ANCIENT HISTORY

1. Prehistoric Cultures in India

• Periodization of Indian pre history
• Sources of prehistory
• Stone age
  • Palaeolithic (2 million BC – 10,000 BC)
  • Mesolithic (10,000 BC – 8,000 BC)
  • Palaeolithic (8000 BC – 4000 BC)
• Chalcolithic Age (4000 BC – 1500 BC)
• Iron age (1500 BC-200 BC)
• Impact of Iron

2.  Pastoral and Farming Communities

• Neolithic Phase
• Chalcolithic Phase
• Early Iron Phase
• Geographical Distribution and Characteristics

3. Indus Valley Civilization

• Major cities
• Town Planning
• Harappan Trade
• Agriculture
• Domestication of animals
• Crafts
• Religion
• Harappan Pottery
• Weights and Measures
• Script and Language
• Images
• Decline of Harappan Culture

4. Vedic Society

• Original Home of Aryans
• Features of Aryan Culture
• Vedic Texts
• Sources for Reconstructing 
• Vedic Society and Culture
• Geography of the Rig Vedic Period
• Geography of the later Vedic Phases
• Economic Conditions
• Political Organization and Evolution of Monarchy
• Social Organisation and Varna System
• Religion and Thought

5. Pre Mauryan-Period

• Formation of states
• The Sixteen Mahajanapadas
• Republics
• Rise of urban centres
• Haryanka dynasty
• Shishunaga dynasty
• Nanda dynasty

6. The Mauryan Empire

• Chandragupta and Bindusara
• Megasthenes
• Asoka and His Successors
• Asoka’s Inscriptions and Sites
• Asoka’ a Dhamma
• Mauryan. Administration, Economy, Society and Art
• The Arthasastra

7. Post Mauryan India (BC-200-AD 300)

• Society Evolution of Jatis
• Sangam Texts-and Society
• Satavahanas and Other Indigenous Dynasties
• Foreign Dynasties
• Commercial Contacts with the Outside World
• Schools of Art

8. Growth of Jainism and Buddhism

• Jainism
• Buddhism

9. Imperial Guptas

• Sources of Gupta Rule
• Political history of Guptas
• Fahien
• Gupta Administration
• Gupta Culture
• Urban centres in Gupta period
• Economic Conditions

10. Harshavardhana

• Sources for Harsha’s Period
• Early life of Harsha
• Harsha’s Administration
• Important Officials of the empire
• Economy under Harsha
• Society
• Religion

11. The Southern Dynasties

• The Satavahanas (230 BC TO AD 225)
• The Pallavas (AD 330–796)
• The Chalukyas (AD 535–1190)
• The Pandyas of Madurai (AD 590–1323)

 

MEDIEVAL INDIA

1. Central Asian Politics and the Advance of Babur towards India

• The Timurids
• The Timurid-Uzbek and Uzbek-Iran Conflict and Babur
• Babur’s Advance towards India

2. Struggle for Empire in North- India (Afghans, Rajputs and Mughals)

• Struggle between Ibrahim Lodi and Babur
• The Battle of Panipat
• Babur’s problems after the Battle of Panipat
• Struggle with Rana Sanga
• Problems of the Eastern Areas and the Afghans
• Babur’s Contribution and Significance of his Advent into India

3. Struggle for Empire in North India

• Humayun and the Afghans
• Early Activities of Humayun, and the Tussle with Bahadur Shah
• The Gujarat Campaign
• The Bengal Campaign, and Struggle with Sher Khan

4. The Establishment of the North Indian Empire

• The Surs
• Sher Shah’s Early Life
• Social and Political Background of Bihar and the Rise of Sher Shah to Power.
• The Sur Empire (1540-56)
• Contributions of Sher Shah

5. Consolidation and Expansion of the Empire - Akbar

• Conflict with the Afghans - Hemu
• Struggle with the Nobility: Bairam Khan’s
• Regency; Revolt of Uzbek Nobles
• Early Expansion of the Empire (1560-76) - Malwa, Garh-Katanga, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Eastern India
• Relations with the Rajputs - Growth of a Composite Ruling Class
• Rebellions, and Further Expansion of the Empire in the North West

6. State and Government under Akbar

• Akbar’s Concept of Suzerainty
• Structure of Government, Central and Provincial - the Vikalat, Central Ministries, Provincial Government,
• District and Local Government
• The Working of Government - the Ruler, Land-Revenue System, the Dahsala System.
  • The Mansabdari System and the Army

7. Akbar’s Religious Views

• Relations with the Ulama and Social Reforms
• The Early Phase (1556-73)
• The Second Phase (1573-80) - the Ibadat Khana
• Debates - the Mahzar – Breach with Orthodox
• Ulama - Re-organisation of Madad-i-Maash Grants
• Third or Final Phase - Din-i-Ilahi 
• State Policies and religious toleration

8. The Deccan and the Mughals (upto 1657)

• The Deccani States upto 1595
• Mughal Advance towards the Deccan
• Mughal Conquest of Berar, Khandesh and parts of Ahmadnagar
• Rise of Malik Ambar, and Frustration of Mughal Attempt at Consolidation (1601-27)
• Extinction of Ahmadnagar, Acceptance of Mughal
• Suzerainty by Bijapur and Golconda
• Shah Jahan and the Deccan (1636-57)
• Cultural Contribution of the Deccani States

9. Foreign Policy of the Mughals

• Akbar and the Uzbeks
• The Question of Qandahar and Relations with Iran
• Shah Jahan’s Balkh Campaign
• Mughal - Persian Relations - the Last Phase

10. India in the First Half of the Seventeenth Century

• Jahangir’s Accession - his Early Difficulties
• Territorial Consolidation and Expansion of the Empire - Mewar, East India and Kangra
• Nur Jahan, and the Nur Jahan ‘Junta’
• The Rebellions of Shah Jahan, and the coup de main of Mahabat Khan
• Jahangir as a Ruler

• State and Religion in the First Half of the Seventeenth Century
• Shah Jahan - Consolidation and Expansion of the Empire
• Evolution of the Mughal Ruling Class and the Mansabdari System

11. Aurangzeb - Religious Policies, North India and the Rajputs

• War of Succession
• Religious Policy: First Phase (1658-79)
• Reforms and Puritanical Measures, Hindu
• Temples, Jizyah; Second Phase (1679-1707)
• Territorial Consolidation and
• Expansion of Empire - North India
• Popular Revolts - Jats, Satnamis, Afghans and Sikhs
• Breach with Marwar and Mewar

12. Climax and Crisis of the Mughal Empire the Marathas and the Deccan

• Rise of the Marathas - Early Career of Shivaji 
• Treaty of Purandar - the Agra Visit
• Shivaji’s Swaraj – Administration and Achievements
• Aurangzeb and the Deccani States (1658-87)
• Marathas and the Deccan (1687-1707)
• Assessment of Aurangzeb and the Jagirdari Crisis

13. Society-Structure and Growth

• Rural Society
• Towns and Town Life
• Artisans and Master-Craftsmen
• Women
• Servants and Slaves
• Standard of Living
• The Ruling Classes - Nobility, Rural Gentry
• The Middle Strata
• The Commercial Classes

14. Economic Life-Patterns and Prospects

• Inland Trade
• Overseas Trade - Role of Foreign Trading companies - Position of Indian merchant’s over-land Trade
• The Mughal State and Commerce
• Trend of India’s Economy and Prospects during the First Half of the Eighteenth Century

15. Religion, Fine Arts, Science and Technology

• Religion- Hindu Religion, Sikh Religion, Islam
• Fine Arts - Architecture, Painting, Language and Literature, Music
• Science and Technology

16. Northern India in the First Half of the Eighteenth Century

• Bahadur Shah I, and the Beginning of the Struggle
• For Wizarat - Rajput Affairs - Marathas
• Deccan - Accentuation of the Party Struggle
• Struggle for ‘New’ Wizarat: Zulfiqar Khan and Jahandar Shah (1712-13)
• The Sayyid Brothers’ Struggle for ‘New’ Wizarat
• The Saiyid ‘New’ Wizarat
• The Wizarat of M. Amin Khan and Nizam-ul-Mulk
• Rise of Regional States, Beginning of Foreign Invasions of India (1725-48)

17. The Maratha Bid for Supremacy

• The Marathas and their Policy of Expansion
• The Marathas and Nizam-ul-Mulk
• The Maratha Advance into Gujarat and Malwa
• The Maratha Advance into Doab and Punjab
• First Phase (1741-52); Second Phase (1752-61);
• Third Battle of Panipat

 

MODERN HISTORY

1. Scenario before 1857

• Later Mughals
• Regional powers in 18th Century
• The British conquest of India
• The wars during British conquest of India
• British Administration before 1857

2. Revolt of 1857

• Indian National Movement (1858-1905)
• Early Nationalists and Swadeshi Movement
• Government of India Act 1909
• Home rule league movement

3. The struggle for Swaraj

• Montague’s statement – Aug 1917
• Emergence of Gandhi – as a mass leader
• Khilafat & non-Cooperation Movement (NCM)
• Swaraj party
• Revolutionary Terrorism phase II (1920’s)
• Simon Commission and Nehru report

4. Intimation of freedom

• Civil Disobedience Movement
• Round table conference
• Poona pact
• Government of India Act 1935
• Tripuri session – 1939

• August offer
• Individual Satyagraha 1940-41

5. Towards achievement of freedom

• Popular struggles in the princely states
• 2nd World War and Nationalist response

6. Partition of India

• Rise of Communalism
• Wavell plan
• Cabinet Mission Plan
• Mountbatten plan

7. During the freedom struggle

• Indian renaissance/socio-religious movement
• Civil Rebellions during British
• Tribal movements during British period
• Peasant’s movement during British period
• Working class Movement (1850-1900)
• Growth of communalism
• Left and communist trends in National Movement
• Press and education during British period
• Role of women in Freedom Struggle
• Governor generals of India
• Viceroys of India
• Important persons
• Important newspaper/journals
• Congress sessions

 

POST INDEPENDENCE INDIA

1. Reorganisation of states

• Constitutional provisions related to State formation
• Factors that led to merger
• Accession of the princely states
• Accession of States under France and Portuguese
• Accession of Sikkim
• Rehabilitation of the Refugees
• Federal crisis
• Regional aspirations, insurgencies and areas of tension
• Accommodation and national integration

2. Linguistic Regionalism in India

• Constitutional position and language policy
• Language and regionalism
• Recent controversy due to rise of Hindi

3. Tribal Issue and Policy Consolidation

• Issues & Present Status
• Policy consolidation

4. Issue of Women and Evolution of Women Movement

• Issues & challenges
• Women movements
• Government policy response and legislation
• Governmental schemes

5. Problem of Caste and Social consolidation

• Caste practices in India
• Ambedkar Movement
• Constitutional provisions
• Recent government initiatives for emancipation of Scheduled Castes
• Issues of Manual Scavenging

6. Communalism & Social Consolidation

• Secularism
• Causes of Communalism in India
• Consequences of the communalism and social consolidation

7. Issue of Linguistic Minorities

• Operational Inefficiency
• Government initiatives

8. Overview of Economic Development since Independence

• Planning in India

9. Agriculture

• Industry
• Service sector
• Current challenges facing the Indian economy
• Agriculture
• Journey through Five Year Plans
• Land Reforms
• Post Green Revolution Agricultural Issues
• Agrarian Movements
• Achievements in Agriculture Since Independence
• Recent Challenges

10. Industry

• Industrial development since independence
• Public sector since independence
• Sectoral Development
• Private Sector since Independence
• Industrial Policy since Independence
• Make in India

11. New Economic Policy

• Impact of New Economic Policy

12. Post-Independence Policy of Science and Technology

• India’s Policy in the Field of the Science and Technology
• Institutional Framework for Science and Technology Development
• Science and Technology in Pre- Reform Period
• Impact of Economic Reform on the
• Science and Technology in India:
  • New Policy Initiatives in the S&T
  • Agenda of the Skill Training

 

WORLD HISTORY

1. Beginning of Modern Age

• Disintegration of the Feudal System
• Renaissance

• Humanism
• Art and Architecture
• Literature
• Science
• Reformation etc.

• Explorations, Discovery, Trade
• Colonization – Rise of Nation State
• The English Revolution

2. French Revolution

• Causes
• The revolution in France
• France under Napoleon
• Impact of revolution
• Significance of revolution

3. Nationalism in Europe

• Rise of the nation- state system
• Unification of Italy
• Unification of Germany

4. Colonialism and Imperialism

• Colonialism
• The age of Imperialism (1870-1914)
• Imperialism in Asia
• Analysis of Colonialism

5. Emergence of USA

• Foundation of American Colonies
• The Independence of United States of America
• The American Revolutionary War
• What was the impact of American Revolution?
• Political Effects of the Revolution
• How did the American Revolution influence the French Revolution?
• US Civil War
• Impact of Civil War on USA
• Global Impact of US Civil War
• Impact on India

6. World War-I

• Major causes of the war
• Course of the war
• Analysis of major events of the war
• Consequences of World War I
• Aftermath of World War I
• League of Nations

7. Russian Revolution

• Major events in pre-revolution Russia
• Causes
• Course of revolution
• Consequences
• Aftermath of the war

• Post-Lenin Russia

8. Inter-War Years (1919 To 1939)

• The Great Depression
• The Great Depression- an economic perspective
• Rise of Fascism in Italy
• Rise of Nazism in Germany
• Soviet Union (USSR)

9. World War- II

• Foundations of the war
• Course of the war
• Aftermath of war
• Analysis of the war
• Decolonization phase

10. Development in Middle East

• Democratic reforms in Middle East
• Arab nationalism

• Israel

11. Cold War

• Reasons
• Development of Cold War (1945-1953)
• To what extent was there a thaw after 1953?
• Nuclear Arms Race and the Cuban Missile Crisis (1962)

12. Post-Cold-War World

• Global issues since 1991
• Integration of Europe
• European integration- a timeline
• Rise of global Islamic terrorism

• Rise of China

13. Communism, Socialism and Capitalism

• Capitalism (concept, types and example)
• Communism (concept, types, example)
• Relevance of capitalism in present era

 

INDIAN CULTURE

1. Visual Art

• Sculptures of Harappan Civilization
• Sculptures of Mauryan Age
• Post-Mauryan Period
• Jain Sculptures
• Buddhist Sculpture
• Gupta Sculpture
• Medieval School of Sculpture
• Modern Indian Sculpture

2. Architecture in Ancient India

• Harappan Period
• Mauryan Architecture
• Post-Mauryan Period
• Gupta Period
• Temples of Khajuraho
• Temples of Odisha
• Temples of Gwalior
• Temples of Gujarat
• Temples of Rajasthan
• Temples of Bengal
• Temples of Assam
• Temples of Himachal Pradesh
• Temples of Jammu and Kashmir
• Pallava Period
• Chola Period
• Pandya Temples
• Vijayanagar Period
• NayakaTemples
• Temples of Kerala
• Vesara Style
• Hoysala Style
• Rashtrakuta Period

3. Indo-Islamic Architecture

• Imperial Style (Delhi Sultanate)
• Provincial Style
• Mughal Style
• Sikh Style of Architecture
• Rajput Architecture
• Salient features

