Mains Guidance Programme with Answer Writing for UPSC 2023

GENERAL STUDIES PAPER –1 -> INDIAN AND WORLD GEOGRAPHY AND INDIAN SOCIETY

• Salient features of Indian Society, Diversity of India.
• Role of women and women’s organization, population and associated issues, poverty and developmental issues, urbanization, their problems and their remedies.
• Effects of globalization on Indian society
• Social empowerment, communalism, regionalism &
• Salient features of world’s physical geography.
• Distribution of key natural resources across the world (including South Asia and the Indian subcontinent); factors responsible for the location of primary, secondary, and tertiary sector industries in various parts of the world (including India)
• Important Geophysical phenomena such as earthquakes, Tsunami, Volcanic activity, cyclone etc.,
• Geographical features and their location- changes in critical geographical features (including water bodies and ice-caps) and in flora and fauna and the effects of such changes)

Current Affairs Developments from January to Jun 2023

PRIMARY AND ESSENTIAL READING

• NCERT Class 11
• Fundamental Physical Geography
• Indian Physical Environment
• Certificate Physical and Human Geography by G C Leong
• New NCERT– Class 11 and 12

• Introducing Sociology
• Understanding Sociology
• Indian Society
• Social Change and Development of India
• Class and Printed IQRA Notes

SECONDARY SOURCES:

• NCERTs – Class 11 and 12 (Physical and Human)
• Certificate Physical and Human Geography by Goh Cheng Leong
• Physical Geography –Savinder Singh
• Down to Earth Magazine
• Class and Printed IQRA IAS Notes

Newspapers: The Indian Express, The Hindu

GENERAL STUDIES PAPER – 2 -> IDNIAN POLITY AND CONSTITUTION

• Indian Constitution- historical underpinnings, evolution, features, amendments, significant provisions and basic structure.
• Functions and responsibilities of the Union and the States, issues and challenges pertaining to the federal structure, devolution of powers and finances up to local levels and challenges therein.
• Separation of powers between various organs dispute redressal mechanisms and institutions.
• Comparison of the Indian constitutional scheme with that of other countries
• Parliament and State Legislatures – structure, functioning, conduct of business, powers & privileges and issues arising out of these.
• Structure, organization and functioning of the Executive and the Judiciary Ministries and Departments of the Government; pressure groups and formal/informal associations and their role in the Polity.
• Salient features of the Representation of People’s Act.

• Appointment to various Constitutional posts, powers, functions and responsibilities of various Constitutional Bodies, Statutory, regulatory and various quasi-judicial bodies

Current Affairs Developments from January to Jun 2023

PRIMARY AND ESSENTIAL READING:

• NCERT Democratic Politics Class 9 and 10
• 11th NCERT
• Constitution at Work
• Political Theory
• Indian Polity by Laxmikant
• Introduction to the Constitution of India: D D Basu

SECONDARY SOURCES: 

• 2ARC REPORT
• PUNCHHI COMMISSION REPORT
• EPW MAGAZINE
• YOGANA
• Class and Printed IQRA IAS Notes
• Newspapers: The Indian Express, The Hindu

GENERAL STUDIES PAPER – 2 -> GOVERNANCE AND SOCIAL JUSTICE AND INTERNATIONAL RELATION

• Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation.
• Development processes and the development industry- the role of NGOs, SHGs, various groups and associations, donors, charities, institutional and other stakeholders
• Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of the population by the Centre and States and the performance of these schemes; mechanisms, laws, institutions and Bodies constituted for the protection and betterment of these vulnerable sections.
• Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources.
• Issues relating to poverty and hunger
• Important aspects of governance, transparency and accountability, e- governance- applications, models, successes, limitations, and potential; citizens charters, transparency & accountability and institutional and other measures
• Role of civil services in a democracy.
• India and its neighborhood-relations.
• Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests
• Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India’s interests, Indian Diaspora.
• Important International institutions, agencies and – their structure, mandate.
• Current Affairs Developments from January to June 2023

PRIMARY AND ESSENTIAL READING

• Our Constitution, Our Parliament: Subhash Kashyap
• Indian Foreign policy by V P DUTT
• Introduction to the Constitution of India: D.D. Basu

• 2nd ARC REPORTS

• Yojana and Kurukshetra Magazine
• Three Year Action Agenda, 2017-18 to 2019-20 – NITI Aayog

SECONDARY SOURCES: 

• 2ARC REPORT
• PUNCHHI COMMISSION REPORT
• EPW MAGAZINE
• YOGANA MAGAZINE
• Foreign Affairs Website
• Governance in India by Laxmikanth
• Indian Foreign Policy by Oxford Publication
• Class and Printed IQRA IAS Notes
• Newspapers: The Indian Express, The Hindu

GENERAL STUDIES PAPER – 3 -> INDIAN ECONOMY

• Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization of resources, growth, development and employment
• Inclusive growth and issues arising from it.
• Government Budgeting.
• Major crops cropping patterns in various parts of the country, different types of irrigation and irrigation systems storage, transport and marketing of agricultural produce and issues and related constraints; e-technology in the aid of farmers
• Issues related to direct and indirect farm subsidies and minimum support prices; Public Distribution System- objectives, functioning, limitations, revamping; issues of buffer stocks and food security;
• Technology missions; economics of animal-rearing.
• Food processing and related industries in India- scope and significance, location, upstream and downstream requirements, supply chain management.
• Land reforms in India
• Effects of liberalization on the economy, changes in industrial policy and their effects on industrial growth.
• Infrastructure: Energy, Ports, Roads, Airports, Railways etc.
• Investment models.

