UPSC SYLLABUS

COMPLETE IAS SYLLABUS WITH MICRO TOPIC ANALYSIS

UPSC Prelims Syllabus
Syllabus for GS Paper (Prelims Paper I)

• Current events of national and international importance.

• History of India and Indian National Movement.

• Indian and World Geography-Physical, Social, Economic Geography of India and the
World.

• Indian Polity and Governance – Constitution, Political System, Panchayati Raj, Public
Policy, Rights Issues, etc.

• Economic and Social Development – Sustainable Development, Poverty, Inclusion,

Demographics, Social Sector initiatives, etc.

• General issues on Environmental Ecology, Biodiversity, and Climate Change – that do

not require subject specialization General Science

Syllabus for CSAT Paper (Prelims Paper-II)

• Comprehension

• Interpersonal skills including communication skills

• Logical reasoning and analytical ability

• Decision-making and problem solving

• General mental ability

• Basic numeracy (numbers and their relations, orders of magnitude, etc.) (Class X
level), Data interpretation (charts, graphs, tables, data sufficiency, etc. – Class X level)

UPSC Mains Syllabus

UPSC Mains General Studies Paper-1 Syllabus
Indian Heritage and Culture, History and Geography of the World and Society:

• Indian culture covers the salient features of Literature, Art Forms, and Architecture
from ancient to modern times.

• Modern Indian history includes significant events, personalities, issues during the
middle of the eighteenth century until the present

• Various stages and important contributors and contributions from different parts of the
country in ‘The Freedom Struggle’

• Post-independence consolidation and reorganization within the country

• History of the world includes events, forms and effect on the society from 18th century
like world wars, the industrial revolution, colonization, redrawal of national boundaries,
decolonization, political philosophies like communism, capitalism, socialism, etc

• Salient aspects of Diversity of India and Indian Society

• Role of women and women’s organization, population and associated issues, poverty,
and developmental issues, urbanization, their problems and remedies

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 • Social empowerment, communalism, regionalism & secularism

• Distribution of key natural resources across the world including South Asia and the
Indian sub-continent; factors responsible for the location of primary, secondary, and
tertiary sector industries in various parts of the world including India

• Effects of globalization on Indian society

• 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

• Salient features of the world’s physical geography

UPSC Mains General Studies Paper-2 Syllabus

Governance, Constitution, Polity, Social Justice and International relations:

• 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

• Comparison of the Indian constitutional scheme with that of other countries

• Separation of powers between various organs dispute redressal mechanisms and

institutions

• Parliament and State Legislatures – structure, functioning, the conduct of business,

powers & privileges and issues arising out of these

• Appointment to various Constitutional posts, powers, functions, and responsibilities of

various Constitutional Bodies

• 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

• Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues
arising out of their design and implementation

• Statutory, regulatory and various quasi-judicial bodies

• 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

• Health, Education, Human Resources

• Development processes and the development industry the role of NGOs, SHGs, various
groups and associations, donors, charities, institutional and other stakeholders

• Issues relating to the development and management of Social Sector/Services relating

to

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 • Important aspects of governance, transparency, and accountability, e-governance-
applications, models, successes, limitations, and potential; citizens charters,
transparency & accountability and institutional and other measures

• Issues relating to poverty and hunger

• Role of civil services in a democracy

• Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or
affecting India’s interests

• India and its neighbourhood- relations

• Important International institutions, agencies and fora, their structure, mandate

• Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India’s

interests, Indian diaspora

UPSC Mains General Studies Paper-3 Syllabus

Technology, Economic Development, Bio-diversity, Environment, Security, and
Disaster Management:

• Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization of resources, growth,

development, and employment.

• Development, Bio diversity, Environment, Security and Disaster Management.

• Government Budgeting.

• Inclusive growth and issues arising from it.

• 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

• Economics of animal-rearing.

• Food processing and related industries in India- scope and significance, location,
upstream and downstream requirements, supply chain management.

• 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

• 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.

• 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.

• Conservation, environmental pollution, and degradation, environmental impact

assessment

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 • Awareness in the fields of IT, Space, Computers, robotics, nano-technology, bio-
technology and issues relating to intellectual property rights.

• Disaster and disaster management.

• Role of external state and non-state actors in creating challenges to internal security.

• Linkages between development and spread of extremism.

• Challenges to internal security through communication networks, the role of media and
social networking sites in internal security challenges, basics of cybersecurity; money-
laundering and its prevention

• Various Security forces and agencies and their mandate

• Security challenges and their management in border areas; linkages of organized crime
with terrorism

UPSC Mains General Studies Paper-4 Syllabus

Ethics, Integrity, and Aptitude: This paper includes questions to check the candidate’s
attitude and approach to issues relating to integrity, probity in public life and his/her
problem-solving approach to various issues and conflicts faced by him/her while dealing with
society. Questions may utilize the case study approach to determine these aspects and covers
area:

• 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; the role of family, society and educational institutions in inculcating
values

• Attitude- content, structure, function; its influence and relation with thought and
behaviour; 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 the world

• 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 corruption

• Case Studies on the above issues

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IAS Interview/UPSC Personality Test (275 Marks)
• Candidates who qualify the UPSC Mains Exam will be called for the
‘Personality Test/Interview’. These candidates will be interviewed by a Board
appointed by the UPSC.

• The objective of the interview is to assess the personal suitability of the candidate for a
career in the civil services by a board of competent and unbiased observers.

• The interview is more of a purposive conversation intended to explore the mental

qualities and analytical ability of the candidate.

• The Interview test will be of 275 marks and the total marks for written examination is
1750. This sums up to a Grand Total of 2025 Marks based on which the final merit list
will be prepared.

UPSC Syllabus Mains (GS Paper-1 Micro Topics)

1. Modern India

• Before European Penetration in India

• Later Mughals

• The disintegration of the Mughal Empire

• Rise of Regional States

• Bengal

• Hyderabad and Carnatic

• Awadh

• Mysore

• Kerala

• The Sikhs

• Rajput states and Jats

• Marathas

• Rise and fall of Marathas

• Socio and Economic condition of people in 18th Century

• The cultural life of people in 18th Century

• Scientific outlook in 18th Century

• Beginning of European Penetration in India

• Trade between India and Europe

• Portuguese Domination

• Spice trade of Dutch

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 • British trade expansion in India and its effect on India from 1600-1744

• Anglo-French Struggle and Subversion of Indian political power

• Expansion of the British Empire in India 1756-1818

• British expansion in Bengal

• Importance of the Battle of Plassey

• The clash between Mir Qasim and East India Company

• A dual system of administration in Bengal

• Wars under Warren Hastings and Cornwallis

• Expansion under Lord Wellesley

• Subsidiary Alliance policy of Wellesley

• Expansion under Cornwallis

• Overpowering of Maratha Confederacy

• Consolidation under British Rule, 1818-1857

• Conquest of Sind

• Conquest of Punjab

• The policy of Annexation of Dalhousie

• Structure of British Rule in India

• End of Dual Government and Direct Administration of Bengal (From 1772)

• Relations between East India Company and the British state between 1765-1833

• Regulating Act of 1773 and Pitts India Act

• Charter Act of 1813 and 1833

• British Economic Policy in India from 1757-1857

• Commercial Policy of British from 1757-1857

• Effect of Battle of Plassey on Indian Trade

• Effect of the Industrial Revolution on Economic Relations with India

• Factors that Make Britain Favorable for the Industrial Revolution

• Drain of Wealth

• Development of Means of Transport and communication and industries

• Land Revenue Policy of British (Permanent, Ryotwari, Mahalwari)

• Effect of Land Revenue Policy on Agrarian relations in India

• Administrative Policy of British

• Civil Service in India

• Role of Army

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 • Police

• Judicial organization during British Rule

• Introduction of Rule of Law

• Equality Before Law

• Social and Cultural Policy of British

• Modern Thoughts that influenced British Policies in India

• Conservatives and Radicals

• A policy of partial modernization

• Humanitarian Measures (Abolition of Sati etc)

• The spread of modern education

• Social and Religious Reforms in the 19th Century

• Social and Religious reforms in the 19th Century

• Role of Raja Ram Mohan Roy in social and religious regeneration

• The radical trend between 1820 & 1830 (Derozio)

• Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar (Girl education, child marriage, widow remarriage,

and caste hierarchy)

• Why the impact of western Ideas felt more in Bengal than in Western India

• Fight Against Caste System, Untouchability and Widow remarriage, Child

marriage

• Parsi Reforms

• Sikh Reforms

• Role of women

• The state of Education in India during the 19th Century

• Revolt of 1857

• Reasons for the revolt of 1857

• Participation in Revolt

• Spread of Revolt

• Response of British

• Impact of Revolt of 1857

• Factors responsible for the failure of Revolt of 1857

• Administrative Changes Post Revolt of 1857

• Government of India Act of 1858

• Indian Council Act of 1861

• Role of Mayo, Lytton, and Ripon

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 • Promotion of Local bodies and role of Ripon

• Changes in the Army

• Changed Relationship with the Princely States

• The reactionary policy of British

• Labor Legislations

• Economic Impact of British Rule

• The ruin of Traditional Economy

• Impoverishment of peasantry

• The ruin of old zamindars

• Rise of new Landlordism

• Deterioration of Agriculture

• Development of modern industries

• Rise of new social class in India

• Poverty and Famines

• The drain of Wealth theory

• Nationalist Movement (1858-1905)

• Factors responsible for Rising of Nationalism

• Predecessors of Indian National Congress

• Indian National Congress

• Constitutional Reforms by Moderates

• Economic Reforms by Moderates

• Administrative and other reforms by Moderates

• Defense of Civil rights

• Method of Constitutional agitation of Moderates

• British Response

• Evaluation of the role of moderates

• Social and Religious Reform after 1858

• Factors responsible for Religious reform of 19th Century

• Religious reforms in Maharashtra

• Swami Dayanand and AryaSamaj

• Raja Ram Mohan Roy

• Theosophical society

• Swami Vivekanand

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 • Aligarh School of Thought

• Reform among Parsis

• Limitations of the religious reform movement

• The movement to improve the position of Women

• Struggle Against Caste

• Effect of National Awakening on social reforms

• Social legislations in the 19th and 20th century

• Nationalist Movement (1905-1918)

• Growth of militant Nationalism

• How militant nationalists different from moderates

• Swadeshi and Boycott Movement and participation from different sections

• Women Participation before Gandhi

• Growth of Revolutionary Terrorism

• Indian National Congress between 1905-1914

• Morley Minto Reforms

• Muslim league and growth of communalism

• British used Muslim league to fight rising nationalism

• Nationalist and World War I

• Home rule league movement

• Revolutionary Organization like the Ghadar Party

• Lucknow session of 1916

• Struggle for Swaraj

• Post world war scenario favorable for Nationalism

• Impact of the Russian Revolution on National Movement

• Montague Chelmsford reforms

• Rowlatt Act

• The arrival of Mahatma Gandhi and his ideas

• Champaran Satyagraha, Ahmedabad Mill strike

• Satyagraha against Rowlatt Act

• Jallianwala Bagh Massacre

• Khilafat movement and Non-cooperation movement

• Impact of Chauri Chaura Incident

• Role of Swarajists

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 • State peoples conference movements

