HowToPrepareUPSCCivilServicesMainsPaperII(GS1)

insightsonindia.com/2013/07/05/howtoprepareupsccivilservicesmainspaperiigs1/

INSIGHTS

05/07/2013

Readthisbookbeforeyoubegin(Review)
HowtoprepareGS2(i.ePaperIII)
HowtoprepareGS3(i.ePaperIV)
HowtoprepareGS4(i.ePaperV)
UPSChasbroughtchangestotheCivilServicesMainsexaminationinboththepatternandthesyllabus.Weknow
thatnowthereare4GeneralStudiesPapersapartfromoneEssayandOptionalpapereach.
ThisarticlediscussespreparationstrategyforGeneralStudies1(i.ePaperII,PaperIisEssay)
Beforeyoustartreadingfurther,pleaserememberthefollowingimportantmantragivenbytheAlmightyUPSC:
Thequestionsarelikelytotestthecandidatesbasicunderstandingofallrelevantissues,andabilitytoanalyze,
andtakeaviewonconflictingsocioeconomicgoals,objectivesanddemands.Thecandidatesmustgive
relevant,meaningfulandsuccinctanswers.
Thissentenceistheguidinglightforyourpreparation.Youdonthavetomasterthetopics,allyouneedisBASIC
UNDERSTANDINGandtheabilitytoanalyze.
Basicunderstandingcomesfromreadingandrereading.Abilitytoanalyzewhatyouhaveunderstoodfromreading
comesfromWRITINGPRACTICE.
STRATEGY
GS1broadlycoversIndianHeritageandCulture,Historyand
GeographyoftheWorldandSociety.
Underthisheadingtotal12topicsandaround40subtopicsaregivenin
thesyllabus.
Twoimportantthingsfundamentaltoyourexampreparation:
Getfamiliarwithallthetopicsandsubtopicsbywritingthemmany
timestheyshouldbestronglyetchedinyourmemory.
Keepacopyofthesyllabusalwaysnearyounomatterwhereyouare.
Now,howtodealwithGS1?
AssumingyouarenowfamiliarwiththesyllabusofGS1,wewilldiscussatopicbytopicwhattoread,fromwhereto
readandwhatnottoreadforthesetopics.

(DownloadModelQuestionPapercumAnswerbookForThisGSPaper,ClickthisLink)
TOPIC1

IndianCulturewillcoverthesalientaspectsofArtforms,LiteratureandArchitecturefromancient
tomoderntimes.
Inthistopic,thesubtopicsareArtforms,Literature,Architecturefromancienttomoderntimes.Beforejumping
intoBigBooks,firstgothroughthesebeautifulbooksbyNCERTtogetaglimpseofthesubtopicstheyare
Oneindispensablesourcetoreadfirstandforemostbeforeproceedingtoanysourceis:ClassXINCERTAn
IntroductiontoIndianArt.
Oncedonewiththisbook,thenreadfollowingbooks.
1.NCERTClassVIHistoryOurPast
2.NCERTClassVIIOurPastI
3.NCERTClassVIIIOurPastIIandIII
4.NCERTClassXIIThemesInIndianHistoryI
5.NCERTClassXIIThemesinIndianHistoryII
6.NCERTClassXIIThemesInIndianHistoryIII
Holdon.Fourbooksforonetopic?No.Youhavetoreadonlyafewchaptersfromeachbookthatarerelatedto
SubTopics.Forex,youhavetoreadonlyChapters2and3fromClassXIIThemesInIndianHistoryIIbook.
Apartfromtheseyoushouldhaveareferencebookforgettingmoreinformation:
1.CCRTWebsite
2.DownloadFreeMaterialCompleteSet
3.GraphicBookOnIndianArtandCultureFreeDownload
TOPIC2
ModernIndianhistoryfromaboutthemiddleoftheeighteenthcenturyuntilthepresentsignificantevents,
personalities,issues
Readthisbook:ComprehensiveHistoryOfModernIndiaSpectrum(ItcoverstopicsfromtheAdventofBritishto
IndiasIndependencesocoversthispartofthesyllabuscompletely.
Whythisbook?WhynotBipanChandra?
BipanChandraisspecificallyforstudyingindepththevariousdimensionsandconceptsoftheFreedomStruggle.
Butfortheabovetopicwhereevents,personalitiesandissueshavetobereadthattoobetween1750sto1950s,
Spectrumbookcoversallthetopicsquitecomprehensively.
Itisbulkyandfactual,soitisrecommendedforbeginnersbothforPrelimsandMainsalongwithBipanChandras
book,butnotforaspirantswritingMainsthisyearwhoarerunningshortoftime.
TOPIC3
[TheFreedomStruggleitsvariousstagesandimportantcontributors/contributionsfromdifferentpartsofthe
country.]
BecausethistopicdemandsspecificknowledgeofFreedomStruggleanditsvariousfacets,youmust,alongwith
theabovementionedbook,readBipanChandrasStruggleForIndiasIndependence.
TOPIC4

