The Class 12 Political Science book Contemporary World Politics is the first of the two NCERT Political Science textbooks for Class 12. It runs seven chapters across 114 printed pages. Every chapter’s official NCERT PDF is linked on this page, pointed at the current NCERT edition on ncert.nic.in.
This page adds what the PDF alone does not: what each chapter actually teaches, the section headings the book itself prints, and where the exercise load concentrates. One number sets the pattern — Chapter 4, International Organisations, holds 22 of the book’s 81 questions. Use the chapter table below to jump straight to any chapter.
Official NCERT PDFs for every chapter
The table below links all seven chapters of Contemporary World Politics. These are NCERT’s own files, hosted on ncert.nic.in — the official portal that publishes this textbook and its PDFs.
Each link opens a chapter’s official PDF directly. If you want to sample the book before committing to it, Chapter 1, The End of Bipolarity, is the file at ncert.nic.in/textbook/pdf/leps101.pdf — one of the shortest chapters and a natural place to start reading.
| Ch. | Chapter | Pages | Official PDF |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The End of Bipolarity | 14 | |
| 2 | Contemporary Social and Economic Centres of Power | 14 | |
| 3 | Contemporary South Asia | 16 | |
| 4 | International Organisations | 18 | |
| 5 | Security in the Contemporary World | 18 | |
| 6 | Environment and Natural Resources | 18 | |
| 7 | Globalisation | 16 |
Class 12 Polity NCERT PDF: the Contemporary World Politics book at a glance
The headline numbers for this NCERT textbook, straight from the official edition:
- 7 chapters, from The End of Bipolarity to Globalisation
- 7 official NCERT PDFs, each linked in the table above
- 114 printed pages in the official edition
- 81 exercise questions across the book
- A study page per chapter, shown in the table above — ready chapters open as links
These figures describe the NCERT textbook listed on this page, not the full CBSE subject scheme — the scheme also includes the second Class 12 Political Science volume and other subjects.
The 7 chapters of the Class 12 Political Science Book Contemporary World, explained
The table below lists every chapter with its counts, so you can see the book’s weight before you open it. A section means one of NCERT’s own numbered section headings — this book prints its headings without numbering, so that column reads 0.
The chapter notes below list the headings exactly as the book names them. A question means an end-of-chapter exercise, and the book’s exercises total 81. The activities column is 0 throughout — this book drives its work through the end-of-chapter questions.
The book also teaches through boxed stories and short pulled-out texts: Bollywood Stirs Uzbek Passions in Chapter 1, the Chinese bicycle in Chapter 2, Sacred Groves in India and Everyone Is Playing Crude! in Chapter 6, and the World Social Forum box that opens Chapter 7.
| Ch. | Chapter | Sections | Activities | Figures | Questions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The End of Bipolarity | — | — | — | 6 |
| 2 | Contemporary Social and Economic Centres of Power | — | — | — | 14 |
| 3 | Contemporary South Asia | — | — | — | 9 |
| 4 | International Organisations | — | — | — | 22 |
| 5 | Security in the Contemporary World | — | — | — | 12 |
| 6 | Environment and Natural Resources | — | — | — | 9 |
| 7 | Globalisation | — | — | — | 9 |
Chapter 1: The End of Bipolarity (pp. 1-14)
Chapter 1 opens the collapse of the Soviet Union and follows what came after — the disintegration of the Soviet Union, shock therapy in post-communist regimes, and what the end of bipolarity meant for India and the world.
- Leaders of the Soviet Union
- Gorbachev and the Disintegration
- Timeline of Disintegration of the Soviet Union
- Consequences of Disintegration
- Shock Therapy in Post-Communist Regimes
- Consequences of Shock Therapy
- Tensions and Conflicts
- India and Post-Communist Countries
- Bollywood Stirs Uzbek Passions
- Flashback: India and the USSR
The chapter ends with 6 questions, the lightest exercise load in the book.
Chapter 2: Contemporary Social and Economic Centres of Power (pp. 15-28)
Chapter 2 maps the powers that rose after the Cold War — the European Union, ASEAN, the rise of the Chinese economy and South Korea as the new centres of social and economic power.
