The Security in the Contemporary World PDF is the official NCERT chapter on what security means today, from Contemporary World Politics. This page lets students download the original Chapter 5 text and figures for the 2026-27 CBSE syllabus. Reading the source chapter is the best way to understand the traditional and non-traditional notions of security and how India tries to stay secure.

  • Official NCERT chapter with the original cartoons, source boxes and tables.
  • This Class 12 Political Science chapter usually carries 5 to 6 marks in the board paper.
  • Pairs with the NCERT Solutions, Notes and Handwritten Notes linked lower on this page.

This is the official NCERT Security in the Contemporary World chapter from Contemporary World Politics, offered for free download in the 2026-27 edition.

Security in the Contemporary World NCERT Book PDF for Class 12 Political Science Chapter 5 on traditional and non-traditional security

Student Feedback: In a Collegedunia poll of 7,080 Class 12 Political Science students before the 2026 boards, 67% of students said they kept the official NCERT chapter PDF open while solving source-based questions, because the cartoons and passages come straight from the chapter itself.

Source: 2026-27 Class 12 Political Science student poll. Sample of 7,080 students from CBSE schools across 12 states.

What the Security in the Contemporary World NCERT Chapter Covers

Security in the Contemporary World is the fifth chapter of Contemporary World Politics. It asks one simple question with a wide answer: what does security really mean? At its core, security is freedom from threats to our core values, and the chapter studies it under two notions, traditional and non-traditional.

The chapter is built around three threads, which the NCERT covers in order:

  • Traditional security: military threats to the State, met with deterrence, defence, balance of power and alliances.
  • Non-traditional security: human and global security, taking in terrorism, poverty, disease and migration.
  • Cooperation and India: disarmament, arms control, CBMs and India's four-component strategy.

Reading the original NCERT text matters because the cartoons and source boxes in the class 12 political science chapter 5 pdf are exactly what CBSE quotes in source-based questions. A student who knows the chapter's own examples, such as the "Economy of war" cartoon, can answer those passages with confidence.

Chapter Highlights and Important Topics

The NCERT chapter is rich with cartoons, source boxes and tables that the exam often refers to. Knowing what each highlight covers helps students answer questions quickly. The table below lists the highlights students should study in the original chapter PDF.

HighlightWhy it matters
The two notions of securitySets out the traditional (military) and non-traditional (human) views side by side.
The four traditional toolsDeterrence, defence, balance of power and alliance building.
"Economy of war" cartoonA fighter jet built of banknotes, showing how costly military security is.
New sources of threatTerrorism, human rights, poverty, migration and epidemics.
India's security strategyThe four components India uses against both kinds of threat.

The chapter also explains cooperative security and the three forms of cooperation, disarmament, arms control and confidence building. One point students should mark while reading is that there is no world government, which is why states rely on deterrence, balance of power and alliances. That single idea from the chapter is the heart of the traditional security answer, and it appears almost every year.

Chapter highlights of Security in the Contemporary World for the Class 12 Political Science NCERT Book

Traditional and Non-Traditional Security in the Chapter

The chapter devotes whole sections to each notion of security. These sections feed the short and long answers, so reading them in the original NCERT helps students quote the right examples. The lists below show what the chapter covers under each theme.

  • Traditional, external: military threats, the three choices of a state, deterrence and defence.
  • Traditional, internal: internal security, cooperation and the rules of a "just war".
  • Balance and alliances: how states stay safe with no world government to protect them.
  • Non-traditional: human security, global security and the new sources of threat.

The chapter explains that the referent of security shifts between the two notions: the State in traditional security, and people and the planet in non-traditional security. It also gives the three forms of cooperation students need for the matching question, from disarmament to arms control and CBMs. Because these examples are drawn straight from the source chapter, the chapter 5 political science class 12 ncert book is the most reliable place to learn them.

