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: Dr. Mahesh S. Panicker, Dr. Nancy Pathak and Mr. Rajeev Yadav
Lectures and Talks
The Department of Political Science conducted a series of discussions and workshops during 2025–26,
beginning with an inaugural session (25 September, 2025) featuring Dr. Gurpreet Mahajan which highlighted the importance of social sciences in a globalized world.
Over the course of the academic year, the department organised a series of engaging discussions. The session titled ‘The Gendered State and the Green Revolution: Reimagining India’s Agrarian Policy’ featuring Priyambada Jayakumar, examined agrarian policy through a gendered lens. The department also organised interactive discussions on evolving international dynamics, including a panel (13 November 2025) with Dr. Chintamani Mahapatra and Dr. Arvind Kumar on India–United States relations. Another intellectually enriching session focused on Indian Knowledge Systems: Prospects and Challenges (25 September 2025). Featuring Dr. Pushkar Mishra and Dr. Reela Hota, the panel reflected on knowledge traditions from Vedic philosophy to performative practices.
The department also organised learning sessions. A session on Women’s Sexual and Reproductive Health, conducted in collaboration with Haiyaa NSS (20 November 2025) created an open and inclusive space. Led by Ms. Aarti Shukla, the workshop addressed the stigma around sexuality education in India. Similarly, a workshop on Indian Constitutional History (28 August 2025) highlighted the importance of historical context in understanding the Constitution’s evolution. The department explored politics and culture through a session on Ambedkarite Art (29 October 2025), highlighting how visual culture shapes political consciousness. A new student-led initiative, Dialectica, created an inclusive space for student-faculty roundtable discussions on the soft power in international relations, socially constructed self and AI.
Academic Conference
The Department of Political Science hosted its annual International conference, Polpourri 2026 (18-19 February 2026), on the theme ‘Worlds in Transition: The Expanding Horizons of International Relations.’ In the lead-up, a Pre-Polpourri session (16 February 2026), in collaboration with the Irish Embassy, featured Jack Chambers, Cabinet Minister in the Government of Ireland and Kevin Kelly, Ambassador of Ireland to India, exploring India–Ireland relations while strengthening institutional ties. The department also hosted Cynthia Enloe as a distinguished speaker, widely acclaimed for her work on gender and international politics.
The inaugural panel of Polpourri 2026 on ‘India’s Future Trajectory’, moderated by Dr. Rina Kashyap and featuring C. Raja Mohan, Suhasini Haidar and Happymon Jacob, set the tone with a multidimensional view of security and addressing shifting global dynamics. Other key sessions included Women in Diplomacy with former Ambassador Veena Sikri on gendered barriers, a discussion on Astropolitics and an Indo-Pacific panel. A national-level paper presentation competition MANTIQ and the Niti-Netritva policy case competition, along with a zine-making workshop with Delhi Zine, were also the highlights of Polpourri.
| Name | Areas of interest |
| Dr. Mahesh Panicker Associate 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 |
| Dr. 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 nancypathak@lsr.du.ac.in | 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 mehaksharma@lsr.du.ac.in | 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 – Sneha Singla
General Secretary – Asmita Richhariya
Treasurer – Sanika Choudhary
Email: lsr.polsci@gmail.com
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.