GS2 (Judiciary)
While the judiciary has been at forefront in the fight to make the administrative and electoral system transparent and accountable, it has displayed the attitude of touch me not when it comes to applying the same principles to itself. Critically comment with respect to the recent NJAC ruling and other judgments related to it in last few years. Also suggest what should be the ideal method of selecting the HC and SC judges.?
GS1 (Indian society)
In recent years why are dominant castes in many states demanding for reservation. What should Government do to arrest this trend?
Dear students,
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Q.1) Karewas are a feature generally found in the state of
a) Arunachal Pradesh
b) Himachal Pradesh
c) Jammu and Kashmir
d) Uttarakhand
Q.2) Which of the following departments are not under any ministry
1.Dept. of Atomic Energy
2.Dept. of Space
3.Dept. of Sports
4.Dept of Personnel and Training
Select the correct option
a) 1 and 2 Only
b) 1, 2 and 3 Only
c) 3 and 4 Only
d) All of the above
Q.3) Consider the following statements about the Global Innovation Index
1.The Global Innovation Index 2016 ranks India 66th out of 128 countries
2.It is co-published by Cornell University, INSEAD, and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO, an agency of the United Nations)
Select the correct option
a) 1 Only
b) 2 Only
c) Both 1 and 2
d) Neither 1 nor 2
Q.4) Consider the following statements about the three-day Asian Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction (AMCDRR) 2016 held recently
1.It is a biennial conference jointly organized by different Asian countries and the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR)
2.The next AMCDRR will be held in South Africa in 2020
Select the correct option
a) 1 Only
b) 2 Only
c) Both 1 and 2
d) Neither 1 nor 2
Q.5) In which region have the least tsunamis occurred
a) Pacific Ocean
b) Mediterranean Sea
c) Atlantic Ocean
d) Indian Ocean
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1. Recently, ‘White-Cheeked Macaque’, was sighted in its natural habitat in which one of the following regions of India?
(a) Javadi Hills in Tamil Nadu
(b) Forests of Arunachal Pradesh
(c) Andaman and Nicobar Islands
(d) Western Ghats south of Goa
2. What was CarbFix Project, that was recently in news?
(a) It involved an attempt to trap carbon dioxide into a solid mass with the potential to limit climate change
(b) It involved an attempt to limit carbohydrate content in processed foods to contain childhood obesity
(c) It involved an attempt to use carbon nanotubes to transfer heat from one point to another with minimal losses during transmission
(d)It involved an attempt to seed clouds with carbon nanoparticles to induce rain in dry regions
3. Consider the following statements about Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit:
1. She was the first woman to become the President of the United Nations General Assembly.
2. She was the first Indian to become the President of the United Nations General Assembly.
Which of the above statements is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2
4. ‘RAPID’, a framework outlined by the Indian Prime Minister recently, is related to the
(a) modernization of railway networks
(b) cutting down on the time required to start a business entity
(c) reforms in tax administration
(d) earmarking of dedicated routes for movement of vehicles of emergency services
5. With reference to the history of medieval India, what was ‘Manipravalam’?
(a) an architectural style which used a mixture of Greek and Roman features
(b) a miniature painting design used to decorate the temple walls
(c) a method of tax administration which was based on the profession of the tax payer
(d) a literary style which used an admixture of Sanskrit and the regional language
6. ‘Basohli’ was a style of miniature painting that developed around the region of modern day
(a) Rajasthan
(b) Himachal Pradesh
(c) Madhya Pradesh
(d) Odisha
7. To become an act, every Constitutional Amendment Bill requires to be
(a) passed by a majority of the total membership of the each House of the Parliament and a majority of two-thirds of the members of each House present and voting
(b) ratified by the legislatures of at least half of the states
(c) passed in each House of the Parliament separately
(d) passed by a simple majority of each House of the Parliament and be ratified by the legislatures of at least half of the states
8. Consider the following statements about the Fundamental Rights and the Fundamental Duties:
1. Both extend to all persons whether citizens or foreigners.
2. Both were a part of the constitution as drawn by the Constituent Assembly.
3. The former are justiciable while later are not.
Which of the above statements is/are correct?