New Threats and India's Strategy in the Chapter

The closing sections of the chapter explain the new threats and what they mean for India. These pages are the most exam-relevant for the long answer, so reading them in the original chapter helps students write balanced answers.

  • New threats: terrorism, human rights abuse, global poverty, migration and health epidemics.
  • Cooperative security: why working together often beats confrontation, and when force is still needed.
  • India's four components: military strength, global institutions, internal democracy and economic development.
  • The verdict: India has pursued both traditional and non-traditional security at once.

The chapter is clear that India's strategy bridges both notions of security: two components protect the State and two protect the people. It ends with the idea that democracy itself is a security tool, because it lets communities share power and voice grievances peacefully. Reading these closing pages in the official PDF gives students the wording NCERT itself uses, which scores best in the board paper.

How to Download and Use the NCERT Chapter PDF

The chapter PDF is free and easy to use on any device. Students can save it for offline reading and pair it with the solutions and notes. The steps below show how to get the most out of the Security in the Contemporary World PDF during revision.

  • Download: tap the download card above to save the official Chapter 5 PDF to your device.
  • First read: read the chapter once end to end, marking the source boxes and the "Economy of war" cartoon.
  • Source practice: keep the PDF open while attempting source-based questions, since the passages come from it.
  • Revision: use the chapter alongside the notes to fix the two notions of security and India's strategy.

Many students search for the class 12 political science chapter 5 pdf the night before a test so they can revise offline. A saved copy means the source boxes and cartoons are always at hand. After reading the chapter, move to the solutions to check that your answers match the model points, then use the notes for a final quick recall.

How the Book PDF Pairs with the Solutions and Notes

The NCERT Book PDF is the source text. To prepare fully, students should use it with the other resources for the same chapter, all linked in the table below. Read the chapter, fix the ideas with the notes, then test yourself with the solutions.

ResourceBest used for
Security in the Contemporary World NCERT SolutionsStep-by-step answers to all 12 back-exercise questions
Security in the Contemporary World Class 12 NotesQuick chapter summary with both notions of security and key terms in one place
Security in the Contemporary World Handwritten NotesLast-minute, one-shot revision in a scanned notebook style

Tip: read the chapter PDF first, then attempt the solutions on your own, and only then check the model answers. Reading the source text before the answers builds far stronger source-based skills.

All Class 12 Political Science NCERT Book PDFs by Chapter

The table links the NCERT chapter PDFs for every chapter in both Class 12 Political Science books, so students can move across the course in one click. Security in the Contemporary World is highlighted.

FAQs on Security in the Contemporary World NCERT Book PDF

Security in the Contemporary World Class 12 NCERT Book Common Questions

Ques. Where can I download the Security in the Contemporary World NCERT Book PDF?

Ans. You can download the official Security in the Contemporary World Class 12 Political Science chapter PDF directly from this page. It is free, follows the 2026-27 NCERT edition, and carries the original text, cartoons and source boxes of Chapter 5.

Ques. Which book is Security in the Contemporary World from?

Ans. It is the fifth chapter of Contemporary World Politics, one of the two Class 12 Political Science textbooks. The chapter studies what security means and sets out the traditional and non-traditional notions of security.

Ques. What does the Security in the Contemporary World chapter cover?

Ans. It covers the meaning of security, the traditional (military) notion with its four tools, the non-traditional notion of human and global security, the new threats like terrorism and poverty, cooperative security, and India's four-component security strategy.

Ques. Why should I read the original NCERT chapter PDF?

Ans. Because CBSE draws source-based questions straight from the chapter's own cartoons, boxes and extracts. Reading the official chapter 5 political science class 12 PDF gives you the exact wording and examples that score best in the board paper.

Ques. How should I use the chapter PDF with the other resources?

Ans. Read the chapter PDF first, fix the ideas with the notes, then test yourself with the solutions. Keeping the PDF open while practising source-based questions helps, since the cartoons and passages come directly from it.