Verified official syllabus source

University of Delhi — B.A. (Hons.) Political Science — official course contents PDF

Semester I papers and unit structure as published in the official Department of Political Science course contents, effective from the academic year 2011-2012 onwards.

Open official syllabus

Academic batch: 2024-25
Last reviewed: 2026-10-01
Curriculum source: University of Delhi
Syllabus effective: Academic Year 2011-2012 onwards

The batch above is the student cohort this material is mapped to. The effective period is stated by the official document itself — check your college's current syllabus before relying on either.

Previous year questions hub

Previous Year Questions — Paper III: Constitutional Democracy and Government in India

B.A. (Hons.) Political Science · Semester I · University of Delhi

This page exists so you can find past papers without being sold a counterfeit one. University of Delhidoes not publish this programme’s past question papers on its official domain, and this site holds no verified copies — so none are reproduced here. What follows is how to obtain official papers, what to expect from the pattern, and an original practice set you can attempt under timed conditions.

Course applicability

University: University of Delhi
Programme: B.A. (Hons.) Political Science
Semester: Semester I
Course component: Core Discipline Paper
Subject: Political Science
Paper: Paper III: Constitutional Democracy and Government in India

Marks pattern (official): Max Marks 100 = Theory Exam 75 + Internal Assessment 25. Teaching: 5 lectures + 1 tutorial per week (main papers).

None

Verified past papers held

Original practice questions

Units covered by practice

100

Paper marks

Why no papers are listed here

Question papers circulating for this programme online are usually unattributed scans, often from coaching material or messaging groups. They are frequently outdated against the published course contents, and sometimes from a different university entirely. Publishing them would mean repackaging unverifiable documents.

So this site states plainly what it has and does not have: no verified copies. If you obtain an official paper from your college or the university, it will be the only copy that matches your examination.

How to obtain official past papers

In order of reliability.

1
Your own college examination cell
The most reliable source, because these papers are the ones actually used for your programme. Ask whether past question papers and their marking schemes are archived.
2
University of Delhi official examination channels
Use the university’s own domain for schedules and any published papers, rather than third-party aggregators that rehost documents without attribution.
3
Request the syllabus cluster you need
If your college issues a paper code or a modified structure, tell us and we will record it against the verified official source.
Request notes

What to expect from the pattern

Derived from the published assessment pattern and the paper's own structure — not from any past paper.

—75 marks are set by a written theory examination. Practise timed writing, not just reading.
—25 marks come from internal assessment, which is continuous and cannot be revised for in the last week.
—All four sections are 15 lectures and equally weighted. Federalism and decentralization, and Security Laws, are especially frequent long-answer subjects. Paper III also states there will be a compulsory question from Topic 1 with internal choice.
—Internal assessment plus the theory examination means short written work carries disproportionate weight — make sure definitions and distinctions are precise.

Practice set — full paper mock structure

4 original practice questions written for this site from the official unit structure. These are not past papers and are not presented as any examination's questions.

Long answerPractice 1

The Indian Constitution contains an internal tension between liberty and justice. Discuss with reference to security legislation.

Show answer points

Set out the constitutional design: rights provisions secure liberty; Directive Principles require positive action for justice.
Show how security legislation operates within the liberty side — preventive detention restricts liberty before any offence.
Show the counter-move: long preventive detention without charge can defeat the justice aim, because detention without trial is itself a denial of justice.
Note the trend of extra-ordinary laws persisting in peacetime, which widens the liberty cost.
Conclude by noting the tension is permanent and institutional, not something a single statute can resolve.

Long answerPractice 2

Assess the position of the Governor in the Indian federal system.

Show answer points

Constitutional role: head of the State executive, acting on the advice of the State government.
Link to the union: the Governor is also the constitutional bridge between the Union and the State executive.
Address the tension: because the office combines state and union functions, its autonomy has been a matter of sustained debate.
Conclude with the practical significance — appointments of the Governor shape how centre-state relations actually operate.

Short answerPractice 3

What is the practical significance of the Union having a longer and more detailed list of legislative subjects?

