus and list of case law and research articles etc.
 Unit I
1.1 Vivekanand
1.2 Savarkar

ERM:
1.1 Sengupta, Chowdhry. Indira. (1993) Reconstructing Spiritual Heroism; Swami
Vivekanand (1863-1902) In Colonialism & Cultural Identity: The Making of a Hindu
Discourse, Bengal 1867-1905, Unpublished Dissertation, Department of History, School
of Oriental and African Studies, London.

1.2 Bakhle, Janaki. (2024) A Nationalist Historian: Savarkar and the Past In
Savarkar and the Making of Hindutva, Princeton University Press, USA.

Unit II
2.1 Kabir
2.2 B.R. Ambedkar

ERM:

2.1 Aggarwal, Purshottam. (2021) Bhakti: Morality and Moksha in Everyday Life
In Kabir, Kabir: The Life and Work of the Early Modern Poet-Philosopher. New
Delhi. Westland.

2.2 Rodrigues, Valerian. (2024) Equality as the core of Justice In Ambedkar's

Political Philosophy: A Grammar of Public Life from the Social Margins. New
Delhi, Oxford University Press.

Unit III
3.1 Rabindranath Tagore
3.2 M.K. Gandhi

ERM:
3.1 Gupta, S. D. (2020). Tagore’s View of Politics and the Contemporary World. In
S. Chaudhuri (Ed.), The Cambridge Companion to Rabindranath Tagore (pp. 279–293).
chapter, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
 3.2.a. Dalton, Dennis. (2023) Gandhi: Individual Freedom and Social Action In
Indian Ideas of Freedom. New Delhi, Harper Collins Publishers.
3.2.b. Dalton, Dennis. (2023) Swaraj through Satyagraha In Indian Ideas of
Freedom. New Delhi, Harper Collins Publishers.

Unit IV
4.1 Jaipal Singh Munda
4.2 Muhammad Iqbal

ERM:
4.1 Sen, R. (2009). Divided loyalty: Jaipal Singh and his many journeys1 . Sport in
Society, 12(6), 765–775. https://doi.org/10.1080/17430430902944233
4.2.a Sevea, Iqbal Singh. (2012) Rejecting Nationalism, Relocating the Nation In The
political Philosophy of Muhammad Iqbal: Islam and nationalism in Late Colonial India,
Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
4.2.b Sevea, Iqbal Singh. (2012) Development of the Nation In The political Philosophy of
Muhammad Iqbal: Islam and nationalism in Late Colonial India, Cambridge: Cambridge
University Press.

Unit V
5.1 Jawaharlal Nehru
5.2 Rammanohar Lohia

ERM:
5.1 Palat. K. Madhavan. (2023) Nehru’s Democratic Dilemma’s, The Nehru Memorial
Lecture, King’s India Institute, London, United Kingdom.
5.2 Yadav, Yogendra (2010). What is living and What is dead in Rammanohar lohia in
Economic and Political Weekly, 40 (02).
I) List of advanced topics (seminar topics) related to the course
1. Idea of Freedom and Democracy in Indian political thinkers
2. Idea of Civic Nationalism and Social justice in India

(J) Course related own blog and other such blogs (address)
1. https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/lsereviewofbooks/
2. https://southasia.ucla.edu

(K) Micro Teaching Plan format

Pedagogy Weightage Specific Mode

Description Allocated Units
(%)

Experiential
NA
Learning

Self-Study 10 Self-study Refer D

*Expert Lecture / Lecture Unit IV and V

Cooperative
10
Teaching / Video
Sessions

Lecture/Class Unit I, II, III

Core Teaching 80
Discussion

* Details of Expert Lecture

Topic / Total number Date of

Name of Designation
portion of the of sessions Expert
Expert / Teaching Deliverables
syllabus session
Mode
covered

L) Lesson Planning format:

