All syllabi
BCSWritten
BCS written syllabus
General and technical cadres · 235 pages
Compulsory subjects and post-related subjects for professional and technical cadres. Confirm the applicable subject code in the recruitment notice.
Published by BPSC. Collected 2026-11-14. Confirm the edition and subject against your recruitment notice before studying.
Text below is extracted for search and may contain mistakes. Use the original PDF to check marks, formulas and Bangla spelling.
BanglaEnglishBangladesh affairsInternational affairsCivil engineeringElectrical engineeringMechanical engineeringComputer science
Read the document
Page 8 of 235
Searchable text (unverified)
SYLLABUS FOR BCS (WRITTEN) EXAMINATION
8/235
INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
(COMPULSORY)
Subject Code: 007
Total Marks 100
Brief Description
International Affairs is a compulsory paper for candidates of competitive examinations under the Public
Service Commission, Bangladesh and applicable to both general and professional cadre. This paper deals
with conceptual issues and actors in the study of international affairs. It starts with a basic understanding of
international affairs, its nature and evolution. It focuses on both conceptual and empirical issues in
international affairs. Under this paper basic concepts and theories such as power, balanc e of power, realism,
liberalism/neo-liberalism, foreign policy, security, trade, and environment will be addressed. The empirical
focus of the paper is on understanding bilateral and multilateral relations, processes, functions, and politics
of regional and global institutions. The paper is divided into two sections: conceptual and empirical issues.
Objective
The paper strives to understand a basic knowledge about international affairs. It aims to examine whether
the candidates are well equipped with the key concepts, perspectives and theories for explaining global
phenomena to deal with policy matters effectively. Another purpose of the paper is to examine analytical
capacity of the candidates about global issues and events that are closely linked with domestic arena.
Proposed Distribution of Marks:
1. Short Conceptual Notes : 10 x 4 =40
2. Analytical Questions: 3 x 15 =45
3. Problem-solving question 1 x 15 =15
Section A: Conceptual Issues
Introduction to International Affairs: Significance of international affairs; meaning and scope of
international affairs; linkage between international affairs and international politics
Actors in the World: Modern state, types of state, sovereignty, non -state actors, international institutio ns,
relations between state and non-state actors
Power and Security: power, national power, balance of power, disarmament, arms control, geopolitics,
terrorism
Major Ideas and Ideologies: Nationalism, imperialism, colonialism, neo -colonialism, post -modernism,
globalization and new world order
Foreign policy and Diplomacy: concepts of foreign policy and diplomacy, decision -making process,
determinants of foreign policy, diplomatic functions, immunities, and privileges
International Economic Relations: International trade, free trade, protectionism, foreign aid, debt crisis,
foreign direct investment (FDI), financial liberalization, regionalism, regionalization, North -South gap,
global poverty, MDGs