‘Handbook of Political Science and International Relations’ by Dr Jyotika Teckchandani

The governance of the state is always a major matter of discussion in the corridors of power, but what happens behind the closed doors is unknown to the common man. Politics is not only a science but also an art- an art of maneuvering public development in a positive way such that it leads to a win-win situation. But understanding politics is not a piece of cake. It is this fear that restricts the youngsters from opting for Political Science as their major subject.

‘Handbook of Political Science and International Relations’ by Dr Jyotika Teckchandani is a self-help book that offers exemplary research work in form of small snippets. It deals with the basics of Political Science and elucidates the key concepts with utmost simplicity. The flow of contents is chronological and the authoress has, very intelligently, organized the subject matter. Beginning with the definition of the key term, the book describes the subject matter of political science, its scope and function, the relevance of State in all the political affairs, difference between the common baffling terms like state, society, country and nation, and organs of the government and how each one functions.

The second half of the book explains the importance of International Relations- how a state deals with the issues that concern the public and how they resolve the conflicts with minimum cost involved. Various topics are covered like National Interest, Role of International Politics in IR and the importance of acting diplomatically to secure the national interests.

Lacking the verbose descriptions and formidable definitions, the books is a relief. To the point sentences, crisp and precise explanation aid in grasping the concepts easily. However, since the book is expected to serve as a handbook, it could have been made better by including some political examples as well.

With a subtle cover, the book serves the educative purpose well and caters to the interest of young readers who are so zestful and inquisitive to know everything happening in the world. Lucid language acts like a cherry on the cake. Political Science is a subject that might not be everyone’s cup of tea owing to its complicated structure and intricate details. And hence, this book provides the perfect scaffolding that helps to imbibe the knowledge and understand the concepts better. Like the authoress mentions in the blurb, the book is a boon from examination point of view.

I feel elated to have got a chance to read this book, for I never really understood Politics. But this handbook, served with the necessary elements of knowledge, helped me cruise through. Indeed, the authoress has done a wonderful job.