Lecture Planning

Session Topic Pedagogy Mapped Pre-class reading

No. CLO (ERM No.)
Introduction to the
Lecture/
1 Modern Indian 1
Discussion
Political Thought
2 Introduction to the
Lecture/
Modern Indian 1
Discussion
Political Thought
3 Introduction to the Lecture/ 1
Modern Indian Discussion
 Political Thought
4 Lecture/ ERM 1.1
Vivekanand 2
Discussion
5 Lecture/ ERM 1.1
Vivekanand 2
Discussion
6 Lecture/ ERM 1.1
Vivekanand 2
Discussion
7 Lecture/ ERM 1.2
Savarkar 2
Discussion
8 Savarkar Lecture/Discussion 2 ERM 1.2
9 Savarkar Lecture/Discussion 2 ERM 1.2
10 Lecture/ ERM 2.1
Kabir 1 and 3
Discussion
11 kabir Lecture/ ERM 2.1
1 and 3
Discussion
12 Kabir Lecture/Discussion 1 and 3 ERM 2.1
13 Ambedkar Lecture/ ERM 2.2
1 and 3
Discussion
14 Ambedkar Lecture/ ERM 2.2
1 and 3
Discussion
15 Ambedkar Lecture/ ERM 2.2
1 and 3
Discussion
16 Lecture/ ERM 3.1
Tagore 3
Discussion
17 Lecture/ ERM 3.1
Tagore 3
Discussion
18 Lecture/ ERM 3.2.a
Gandhi 3
Discussion
19 Lecture/ ERM 3.2.a
Gandhi 3
Discussion
20 Lecture/ ERM 3.2.b
Gandhi 3
Discussion
21 Gandhi Lecture/ ERM 3.2.b
3
Discussion
22 Jaipal Singh Munda Lecture/ ERM 4.1
1 and 3
Discussion
23 Jaipal Singh Munda Lecture/ ERM 4.1
1 and 3
Discussion
24 Muhammad Iqbal Discussion/lecture 2 ERM 4.2.a
25 Muhammad Iqbal Lecture/ ERM 4.2.a
2
Discussion
26 Muhammad Iqbal Lecture/Discussion 2 ERM 4.2.b
27 Muhammad Iqbal Lecture/ ERM 4.2.b
2
Discussion
28 Jawaharlal Nehru Lecture/ ERM 5.1
1 and 3
Discussion
29 Jawaharlal Nehru Lecture/ ERM 5.1
1 and 3
Discussion
30 Jawaharlal Nehru Lecture/ ERM 5.1
1 and 3
Discussion
31 Jawaharlal Nehru Lecture/ ERM 5.1
1 and 3
Discussion
32 Jawaharlal Nehru Lecture/ ERM 5.1
2 and 3
Discussion
33 Jawaharlal Nehru Lecture/Discussion 2 and 3 ERM 5.1
34 Rammanohar Lohia Lecture/Discussion 2 and 3 ERM 5.2
35 Rammanohar Lohia Lecture/ ERM 5.2
1
Discussion
36 Lecture/ ERM 5.2
Rammanohar Lohia 1
Discussion
37 Revision
38 Revision
39 Revision
40 Revision

Tutorial Planning

Tutorial Week Teaching Description Reference Outcome

No. Method
1 and 2 Discussion Understanding Indian Unit I Understanding
political Thought Indian
1. Raguramraju, A. intellectual
(2013). Indian traditions
Political Theory.
In Gaus,
Gerald.F. and
Agostino, Fred
 D’ (eds.) The
Routledge
Companion to
Social and
Political
Philosophy. New
York, Routledge.

3 and 4 Discussion Understanding Indian Unit I To understand

Political Thought the impact of
Parekh, B. (2006). Limits modern west
of the Indian Political on the
Imaginations. In V.R. formation of
Mehta and Thomas social and
Pantham (eds.) Political political
Ideas in Modern India: concepts in
Thematic Explorations. India
New Delhi, Sage
Publication.