• Rise of Socialism within congress

• Peasant, Tribal and workers agitation

• Socialist turn to Revolutionary terrorism

• The response of the British to revolutionary terrorism

• Boycott of Simon Commission

• Nehru Report

• Significance of Poorna Swaraj Resolution

• Dandi March

• Program of CDM (1930-34) and the British response

• First Round table conference

• Gandhi-Irwin pact and second RTC

• The second phase of CDM

• Women Participation after coming of Mahatma Gandhi

• Communal Award

• Poona Pact and Mahatma Gandhi fast unto death

• Mahatma Gandhi and BR Ambedkar approach to caste and untouchability

• Third RTC

• Nationalist Politics (1935-1939)

• Government of India Act, 1935

• Formation of Congress Ministries

• Growth of Socialist Ideas

• Congress and International Affairs

• Towards Independence

• National Movement in the Princely States

• Growth of Communalism

• National movement and World War II

• August Offer, 1940

• Individual civil disobedience movement (1940-41)

• Cripps Mission and Reasons for Failure

• Quit India Movement and British Response

• Women participation in the end stages of freedom struggle

• Azad Hind Fauj and SC Bose

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 • INA Trials

• Wavell Plan and Shimla Conference

• 1945-46 elections and the communal divide

• RIN (Royal Indian Navy Mutiny)

• Labour and peasant Unrest all over Country

• Reasons Behind British Support for India’s demand for freedom

• Cabinet Mission

• Towards Partition and independence

• Rise of Muslim communalism and partition of India

• The Indian independence Act July 1947

• Role of Various Leaders

• Factors leading to Partition

• Why congress accepted the partition of India

2. Post-Independence Consolidation and Re-Organization

• Challenges before India after Independence

• Communal Riots and Regions most affected

• Partition and then Independence: Punjab, Bengal and Assam, Sindh

• Radcliff Commission and challenges before boundary commission

• Radcliff Commission and its composition

• Drawbacks of Commission

• Division of sources

• Finances

• Defence personnel and equipment

• Civil government

• Assassination of Gandhi

• Resettlement and Rehabilitation of Refugees

• Shift to Constitutional Democracy

• The Indian States

• Policy of Equal Federation (1935-1947)

• Plan of consolidation

• Integration of Princely States: Junagadh, Kashmir and Hyderabad

• Aftermath of Integration

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 • Goa and Pondicherry

• Tribal Integration

• Roots of India Tribal Policy

• Reasons for dismal performance of Tribal Policy

• Positive Development happened due to state’s Initiative since 1947

• Issue of language

• The Official Language

• Features of Official Language Act

• Framing of the Constitution of India

• Evolution of the Constitution and main provisions

• Steps to the Constitution

• Constitutional Developments

• The Indian Constitution: Main Provisions

• The Constituent Assembly

• Formation of the Constituent Assembly

• Compulsions and Issues in front of Assembly

• From Colony to Democracy

• Challenge of building democracy

• Challenges before ECI and conduction of the first general election

• Starting of one-party dominance

• Dominance of Congress System

• Nature of Congress Dominance

• 1967 elections

• Split in the Congress

• Emergence of Opposition Parties

• Role of opposition parties

• Various opposition parties

• Economic Consolidation

• Economic Development and Planning

• Ideas of Development

• Planning

• Formation of Planning Commission

• First five-year plan

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 • Second five-year plan

• Achievements of Plans from 1947 to 1965

• Key controversies regarding 5-year plans

• Green Revolution

• Prevailing Conditions before the introduction of the Green Revolution

• Initiatives prior to Green Revolution to boost Agriculture

• Government’s other positive initiative during the Green Revolution Period

• Positive and negative impact of Green Revolution

• Operation Flood and Cooperatives

• Formation of Amul

• Starting and impact of Operation Flood

• Limitations of Co-operativization

• Development of land reforms in India between 1947 and early 1960s

• Abolition of intermediaries

• Tenancy reforms

• Ceiling on land holdings

• Bhoodan Movement

• Aims and advantages of Bhoodan movement

• India’s External Relations

• Evolution of India’s Foreign Policy

• Strategic Issues

• Features of Indian Foreign Policy

• Emergence of NAM and its Summits

• Organizational structure & membership

• India and its neighbours

• India and China

• India and Pakistan (Indo-Pak War, Kargil War, Shimla Agreement,

Tashkent Declaration and Agra Summit)

• India and Bangladesh (Creation of Bangladesh)

• India and Sri Lanka

• India with Nepal and Bhutan

• India’s relations with USA and USSR during cold war

• Analysis of Nehruvian Foreign Policy

• The Crisis of Democratic Order

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 • The JP movement and Emergency 1975-77: Testing of Indian democracy tested

• Background to emergency (Economic context, Gujarat and Bihar movements,

Conflict with Judiciary)

• Declaration of emergency (Crisis and Response)

• Controversies regarding emergency

• Lessons from emergency

• Politics after Emergency (LS elections 1977 and Janata Party)

• The Opposition: Initial years of BJP

• The Naxalite Movement

• Communalism

• Secularism and democracy

• Ayodhya dispute: Demolition and after

• Communalism and use of state power

• Revival and growth of communalism

• Anti-muslim riots in Gujarat

• The Punjab Crisis

• Operation Blue Star

• Demand of Khalistan

• Basis of Regionalism: Politics in the states

• Roots of tension

• Challenges of Regionalism

• Tamil Nadu (Dravidian Movement), Andhra Pradesh, Assam, West Bengal and
J&K (external and internal disputes)

• Secessionist movement in North-Eastern states

• Accommodation and National Integration

• Popular Movements

• Nature of Popular Movements

• Environment Movements

• Chipko Movement

• Narmada Bachao Andalon (Sardar Sarovar Project, Debates, and struggles)

• Party based Movement and Non-party based movements

• Caste, Untouchability, Anti-caste politics and strategies

• Issues of Dalit

• Dalit panthers: Origin and their activities

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 • Agrarian Struggles

• Bharatiya Kisan Union: Growth and its characteristics

• National Fish Worker’s Forum

• Anti-Arrack Movement: Origin and its linkage

• Indian Women since Independence

• Lesson from popular movements

• Recent Developments in Indian Politics

• Context of the 1990s

• Era of Coalition

• Decline of Congress

• Alliance politics

• Political Rise of other Backward Classes

• Mandal Implemented: The Mandal Commission

• Political fallouts

• NEP-1991, LPG policy, Tax reforms, Privatisation, Globalisation and ICT

• Nuclear policy

• Emergence of new consensus

• LS Elections 2004

• Terrorist troubles and relations with Pakistan

CONTEMPORARY ISSUES

• Polity

• Reorganisation of States

• Emergency in India

• Linguistic Regionalism in India.

• Lok Sabha Elections 2014 and 2018.

• Economy

• Agriculture since 12th five-year plan

• Industry since 12th five-year plan

• New Economic Policies and its Impact

• Social Issues Related to Vulnerable Section

• Tribal Issue and Policy Consolidation

• Issue of Women and Evolution of Women Movement

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 • Agrarian Struggles

• The problem of Caste and Social Consolidation

• Communalism Secularism and Social Consolidation

• Regionalism Issues in India

• Issue of Linguistic Minorities

• Environmental Movements

3. Indian Culture

• Culture and Heritage of India

• Aims and objectives of performing arts and their development through various
stages.

• The utility of performing arts during the ancient and the medieval period.

• Appreciate the contribution of classical dances, folk music as well as folk dances
in Indian culture and Challenges faced by performing arts.

• Development of drama through various phases in India and recognize the

contribution of folk theatre.

• Examine the importance of the three art forms in the development of human
personality.

• Religious and secular Art in India.

• Music

• Evolution of Indian Music

• Contribution of Some personalities: Amir Khusro, Mohammad Shah

• Hindustani Music evolution, features, and impact.

• Carnatic Music evolution, features, and impact

• Hindustani and Carnatic music differences and similarities

• Regional music and its impact

• Modern Music

• Dance

• Tracing Evolution of Dance (Rig Veda, Harappa, Nataraja)

• Classical Dances of India, their evolution and Theme

• Well known classical dancers of India.

• Themes in Indian folk dances

• Drama

• Introduction ( Natyashastra)

• Evolution of Drama in India

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 • Various texts relating to Drama period wise (ex Mahabhasya, mrichhakatika)

• Famous Modern Dramas and Dramatists.

• Languages & Literature

• Vedic Literature

• Tamil language and Sangam Literature

• Classical languages: Evolution & impact on society

• Trends in Medieval Literature

• Modern Indian Literature

• Architecture in India

• Architectural Style of Harappan Civilisation

• Influence of Buddhism and Jainism on Indian architecture

• Impact of Persian and Greek invasion on Indian culture

• Mauryan Architecture (322-182 BC)

• Post Mauryan Architecture

• Gandhara and Mathura school of Art

• Cultural development during the Gupta Age

• Temple Architecture and Sculptures

• Pallavas as great temple builders

• The emergence of Nalanda as a center of learning

• Medieval Period architecture

• Delhi Sultanate

• Regional Kingdoms ( Mandu, Jaunpuretc)

• Vijaynagara Architecture

• Mughal Architecture

• Indo Islamic Architecture

• Colonial Architecture

• The utility of Architectural structures today and in Past

• Conservation and Preservation of Architectural Structures

• Spread of Indian Culture to Southeast Asia

• Bronze Sculptures in India

• Harappan “Dancing Girl”

• Jain Tirthankaras Bronze Images

• Buddha bronze Images (ex Guptas and Vakatakas)

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 • Pala school of Art (Bronze images, Manuscripts)

• Pallava Bronze Images

• Chola Bronzes

• Nataraja

• Paintings in India

• Prehistoric Rock Paintings

• Ancient Period

• Murals Paintings

• Bagh Caves

• Sittanavasal Paintings

• Armamalai caves

• Medieval Period

• Pala school of miniature paintings

• Mughal miniature paintings (synthesis of Indian and Persian style)

• Role of Akbar and his successors

• Development of Pahari, Rajput and Deccan Paintings

• The theme of paintings in the Medieval period

• Modern Period

• Bengal school of Art

• Renaissance or revivalist painting

• Madras School of Art

• Decorative Art

• Madhubani

• Kalamkari

• Kalighat

• Warli

• Pattachitra

• The theme of decorative paintings in India

• Theatre Forms of India

• Significance of Traditional folk theatre in India

• Different forms of traditional folk theatre in India

• Sanskrit theatre in India

• Challenges faced by the theatre in India

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 • Puppet forms in India

• Themes of puppetry in India

• Forms of Puppetry

• Religious Philosophies

• Buddhism and its impact

• Jainism and its impact

• Sufism and its impact

• Vedanta Philosophy

• Bhakti Traditions

4. World History

• Industrial Revolution

• Decline of feudalism

• Beginning of Renaissance

• Pre-industrial Europe

• Factors that led to the industrial revolution and its Impact

• French Revolution

• Causes of the revolution in France

• France under Napoleon

• Impact and Significance of revolution

• Nationalism in Europe

• Rise of the nation-state system

• Unification of Italy and Germany

• Colonialism and Imperialism

• Colonialism and its Analysis

• The age of Imperialism (1870-1914)

• Imperialism in Asia

• Emergence of USA

• Foundation of American Colonies

• The Independence of the USA

• The American Revolutionary War and its impact

• Political Effects of the Revolution

• How did the American Revolution influence the French Revolution?