4. Modern Architecture

• European Influence
• Indo-Saracenic Architecture
• Post-Independence Period

5. Indian Paintings

• Tradition of Mural Paintings in India
• Tradition of Miniature Paintings in India
• Paintings in the Deccan
• Rajput School of Painting
• Pahari School of Painting
• Miniature Painting in South India
• Regional Paintings
• Modern Paintings
• Contemporary Paintings

6. Pottery Tradition in India

• Ochre: Colored Pottery (OCP)
• Black and Red Ware (BRW)
• Painted Grey Ware (PGW)
• Northern Black Polished Ware (NBPW)
• Glazed and Unglazed Pottery

7. Music in India

• Main Pillars of Indian Music
• Forms of Indian Music
• Musical Instruments
• Institutions Related to Music

8. Dances in India

• Concept of Dance in India
• Concept of Ashta Nayika
• Eight Classical Dance Forms in India
• Folk Dances
• Modern Dances

9. Martial Arts in India

• Genesis of Martial Arts
• Forms of Traditional Martial Arts

10. Indian Theatre

• Classical Sanskrit Theatre
• Regional Theatre
• Modern Theatre
• Renaissance of Indian Theatre

11. Indian Puppetry

• String Puppets
• Shadow Puppets
• Rod Puppets
• Glove puppets
• Modern Puppetry
• Tribal Puppetry

12. Indian Cinema

• Cinema in India
• History of Indian Cinema
• Classification of Indian Cinema Film
• Music of India

13. Religions in India

• Pre-Vedic Religion
• Hinduism
• Buddhism
• Jainism
• Sikhism
• Islam
• Christianity
• Zoroastrianism
• Judaism
• Philosophy in India

14. Bhakti & Sufi Movements

• Bhakti Movement
• Vaishnava Acharyas: Metaphysical Foundation
• Other Saints of Bhakti Movement
• Maharashtra Dharma
• Sufism

15. Languages & Literature in India

• Sanskrit Literature
• Pali Literature
• Prakrit Literature
• Tamil Literature
• Telugu Literature
• Malayalam Literature
• Kannada Literature
• Odia Literature
• Assamese Literature
• Bengali Literature
• Gujarati Literature
• Rajasthani Literature
• Punjabi Literature
• Marathi Literature
• Hindi Literature
• Persian Literature
• Urdu Literature

16. Miscellaneous Topics

• Indian Handicrafts
• Indian Universities
• Personalities Related to Culture
• Places of Cultural Interest
• Fairs and Festivals in India
• Cultural Institutions in India
• Awards and Honors Associated with Culture
• The Calendar
• The Eras
• Science and Technology in Ancient India
• UNESCO’s List of Cultural Heritage in India
• Legal Provisions Related to the Protection and Promotion of Indian Culture and Heritage

17. Recent developments

• Schemes for Cleanliness of Tourist Places
  • Swachh Bharat - Swachh Smarak
  • Swachh Bharat - Swachh Pakwan (Hunar Zaika)
  • Swachh Bharat - Swachh Paryatan
  • Swachh Smarak Swatchh Bharat’ app
• National Tourism Policy, 2015

• Schemes for Development of Cultural Heritage

• Sanskriti App
  • Cultural Mapping of India
  • Cultural Heritage Youth Leadership Programme
  • Preservation of Cultural Heritage of Himalayas
  • Nearly 100 Monuments Identified for Portal on “Must-See Monuments

• Schemes for Monument Development

• Hriday
• Swadesh Darshan
• Prasad Scheme
• Adarsh Smarak Yojana
• Monuments of National importance

• Cultural Scheme Monitoring System
• Schemes for promotion of Culture

• Culture Ministry to Grade Artists, Writers for Selection Process
  • Schemes for Serious Literature and Litterateurs
  • National Mission on Monuments and Antiquities
  • National Mission on Manuscripts
  • National Mission on Libraries
  • Gandhi Heritage Sites Mission

• International Initiatives for Cultural Development and Recognition

• Project Mausam
• International Buddhist Conclave
• World’s Heritage
• UNESCO inscribed Yoga in the Representative list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity
• UNESCO Creative Cities Network
• UNESCO Global Geopark

• National Virtual Library of India

• Animal Sports in India

• Jallikattu
• Kambala
• Bulbul Fight
• Bullock Cart Racing
• GI Tag
  • Definition
  • GI vs. Trademark
  • Rights under GI
  • Famous Goods
  • Latest addition
• Festivals in News
• International Yoga Day
• Rashtriya Ekta Diwas
• Buddhist Circuit

 

GEOGRAPHY

PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY

1. Geomorphology

• The origin of the Earth
  • Early Theories
  • Modern Theories – BBT
  • Star Formation
  • Formation of Planets
  • Solar System
• The Evolution of the Earth
  • Layered Structure (5 layers)
  • Evolution of Lithosphere
  • Evolution of Atmosphere
  • Evolution of Hydrosphere
• Geological History of the Earth

• Earth
  • Latitude and Longitude including important Parallels and Meridians
  • Motions of the Earth - Rotation, Revolution and their effects
  • Inclination of the Earth’s Axis and its effects
  • Local and Standard Time and the International Date Line, Calendar
  • Eclipses - Solar, Lunar

• Origin of Life
• Geological Time Scale
• Interior of the Earth
  • Sources of Information
    • Direct
    • Indirect -EarthQuake Waves, Volcanoes
  • Crust
  • Mantle
  • Core
• Geology
  • Minerals

• Major Elements of the Earth’s Crust

• Minerals – Feldspar, Quartz,
• Pyroxene Amphibole, Mica, Olivine
• Physical Characteristics–Crystal Form, Cleavage Fracture, Lusture, Color, Streak
• Transparency, Structure, Hardness, Specific Gravity
• Metallic minerals – precious Ferrous, Non-Ferrous
• Non-metallic Minerals – Sulphur, Phosphates, Cement

• Rocks (Aggregate of Minerals)

• Petrology
• Rocks & landforms
• Rocks & Soils
• 3 Family of Rocks

• Igneous
• Sedimentary
• Metamorphic

• Rock Cycle

 

• Earthquakes

• Waves: P, S, Body, Surface,
• Shadow Zone
• Types of Earthquakes
• Effects
• Frequency
• Locating an Epicenter

• Volcano

• Types
  • Shield
  • Composite
  • Caldera
  • Flood Basalt
  • Mid Ocean Ridge

• Landforms (intrusive)

• Batholiths
• Laccoliths
• Lapoliths
• Phacoliths
• Sills
• Dykes

• Geomorphic Processes

• Earth’s Surface
  • Exogenic Forces
  • Endogenic Forces
  • Gradation, Degradation & Aggradation
• Geomorphic Process
• Endogenic Process
  • Diastrophism
    • Orogenic
    • Epeirogenic
    • Earthquakes
    • Plate movements
  • Volcanism
  • Exogenic Forces
    • Denudation Processes
      • Weathering
      • Mass movements
      • Erosion Transportation & Deposition

• Distribution of Continents & Oceans

• Theories
  • Continental Drift Theory
    • Alfred Wegner 1912
    • Pangea, Panthalasa
    • Laurasia, Gondwanaland

• Evidence in support of Continental Drift Theory

• Jigsaw Fit
• Rocks of Same age across oceans
• Tillite
• Placer Deposits
• Distribution of Fossils

• Forces of Drifting

• Pole Fleeing Force
• Tidal Force

 

• Post Drift Studies

• Convectional Current Theory
• Mapping of the Ocean Floor

 

• Continents – plate Tectonics

• Lithospheric Plates
• Major Plate
• Minor Plates

• Plate Boundaries

• Divergent
• Convergent
• Transform

• Rates of Plate Movements
• Force of plate movements
• Indian Plate

• Movement from 71 million years ago till Today

• Landforms and their Evolution

• Causes

• Geomorphic Processes
• Agents
• Geomorphic Agents
  • Erosional or Destructional
  • Depositional or Constructional
• Agents and their Impacts
  • Wind, Running Water, Ground Water, Glaciers, Waves & Currents
• Winds
  • One of the Two dominant agents in Hot deserts
  • Cause – Deflation Abrasion Impact
  • Erosional landforms
    • Pediments and Pedi plains
    • Playas
    • Deflation Hollows and Caves
    • Mushroom, Table & Pedestal Rocks
• Depositional Landforms
  • Barchans
  • Seif
  • Parabolic
  • Transverse
  • Longitudinal
• Running Water
  • Humid Regions
  • Two Components
    • Overland Flow – Sheet
    • Linear Flow – Streams
  • Stages
    • Youth Mature Old
  • Erosional Landforms
  • Valleys
    • Rills
    • Gullies
    • Valleys – V Shape, Gorge (Hard Rocks), Canyon (Sedimentary)
  • Potholes & Plunge pools
  • Incised or entrenched meanders
  • River Terraces – paired & unpaired
• Depositional Landforms
  • Alluvial Fans
  • Delta
  • Flood Plains, Natural Levees, Point Bars
  • Meanders, Slip off bank,
  • Undercut bank
  • Oxbow lake
  • Braided Channels
• Ground Water (Karst Topography)
  • Permeable Rocks
    • Percolation
    • Bedding Plains
  • Limestone and Dolomite Regions
    • Balkans, Adjacent to Adriatic regions
    • Erosional Landforms
      • Pools-Swallow Hole, Valley Sinks (Uvalas), Sinkholes, Collapse sinks (Dolines), Lapies, Ridges, Limestone Pavements
      • Caves – Altering bed of Rocks (Shale sandstone quartzite), Caves and Tunnels
• Depositional landforms
  • Stalactites 
  • Stalagmites
  • Pillar Columns
• Glaciers
  • Erosional Landforms
    • Cirque of Tarn Lakes
    • Hors and Serrated Regions – Arete
    • Glacial Valleys / Troughs – Fiords
  • Depositional Landforms
    • Glacial Tills
    • Moraines
    • Eskers
    • Outwash Plains
    • Drumlins
  • Waves and Currents
    • High Rocky Coasts & Low Sedimentary Coasts
    • Erosional Landforms
      • Cliffs
      • Terraces
      • Caves
      • Stacks
    • Depositional Landforms
      • Beaches and Dunes
      • Bars Barriers Spits
    • Weathering
      • Weather over Earth Materials
      • Factors
        • Geological
        • Climatic
        • Topographic
        • Vegetative
  • Major Processes
    • Chemical
    • Physical or Mechanical
    • Biological
  • Chemical – Forces Chemical Action
    • Solution
    • Carbonation
    • Hydration
    • Oxidation & Reduction
  • Physical Forces Gravitational, Expansion, Water Pressure
    • Unloading & Expansion
    • Temperature changes and Expansion
    • Freezing, Thawing, & Frost Wedging
    • Salt Weathering
  • Biological Weathering
    • Burrowing
    • Wedging
    • Plant Roots
    • Effects of Weathering
    • Exfoliation (Flaking)– Exfoliation
    • Domes, Tors
  • Significance of Weathering
    • Soil Formation
    • Biomes and Biodiversity
    • Leaching / Enrichment
• Mass Movements
  • Activating causes
  • Forms of movement – Heave
  • Flow Slide
  • 3 major Groups – Slow Movement, Rapid Movements, landSlides
• Landforms across the world:
  • Rivers and lakes
  • Mountain and Peaks
  • Plateaus

 

2. Climatology

Composition

• Gases
• Water Vapour
• Dust Particles
• Structure

Exosphere

• Thermosphere
• Mesosphere
• Stratosphere
• Troposphere
• Altitude vs Temperature

Solar Radiation Heat Balance Temperature

• Insolation
• Aphelion and Perihelion
• Variability of Insolation at the surface of the Earth

• Day Season Year
• Rotation on Axis, Angle of
• Inclination of sun rays, Length of the day
• Transparency of Atmosphere, configuration of land in terms of its aspect.

Heat Balance

• Heating and cooling of atmosphere

• Conduction
• Convection
• Advection

• Terrestrial Radiation
• Heat Budget of the Planet Earth
• Macro Budget

• Albedo
• Shortwave Radiation
• Long wave Earth Radiation

• Variation in the net Heat Budget at the Earth’s Surface

Temperature

• Factors controlling T distribution
• Distribution of T Month of January-July
• Range of T Month of January-July
• Inversion of Temperature

Atmospheric Circulation and Weather Systems

• Atmospheric Pressure
• Vertical variation of pressure
• Horizontal distribution of pressure
• World Distribution of Sea Level Pressure
• Factors affecting the velocity and direction of the WIND
  • Pressure Gradient Force
  • Frictional Force
  • Coriolis Force
  • Pressure and Wind (Cyclonic & Anticyclone Circulation)

General Circulation of the Atmosphere Pattern of Planetary Winds

• Latitudinal Variation of Atmospheric Heating
• Emergence of Pressure Belts
• Migration of Belts Following apparent Path of Sun
• Distribution of continents & Oceans
• Rotation of the Earth

Circulation

• Simplified Global Circulation – Hadley Cell, Ferrel Cell
• Seasonal Wind
• Local Wind
• Land and Sea Breezes
• Mountain and Valley winds
• AIR MASS – fronts
• ExtraTropical Cyclone
• Thunderstorms
• Tornadoes

Water in the Atmosphere

• Water Vapour
• Precipitation
• Humidity – Absolute and Relative
• Saturation – Dew Point
• Evaporation and Condensation

• Dew
• Frost
• Fog & Mist

• Clouds

• Types – Cirrus Cumulus Stratus Nimbus
• High – Cirrus Cirrostratus Cirrocumulus
• Middle – Altostratus Altocumulus
• Low – Stratocumulus Nimbostratus
• Vertical Development – Cumulus and Cumulonimbus

• Precipitation

• Rainfall Snowfall Sleet Hail Hailstones

• Types of Rainfall

• Conventional
• Orographic
• Cyclonic
• World Distribution of Rainfall

• World Climate

• The Hot, Wet Equatorial Climate
• The Tropical Monsoon and Tropical
• Marine Climates
• The Savanna or Sudan Climate
• The Hot Desert and Mid-Latitude Desert Climates
• The Warm Temperate Western  Margin (Mediterranean) Climate
• The Temperate Continental (Steppe) Climate
• The Warm Temperate Eastern Margin (China Type) Climate
• The Cool Temperate Western Margin (British Type) Climate
• The Cool Temperate Continental (Siberian) Climate
• The Cool Temperate Eastern Margin (Lauren-tian) Climate
• The Arctic or Polar Climate

 

3. Oceanography

• Water on the Surface of the Earth
  • Hydrological Cycle
    • Component
    • Processes
• Oceans
  • Relief of the Ocean floor
  • 4 divisions of the ocean floor
    • Continental Shelf
    • Continental Slope
    • Deep sea plain
    • Oceanic deep and Trenches
  • Minor relief features
    • Mid oceanic ridges
    • Seamount
    • Submarine canyons
    • Guy outs
    • Atoll
  • Temperature of the Ocean Water
    • Vertical
    • Spatial
    • Factors affecting Temperature Distribution
      • Latitude
      • Unequal distribution of land & Water 
      • Prevailing wind

