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Topic wise Trend Analysis

General Studies Prelim 2010
By
Mrunal Patel

Nothing full-proof 100% technical correct here.

CONTENTS
History ......................................................................................................................................................................2
Science .....................................................................................................................................................................2
Subjectwise...........................................................................................................................................................3
Questionwise ........................................................................................................................................................3
Geography................................................................................................................................................................4
Broad breakup ......................................................................................................................................................4
Question wise breakup of geography ..................................................................................................................4
Polity.........................................................................................................................................................................5
India Yearbook related .............................................................................................................................................5
Economy...................................................................................................................................................................6
International agencies related..................................................................................................................................6
Mental ability............................................................................................................................................................7
Broad analysis...........................................................................................................................................................7
Mark-wise Breakup Bar chart.............................................................................................................................7
% wise breakup-Pie Chart.....................................................................................................................................7
What was not asked? ...............................................................................................................................................9
Conclusion................................................................................................................................................................9
What is safe to skip ..................................................................................................................................................9
Where to concentrate the energy? ........................................................................................................................ 10

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HISTORY
Ancient

Medieval

Modern

Total

0
Gupta Cave paintain
Bhakti Cult
Third Battle of Panipat
Buddhism's decline
Pondichery's
occupation
Karachi session 93
Bombay Menifesto
Simon Commission
Moderate vs Extremist
Bengal partion &
Swadeshi
Quit India movement
Cripps mission
Gandhi & Champaran
Lord Cornwallis

0
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
2
15

SCIENCE

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SUBJECTWISE
Physics

Biology-disease
Chemistry
Agriculture &
biotech
Space research
IT
Zoology
Total

8
3
8
3
2
3
30

QUESTIONWISE
Physics
Biology-disease

Thermal /heat concepts

Digestion process
Hepatitis

3
1
1

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Carbon monoxide in blood
Swine flue
HIV
LASIK surgery
Cyberknife
Malaria vaccine
Chemistry
Mercury Florocent lamp
Hydrogen fuel cell
Chlorination of water
Agriculture &
Seed hybrids (MON863, golden rice)
Biotech research National Food Security Mission
Pulses cultivation problem
Bluegreen alage
Jatropha
Maize for ethanol production
Nitrosomonas for oil spill
Space research
OCENSAT
Neutrinos etc
ISRO's Bhuvan
IT
Frequencies of gadgets
GSM
Zoology
Insectivore plants
King cobra nest
Evolution shark

1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
2
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
30

GEOGRAPHY
BROAD BREAKUP
Indian geography
Environment related
Total

17
12
29

QUESTION WISE BREAKUP OF GEOGRAPHY

Indian geography

Coal reserves of Gondwana

India's land use classification
Winds-rotation
Weather with out Himalaya
Latitute of Sikkim
Soil types
Tea-coffee cultivation method

1
1
1
1
1
1
1

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World map
Environment wildlife related

Pepper temprature
requirement
Forest/climat types
Minerals in India
Rivers of India
(Luni/Himachal/Lake)
Soil conservation methods
TN cotton yarns
Strait of malaca
El nino Modoki
Wild life sanctuary etc
Fresh water
Acid Rain
Taxol tree-Parkinson
Atmosphere pollution
Rice cultivation and global
warming
Greendex 2009 meaning
Global warming - limitation of
India
RAMSAR

Total

1
3
1
3
1
1
1
1
3
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
30

POLITY
Finance Commission
State finance
Commission
SC advice President
Taxes levied by union
Misc. (DPSP etc)
Total

1
1
1
1
3
7

INDIA YEARBOOK RELATED

Rehab policy 2007
Swadhar
Consumer Disputes Redressal
Lok Adalad
Suger pricing & essential
commodity
Total