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 • World War-I

• Causes and Course of the war

• Consequences of World War I

• The aftermath of World War I

• League of Nations

• Russian Revolution

• Major events in pre-revolution Russia

• Causes and Course of revolution

• Consequences and Aftermath of the war

• Post-Lenin Russia

• Inter-War Years (1919 To 1939)

• The Great Depression- an economic perspective

• Rise of Fascism in Italy & Nazism in Germany

• Soviet Union (USSR)

• World War- II

• Causes &Course of the war

• Aftermath &Analysis of the war

• Decolonization Phase

• Development in the Middle East

• Democratic reforms in the Middle East

• Arab nationalism

• Israel and Palestine

• Cold War Era

• Impact in India

• Indian Policy

• Post-Cold-War World

• Global issues since 1991

• Integration of Europe

• Rise of global Islamic terrorism

• Rise of China

• Communism, Socialism, and Capitalism

• Capitalism (concept, types, and example)

• Communism (concept, types, example)

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 • The relevance of capitalism in the present era

5. Physical Geography (World and India)

• General Geography

• Universe

• Earth Evolution& Basics

• Geomorphology

• Earth’s Interior

• Sources of Information about the Interior

• Structure of the Earth’s Interior

• Mechanical and Chemical categorization of the internal structure

• Geology and Rock System

• Minerals

• Major Elements of the Earth’s Crust

• Rocks

• Rocks & landforms

• Rocks & Soils

• Geomorphic Processes

• Endogenic Forces

• Exogenic Forces

• Earthquakes and Volcanism

• Distribution of Continents & Oceans

• Continental Drift Theory

• Convectional Current Theory

• Mapping of the Ocean Floor

• Sea Floor Spreading

• Plate Tectonics

• Isostasy

• Landforms and their evolution

• Causes of landform development

• Geomorphic Agents and Landforms

• Ground Water (Karst Topography)

• Glaciers

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 • Waves and Currents

• Winds

• Landforms across the world

• Rivers and lakes

• Mountain and Peaks

• Plateaus

• Oceanography

• Hydrosphere

• Water on the Surface of the Earth

• Hydrological Cycle

• Submarine Relief Features

• Relief of the Ocean floor

• Divisions of the ocean floor

• Minor relief features

• Temperature and Salinity

• The temperature of the Ocean Wate

• Factors affecting Temperature distribution

• Horizontal and Vertical Distribution

• The salinity of the Ocean Water

• Factors affecting salinity

• Horizontals distribution of salinity

• Vertical Distribution of salinity

• The density of Ocean Waters

• Movements of Ocean Water

• Factors influencing Movement

• Waves

• Tides

• Ocean Currents

• Marine Resources

• Ocean Deposits and Corals

• Climatology

• Atmosphere

• Solar Radiation, Heat Balance and Temperature

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 • 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

• General Circulation of the Atmosphere – Pattern of Planetary Winds

• Latitudinal Variation of Atmospheric Heating

• The emergence of Pressure Belts

• Hadley Cell, Ferrell Cell, Polar Cell

• Seasonal Wind

• Local Wind

• Land and Sea Breezes

• Mountain and Valley Winds

• Air Mass, Fronts, Cyclones and Jet Stream

• Water in the Atmosphere

• Water Vapour

• Humidity – Absolute and Relative

• Saturation – Dew Point

• Evaporation and Condensation

• Dew

• Frost

• Fog & Mist

• Clouds

• Precipitation

• Climatic Zones of the World

• World Climate

• Koeppen’s Scheme of Classification of Climate

• Climatic Zones of World

• Bio-Geography

• Soil & Its Characteristics

• Vegetation resources

• Types of natural vegetation

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 • Forests

• Grasslands

• Desert vegetation

• Tundra Vegetation

• Deforestation

• Conservation of forests

• Reforestation

• Afforestation

• Forestry

• Physical Geography of India

• Physiography of India

• Location

• Geopolitical Significance of India

• Geological Divisions

• Drainage System

• Climate

• Factors influencing the climate of India

• Monsoon

• Mechanism of the Monsoon

• EL NINO and LA NINA & their impact

• The rhythm of Seasons

• Climatic Regions of India

• Soils in India

• Classification of Soils

• Soil textures

• Issue of Soil degradation & Soil Erosion

• Soil Conservation

• Natural Vegetation

• Types of Forests in India

• Forest Cover in India

• Forest Conservation

• Forest Problems in India

• Environmental Issues

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 • Floods and Droughts

• Forest fires

• Deforestation

• Desertification

• Pollution

• Climate Change and Global Warming

6. Economic and Human Geography

• Basics of Economic Geography

• Definition, Development, and scope of Economic Geography

• Type of Economic Activities

• Primary Activities

• Secondary Activities

• Tertiary, Quaternary and Quinary Activities

• Recent Themes and Concepts in Economic Geography

• Agglomeration Economies

• Neo-liberalism

• Rise of macro-regional Economic block

• Ethnicity in Economic Geography

• Concept of the digital divide

• Resource

• Land Resource

• Land-use Pattern and changes

• Problems of Land Resources:

• Land Degradation: Causes and Impact

• Concept of Land Degradation Neutrality

• Land Use Planning and Policy

• Water Resources

• Mineral Resources

• Energy resources

• Recent Debates on Resources

• Geopolitics of Natural Resources

• Globalization and Unsustainable exploitation of natural resources

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 • Depletion of natural resources versus Economic Growth

• Changing Pattern of Land Use and Causes

• Water Crisis: Causes, Conflicts and Resolution

• Energy Crisis

• Challenges and constraints faced by coal sector

• Challenges in Hydropower sector

• Renewable Energy: way toward sustainability

• Energy Security: Energy Policy and strategy in India

• Agriculture

• Agriculture Basic Terminologies

• Cropping pattern

• Agriculture Productivity

• Agriculture Intensity

• Land capability

• Location of agriculture

• World Agriculture Typologies

• Salient features of Indian Agriculture

• Problems of Indian Agriculture

• Factor Affecting Agriculture

• Geographical factors

• Institutional factors

• Technological factors

• Major Crops and conditions for growth

• Regionalization of Agriculture

• Various Revolutions in Agriculture Sector

• Green Revolution

• White Revolution

• Operation Flood

• Blue Revolution

• Agricultural Policies and Initiatives

• Minimum Support Price: Benefits and Challenges

• Agriculture Market Produce Committees: Issues

• National Agriculture Market (NAM)

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 • Agricultural Produce and Livestock Marketing (Promotion and Facilitating)
Act (APLM), 2017

• National Livestock Mission

• National Programme for Bovine Breeding and Dairy Development (NPBBD)

• Rashtriya Gokul Mission

• Agriculture Export Policy, 2018

• Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN)

• Pradhan Mantri Annadataaay Sanrakshan Abhiyan (Pm-Aasha)

• Operation Greens

• Dairy Processing & Infrastructure Development Fund (DIDF)

• Fisheries and Aquaculture Infrastructure Development Fund (FIDF)

• Agriculture Census

• Food Security

• Nature of Food Insecurity: Duration, Severity and types

• Trend and Pattern in Food Insecurity

• Causes and Geography of famine

• Key Dimension of food security

• Efforts and Remedies to ensure food security

• Agricultural in Discussion

• Controversy over GM Crops: Benefits and Issues

• Impact of climate Change on Agriculture

• Evergreen Green Revolution for Sustainable Livelihood

• Rainbow Revolution

• Blue Revolution: Impact on Rural Economy

• Climate Smart Agriculture

• Need of Agriculture Diversification

• Mixed farming: Hedging Agriculture Risks

• Problems and Prospects of dry-zone agriculture

• Plantation Agriculture: Issues involved

• Challenges of increasing Agriculture Productivity and Production

• New ‘White Revolution’: Need, Scope and Challenges

• Contract Farming: Benefits and Challenges

• Role of infrastructural and institutional factors in the recent transformation

of Indian agriculture

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 • Impact of advanced agricultural technologies on the Environment

• Soil Health Card scheme and rationalization of fertilizer subsidies

• Food Security: India’s Vulnerability and way-out

• Industry

• Classification of Industries

• Factors affecting location of Industries

• Weber’s Model of Industrial Location

• Losch theory of Profit Maximization

• Various Industries: Location, Prospects and Challenges

• Iron and Steel Industry

• Textile Industry

• Jute Industry

• Auto Mobile Industry

• Fertilizer Industry

• Agro-based Industries

• Other Industries

• Industrial Regions and its Characteristics

• Major Industrial Regions of the World

• Industrial Regions of India

• Industrial Policies and Development

• A Scheme for Promotion of Innovation, Rural Industry and

Entrepreneurship

• Scheme of Fund for Regeneration of Traditional Industries

• Stand Up India

• Fourth Industrial Revolution

• Role of Industrial development in minimizing regional inequalities

• Problems of Industrial regions

• Factors behind the growth and present location pattern of automobile

industry in India

• Pharmaceutical industry: Locational pattern and reasons

• Sugar industry: Problems and challenges of the current pattern

• Food Processing Industry: Untapped Potential

• Agro based Industries: Problems and Prospects

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 • Impact of agro-based industries on cropping pattern

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 • Tourism: Prospects and Impact on Environment

• Transport and Communication

• Land Transport

• Roads

• Railways

• Pipelines

• Water Transport

• Inland: National Waterways

• Seaways and Oceanic Route

• Air Transport

• National Airways

• National Civil Aviation Policy

• Regional Connectivity Scheme (UDAN)

• International Airways

• Communications

• Communication Infrastructure

• National Telecom Policy

• Major Issues in Transport and Communication

• Trade

• World Trade Pattern

• Basis of Overseas Trade

• Types of International Trade

• Bilateral Trade

• Multilateral Trade

• Various Organisation Related to International Trade

• Regional Trade Blocks

• Foreign Trade: India

• Trends in India’s Foreign Trade

• Composition Indian Trade

• Direction of India’s Foreign Trade

• Trade Pattern and Policies

• Changing Pattern of India’s foreign trade

• Challenges and prospects of foreign trade of India

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 • Impact of trade liberalisation on the geographical distribution of industries

• Neo-liberal reforms in Africa: Race of India and China

• Demography and Census World & India

• Concept of human resources

• Factors affecting the distribution of Population

• Population growth

• Theories of Population Growth

• Malthusian Theory

• Marxian Theory

• Demographic transition theory

• Optimum Population Theory

• Size, growth rate and distribution of population

• Components of Population growth

• Demographic Dividend

• Demographic Window of Opportunity

• Components of Population change

• Birth Rate

• Death Rate (Mortality Rate)

• Migration

• Population Composition

• Age Sex Pyramids & their significance

• Trends and Pattern in Sex Ratio

• Initiatives to improve Sex ratio

• Trends and Patterns in Literacy

• Government’s Efforts

• Fertility Rate

• Impact of Population Change

• Population Policies

• Population problems

• Global Nutrition Report, 2018

• Global Hunger Index

• Settlements and Urbanization

• Rural Settlements

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 • Urban Settlements

• Origin of Urban Settlements- Functional Classification of Towns

• Urbanization

• Issues related to Urbanization in India

• Schemes

• Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana or Housing for All Scheme

• Smart City Initiative

• AMRUT (Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation)

• HRIDAY (Heritage City Development and Augmentation Yojana)

