CBSE Class 12 · Political Science

CBSE Class 12 Political Science Board Exam Preparation

India's post-independence politics and contemporary world — a high-scoring humanities subject

Complete chapter-wise preparation guide for CBSE Class 12 Political Science board exam 2025-26. Covers Politics in India Since Independence and Contemporary World Politics with marks distribution and answer-writing strategy.

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Theory Marks

Practical Marks

3 hours

Exam Duration

Total Chapters

Chapter-Wise Marks Breakdown

80 theory marks

Chapter	Marks	Difficulty	Key Topics
The End of Bipolarity	6	Easy	Collapse of USSR · Gorbachev's Reforms (Glasnost & Perestroika) · Shock Therapy
Contemporary Centres of Power	6	Easy	European Union — structure and significance · ASEAN · China's economic rise
Contemporary South Asia	6	Medium	SAARC · India-Pakistan Conflict · Sri Lanka's Ethnic Crisis
International Organisations	6	Easy	UN Structure & Functions · Security Council Reform · IMF & World Bank
Security in the Contemporary World	6	Medium	Traditional vs Non-Traditional Security · Human Security · Terrorism
Environment and Natural Resources	6	Easy	Rio Summit 1992 · Kyoto Protocol · Common but Differentiated Responsibility
Globalisation	4	Easy	Economic, Cultural, Political Globalisation · WTO · Globalisation & India
Challenges of Nation Building	6	Medium	Partition & its Impact · Integration of Princely States · Linguistic Reorganisation of States
Era of One-Party Dominance	4	Easy	Congress System · First General Elections 1952 · Dominant Party System
Politics of Planned Development	2	Easy	Planning Commission · Five-Year Plans · Debate on Development Model
India's External Relations	6	Medium	Panchsheel · Non-Alignment Movement · India-China War 1962
Challenges to and Restoration of the Congress System	4	Medium	1967 Elections & Congress Split · Indira Gandhi's Rise · Grand Alliance
The Crisis of Democratic Order	4	Hard	JP Movement · Emergency 1975–77 · Suspension of Fundamental Rights
Regional Aspirations	6	Medium	Demands for Autonomy · Punjab Crisis & Accord · Northeast Insurgency
Recent Developments in Indian Politics	8	Easy	Fall of Congress Dominance · Coalition Politics · Rise of BJP

Topics That Appear Every Year

01Emergency 1975 — causes, declaration, impact on civil liberties, and legacy

02Non-Alignment Movement — principles, India's role, relevance today

03Collapse of USSR — causes, Gorbachev's reforms (Glasnost & Perestroika), shock therapy and consequences

04India's External Relations — China war 1962, Pakistan wars, role in NAM

05European Union — structure, achievements, and challenges

06UNSC reform — India's arguments for permanent membership

07Contemporary South Asia — SAARC, India-Pakistan, Sri Lanka ethnic conflict

08Globalisation — three dimensions, WTO, impact on India

Study Strategy for 90+

Part A (Contemporary World Politics, 40 marks) and Part B (Politics in India since Independence, 40 marks) — equal preparation

Short-answer questions (2–3 marks) test specific facts — make a timeline of events with dates for each chapter

Long-answer questions (6 marks) need structured answers: Context → Events → Consequences → Significance

Part A (Contemporary World Politics) is more factual and scoring — master chapter-by-chapter for quick marks

Maps: practise locating countries and flashpoints — 1–2 map questions appear annually

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