NCERT Books for Class 11 Political Science

NCERT Books for Class 11 Political Science PDF

For every country in the world, it is essential that students, who are expected to be the forebearers of the country's values, should know well about how their political system works. The 11th Class Political Science book does precisely that, paying special attention to topics such as the Indian constitution, the rights which Indians enjoy and how our executive and judiciary systems operate.

As students will soon find, the NCERT book of Class 11 Political Science is an elaborate account of the intricate working of a country's governmental structure. But, Class 11 Political Science NCERT book makes the concepts look easier with lucid language and informative facts and trivia, such that the ultimate aim is achieved and students can gain an in-depth knowledge of how everything works.

NCERT Books for Class 11 Political Science – Political Theory

Chapter 1: Political Theory – An Introduction

Political theory is the basis upon which our society is constructed. Political theorists discuss many important concepts such as the structure of a society, forms of government, different advantages of various types of government, the extent of freedom and exertion of justice in detail.

Freedom, equality and justice are three major aspects which political theory defines. It also lets citizens of a country know how much each of them is available for them in different areas. The first chapter of 11th Class Political Science book thus forms a basis for what students can expect from the contents of this book’s subsequent lessons.

Chapter 2: Freedom

Right from the formation of civilisations millions of years ago, freedom has been a debated topic. Legions of people have given up their lives in search of freedom. In India itself, it was merely 73 years ago when the citizens won their independence from the British Raj and could form a government set-up.

Though a constitutional right, freedom must also be controlled at some places for citizens to evolve and improve themselves. Unchecked freedom might lead to an undisciplined society which would favour no one. It is all that the second chapter of Class 11 NCERT Political Science book imparts learning about.

Chapter 3: Equality

Quite like freedom, equality too has been fought over for years. If you read any news article today, you will still find slogans of equality raised across the globe. Even in the 21st century, fights for equality rage on. 

There are different types of equality – political, social, economical and many more. Along with them, there are also demands for equality for animals, women and people of non-binary gender. This chapter of NCERT 11 Class Political Science book tells all about equality’s history and how people have arrived at what they are today with regards to the equality of humans.

Chapter 4: Social Justice

As many theorists suggest, justice is a lot like love. From one’s innate common sense, every individual knows from a very young age that justice is something which all humans deserve.

But justice also concerns how the society around is formed and how public life is ordered. Students should know the major principles of justice and how all these principles have been developed over time through experience. This is what the fourth chapter of 11th Class Political Science book helps them do.

Chapter 5: Rights

Again a heavily contested topic, right is something which people talk about almost every day. With regard to India, since it is a democracy, people talk about various rights like their right to vote, their right to speech, their right to contest elections and so on. Other than that, people today are concerned with other rights too, like their right to information, right to personal data, right to drinking water, etc.

But, it is crucial to know here the basis of these demands or on what grounds these rights are offered or if the government is solely responsible for providing people with rights. These are some topics which this chapter of Class 11th Political Science book NCERT covers.

Chapter 6: Citizenship

Citizenship basically refers to a human being’s right to be a member of a political community or geographic identity, which necessitates that he or she is provided with all the rights which other members of that same community enjoy. There are different criteria upon which citizenship is granted in different countries. 

Like fights for equality and rights, protests for different citizenship criteria also go on. Many liberals suggest every human on this planet should be granted citizenship in one or another state. The 6th chapter of 11th Class Political Science book tackles citizenship and its different forms.

Chapter 7: Nationalism

If a general survey is conducted among people living around, nationalism could be defined among the general masses mainly as patriotism. The national flags are unfurled on 15th August, and 26th January and many people who lost their lives fighting for a country’s independence are largely regarded as signs of nationalism. 

Though this definition is not totally false, nationalism has many other aspects which one should know about; and, the 11th Class NCERT Political Science book does so quite precisely. The degree to which nationalism plays a role in world affairs is immense and is a topic which every student should know about.

Chapter 8: Secularism

In an incredibly diverse country like India, secularism is something on which the debates are never-ending. India is diverse in almost everything around – language, religion, culture, food, habits, clothing and much more. Though every political party swears by it, secularism is at a perplexing stage in the whole world.