• Regional Planning and Development

• Concept of Region

• Types of Regions

• Issues of Regional Imbalances

• Strategies for Regional Development

• Human Development

• Growth v/s Development

• Approaches to Human Development

• Human Development Index

• International comparisons of Human Development

• World Development Report, 2019

• Human Development Report

7. Indian Society
• Unity in Diversity

• Concepts of Unity and Diversity

• Forms of Diversity in India

• Reasons for so much Diversity

• Bonds of Unity in India

• Geo-political Unity

• The Institution of Pilgrimage

• Tradition of Accommodation

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 • Tradition of Interdependence

• Role of Sensitive Leaders

• Constitutional Safeguards – Role of

• Constitution Framers

• Challenges of Diversity to Unity

• Diversity of Constituents

• Regionalism and Cultural Identities

• Casteism

• Linguism

• Communalism

• Social Inequalities

• Regional Disparities

• Ethno-Nationality and Ethnic Conflicts

• Tribal Identity

• Basic Sociological Concepts

• The Family and Kinship

• Concept of Patriarchy in India

• Secularism

• Secularism and Secularization

• Western and Indian Concept

• Process of Secularization

• Secularism and Forced Conversion in India

• Regionalism, Communalism, Fundamentalism and communal Violence

• Regionalism

• Regionalism in India

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 • Types of Regionalism

• Effects of Regionalism

• Regionalism: Demand for Smaller States

• Strategies to tackle Regionalism

• Sons of Soil Concept

• Communalism Concept, Origin, Impact

• Fundamentalism-religious, Cultural

• Communal Violence

• Social Empowerment

• Constitutional Provisions Relevant to Social Justice & Empowerment of Scheduled

Caste & Scheduled Tribes

• Status of Minorities In India

• The Scheduled Castes: From Untouchable to Dalit

• Population of the Scheduled Castes

• Types of Disabilities of the SCs

• From Untouchables to the Dalits: The Process of Identity Formation

• Combating Mechanism against Caste Atrocities and Violence

• The State Efforts for Dalit Emancipation

• Identify Political Implications on Dalits

• Tribal in India

• Chronic Indebtedness

• Forest Related Problems

• Destruction of the Forest Environment and the Tribal People

• Development and Displacement

• Analysis of Forest Rights Act

• Women Movements

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 • 19th Century Women Movements – Under Social Reform Movements

• Women’s Issues During the Gandhian Era

• Issues in Post-Independence Era

• Violence Against Women

• Developmental Movement

• Uniform Civil Code

• Feminism and Post Feminism

• Social Justice

• Concept of Casteism in India

• Caste and Politics

• The Reservation Policy Debate

• Social Justice and Social Development

• Social Security In India

• Concept

• Social Security System in India

• Organized Sector and Social Security

• Unorganised Sector and Social Security

• Centrally Funded Social Assistance Programmes

• Public Initiatives

• Review of the implementation of Social Security Laws in the Country

• Suggestions for Improving the Social Security Matrix

• Social security code for all

• Understanding Poverty

• Dimensions of Poverty

• Linkage between Poverty and Development

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 • Recommendations of the Rangarajan Committee Report

• Poverty Alleviation Strategy Since Independence

• Programs for Poverty Alleviation

• Concept of Inequality

• Globalization

• Meaning of Globalization

• Reasons for Globalization

• Dimensions/Impact

• Political

• Cultural and Social

• Economic

• Anti-Globalization Movement

• New Localism

• NPM (New public management)

• Urbanization & Census 2011

• Urbanization

• Trend and pattern of Urbanization

• Issues Related to Urbanization in India

• Status of Service Delivery and Governance

• Urban Development Projects

• Critical Analysis of Smart City Mission

• SDG’s and urbanization

• Census 2011

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 • Contemporary Issues

• Secularism, Regionalism & Communalism

• Issues Related to Women

• Gender Discrimination in Corporate Sector

• Female Genital Mutilation

• Bill on Banning Triple Talaq

• Issues of women entry to the place of worship

• Adultery No Longer a Crime: SC

• Unwanted Girls in India

• Altruistic Surrogacy in India

• Women in Panchayats

• Women Participation in Economy

• # Me Too Movement

• Draft National Policy for Women, 2016

• Laws Related to Stalking in India

• Debate on the Issue of Marital Rape

• India’s Maternity Laws need Serious Tweaking

• Women in Judiciary Matters

• SC’s Judgment on Dowry

• Gender Budgeting: Critical Analysis

• Issues Related to Children

• Issues Faced by Children in War Zone

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 • High Dropout Rate of Girls in India

• Child Trafficking

• Safety of Children in Schools

• Issue of Malnutrition in India

• Amendments Proposed in Child Labour Act

• Plight of Street Children

• Juvenile Justice System

• Child Marriages in India

• Death for Child Rape

• Draft National Child Protection Policy

• National Action Plan for Children, 2016

• Other Issues

• India’s Family Planning Programme: Critical Analysis

• Demography and Policy Planning

• India’s Ageing Report

• Legalising Same Sex Marriage

• Domestic Workers: Issues and Laws

• Development Leading to Displacement

• Moral Policing

• Euthanasia and Living Will

• Inadequacies in existing Human Trafficking laws in India

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 • Transgender Bill passed in Lok Sabha with Amendments

• Mental Health Care Bill

• Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act

• Manual Scavenging

• Mob lynching and Rule of Law

• Issue Related to Under trials

• Income Inequality in India

• Indigenous People in India: An Analysis

• Debate Over Death Penalty

• Global Slavery Index Report

• Right to Privacy Judgement

• SC Verdict on SC/ST Atrocities Bill

• Social Stigma Attached with HIV

• Health & Education

• status Health sector

• Status of Education sector

• Allied Health Care Professions Bill, 2018

• Ahead on Malaria: On reduction in cases in India

• India and Neglected Disease Treatment

• TB Status in India and Bed aquiline Patent Challenge

• Status of E-Pharmacies in India

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 • Changes Proposed in No Detention Policy

• National Policy on Education

• Capacity Building for Primary Health Care

• NITI Aayog on Privatisation of Urban Health Care

• National Health Policy, 2017

• Regulating Private Healthcare

• India’s Nutrition Challenge

• Food Fortification

• Sanitation and Nutrition Linkage

• Ayushman Bharat

• Miscellaneous

• Is social media polarizing society?

• Online political advertising and challenge for democracy and society

• Draft Social Security Code

• Uniform Civil Code

• Critical Analysis of Stand-Up India Scheme

• SC Suggests for Prison Reforms

• Statue of Unity

UPSC Syllabus Mains (GS Paper-2 Micro Topics)

Features of Indian Polity and Constitution

1. Historical Underpinning

• Constitution: Why and How?

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 • Historical Background

2. Evolution

• Constituent Assembly and its vision of future

• Making of the Constitution

• Constitution as a living document

• Democracy and diversity

• Outcomes of democracy

• Crisis of Democratic order

• National Commission to Review the Working of the Constitution

• Comparison of the Indian Constitutional scheme with that of other countries

3. Features

• Sources of the Constitution

• Salient features of the Constitution

• The Philosophy of the Constitution

• System of Government: Parliamentary & Presidential System

• Role of Convention under the Constitution

• Comparison between Judicial Review and Parliamentary Supremacy

4. Amendments

• The Constitution Amendment of the Constitution

• Keshvananda and Bharti Case Judgement

• 42nd and 44th Amendment to the Constitution

• The Constitution (103rd Amendment) Act, 2019 (124th Constitution Amendment Bill)
to provide 10% reservation in government jobs and educational institutions to the
economically weaker sections (EWS)

• (125th Amendment) Bill, 2019

5. Significant Provisions

• The preamble of the Constitution

• Citizenship

• Fundamental Rights

• Major Debates/ Issues around Fundamental Rights

• Directive Principles of the State Policy

• Fundamental Duties

• Union Territories

• Special Status of Jammu and Kashmir

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 • Special Provisions for some States

• Scheduled and Tribal areas

• Official Language

6. Major Doctrines

• The doctrine of the Basic Structure of the Constitution

• The doctrine of Harmonious Construction

• Doctrine of Eclipse

• The doctrine of Pith and Substance

• The doctrine of Incidental or Ancillary Powers

• The doctrine of Colourable Legislation

• Doctrine of Severability

• The doctrine of Territorial Nexus

• Doctrine of Laches

7. Pressure Groups and Formal/Informal Associations and Their Role in The Polity

• Pressure Groups

• Popular Struggles and Movements

• Rise of Popular movements

8. Election & The Representatives of People’s Act

• Political Parties

• Elections

• Voting Behaviour

• Election Laws

• Electoral reforms

• Anti-Defection Law

9. Development Processes and The Development Industry

• The role of NGOs

• SHGs, various groups, and associations, donors, charities, institutional and other
stakeholders

10.Major Issues

• Dalit assertion and Politics of reservation

• Should India spend more on science or Social welfare?

• Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act 2005

• Agrarian crisis: Issues in farmer economy

• Issues related to Social Media

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 • Media freedom and Responsible reporting

• Marital rape

• Section 377: Constitutionality Vs Morality

• Legalizing Sports Betting in India

11. Mechanism, Laws, Institutions, And Bodies Constituted for The Protection and
Betterment of These Vulnerable Sections

• Special Provisions relating to Certain Classes

• Scheduled and Tribal Areas

Executive, Judiciary, Legislature

1. Issues and Challenges Pertaining to The Federal Structure

• Union and its territory

• Nature of the Federal System

• Peculiar features of Indian federalism

• A Critique of the Federal System

• Challenges of Nation-building

• The era of One-Party dominance

• Regional aspirations

• Emergency Provisions

• Conversion of state to UT unilaterally by the centre-A constitutional question

2. Structure, Organization and The Functioning of The Union Executive

• President

• Vice President

• Prime Minister

• Central Council of Ministers

• Cabinet Committees

3. Structure, Organization, And Functioning of The State Executive

• Governor

• Chief Minister

• State Council of Ministers

4. Parliament

• Parliament

• Parliamentary Committees

5. State Legislature

• State Legislature
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6. Functions and Responsibilities of The Union and States

• 7th Schedule

7. Separation of Power

• Power Sharing

• Center-state Relations

• Foreign Policy

• States demand a say in Foreign Policy

8. Dispute Redressal Mechanisms and Institutions

• Inter-State Relations

• Parliamentary Forums

• Parliamentary Groups

• Administrative Tribunals

• National Integration

9. Devolution of Powers and Finances Up to Local Levels and Challenges Therein

• Local Governments

• Panchayati Raj and PESA 1996

• Municipalities

10. Structure, Organization, And Functioning of The Judiciary

• Higher Judiciary Appointments

• Judicial Review

• Judicial Activism

• Public Interest Litigation

• Other Judicial Issues

• Major Judgements of Supreme Court

11. Constitutional Bodies

12. Statutory, Regulatory and Various Quasi-Judicial Bodies

Micro Topic Syllabus of Governance

1. Governance

• Concept of Good Governance

• Issues Concerning Governance

• Right Based Approach in Policy Making

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 • Public Policy Making and Policy Implementation

• How to Establish Good Governance

2. Transparency & Accountability

• Right to Information

• Information sharing and transparency in government

• RTI and Official Secret Act: Who’s winning and why Judiciary wants to remain
isolated

