BPSC 105 key facts for the June 2026 solved paper
- Course code: BPSC 105
- Subject: Introduction to Comparative Government and Politics
- Programme: Bachelor of Arts (Honours) Political Science (BAPSH); also offered in BAFPS
- Credits: 6 (core course)
- Semester: Semester 3 (second year)
- Blocks and units: 3 blocks, 12 units
- Maximum marks: 100 (term-end exam carries 70% weightage, assignments 30%)
- Duration: 3 hours
- Questions in the June 2026 paper: 10 (Section A: 5, Section B: 5; attempt any 5)
- Solved samples on this page: 2 (Q1 and Q2)
- Questions in the paid file: All 10 answered; 8 of them are not shown on this page
What the BPSC 105 Solved Question Paper June 2026 covers
BPSC 105 Solved Question Paper June 2026 gives complete answers to all 10 questions IGNOU set in the June 2026 term-end exam for Introduction to Comparative Government and Politics.
BPSC 105 Introduction to Comparative Government and Politics is a 6-credit core course in IGNOU's Bachelor of Arts (Honours) Political Science (BAPSH), where you learn how political systems are compared, from the systems approach to the Communist Party of China.
The June 2026 paper is the first BPSC 105 paper in recent sessions to carry 10 questions instead of 8. Section A sticks to theory: method, approaches, capitalism, decolonisation. Section B moves to country cases: Brazil, Nigeria, China and the UK Parliament.
If you are revising the whole programme, our BAPSH Question Paper collection covers the other honours courses in the same format, so your revision style stays the same across papers.
BPSC 105 sample answers: two solved, eight listed
Two questions from the IGNOU BPSC 105 Question Paper of June 2026 are fully solved below; the remaining eight are listed exactly as printed and answered only in the full file.
Both samples come from Section A and run to about 400 words, the length the paper asks for. Read them to judge our depth and structure before you ask for the full file.
Q1. Briefly explain the features that determine the nature and scope of comparative politics.
Introduction
Comparative politics is the branch of political science that studies governments, institutions and political processes across countries in order to find similarities and differences and explain them. Its nature and scope have never been fixed. They have changed with three things: what is being compared, who is comparing, and how the comparison is made.
1. The subject matter being compared
The earliest comparisons were of constitutions. Aristotle is said to have studied 158 Greek constitutions and classified governments by the number of rulers and whether they ruled for the common good. Till the early twentieth century, scholars such as James Bryce in Modern Democracies (1921) compared mainly the formal institutions of Western Europe and the United States.
After the Second World War, decolonisation produced dozens of new states in Asia and Africa. The subject matter widened to include them, and also informal structures such as political parties, pressure groups, elites and political culture.
2. The vantage point of the observer
The concerns of those doing the comparing shape the field. During the Cold War, Western scholars studied new nations through modernisation theory, treating the Western path as the model. This Eurocentric view was challenged by dependency and world-systems writers, many from Latin America, who brought colonial exploitation, unequal exchange and class into comparative analysis.
3. Methods and tools of analysis
The early field was descriptive, historical and legal. The behavioural movement of the 1950s and 1960s pushed for empirical, value-neutral and measurable study. David Easton's The Political System (1953) introduced systems analysis, and Gabriel Almond developed the structural-functional approach. Later, post-behaviouralism, new institutionalism and political economy approaches widened the toolkit again.
4. The purpose of comparison
Comparison is used to explain, to generalise, to test hypotheses and to learn practical lessons, for example about federal design or electoral systems. The questions a scholar wants answered decide which countries and variables fall within the scope of study.
5. The changing world context
The end of the Cold War, the collapse of the Soviet Union and globalisation since the 1990s extended the scope further. Transnational actors, global markets and waves of democratisation now shape domestic politics, so they are also part of comparative study.
Conclusion
The nature of comparative politics is empirical, method-centred and interdisciplinary, and it has grown from comparative government, which looked at formal institutions, into the wider study of comparative politics. Its scope keeps expanding because the subject matter, the observer's standpoint, the methods and the world itself keep changing.
Q2. Explain the significance of comparative method for studying politics.
Introduction
The comparative method is the systematic study of two or more political units to identify similarities and differences and to explain them. Arend Lijphart, in his 1971 article "Comparative Politics and the Comparative Method", placed it alongside the experimental and statistical methods as a basic way of testing relationships between variables, especially when there are few cases and many variables.