(a) 1 and 3 only
(b) 1, 2 and 3
(c) 3 only
(d) 1 and 2 only
9. Which of the following features of the constitution have a bearing upon the conservation of the environment?
(a) Fundamental Rights, Fundamental Duties and Directive Principles of State Policy
(b) Preamble, Fundamental Rights, Fundamental Duties and Directive Principles of State Policy
(c) Preamble, Fundamental Duties, Eleventh Schedule and Twelfth Schedule
(d) Fundamental Duties, Directive Principles of State Policy, Eleventh Schedule and Twelfth Schedule
10. Which of the following statements is correct?
(a) The Union territories are not represented in the Rajya Sabha
(b) Every State has equal representation in the Rajya Sabha
(c) The strength of Rajya Sabha has been fixed by the constitution
(d) The President cannot nominate any member to the Rajya Sabha
11. The representatives of the states in the Rajya Sabha are elected by the
(a) members of the legislative assemblies of the states
(b) elected members of the legislative assemblies of the states
(c) members of the legislative assemblies and legislative councils of the states
(d) elected members of the legislative assemblies and legislative councils of the states
12. Which of the following type of toys made in India have received the Geographical Indication (GI) tag:
1. Tanjore Dancing Dolls
2. Channapatna Toys
3. Nirmal Toys
Select the correct answer using the codes given below.
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 2 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3
13. The Gupta period witnessed a brilliant activity in the sphere of medicine. In this reference, who of the following lived during the Gupta age?
1. Charaka
2. Susruta
3. Vagbhata
Select the correct answer using the codes given below.
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 1, 2 and 3
(d) 3 only
14. White-bellied musk deer, poached for the musk carried by it, is endemic to which of the following regions of India?
(a) Alpine regions of Himalayas
(b) Grasslands of Central Highlands
(c) Higher reaches of Western Ghats
(d) Salt marches of Rann of Kutch
15. Which of the following states has become the first state to notify a vast expanse of its mangroves as “reserved forests”?
(a) Maharashtra
(b) West Bengal
(c) Karnataka
(d) Gujarat
16. The ‘Ecological Niche’ of an organism in a given habitat refers to the
(a) resources that the species uses in the habitat without disturbing carrying capacity of the habitat
(b) relationship that the species shares with the other species inhabiting the habitat in the food web
(c) activities and relationship of the species by which it uses the resources in the habitat for its survival and reproduction
(d) relationship that the species shares with other species living in similar conditions across different biomes
17. Consider the following statements about the Indian Standard Meridian:
1. It coincides with the 82°30΄ longitude.
2. It divides India into two separate time zones.
3. Regions to its east experience early sunrise and early sunset.
Which of the above statements is/are correct?
(a) 1 and 3 only
(b) 2 only
(c) 1, 2 and 3
(d) 1 only
18. Consider the following statements:
A law to give effect to a Fundamental Right can be made by
1. the Parliament for whole of India
2. a State Legislature for that particular state
Which of the above statements is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2
19. Recently India decided to roll out “India Business Card” to allow seamless travel of businessmen from
(a) BIMSTEC countries
(b) SAARC countries
(c) African countries
(d) ASEAN countries
20. Consider the following statements about South Asian Association of Regional Cooperation (SAARC):
1. Afganistan was the last country to join the grouping.
2. The first SAARC summit was held in Maldives.
Which of the above statement(s) is/are countries?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2
21. Anthropocene, a term which has recently started appearing in news, is most appropriately summed up as
(a) the period in time with unprecedented rise in the man-made structures obliterating natural landscape
(b) the period after the industrial revolution resulting in unparalleled rise in the carbon dioxide concentration in the atmosphere
(c) the period in time resulting in high level of pollution in the environment from anthropogenic factors
(d) the period in time when human activities have been the dominant factor on the climate and the environment
22. Which of the following regions has the highest degree of endemic plant diversity in India?
(a) Eastern Ghats
(b) Western Ghats
(c) Andaman & Nicobar Islands
(d) Central Highlands
23. Consider the following statements about ‘Pikas’:
1. They belong to the family of mammals.
2. They are found in mountains or temperate regions.
3. They are known for their long hibernation periods.
Which of the above statements is/are correct?