• Citizen’s Charters

• Benefits of Citizen Charter

• Citizen Charter in India: An Evaluation

• Problems Faced in Implementing the Charters

• Steps to improve Citizen Charters

• Indian Approach to Citizen Charter: Sevottam Model

• Administrative Reforms Commission’s Seven-Step Model for Citizen Centricity

• Right to Service

• The extent of regulations and openness of media and social networking sites

• T.K. Viswanathan Committee on Hate Speech

• Role of MEDIA in bringing Transparency and Accountability

• Social Media and Accountability

• E-Governance

• Role of E-Governance in bringing Transparency and Accountability

• Major E-Governance Projects and challenges in their implementation

• Role of civil services in a democracy

• Linkage of Civil Services and Democracy

• Debate on Lateral Entry in Civil Services

• The relation between Civil Servants and Political Executives

• Performance Appraisal System in Bureaucracy

• Reforms Needed in Indian Bureaucracy

• Codes of Ethics and Code of Conduct

• Paid news abuse by social media a poll menace

• Model code of conduct

• Utilization of Public funds

• Significance of the Public Accounts Committee

• Challenges of corruption and incompetence

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3. Regulatory Structure and Governance Reforms

• Functions and responsibilities of various Bodies

• Analysis of Autonomy and functioning of CAG, CBI, CVC, and NHRC

• Lokpal and rise of Ombudsman era: a critical evaluation of the journey traveled
so far

• State and operational effectiveness of Local governments in India

• Corporate Governance in India – Why is it so critical

• Police Reforms in India

• Curb on VIP Culture

• Prison Reforms in India

• Improving Governance in Public Systems

4. Development Processes and The Development Industry

• Role of Self-Help Group in Development

• Shortcomings and Recommendations to Improve Self Help Group

• Role and functions of NGOs in the Development

• Challenges Faced by NGOs in India

• Issue of Fund Mismanagement

• Role of Microfinance Institutions in Development Process

• Issues Related to Microfinance Institutions and Recommendations

• Role of Foreign aid in Development

• The role and function of pressure groups in India

• Changing Pattern of Pressure Group Politics in India

5. Socio-Economic Development

• Concept of Human Development

• Economic Growth and Human Development: Two-Way Link

• Measurement of Human Development

• Understanding Poverty

• Dimensions of Poverty

• The linkage between Poverty and Development

• Recommendations of the Rangarajan Committee Report

• Poverty Alleviation Strategy Since Independence

• Programs for Poverty Alleviation

• Concept of Inequality

• World Inequality Report 2018: Findings of the Report

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 • Income Inequality in India

• Recommendations to Reduce Inequality

• HUNGER

• Manifestations of Hunger and its causes

• Challenges to Food Security

• Global Hunger Index Report, 2018

• Recommendations

• Institutional Measures for Welfare of Vulnerable Sections

• Issues Related to the Weaker Sections & Vulnerable groups in India

• Constitutional Provisions for the Welfare of Society

• Institutional Measures for the Welfare of the Society

• Issues with the Institutional Mechanisms

• HEALTH

• Public Health System of India

• Shortcomings of the Healthcare Sector

• The urgency of achieving Universal Health Coverage

• Evaluation of SWACHH BHARAT MISSION

• Global Nutrition Report 2018

• Initiatives Taken in Health Sector: Ayushman Bharat

• National Health Policy

• EDUCATION

• Challenges of Education sector in India

• Right to Education and Challenges to EWS Children

• Initiatives by Government

6. 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

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 • To protect minorities (religious and linguistic)

• To promote inclusive and sustainable growth

• Various Reforms in Civil Services

7. Pressure Groups and Formal/ Informal Associations and Their Role in The Polity

• What are the pressure groups?

• Types of pressure groups

• Significance of pressure groups in India

• Differentiate between a pressure group and a political party

• Evaluation of pressure groups role

8. 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 the 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 the 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 Finance commission (provided by the constitution and

different ACTs of Parliament.)

• National Commission for SCs and STs.

9. Statutory, Regulatory and Various Quasi-Judicial Bodies

• SEBI, CVC, CBI, Planning Commission NDC, PMO

• TRAI, IRDA

• National Human Rights Commission

• State Human Rights Commission

• Central Information Commission

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 • State Information Commission

• National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission

• 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

• Role of CAG

• 14th Finance Commission: Analysis

• 7th Pay Commission Report and Repercussions

• AFSPA and Second ARC

• Inter-State River Water Dispute: Cauvery dispute

• Role of Niti Aayog

10. Contemporary Issues

• Second ARC REPORT

• Initiatives for Transparency & Accountability

• Organisation/Bodies

• Scheme

• Policies

• Miscellaneous

Micro Topic Syllabus Of IR

1. India’s Foreign Policy

• Evolution and Challenges

• Evolution of India’s foreign policy (Including NAM, Look East and Gujral Doctrine)

• Determinants and challenges of India’s Foreign Policy

• Recent Policies

• Neighborhood first policy

• Act east policy

• Link west policy

• Indian ocean outreach

• Soft Power and Hard Power diplomacy

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 • Defense and Nuclear Diplomacy

• Space diplomacy

• Para diplomacy-A New Way for Indian Foreign Policy?

• Middle Power Coalition

• Significance of PMO in foreign policymaking

• India’s Strategic Connect with the World

• Rise of Realpolitik in India’s Foreign Policy in recent times

• Indian Diaspora

2. India And Its Neighbours

• India-China

• Border dispute

• China’s string of pearls

• China’s Belt and Road Initiative: Prospects and Pitfalls

• Maritime Silk Road” linking the Indian and Pacific Oceans

• Why India is alarmed regarding BRI?

• India’s trade deficit with China

• China’s Malacca Dilemma

• 2+1 Dialogue mechanism proposed by China

• A rising China: Challenges the US primacy in Asia and the role of India

• Chinese project of diverting Tibetan waters

• South China Sea: objection of China to India’s presence

• China denies CPEC backing as ‘debt trap’ for Pakistan (Debt trap diplomacy of
China)

• The Unintended Consequences of India’s Policy on Citizenship for Tibetan

Refugees

• Indias Concern in Joining RCEP

• China’s Economic Slowdown

• India-Pakistan

• Indo-Pak Relations: Border Dispute and J&K issue

• Terrorism emanating from Pakistan

• Indus waters policy shift

• Dispute over Gilgit-Baltistan

• CPEC in PoK

• Nuclear India-Pak-US

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 • Indian stance regarding Baluchistan

• India Bhutan

• Bhutan’s significance for Indian Foreign policy

• India-Bhutan Friendship Treaty

• The objection of Bhutan to India’s Motor vehicle agreement

• Bhutan’s rejection of China’s BRI

• India-Nepal

• Indo-Nepal Relations: Fluctuating ties

• Nepal’s tilt towards China

• Nepal-China Transit Agreement: An Evaluation

• India’s concern about Nepal’s new Constitution

• The Issue of Water and Hydropower Cooperation

• Nepal Bharat Maitri Project

• India-Myanmar

• Democracy in Myanmar

• Scope for cooperation between N-E India & Myanmar

• Rohingya issue

• Buddhist Chauvinism

• Major Projects: Kaladan multi-modal corridor, India-MyanmarThailand trilateral

highway

• India-Bangladesh

• Indo-Bangladesh Relations

• Water Dispute Teesta water issue & Ganga river dispute

• Bangladesh demand to stop the construction of the Tipaimukh Hydroelectric

Power Project on the Barak River

• Differences in approach of India and China towards Bangladesh

• Illegal Immigration

• Understanding Bangladesh’s Unexpected Development Success

• India-Afghanistan

• Instability in Afghanistan and the role of India

• India’s cooperation in Afghanistan

• Moscow Format

• India-Maldives

• Geostrategic Importance of Maldives

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 • Recent developments in the Maldives exemplifying recalibration of ties

• FTA Between China and Maldives – Warning For India

• India-Srilanka

• Sino-Sri Lanka Relationship

• Fishermen issue

• Issues on 13th amendment (Tamil & Minority Rights)

• Human Right violations & OHCHR Resolution on Sri Lanka

• Indian Ocean Region

• Indian Ocean region and world affairs

• India is a “Net Security Provider” of the Indian Ocean

• Increasing Chinese influence in the Indian Ocean

• 20 years of the formation of IORA

• Piracy in the Indian Ocean

• Seychelles’ parliament refused to ratify an Indian naval base plan on the

Assumption Island

• Importance of Seychelles to India

• Indo-Pacific

• Concept of Indo-Pacific from perspectives of different countries

• East Asia Summit acts as a bridge for Indo-Pacific region

• India-Pacific Regional Dialogue

• SAARC/BIMSTEC/BBIN

• SAARC: Challenges and Prospects

• Intra-low regional trade

• BIMSTEC as an alternative to SAARC

• Nepal withdrew from first-ever BIMSTEC’s military drill in India.

• Progress of BBIN project

• Global Issues

• Disarmament

• Climate Change

• Terrorism

• Global Governance

• Indian Diaspora

3. India And Extended Neighbourhood

• India-Indonesia
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 • Indonesia’s vision as a “Global Maritime Axis.” and it’s the significance for India

• India-Singapore

• India-Singapore Bilateral Agreement for naval cooperation

• Thailand

• Indo-Thai relations: Challenges & opportunities

• India-Vietnam

• India -Vietnam’s strategic cooperation

• India-ASEAN

• Importance of ASEAN in establishing peace and stability in the region

• ASEAN-India Relations: Prospects and Challenges in Economic Partnership

• India’s cooperation with the ASEAN has been less than China and Japan

4. Central Asia

• Connect Central Asia Policy

• Importance of Central Asia

• Golden Crescent

• Connectivity Projects (INSTC, Ashgabat Agreement, TAPI Pipeline)

• India Mongolia

• India-Mongolia Bilateral Cooperation

• Mongolia launched the construction of first strategically oil refinery, constructed

by India

5. West Asia/Middle East

• Importance of West Asia for India

• Change in West Asian strategic thinking

• China’s engagement in West Asia and challenges to India

• Reasons behind India’s active strategic engagements with West Asian countries without
participating in West Asian turmoil

• Shia-Sunni wedge in West Asian countries

• Importance of Saudi Arabia, Challenges in India-Saudi Arabia Relations

• Plight on Indian migrant workers.

• Relations between India and the United Arab Emirates

• The Middle East to India Deepwater Pipeline (MEIDP)

• India-Iran

• Consolidating India-Iran Cooperation

• Connectivity- Importance of Chabahar port

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 • Iran nuclear deal: Iran Sanctions & India’s Options

• India Israel

• From ‘in the closet’ into a fast-developing open relationship

• the strategic significance of the Indo-Israeli relationship

• De-hyphenation of Israel and Palestine

6. India And World

• India-Africa

• India-Africa trade relations: Prospects

• Contribution of Indian Diaspora in various fields in Africa.

• African co-operation in ensuring the security and peace in the Indian Ocean
region

• India’s Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in Africa’s hydrocarbon sector.