Current Affairs Developments from January to Jun 2023

PRIMARY AND ESSENTIAL READING

• NCERT– Class 11 (Indian Economic Development)
• Class 12 – Macroeconomics
• Economic Survey – 2022
• Budget – 2022
• Three Year Action Agenda, 2017-18 to 2019-20 – NITI Aayog

SECONDARY SOURCES: 

• Yojana Magazine
• EPW Magazine
• Three Year Action Agenda, 2017-18 to 2019-20 – NITI Aayog
• Economic Survey –2023

• Budget – 2023
• Indian Economy – Dutt, Sundaram / Uma Kapila / Mishra Puri
• Class and Printed IQRA IAS Notes

Newspapers: The Indian Express, The Hindu

GENERAL STUDIES PAPER – 3 -> SCI-TECH, ENVIRONMENT, DISASTER MANAGEMENT, INTERNAL SECURITY

• Science and Technology- developments and their applications and effects in everyday life
• Achievements of Indians in science & technology; indigenization of technology and developing new technology.
• Awareness in the fields of IT, Space, Computers, robotics, nano-technology, bio-technology and issues relating to intellectual property rights
• Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment
• Disaster and disaster management.
• Linkages between development and spread of extremism.
• Role of external state and non-state actors in creating challenges to internal security.
• Challenges to internal security through communication networks, role of media and social networking sites in internal security challenges, basics of cyber security; money-laundering and its prevention
• Security challenges and their management in border areas; linkages of organized crime with terrorism
• Various Security forces and agencies and their mandate

Current Affairs Developments from January to Jun 2023

PRIMARY AND ESSENTIAL READING

• CBSE – Class 11 (Natural Hazards and Disaster Management)
• Environment Book of your choice
• NIOS – Indian Culture and Heritage
• NCERT- Introduction to Fine Arts
• NCERT- Modern India (Bipin Chandra)
• NCERT- Themes in Indian History (Part 3)
• Science Reporter’s Magazine
• IDSA publications on Security (Northeast, LWE, Border Security, Financial,
• International & Organised Crime)
• 2nd ARC (7th Report Capacity Building for Conflict Resolution)
• 2nd ARC (8th Report Combating Terrorism
• Protecting by Righteousness)

SECONDARY SOURCES:

• The Oxford’s Handbook of India’s National Security
• Down to Earth Magazine
• Geography and You Magazine
• IDSA Website
• Class and Printed IQRA IAS Notes
• Newspapers: The Indian Express, The Hindu

GENERAL STUDIES PAPER – 4 -> ETHICS, INTEGRITY AND APTITUDE

• Ethics and Human Interface: Essence, determinants and consequences of Ethics in human actions; dimensions of ethics; ethics in private and public relationships. Human Values – lessons from the lives and teachings of great leaders, reformers and administrators; role of family, society and educational institutions in inculcating values.
• Attitude: content, structure, function; its influence and relation with thought and behavior; moral and political attitudes; social influence and persuasion.
• Aptitude and foundational values for Civil Service , integrity, impartiality and non- partisanship, objectivity, dedication to public service, empathy, tolerance and compassion towards the weaker sections.
• Emotional intelligence-concepts, and their utilities and application in administration and governance.

Contributions of moral thinkers and philosophers from India and world

PRIMARY AND ESSENTIAL READING

• Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude by D K Balaji
• 2 nd ARC REPORT (4th Report- Ethics in
• Governance, 10th Report – Refurbishing of Personnel Administration)
• Class and Printed IQRA IAS Notes

SECONDARY SOURCES:

• Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude by D K Balaji
• 2nd ARC REPORT (4th Report- Ethics in Governance
• 10th Report – Refurbishing of Personnel Administration)
• Class and Printed IQRA IAS Notes
• Newspapers: The Indian Express, The Hindu

GENERAL STUDIES PAPER – 4 -> ETHICS, INTEGRITY AND APTITUDE

• Public/Civil service values and Ethics in Public administration: Status and problems; ethical concerns and dilemmas in government and private institutions; laws, rules, regulations and conscience as sources of ethical guidance; accountability and ethical governance; strengthening of ethical and moral values in governance; ethical issues in international relations and funding; corporate governance.
• Probity in Governance: Concept of public service; Philosophical basis of governance and probity; Information sharing and transparency in government, Right to Information, Codes of Ethics, Codes of Conduct, Citizen’s Charters, Work culture, Quality of service delivery, Utilization of public funds, challenges of corruptions.
• Case Studies on above issues.

SECONDARY SOURCES: 

• Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude by D K Balaji
• 2nd ARC REPORT (4th Report- Ethics in Governance
• 10th Report – Refurbishing of Personnel Administration)
• Class and Printed IQRA IAS Notes
• Newspapers: The Indian Express, The Hindu

FULL ESSAY TEST – 2

FULL GS – 1 SYLLABUS

FULL GS – 2  SYLLABUS

FULL GS – 3 SYLLABUS

FULL GS – 4 SYLLABUS