“The method of political science is the interpretation of life; its instrument is insight, a nice understanding of subtle, unformulated conditions.” ~ Woodrow Wilson.
The study of Politics in an era of worldwide interconnectedness has grown exponentially. The cascading impact of globalization and its protégé market forces have rendered the state to a minimal actor. However, the era has also witnessed a surge in various identity based social movements across the globe. The apparent dichotomy of state being a minimalist actor in a neo-liberal global order and it being viewed as a veritable instrument to deliver goods and public services is being increasingly discussed and debated around the globe. The discipline of Political Science provides essential theoretical tools and empirical grounds through which these developments can be better understood.
The Political Science department of Plassey College embarked on its voyage from 2010, the founding year of the College. Initially, it started with offering General course. Later in the year 2015, the department introduced Honours course with the intake capacity of 60 (Sixty) seats which was subsequently increased to 100. At present the intake capacity of students is 100
The courses taught in department are being designed by the Undergraduate Council, University of Kalyani and have been approved by the Higher Education Department, Government of West Bengal.
The explicit objective has been promoting higher education and learning in the field and with successive batches of students regularly attending classes and completing the course, this target has been satisfactorily met by the College and Department. As Political Science is a dynamic subject, it offers lesson on a wide area of politics, which is associated with Indian Politics and Government, International Relations, Public Administration, Political Sociology, Comparative Politics etc.
The main motive of the Department is to deliver quality education through healthy competitive environment.
Keeping in mind the vision of Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) The Department has a dedicated ICT enabled smart class room facility. Besides, conventional mode of teaching, students are now being taught through E-Learning facilities. Even during Covid time online classes were conducted through these methods.
At present, in the department, there are four teachers:
- Dr. Anirban Chatterjee (HOD).
- Mr. Mirja Mohammad.
- Sri. Rakesh Chakraborty.
- Sri. Kushal Bhattacharjee.
Course Outcome:
Some of the related course outcomes for the students have been the following:
Understanding of Politics: As mentioned above this is the cardinal aspect to make students aware about the nitty-gritty of the world of politics through empirical as well as qualitative understanding of events happening at the local, state, national and international level.
Good Citizenship: Nurturing the values of good citizenship by being a responsible and sensible citizen who are conscious about the rights and duties enshrined in the constitution of India.
Values and Awareness: The course curriculum promotes gender sensitization, tolerance for religious pluralism, and respect for cultural diversity. These values are encouraged through Awareness Camps, Classroom interactions and invited lectures. The values enshrined in the Preamble of India’s constitution are being theoretically discussed in the classroom to uphold the ethical standards among the students.
Minority and Weaker Students: Plassey College is located in a minority belt with large number of students hail from economically weaker strata of society and most of them are first generation learners. The Department understands these challenges and is committed to the vision and mission of the College. It takes due care to teach students from minority communities and other backward sections to fulfil the vision of Dr Ambedkar, the chief architect of the Constitution.
Mature Learners: Forward, advanced and interested learners are encouraged by the Department to participate in debates, students’ seminars in the College as well as in other institutions. Students are also encouraged to take part in Youth Parliament competition to sharpen their communicative skills and capabilities. They regularly contribute to Wall Magazines of the Department by penning down their opinions and thoughts on relevant issues.
Outreach Programs: The Department takes cognizance of the relevance of outreach programs for students beyond the precincts of classroom boundary. Field trips to places of political importance such as Legislative Assembly etc are being encouraged.
Post-Graduation: The Department takes interest in encouraging students for Post-Graduation and Research in subjects such as Political Science, Public Administration and International Relations so that they can contribute to the disciplines in a substantial way. In the process, students become an inalienable part of the knowledge society.
Competitive Examinations: The Department is committed to encourage students to opt for teaching profession by appearing in various competitive examinations such as National Eligibility Test (NET) and State-Level Eligibility test (SLET). The six semesters spent by them in College is important for such preparations.
Apart from academics, the students are also encouraged to contribute to society in a meaningful way by upholding alternative career option such as Journalism, Social Activism, NGOs etc.
Students from Political Science background have an advantage in examinations such as Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) and West Bengal Civil Service (WBCS). Interested students are encouraged to take up the challenge of serving the society by being an administrator.