• Strategic Partnership between India and South Africa

• India-Europe

• The first India-Nordic Summit

• What is GDPR? its implication for India

• the influx of refugees into Europe

• irritants between India-EU (FTA)

• A new European Union strategy for India

• Ukrainian Crisis’ has lead to the resurgence of the cold war

• Brief on India-UK relations

• Brief on India-France relations

• India and USA

• Brief of India-US relations

• Mutually supportive Defence cooperation relationship

• logjams in implementation of the civil nuclear cooperation agreement between

India and the USA

• Bilateral Social Security Agreements

• The rise of the protectionist regime in the USA and the challenges for the Indian

• Importance of New Security strategy (NSS) of the USA for India

• Recent US extraterritorial Sanctions and their potential impacts on India

• The potential impact of US sanctions towards Russia, Iran and North Korea using
CAATSA on US-India relation
• USA pulls out of INF treaty-Its implication for India

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 • Pivot to the East policy of the USA

• The Arithmetic of India-U.S. Relations and the Russian Factor

• The First India-US 2+2 Dialogue: An Assessment

• Challenges in Implementing JCPOA after the US Withdrawal

• LEMA-Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement

• Visa, Free Trade and WTO

• India-Canada

• Uranium Deal

• India-Russia

• India’s increasing defense deal with the USA, Israel

• Russian arms deal with Pakistan

• Stagnation between India-Russia Relations

• Russian proposal of ‘Eurasian Economic Union

• India-Japan

• Japan’s funding of major projects in India

• Nuclear Pact

• Japan’s Pacifism

• 13th annual India – Japan summit

• India-Australia

• Australia’s “An India Economic Strategy to 2035”, a vision document

• Nuclear cooperation between India-Australia

7. International Organisation and Global Issues

• United Nation and UNSC

• UNSC Reforms: Importance and Challenges

• BRICS

• Advantages of setting up the New Development Bank

• Prospects and Challenges of BRICS

• Commonwealth

• The shared history of Commonwealth

• Relevance in current time and Areas of Cooperation

• Shanghai Cooperation Organization

• Benefits and challenges of India’s entry in SCO

• IMF – The International Monetary Fund

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 • issues concerning the reforms in Bretton Wood twins and needs structural
reforms to reflect post-globalization realities of the world

• NATO – The North Atlantic Treaty Organization

• The relevance of NATO in the post-USSR era

• TPP – The Trans-Pacific Partnership

• Will RCEP prove to be a competitor of TPP in the Asia-Pacific region

• WTO – The World Trade Organization

• Arctic Council

• IAEA (India’s nuclear facilities under IAEA safeguards)

• UK Referendum – Brexit

• Refugee problem

• Terrorism

• Yemen Crisis

• South China Sea

• Other

• World coming towards a new multi-polar order with the USA as a waning
superpower and China-Russia axis as an emerging challenger

• India and the International Solar Alliance

• Venezuela-Columbia Border Issue

• AIIB & The Changing World Order

• Multilateral export control regimes: Significance and challenges of India’s Entry

• US-Venezuela Stand-off: Impact on Global Oil Prices

• Renaissance and Reticence in India’s North-South Connectivity Platform

• Strategic Petroleum Reserves: Stocking Oil for Rainy Days

• QUAD: Strategic and economic benefits

• India has been accorded associate member status by IEA: Its importance for
India

• Why RIC is as Important to India as JAI and BRICS?

• Rising Protectionism and Currency Wars

8. Indian Diaspora

• The role played by Indian Diaspora

• Issue of the safety of Indians abroad

• Schemes for Welfare of Overseas Indian

• Indian Diaspora in Gulf

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 • Nitaqat law and Present Status

UPSC Syllabus Mains (GS Paper-3 Micro Topics)

Micro Topics Syllabus Economy

1. Role of Agriculture in Indian Economy

• Land resource

• Land-use pattern and Land capability classification

• Causes and Impact of Land Degradation

• Sustainable Land Management

• Steps were taken by GOI

2. Land Reforms

• Objectives of Land Reforms in India

• Progress of Land Reforms in India

• NITI Aayog Report on Land Leasing

3. Agriculture Finance

• Features of Agricultural Finance

• Criteria for Agricultural Credit

• Need for Agricultural Finance

• Sources of Agricultural Finance

• Problems of Agricultural Finance

• Measures are taken to improve credit flow to agriculture

• Co-operative Credit Societies in India

4. Agricultural Credit Institutions

• Multi-Agency Approach

• Commercial Bank

• Lead Bank Scheme

• Regional Rural Banks

• National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD)

• Reserve Bank of India

• Kisan Credit Card Scheme

• Bank Linkage Programme

• Rural Infrastructure Development Fund (RIDF)

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 • Government Policy for Agricultural Credit

• Farmers Service Societies (FSS)

5. Crop Insurance in India

• Issues Related to Crop Insurance

• Pradhan MantriFasalBimaYojana

• Comparison with Earlier Crop Insurance Schemes

6. 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 the APMC Act

7. Subsidies

• Objectives of subsidies

• Transfer of resources from gainers from economic policies to losers from economic
policies

• Farm Subsidies

• Fertilizer subsidies

• Subsidy on power

• Subsidy on irrigation

• The 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 the 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

8. Agricultural Revolutions In India

• Green Revolution

• White Revolution – Operation Flood

• Yellow Revolution

• Blue Revolution

• Golden Fibre Revolution: Jute

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9. Food Processing

• Processed Foods Scenario with respect to Specific Sectors

• 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

10. 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 since independence

11. Main Features of Industrial Development in India

• Roles of the 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, an 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

12. Indian Economy and Issues Relating to Planning

• Role and objectives of Indian Planning

• Planning Experience at the Centre and State level.

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 • Regulatory Role of the State

• Development Strategy in India’s Five-Year Plan

• Mahalanobis’ Four-Sector Growth Model and Employment Generation

• Tackling the Problems of Poverty and Unemployment

• Vital Role of the Public Sector

• Analysis of India’s Economic Performance in Development Planning

• Trends in Saving and Capital Formation since Independence

• Role of NITI Aayog in Cooperative federalism

13. Resource Mobilization

• Types of Resources: Physical and Financial

• Need for Resource Mobilization- Police State and Democratic Welfare State policies

• Sources of Resource Mobilization: Public Sector and Private Sector

• Taxation and Mobilization of Resources for Economic Growth

• Direct Taxes and Mobilisation of Resources

• Agricultural Taxation & Resource Mobilisation

• Role of Indirect Taxes in Resource Mobilisation

• Mobilization of financial resources through Government Revenues

• 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

• Multi-lateral agencies and resource mobilization

• Challenges to Resource Mobilization

14. Inclusive Growth and Issues Arising from It

• Meaning and concept of Inclusion

• India’s experience of Inclusion

• Why India’s growth is not inclusive? Rural economy-based growth, Need for
Sustainable agriculture, food security and resilience for growth

• What are the solutions?

• Inclusion process through Social sector flagship schemes and Ground realities

• Public distribution schemes: Can it be the 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

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 • Public-private partnership for inclusive growth

• Industrial Integration for inclusive growth

• Sectoral and regional diversification as a tool for inclusive growth

15. Government Budgeting

• Budget terminology

• Types of budget

• Features of Outcome budgeting, Gender Budgeting

• Benefits of budgeting

• Flaws in the budgeting process

• The merger of Railway and General Budget

• Budget analysis

16. Investment Models

• Measures of Investment

Factors affecting investment

• Classification of Investments: FDI

• Angel Investors and Start-ups

• Investment Models

• Role of State

• PPP (Public-Private Partnership)

• Savings and Investment Trends

17. Fiscal Policy

• Fiscal Concept and Fiscal Policy in India

• Government Revenues & Spending Trends

• Impact of deficits on economic growth

• Twin Balance Sheet syndrome

• Types of Deficit

18. Taxation

• Objectives and Principles of Taxation

• Taxation for Mobilization of Resources

• Taxation System in India

• Tax Reforms

• GST and its impact on different sectors

• Subsidies and its Impact

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19. Monetary Policy In India

• Instruments of Monetary Policy

• Monetary policy in the Pre-Reform Era (1948 – 1991)

• Monetary Policy in Post-Reform Era (Since – 1991)

• Urjit Patel Committee Report

• Monetary Policy Committee and Inflation Targeting

20. Financial System

• Money Market and Capital Market in India

• Regulatory Framework in Indian Capital Market

• Primary Market Reforms in India

• Secondary Market Reforms in India

• Current and capital account convertibility

• Risks of the financial system

21. Banking

• Indian Banking System

• Terminologies/Concepts Related to Banking in India

• Nationalization of Banks in India

• Functions of Commercial Banks

• Challenges Faced by Commercial Banks in India

• Banking Reforms in India

• New Bank License Criteria

• Small Finance Banks and Payment Banks Criteria

• Non-Banking Financial Company (NBFC)

• Financial Inclusion

• Issue of NPAs

• Bills related to Banking

22. Foreign Trade & International Organizations

• Trends in International Trade

• Foreign Trade Policy

• Balance of Payments and Foreign Capital

• Impact of Globalization on Indian Economy

• International Monetary Fund (IMF)

• World Trade Organisation (WTO)

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 • World Bank Group AIIB and NDB

CONTEMPORARY ISSUES

• Budget & Taxation

• Banking & Finance

• Schemes & Policies

• External Sector

• Industry & Labour

• Agriculture

• Infrastructure

Micro Topics: Environment Syllabus

1. Environment and Ecology: Basic Understanding

• Introduction

• Categories of Environment

• Features of Environment

• Components of Environment

• Ecology

2. Ecosystem And Its Dynamics

• Ecosystem Definitions

• Properties of Ecosystem

• Components of Ecosystem

• Abiotic Factors

• Biotic Factors

• Ecosystem Dynamics

3. Biogeochemical Cycles

• Gaseous Cycle

• Carbon Cycle

• Human Impact on the Carbon Cycle

• Effects of High Concentration of Greenhouse Gases

• Hydrological Cycle

• Nitrogen Cycle

• Human Impact on the Nitrogen Cycle

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 69
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 • Oxygen Cycle

• Sedimentary Cycle

• Sulphur Cycle

• Human Impact on the Sulphur Cycle

• Phosphorus Cycle

4. Types Of Ecosystems

• Terrestrial Ecosystem

• Aquatic Ecosystem

• Changes in Ecosystem

• Ecosystem Conservation

• Ecology vs. Economy

5. Population Ecology

• Population Characteristics

• Population Growth Models

• Species

• Carrying Capacity of Earth

6. Biosphere

• The extent of the Biosphere

• Working of the Biosphere

• Importance of the Biosphere

• Alpha, Beta, Gamma Diversity

• Biomes

• Global Biomes

• Major Biomes of the World

• WWF Classification of Biomes

• Terrestrial Biomes

• Aquatic Biomes

• Indian Biomes

7. Biodiversity

• Types of Biodiversity

• Value of the Biodiversity

• Threats to Biodiversity

• Causes of Biodiversity losses (‘The Evil Quartet’)

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 • Invasive species

• Effects of Loss of Bio-Diversity

• Extinction of Species

• Types – Natural, Mass, Anthropogenic

• Causes of Extinction

• Consequences of Extinction of Species

8. Biodiversity Conservation

• Conservation Strategies

• Conservation Tools

• IUCN

• IUCN Red List

• Ecologically Sensitive Area (ESAs)

• In-situ methods of conservation of biodiversity

• Advantages of In-situ Conservation

• Disadvantages of In-situ conservation

• Ex-situ Methods of Conservation of Biodiversity

9. Pollution & Degradation

• Land Degradation

• Causes and Impact of Land Degradation

• Desertification

• Sustainable Land Management

• Soil Erosion

• Problems due to Excessive Irrigation

• Soil Conservation

• Air Pollution

• Causes of Air Pollution

• Harmful Effects of Common Air Pollutants

• Control of Air Pollution

• Marine Pollution

• Effects of Marine Pollution

• Coastal Regulation Zone Notification, 2011

• Mining & Pollution

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 • Effects of Mining on Environment

