Political science
1.  About the Department
The study of Political Science, an ever-changing and dynamic subject, is always regarded as a critical area of Social Science enquiry. The Department of Political Science was established since the inception of the university, in 1982. The Department currently offers Undergraduate, Masters and Research Programmes. In tandem with the spirit of the ‘Vision & Mission’ of the University, the department has structured its academic programmes to meet the requirements of the diverse sections of the society. Being the first open and distance learning (ODL) university in India, we impart education to our learners using a multi-media approach, i.e., providing Self-Learning Materials (SLMs), Audio-Video lessons (via AIR-Hyderabad, Doordarshan-Yadagiri), T-SAT the video lessons are telecast through two different channels Vidya and Nipuna and Live tele-conference programmes telecast via Doordarshan-Yadagiri upto 2020.
In terms of student intake, the department is the largest in the university, drawing students from all parts of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. It started with launching of the Graduate (BA) Programme, with about fifty students in the first year of its existence and presently the combined strength of the students at the graduate level is more than 80,000 students. A decade later, the 2-year Post-graduate (MA) Programme was launched in 1992, with about fifty students and now the number has exceeded six hundred. Research programmes including M.Phil & Ph.D were launched in 2009. Through all our programmes we seek to create an environment for education that facilitates in increasing knowledge of learners.
Following the implementation of Semesterisation under the Choice-based Credit System (CBCS) by the University, the curriculum and syllabus of the UG-level courses in Political Science were revised on UGC guidelines from 2017 academic year, onwards. So far, three academic years (comprising six semesters) have been successfully completed, while parallel carrying on with the old curriculum for sake of the learners of old batches.
As per the old pattern, the Three-Year BA Programme is offered in Telugu, English and Urdu medium. Political Science courses are offered in BA Second Year and Third (Final) Year. The BA Second Year courses comprise: Course-I: Political Theory & Concepts and Course-II: Indian Government & Politics and the Third year courses comprise: Course-III:  Political Thought and Course -IV:  International Studies.
The syllabi of the courses are being revised and restructured regularly once in ten years [with inputs provided by subject experts] so as to update the ever-changing socio-political contexts and processes. The UG courses Self-learning materials (SLMs) were first printed and published in 1984, and the second edition was published in 2004. 
The revised versions of SLMs of Discipline-Specific Core courses, Discipline-Specific Elective course and Skill Enhancement Courses, in English, Telugu and Urdu medium, under the CBCS pattern have been published since 2017. Till date, the list of revised SLMs of UG courses published is as given under:
UG – I Year
  1. Semester-I:  Discipline Specific Core – Political Theory and Concepts
  2. Semester-II: Discipline Specific Core – Political Ideas and Institutions
UG –II Year
  1. Semester-III:  Discipline Specific Core - Indian Government and Politics
  2. Semester- IV: Discipline Specific Core – Indian Political Processes
UG –III Year
       5.Semester –V: Discipline Specific Core – Western Political Thought
                      Discipline Specific Elective- A] Indian Political Thought
                                                                                B] Government and Politics of Telangana
       6.Semester –VI: Discipline Specific Core- International Relations
                        Discipline Specific Elective - C] Contemporary International Relations
                                                                       D] Public Policy
                             Skill Enhancement Courses – 1. Political Reporting
                                                                       2. Survey Research Methods
In this discipline, focus is on the core subject areas that are expected to provide students with a solid grounding in the study of Political Science.
II - Postgraduate level
The department launched its 2-year MA programme in 1992 in Telugu medium. The students, however, are given the option to write the course examinations in English medium as well.
The MA programme comprising altogether 10 courses in two years, were structured to include hard core essentials of Political Science and related inter-disciplinary fields of social relevance as well. Two courses with new perspectives, alongside the traditional courses, courses such as ‘Governance’ and ‘Social Movements in India’, were started during the revision year in 2010.
The MA First year comprises of 5 courses: Course-I: Western Political Thought, Course-II: Indian Political System, Course-III: Public policy, Course-IV: Indian Political Thought, Course-V: International Relations.
The MA Final year courses include: Course-VI: Comparative Politics; Course-VII: Political Sociology, Course-VIII: State Politics in India, Course-IX: Social Movements in India, Course-X: Governance.  The Self-learning materials (SLMs of PG courses, are offered in Telugu medium only. The courses were restructured and revised during 2009-10.
III - Research Programmes
The research programmes leading to M.Phil/Ph.D degrees were launched in 2008 with 12 scholars some of whom are working professionals. Research scholars’ enrollment for PhD and M.Phil were undertaken during 2010, 2019, and presently 2020 batch. Till date, two scholars have been awarded Ph.D degrees. The research studies by scholars enrolled in the department include varied segments of enquiry related to Indian politics and society.
IV- PG Diploma Programme
The Department also undertakes the PG Diploma in Human Rights (in Telugu medium) offered by the University. Dr. Gunti Ravinder, Head, Department of Political Science  is currently Coordinator of the Programme.
Teaching – Learning Process 
The Department uses multi-media approach in course delivery, that is, through print (SLMs), audio (radio lessons broadcasted on AIR Hyderabad ’A’), video (tele-lessons telecast on DD - Yadagiri, T-Sat and Gyan Darshan) and live teleconferencing programmes in DD-Yadagiri exclusively on Sundays. The Department uses modern educational technologies as well as ICTs in devising the learning programmes. The Audio-Video lessons are available on the BRAOU YouTube channel.
The teacher-learners interactions happen through the face-to-face counseling classes at study centers and through the use of assignments, at PG level.
Blog and Gmail
The Department has a Gmail account for the purpose of communication with id: dpsbraou@gmail.com .The department also started a Blog for the purpose of interactivity and as a discussion platform to reach out to the learners online. The URL link is: http://politicsdeptbraou.blogspot.in/.  They can post their FAQs and feed-back/responses in this blog to reach out to us. We shall also be posting information relating to the subject or assignments and any such matter which is in the larger interests of the learner.
 