• Ocean Currents

• Horizontal & Vertical Distribution
  • Thermocline
  • 3 layers

• Salinity of the Ocean Water

• Factors affecting salinity
• Evaporation and precipitation
• Fresh water flow from rivers
• Wing
• Ocean currents
  • Horizontals distribution of salinity
  • Vertical Distribution of salinity

• Density of Ocean Waters

Movements of ocean Water

• Factors influencing Movement

• Temperature
• Salinity
• Density
• Sun Moon winds

Motion – Horizontal & Vertical Currents

Waves

• Motion of waves and water molecules
• Characteristics Of WAVE
  • Crest and Trough
  • Height
  • Amplitude
  • Period
  • Length
  • Speed
  • Frequency
  • Tides

Relation between Gravitational Forces and Tides

• Tidal currents
• Types of Tides

• Based on Frequency – Semi Diurnal, Diurnal, mixed
• Based on SME position – spring and Neap Tides

• Importance of Tides

• Ocean Currents

• Influenced by 2 forces
• Primary Force that initiates the movement

• Heating of solar energy
• Wind
• Gravity
• Coriolis force

• Secondary force that influence the currents to flow
• Characteristic – Drift – 5 knots
• Types of ocean currents
  • Surface currents & Deep-water currents based on Depth
  • Cold and Warm Currents based on Temperature

• Major Ocean currents of the World
• Effects of Ocean Currents

 

4. Water Resource

• Underground water resource
• Surface water resources
• Inland water resources: Utilization of inland water resources by ma
• Oceanic water resources: Main features of ocean
• Utilization of oceans by man
• Water consumption patterns
• Water pollution
• Conservation of water resources
• Techniques of water conservation

 

5.  Biogeography

• Soil
  • Soil Characteristics
  • Factors Responsible for Soil Formation
  • Stages of Soil Formation
  • Soil Forming Processes
  • Soil Profiles and Horizons
  • Soil Classification
  • Soil Erosion and Conservation
• Vegetation resources
  • Types of natural vegetation
  • Forests
  • Significance of forests
    • Economic significance, Ecological significance
    • Cultural significance
• Factors of forest development
• Extent of forest cover
• Classification of forests
  • Grasslands
  • Desert vegetation
  • Tundra Vegetation
• Economic utilization of forests
• Deforestation
  • Deforestation in tropical forests
  • Deforestation in temperate forests
  • Rate and extent of deforestation
  • Causes and factors of deforestation: Immediate causes of deforestation
  • Indirect deforestation
  • Underlying causes of deforestation
• Conservation of forests
  • Forest conservation strategies
  • Reforestation
  • Monoculture plantation
  • Afforestation
• Types of forestry
  • Social forestry
  • Agroforestry

 

HUMAN GEOGRAPHY

1. Demography

• Concept of Human Resources
• Population Distribution
• Factors of population distribution
  • Physical Factors
  • Socio Cultural Factors
  • Demographic Factors
• World Population Distribution
  • Ecumene
  • Non-ecumene
• Continent wise distribution of Population
• Density of population
• Pattern of Population density
• Population Increase (Growth) in the World
• Causes of Rapid Increase in Population
• Present Trend
• Future Projection
• Determinants of Population Growth
• Natural Increase
• Characteristic of Population
  • Age Composition
  • Population Pyramids
  • Sex Composition
  • Literacy
• Theories of population growth
  • Malthusian theory
  • Marxian theory
  • Demographic transition theory
• Optimum population
  • Over-population
  • Under-population
• Population problems
  • Population problems of developing countries
  • Population problems of developed countries
  • Population dilemma of Europe
• Population Policies: of China, of India
• Various types of rural settlements
• Relationship between house types with relief, climate and building materials

 

2. Urbanization

• Basic Feature and Pattern of India’s Urbanization
• Issues of Urbanization in India
  • Rural Urban Migration
  • Emergence of Slums
  • Urban Transport
  • Waste Disposal
  • Water Supply, Drainage and Sanitation
  • Electronic Waste
  • Urban Poverty
  • Real Estate (Regulation & Development) Bill, 2013
• Way Forward to Tackle Issues Related to Urbanization
  • Inclusive Cities/Smart cities
  • Recent government programmes:
    • Migration
    • Displacement
    • Importance of the Rehabilitation Policy
    • Urban settlements: types
    • Urbanization process in India.
    • Morphology of urban settlements
    • Town planning and patterns of rural settlement
    • Settlement types of the world
    • Migration: Push factors and pull factors
    • Emigration during colonial, post-independent and post-liberalisation period
    • Internal versus world migration
    • Functional classification of cities
    • Difference between boundaries and frontiers, their classification
    • Rural urban fringe characteristics, advantages, problems
    • National urbanization policy
    • Principles of urban planning
    • Land cover transformation
    • Factors affecting rural settlements, their types and patterns
    • Cities – hierarchical classification, morphological classification

3. Census

• Literacy
• Sex ratio
• Family Planning
• Old Age
• Age Structure
• Density
• Population growth
• Census terminology

 

ECONOMIC GEOGRAPHY

1. Agriculture

Land resource

• Land-use
• Land capability classification
• Causes of Land Degradation
• Impact of Land Degradation
• Steps taken by GOI
• Sustainable Land Management

Basic terms related to Agriculture

• Performance of the agriculture sector
• Types of farming in India
• Dry zone farming
• Organic farming
• Cropping seasons in India
• Cropping Pattern in India
• Agriculture regionalization
• Infrastructure factors: Seeds;
• Fertilizers; Irrigation
• Land use pattern in India

• Institutional Factors as land reform
• Horticulture sector in India
• Agricultural revolutions
• Agricultural labourers
• Price Policy for Agriculture
• Agricultural marketing
• Agricultural Insurance
• Agricultural Census
• Major schemes in agricultural sector
• National Policy for farmers
• Impact of climate change on agriculture
• What is sustainable agriculture?
• Use of IT in agriculture
• Agriculture Issues and Challenges

Productivity of Crops and conditions for growth

Wheat

• Conditions of growth
• Varieties
• Types of cultivation
• Production patternInternational trade
• Rice
• Conditions of growth
• Varieties
• Methods of cultivation
• Production pattern
• International trade

Maize (Corn)

• Conditions of growth
• Production pattern
• International trade

Barley

• Conditions of growth
• Production pattern
• International trade

Oats

• Rye
• Beverages

Tea

• Condition of growth
• Production pattern
• International trade

Coffee

• Types of coffee
• Conditions of growth
• Production pattern
• International trade

Cocoa

• Conditions of growth
• Production pattern
• International trade

Tobacco

• Conditions of growth
• Production pattern
• International trade

Fibre Crops

• Cotton
  • Varieties of cotton
  • Conditions of growth
  • Production pattern
  • International trade
• Jute
  • Conditions of growth
  • Production pattern
  • International trade
  • Substitutes of Jute: Flax, Hemp
  • Abaca, Henequen
  • Sisal
• Raw Silk
  • Production pattern
  • International trade
• Natural Rubber
  • Other sources of rubber
  • Plantations in South-east Asia
  • Production pattern
  • International trade
• Sugarcane
  • Conditions of growth
  • Production pattern
  • International trade
  • Sugar Beet - Conditions of growth

• Production pattern
• Sugar industry
• Sugar consumption
• International trade

 

2. Mineral resource

• Types of minerals: Metallic minerals
• Non-metallic mineral
• Distribution of minerals and mining regions
• Distribution, production and international trade of Metallic minerals: Ferrous metals: Iron ore
• Ferro-alloys and non-ferrous
• Manganese
• Chromium
• Nickel
• Tungsten
• Antimony
• Copper
• Bauxite and Aluminium
• Zinc; Lead
• Tin
• Precious metals: Gold
• Silver
• Platinum
• Mineral chemicals
  • Mica
  • Potash
  • Phosphate
  • Nitrates
  • Sulphur
• Conservation of mineral resources

 

3. Energy resources

• Classification of energy
• Production of conventional energy
• General trends of energy production and consumption
• Reserves and sources of energy
• Coal
  • Nature and origin of coal
  • Constituents and kinds of coal
  • Coal fields and coal production
  • By products of coal
  • Conservation of Coal Petroleum
• Petroleum
  • Nature and properties of petroleum
  • Origin and recovery
  • Exploration
  • Petroleum refining
  • Petroleum reserves
  • Producing areas
  • Consumption of petroleum
  • International trade
  • OPEC and its role in oil trade
• Natural gas: Reserves and Production
• Hydro-electricity
  • Advantages of hydro-electricity
  • Ideal conditions for generation of hydro-electricity
  • Distribution of potential hydro-power
  • Hydro-electric power generation
• Atomic (nuclear) energy
  • Atomic: source minerals: Uranium
  • World distribution of uranium
  • Production of uranium
  • Thorium
  • Production of atomic (nuclear) energy
  • Nuclear energy: the energy of future
• Alternative (non-conventional) sources of energy
  • Solar energy
  • Wind energy
  • Geothermal power
  • Tidal energy
  • Wave energy
  • Biomass energy
• Alternate Energy Sources
  • Hydrogen as a Fuel for Future or Hydrogen as an Alternative Energy Source
  • Microbial Fuel Cell
  • Energy Context with Respect to Indian Scenario
  • Energy Plantation
• Energy crisis

 

4. Industry

• Industrial development
• Iron and Steel Industry
  • Process of iron and steel production
  • Location of iron and steel industry
  • Early localization
  • Development of iron manufacture
  • Distribution of iron and steel industry
  • Global steel production
  • International trade
  • Growth potential of the steel industry
• Textile Industry
  • Cotton textile industry: Location of the industry
  • Recent trends in localization
  • Distribution and production of cotton textiles
  • Woolen textile industry: Location of the industry
  • Silk textile industry: Raw silk manufacture
  • Silk textile manufacturing
  • Synthetic (artificial) silk industry:
  • Distribution of man-made fibre and fabrics.
• Engineering Industries
  • Machine tools and machines: Areas of production
  • Industrial machinery: Textile machinery
  • Other industrial machinery
  • Agricultural machinery
• Manufacturing of transport equipment
  • Automobile industry
  • Railway car and locomotive industry
  • Shipbuilding
  • Recent trends
  • Aircrafts industry
• Chemical Industry
  • Classes of chemicals: Branches of chemical industry
  • Heavy chemical industry
  • Production of acids and alkalis
  • Rise of chemical industry
  • Fertilizer industry: Nitrogen fertilizers
  • Phosphate fertilizers
  • Potash fertilizers
  • Explosives
  • Glass industry: Production of glass
• Agro-industries
  • Synthetic rubber industry
  • Pulp and paper industry: Essential
  • conditions for pulp production
  • Production of paper and paper board
  • Newsprint
  • International trade
  • Salient features of pulp and paper industry
• Cement industry
  • Distribution of cement industry
  • Recent trends: Main global competitors
• Petroleum refining industry: Localization
  • Site selection of petroleum refineries
  • History of oil refineries
  • World pattern of oil refining
  • Petroleum products
• Industrial Regions
  • Characteristics of industrial regions
  • Delimitation of an industrial region
  • Principal industrial regions of the world
  • Industrial regions of Anglo America-USA, Canada, Western Europe and Central Britain, Germany, Belgium, Netherlands, France, Italy, Eastern Europe, Poland, Former USSR
  • Eastern Asia—Japan, China, the ‘Dragons’, India, High tech patterns

 

RECENT DEVELOPMENTS 

1. Recent developments in transport sector

• Long term irrigation fund
• Sports Sector Gets the Infrastructure Status
• Railways India Development Fund
• National Infrastructure Investment Fund
• Defence Innovation Fund
• Merger of Railway Budget with General Budget
• Non-Fare Revenue Policies in
• Indian Railways
• Rail Safety Fund
• Flexi Fare Method in Railway
• Rail Cadre Management
• Tri-Netra in railways
• National Rail Plan 2030
• Draft Policy on Suburban Tracks
• India’s First Caterpillar Train
• Mission 41k
• Green corridor concept
• Made in India ‘Medha’ train
• Antyodaya Express
• Station Redevelopment Project
• Smart Railway Station
• Yatri Mitra Seva
• National Highways Interconnectivity
• Vehicle Fleet Modernization Programme
• Transit Oriented Development Policy
• Logistic Efficiency Enhancement Programme
• Indian Bridge Management System
• Road Connectivity Project for Left Wing Extremism (LWE) Affected Areas
• North East Road Network Connectivity Project
• TIR Convention
• National Road Safety Policy
• Sagarmala
• Urja Ganga Gas Line Project
• TARANG
• E-trans
• DEEP (Discovery of Efficient Electricity Price)
• GARV II APP
• Trading of Energy Saving Certificates
• 24X7 Powers for All
• Draft National Electricity Plan
• Habitat Commitment Index
• AirSewa Portal

2. Recent developments in Industrial Sector

• Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor
• Amritsar-Kolkata corridor
• Chennai-Bangalore Industrial Corridor
• Bengaluru-Mumbai Economic Corridor
• Visakhapatnam-Chennai Industrial Corridor
• East Coast Economic Corridor
• Apex Corridor Development Authority
• Star Rating of Mines
• Tamra Portal
• Mining Surveillance System
• Coal Mitra
• M-SIPS for Electronic Sector
• Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act or RERA
• Indian Enterprise Development Service
• Trade Receivables Discounting System
• SME Business Environment Index
• Medipark
• ZED Scheme
• Startup Mentorship Circle
• FAME

 

3. Recent developments in agriculture field

• AADHAR Based Biometric Authentication in PDS: Pros and Cons
• Volatility in Pulse Prices
  • Arvind Subramanian Committee on Pulse Crises
  • Government Raises Buffer Stock of Pulses
  • PUSA Arhar 16 to Bridge Demand-Supply Gap
• Agro Irradiation Centers
• Options Trading in Agricultural Produce
• Agricultural Marketing and Farm Friendly Reforms Index
• National Food Security Act
• Digitization and Agriculture
• Direct Benefit Transfer in Fertilized Sector
• Aquaponic Farm
• Gift Milk Scheme
• Draft Regulation on Fortification of Foods
• Law Commission Recommendation on Food Laws
• Concept of Modern Terminal Markets
• Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries
  • e-Pashuhaat Portal
  • Schemes of Biotech Kisan and Cattle Genomics
  • Rashtriya Gokul Mission
  • Mission Fingerling
• Terms in Brief
  • Krishi Puruskar for Small Farmers
  • Ornamental Fishing
  • Agricultural Science Congress
  • RubSiS
  • Ethanol Blending
  • National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources
  • Amendments to the NABARD Act, 1981
  • Revenue Insurance Scheme for Plantation Crops
  • Best Horticulture Award
  • Neem Coating of Urea
• Soil Health Card Scheme
• Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana
• ‘Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana
• PM Krishi Sinchai Yojana
• National Agriculture Market

 

4. Places in news

• Majuli Island
• Ashalim Project
• Loktak Lake
• Barren Island
• Rio de Janeiro
• Gotthard Base Tunnel
• Panama Canal
• Akodara
• Genetic Garden of Halophytes
• Maharashtra
• Morocco
• Sankhuwasabha
• Andhra Pradesh
• Hambantota Port
• Tirunelveli
• Palmyra
• Sabarimala Circuit
• Libya, Sudan, Somalia, Syria, Iraq,
• Yemen and Iran
• Tembhli
• Mahanadi and Tributaries
• Agartala Rail Link
• Mekadatu Project on Kaveri
• Yettinahole Project
• Country’s first Water Metro Project
• Indus basin: Shahpur Kandi Dam Project
• Ghatampur Thermal Power Project
• Deepest Rail Project
• Lost Continent
• Zealandia
• World’s First Polluted River discovered by Scientists
• Pre-historic camping site found in Ladakh
• Report on Palaeo Channel of North West India
• Cyclones in News

 

INDIAN SOCIETY FEATURES AND SOCIAL JUSTICE

 

1. Salient features of Indian society.

• Features of Indian society
• Changes within Indian society and their repercussions
• Causes of changes
• Indian society today

 

2. Diversity of India.

• What is diversity?
• Types of diversities in India
• Can diversity be equated with difference?
• The unity in diversity- a reality or a chimera
• Some examples
• Manner of reconciliation

 

3. Role of women’s organizations.

• Women’s organizations in Indian history
• Types of women’s organizations
• Level of penetration
• Women’s organization – a ray of hope
• Few case studies
• Problems faced by women’s organizations
• Is a larger vocal role possible and ways to achieve the same
• Role of SHGs, Micro finance Institutions

 

4. Poverty and development issues

• Poverty
• Concept of development
• Sen vs Bhagwati model
• Crisis of development
• Certain case studies
• Government’s initiatives and the five year plans
• Role of civil society organizations

 

5. Effects of globalization on Indian Society

• What is the meaning of globalization?
• Kinds of impact of globalization–economic, political, developmental and socio-cultural
• Is the impact solely positive or negative

 

6. Social empowerment

• Meaning and concept of social empowerment
• Why do we need social empowerment?
• Specific sections for whom social empowerment is the life blood
• Social empowerment through the five year plans
• Government’s initiatives for empowerment
• Empowerment in reality and India’s experience
• Other approaches /players/tools for social empowerment and some case studies on the same

 

7. Communalism

• Meaning and concept of communalism
• Historicity of communalism
• Recent incidents
• Role of third parties in inciting/perpetrating communalism
• Communalism under the law
• Can communalism be eradicated from the Indian society completely?