Secularism is characterised by non-discrimination towards minorities, and much of its existence came into being after Jews faced tremendous atrocities during the Second World War. But, for a democratic country like India, where diversity is revered, and every state is a part of a different culture, it is vital that the Political Science book Class 11 NCERT emphasises upon it.

Chapter 9: Peace

More of a political theory, peace is a universal building block of life like the food one eats, the house in which they stay or the clothes they wear. It is such an essential attribute to society that people who work relentlessly for it are also awarded Nobel prizes.

Even then, states of war exist and have been continuing since time immemorial, and the fight between war and peace is never over.

The 9th chapter of 11th Class Political Science book tells students about the different problems which people face while trying to bring peace. Also, students can learn about why peace is so brittle in today’s society.

Chapter 10: Development

The world today is divided into different categories of countries such as developed, developing and underdeveloped countries, whereby India is categorised as a developing nation. India has witnessed development as - from being totally nascent to being incredibly important on the global scale.

Development can be of many types, namely social, economic, infrastructural, and so on. There have been different models of development previously which have been ousted due to their non-performance. And, newer strategies and plans on how to facilitate development are proposed with time. The last chapter of Class 11th Political Science book NCERT details the path which development has taken in India.

NCERT Books for Class 11 Political Science – Indian Constitution at Work

Chapter 1: Constitution – Why and How?

The Indian Constitution was formed after the country became independent in 1947. It was established by eminent politicians at that time, keeping the best interests of the country’s citizens in mind. Constitution of any country, firstly, provides a basic set of rules which each of its citizens must abide by to facilitate co-ordination and co-operation among all members of the society.

This first chapter of the second 11th Class Political Science book forms the base for what students are going to learn further. The Indian constitution charts all the rules which governments should follow and accounts for all types of people who reside in India.

Chapter 2: Rights in the Indian Constitution

One of the last countries to have attained independence, India had been under British rule and deprived of its rights for almost 200 years. So, it was evident as soon as this country formed its own government, rights were something which ministers and counsels would first induct into its constitution.

These rights have been thus called fundamental rights, and the constitution has listed them all separately and also provides provisions for their protection if violated anyhow. The Political Science book Class 11 NCERT charts all these rights which Indians enjoy.

Chapter 3: Election and Representation

For every country in the world, governments are needed to preside over its citizens, independent of the type of government – democratic or autocratic. In India, governments are formed by political parties which win elections via majority votes. It is absolutely essential that elections are conducted in an unbiased way, which is overseen by a special body called the Election Commission.

The primary concept of elections and other aspects of an election like representation is detailed in this 3rd chapter of 11th Class Political Science book. Students should have a keen eye for this chapter since it serves as a key to understanding India’s constitution.

Chapter 4: Executive

The three divisions of the Indian government that maintain its constitutional structure are the legislature, executive and judiciary. All of them combine to ensure law and order as well as the welfare of all citizens of the nation. The executive part of the government elects and maintains a body which comprises qualified individuals responsible for making critical decisions for the entire country.

Any political, economic or social decision, which would go on to affect many people throughout India, is taken by the executive division in support with the other two divisions. This chapter of NCERT 11 Political Science book details all these functions of India’s executive division.

Chapter 5: Legislature

As the executive is responsible for taking top decisions, the legislature forms a centre of all democratic and political processes. Unanimity, concern for citizens and co-operation are some most important functions of a legislature. A proper democracy would not survive without an effective legislative system.

Another critical function of the legislature is the process of law-making. Any newly proposed law or any amendments to a previously implemented law are taken up to the legislature for approval. All of these and many others, including the importance of legislature are briefed adequately in this chapter of NCERT books for Class 11 Political Science.

Chapter 6: Judiciary

As important as making the law is (which is done by the legislative body), it is also equally important that a body helps in executing these laws at the ground level. Thus, such function is carried out by India’s judiciary arm. In a country of 130 crore people, disputes are obvious to arise among people, groups of individuals, companies, institutions and even inside the government. A judiciary helps in sorting out these disputes, thus withholding the supremacy of law over any being.