Significance of the comparative method
1. It moves study from description to explanation. Describing one country tells us what happened there. Comparing several lets us ask why democracy survived in one state and collapsed in another, and build general explanations.
2. It works as a substitute for the experiment. Political scientists cannot run controlled experiments on whole countries. Comparison gives a form of control. J.S. Mill, in A System of Logic (1843), set out the method of agreement and the method of difference. Adam Przeworski and Henry Teune (1970) later developed these into the "most similar" and "most different" systems designs.
3. It tests hypotheses and avoids false generalisation. A claim drawn from one country may be an accident of its history. Testing it across cases shows whether it holds more widely.
4. It helps classification. From Aristotle's typology of constitutions to modern classifications of regimes and party systems, comparison sorts political systems into meaningful types.
5. It reduces ethnocentrism. Studying other systems helps us see that our own institutions are not the only normal arrangement, and helps us understand our own country better.
6. It supports prediction and policy learning. Governments learn from the experience of others when designing federal structures, electoral systems or welfare schemes.
Strategies of comparison
Comparison can be made across many countries using statistical data, across a few carefully chosen countries, or through a single-country case study placed in a comparative frame. Each strategy trades breadth for depth.
Limitations
The method faces the problem of many variables and few cases, selection bias, and uneven data. Giovanni Sartori warned in 1970 against "concept stretching", where terms are loosened so much to fit new cases that they lose meaning.
Conclusion
Despite these limits, the comparative method is central to political science. It gives the discipline a way to generalise, test theories and draw lessons, which is why it remains the defining tool of comparative politics.
Questions answered only in the full file
- Explain the changing nature of capitalism and democracy in contemporary times.
- Describe the political economy approach and its relevance for the study of comparative politics.
- Explain the Anti-colonial struggles and decolonisation after the Second World War.
- Describe the concept of dependency.
- Explain the working of Federalism in Brazil and Nigeria.
- Discuss the rise of Communist Party in China.
- Explain the major limitations/challenges to the legislative authority of UK parliament.
- Write short notes on the following in about 200 words each : (a) Single party system in socialist states (b) State in the developing world
BPSC 105 Introduction to Comparative Government and Politics block and unit map
BPSC 105 has 3 blocks and 12 units, and the June 2026 paper drew questions from 10 of those 12 units.
The table lists each unit with the topics that make it different from its neighbours, and which June 2026 question it feeds. Unit titles follow the official IGNOU course material; you can read Block 1 on eGyanKosh.
| Block | Unit | Key topics | June 2026 link |
|---|---|---|---|
| Block 1: Understanding Comparative Politics | 1. Nature, Scope and Utility of Comparative Study of Politics | Comparative government versus comparative politics; evolution after 1945; critique of Eurocentrism | Q1 (solved here) |
| 2. Comparative Method and Strategies of Comparison | Mill's methods; many-country, few-country and case study strategies | Q2 (solved here) | |
| 3. Institutional Approach | Formal-legal study of constitutions; old and new institutionalism | Not set in June 2026; last asked June 2025 | |
| 4. Systems Approach | Easton's input-output model; Almond's structural-functional analysis | Not set in June 2026; last asked June 2025 | |
| 5. Political Economy Approach | Marxist roots; class and production relations; world-systems view | Q4 | |
| Block 2: Context of Modern Government | 6. Capitalism and the Idea of Liberal Democracy | Stages of capitalist growth; features of liberal democracy | Q3 |
| 7. Socialism and the Working of the Socialist State | Scientific socialism; working of socialist states and their challenges | Q10(a) | |
| 8. Decolonization and the State in the Developing World | Forms of colonialism; national movements; nature of the post-colonial state | Q5 and Q10(b) | |
| Block 3: Themes for Comparative Analysis | 9. Parliamentary Supremacy and Rule of Law in UK | Dicey's doctrine; Commons and Lords; rule of law in an unwritten constitution | Q9 |
| 10. Dependency and Development in Brazil | Latin American dependency school; Brazil's development strategies | Q6 | |
| 11. Comparative Perspective on Federalism: Brazil and Nigeria | Brazil's 1988 federal design; Nigeria's state structure | Q7 | |
| 12. Role of Communist Party in China | Founding in 1921; party-state structure; party and the army | Q8 |
Students who want unit-wise notes alongside this paper can pair it with our BPSC 105 Study Material, which follows the same 12-unit order.
