Contemporary India

This subject is not offered in 2014.

Total of 120 hours

Politics and International Studies at 1st and 2nd year.

For the purposes of considering request for Reasonable Adjustments under the disability Standards for Education (Cwth 2005), and Students Experiencing Academic Disadvantage Policy, academic requirements for this subject are articulated in the Subject Description, Subject Objectives, Generic Skills and Assessment Requirements of this entry.The University is dedicated to provide support to those with special requirements. Further details on the disability support scheme can be found at the Disability Liaison Unit website: http://www.services.unimelb.edu.au/disability/

The new subject will seek to introduce undergraduate students to contemporary India. It will primarily focus on developments since 1947, the year of India’s independence from British rule. The subject will cover three main areas: India’s constitution and democratic structure; Indian society and social movements; and Indian foreign policy. Students will be introduced to the Indian constitution, the process of its drafting and its working since 1950, including the main amendments and the principal debates over its functioning. The main contemporary issues in Indian politics – including those related to caste, secularism and development – will be covered. The structure of Indian society and the nature of social movements will also be studied. The continuity and changes in India’s foreign policy, starting with the era of Non-Alignment, will also be introduced in this subject. In summary, the subject will not just explore the critical dimensions of contemporary Indian politics and society but also introduce students to the intellectual debates on key issues.

On completion of this subject students should:

• Have an understanding of India’s democratic constitution and its internal politics;
• Understand the forces at play in contemporary Indian social and political life;
• Have an appreciation of the political history of India;
• Develop an understanding of India’s role in world affairs and the underlying foreign policy principles and priorities;
• Develop the critical faculties so that students are attuned to the political nuances of various standard accounts of Indian politics;
• Gain an insight into how the empirical can shed light on the theoretical.

An essay of 2000 words (50%) due before the mid-semester break, and a final essay of 2000 words (50%) due during the examination period.

Hurdle Requirement: This subject has a minimum Hurdle Requirement of 75% tutorial attendance. Regular participation in tutorials is required.

Assessment submitted late without an approved extension will be penalised at 10% per working day. In-class tasks missed without approval will not be marked. All pieces of written work must be submitted to pass this subject.

Subrata K. Mitra, Politics in India - Structure, Process and Policy, Routledge, 2010

This subject is not available as a breadth subject.

On completion of this subject students should:

• Be able to research through the competent use of the library and other information sources, and be able to define areas of inquiry and methods of research in the preparation of essays;
• Be able to conceptualise theoretical problems, form judgements and arguments and communicate critically, creatively and theoretically through essay writing, tutorial discussion and presentations;
• Be able to communicate knowledge ideologically and economically through essay writing and tutorial discussion;
• Be able to manage and organise workloads for recommended reading, the completion of essays and assignments and examination revision;
• Be able to participate in team work through small group discussions.

This subject is available as Breadth to non-Bachelor of Arts students.