Show answer points

Residual power rests with the Union, and where subjects overlap, Union law prevails on that subject.
So the Centre's legislative reach is broader than a pure count of subjects suggests — this is the structural source of Centre dominance.

Short answerPractice 4

Why is local self-government described as decentralisation rather than federalism?

Show answer points

Federalism concerns division of authority between sovereign levels — centre and States.
Decentralisation concerns distribution of authority within a State to local bodies, which remain creatures of State law.

Back to Paper III hub Important questions Revision sheet Request notes University website

Check the official syllabus for this paper

Previous Year Questions — Paper III: Constitutional Democracy and Government in India

B.A. (Hons.) Political Science · Semester I · University of Delhi

Course applicability

University

University of Delhi

Programme

B.A. (Hons.) Political Science

Semester

Semester I

Course component

Core Discipline Paper

Subject

Political Science

Paper

Paper III: Constitutional Democracy and Government in India

Marks pattern (official): Max Marks 100 = Theory Exam 75 + Internal Assessment 25. Teaching: 5 lectures + 1 tutorial per week (main papers).

Why no papers are listed here

How to obtain official past papers

In order of reliability.

Your own college examination cell

The most reliable source, because these papers are the ones actually used for your programme. Ask whether past question papers and their marking schemes are archived.

University of Delhi official examination channels

Use the university’s own domain for schedules and any published papers, rather than third-party aggregators that rehost documents without attribution.

Request the syllabus cluster you need

If your college issues a paper code or a modified structure, tell us and we will record it against the verified official source.

Request notes

What to expect from the pattern

Derived from the published assessment pattern and the paper's own structure — not from any past paper.

—75 marks are set by a written theory examination. Practise timed writing, not just reading.
—25 marks come from internal assessment, which is continuous and cannot be revised for in the last week.
—All four sections are 15 lectures and equally weighted. Federalism and decentralization, and Security Laws, are especially frequent long-answer subjects. Paper III also states there will be a compulsory question from Topic 1 with internal choice.
—Internal assessment plus the theory examination means short written work carries disproportionate weight — make sure definitions and distinctions are precise.

Practice set — full paper mock structure

4 original practice questions written for this site from the official unit structure. These are not past papers and are not presented as any examination's questions.

Long answerPractice 1

The Indian Constitution contains an internal tension between liberty and justice. Discuss with reference to security legislation.

Show answer points

Set out the constitutional design: rights provisions secure liberty; Directive Principles require positive action for justice.
Show how security legislation operates within the liberty side — preventive detention restricts liberty before any offence.
Show the counter-move: long preventive detention without charge can defeat the justice aim, because detention without trial is itself a denial of justice.
Note the trend of extra-ordinary laws persisting in peacetime, which widens the liberty cost.
Conclude by noting the tension is permanent and institutional, not something a single statute can resolve.

Long answerPractice 2

Assess the position of the Governor in the Indian federal system.

Show answer points

Constitutional role: head of the State executive, acting on the advice of the State government.
Link to the union: the Governor is also the constitutional bridge between the Union and the State executive.
Address the tension: because the office combines state and union functions, its autonomy has been a matter of sustained debate.
Conclude with the practical significance — appointments of the Governor shape how centre-state relations actually operate.

Short answerPractice 3

What is the practical significance of the Union having a longer and more detailed list of legislative subjects?

Show answer points

Residual power rests with the Union, and where subjects overlap, Union law prevails on that subject.
So the Centre's legislative reach is broader than a pure count of subjects suggests — this is the structural source of Centre dominance.

Short answerPractice 4

Why is local self-government described as decentralisation rather than federalism?

Show answer points

Federalism concerns division of authority between sovereign levels — centre and States.
Decentralisation concerns distribution of authority within a State to local bodies, which remain creatures of State law.

Verified official syllabus source

Course applicability

Why no papers are listed here

How to obtain official past papers

What to expect from the pattern

Practice set — full paper mock structure

Continue your revision

Verified official syllabus source

Course applicability

Why no papers are listed here

How to obtain official past papers

What to expect from the pattern

Practice set — full paper mock structure

Continue your revision