(a) 1, 2, 3
(b) 1 and 2 only
(c) 2 and 3 only
(d) 1 only
24. What is the purpose of the “Mission 11 Million” programme mooted by the government of India?
(a) To decongest the cities of Delhi, Kolkata and Mumbai whose population has crossed the mark of 11 million
(b) To train 11 million ASHA workers to work in rural areas to bring down preventable death among under five children
(c) To engage more than 11 million children across the country in football related activities
(d) To train 11 million youth in vocational activities as part of Make in India initiative
25. Consider the following statements about Global Tiger Forum (GTF):
1. It is the only inter-governmental body for tiger conservation.
2. It had its genesis in the International Symposium on Tigers held in New Delhi in the year 1993.
3. The Prime Minister of India is the current Chairperson of the GTF.
4. Its secretariat is located in Kathmandu, Nepal.
Which of the above statements is/are correct?
(a) 1, 2 and 3 only
(b) 2, 3 and 4 only
(c) 1 and 2 only
(d) 1, 2, 3 and 4
Flagship & Advanced students,
This blog is to give guidance to students about the first advanced test on Polity and Economics on the 21st of November. Advanced tests will not use basic sources such as NCERT’s (although some NCERT’s like old history NCERT’s are suited for advanced studying), they will instead be based on books such as Laxmikanth for Polity and similarly advanced sources for economics. First let’s discuss polity.
The syllabus will be the first 20 chapters of Laxmikanth. If you are reading DD Basu the same information will be there. In fact if you see in the syllabus you will see some standard references and other sources too. Generally all books contain the same information, and students may prefer some particular book as they prefer an author’s style. The first 20 chapters of Laxmikanth contain the following topics –
1.Constitutional Framework – Chapters 1-10 – Historical background, making of the constitution, Salient features of the Constitution, Preamble, Union and its Territory, Citizenship, Fundamental Rights, DPSP, Fundamental Duties, Ammendment of the Constitution, Basic structure
2.System of Govt – Chapters 11-20 – Parliamentary System, Federal System, Centre-State relations, Inter-state relations, Emergency Provisions, President, Vice-President, Prime Minister, Central Council of Ministers
The syllabus here broadly covers the first 7 chapters, the 11th and 12th and some topics from the 18th chapter of Ramesh Singh. The topics are –
1.Basics of an economy – Chapter 1 – types of economy, role of state, sectors, national income
2.Growth, development and happiness – Chapter 2
3.Evolution of the Indian economy – Chapter 3 – planned and mixed economy
4.Economic Planning – Chapter 4
5.Planning in India – Chapter 5 – objective of planning, all attempts at planning such as the Bombay Plan etc, Planning Commission, NITI Aayog etc
6.Economic Reforms – Chapter 6 – Liberalisation, privatisation etc
7.Inflation and the Business cycle – Chapter 7 – types of inflation, measurement, e.g. CPI etc
8.Indian Financial Market – Chapter 11 – institutions, money market etc
9.Banking in India – Chapter 12 – RBI, NBFCs etc
10.Fiscal and Monetary Policy – part of Chapter 18
We would like to remind students (especially those giving the exam this year for the first time) that the prelims this year has been preponed and hence the UPSC exam is in June and not August.
Students are strongly urged to finish their entire syllabus for the first time by January end. Main topics such as polity, economics, geography and history should be finished by December end.