The 6th chapter of 11th Class Political Science book details on how India’s judiciary system works and the unbiased nature of law that applies to every Indian citizen.

Chapter 7: Federalism

In the past, countries like the USSR have shown that excessive centralisation of power eventually leads to breaking up of a nation. To do away with such flaws, the Indian government was based upon federalism since its constitution’s first draft.

Federalism refers to a distribution of administrative powers between a central government, which is responsible for the entire nation, and several other regional or state-level governments, which are responsible for exercising powers over smaller groups of people, or states. This chapter of Class 11 Political Science NCERT book enlightens students about federalism and its integration in the Indian context.

Chapter 8: Local Governments

Deriving the concept from the last chapter, federalism has led to the formation of local governments. Local or state governments can exercise administrative powers only within the state or regional boundaries, which cannot affect a person living in another state. There are representatives of local governments in central bodies, whose responsibility is to communicate any issues which a state may face from time to time for adequate and effective resolution.

The 8th chapter of Political Science book Class 11 NCERT focuses on the importance of local governments and how without proper functioning of local governments, a nation cannot flourish wholly.

Chapter 9: Constitution as a Living Document

The Indian constitution was first brought into existence on 23rd January 1950, which was 70 years ago. Now, after 70 years, there are many areas where the constitution should interfere but were not apprehended for such a long time by authors. 

The Indian constitution is not a static document, but rather a live one. It has been amended many times before and will be changed many more times in the coming future, as and when required.

But, even though after repeated amendments, this document’s core values have not changed. The government’s judiciary system has effectively ensured that. This penultimate chapter of 11th Class Political Science book emphasises why a modifiable constitution is extremely crucial.

Chapter 10: The Philosophy of the Constitution

Though it is assumed that the Indian constitution, being a political document, is only a collection of laws and nothing else, this is not the case. Every law in India is based upon experiences and moral values. 

For example, if a law makes sure that no person is discriminated against based on language and religion, such law takes inspiration from the concept of equality, an innate moral value.

Hence, other than an academic and political approach towards India’s constitution, a philosophical approach to it is also required at times. The final chapter of Political Science textbook Class 11 educates students on how to do the same and thus, understand a much deeper meaning for a political text.

Why Study From the NCERT Political Science Textbook for Class 11?

The NCERT books for Political Science lay particular emphasis on a need for students to truly understand the political scenario in any country, and develop their capacity to observe and analyse the diverse socio-political conditions. Some reasons why the NCERT textbooks for political science are an essential read include the following. 

1. Focus on Real - Life Scenarios: Instead of resorting to cold, hard facts, and rote learning, the NCERT textbooks for political science are written to encourage students to pay more attention to political affairs in a country. It helps them deepen their understanding of what the Indian constitution really means and provides. The books are a window to the workings of political parties and the Government in India. And, students can learn a lot about the actual consequences of the Indian constitution.

2. Quotations from Political Texts: To get more students to read these books, and find the chapters interesting, NCERT has introduced an article, lifted from the very Constitution, in every chapter of these books. This was done to get students to learn more interactively as well as help develop an interest in the words, terminologies and implications of the Indian constitution.

3. Eye - Catching Illustrations: Most chapters in the two NCERT textbooks for Political Science feature eye-catching cartoons, which do not serve to only act as comic relief. Each of these cartoons is a satirical, honest take on current affairs in the country, and is meant to instil an understanding of politics in students. Curious and inquisitive, these cartoons pose thought-provoking questions to students. These questions may be inconvenient and tough but are honest, to say the least.

4. Exciting Puzzles: The two textbooks for political science have been written with great care, backed by in-depth research and tireless efforts by a group of educators, teachers and illustrators. The end of each chapter features inquisitive puzzles and exercises that are meant to assess students on their understanding of political science. None of these exercises requires memorisation or rote learning. In fact, they only encourage original thinking stemming from their understanding of each chapter.

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