• Concept of Sustainable Mining

• Acts to regulate the adverse effects of Mining Activities

• Other Pollution

• Effects of Noise Pollution on Human Health

• Harmful Effects from Biological Contaminants

• Harmful Effects of Radioactive Pollution

• Nuclear Accidents

• Water Degradation

• Measurement of Water Pollution

• Harmful Effects of Water Pollution

• Delhi Pollution

10. Waste Management

• Solid Waste Management

• Salient features of SWM Rules, 2016

• e-waste Management

• Pollutants and their Health Impacts

• Importance of the E-Waste Management

• E-waste (Management & Handling) Rules, 2016

• Biomedical Waste

• Hazards Associated with Waste Management

• Bio-Medical Waste Management Rules, 2016

• Hazardous Waste

• Hazardous Waste Treatment

• Hazardous and Other Wastes (Management & Transboundary Movement)

Rules, 2016

11. Climate Change

• Factors Affecting Climate Change

• Impact of climate change & its mitigation

• Climate Change Management

• Conventions

• International Organisations

12. Environmental Impact Assessment Of Sustainable Practices

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 • Impact of Agriculture on Environment

• Sustainable Agriculture

• Hi-tech Farming Methods

• Rain Water Harvesting

• Green Buildings and their Rating System in India

• Eco-tourism – Advantages & Disadvantages of Eco-tourism

CONTEMPORARY ISSUES

1. Wildlife

• Man-Animal Conflicts in India

• Poaching activities in India

• Development leads to tiger extinction

• Elephant Conservation

• International treaties for wildlife conservation, Use of drones for wildlife conservation

• Urban Land Acting as Death Traps for Birds

• Eco-Bridges and Biodiversity Management

• Sunderbans at risk due to Climate Change

• Critical Wildlife Habitats

• Declining Population of Pollinators

• International treaties for Wildlife Conservation

2. Combating Pollution

• Indoor Air Pollution and its impact

• Impact of Particulate Matter

• Smog and its impact

• Aerosol shrinking India’s Monsoon

• Stubble Burning

• Mobile radiation Impact on Health

• Heavy water Pollution

• Plastic Pollution

• Light Immersion Pollution

• Idol Pollution

• Oil Spill

• Garbage Dumping and its Environment

• E-waste Management Rules 2016

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 • Groundwater contamination (Arsenic, Uranium)

• Bharat Stage Norm

• What is the Polluters Pay Model?

• LANCET Study REPORT: Most Pollution linked …deaths occur in India

• Beach (Coastal) Pollution

• Nitrogen Pollution

• Hazardous Waste (Management and Transboundary Movement) Rules, 2016

3. Climate Change

• Conference of Parties (COP-24) at Katowice

• Marrakech Climate Change Conference

• Paris Agreement

• The US moved out of Paris agreement

• Kigali Agreement

• Kyoto Protocol (2nd Commitment)

• IPCC Report 2018

• International Solar Alliance

• Concept of Green Bond

• Green Climate Fund

• Carbon Tax Feasibility in India

• Concept of Green Building

• Concept of Carbon Credit

• Climate Change and Cities

• Climate change and its impact on Health

• Climate Change and Agriculture

• Climate Change and sea level Rise

• Ocean Warming

• Melting of Gangotri Glacier

• Programs and Policies Initiated for Mitigating Climate Change

• International Collaboration for Mitigating Climate Change

• The ethical issue involved in climate change

• Third Pole and Climate Change

• UNCCD 2018-2030 Strategic Framework

• Regulatory Indicators for Sustainable Energy (Rise) 2018 – Wb

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 • Accounting Methods of Climate Fund Questioned

• Tackling Climate Change from a Security Perspective

• Effects of Global Warming on El Nino in the 21st Century

• India to Expand Polar Research to the Arctic

• Bengal Tigers may not Survive Climate Change

• Scientists Mull Stratospheric Barrier to Curb Global Warming

4. Renewable Energy

• Biogas

• National Solar Mission

• Status of Hydro Power energy in India

• Alternative fuels in India

• Draft Energy Policy

• National Energy Storage Mission

• Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency

• National Wind-solar Hybrid Policy

• Photo-voltaic industry and CPSU scheme

5. Initiatives For Environmental Conservation

• Compensatory Afforestation Fund Act

• Draft National Wildlife Action Plan

• Wetland Management Rules, 2017

• Initiatives to enhance green cover

• Policy on Promotion of City Compost

• Ancient Bawadis and Water Management

• Living status to Rivers

• Ganga River Pollution

• Environment Impact Assessment

• Environmental Compliance and Enforcement in India

• Public Participation for Environmental conservation

• Western Ghats biodiversity conservation

• The 25 Year Environment Plan

• India’s National Redd+ Strategy

• EnviStats-India 2019

• Indian Forest Act amendment

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 • Sustainable India Finance Facility (SIFF)

• Sustainable Development in Indian Himalayan Region

• Global Carbon Project (GCP)

• Naturalized species

• Resource Efficiency Cell

• India Cooling Action Plan (ICAP), Global Cooling Coalition

• Island protection zone (IPZ) 2019 for Andaman and Nicobar

• Plan to save Himalayan springs

6. Environmental Institutions

• Pollution Control Board: Analysis

• National Green Tribunal: Analysis

• Forest Survey of India and India State of Forest Report, 2017

• Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee

• Traditional Knowledge Digital Library

7. Miscellaneous Issues

• Impacts of Dam and fishing

• Issue of Land Degradation

• Sand Mining

• Algal bloom Issue

• Melting of Antarctica and its impact

• River linking project and its impact

• Bottom Trawling to Deep Sea fishing

• Mass Coral Bleaching – Threats to coral reefs

• Forest Fires

Micro Topics: Science and Technology Syllabus

1. Introduction

• India’s Policy in the Field of the Science & Technology

• The Science & Technology Policy Resolution in 1958

• Science & Technology Policy 2013

• Institutional Structure

• New Initiatives Aligned with the National Agenda

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 • India & World Collaboration in Science Projects

2. Space

• Satellite Communication in India

• INSAT Satellite Applications

• Remote Sensing Applications

• Cryogenic Rockets

• Global Positioning System

• Role of Space in Development

• ISRO as Soft Power

• Issue of Space Race

• Space Activities Bill, 2017

• Outer space treaty

3. IT, Telecom & Electronics

• IT Industry in India

• Applications of Information Technology

• Display Technologies

• Telecommunication

• Government Initiatives

• Contemporary Debates

4. Defense

• Missile System and its Classification

• India’s Missile System

• India’s Ballistic Missile Defence System

• UAVs in India

• Stealth Technology, Chemical Weapons, Biological Weapons

5. Nano-Science & Nano-Technology

• Nanoscience Nanotechnology and Nanomaterials

• Applications of Nanotechnology

• Health & Environmental Impacts of Nanotechnology

• Social & Ethical Impacts

• Nano-Science& Nanotechnology in India

6. Robotics

• Robotics & Artificial Intelligence

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 • Applications of Robotics

• Robotics and Issues of Unemployment

7. Nuclear Energy

• Nuclear-Power Policy of India

• Non-energy Applications of Nuclear Energy

• Impact of Radiation, Issue of Radioactive Waste

• Institutions involved in Nuclear Energy Development

• Nuclear & Radiological Disasters

8. Biotechnology

• Application of Biotechnology

• Biotechnology Projects

• Issue of Bio-Piracy

• Bioinformatics

• Biotechnology and IPR Issue

• Ethical Dimension In Biotechnology

9. Renewable Energy

• Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC)

• Concept of Green Building

• Tidal, Wave, Geothermal Energy, Fuel Cells

10. Achievements Of Indians In Science & Technology

• Scientists of Ancient India

• Science and Scientists of Medieval India

• Scientists of Modern India

• Policies& Reports related to Science

• Technology Vision Document 2035

• National Biotechnology Development Strategy 2015-2020

• National Intellectual Property Rights Policy

• Policy on Synthetic Biology

• Law Commission Report on Human DNA Profiling

CONTEMPORARY ISSUES

1. Space

• OUTER SPACE TREATY

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 • NEUTRINO OBSERVATORY

• SOLAR MISSION- ADITYA

• Chandrayaan-2 Mission

• GRAVITATIONAL WAVES

• IMPORTANCE OF NAVIGATION SYSTEM

• Reusable Launch Vehicle

• About SN Bose

• Stephen Hawking

• Space Activities Bill, 2017

• ISRO AS SOFT POWER

• ISRO’S ROLE IN SOCIO-ECONOMIC …DEVELOPMENT

• Space Debris

• GAGANYAAN

• 20 years of International Space Station

2. Biotechnology & Health

• Tuberculosis

• Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV

• Nipah Virus Infection

• Generic Drugs in India

• Stent Implants

• INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS: ISSUES & CONCERNS

• Misuse of Secondary Patent Methodology

• Digital Biopiracy

• Clinical Applications of the Whole Genome Sequencing

• Three-Parent Babies Permitted in the UK

• Mass Embryo Transfer

• Issues Related to Gm Food

• Importance of Genetic Testing

• Health Geo-Mapping Project

• Digital Health Technology Eco-System

• Ethical Dimension In Biotechnology

• Law Commission Report on Human DNA Profiling

• Law against Genetic Discrimination

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 • Genome Editing: What, Why and Way Forward

3. Defense

• India’s Missile System

• Brahmos and its Significance

• India’s Ballistic Missile Defence System

• Indian Submarines and Naval Ships

• Light Combat Aircraft

• UAVs in India

• Chemical Weapons

• Biological Weapons

4. Policies Related to Science

• STI Policy 2013 of India: Analysis

• The Paradox of Innovation

• Analysis of INSPIRE Scheme

• National Biotechnology Development Strategy 2015- 2020

• Organ Donation Rules in India

• Policy on Synthetic Biology

• DNA Technology (Use and Application) Regulation Bill, 2018

• Maharashtra’s Public Cloud Policy

• National Policy on Electronics 2019

• Roadmap for Drones

• National Wind-Solar Hybrid Policy

• Draft Rules for E-Pharmacies

• National Digital Communications Policy

• Net Neutrality

5. IT & Telecom

• Internet of Things

• Big Data Initiative

• Supercomputer and its Applications

• Li-Fi Technology and its Application

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 • Use of it in Financial Inclusion

• Credit/Debit Card Crimes

• Bharat net Project

• Wanna Cry Malware

• Concept of Cyber-Physical Systems

• Using Electronic Signature Service: Significance & Applications

• Digital India: Achievements

• Adoption of Blockchain Technology to Stop Bank Frauds

• Artificial Intelligence and Society

• Two Authentication Procedure

• Facial Authentication Working

• Issue of Internet Governance

• Quantum computing

• National supercomputing mission

• Data Protection-B N Srikrishna committee

• Data Localisation and Related Issues

• National Digital Literacy Mission and Digital NE vision

• National Mission on Interdisciplinary Cyber-Physical Systems (NM-ICPS)

• Bullet Train

6. Initiatives in The Field of Science & Technology

• Technology and Food Security

• BOOSTING Horticulture through Remote Sensing

• Hyperloop Transportation Technology

• Cloud Seeding Experiment in Maharashtra

• Nano-Technology Medicines

• Hydrogen Bomb

• Ear Tagging in Cattle

• e-Cigarette

• Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant

• Geo-Tagging the Assets in Mgnrega

• Robot Tax and its Implications

• India & World Collaboration in Science Projects

7. Initiatives in The Field of Science & Technology

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 • Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV

• Nipah Virus Infection

• Avian Influenza or Bird Flu

• Bovine TB

• Encephalitis

• Kyasanoor Forest Disease (Monkey Fever)

• Hospital-Acquired Infection

• Rotavirus

• The Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Virus

• Swine Flu

• Chikungunya

• Tuberculosis

Micro Topics: Internal Security Syllabus

1. Internal Security Challenges

• Social Diversity as Issues of Security Threat

• Challenges from within India

• Neighbors as Issue of Security Threat

• Pakistan

• China

• Myanmar

• Bangladesh

• Bhutan

• Nepal

• Sri Lanka

• 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

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 • Changing the Face of Terrorism

• Terror Threats Faced by India

• Broader Framework to Deal with Terrorism

3. Organized Crime

• Types of Organized Crime

• Problems in controlling organized crimes

• Combating organized crimes

• Linkage of Terrorism and Organized Crime in India

4. The Linkage Between Development and Spread of Extremism

• What is Naxalism

• What is the History of Naxal Movement

• Why Naxalism is the biggest threat to internal security?