 

8. Secularism

• Meaning and concept of secularism
• Secularism through the vantage point of Indian Constitution
• Comparisons of models Indian & Western
• Gandhi ji on religion
• Indian philosophy on secularism
• Threats on the secular spirit
• Is the Indian democracy mature enough to handle the gravity of secularism?

9. Regionalism

• Meaning and concept of regionalism
• Theories on regionalism
• Regionalism in its various manifestations
• Role of various players
• Recent incidents causing a wave of flurry
• Possible ways to tackle the same

 

SOCIAL JUSTICE

1. Welfare schemes for vulnerable Sections of the population by the Centre and States

• Constitutional arrangement
• Women welfare
• Child welfare
• SC/ST welfare
• OBC welfare
• Minorities welfare
• Old age welfare
• Legislations
• Issues
• Reforms needed

 

2. Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources

• Education structure in India
• Primary, secondary and higher education
• Initiatives taken by GOI in education
• Issues
• Reforms needed
• Recommendations of committees
• Future prospects in education sector
• Skill development
• Health indicators
• Health structure in India
• Private and Public health structure
• Issues
• Reforms needed
• NITI Aayog Report
• Economic development and human development
• SDGs and India

 

3. Issues relating to poverty and hunger

• Poverty definition by different committees
• Poverty data in India
• Causes of poverty
• Poverty and unemployment
• Poverty and social conflict
• Impact of LPG on poverty
• Linkage between poverty and development
• Rural poverty
• Urban poverty
• Feminization of poverty
• Poverty alleviation measures
• Problems in implementation of Poverty alleviation programmes
• Poverty and Hunger
• Food security programmes and issues
• Hunger and health
• Impact of hunger and poverty on economic development of the nation
• Controversy related to Poverty Data Estimation

 

4. The Scheduled and Tribal Areas

• 5th Schedule Areas
• 6th Schedule Areas
• Composition of autonomous councils
• Role and functions of councils
• Role of Governor with respect to tribal areas
• Tribal sub plan

 

WELFARE SCHEMES

1. Start-up and Skill Development

• Start Up India Scheme
• Stand up India Scheme
• National Student Startup Policy
• National Skill Development Mission
• Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana
• Deen Dayal Antyodaya Yojana
• Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana
• Skill Development Initiative Scheme
• Self-Employment & Talent Utilisation (SETU)
• Atal Innovation Mission

 

2. Vulnerable Sector

• Social Security
• Atal Pension Yojana
• Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana
• Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana
• Minorities
• Nai Roshni Scheme
• USTAAD Scheme (Upgrading the Skills and Training in Traditional Arts/Crafts for Development)
• Nai Manzil Scheme
• Women and Child Development
• Beti Bachao Beti Padhao
• Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana
• Digital Gudda Guddi Board
• Sabla
• Ujjawala Scheme
• Janani Suraksha Yojana
• Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakram
• SC/ST
• Vanbandhu Kalyan Yojana
• Pradhan Mantri Adarsh Gram Yojana
• Disability
• Accessible India Campaign (Sugamya Bharat Abhiyan)

 

3. Health

• National Health Mission
• National Ayush Mission
• Swasthya Rakshan Program
• Jan Aushadhi Scheme
• Mission Indradhanush
• NFHS-4 survey

 

4. Education

• Padhe Bharat Badhe Bharat
• Mid-Day Meal Scheme
• Ishan Uday
• GIAN (Global Initiative of Academic Networks)
• Rashtriya Avishkar Abhiyan
• SWAYAM (Study Webs of Active - Learning for Young Aspiring Minds)

5. Rural & Urban Development

• Sansad Adarsh Gram Yojana
• Gram Uday Se Bharat Uday Abhiyan
• Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Rurban Mission
• Deendayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana
• Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana
• Swachch Bharat Abhiyan
• Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana- Gramin
• Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana - Urban
• Housing for all by 2022
• Smart Cities Mission
• Hriday - National Heritage City Development and Augmentation Yojana
• Amrut (Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation)

 

6. Miscellaneous Schemes

• Jeevan Praman
• Digilocker
• Bharatnet Project (National Optical Fibre Network)
• INSPIRE (Innovation in Science Pursuit
• for Inspired Research)
• SAKAAR
• Digital India
• Namami Gange Project (Integrated Ganga Conservation Mission Project)
• Ganga Gram Yojana
• Jal Kranti Abhiyan
• Khelo India
• One Rank One Pension Scheme
• PRAGATI (Pro-Active Governance and Timely Implementation)
• Indian Community Welfare Fund (ICWF)

 

7. Inclusive growth

• Measurement criteria
• Government initiatives for inclusive growth
• Basic Amenities: Housing/Drinking Waters/ Sanitations
• Sustainable Development

 

8. Rural Development

• Rural development and poverty alleviation
• Review of the Existing Programmes
• Development Administration
• Panchayati Raj
• Agriculture and Rural Development

 

9. Social Sector Bills

• The Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act
• ‘Surrogacy (Regulation) Bill, 2016’
• ‘Child Labor (Prohibition and Amendment) Bill, 2016’
• Maternity Benefit Bill, 2016
• Pre-Conception & Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PNDT) Act
• Mental Health Care Bill, 2013
• Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses (POCSO)
• Anti-Trafficking Bill with Stringent Penalty
• HIV and AIDS (Prevention and Control) Bill-2014 - Amendments
• Domestic Violence Act, 2005 - SC Widens Ambit
• Rights of Persons with Disabilities Bill, 2014 with more Benefits
• Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Bill 2016
• The Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Amendment Act

 

SOCIAL ISSUES IN NEWS

1. Secularism, Regionalism & Communalism

• Secularism and Anti-Conversion
• Regionalism: Demand for smaller states
• Repercussions of making Hindi compulsory
• Socio-Economic Caste Census, 2011

 

2. Issues related to Women

• Maternity benefit Amendment Bill
• Altruistic surrogacy in India
• Status of widows
• Acid Attacks
• SC banned Women Sterilization in India
• Issue of Sex ratio
• Issue of Triple Talaq
• Female Foeticide and Infanticide
• Reservation for Women in Legislature
• Women in Combat Duties
• Women in panchayats
• Women participation in Economy
• Challenges faced by Working Women
• Draft National Policy for Women, 2016

 

3. Issues related to Children

• Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses
• Issue of malnutrition in India
• Amendments proposed in Child Labour Act
• Plight of street children
• Adoption Regulations, 2017
• National Child Policy
• Out of school children: Issues and steps needed

• Cradle Baby Scheme
• Juvenile Justice System
• Child Marriages in India
• Draft bill on child abduction
• National Action Plan for Children, 2016
• Report on the Protection of Children (Inter-Country Removal and Retention) Bill, 2016

 

4. Social issues

• Social stigma attached with HIV
• Issues related to Transgender and Transgender Persons Bill, 2015
• Euthanasia Issue: An Analysis
• Right to Privacy and Aadhaar
• Mental Health Care Bill
• Anti-Trafficking Bill, 2016
• Challenge of ageing with dignity
• Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act
• Maintenance of Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act
• Manual Scavenging
• Mob lynching and Rule of Law
• Issue related to Undertrials
• Issues related to Sanitation
• Sharp reality of displacement
• Moral policing
• Income inequality in India
• Forest Rights Act: Analysis

 

5. Health & Education

• Issue of poor infrastructure in schools
• No Detention Policy
• New Policy on Education
• Lancet Report on Healthcare spending
• New Health Policy, 2017
• Technology Adaptation in Health Care
• Food Fortification

 

6. Government initiatives in social sector

• Progress Panchayat initiative
• National Sex Offender Registry
• Slum Redevelopment
• Issue of farmer suicide in India
• Anthropological Survey of India
• National Commission for Socially and Educationally Backward Classes
• T.V.S.N. Prasad Report on Pellet Guns
• Uniform Civil Code
• Concept of Open Prison

 

Polity & Governance

 

1. Historical Evolution & Features

• Importance of Constitution
• Historical evolution of the Constitution
• Constituent Assembly
• Objectives of the Constitution
• Salient features of Indian Constitution
• Unitary features
• Federal features
• Parliamentary form of government
• Presidential form of government
• Parliamentary vs. Presidential system of government

 

2. Preamble

• Preamble
  • Basic features
  • Value premises of constitution
  • Terminologies as:
    • Democratic
    • Sovereign
    • Socialist
    • Secular
    • Republic
    • Justice
    • Equality
    • Liberty
    • Fraternity
    • Integrity

 

3. Citizenship

• Basic constitutional features
• Methodology of getting citizenship
• Modes of Losing the Citizenship of India
• Concept of dual citizenship
• Citizenship provisions in J&K
• Special privileges enjoyed by citizens in India

 

4. Fundamental Rights

• Significance of Fundamental Rights
• Right to Equality
• Right to Freedom
• Right against Exploitation
• Right to Freedom of Religion
• Cultural and Educational Rights
• Right to Constitutional Remedies
• Difference between procedure established by law and due process of law
• Writs and their uses
• Restrictive limitations on fundamental rights

 

5. DPSP

• Basic features
• Directives
• Economic and Social DPSP
• Gandhian DPSP
• Administrative DPSP
• DPSP related to International Peace
• Implementation of DPSP
• Fundamental Rights and the Directive Principles of State Policy Controversy

 

6. Fundamental Duties

• Features
• Link of Fundamental Rights & Fundamental Duties

 

7. Other Principles

• Process of law making in India
• Role of Constitutional and extra constitutional bodies in law making
• Basic structure: How it evolves?
• Different types of majorities required in Indian Constitution
• DPSP Fundamental Rights
• Doctrines Terminologies

8. Separation of Powers

• Features in American and UK Constitution
• Checks and balances provisions in Indian Constitution
• Judicial Review
• Concept of Separation of Powers

9. Comparison of the Indian constitutional scheme with that of other countries

• It should cover Comparison of USA, UK, India and neighbours

10. Union & States

• State Reorganization Commission (brief)
• Components of Indian territory
• Process of formation of new states
• Zonal Councils
• Union territories
• Special provisions for states

11. Functions and responsibilities of the Union and the States

• Regulating functions of Government
• Development functions of government
• Service providing functions of government
• Problems in implementation
• Recommendations for improvement
• Interrelationship between union, state and local government in implementation of roles
• Constitutional provisions related to financial devolution
• Issues of financial devolution

12. The federal structure

• Administrative relations
• Legislative relations
• Financial relations
• Misuse of Article 356
• Issues related to concurrent list
• Issues related to appointment of Governor
• Issues related to state formation
• Poor devolution of finances

• Reserving bill for Presidential approval
• Central sponsored schemes and issues
• Special package for different states
• Issues between Centre and State after 1990 reforms
• Foreign policy and Centre and State Relations

13. The President

• Importance of President
• Qualification
• Election procedure
• Advantages and disadvantages of single transferable form of voting
• Presidents’ Term of Office and emoluments
• Executive Powers
• Legislative Powers
• Emergency Powers
• Financial Powers
• Miscellaneous powers
• Judicial powers
• Presidents Impeachment
• President as nominal head
• Issues
  • Ordinance making power
  • Passage of bills
• Misuse of emergency provisions
  • Pardon power
  • Coalition government

14. Vice President

• Office of the Vice-President
• Functions

15. Prime Minister

• Appointment of PM
• Functions of PM
• Role of PM with respect to
  • CoM
  • President
  • Lok Sabha
  • Political Party
  • Coalition Government

16. Council of Ministers

• Division of CoM
• Role of CoM
• Role of Cabinet
• Responsibilities of the Ministers

17. Attorney General of India

• Qualification
• Functions
• Powers with respect to parliament

18. Parliament

• Composition of Rajya Sabha
• Composition of Lok Sabha

• Composition of Legislative assembly and Legislative Council
• Qualification and disqualification of MPs and MLAs
• Vacation of seats
• Sessions of parliament
• Law making procedure
• Officers of Parliament and state legislature
• Parliament Proceedings
• Motions and resolutions in Parliament
• Powers and Privileges
• Financial proceedings
• Comparison of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha
• Comparison of Legislative assembly and council
• Women reservation in Parliament and issues
• Lowering of Parliamentary powers
• Parliamentary committees and their working
• Judicial activism and Parliament
• Delegated legislation and issues

 

19. The Union Judiciary

• Integrated judicial system
• Supreme Court
  • Composition
  • Independence of Supreme Court
  • Jurisdiction of SC
  • Judicial Review
• High Court
  • Composition
  • Terms and removal
  • Jurisdiction
  • Other powers
  • Lower judiciary
  • Appointment
  • Powers
• The role of the Supreme Court of India as guardian of the Constitution and protector of Fundamental Rights
• Judicial Review
• PIL
• Judicial Activism
• Judiciary appointment
• Collegiums System
• NJAC Controversy
• National Court of Appeal
• Judicial Accountability
• Issues of corruption in judiciary

20. Ministries and Departments of the

Government

• Functioning of Ministries
• Central Secretariat
• Cabinet Secretary
• Field organizations
• Reforms needed
• International methodology

21. Panchayats

• Provisions of 73rd AA and 74th AA
• Role and functions of different tiers
• Municipal Corporations
• Municipal Councils
• Nagar Panchayats
• The steps taken towards women’s empowerment
• Role of State Election commission
• Role of State Finance Commission
• Smart City Mission & Municipal Governance

22. Dispute redressal mechanisms and institutions

• What is Dispute redressal mechanism?
• Need of Dispute redressal mechanisms
• Administrative tribunal and issues
• Fast Track Courts and issues
• Gram Nyayalayas and issues
• Parivarik Mahila Lok Adalats and issues
• Family Courts and issues
• Lok Adalat and issues
• NALSA and issues
• Dispute redressal for Weaker section
• Arbitration Mechanism
• International Arbitral Centre
• Commercial Court

23. Comptroller And Auditor-General of India

• Appointment
• Functions
• Role of CAG in good governance

24. The Governor

• Appointment, term of office, qualification, etc
• Powers
• Discretionary powers
• Ordinance making power

25. Chief Minister

• Appointment
• Powers and responsibilities
• Relationship between the Governor and the Chief Minister
• Relationship between CoM and the Chief Minister

26. The Advocate-General for the State

• Appointment
• Functions

27. State legislature

• The composition of Vidhan Sabha and Vidhan Parishad
• Qualifications of the Members of Legislature
• Powers and Functions of State Legislature
• Relationship between both the Houses
• Officers of State Legislature
• Powers, Privileges and Immunities of State Legislatures and their Members
• Legislative procedure
• Governor’s assent to Bills
• Procedure in Financial Matters/Budget

 

Governance

1. Need and importance of Government Policies

• Growth and development
• Human development and human capital formation
• Equality (interpersonal and interregional) and social justice
• Unity and integrity
• Trust between state and citizens

2. Effective Implementation

• What is effective implementation? Best outcomes in view of given time, resources and constraints
• Analysis of different important schemes

3. Government intervention

• Good Governance-Role of institutions, bureaucrats and other stakeholders
• Transparency and accountability
• Optimum use of resources- Right targeting, plugging leakages and wasteful expenditure, use of available knowledge, research and innovation.
• Monitoring and evaluation- Outcome budget, zero base budgeting, input output analysis, cost-benefit analysis
• Setting up institutions and regulatory norms task forces, steering committees and review committees.