- European Union
- Timeline of European Integration
- Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN)
- Map of East Asia and Pacific
- The Rise of the Chinese Economy
- Chinese bicycle
- India – China Relations
- Let’s Do It Together
- Ideas for the Teacher
- South Korea
It carries 14 questions in 14 pages — well above the book’s average of 81 questions across 114 pages, and the second-heaviest question load of the seven chapters.
Chapter 3: Contemporary South Asia (pp. 29-44)
Chapter 3 turns to India’s neighbourhood, where democracy’s uneven record in Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka sits beside the conflicts and cooperation that shape the region.
- Timeline of South Asia Since 1947
- The Military and Democracy in Pakistan
- Democracy in Bangladesh
- Monarchy and Democracy in Nepal
- Ethnic Conflict and Democracy in Sri Lanka
- India-Pakistan Conflicts
- Indo-Pak Relations
- India and Its Other Neighbours
- Let’s Do It Together
- Ideas for the Teacher
It closes with 9 questions over 16 pages, anchored by the region’s timeline since 1947.
Chapter 4: International Organisations (pp. 45-62)
Chapter 4 explains how the United Nations was founded, how its organs, programmes and funds are organised, and why Security Council reform stays a live argument — the chapter to read for any UN-system question.
- Founding of the United Nations
- Evolution of the UN
- The United Nations System
- Subsidiary Bodies
- Related Organisation
- Programmes and Funds
- Functional Commissions
- Regional Commissions
- Security Council
- Research and Training Institutes
With 22 questions — more than a quarter of the book’s 81 — this chapter needs the most practice time of any in the volume.
Chapter 5: Security in the Contemporary World (pp. 63-80)
Chapter 5 separates traditional (military) and non-traditional security, adds new sources of threat such as refugees, and ends with India’s security strategy.
- Taming Peace
- Traditional Notions: External
- Economy of war
- Traditional Notions: Internal
- Traditional Security And Cooperation
- Non-Traditional Notions
- New Sources Of Threats
- Refugees in the world (2017)
- Cooperative Security
- India’s Security Strategy
It carries 12 questions across 18 pages.
Chapter 6: Environment and Natural Resources (pp. 81-98)
Chapter 6 treats the environment as international politics — the global commons, common but differentiated responsibilities, resource geopolitics and indigenous peoples’ rights.
- Environmental Concerns
- The Protection Of Global Commons
- Common But Differentiated Responsibilities
- Common Property Resources
- India’s Stand On Environmental Issues
- Sacred Groves In India
- Resource Geopolitics
- Everyone Is Playing Crude!
- The Indigenous Peoples And Their Rights
- Spoonful of Ecology
It holds 9 questions over its 18 pages.
Chapter 7: Globalisation (pp. 99-114)
Chapter 7 defines globalisation, its causes, its political, economic and cultural consequences, and India’s experience of and resistance to it.
- World Social Forum: AN OPEN SPACE!
- The Concept Of Globalisation
- Causes Of Globalisation
- Political Consequences
- Economic Consequences
- Cultural Consequences
- India And Globalisation
- Resistance To Globalisation
- Let’s Do It Together
- Ideas for the Teacher
It ends with 9 questions — among the lighter closing chapters in the book.
Chapter study pages
Each chapter has, or will have, its own study page that teaches the chapter’s concepts in full. Open the chapter you are revising and the page below gives you the deeper version.
| Ch. | Chapter page |
|---|---|
| 1 | The End of Bipolarity (coming soon) |
| 2 | Contemporary Social and Economic Centres of Power (coming soon) |
| 3 | Contemporary South Asia (coming soon) |
| 4 | International Organisations (coming soon) |
| 5 | Security in the Contemporary World (coming soon) |
| 6 | Environment and Natural Resources (coming soon) |
| 7 | Globalisation (coming soon) |
Which Class 12 Political Science NCERT book do you need?
Class 12 Political Science is taught from two NCERT textbooks, and it is easy to land on the wrong one. This page lists the first volume, Contemporary World Politics, which covers world politics in seven chapters.
The companion volume, Politics in India Since Independence, is a separate NCERT textbook and is not listed on this page. If you need Indian politics material, that is the other book. Check the cover title before you download, or browse all Class 12 NCERT books to find both volumes together.
How to use the Pol Science Class 12 NCERT book for revision
This order is built for the book’s actual shape — light chapters first, the heavy chapter in the middle, and the discussion chapters last.