Postindependenceconsolidationandreorganizationwithinthecountry.
ForthisyouneedtostudyChapter6to12ofIndiaSinceIndependenceBipanChandra
0rChapters8to14fromIndiaAfterGandhi:TheHistoryOfTheWorldsLargestDemocracy(abovementioned
chapterscovercompletelythispartofthesyllabus)
TOPIC5
[Historyoftheworldwillincludeeventsfrom18thcenturysuchasindustrialrevolution,worldwars,redrawalof
nationalboundaries,colonization,decolonization,politicalphilosophieslikecommunism,capitalism,socialismetc.
theirformsandeffectonthesociety.]
ExceptforIndustrialrevolution,MasteringModernWorldHistorybyNormanLowe(BuyFromAmazon
India))coversalltopicsofthispartofthesyllabusitisaverygoodbook.Sticktoonlythisbook.Referabove
linksforaglimpseofthosesubtopicsinWikipedia,butdontdwelldeeplyonthem.(A30%discountfromFlipkart,
orOrThisIMPORTEDcopyprovidedyouarerichRs1700/thisclassicbookcontainsinsightfulchaptersonthe
2008FinancialCrisis,andevenArabSpringanditsaftermath!)
Abovebookisnotavailableanywherethesedays.BestalternativeisabookbyArjunDevHistoryoftheWorld
fromtheLateNineteenthtotheEarlyTwentyFirstCentury
Ifbothbooksarenotavailable,thenreadthisbookOldNCERTWorldHistoryClassX
TOPIC6
[SalientfeaturesofIndianSociety,DiversityofIndia.]
AboutsalientfeaturesofIndianSocietydontlookanywhereelseJustreadthisNCERTIndianSocietyClass
12(Completebookwithoutwatermarks)
Twoindispensablebookstocoverthistopic:
IndianSocietyRamAhuja
SocialProblemsinIndiaRamAhuja
(abovebooksarecriticallyacclaimedandaretaughtinmanyuniversitiesasatext,andiswrittenbyanacclaimed
scholar)
TOPIC7
[Roleofwomenandwomensorganization,populationandassociatedissues,povertyanddevelopmental
issues,urbanization,theirproblemsandtheirremedies.]
ForIndiaspecificwomenrelatedissuesdownloadthisbeautifulreport(PLATFORMFORACTIONREPORT
ONINDIANWOMENDOWNLOADFROMHERE)whereyoucanfindeverythingyouwanttolearnabout
Womensissues.
OthersubtopicsaregeneralinnatureandcanbefoundinMagazinesandNewspapers.Ifoneisthoroughwith
currenteventsquestionsonthesesubtopicscanbeansweredverywellbyconsolidatingtheirknowledge.
TOPIC8
[EffectsofGlobalizationonIndiansociety]