4. Development process and industry

• Difference between Growth and Development
• Main Constraints of development
• Main Stakeholders in development process
• Self Help Groups
  • Meaning
  • Importance
  • Objectives
  • Institutional Structure and organization
  • Funding
• Micro Finance
  • Meaning and importance
  • Objectives
  • Structure and Organization
  • Advantages
  • Micro Finance in India
• Non-Government Organizations
  • What are NGOs?
  • Difference between Non Government Organizations (NGOs) and International Non Governmental Organizations (INGOs)
  • United Nations Criteria for INGO and NGO
  • NGOs and development projects
• NGOs and Community development
• NGOs involved in relief and rehabilitation
• NGOs involved in disaster management
• NGOs and advocacy

5. Important aspects of governance, transparency and accountability

• Citizen centric governance
• Features of good governance
• Legislative accountability
• Administrative accountability
• Judicial accountability
• Ombudsman
• Whistleblowers concept
• Anti corruption machinery
• Role of citizens
• Role of media
• Social audit
• Systematic reforms

6. e-Governance

• Introduction
• Applications
• Models
• Successes
• Limitations
• Future prospects

7. Citizens Charters

• Citizens Charters
• Introduction
• Models
• Features
• CC in India
• Issues in CC implementation
• Reform needed

8. Role of civil services in a democracy

• Concept of civil services
• Need for civil services
• Different role of civil services
• Law making
• Policy formulation
• Policy implementation
• Policy evaluation
• Civil services as protector of democracy
• To protect minorities (religious and linguistic)
• To promote Inclusive and sustainable growth

9. Pressure groups and formal/informal associations and their role in the Polity

• What are pressure groups?
• Types
• The significance of pressure groups in India
• Differentiate between a pressure group and a political party
• Evaluation of pressure groups role

 

10. Appointment to various Constitutional posts, powers, functions and responsibilities of various Constitutional Bodies

• Appointment of CAG (procedure of appointment) - composition of CAG
• Functions and responsibilities of CAG
• Powers and privileges of CAG (provided by constitution and different ACTs of Parliament.)
• Appointment of ECI (procedure of appointment) - composition of ECI
• Functions and responsibilities of ECI
• Powers and privileges of ECI (provided by constitution and different ACTs of Parliament)
• Appointment to UPSC (procedure of appointment)- composition of UPSC
• Functions and responsibilities of UPSC
• Powers and privileges of UPSC (provided by constitution and different ACTs of Parliament.)
• Appointment to Finance commission (procedure of appointment) - composition of Finance commission
• Functions and responsibilities of Finance commission
• Powers and privileges of the Finance commission (provided by constitution and different ACTs of Parliament.)
• National commission for SCs and STs.

11. Statutory, regulatory and various quasi-judicial bodies

• SEBI
• CVC
• CBI
• Planning Commission
• NDC
• PMO
• Zonal Council
• TRAI
• IRDA
• National Human Rights Commission
• State Human Rights Commission
• Central Information Commission
• State Information Commission
• National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission
• Tribunal
• Medical Council Of India
• Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority
• Biodiversity Authority Of India
• Press Council Of India
• Forward Markets Commission
• Inland Waterways Authority Of India
  • RBI

12. Elections in India

• Salient features of the Representation of People Act, 1950
• Salient features of Representation of Peoples Act, 1951
• Electoral reforms
• Criminalization of politics
• Negative or neutral voting
• State funding of Elections
• Irregularities in polling

13. Political Parties in India

• Political parties in India
• Party reforms
• Problems in the working of parties 
• Casteism and politics
• Reforms in Party system in India
• Strengthening of Anti-defection measures

14. Role of Pressure Groups

• Types of pressure groups
• Role of pressure group in developing countries
• Functions of pressure groups in India
• Pressure groups and Methods
• Pressure groups and Democracy
• Criticism of pressure groups

Recent Developments

1. Bills

• Representation of People (Amendment) Bill 2010
• Aadhaar (Targeted Delivery of Financial and other Subsidies, Benefits and Services) Act, 2016’
• Admiralty (Jurisdiction and Settlement of Maritime Claims) Bill, 2016
• The Anti-Hijacking Act, 2016
• Panchayats (Extension to the Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996
• Lokpal & Lokayukta (Amendment) Act, 2016
• Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill, 2016
• Whistleblowers Amendment Bill

 

2. Union & State Government

• Imposition of President Rule: An Analysis
• Frequent promulgation of Ordinance
• Provisions related to Removal of Governors
• Politicization of the post of Governor
• Relevance of Rajya Sabha
• Frequent disruption of Parliament and its impact
• Anti-Defection Law
• Issue related to Office of Profit
• Special privileges to MPs and its implication
• Freebies Politics in India
• Political Parties and RTI
• Basics of Separation of Power in India

3. Judiciary

• Issue related to appointment of judges
• Proposal for National Court of Appeal
• Concept of defamation in India
• Contempt of Court
• What are contempt proceedings?
• Public Interest Litigation
• Advocates (Amendment) Bill, 2017 Controversy
• Issue of Judicial overreach
• National Litigation Policy
• All India Judicial Services
• Judicial reforms
• Future challenges may be faced by Indian Judiciary
• Administrative Tribunals

4. Local Government

• Nagaland Reservation in Urban bodies: Issue
• Education qualification made mandatory for contesting Local Government Elections
• Reforms needed in Municipalities in Sync with Urban development Missions
• 14th Finance Commission and Local Governments

5. Elections

• Simultaneous Elections: feasibility and benefits
• Introduction of NOTA in elections
• Bill on Right To Recall Legislators
• Benefits of recognition as a National party
• Provision of Compulsory Voting
• State funding in elections
• Corporate funding laws
• Election Commission Proposal for countering bribe-for-votes
• About Paper Trail Units
• Issues related to the working of Political Parties
• Voting rights to NRI
• Role of civil society in free and fair election
• Women voices in elections
• Law Commission Report on Electoral Reforms

6. Organisations/Bodies

• 14th Finance Commission: Analysis
• 7th Pay Commission Report and Repercussions
• AFSPA and Second ARC
• Inter-State River Water Dispute
• Role of Niti Aayog
• Significance of Public Accounts Committee
• Autonomy of CBI
• Analysis of functioning of CAG
• Right to Information
• Accountability and transparency in NGOs
• Need of Indian Skill Development Service

7. Initiatives for Transparency & Accountability

• Saving life and Good Samaritan Law
• Pro-Active Governance and Timely Implementation (PRAGATI)
• Right Based Approach in Policy Making
• Direct Benefit transfer
• Issues related to Making Aadhaar Mandatory
• Reforms needed in Indian Bureaucracy
• Performance appraisal system in bureaucracy
• Curb on VIP culture

8. Scheme

• Pradhan Mantri Jan-Dhan Yojana (PMJDY)
• Swachh Bharat Mission
• National Skill Development Mission
• National Food Security Act, 2013
• Sansad Adarsh Gram Yojana
• Smart City Mission
• Namami Gange

9. Reports & Policies

• Niti aayog’s report on rationalization of Centrally Sponsored Schemes
• Law Commission’s 268th Report on Bail Reforms
• Law Commission Report on Hate Speech
• Model Land Leasing Law prepared by NITI Aayog
• Standing Committee Report on water conservation
• Report on Working Group on Migration

10. Miscellaneous

• Liquor ban on highways: critical analysis
• SC Makes National Anthem Mandatory
• National Water Framework Bill
• Regionalism: Demand for smaller states
• Directly Elected Mayor
• Special category status to states: Meaning and demand
• Analysis of Singur Verdict
• Debate on the issue of Lobbying in India
• Media Role and Censorship issue
• Fundamental Duties – Awareness Campaigns is the Duty of Centre
• National Anthem - Mandatory in Cinema Halls - Article 51(a)
• Prevention of Insults to National Honor Act, 1971
• Triple Talaq Issue
• Uniform Civil Code
• MGNREGA: Right to Work
• Making AADHAR Mandatory Violates Fundamental Rights

 

International Relations

India & Neighbours

1. India – Nepal Relations

• Background of Relation
• Political
• Economic
• The Issue of Water and Hydropower Cooperation
• Social
• Psychological
• The Recent Visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi
• Recommendations to Improve Relations

2. India and Bhutan

• Economy: A Broad Overview
• India, Bhutan and China: issues
• The Recent Landmark visit by Indian Prime Minister

3. Indo-Afghan Bilateral Relations

• A Long History of Bilateral Relations
• The India-Afghanistan Development Partnership
• Strategic factors undergirding India’s Partnership with Afghanistan
• Afghanistan after NATO Withdrawal
• Options for India

4. India-Bangladesh Relations

• Development Partnership
• India-Bangladesh Relations in line with ‘Look East’ policy
• Recent Boundary Agreements and their analysis

5. India-Maldives Relations

• Geostrategic Importance of Maldives
• Development Cooperation
• Security Risks

6. India-Sri Lanka Relations

• Commercial Relations
• Developmental Cooperation
• Fishermen Issue

7. India-Myanmar Relations

• Relation through ages
• Recent change in policy
• China Role

8. Indo-Pak Relations

• Major Crisis
• Water Dispute
• Current Internal Scenario
• Impact on India
• Developments in Last One Year

9. Indo-China Relations

• Economic Relation
• China India Water Related Issue
• “String of Pearls Strategy”
• China’s Maritime Silk Route Implications for India

10. South China Sea Dispute

• Main Disputes
• Resources as a Driver of Competition
• Attempts for Resolution
• India and South China Dispute

11. Security Challenges in the Indian Ocean Region

• The Pivot to Asia – US Policy Shift
• South China Sea- Issues of Mistrust
• Piracy off the coast of Somalia
• Neighbourhood Issues and Terrorism
• Energy Routes
• Fisheries and Livelihood Issues
• Environmental Security
• Declaration of Indian Ocean as Zone of Peace
• India and Asian Nations relations

India & Asian Nations Relations

1. CIS Countries of Central Asia

• India-Turkmenistan
• India-Kazakhstan
• India Tajikistan
• China And Central Asia
• International North-South Transport Corridor
• Shanghai Cooperation Organisation

2. India-Mongolia

• India-Mongolia Bilateral Cooperation
• Deal on Uranium Supply
• Visit

3. India – UAE Relations

• Political and economic relation
• Oil Economic Relation

4. India – IRAN

• Iran Nuclear Deal and India
• India Iran Relations
• US-Geopolitical and Geo-Economic Consideration in Iran

5. India – ISRAEL

• Israel and Palestine
• India – Israel Relations

6. India – Saudi Arabia

• Areas of Cooperation
• Challenges in relations

7. Asia-Pacific Region

• Zones of Activity
• Regional Groupings
• Geopolitics of Asia Pacific

8. India-South East Asia

• Steps in Indo-ASEAN Relations
• India-ASEAN Security Co-operation

9. Indo-Japan Bilateral Relationship

• Economy Centric Relationship
• Contemporary Perspective

10. India – South Korea

• India South Korea Relations
• Economic Partnership in Recent Years

11. India-Vietnam

• Economic Cooperation
• Strategic Cooperation
• Geo-political Issues concerning India-Vietnam Energy Cooperation
• China’s Response
• India’s Response

India & Asian Nations Relations

1. Indian Diaspora

• Role played by Indian Diaspora
• Issue of safety of Indians abroad
• Schemes for Welfare of Overseas Indian
• Narendra Modi and Indian Diaspora

India & Other Nation & Institutions

1. India and Africa

• Historical Connections
• Gandhi’s Role
• Nehru’s Role
• Strengthening of Ties
• South-south Engagement
• Current Dynamics
• Economic Cooperation
• Human resources development and capacity building
• Energy Cooperation
• Military Security Co-operation
• Trade Policy under Modi
• Afro-Indian Trade
• Indian investment in Africa
• African investment in India
• Development cooperation and assistance

2. Indo-Australia Relationship

• Immigration Issue and Indian Diaspora
• Economic Relationship
• Issue of Nuclear Cooperation
• India-Russia Bilateral Relationship
• Shanghai Cooperation Organization
• Warming Relationship between Pakistan and Russia

3. France

• Strategic Partnership
• Prime Minister’s Recent Visit to France

4. Germany

• Indian-Germany Economic Relations

5. United Kingdom

• Ties in Current Context
• Scotland’s Referendum
• India & BREXIT

6. India-US Relations

• Area of Cooperation: Strategic Consultations
• Area of Co-operation : Counter terrorism and Internal Security
• Area of Cooperation : Trade and Economic
• Area of Cooperation : Energy and Climate Change
• Area of Cooperation : Science & Technology (S&T) and Space
• Area of Cooperation : People to People Ties
• Area of Cooperation : Defence Cooperation
• Intellectual Property Issues
• India and International Organisations

7. The World Trade Organization

• Representation in the WTO and Economic Groupings
• How the WTO takes Decisions
• The WTO Secretariat and Budget
• How Countries Join the WTO
• Assisting Developing and Transition Economies
• Specialized Help for Export Promotion
• The WTO’s Part in Global Economic Policy-making
• Nairobi Package adopted at 10th WTO Ministerial Conference
• WTO reports rise in protectionism