How the BPSC 105 Question Paper is set: sections, choice and marks
The June 2026 BPSC 105 Question Paper has two sections of five questions each; you attempt five, at least two from each section, and every question carries 20 marks.
| Part | Questions | Answer length | Marks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Section A (theory, approaches, context) | Q1 to Q5 | About 400 words each | 20 per question |
| Section B (country cases and concepts) | Q6 to Q9 | About 400 words each | 20 per question |
| Section B short notes | Q10 (a) and (b) | About 200 words per note | 20 for the pair |
| Total you write | 5 of 10 | About 2,000 words | 100 |
The bigger change is choice. Every BPSC 105 paper from June 2023 to December 2025 had 8 questions, often with two short notes packed into one question. June 2026 has 10, with only one short-note question, so you get more single-topic essays to pick from.
To see how the older 8-question papers looked, browse our IGNOU Previous Year Question Paper section and compare the sections side by side.
Comparative politics topics that keep returning in BPSC 105
Three BPSC 105 topics, the UK Parliament, the Communist Party of China and the socialist state, appeared in all six official papers we checked.
We read six official IGNOU papers: June 2023, December 2023, June 2024, June 2025, December 2025 and June 2026. The December 2024 paper sits on the IGNOU site only as a scanned image we could not read, so it is not counted.
| Topic | Sessions where it appeared | Count (of 6) | June 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| UK Parliament and parliamentary supremacy | Jun 23, Dec 23, Jun 24, Jun 25, Dec 25, Jun 26 | 6 | Q9 |
| Communist Party of China | Jun 23, Dec 23, Jun 24, Jun 25, Dec 25, Jun 26 | 6 | Q8 |
| Socialism and the socialist state | Jun 23, Dec 23, Jun 24, Jun 25, Dec 25, Jun 26 | 6 | Q10(a) |
| Comparative method and case study | Jun 23, Dec 23, Jun 25, Dec 25, Jun 26 | 5 | Q2 |
| Federalism in Brazil and Nigeria | Jun 23, Dec 23, Jun 24, Dec 25, Jun 26 | 5 | Q7 |
| Dependency and development | Dec 23, Jun 24, Jun 25, Dec 25, Jun 26 | 5 | Q6 |
| Nature, scope and evolution of comparative politics | Jun 24, Jun 25, Dec 25, Jun 26 | 4 | Q1 |
| Capitalism and liberal democracy | Dec 23, Jun 24, Jun 25, Jun 26 | 4 | Q3 |
| Decolonisation | Jun 24, Jun 25, Dec 25, Jun 26 | 4 | Q5 |
| Institutional approach | Dec 23, Jun 24, Jun 25 | 3 | Not set |
| Systems and structural-functional approach | Jun 23, Dec 23, Jun 25 | 3 | Not set |
| Political economy approach | Jun 24, Jun 26 | 2 | Q4 |
| State in the developing world | Dec 23, Jun 26 | 2 | Q10(b) |
The pattern is clear: Block 3 case studies repeat almost every session, while the institutional and systems approaches skipped June 2026 and are due a return. For a ranked list ahead of the next exam, see our IGNOU Important Questions page.
How our BPSC 105 answers are drafted and reviewed
Every BPSC 105 answer is written to the printed word limit, built from the 12 IGNOU units, and checked by a second political science reviewer before it goes into the file.
Our writer starts from the unit the question comes from, then adds the scholars and dates examiners look for in comparative politics: Easton for systems analysis, Mill and Lijphart for the comparative method, Dicey for parliamentary supremacy.
Each answer follows the shape IGNOU expects for a 20-mark question: a short introduction, numbered points with headings, and a conclusion. Country-case answers on Brazil, Nigeria, China and the UK are written with specific constitutional and historical facts, not general statements.
Sheetal Kirola then reviews every answer for factual accuracy and length. Answers are in simple English so that students who think in Hindi can still follow and reproduce them in the exam.