5. Insurgency in North-East

• Introduction

• 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

• Basic Definition

• Types of Cyber Crimes

• Impact and Steps needed

• Recent Incident: Ransomware

• National Cyber Security Policy of India 2013

8. Cyber Warfare

• Factors Contributing/Aggravating Rise of Cyber Attack

• Recent Initiatives for Tackling Cyber Warfare

• Way Ahead

• Chinas role in cyber-warfare

• Different Spywares

9. Social Media and Internal Security Threat

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 • Regulation of Social Media in India for Internal Security

• Challenges in Monitoring Social Media

10. Money Laundering

• Meaning of Money Laundering

• Harmful Effects of Money Laundering

• Steps were taken by the Government

11. Black Money in India

• Parallel Economy in India

• Measures are taken to curb Black Money?

• Demonetization for curbing black money

• Impact of demonetization on black money

• Criticisms

12. Security Forces and Their Mandate

• Police Reforms in India

• Organizational 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 the 21st Century

• Prison Reforms

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

14. Role of The Army in Internal Security

• Strategic Perspective: Has the role of Military become more relevant today?

• National Context

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 • The Indian Army’s Response

• Structural Adaptation

• Doctrinal Development

• Leadership Adaptation

• Long-term Perspective

15. Governance Issues Related to Internal Security

• Threats, Challenges and Vulnerabilities in 21st Century

• Introduction

• China: The Long-term Challenge

• Managing the China-Pakistan Collusion

• Nuclear, Biological and Chemical Threat

• Aerospace Threats

• Maritime Security

• Natural Resources

• Conflict over Water

• Energy Security

• Global Warming

• Indian Diaspora

• Economic Warfare

• Role of foreign elements in disturbing internal security

16. Impact of Governance and Justice Delivery System on Internal Security

• Importance of Good Governance in Internal Security

• Reforms Needed

• Improving E-governance platforms

17. National Security Mechanism

• Improving Policing and Intelligence

• Resolving Centre-State Issues in Managing Internal Security

18. Issues in Intelligence Services

• Response Mechanism in India

• What are the Major INTELLIGENCE Challenges?

• Steps to tackle the flaws

• What are the probable measures to improve Intelligence Services in India?

• How to Create These Capabilities?

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 • Recent terrorist attacks the role of intelligence in that context

19. Strategy for Coastal and Offshore Security

• Different Facets of Maritime Security

• Different Reporting Mechanism for Handling Security

• Importance of Coastal Community Participation

20. Make in India In Defence

• Present Scenario

• Make in India in Defense

• Government Policy

• Strategy for Indigenization

• Skill Development

• Technology acquisition

CONTEMPORARY ISSUES

1. Issues Related to Internal Security

• Strategy for Managing Internal Security

• Counter-terrorism Infrastructure in India

• ISIS Challenge in India

• Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism

• Naxalism

• Peace Accord

• Organized Crime

• Media and Internal Security Threat

• Does Social Media Threaten Democracy?

2. Issues Related to Security Forces

• Central Armed Police Forces

• Indian Police Structure

• Police Modernization Scheme

• Police Reform with Respect to Cyber Security

• Police Surveillance in the Age of Big Data

• Andaman Sea Region: India Eyes for Military Expansion

• Role of the Indian Navy in the Indian Ocean

• Draft Amendments to National Investigation Agency Act-2008 Released

• One Rank One Pension

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 • Non-Lethal Weapons to Control Crowd and Laws Related to it

• T.V.S.N. Prasad Report on alternatives to Pellet Guns

3. Defense Procurement

• Working Analysis of Defence PS

• DRDO (Defence Research & Development Organization)

• Make in India in Defense

• CAG Report on Ammunitions Management System

• Strategic Partnership Policy to Boost Defense Manufacturing

• China increasing Defence Budget and India’s decreasing (implications)

4. Military Related Policies in India

• Joint Doctrine Indian Armed Forces – 2017

• The doctrine of Hot Pursuit

• Military Cold Start Doctrine

• India’s Military Readiness

• Women into Military Police

• Anti-Hijacking Act, 2016: An Analysis

UPSC Syllabus Mains (GS Paper-4 Micro Topics)

Micro Topics: Ethics Syllabus UPSC

1. Ethics: Basic Introduction

• Dimensions and Essence of Ethics

• Approaches of Ethical Study: Indian Perspective and Western Perspective

• Basic concepts: 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

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 • Role of Educational Institutions in Inculcating Values

2. Human Values

• Human Values& Socialization

• Individual Personality and Values

• Values and Skill

• Fundamental and Instrumental Values

• Democratic values

• Role of Ethical values in governance and society

• Significance of values 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

• Civil Services Accountability

• Neutrality, Anonymity, Integrity, Humility, Adaptability, Magnanimity, Perseverance

• Impartiality and Non-Partisanship

• Tolerance and compassion for the Weaker section

• Contribution to society by Civil Services

4. India & World Thinkers

• Indian Thinkers

• Mahatama Gandhi

• Dr. S Radhakrishnan

• Rabindranath Tagore

• Swami Dayanand Saraswati

• MahadevaGovindaRanade

• Sri Aurobindo

• Swami Vivekananda

• Sardar Patel

• Buddha

• Bhim Rao Ambedkar

• Raja Ram Mohan Roy

• Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj

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 • Mother Teresa

• Amitabha Chowdhury

• Aruna Roy

• T N Seshan

• E Sreedharan

• Administrative Thinkers

• Max Weber

• Elton Mayo

• Peter Drucker

• Chester Barnard

• Mary Parker Follet

• World Thinkers

• Plato

• Aristotle

• Socrates

• Jeremy Bentham

• J.S. Mill

• Thomas Hobbes

• John Locke

• Jean Jacques Rousseau

• John Rawls

• Immanuel Kant

• Carol Gilligan

• Jean-Paul Sartre

• Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel

• Confucius

• Rene Descartes

• Karl Marx

• Adam Smith

• Thomas Aquinas

• David Hume

• Democritus

• Galileo

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 • 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 Vivekananda

• 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. Emotional Intelligence

• Concept of Emotional Intelligence

• Models of emotional intelligence

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 • Peter Salovey and John Mayer

• Reuven Bar-on Model

• Goleman’s model

• Utilities of Emotional Intelligence

• Main Components of emotional intelligence

• Importance of emotional intelligence in bureaucracy

• The relevance of Emotional intelligence in Civil Services

• Critiques of emotional intelligence

6. Attitude

• Components of Attitude: Affective, Cognitive, Behavioral component

• Functions of Attitude: Adjustive, Ego-Defensive, Value-Expressive, Knowledge Function

• Attitude Formation Model

• Impact of Beliefs and Values on Attitude

• Group Influences

• Social Influence

• Persuasion Tactics and Tools of Persuasion

• Moral Attitude formation

• Political Attitude formation

7. Ethics & Governance

• 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 the concept of Moral Responsibility

• Ethics in working of international organizations

• What is Corporate Governance?

• Models of Corporate Social Responsibility

• Steps were taken by the World Bank for Good Corporate Governance

• Norms for Corporate Government in India

• Concept of business ethics

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8. Probity in Governance

• Concept of Public Service

• The 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 the formulation of a Citizen’s Charter Concept of Work Culture

• The Indian Approach to Work

• Methods of improving Work Culture

• Quality of Service Delivery

• The utilization of Public Funds

• Problems in Fund Release and Utilization of 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 the role of the Whistle-blower Act

• Tackling corruption: Role of government and institutions of governance

• Controlling corruption: Various approaches and efficacy

APPLIED ETHICS

1. Euthanasia Issue

• Social and Ethical perspective

• Different arguments related to Euthanasia

2. Surrogacy

• Case studies and Ethical Issues

• Concept of ethical surrogacy

3. Ethics & Sports

• Importance of sports

• Ethical Issue: Need for sportsmanship, Doping

• Ethical Issue: Discrimination and Sexual Harassment

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 • Ethical Issue: Sports as a Business

• Measures needed

4. Media Ethics

• Role of Media and Ethical Issues faced by Reporters

• Trial by Media and Media Prejudice

• Ethical Dilemma faced by Photo Journalists

• Digital Media Ethics

• Paid News

5. Business Ethics

• Principles of Business Ethics

• Dimensions related to Business Ethics in Organisation

• Business Ethics and Corporate Governance

• The journey from Philanthropy to Corporate Social Responsibility

• Issues related to Corporate Social Responsibility

• Issues in the implementation of Business Ethics

6. Ethics Related to Economic Sanctions

• Why Economic Sanctions placed?

• Ethics in Economic Sanctions

7. Refugees & Ethics

• Why Migration occurs?

• Case study of Syria

• Dilemmas related to the Refugee crisis

• Rohingya Crisis

8. Ethical Dilemmas of Globalization

• What is Globalization

• Free trade in the Globalized world

• Issues with Newly Developed Trade Patterns

• Criticism against the global regime

9. Ethics of War

• Ethics and War theories

• Evils of war

10. Environmental Ethics

• The linkage between Ethics and Environment

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 • Theories related to Environmental ethics

• Role of individual and society at large

11. Ethical Issues in Biotechnology

• Issues related to Stem Cell

• Issues related to cloning

• Issues related to designer babies

• Genetic engineering

12. Animal Ethics

• Issues of conducting research on animals

• Issue of keeping animals as pets

• Issue of Cruelty against animals

13. Food Adulteration and Ethics

• Ethical dimension

• Ethical issue related to the food additive

14. Abortion: Ethical or Unethical

• Law of abortion in India

• Recent Supreme Court verdict

• Ethical Issue: Health of Women vs. fetus

• Justification for abortion – Argument against abortion

• Abortion and women rights

• Abortion and father rights

• Honour Killing

• Role of Khap Panchayats

15. Marital Rape

• Why Marital Rape should not be criminalized?

• Why Marital Rape should be criminalized?

• What are the hurdles?

16. Child Labour

• Rights of children

• Child labor and company

• Role of consumer

17. Ethical Issues Involved in The Juvenile Justice System

• Negative implications

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 • Ethics and Old Age

• Ethical issues

• Issues faced

• Importance of autonomy

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