The first reading will only introduce you to the topic, it is only after your 2nd and 3rd revision that you will start remembering and understanding these subjects. These revisions will also take you a few months.
Justice is not in Law, Justice is in all about how we treat each other
Instructions: Write the following essay in 1000-1200 words.
Some pointers on how to address the essay are given here by K Siddhartha.
Download FREE Target Mains compilation – Click here to know how
Background: In January 2014, Alankrita decided to start preparing for UPSC exam. However, in mid-2014, she had to go through a personal crisis. This brought her to the level of using anti-depressants, anger management sessions and counseling by friends and family.
She planned to write prelims in January 2014 and started reading some basic books but due to her aggravated situation, could not even write the exam. These circumstances went on till October and finally it controlled. By this time, she had decided to focus only on her career. The crisis gave her a clear sense of purpose.
The life changing moment was not when the results came out, but the day when she stuck a paper on a wall in her room saying- “I want a 2-digit AIR in CSE-2015.”
Her journey: She then began the hard work of day in-day out studies. She planned her preparation first at macro level and then at micro level. Example, she planned completing full mains syllabus by May 15, then reducing it to topic wise scheduling and then hour wise every day.
Her motivation: There used to be moments of doubt, depression and stress quite often. To tackle it, she used to run in the mornings, meditate and exercise. Sometimes when she would lose patience to go on, she wrote on a paper as to why she started all this and this would provide her the motivation to move forward with more enthusiasm. Whenever she felt lethargic, she would see the newspaper and problems faced by various sections of society and think as to how she could be of some help. This gave her a sense of urgency to get into that position.
Strategy for preparation: Newspaper played the most important role in her preparation. One must not ignore it at any cost. Apart from this, 50-60% of her preparation was from internet. One more thing that she thinks helped her was studying very selectively but studying strong. She would read a single book 4-5 times rather than reading 4-5 books for one subject. Since the process of this examination itself is year-long, one must study something keeping it in mind that it might be asked a year later in their interview. One should be able to retain the points in long term memory and that can only be done once you have understood and analyzed the issues properly.
Mains strategy: Answer writing based on current events, peer evaluation process, mind maps during revision, strategy articles of toppers were initiatives that were immensely relevant and helpful.
Her motto: ‘Your thoughts become things. Make them good.’ The power of positive thinking cannot be emphasized enough. She believes it to be her most important asset throughout the preparation. She always saw a silver lining in every challenging situation, right from the unfavorable start to her preparation or managing financial difficulties.
Message to aspirants: Attitude is more important than aptitude.
This is an Advanced level compilation on choicest IAS Prelims questions, penned down by Vipin Garg (AIR 20, CSE 2015).
These 20 pages contain elaborate expositions on the application of what we at Civilsdaily refer to as “Tikdams”.
With 19 questions & unique explanations using the 3 types of Tikdam approaches, we present to you this unprecedented piece of literature in the history of IAS Prelims Approach Methodology.
Make no mistake, this is a GOLDMINE of practical wisdom.
PS: If this compilation helped you get a fresh perspective at IAS Prelims, share this forward. Your friends will appreciate you lightening their preparation anxiety, as we are sure you would too.
thank you civilsdaily -brameshkngl@gmail.com
GS4 (Case study)
You have just taken over as the head of office in an administrative department. In the office there are 8 people working for the past 20 years as daily wagers who are not regular government employees.
One-year back, the ministry of personnel had issued clear guidelines that such people cannot be employed further. Following this, your boss had reported that no such workers are currently working in his charge, which includes your office, even though such people were continuing to work.
Your own ministry has now asked for a list of such people, for a one-time relaxation of recruitment rules to be requested to ministry of personnel.
This puts you in a fix, as your boss has reported nil, while the ministry wants such people so that they can be benefited.
a. What are the options available to you?
b. Evaluate each of these options and choose the option you would adopt, giving reasons.
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