5 and 6 Discussion Understanding Classical Unit II To understand

Indian Political Thought the
Krishna, Daya (1996). The relationships
Conceptual Structure of between
Classical Indian Thought tradition and
About Man, Society and modernity in
Polity. In Krishna Daya, framing the
The Problematic and political
Conceptual Structure of thought in
Classical Indian Thought modern India
About Man, Society and
Polity. New Delhi, OUP.
7 and 8 Discussion Unit IV To understand
VL 12 the politics of
social justice
in India
9 and 10 Discussion Unit V To understand
Alam, Javed (2006). and VI the democracy
Debates and ad dissent in
modern India
Engagements: A Look at
Communist Interventions
in India. In V.R. Mehta
and Thomas Panthem
 (eds.) Political Ideas in
Modern India: Thematic
Explorations. New Delhi,
Sage Publication.

11 and Discussion Unit III To identify

12 Joseph, Sarah (2006). and IV the major
Modernity and Its Critics: strands of
modernity and
A Discussion of Some its critics
Contemporary Social and
Political Theories. In V.R.
Mehta and Thomas
Pantham (eds.) Political
Ideas in Modern India:
Thematic Explorations.
New Delhi, Sage
Publication.
13 and Discussion Unit II To understand
14 VL 13 the popular
syncretic
traditions in
India
Discussion Unit VI To understand
Tolpady Rajaram (2006). the politics of
Socialist Discourse in social justice
in India
India. In V.R. Mehta and
Thomas Pantham (eds.)
Political Ideas in Modern
India: Thematic
Explorations. New Delhi,
Sage Publication.

15 Doubts
and
 Answer
writing

M. Structured Tutorial/Seminar/Clinical planning with design of clinical exercise and

problems

NA

N. Formative Assessment Scheme

Details of Description Assessment Marks Date Date of Mapped

C.E. Criteria assigne Declaratio CLO
d n of
Result
Continuo Written (a) Lucid, logical and 40 As per twelve 1 and 3
us Test analytical style of the days after
Evaluatio presentation of ideas. academi the exam
nI (b) Good grounding in c
the nuances of the calendar
arguments/counterargum
ents and substantiating,
convincing argument for
viewpoints.
(c) Good grasp of the
ideas of the thinkers
Continuo Activity The presentation will be 40 As per One 1,2and 3
us based C.E. assessed on the basis the month
Evaluatio Group mentioned below: academi after the
n II* presentation (a) Identifying the c submissio
on a Problem [10 calendar n
contempora Marks]
ry Indian
social/
political (b) Research Design
issues in [10 Marks]
alignment
with c) Review of
Sustainable Literature (10
Developme marks)
nt Goals d)Argumentation,
(SDGs). Analysis, Citations and
use of referencing (10
marks)
Continuo M.C.Q. Quizzes based on the 20 As per Same day 1 an
us There will syllabus covered till date. the d
Evaluatio be three There will be 10 academi 2
n III quizzes. questions of 1 mark each. c
 The better calendar
of the two
will be
considered.
O. Self-Study Material
Refer D

P. List of world leading PSUs Law firms, organizations / working on the course related areas
NA

Q. List of world leading Law Experts / Academicians working on the course related
areas
1. Sudipta Kaviraj
2. Sanjay Palshikar
3. Valerian rodriguez
4. Gopal Guru
5. A.Raghuramraju
6. Sasheej Hegde
7. Pratap Bhanu Mehta
8. Partha Chatterjee

R. Suggested text book

1. Pantham, Thomas and Deutsch, Keeneth. L. (eds.) (1986) Political Thought in

Modern India. New Delhi, Sage.

S. ERM and RRM

Refer H and C and D
T. Ten Commandments for students.
(excerpts from Andrew J. Mc. Clurg - University of Arkansas at Little Rock School of Law)

1. Thou shalt be prepared for class.

2. Thou shalt be on time.
3. Thou shalt not be afraid to ask questions.
4. Thou shalt not be afraid to voice your opinion, even when it is believed to be contrary to the
professor's.
5. Thou shalt tolerate the professor's offbeat sense of humor.
6. Thou shalt respect thy classmates.
7. Thou shalt understand that there is method in the madness.
8. Thou shalt not be afraid to seek out the professor's office.
9. Thou shalt regularly attend class.
10. Thou shalt take a deep breath and prepare for a long, hard semester.