8. International Monetary Fund

• International Monetary Fund (IMF)
• India gets more Voting Rights in IMF Reforms

9. Nuclear Security Summit

• The fourth Nuclear Security Summit: 2016
• Threats of Nuclear Terrorism
• Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR)
• Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG)
• Recent Support for NSG Membership for India
• Why is India seeking to become a member of NSG?
• Why are certain countries opposing India’s entry into NSG?
• Argument in favour for India Joining NSG

10. BRICS

• Economic Environment in BRICS Countries
• Last BRICS Summit in Goa, India
• BRICS-BIMSTEC Outreach Summit

11. BIMSTEC

• Convention on Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters

12. IBSA

• IBSA Potential
• Need for Revitalizing IBSA
• India’s Policy Options
• Technological Collaboration

13. SAARC

• Indo-Pak Conflict
• Problem of Resource Development
• Prospects For SAARC

14. Relevance of Non-Alignment in present India

• What is NAM?
• Relevance in present era

15. India-ASEAN Economic Cooperation

• Singapore
• Vietnam
• Indonesia
• India ASEAN FTA in Service

 

Economy

Basic Economy

1. Indian Economy and issues relating to planning

• Indian Economy in Pre-independence Period
• Economy on Eve of Independence
• Challenges
• Features
• Post-Independence India
• Issues
• Agriculture and its development so far
• Industry
• Services
• Phases of Economic Development in India
• Nehruvian Socialist Economy
• Economic Reforms
• Planning
• Objectives
• Technical details
• Planning History
• Analysis of each plan

2. Resource Mobilization

• Types of resources: Physical capital and finance capital
• Need for resource mobilization- Police State and Democratic Welfare State
• Sources of resource mobilization: Public Sector and Private Sector
• Savings and investment over the five year plan
• Budgetary resources: Tax and Non tax
• Role of Public Debt in resource mobilization and effects: Market borrowing, loans, grants, etc.
• Role of fiscal and monetary policies in resource mobilization
• Role of foreign investment in resource mobilization, desirability and consequences
• Multilateral agencies and resource mobilization

3. Inclusive growth and issues arising from it

• Meaning and concept of Inclusion
• India’s experience
• Social sector initiatives and inclusion process
• Ground reality and working of flagship schemes
• India’s growth story in this context
• Why is India's growth not inclusive?
• Rural economy based growth
• Need for Sustainable agriculture, food security and resilience for growth.
• Public distribution schemes: Way to inclusive growth.
• Financial inclusion as an instrument of inclusive growth.
• Poverty Alleviation and Employment Generation as a strategy for inclusive growth
• Social sector development as an instrument for inclusive growth.
• Public private partnership for inclusive growth
• Industrial Integration for inclusive growth
• Sectoral and regional diversification as a tool for inclusive growth.

4. Government Budgeting

• Budget terminology
• Types of budget
• Features of outcome budgeting
• Merger of Railway and General Budget
• Benefits of budgeting
• Flaws in budgeting process
• Budget analysis

5. Investment models

• Measures of Investment
• Capital and investment
• Factors affecting investment
• Classification of Investment
• FDI
• Angel Investors and Start-ups
• M&A
• Investment Models
• Role of State
• PPP (Public-Private Partnership)
• Savings and Investment Trends

6. Fiscal Policy

• Fiscal Policy in India
• Important Budgetary Terms and Fiscal Concept
• Government Revenues & Spending
• Deficits
• Balance Sheet

7. Taxation

• Taxation Meaning
• Principles of Taxation
• Objectives of Taxation
• Taxation for Mobilization of Resources
• Tax System in India
• Subsidies
• Tax Reforms
• GST

8. Monetary policy in India

• Instruments of Monetary Policy
• Monetary policy in pre-reform Era (1948 – 1991)
• Monetary Policy in Post-Reform Era (Since – 1991)
• Urjit Patel Committee Report
• Monetary Policy Committee and Inflation Targeting

9. Financial system

• Money Market in India
• Capital Market in India
• Indian Capital Market Regulatory Framework
• Primary Market Reforms in India
• Secondary Market Reforms in India

10. Banking

• Indian Banking System
• Functions of Commercial Banks
• Challenges Faced by Commercial Banks in India
• Nationalization of Banks in India
• Banking Reforms in India
• New Bank Licence Criteria
• Small Finance Banks and Payment Banks Criteria
• Non-Banking Financial Company (NBFC)
• Terminologies/Concepts Related to Banking in India
• Financial Inclusion
• NPAs
• Bills related to Banking

11. Foreign trade & International Organisations

• International Trade
• Trade Policy
• Balance of Payments
• Foreign Capital
• Impact of Globalization on Indian Economy
• International Monetary Fund
• WTO
• World Bank Group
• AIIB and NDB

Agriculture

1. Role of Agriculture in Indian Economy
2. Land resource

• Land-use
• Land capability classification
• Causes of Land Degradation
• Impact of Land Degradation
• Steps taken by GOI
• Sustainable Land Management

3. Land Reforms

• Objectives of Land Reforms in India
• Progress of Land Reforms in India
• Progress of Ceiling Legislation
• NITI Aayog Report on Land Leasing

4. Agriculture Finance

• Features of Agricultural Finance
• Criteria for Agricultural Credit
• Need for Agricultural Finance
• Sources of Agricultural Finance
• Problems of Agricultural Finance
• Measures taken to improve credit flow to agriculture
• Co-operative Credit Societies in India

5. Agricultural Credit Institutions

• Commercial Bank
• Lead Bank Scheme
• Multi Agency Approach
• Regional Rural Banks
• National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD)
• Reserve Bank of India
• Kisan Credit Card Scheme
• Self Help Group (SHG)
• Bank Linkage Programme
• Rural Infrastructure Development Fund (RIDF)
• Government Policy For Agricultural Credit
• Farmers Service Societies (FSS)

6. Crop Insurance in India

• Historical Background
• Issues Related to Crop Insurance
• Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana
• Comparison with Earlier Crop Insurance Schemes
• Challenges

7. Agriculture Marketing

• Process of Agricultural Marketing in India
• Structure of Agricultural Marketing in India
• Importance of Proper Agriculture Marketing
• Government Measures to Improve Agricultural Marketing in India
• Analysis of APMC Act

8. Subsidies

• Objectives of subsidies
• Transfer of resources from gainers from economic policies to losers from economic policies
• Farm Subsidies
• Fertiliser subsidies
• Subsidy on power
• Subsidy on irrigation
• Rationale of Minimum Support Price
• Impact of MSP on inflation
• Public Distribution System: Objectives, functioning, limitations, revamping, evolution from universal PDS to targeted PDS, Targeted PDS, a critical analysis of cost and benefit of PDS
• Buffer Stock policy and government’s intervention in food market to keep prices under reasonable limits to help consumers
• Food Security bill, questions of resource mobilization for the FSB, criticism of the FSB
• Important questions on the future of subsidies

9. Agricultural Revolutions in India

• Green Revolution
• White Revolution – Operation Flood
• Yellow Revolution
• Blue Revolution
• Golden Fiber Revolution: Jute

10. Food Processing

• Processed Foods Scenario with respect to Specific Sectors
• Policy Initiatives
• Infrastructure Development in Food Processing Sector
• Issues in Food Processing Sector
  • FDI Policy in Food Processing
  • Notable Trends in the Indian Food Processing Sector
  • Strategies Adopted in Budget
  • New foreign and domestic investment
  • Sector-specific government policies

 

INDUSTRY

1. Industrial policy and industrial development: Main Issues

• Mahalanobis strategy and India’s industrial policy-Discussing Industrial policy resolution 1948 and 1956 critically
• New Economic Policy and Industrial policy under the policy of liberalization, privatization and globalization
• Phases of Industrial development

2. Main features of Industrial development in India

• Roles of private sector and public sector, Investment in the industrial sector, employment, productivity, profit etc.
• Strategies for disinvestment and privatization
• Role of Small, Medium and Micro enterprises, Government Policy, main problems, effects of globalization
• New Manufacturing Policy
• Industrial disbursal and Industrial corridors
• SEZs- Main issues like land use, relocation of same industries that exist, exports earnings vs loss of tax income
• Industrial sickness, institutional mechanism to support the sick industries, exit policy issues
• Main constraints in the industrial development of India
• Effects of globalization on industries, Sub-prime crisis and sovereign debt crisis on Industry in India
• Industrial Finance in India: Role of development banking, commercial banking, venture capital, angel capital in industrialization and promotion of entrepreneurship
• Make in India achievements

TRANSPORT

• Transport
• Importance and development of transport
• Means of transport
• Transport costs and economic distance
• Operating costs in transport
• Relative importance of means of transport: Railways, Roads, Pipeline, Oceans, Air transport
• Profits and freight rates
• Government’s transport policy
• Transport patterns in the world:
• Oceanic transport Ocean transport routes
• Inland waterways
• Main regions of inland waterways
• Railways: Factors affecting the railroads
• Distribution of railroads in the world
• Factors influencing air transport
• Pipeline Transport
• Petroleum (oil) Pipelines
• Gas Pipelines
• Transport costs and specialization
• Transport and trade in the modern era
• Transport costs and scale economies
• Falling transport costs increase trade between neighbours
• Failing transport costs lead to concentration within countries
• Negative externalities of transport
• Important issues
  • Ownership and financing
  • Pricing of Public utilities
  • Infrastructure as avenues for investment
  • Project delays-reasons and measures to overcome
  • Public Private Partnership and related issues
  • Operation and Maintenance of roads, railways, irrigation and power projects-Main problems and solutions
  • Impact of Infrastructure-Economic impacts, impact on social development, environmental impacts

RECENT DEVELOPMENTS

1. Finance

• Changes in Budget process in India
• Public Debt Management Cell
• IBBI and INSOLVENCY RULES
• Demonetization and its impact
• Goods and Services Tax
• Digital Payments scenario
• Task Force Releases draft Bill to establish a Financial Data Management Center
• Task Force report on Financial Redress Agency Released
• Law Commission submits report on Income Tax related to Minors
• Consumer get free hand on paying service charge
• Monetary Policy Committee Review
• Report of Working Group on development of Corporate Bond Market in India
• Concept of municipal bonds
• Lower taxes, higher compliance: implication on economy

2. Banking

• Bank Consolidation: Pros and Cons
• Concept of willful defaulter
• Concept of bad bank
• Shadow banking
• Non Performing Assets
• Debate on RBI autonomy
• Indradhanush Analysis
• MCLR regime
• Unified Payment Interface
• India’s Post payment bank
• Issue of Balance Sheet Syndrome
• Differentiated Bank Licenses

3. Industry

• Standing Committee submits report on Industrial Policy
• Draft National Food Processing Policy Released
• Initiatives for Fund for start-ups
• Companies need to look beyond CSR
• Merger of telecoms
• National Company Law Tribunal
• Initiatives to support MSME sector
• Model Shop and Establishment Bill, 2016
• National Capital Goods Policy
• H1B visa rules and IT sector
• Ease of doing business initiatives in Realty sector
• Coal linkage policy
• Ministry releases Draft Labor Code on Social Security
• Analysis of Competition Commission of India

4. Agriculture

• NITI Aayog report on Agriculture
• Agricultural Index by NITI Aayog
• Defects in Procurement Policy
• Reforming trade in agriculture products
• Report on incentivising production of pulses released by Ministry of Finance
• Draft Model APMC Act, 2016 released

5. Infrastructure

• Sagarmala project
• Inland waterways in India
• Safety issues in Railways
• Draft policy for providing New Suburban Rail Systems released
• NITI Aayog releases report on the impact of social service obligations by Railways
• Indian Railway Tourism Policy
• Aviation Sector and Regional Connectivity Scheme
• Air Service Agreement
• HELP
• Ministry of Power releases guidelines on cross-border trading of electricity
• Supreme Court bans sale of vehicles not compliant with BS IV standards
• Multi-Modal Transport System

6. External sector

• Model Bilateral investment treaty
• Phasing out of FIPB
• FDI status and issues
• Permanent residency status to foreign investors
• Dispute Settlement Mechanism in WTO
• Increase in International Trade Dispute
• FTP 2015-20
• Reforms in IMF quota 

7. Committees

• FSLRC - Financial Sector Legislative Reforms Commission: Analysis
• Nachiket Mor Committee Report
• PJ Nayak Committee
• Vijay Kelkar Committee on PPP
• Parthasarathi Shome committee on GAAR
• Urjit Patel Committee Report on Monetary Policy
• Mahapatra Committee (NBFC Loan Restructuring)
• Usha Thorat Committee
• Debroy Committee on Railways
• N.K. Sing Panel Report on FRBM
• Shanta Kumar Committee
• Ratan Watal Committee on Digital Payments

8. Miscellaneous

• Unemployment survey
• India’s first International Arbitration Centre inaugurated.
• Ponzi scheme and Issues
• Fat tax: concept analysis
• National Student Startup Policy

 

Science & Technology

Biology

1. Chemical Building Blocks of Life
2. History and Origin of Life
3. Cells

• Cell Structure
• Membranes
• Cell-Cell Interactions
• Energy and Metabolism
• Respiration
• Photosynthesis
• How Cells Divide
• Sexual Reproduction

4. Genetics

• Inheritance
• DNA, The Genetic Material
• Gene Expression
• Gene Regulation
• Mutation
• Recombinant DNA Technology

5. Classification of Living Things

• Classification and Domains of Life
• General Biology/Classification of Living Things/Viruses
• Prokaryotes
• Eukaryotes
• Protists
• Plants
• Fungi
• Animals

6. Evolution

• Evolution of Life
• Animal Evolution
• Human Evolution

7. Tissues

• Epithelial tissue
• Connective tissue
• Muscle tissue

8. Economic Zoology

• Beneficial animals: Corals - Earthworm -Vermiculture - Beneficial insects Prawns - Lobsters - Crabs – Pearl oysters - Fishes - Guano - Aquarium Vivarium
• Harmful animals: Disease causing organisms Vectors - Poisonous organisms – Fouling organisms - Pests.

