Understanding South Asia

Paper Code: 
DPOL 611(B)
Credits: 
06
Contact Hours: 
90.00
Max. Marks: 
100.00
Objective: 

Course Rationale The course introduces the historical legacies and geopolitics of South Asia as a region. It imparts an understanding of political regime types as well as the socio-economic issues of the region in a comparative framework. The course also apprises students of the common challenges and the strategies deployed to deal with them by countries in South Asia.

 

The objectives of this course are to:

  1. the issues on peace and security in the South Asia region
  2. inter-state conflicts and other matters concerning bilateral relations 
  3. Regional cooperation and confidence building measures in South Asia

 

Course Outcomes (CO)

Course

Learning outcomes (at course level)

Learning and teaching strategies

Assessment Strategies

Course Code

Course Title

DPOL

611-B

Understanding South Asia

Upon completion of this course, students will be able to:

CO86:   Understand the strategies adopted by states for coping with conflicts.

CO87:  Give a comparative framework on the variant  forms  of  government- authoritarian  and democratic-of  its  member  nations.

CO88:   undertake some case studies on the prevention, management and resolution of conflicts in South Asia

CO89: Identify political opportunities for regional cooperation and collaboration to address common

Challenges

CO90: Analyse the issue and challenges face by SAARC to combat terrorism and migration

Approach in teaching:

Interactive Lectures, Discussion, Tutorials, Reading assignments, Power Point Presentation

Learning activities for the students:

Self-learning assignments, Effective questions, Seminar presentation, Giving tasks.

Class test, Semester end examinations, Quiz, Solving problems in tutorials, Assignments, Presentation, Individual and group projects
 
18.00
Unit I: 
South Asia- Understanding South Asia as a Region

Historical and Colonial Legacies, Geopolitics of South Asia

 

 

 

18.00
Unit II: 
Politics and Governance

Regime types: democracy, authoritarianism, monarchy; Emerging constitutional practices: federal experiments in Pakistan; constitutional debate in Nepal and Bhutan; devolution debate in Sri Lanka 

18.00
Unit III: 
Socio-Economic Issues

Identity politics and economic deprivation: challenges and impacts (case studies of Pakistan, Bangladesh)

                                     

18.00
Unit IV: 
Socio-Economic Issues

Identity politics and economic deprivation: challenges and impacts (case studies of Nepal, Sri Lanka)

18.00
Unit V: 
Regional Issues and Challenges

South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC): problems and prospects; Terrorism and Migration

Essential Readings: 

Ø  Basu, R & Rahman, M.S. (2016), Governance in South Asia. New York: Routledge

Ø  Hettige, S. & Gerharz, E. (2015), Governance, Conflict and Development in South Asia: Perspectives from India, Nepal and Sri Lanka. New Delhi: SAGE Publishing India

Ø  Mazumdar, A. (2014), Indian Foreign Policy in Transition: Relations with South Asia. New York: Routledge

Ø  Visweswaran, K. (2011), Perspectives on Modern South Asia: A Reader in Culture, History, and Representation. Chichester, UK: John Wiley & Sons

Ø  Brass, P. (2010), Routledge Handbook of South Asian Politics: India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Nepal. Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge 

References: 

Reference Books:

Ø  Blom, A. & Rewal, S.T.L. (2019) Emotions, Mobilisations and South Asian Politics. Abingdon, Oxon: Taylor & Francis

Ø  Jivanta, S. (2018), Maritime Governance And South Asia: Trade, Security And Sustainable Development In The Indian Ocean. Singapore: World Scientific

Ø  Slate, N. (2017), Colored Cosmopolitanism. Cambridge: Harvard University Press

Ø  DeVotta, N. (2015), An Introduction to South Asian Politics. Abingdon, Oxon: Taylor & Francis

Ø  Smith, D.E. (2015), South Asian Politics and Religion, Princton: Princeton University Press

Ø  Wadley , S. (2014) South Asia in the World: An Introduction. Routledge

Ø  Padukone, N. (2014), Beyond South Asia: India's Strategic Evolution and the Reintegration of the Subcontinent. Bloomsbury Academic

Ø  Pande, A. (2011), Explaining Pakistan's Foreign Policy: Escaping India. New York: Routledge

Ø  Paul,T.V.(ed), (2010),South Asia’s Weak States, California,Stanford University Press

Ø  Paul, T.V. (2010), South Asia's Weak States: Understanding the Regional Insecurity Predicament. Stanford, California: Stanford University Press

Ø  Mendis, D. (2007), Electoral Processes and Governance in South Asia. New Delhi: SAGE Publications India

 

E-Resources:

Ø  Oberst, R. C. (2018). Government and Politics in South Asia. United States: Taylor & Francis. Can be retrieved from https://www.google.co.in/books/edition/Government_and_Politics_in_South_Asia/b0tWDwAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=0

Ø  Routledge Handbook of Southeast Asian Politics. (2012). United Kingdom: Taylor & Francis.  Can be retrieved from https://libgen.is/book/index.php?md5=218D9AB4C5CCA7D22AAA08A8B71974C8

Ø  Politics in South Asia: Culture, Rationality and Conceptual Flow. (2014). Germany: Springer International Publishing. Can be retrieved from https://libgen.is/book/index.php?md5=745FA69B7D810B6D88E7C4FE7A7D9576

Ø  An Introduction to South Asian Politics. (2015). United Kingdom: Taylor & Francis. Can be retrieved from https://www.google.co.in/books/edition/An_Introduction_to_South_Asian_Politics/f6XbCgAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=0

Ø  Routledge Handbook of South Asian Politics: India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Nepal. (2010). United Kingdom: Taylor & Francis. Can be retrieved from https://libgen.is/book/index.php?md5=9ACF5BCA6E80A2E54F350F0CD31E1632

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Academic Year: 
2023-24
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