Thisisalsogeneralinnature.IfyouhaveabasicunderstandingofIndianSocietyandGlobalization,theirmutual
relationcanbeelucidatedwithease.HereisagoodarticlefromaMarxistpoliticianaboutthetopic.(UPSCpeople
lovetheslightlyleftistversionofeverything)
ToknowmoreabouteffectofGlobalizationonIndianSociety,youneedtoknowbetteraboutIndianSociety.This
bookisamusthaveforbroadunderstandingoftheIndianSociety.
IndianSocietyRamAhuja
SocialProblemsinIndiaRamAhuja
IfyouwanttolearntheimpactofGlobalizationonIndianEconomy,hereisabook.(Purelyoptional)
TOPIC9
[Socialempowerment,communalism,regionalism&secularism.]
Thisisagaingeneric.Butyoumustknowthebasicconceptofcommunalism,regionalismandsecularism.Wikipedia
comeshandyhere.
BASICS:
RegionalismInIndia(Youmustreadthis)
Communalism(Youmustreadthistoo)
ForRegionalismInIndia.
TOPIC10
[Salientfeaturesofworldsphysicalgeography.
Tocoverthisparttwobooksarenecessary:
1.CertificatePhysicalandHumanGeography1stEdition
2.NCERTClassXIFundamentalsofPhysicalGeography
TOPIC11
[Distributionofkeynaturalresourcesacrosstheworld(includingSouthAsiaandtheIndiansubcontinent)factors
responsibleforthelocationofprimary,secondary,andtertiarysectorindustriesinvariouspartsoftheworld
(includingIndia)]
1)NCERTClassXIIHumanGeography
2)NCERTClassXIIIndiaPeopleandEconomy
3)Forreference:GeographyofIndia4Edition
TOPIC12
[ImportantGeophysicalphenomenasuchasearthquakes,Tsunami,Volcanicactivity,cycloneetc.,geographical
featuresandtheirlocationchangesincriticalgeographicalfeatures(includingwaterbodiesandicecaps)andin
floraandfaunaandtheeffectsofsuchchanges.]
Thisisarepetitionactually.YoucanreadPhysicalGeographybookbyGohChengLeongwhichismentionedabove
(CertificatePhysicalandHumanGeography1stEdition)

Thistopiconcriticalchangesingeographicalfeaturesisbroadlyrelatedtoclimatechangeandotheranthropogenic
factors(suchasdepletionofresources,dumpingofwastesetc).Geographicalfeatureslikerainforests,icecaps,
rivers,corals,cyclonesallgetaffectedbyclimatechange.Anthropogenicfactorsareinvolvedinincreasing
desertification,vanishingforests,biodiversity,pollutionofriversandlakes,etc.
Yourfocusshouldbeonsuchchanges.Questionmaybeonhowmonsoonisaffectedbyglobalclimatechange?or
howacycloneisaffectedbyglobalwarming?Whateffecthasthemeltingicecaponthebiodiversityinthepolar
regions?etc

(DownloadModelQuestionPapercumAnswerbookForThisGSPaper,ClickthisLink)
Untilnowwesawwhatbookstoread.Nowthequestionishowtoremembermostofthethingswereadandhowto
translatethemintobetteranswers.
Acommonmistakemostoftheaspirantscommitisreadingsomanybooksforasingletopic.Thismistake
costsbothyourtimeandabilitytorememberthingsclearlyandconcisely.
Sticktoasinglesourceandreaditagainandagain.RememberTheSameSource.Avoidthetemptationof
doingResearchonatopic.
AlwaysRememberUPSCtestsBasicUnderstanding.Notmasteryoveratopic.
Makeshortnotesoneachtopic.ItiswhilemakingnotesthatreaderstendtodoRESEARCHandscout
varioussources.Sticktoonebookevenifyouarenot100%satisfiedwithit.
Rememberthatoldsaying?Jackofalltrades,masterofNONE.IfyoutrytodoResearch,mostprobably
yournamewontappearintheFinalList.Iguaranteeit.
ForPaperII(i.eGS1)beingthoroughwithCurrentEventsplaysacrucialroleinenablingyoutoacquire
analyticalskills.
VeryImportantPartInThePreparation
Writing.Writing.Writing.
Butwhat?OnemustpracticeanswerwritingtoPreviousyearquestions,ortakeaMockTest.Whatever,
beforeyouenterexaminationhall,youmusthavespentlotoftimeonanswerwriting.
MostImportantPartInThePreparation
Revision.Revision.ReRevision.
YoudothisandyouappearforthePersonalityTest.
IfyoudontRevisewhatyoureadallthesemonthsyouslightlymissthePersonalityTest,orYounarrowly
missappearingintheFinalList.
Well,tosumup.Togettheinterviewcallallyouneedtodois:Read,Rereadthesamesource,WriteandRevise.
Preparationforthispapercanbefinishedin20daysprovidedyouarefocusedanddetermined.
Ofcourse.Eatwell,SleepwellandKeepagoodhealth.Ifyougetarunningnoseonthedayoftheexam,2hours
outof3hoursgoesindrainingitanddryingit.

HOWTOPREPAREFORGENERALSTUDIESPAPERIII