9. Endocrine System

• Hypothalamus
• Pineal body (epiphysis)
• Pituitary gland (hypophysis)
• Thyroid
• Adrenal glands
• Reproductive glands

10. Respiration

• External and Internal Respiration
• Respiratory system in Plants
• Respiratory System in Insects
• Respiratory System in Humans and Animals

11. The Transport System in Organisms

• Transport system in a Cell
• Transport System in Plants
• Transport System in Animals
• Blood Vascular System
• The Lymphatic System

12. Skeletal and Muscular Systems

• Bone and Skeleton System (Osteology)
• Ligaments (Syndesmology)
• Muscular System (Myology)
• Vertebrates

13. Reproduction

• Asexual Reproduction in Plants
• Asexual Reproduction in Animals
• Sexual Reproduction in Plants
• Sexual Reproduction in Animals
• Sexual Reproduction in Humans

14. Excretion, Osmoregulation and Thermoregulation

• Excretory products
• Excretion in plants
• Excretion in Animals
• Osmoregulation, ADH and formation of Urine in Animals
• Physiological and Behavioural Adjustments

15. Nutrition

• Classification by Source of Energy and Carbon
• Plant Nutrition
• Animal Nutrition
• Human Diet
• The Digestive System

Institutions & Policy

• India’s policy in the field of the science and technology
• The S&T policy resolution in 1958
• S&T policy of the 1983
• S&T policy of the 2003
• S&T policy 2013
• Institutional structure
• Department of Science & Technology
• CSIR
• Survey of India
• Science and Engineering Research Council
• Technology Development Board
• National Accreditation Board For Testing And Calibration Laboratories
• Science and technology as a source of Human Resource Development
• Awards related to Science
• New Initiatives Aligned with the National Agenda
• India and World collaboration in science projects
• Technology Vision Document 2035
• National Biotechnology Development Strategy 2015-2020
• National Intellectual Property Rights Policy
• Organ donation rules in India
• Policy on Synthetic Biology

Biotechnology

1. Genetics and biotechnology

• Industrial genetics
• Protoplast and cell fusion technologies
• Genetic engineering
• DNA sequencing
• Nucleic acid probes
• Genomics and proteomics
• Antisense and RNA interface
• Potential laboratory biohazards of genetic engineering
• Bioprocess/fermentation technology

2. Biological fuel generation

• Global warming and the significance of fossils fuels
• Photosynthesis: the ultimate energy source
• Biofuels from biomass
• Bioethanol from biomass
• Biodiesel
• Methane
• Hydrogen

3. Environmental Biotechnology

• Microbial Ecology Environmental Biotechnology
• Waste water and sewage treatment
• Landfilling technologies
• Composting
• Bioremediation
• Detect and monitoring of pollutants
• Microbes and the geological environment
• Environmental sustainability and clean technology

4. Plant and Forest Biotechnology

• Plant biotechnology
• Forest biotechnology

5. Animal and Insect Biotechnology

• Genetic manipulation and transgenic animals
• Genetically engineered hormone and vaccines
• Animal organs for human patients
• Genetically modified insects

6. Food and beverage biotechnology

• Food and beverage fermentations
• Microorganisms as food
• Enzymes and food processing
• Amino acids, vitamins and sweeteners
• Organic acids and polysaccharides
• Public acceptance and safety of new biotechnology foods
• Biotechnology and medicine
• Pharmaceuticals and biopharmaceuticals
• Antibiotics
• Vaccines and monoclonal antibodies
• Biopharmaceuticals/therapeutic proteins
• Pharmacogenetics
• Molecular biology and human disease
• Diagnostics in developing countries
• Gene Therapy
• Systems biology and medicine
• Stem cell biotechnology

7. Protection of biotechnological inventions

• Patent protection Trade secrets
• Plant breeders’ rights

8. Recent initiatives in Health & Biotechnology

• Diseases in News
• India Declared Maternal and Neonatal Tetanus, H5N1 and Yaws Free
• IPV Injection
• Mission Indradhanush
• New TB Drug Regimen
• E-Cigarettes
• Digital Biopiracy
• Kendrapara Sheep
• DNA Tagging of Convicts
• U.K. Grants Gene Editing Licence
• Genetically Modified Mosquito
• Designer Babies’ OR Three Parents Babies
• U.K. Grants Gene Editing Licence
• National Biotechnology Development Strategy 2015-2020

9. Space

• Types of orbits
• Launch Vehicle
• Satellite communication in India
• INSAT Satellite application
• Remote sensing applications
• Cryogenic rockets
• Global Positioning System
• Galileo
• GLONASS
• IRNSS
• GAGAN
• Chandrayaan – I & II
• Mars Orbiter Mission
• Space Organisations
• Space race/Space junk
• Recent updates
• South Asia Satellite: Significance
• Neutrino Observatory
• Solar Mission- ADITYA
• Gravitational Waves
• FAST (Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical radio Telescope)
• Spitzer Space Telescope
• Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope
• Chandra X-ray Observatory
• James Webb Space Telescope
• ARIES/Devasthal Telescope
• Multi Application Solar Telescope
• Thirty Metre Telescope
• Resourcesat- 2A
• ASTROSAT
• Sunspot
• Magnetars
• Neutron stars
• Air-breathing propulsion system
• Space Junk
• Graveyard Orbit
• India, NASA join hands for
• Astrobiology Mission
• Neutrino Observatory
• Indian Space Vision-2025

10. Defence

• Missile system and classification
• On the basis of type
• On the basis of launch vehicle
• On the basis of Range
• On the basis of propulsion system
• India’s Missile System
  • Agni
  • Prithvi
  • Trishul
  • Nag
  • Dhanush
  • Astra
  • Prahaar
• BrahMos Missile System
• Indian Submarines and Naval Ships
• Light Combat Aircraft
• Unmanned Aerial Vehicle
• Stealth technology
• Chemical Weapon
• Biological Weapon

11. NUCLEAR ENERGY

• Types of nuclear reactions
• Nuclear Power Reactor
• N-Power Policy of India
• Advantages of Nuclear Energy
• Disadvantages of Nuclear Energy
• Non-energy applications of Nuclear energy
• Impact of Radiation
• Issue of Radioactive Waste
• Institutions involved in Nuclear energy Development, AERB
• Safety standards in Nuclear Power plants
• Nuclear & Radiological Disasters

12. IT, Electronics & Telecom

• Computers
• Generation of computers
• Computer terminologies
• Supercomputer and its applications
• Information technology
• Components of IT
• IT enabled services
• Application of IT
• Display technologies
• Cathode ray
• LCD
• LED
• Plasma Monitors
• OLED
• Telecommunications
• Mobile generations
• Smartphone
• Important concepts
• Government initiatives
• Digital India Initiative
• MeghRaj
• Code Free for India
• E-Kranti
• Bharat Net project
• Bharat QR
• Contemporary debates
• Net Neutrality
• Internet of Things
• Big Data Initiative and Privacy
• Cyber crime and security

13. RECENT DEVELOPMENTS IN IT & TELECOM

• Cyber Swachhta Kendra
• BharatQR
• Digital Transaction Methodologies
• Smart Credit Cards
• Bharat Net Project
• Wi-fi Technology
• BlockChain Technology and Bitcoins
• Digital Terrestrial Television
• Transmission System
• Disaster Management Network
• Param Ishan
• Internet of Things

14. Nano-Science & Nano Technologies

• What is Nanoscience and Nanotechnology?
• Origination of Nanoscience and Technology
• Basics of Nanoscience
• Nanomaterials
• Applications of nanotechnology
• Nano medicine
• Semiconductors and computing
• Food
• Textiles
• Sustainable energy
• Environment
• Transport
• Space
• Agriculture
• Adverse Health and Environmental
• Impacts of Nanotechnology
• Social and Ethical Impacts:
• Nano-science and nano-technology in India

15. Robotics

• What is Robotics?
• Machine vs Computer vs Robots
• Parts of a Robot
• Controller
• Manipulator
• End Effector
• Sensor
• Classification of Robots
• Rolling Robots
• Walking Robots
• Autonomous Robots
• Artificial Intelligence
• Applications of Robotics
• Industrial Sector
• Aerospace
• Healthcare Delivery
• Outer Space
• Exploration
• Military Robots
• Disaster Areas
• Entertainment
• Agriculture
• Domestic work

 

Environment & Ecology

ECOLOGY & BIODIVERSITY

1. Types of Ecology

• Ecological Hierarchy
• Scope of Ecology
• Habitat & Ecological Niche
• Deep vs Shallow Ecology
• Ecological Principles
• Ecological Community
  • Structure and Characteristics of a Community
  • Stratification
  • Ecotones
  • Ecological Dominance
  • Seasonal and Diurnal Fluctuation
  • Periodicity
  • Turnover
  • Interdependence
• Ecological Succession
  • Types and Process of Succession
  • Climax Community
• Range of Tolerance , Maximum Range
• Difference between Ecology ,
• Environment and Ecosystem

2. Ecosystem and its dynamics

• Ecosystem Definitions
• Functions and Properties of Ecosystem
• The Structure/Components of Ecosystem
  • Abiotic Components
  • Biotic Components
• Ecosystem Dynamics
  • Flow of Energy in Ecosystem
  • Trophic Levels
  • Food Chain
  • Types & Significance of Food Chain
  • Food Web
  • Models for Energy Flow
  • Ecological Productivity
  • Ecological Pyramid
• Biomagnifications
• Biological Control
• Organic Farming

3. Biogeochemical Cycles

• Parts of a Bio Geochemical Cycle
• Types of Biogeochemical Cycle
  • Carbon Cycle
  • Nitrogen Cycle
  • Phosphorus Cycle
  • Sulphur Cycle

4. Biomes: Forest, Grassland, Mountain, and Desert Ecosystems

• Biome
• Grasslands
• Tundra
• Deserts
• Thar desert
• Mountain biome

5. Aquatic Life Zones: Ocean, Rivers, Lakes, and Wetlands

• Aquatic ecosystems
• Basic facts about the ocean
• Importance of the ocean
• Zones of the ocean
  • Marine life
• Coral reefs
• Coral reefs in India
• Conserving coral reefs
• Mangroves
• Mangroves in India
• Freshwater in India
• Importance of lakes
• National Lake Conservation Plan
• Wetlands and their importance
• Ramsar Convention
• Ramsar Sites
• Montreux Record
• Extent and distribution of wetlands in India
• Conserving the wetlands of India

6. Biodiversity Basics

• Biodiversity
• Important kinds of biodiversity
• Degree of diversity in an ecosystem
  • Endemic species
• Keystone species
• Indicator species
• Invasive species
• Allopatric and sympatric speciation
• Bioinformatics
  • Biodiversity distribution
• Megadivers Countries
• Uses and values of biodiversity
• State of global biodiversity
• Threats to biodiversity
• Biodiversity Hotspots
• Eco-regions
• Role of traditional knowledge in biodiversity
• Biopiracy
• Extinction of species
• Mass extinction
• IUCN’s classification scheme
• IUCN Red-List of Threatened Species
• Level of biodiversity in India
• Biogeographic classification of India

7. Biodiversity Conservation

• Ex-situ aid in-situ conservation
• Seed banks
• Zoos in biodiversity conservation
• Botanical gardens
• Protected areas
• State of protected areas in the world
• UNESCO Man and the Biosphere Program (MAB)
• Characteristics of biosphere reserves
  • International agreements for biodiversity conservation
• Convention on Biological Diversity
• Cartagena Protocol
• Nagoya Protocol
• Aichi Biodiversity Targets
  • Important Coastal and Marine Biodiversity Areas of India
• Important Bird Areas (IBAs) of India
• Global Tiger Initiative
• Project Tiger
• Project Elephant
• Indian Rhino Vision
• Recovery Programme for Critically Endangered Species
  • Use of indigenous knowledge for conserving biodiversity
  • Seed village

8. Effect of Human Activities on Environment

• Effect of Modern Agriculture on Environment
• Effect of Housing on Environment
• Effect of Power Generation on Environment
• Effect of River Valley Projects

(Water Resource Projects) on Environment

• Effect of Mining on Environment
• Effect of Transportation Activities on Environment
• Effect of Tourism on Environment

9. Water Resource degradation

• Water Cycle (Hydrological Cycle)
• Availability and Quality Aspects (groundwater depletion)
• Water-borne and Water-induced Diseases
• Fluoride Problem in Drinking Water
• Arsenic Problem in Drinking Water

10. Minerals & Environmental Degradation

• Mining and Environment
• Sensitivity of Select Ecosystems to Mining
• Impact of Mining
• Indirect Impact of Mining
• International Laws on Mining
• Main Act or Statute to regulate the impact of Indian Mining Sector
• Sustainable Mining

11. Deforestation

• Causes of Deforestation
• Implications of Deforestation for Climate Change
• Consequences of Deforestation on the Wildlife of India
• Impact of Deforestation on Indian Monsoon
• Impact of Deforestation on People
• Deforestation Leads to Water and Soil Resources Loss and Flooding
• Economical Impacts
• Strategies for Reducing Deforestation
• Government Programmes for Conservation of Forests
• Legislations for Conservation of Forests using People Participation
• Steps for Improving People Participation in Forest Resource Management
• Use of Local Traditional Methods

12. Waste Management

• Solid Waste
• Hazardous Waste
• E-Waste
• Bio Medical Waste
• Plastic Waste
• Methods for Waste Management
• Effects of Poor Waste Disposal
• Landfill

13. Sustainable Development

• Principles of sustainability
• Measurement of Sustainability or Sustainable Ethics or Equitable Utilisation of Natural Resource
• Sustainable Lifestyle (Role of an individual in sustainable, development)
• Challenges to Sustainable Development
• International Efforts to Achieve Sustainability

14. Environmental Pollution

• Air Pollution
• Sources of Air Pollution
• Effects of Air Pollution
• Classification of Air Pollutant
• Control Measures of Air Pollution
• Air Pollution Disasters
• Long Range Transport of Gaseous Air Pollutants
• National Ambient Air Quality Standards
• Water Pollution
• Sources of Water Pollution
• Types of Water Pollutants
• Effects of Water Pollution
• Water Quality Standards
• Control of Water Pollution
• Thermal Pollution
• Sources of Thermal Pollution
• Effects of Thermal Pollution
• Control of Thermal Pollution
• Soil Pollution or Land Degradation
• Sources of Soil Pollution
• Effects of Soil Pollution
• Control Measures
• Noise Pollution
• Air-borne Diseases
• Toxic Substances: Toxicant, Toxicity and Toxicology
• Factors affecting toxicity
• Carcinogens

15. Solid Waste Management

• Sources of Solid Waste
• Effect of Solid Waste
• Control Measures of Solid Waste
• Solid Waste Management Rules
• Hazardous Waste Management (HWM)

16. Coastal Ecosystem Management

• Mangroves
• Salient features of Mangroves
• Importance of Mangroves
• Mangroves in India
• Mangroves under threats
• Legal and Regulatory Approaches for Protection
• Estuaries
• Importance of estuaries
• Threats to estuaries
• Coral Reefs
• Geographical Conditions Required
• Uses of coral reefs
• Conservation of coral reef
• Steps for Coastal Ecosystem Management

17. Recent developments

• Air Pollution
• Report on Air Pollution
• Bharat Stage Emission Standards
• Polluters Pay Model
• Household Air Pollution
• Open Waste Burning and its Impact
• Graded Response Action Plan on Pollution
• UN Sets Limits on Global Airline Emissions
• Waste Management
• Biodegradable Plastics
• Green Train Corridors
• Oil Spill
• Solid Waste Management-Buffer Zone
• Other News
• Report of Parliamentary Committee on Forest Fires
• Urban Forestry Scheme
• Draft Notification to Regulate Pet Shops
• Ban on Import of Animal Skin
• River linking Project and Impact on
• Environment
• Algal Bloom Issue
• Illegal Salt Mining and its Impact
• India’s Wetland Report, 2016
• Deep Sea Mining
• Mass Coral Bleaching
• Ganga River Pollution

18. Environmental Impact Assessment

• Government Body which Executes EIA
• Environmental Effects Analysed under EIA
• Process of EIA
• EIA Ruling 1984