The order to read the chapters in
- Chapter 1, The End of Bipolarity — it sets up the post-Cold War world and is the quickest read: 14 pages and only 6 questions.
- Chapter 3, Contemporary South Asia — India’s neighbourhood gives a familiar anchor before the heavy institutional chapters.
- Chapter 4, International Organisations — the heaviest chapter, with 22 of the book’s 81 questions; give it the most practice time.
- Chapters 5, 6 and 7 — Security, Environment, Globalisation — discussion-heavy and best read as a block.
- Chapter 2, Contemporary Social and Economic Centres of Power — save it for a fresh read; 14 questions in 14 pages is dense.
Notice the spread: the two shortest chapters, The End of Bipolarity (14 pages, 6 questions) and Globalisation (16 pages, 9 questions), together carry only 15 of the book’s 81 questions — while the three 18-page chapters, International Organisations, Security in the Contemporary World and Environment and Natural Resources, together hold 43 of the 81.
Three study blocks that group the chapters
| Revision block | Chapters | What ties them together |
|---|---|---|
| Block A — The post-Cold War world | Ch 1 + Ch 2 | Who holds power after the Soviet collapse |
| Block B — Region and institutions | Ch 3 + Ch 4 | India’s neighbourhood and the UN system |
| Block C — Contemporary challenges | Ch 5 + Ch 6 + Ch 7 | Security, environment and globalisation |
Planning mistakes that cost time
| Mistake | Correct rule | How to check your answer |
|---|---|---|
| Assuming all 7 chapters carry equal question weight | Chapter 4 alone holds 22 of the 81 questions — more than a quarter | Count the question blocks at the end of Chapter 4 (pp. 45-62) |
| Treating every 14-page chapter as a quick read | Chapter 2 packs 14 questions into 14 pages, well above the book’s average density | Compare each chapter’s question count with the book total of 81 |
| Confusing this book with the Indian politics volume | Contemporary World Politics covers world politics only | Read the chapter list — no chapter here covers Indian domestic politics |
One caveat before you plan: textbook contents and the examinable syllabus are not always identical. Check the current official CBSE syllabus before you decide what to skip.
Related resources
This listing is maintained for the 2026-27 academic session using the NCERT textbook information available to us. NCERT remains the authority for confirming the latest edition.
This page lists one volume of a larger shelf. Browse all Class 12 NCERT books to find the other Political Science volume and every other Class 12 subject, or go up to the full NCERT book directory to search Classes 9 to 12 by subject.
Sources and data verification
The textbook described here is the NCERT Class 12 Political Science textbook Contemporary World Politics, official edition hosted on ncert.nic.in. The chapter and section titles listed on this page are quoted from that textbook.
This page covers only the 7 chapters of Contemporary World Politics. The companion Class 12 Political Science volume is a separate NCERT textbook and is not listed here.
This listing is maintained against the current NCERT edition on ncert.nic.in, which is the source of the chapter files and page references.
NCERT settles the textbook’s content, editions and official PDFs; CBSE settles the curriculum and syllabus. Neither authority has reviewed this page.
Common questions about the Contemporary World Politics book
How many chapters are in the Class 12 Political Science Contemporary World Politics book?
Seven, running from page 1 to page 114: The End of Bipolarity; Contemporary Social and Economic Centres of Power; Contemporary South Asia; International Organisations; Security in the Contemporary World; Environment and Natural Resources; and Globalisation. Each chapter has its own official PDF linked in the table above.
Is the Contemporary World Politics PDF free and official?
Yes. The links above are NCERT’s own files, hosted on ncert.nic.in, and they are free to download without a login.
Which chapter covers the United Nations and its agencies?
Chapter 4, International Organisations (pp. 45-62), covers the UN’s founding, its system, its programmes and funds, and the Security Council. It also carries 22 questions, the most in the book.
Which chapter should I read for globalisation?
Chapter 7, Globalisation (pp. 99-114), covers the concept, causes and consequences of globalisation, and India’s experience of and resistance to it.
Does the textbook include answers to its chapter questions?
No. The official PDFs print the exercise questions without an answer key, so the question counts above describe the practice load, not answer pages.
Reference: NCERT Class 12 Political Science textbook, official edition on ncert.nic.in. Section titles quoted from the textbook; page references are to the official PDF.