BPSC 105 solved file index: every June 2026 question mapped to its unit
The full BPSC 105 file answers all 10 June 2026 questions; 2 are on this page and 8 are in the full file only.
| Q | Topic | Section | Course unit | Where to find it |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nature and scope of comparative politics | A | Unit 1 | On this page |
| 2 | Significance of comparative method | A | Unit 2 | On this page |
| 3 | Capitalism and democracy today | A | Unit 6 | Full file only |
| 4 | Political economy approach | A | Unit 5 | Full file only |
| 5 | Anti-colonial struggles and decolonisation | A | Unit 8 | Full file only |
| 6 | Concept of dependency | B | Unit 10 | Full file only |
| 7 | Federalism in Brazil and Nigeria | B | Unit 11 | Full file only |
| 8 | Rise of the Communist Party in China | B | Unit 12 | Full file only |
| 9 | Limits on UK parliamentary authority | B | Unit 9 | Full file only |
| 10 | Short notes: single party system; state in the developing world | B | Units 7 and 8 | Full file only |
Programmes that study BPSC 105 Comparative Government and Politics
BPSC 105 is a core course in IGNOU's BA (Honours) Political Science and is also taught in the four-year BA Political Science programme.
In the Bachelor of Arts (Honours) Political Science (BAPSH), BPSC 105 is a 6-credit core course, and the June 2026 paper itself is printed for BAPSH students.
IGNOU's 2025-26 assignment booklet also lists BPSC 105 under the Bachelor of Arts (Political Science) programme, BAFPS. Both programmes sit the same term-end paper, so this solved file works for either.
Get the complete BPSC 105 Solved Question Paper on WhatsApp
Send a WhatsApp message to 9899436384 with the code BPSC 105 and we will share the full June 2026 file with all 10 answers.
You get the two answers shown above plus the eight that are not on this page, including the Brazil and Nigeria federalism answer and both Q10 short notes, as one PDF you can read on your phone.
The IGNOU BPSC 105 Solved Question Paper is useful whether you are retaking the course in December 2026 or preparing for the first time, because the Block 3 country topics repeat almost every session.
BPSC 105 Comparative Government and Politics FAQs
These seven answers cover the BPSC 105 June 2026 paper pattern, repeated topics, the course structure and how to get the full solved file.
How many questions are there in the BPSC 105 June 2026 question paper?
The BPSC 105 June 2026 paper has 10 questions split into two sections of five each. You must answer five questions in all, with at least two from each section. Every question carries 20 marks and needs about 400 words, except Q10, which asks for two short notes of about 200 words each. The total is 100 marks for a 3-hour exam.
How do I get the full BPSC 105 solved paper on WhatsApp?
Message us on WhatsApp at 9899436384 and mention the code BPSC 105 with the June 2026 session. We will share the complete solved file, which answers all 10 questions in the paper. Two of those answers are shown on this page as samples, and the remaining eight, including both Q10 short notes, are available only in the full file we send you.
Which BPSC 105 topics are repeated most often in IGNOU exams?
Across six official BPSC 105 papers from June 2023 to June 2026, three topics appeared every time: the UK Parliament and parliamentary supremacy, the Communist Party of China, and socialism and the socialist state. Federalism in Brazil and Nigeria, dependency, and the comparative method each appeared five times. Preparing these well covers a large share of any BPSC 105 paper.
Are the BPSC 105 Comparative Government and Politics answers written to the IGNOU word limit?
Yes. Each long answer in the BPSC 105 file is written to about 400 words, matching the instruction printed on the June 2026 paper, and each Q10 short note is about 200 words. Answers use an introduction, numbered points and a conclusion, so you can practise the exact length and structure examiners expect for a 20-mark comparative politics question.
How many blocks and units does BPSC 105 have?
BPSC 105 has 3 blocks and 12 units. Block 1 covers the nature of comparative politics and its approaches, Block 2 covers capitalism, socialism and decolonisation, and Block 3 covers country themes: the UK Parliament, Brazil, federalism in Brazil and Nigeria, and the Communist Party of China. The June 2026 paper drew questions from 10 of these 12 units.
Is the BPSC 105 June 2026 paper different from earlier papers?
Yes, mainly in choice. Every BPSC 105 paper from June 2023 to December 2025 had 8 questions, often with two short-note questions. The June 2026 paper has 10 questions with only one short-note question, so students get more full essay options. The topics themselves stayed close to earlier sessions, with Block 3 country cases appearing again.
Which programmes have BPSC 105 Introduction to Comparative Government and Politics?
BPSC 105 is a 6-credit core course in IGNOU's Bachelor of Arts (Honours) Political Science, coded BAPSH, and the June 2026 paper is printed for BAPSH. IGNOU's 2025-26 assignment booklet also lists it for the Bachelor of Arts (Political Science) programme, BAFPS. Students of both programmes write the same term-end paper, so the same solved file works for both.