1
1
1
1
1
5

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ECONOMY
SLR
1
Interest rates of Nationalized banks
1
Non banking Financial Companies(NBFC) 1
Inflation/recession-(basic concepts)
2
WPI
1
CRR
1
PSU deficit
1
PSU's share in GDP declined
1
Budget and finance ministry
1
WTO codex
2
SEZ
1
FRBM Act
1
Banking ombudsman
1
Commericial banking function
1
Rural banking financial inclusion
1
Excise duty declined in 5 years
1
Fiscal stimulus concept
1
Bulls & bears definition
1
Forward market Commission
1
Limited Liability Partnership
1
Five Year plans (11th & trend)
2
National investment fund
1
Double Taxation avoidence agreement
1
Total
26

INTERNATIONAL AGENCIES RELATED

UNTCAD-Emerging Economies

Stiglitz Commission
1
UN agency
1
BRIC nations China's power
1
SDR vs. ADR
1
UNFCC
1
IDA and IBRD
1
Sustainable Development
1
UN habitat report-urbanization
1
Child rights
1
Common wealth nations
1
EU Commission and council
1
WTO-Geo trademarking
1
WTO-Special safeguard mechanism 1
Total
14
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MENTAL ABILITY
Percentages / ratio/progression
Shapes/colors
Books or sitting arrangement
Permutation /combination/probability
Speed-circular movement
Verbal logic

5
1
4
7
5
2
24

BROAD ANALYSIS
MARK-WISE BREAKUP BAR CHART

% WISE BREAKUP-PIE CHART

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Table
History
Science
Geography
Polity
Yearbook
Economy
International
Agencies
Mental Ability
Total

15
30
30
7
4
26
14
24
150

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WHAT WAS NOT ASKED?

Ancient history
Persons in news
Awards
Sports
Total

0
0
0
0
0 !!

CONCLUSION
On the first hand, during the exam most of us found the 2010s prelim GS paper very tough, but after doing
the breakup and analysis myself, I find that this paper looked tough only because we are following a studypattern based on previous years trends (like cramming the Constitution article numbers, history, geographylocation, current affairs, sports etc.). This prelim General Studies paper is both a trend breaker and a trend
setter (for upcoming CSAT), just like the Mains GS paper of 2009.
Now its more about understanding than just blind cramming.
( These are my personal conclusions and Im not inviting anyone to debate it ;-) )
Im talking about cost benefit ratio: how much energy should you give to a topic or a book to gain each mark.

WHAT IS SAFE TO SKIP

Polity

No meaning of mugging up all those article numbers, this time it was common sense
questions.
But you must have a thorough understanding of how Constitution works.

India Yearbook

Safe to skip entire book (4 marks worth stuff, no meaning of doing Ph.D on that 1000 page
book, like we had to do 4 years back when they used to ask 20+ marks worth questions
from it.)

Ancient and
medival history
Five Year Plans
International
affairs

Safe to skip ancient and medival (No meaning of mugging up 1 million names,dates and
events for 4 marks when you can pump all energy for other easy to understand things.)
No meaning of mugging up all data for 2 marks.
1. Most stuff was from UN and its agencies since theyve direct relevance to
poverty,Development and climate change. And wasnt from the cramming part like
WHO was established in ***** year and its headquater is @ xyz place
2. Bilateral visits, international summits ignored. (magz put lot emphasis on this)
No point in cramming all those chemical formulas, periodical table, and numbers like 1
joule=how much kilowatt etc.
No cramming of all those planets, PSLV date-line etc stuff.
LIKE tonnes of film and social service awards, 500 sports events, national summits and all
those things on which the magazines put too much emphasis but who have no practical

Science
Space
Current affairs

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relevant to human life and problems of this world on macro scale.

WHERE TO CONCENTRATE THE ENERGY?

UPSC is telling you that general studies have to have relevance with day to day life.
Its more important to understand a topic than a blind cramming
1. GS becomes more relevant to practical problems of India, economy, and environment.
2. Agriculture, environment and economy gains prominence like never before
3. Very dangerous to neglect economy. And this New economy is not about numbers but understanding.
Few years back, Economy was only worth 5 marks, this time its 17+ But interestingly, it wasnt really a rocket
science or Ph.D stuff, if you put some energy, almost all questions were easy to solve.
4. Disease (HIV, Swine Flu, hepatitis, malaria) is important
5. Geography jungle, environment, and wildlife related. (not all those famous places cramming)

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