2.  Faculty
The Department came into being with Prof. M. Satyanarayana Rao (as Head of the Department) and Dr. T.S. Mohana who were the faculty members during the initial years.
Prof. M. Satyanarayana, the founder Head of the department was a distinguished academic and has published several books on the subject. Notable among his books are: Scientific Services (in Telugu). Dr. T.S.Mohana was HoD for almost two decades and she has the credit of being the Associate Editor of SLMs of UG in both English and Telugu medium.
The present teaching faculty is Dr. Gunti Ravinder, Professor and Head of Department and Dr.G. Lakshmi is an Associate Professor. Their areas of interests include Public Policy (Tribal Studies and Human Rights) and International Studies, e-Learning, respectively.
Dr Gunti Ravinder, Head, Professor of Political Science, serving the department since 2002 to till date, he has coordinated 20 courses and edited 3 courses, developed 55 lessons/units. He has also produced 20 audio/video lessons and participated in 30 teleconferencing sessions. He has published 27 articles in several books/journals and papers presented in International Seminar in Poland and Australia. He has guided one PhD student, member of various renowned academic bodies. 
Research Projects 
Dr. Gunti Ravinder was a recipient of a Minor Research Project of the UGC, New Delhi, on the topic, “Review of Land Transfer Regulations in Historical Perspective: A Case Study of Tribal villages in Warangal and Khammam districts of Andhra Pradesh”, in 2011, which was successfully completed. He runs a quarterly journal in Telugu ‘Aadivasi Gontuka’, which publishes articles related to tribal studies. He associates with civil liberties and tribal groups.Dr. G.Lakshmi was a recipient of a Minor Research Project of the UGC, New Delhi on the topic “Peace, Disarmament and Gender Perspectives in South Asia”, in 2010, which was successfully completed. She has done PG Diploma in e-Learning (PGDeL), offered by STRIDE, IGNOU, New Delhi, as a university nominee. She was a recipient of scholarship of CEMCA, New Delhi, for doing the programme. She reaches out to the learners through her own YouTube Channel; and Research Gate:https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Gade-Lakshmi/, and Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=tqGa7ewAAAAJ&hl=en., wherein her publications (articles) are read and cited by researchers.
      The faulty has also done several audio-video lessons as part of teaching learning process, pertaining to UG & PG courses of the university. The faculty has published its research books and articles in referred national journals and UGC-CARE listed journals. The Department members have been part of academic committees, Board of Studies of degree colleges and universities in Hyderabad and Telangana. They have also served as referees of articles of periodicals both India and abroad. They have also been Adjudicator for M.Phil dissertations of Osmania University and External Examiners for Ph.D evaluation of other universities in Telangana.
    The department is proud to state that Political Science UG & PG SLMs, particularly the Telugu medium books are widely used by aspirants of Civil Services of TSPSC, APPSC and UPSC. The SLMs are rated as high-standard by all the individuals who prepare for various competitive examinations. The Audio-Video lessons prepared by faculty which are uploaded in the YouTube channel of the university are equally rated high with thousands of views across the cloud.
 
3.  Alumni Prospects
A large number of students who obtained degrees from this department have been able to secure good jobs through the recruitment and/promotions as lecturers in government degree colleges and
junior colleges, as well. Some State-level politicians also took degree from this department. Dr. Md. Ghouse, who obtained PhD from the department, is presently the Director of Urdu Academy of Telangana.
 
4.  Recent Initiatives and Plans
The Department of Political Science has proposed to start master’s programme in International Relations, a premium programme exclusively in English medium. The preparatory work in form of curriculum development was done under the guidance of Prof. G. Ram Reddy, former Director of UGC-HRDC Osmania University, Hyderabad; Prof. M. Channa Basavaiah, former Honorary Director, ICCSR-SRC.
As a part of the preparatory work of the programme, the Department organised a guest lecture entitled, “Emergence of Global and International Studies as a new Discipline” in the e-Classroom, STML Building at Dr. BRAOU campus on 19 June, 2017, a part of preparatory exercise towards launching of the new PG programme -- M.A. in International Relations in the near future. Prof. Manoranjan Mohanty, retired Professor of Political Science, Delhi University and Vice-President, Council for Social Development, New Delhi was the Guest Speaker for the lecture.
The Department has very recently started Online Classes for UG Semester courses on Zoom platform, in view of COVID-19 pandemic. The department would undertake PG course revision work in next year, in both English and Telugu medium, as per university guidelines.
The department plans to create an OER repository for Political Science and a portal in the university website of all recorded SLMs, audio–video lessons, guest lectures and other activities of the department over the years. 
 
5.  Extension Activities
The Department of Political Science has been in the forefront in undertaking activities for a social cause and has contributed financial aid to various sections of society.
The Department has mobilized and raised funds from various sources amounting to one lakh rupees towards contributing and helping the hapless families of cotton-growing farmers who have committed suicide during the last decade.
For Further Details
HEAD, Department of Political science
Faculty of Social Science
Academic Branch
Dr.B.R.Ambedkar Open University
G.Ram Reddy Marg, Jubilee Hills
HYDERABAD, Telangana, 500033
040-23680472