19. Environmental Laws

• Environmental Laws: Provisions in the Indian Constitution towards Environmental Protection
• Salient Features of Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act,1981*
• Salient Features of Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974
• Salient features of Forest Conservation Act, I980
• Salient Features of Wildlife Protection Act,1972
• Salient Features of Environment (Protection) Act,1986
• Role of Government in Environmental Protection

20. Environment related Institutions and Organizations

• Pollution Control Boards
• National Green Tribunal
• Forest Survey of India
• National Board for Wildlife

21. Schemes

• Ecomark Scheme
• National Afforestation Program
• National River Conservation Plan
• National Mission for Clean Ganga
• National Air Quality Index (AQI)
• National Action
• Programme to Combat Desertification
• UJALA Scheme
• Bharat Stage Norms

22. International Environmental Governance

• UNEP
• UNDP
• Centre for Biological Diversity
• WWF for Nature
• IUCN - Red List
• Birdlife International
• International Conventions/Protocols & their Objectives

23. Basics of Climate change

• GreenHouse Effect and Global Warming
• Global Climate Change: International Efforts to Control Global Warming or Global Climate Change
• Ozone Layer Depletion/Ozone Hole
• Acid Rain
• El Nino
• La Nina

24. Urbanization and climate

• Pollution in metros and climate change
• Real estate boom and environment degradation
• Urban Heat Island
• Polythene bags and pollution
• Methane generation from waste

25. Impact of agriculture on climate

• Agriculture increases Carbon Dioxide Emissions
• Monoculture practice impacts biodiversity
• Pollution due to use of chemical fertilizers
• Soil-related effects
• Fertilizers’ Effect on the Environment
• Impact of livestock on environment
• Impact of use of Pesticides on environment
• Impact of GM crop on environment
• Emission of Methane from agricultural practices
• Sustainable Agriculture Techniques

26. Global Warming & Health

• Health impacts of global warming
• Mosquito-borne diseases
• Ozone depletion and human health

27. Recent developments

• Carbon Neutrality Concept
• Climate Change Indicators: WMO report
• IPCC 5th Assessment Report
• Paris Agreement
• Marrakech Climate Change Conference
• International Solar Alliance (ISA)
• Kyoto Protocol (2nd Commitment 2013-20)
• Kigali Agreement
• Climate Change Performance Index

RECENT DEVELOPMENTS

1. Wildlife

• Man-Animal Conflicts in India
• Poaching activities in India
• Controlling wildlife crimes using sniffer dogs
• Draft on animal cruelty
• Formation of Tiger Reserves: Critical Analysis
• International treaties for wildlife conservation
• Use of drones for wildlife conservation

2. Combating Pollution

• Indoor Air Pollution and its impact
• Impact of Particulate Matter
• Smog and its impact
• Plastic Pollution
• Light Pollution
• Oil Spill
• Solid Waste Management
• E-waste Management Rules 2016
• Groundwater contamination
• Bharat Stage Norm
• What is the Polluters Pay Model?

3. Climate Change

• Paris Agreement
• Marrakech Climate Change Conference
• Kigali Agreement
• Kyoto Protocol (2nd Commitment)
• International Solar Alliance
• Programmes and Policies Initiated for Mitigating Climate Change
• International Collaboration for Mitigating Climate Change
• Carbon Neutrality Concept
• Concept of Green Bond
• Green Climate Fund
• Carbon Tax Feasibility in India
• Concept of Green Building
• Climate Change and Cities
• Ethical issue involved in climate change
• Climate change and its impact on Health

4. Renewable Energy

• National Solar Mission
• Status of Hydro Power energy in India
• Status of Wind Energy in India
• Green Transportation

5. Initiatives for Environmental Conservation

• Ganga River Pollution
• Compensatory Afforestation Fund Act
• Draft National Wildlife Action Plan
• Draft Wetland Management Rules
• Initiatives to enhance green cover
• Policy on Promotion of City Compost
• Living status to Rivers
• National Hydrology Project

6. Environmental Institutions

• Pollution Control Board: Analysis
• National Green Tribunal: Analysis
• Forest Survey of India
• Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee
• Traditional Knowledge Digital Library
• T S R Subramanian Panel Report

7. Miscellaneous Issues

• Algal bloom Issue
• Melting of Antarctica and its impact
• River linking project and its impact
• Public participation for environmental conservation

 

Internal Security

1. Internal Security Challenges

• Internal Security Challenges
• Social Diversity as Issues of Security Threat
• Challenges from within
• Neighbours as Issue of Security Threat
• Non-State Actors as Issue of Security Threat
• Global Indices and Measurement of Vulnerability of a State Towards such Non-State Actors
• Law and Order vs. Internal Security

2. Terrorism Threat to India

• Terrorism Threat to India
• Changing face of Terrorism
• Terror Threats Faced by India
• Broader Framework to Deal with Terrorism
• Drawbacks in Intelligence Infrastructure

3. Organized Crime

• Types of Organized Crime
• Problems in controlling organized crimes
• Combating organized crimes
• Linkage of Terrorism and Organized Crime in India

4. Linkage between Development and Spread of Extremism

• Stated Purpose of the Naxal Movement
• Why did naxalism get huge support from the common man?
• Why is naxalism the biggest threat to internal security?

5. Insurgency in North-East

• Issues & Conflicts
• Assam Insurgency

6. Security Challenges in Border Areas

• Challenges to Border Management
• Issues Faced in Border Management
• Community Participation for Border Management

7. Basics of Cyber Security

• Types of Cyber Crimes
• Impact and Steps needed
• Recent Incident: Ransomware
• The National Cyber Security Policy of India 2013

8. Cyber Warfare

• Factors Contributing/Aggravating Rise of Cyber Attack
• Recent Initiatives for Tackling Cyber Warfare

9. Social Media and Internal Security Threat

• Regulation of Social Media in India for Internal Security
• Challenges in Monitoring Social Media
• Steps Needed

10. Money Laundering

• Meaning of Money Laundering
• Harmful Effects of Money Laundering
• Steps taken by the Government

11. Black Money in India

• Parallel Economy in India
• What are the various measures taken by the Government to curb Black Money?
• Impact of demonetisation on black money
• Criticisms

12. Police Reforms in India

• The Organisational Structure
• Duties and Responsibilities of the Police
• Centre’s Role in Policing
• Traditional Security Challenges
• Non-Traditional Security Challenges (NTS)
• Recommendations for Police Reforms
• Police we Want in 21st Century

13. Various Security Forces and their Mandate

• Assam Rifles
• Border Security Force (BSF)
• Indo-Tibetan Border Police
• Central Industrial Security Force (CISF)
• Central Reserve Police Force
• National Security Guard
• Issues with Paramilitary Forces

 

Ethics, Integrity & Aptitude

1. Ethics Basic Introduction

• Dimensions of Ethics
• Essence of Ethics
• Approaches of Ethical Study as Indian Perspective and Western Perspective
• Basic concept of ethics morality and value
• Ethics in public life
• Ethics in Economic Life
• Freedom and Discipline
• Duties and Rights
• Virtue Ethics
• Consequences of Ethics in Human Actions
• Values and Ethics in Government:
  • Legislature, Executive and judiciary
• Contribution of Family in Value Education
• Contribution of Society in Inculcating Values
• Role of Educational Institutions in Inculcating Values

2. Human Values

• Human value & Socialization
• Individual Personality and Value
• Values and Skill
• Fundamental and Instrumental Values
• Democratic values
• Role of ethical value in governance and society
• Significance of value in civil services
• Aesthetic values
• Values in work life and professional ethics

3. Aptitude and foundational values of civil services

• Essential Aptitude for civil servants
• Foundational Values of Civil Services
• Neutrality
• Anonymity
• Civil Services Accountability
• Integrity
• Humility
• Adaptability
• Magnanimity
• Perseverance
• Impartiality and Non-Partisanship
• Tolerance and compassion for the weaker section
• Contribution to society

4. India & World Thinkers

• Indian Thinkers
  • Mahatma Gandhi
  • Dr. S. Radhakrishnan
  • Rabindranath Tagore
  • Swami Dayanand Saraswati
  • Mahadeva Govinda Ranade
  • Sri Aurobindo
  • Swami Vivekananda
  • Sardar Patel
  • Buddha Bhim Rao Ambedkar
  • Raja Ram Mohan Roy
  • Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj
  • Mother Teresa
  • Amitabha Chowdhury
  • Aruna Roy
  • T. N. Seshan
  • E. Sreedharan
• Administrative Thinkers
  • Max Weber
  • Elton Mayo
  • Peter Drucker
  • Chestar Barnard
  • Mary Parker Follet
• World Thinkers
  • Plato
  • Aristotle
  • Socrates
  • Jeremy Bentham
  • JS Mill
  • Thomas Hobbes
  • John Locke
  • Jean Jacques Rousseau
  • John Rawls
  • Immanuel Kant
  • Carol Gilligan
  • Jean Paul Sartre
  • Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel
  • Confucius
  • René Descartes
  • Karl Marx
  • Adam Smith
  • Thomas Aquinas
  • David Hume
  • Democritus
  • Galileo
  • Friedrich Nietzsche
  • Montesquieu
  • Voltaire
  • Thomas Jefferson
• Indian & World Leaders
  • Benjamin Franklin
  • Martin Luther King
  • Dalai Lama
  • Nelson Mandela
  • Mahatma Gandhi
  • Siddhartha Gautama
  • Aung San Suu Kyi
  • Swami Vivekanand
  • Albert Einstein
  • Abraham Lincoln
  • Mother Teresa
  • J L Nehru
  • Lee Kuan Yew
  • Henry Ford
  • Abdul Kalam
  • Muhammad Yunus
  • Wangari Maathai
  • Kofi Annan
  • Lech Walesa
  • Desmond Tutu
  • Isaac Newton
  • Elie Wiesel
  • King Ashoka
  • Sun Yat Sen

5. Attitude

• Components of Attitude
  • Affective component
  • Cognitive component
  • Behavioral component
• Functions of Attitude
  • Adjustive Function
  • Ego-Defensive Function
  • Value-Expressive Function
  • Knowledge Function
  • Attitude Formation Model
  • Impact of Beliefs and Values
  • Group Influences
  • Social Influence
  • Persuasion Tactics
  • Tools of Persuasion
  • Moral Attitude formation
  • Political Attitude formation

6. Emotional Intelligence

• Theories Associated with Emotional Intelligence
• Can Emotional Intelligence be Developed?
• Components of Emotional Competencies
  • The Self-Awareness Cluster: Understanding Feelings and Accurate Self-Assessment
  • The Self-Management Cluster: Managing Internal States, Impulses, and Resources
  • The Social Awareness Cluster: Reading People and Groups Accurately
  • The Relationship Management Cluster: Inducing Desirable Responses in Others
• Importance of Emotional Intelligence at Workplace
• Importance of Emotional Intelligence in Civil Services

7. Values & Ethics in Public Administration

• Ethical Concerns in Public Institution
• Ethical Concerns in Private Institutions
• Ethical Dilemmas in Public and Private Institutions
• Laws, Rules and Regulations as Source of Ethical Guidance
• Accountability and Ethical Governance
• Strengthening of Ethical and Moral Values in Governance
• Moral Judgments in International Relations
• Ethical Relation in Funding
• International Relations and concept of Moral Responsibility
• Ethics in working of international organizations
• What is Corporate Governance?
• Models of Corporate Social Responsibility
• Steps taken by World Bank for Good Corporate Governance
• Norms for Corporate Government in India
• Concept of business ethics

8. Probity in Governance

• Concept of Public Service
• Philosophical basis of Governance and Probity
• Information Sharing, Transparency and Right to Information
• Flaws in RTI and recommendations for improvement
• Importance of vigilant citizens
• Information sharing and participation
• Importance of Code of ethics
• Code of Ethics in Professions
• Code of Conduct for Ministers; for Legislators; for Civil Servants; for Regulators and for the Judiciary
• Components of a Citizen Charter
• Steps in formulation of a Citizen’s Charter
• Concept of Work Culture
• The Indian Approach to Work
• Methods of improving Work Culture
• Quality of Service Delivery
• Utilisation of Public Funds
• Problems in Fund Release and Utilization
• Parliamentary Control on Expenditure
• Corruption in India: extent, dimension, and response
• Corruption as a social evil
• Probity in public life Corrupt practice among civil servants and official misconduct
• Exposing corruption: Civil Society initiatives and role of Whistleblower Act
• Tackling corruption: Role of government and institutions of governance
• Controlling corruption: Various approaches and efficacy

Applied Ethics

1. Euthanasia Issue

• Social and ethical angle
• Different arguments related to Euthanasia
• Conclusion

2. Surrogacy

• Case study
• Issues
• Ethical Issues
• Concept of ethical surrogacy
• Conclusion

3. Ethics & Sports

• Importance of sports
• Ethical Issue: Need for sportsmanship
• Ethical Issue: Doping
• Ethical Issue: Discrimination and Sexual Harassment
• Ethical Issue: Sports as a Business
• Steps needed

4. Media Ethics

• Role of Media
• Ethical Issues faced by Reporters
• Trial by Media
• Media Prejudice
• Ethical Dilemma faced by Photojournalists
• Digital Media Ethics
• Paid News

5. Business Ethics

• Principles of Business Ethics
• Dimensions related to Business Ethics in Organisation
• Business Ethics and Corporate Governance
• Journey from Philanthropy to Corporate Social Responsibility
• Issues related to Corporate Social Responsibility
• Issues in implementation of Business Ethics

6. Ethics Related to Economic Sanctions

• Why are Economic Sanctions placed?
• Ethics in Economic Sanctions
• Conclusion

7. Refugees & Ethics

• Why Migration occur?
• Case study of Syria
• Dilemmas related to Refugee crisis
• Steps needed

8. Ethical Dilemmas of Globalization

• What is Globalisation
• Free trade in Globalised world
• Issues with Newly developed trade patterns
• Criticism against global regime
• Way forward

9. Ethics of War

• Ethics and War theories
• Evils of war

10. Environmental Ethics

• Linkage between Ethics and Environment
• Theories related to Environmental ethics
• Role of individual

11. Ethical Issues in Biotechnology

• Issues related to Stem Cell
• Issues related to cloning
• Issues related to designer babies

12. Animal Ethics

• Introduction
• Issues of conducting research on animals
• Issue of keeping animals as pets
• Issue of Cruelty against animals
• Conclusion

13. Food Adulteration and Ethics

• Ethical dimension
• Ethical issue related to food additive

14. Abortion: Ethical or Unethical

• Law of abortion in India
• Recent Supreme Court verdict
• Ethical Issue: Health of Women vs. fetus
• Justifi cation for abortion
• Argument against abortion
• Abortion and women rights
• Abortion and father rights

15. Honour Killing

• Honour killing is unethical
• Role of khap panchayat

16. Marital Rape

• Why Marital Rape should and should not be criminalized?
• What are the hurdles?

17. Ethical Issue Involved in Child

• Labour
• Rights of children
• Child labour and company
• Solution
• Role of consumer

18. Ethical Issue Involved in Treating Juvenile as Adult

• Juvenile justice system
• Negative implications

19. Ethics and Old Age

• Ethical issues
• Issues faced
• Importance of autonomy

20. Ethics in Public and Private Relationships

• Ethical values in Private relationships
• Ethical principles in Public relationships
• Linkage between Private relationships and Public relationships

---