Course Offered: B.A. (Honours) Political Science; B.A. (Programme) Political Science; M.A. Political Science
Established in 1956 as a part of the college curricula of B.A. Programme, the department today offers its own Honours degree. The department enriches the Journalism (Hons.) and Elementary Education degree programmes, along with offering a variety of courses to the B.A. Programme. The department also plays an instrumental role in organising and running the Conflict Transformation and Peace-Building diploma programme.
The Honours degree programme in Political Science was started in 1961. Apart from familiarising students with contemporary academic debates, the department since its inception has emerged as a training ground for in-depth research and reference work. In this regard, the department has developed crucial linkages with research institutions, international organisations and public institutes in India and abroad, opening up interactive platforms for students to develop long term research interests.
Staff Advisors: Mahesh S. Panicker, Dr. Nancy Pathak and Mr. Rajeev Yadav
In this academic year, the Department of Political Science organised many offline and online events to connect the student community, broaden the scope of opportunities and make learning an inclusive and holistic experience for every member of the student body. The Department fostered critical thinking and interactive intellectual engagement by holding a wide array of lectures and events aimed at widening the discipline-specific concerns through an interdisciplinary approach. The Annual Academic Meet- Polpourri took place in March 2025. The theme for this year was ‘Politics of Narrative-Building: Investigating Managed Realities of the 21st Century. Sabab- the Academic Journal of the Department, organised its inter-college Paper Presentation Competition- Mantiq, as a part of Polpourri’25 where participants from various colleges presented their papers which they submitted on the theme– ‘Desire and Disruption. Through this paper presentation competition, aspiring researchers got the platform to put forth their findings and cement their interest in the field of academia.
Poletariat, the bi-annual newsletter, centers this year’s theme on ‘Ballot and Beyond’. This edition delves into the ballot as a powerful symbol of human agency, collective identity, and political transformation. Echoing this spirit, Abraham Lincoln’s words—“The ballot is stronger than the bullet”—encapsulate the essence of this theme. A Photography competition was conducted on the occasion of World Photography Day on the theme Expressing the Self in August 2024. The Department in collaboration with REACH, the equal opportunity cell organised an offline session by Prof. Michele Friedner a renowned Medical Anthropologist and Associate Professor at the University of Chicago, on Disability Worlds in India in September 2024. The department organised a lecture by Prof. Sanjay Kumar on Election in India, which offered a deep dive into voter electoral behavior and the complexities of politics in India in October 2024. The department organised a speaker session on US Presidential Elections & Global Order by Dr. Manan Dwivedi which offered an insight of the potential shifts in global alliances and the evolving dynamics of global power that could emerge from the recent U.S. election in November 2024. A Speaker Session was organised by the Department of Political Science on Political Representation & The Quest for Dalit Identity by Prof Sidha Pai in November 2024. An online session on ‘Queer Politics in South Asia: Legacy and Continuity of Resistances’ by Dr. Nancy Pathak was organised in November 2024. The Department of Political Science witnessed the inner workings of the Parliament firsthand, on the 23rd of January 2025. The Students of the Department went on the Education Visit to Parliament. A Speaker session was organised on Importance of Rivers in International Relations: With Special Focus on South Asian Strategies Complex by Dr. Uttam Sinha giving insights on hydro-diplomacy and cooperative framework.
| Name | Areas of interest |
| Dr. Mahesh Panicker Assistant Professor (Teacher-in-charge) maheshspanicker@lsr.edu.in | Political Theory, Contemporary Liberalism, Disability Studies Publications and other works click here |
| Dr. Rina Kashyap Associate Professor rina.kashyap@gmail.com | Political Theory, International Relations, Security and Peace Studies, Restorative Justice, Feminist Theory and Indian Politics. Publications and other works click here |
| Dr. Leslie Keerthi Kumar SM Assistant Professor lesliekkumar@gmail.com | Political Philosophy, IR Theory, Asian Geopolitics, Radicalization Studies, Politics & Ethics of Technology Publications and other works click here |
| Dr. Vagesh Pawaiya Assistant Professor vageshpawaiya@gmail.com | Political Theory, Political Philosophy, Race and Caste Studies, Indian Politics Publications and other works click here |
| Mr. T Kannan Assistant Professor hankan07@gmail.com | Indian Government and Politics, Public Administration and Decentralisation Publications and other works click here |
| Ms. Nitika Ladda Assistant Professor laddaniki@gmail.com | Indian Political Thought, Political Theory, Indian Politics and Gender Studies Publications and other works click here |
| Dr. Priya Kumari Assistant Professor bpriyakumari@gmail.com | International Relations, Peace and Conflict Studies, European Union and Security Studies Publications and other works click here |
| Dr. Snehil Kacker Assistant Professor snehilkacker1@gmail.com | Indian Government and Politics, International Politics, Politics of Climate Change, Environmentalism, Peace and Conflict Studies Publications and other works click here |
| Mr. Rajeev Yadav Assistant Professor rajeev.yadav8@outlook.com | International Relations, Global Politics, International Law, Indian Foreign Policy Publications and other works click here |
| Ms. Bhargavi Charan Assistant Professor charan.bhargavi@yahoo.in | International Poltical Relations, Geo-Politics, Indian Foreign Policy, War-Game Studies, Western and Indian Political Thought, Free Market Economics, Liberalism, Realism, Security Studies and Feminism in IR Publications and other works click here |
| Mr. Hari K. Sharma Assistant Professor hari.krishan6@gmail.com | International Relations, Global Politics, Indian Foreign Policy, Indian Government and Politics, Media Studies Publications and other works click here |
| Dr. Nancy Pathak Assistant Professor | Post Communist and Mixed Economy Bureaucracies, Policy making in developing countries, Queer Politics in South Asia, Body Politics Publications and other works click here |
| Dr. Mehak Sharma Assistant Professor | Political theory, Western and Indian Political Thought, Religion and Science Publications and other works click here |
| Ms. Priya Sharma Assistant Professor priyamayasharma@gmail.com | Indian and Western Political Thought, Political Theory, Environmental Politics Publications and other works click here |
| Dr. Shrawan Kumar Pandey Assistant Professor shrawankumarpandey@lsr.du.ac.in | Indian Government and Politics, State Politics, Federalism, Election Studies, Local-Self Government Publications and other works click here |
| Dr. Jitendra Kumar Pandey Assistant Professor jkpandey1381@gmail.com | International Relaions, European Studies, India’s Foreign Policy Publications and other works click here |
President – Tarini Sharma
Secretary – Ananya Sitoke
Treasurer – Maxnoor Bharat
Sabab- the academic journal of the department, published its VIIIth volume with the theme “Critique and Crisis”. It explores the vital role of critique in politics, questioning whether it fosters progress or merely creates crisis. While often perceived negatively, critique is essential for challenging outdated power structures and sparking intellectual evolution. It necessitates deep thought, imagination, and courage to break away from conditioning. Historical shifts, from rationalism to postmodern contestations, demonstrate that critique and crisis drive transformation. Despite efforts to suppress dissent, critical inquiry remains vital for social change. The note urges the intelligentsia to engage with critique, resist manufactured consent, and explore its potential to reshape power dynamics, fostering a more informed discourse.
SABAB also organised Inter-college Paper Presentation Competition- MANTIQ, as a part of Polpourri’25 on 27th March, 2025 where participants from various colleges presented their papers which they submitted on the theme– Desire and Disruption. Through this paper presentation competition, aspiring researchers got the platform to put forth their findings and cement their interest in the field of academia.
Sabab 2024