UGC-NET – Paper II: COMPARATIVE LITERATURE (Code: 72)
Exam Cycle: June 2026
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COURSE OVERVIEW
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Subject Name: COMPARATIVE LITERATURE
Subject Code: 72
Conducting Body: National Testing Agency (NTA)
Paper Type: Paper-II – COMPARATIVE LITERATURE
Total Marks: 200
Total Questions: 100 MCQs
Mode: Computer Based Test (CBT)
Duration: 3 Hours (Paper I + II combined)
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COMPLETE LIST OF UNITS
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Unit I: Conceptual Framework of Comparative Literature:
Unit II: Literary Historiography.
Unit III: History of Comparative Literature:
Unit IV: Translation in Comparative Context.
Unit V: Poetics and Literary Theory.
Unit VI: Indian Literature –I.
Unit VII: Indian Literature – II.
Unit VIII: Literary Modes, Genres and Themes.
Unit IX: Interdisciplinarity and Intermediality.
Unit X: Literary Dialogues.
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UNIT-WISE DETAILED SYLLABUS
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Unit I: Conceptual Framework of Comparative Literature:
Topic 1: The Emergence of Comparative Literature:
Topic 2: Difference/ Alterity and the Ethics of Plurality:
Topic 3: Limitations of the Idea of National Literature:
Topic 4: Theories of Interpretation:
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Unit II: Literary Historiography.
Topic 1: Sources of Literary History: Oral, Manuscriptal, Scriptal and Virtual:
• Oral
• Manuscriptal
• Scriptal
• Virtual
Topic 2: Approaches to Literary History: Integrationist and other models:
• Integrationist and other models
Topic 3: Problems of Periodization:
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Unit III: History of Comparative Literature:
Topic 1: History of Comparative Literature : French, German, Russian and Tel Aviv Schools:
Topic 2: Comparative Literature in India: From Tagore to the Present:
Topic 3: World Literature: From Goethe to the Present:
Topic 4: “The State of the Discipline” Reports:
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Unit IV: Translation in Comparative Context.
Topic 1: History and Politics of Translation:
Topic 2: Translation as Reception:
Topic 3: Problems and Promises of Translation in Multilingual Situations:
Topic 4: Untranslatability and Silence:
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Unit V: Poetics and Literary Theory.
Topic 1: Indian Poetics: Sanskrit and Tamil:
Topic 2: Perso-Arabic Traditions:
Topic 3: Western Classical Literary Theory:
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Unit VI: Indian Literature –I.
Topic 1: Classical – Sanskrit, Tamil, Pali and other literary traditions:
Topic 2: Medieval –Formations of Language-Literature (bhasha) Traditions in India;Bhakti, Santand Sufi Literature:
• Formations of Language-Literature (bhasha) Traditions in India
• Bhakti
• Santand Sufi Literature
Topic 3: Contact with West Asian, South-east Asian and South Asian literary traditions:
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Unit VII: Indian Literature – II.
Topic 1: Modernity as a concept:
Topic 2: Colonial Modernity: Transactions with Western Forms and Literary Traditions:
Topic 3: Modernity as Discourse: Multiple Modernisms in the Context of Various Language-Literatures:
Topic 4: Discontents of Modernity: Literatures of Women, Adivasis, Dalits, Minorities and others:
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Unit VIII: Literary Modes, Genres and Themes.
Topic 1: The “literary” as a convention:
Topic 2: Mode and Performativity: Tragedy, Epic and Novel:
• Tragedy
• Epic
• Novel
Topic 3: Genres: Theories; Taxonomy : Generic Markers and Transformations:
• Theories
• Taxonomy : Generic Markers and Transformations
Topic 4: Themes: Motifs, Myth, Archetypes:
• Motifs
• Myth
• Archetypes
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Unit IX: Interdisciplinarity and Intermediality.
Topic 1: Literature and Other Arts: Texts Across Mediums:
Topic 2: Literary Studies and Other Disciplines:
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Unit X: Literary Dialogues.
Topic 1: Intertextuality, Parody and Pastiche:
Topic 2: Re-writing in Diachronic and Synchronic Frames:
Topic 3: Adaptation, Appropriation and Assimilation:
Topic 4: [Text not readable in source]
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EXAMINATION STRUCTURE
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Paper-II: Subject Specific Examination
- Total Questions: 100
- Total Marks: 200
- Question Type: Multiple Choice Questions (MCQ)
- Negative Marking: No
- Duration: 3 Hours (Combined with Paper I)
- Mode: Computer Based Test (CBT)
Additional Notes (if any):
- No additional notes present in source.
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SYLLABUS SUMMARY
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Total Units: 10
Total Topics: 36
Subject: COMPARATIVE LITERATURE
Subject Code: 72
Exam Category: UGC-NET Paper-II
Source: Official NTA/UGC Syllabus
Status: “As per latest official syllabus”