"Krea has offered me the opportunity to explore all my interests in the same place, and has changed the way I approach problems and come up with impactful solutions".
Aishwarya Sivaramakrishnan
Cohort of 2022
Passionate about creating measurable social impact in the field of education, and dreams of moving to Germany and owning a library
The study of politics examines human communities and the ways in which they forge a common life through their ideas and values, interests and institutions, and how they often come into conflict with each other. It seeks an understanding of power in its multiple embodiments, between groups, castes, gender, classes, and between citizens and state. The levels of analysis that students grapple with in their courses range from local, national, regional to the global. We provide the skills required for students to develop evidence-based, historically grounded and conceptually rigorous understanding of political developments, of ideologies and of ethical collective action.
At Krea, we use the term ‘politics’ instead of ‘government’ or political science, deliberately to highlight the large terrain that politics occupies, and the necessity of multidisciplinary approaches to understand various dimensions of political life. Politics, therefore, is not confined only to the inner workings of the governments or to formal institutional spaces in society. It also needs insights from other social science disciplines to make its complex workings visible. We believe the study of politics will prepare students to play the role of active and conscientious citizens in society.
The Approach
Our curriculum covers a large number of themes including democratic practices, violence, social movements, political power, justice and freedom, civic action, populism, state and globalization. We draw from recognized subfields of political theory, political philosophy, comparative politics, Indian politics, public policy, political economy and international politics. In exploring the history of ideas, the issues and idioms of politics of the ‘global south’ will be highlighted. A special focus is placed on the Indian democratic experiences and challenges. Through a set of core and elective courses, the students not only broaden their understanding of the field of politics but also deepen their knowledge in areas of their interest within it.
At a time of ecological crisis, global pandemics, abundance of digital objects and communication, the idea of politics, decision-making and territoriality are undergoing significant transformation. The growing inequality within and across states and societies at a time of rapid globalization throws new challenges before governments and international organizations. The students doing a politics major will gain expertise to unpack complexities, including deeper ethical questions underlying these phenomena.
Programme Details
Graduation Requirements
Courses
Faculty
Careers
Graduation Requirements
Major:
To earn a major in Politics, a student is required to complete 56 credits, as follows:
Twelve courses for 48 credits, among which six will be required courses and six will be from electives offered.
A capstone thesis / project or two additional electives (8 credits)
Minor:
To earn a minor in Politics, a student is required to complete six courses and earn 24 credits, among which:
Three courses will be from required courses, and
Three courses will be from electives offered.
Concentration.
In order to qualify for a concentration in Politics, a student is required to complete any three Politics courses and earn 12 credits.
Courses
Required Courses
Sample Electives
Politics in multiple frames: approaches, concepts and theoretical perspectives
Understanding Indian Politics: Institutions and Democratic Practices
Introduction to Comparative Politics
Political Imaginings from the Global South
Global Politics in the 21st Century (An Introduction)
Researching Politics: Methods and Tools of Enquiry
Public Policies and Democratic Challenges in India: Approaches and Analytical tools
State, citizenship and governance of public provisions in India
Democracy and Civil Society in India: Contexts, Approaches, and Challenges
Literary and cultural imagination as conceptual resource: An Exploration of /in India’s Bhasa Literature
Politics and the intimations of modernity in Kant, Hegel and Marx
Exploring Western Political Philosophy: Plato, Aristotle, Machiavelli, Hobbes, Locke,Rousseau
Populism in our time: Its resurgence and its significance
State and Industrial Development: Historical and Comparative perspectives (India, China, South Korea and Nigeria
Feminist thought and women’s movement in India: An Exploration
Politics of/in performance: Studying theatre and film as sources of legitimation and resistance in India
Comparative Politics of South Asia
Founding moments of the Indian Republic: Re-reading the Constituent Assembly Debates (1947-1950)
Politics of Mass Media and New Communication Technology
Understanding Critical Issues Through a Political lens
Faculty
Bishnu Mohapatra
Director of Moturi Satyanarayana Centre for Advanced Study and Professor of Politics
Bishnu Mohapatra
Director of Moturi Satyanarayana Centre for Advanced Study and Professor of Politics
DPhil, Oxford University
Geeti Das
Assistant Professor of Politics
Geeti Das
Assistant Professor of Politics
Swarna Rajagopalan
Visiting Professor in Political Science
Swarna Rajagopalan
Visiting Professor in Political Science
PhD, University of Illinois
Careers
The Krea politics graduate will be better prepared to play their role as active citizens and effective members of their political communities. It provides the solid ground on which they can pursue their careers in government, civil service, not-for-profit institutions, international organisations, and media. It also provides a foundation for undertaking further studies in specialised areas such as law and governance, urban politics, public policy, and international studies.