How to Prepare UPSC Civil Services Mains Paper-II (GS-1)

By INSIGHTS
UPSC has brought changes to the Civil Services Mains examination in both the pattern and the
syllabus. We know that now there are 4 General Studies Papers apart from one Essay and Optional
paper each.
This article discusses preparation strategy for General Studies -1
Before you start reading further, please remember the following important mantra given UPSC:
The questions are likely to test the candidates basic understanding of all relevant
issues, and ability to analyze, and take a view on conflicting socio economic goals,
objectives and demands. The candidates must give relevant, meaningful and succinct
answers.

This sentence is the guiding light for your preparation. You dont have to master the topics, all you
need is BASIC UNDERSTANDING and the ability to analyze.
Basic understanding comes from reading and re-reading. Ability to analyze what you have understood
from reading comes from WRITING PRACTICE.

STRATEGY

GS-1: Indian Heritage and Culture, History and Geography of the World and Society.
Under this heading total 12 topics and around 40 sub-topics are given in the syllabus.
Two important things fundamental to your exam preparation:
1. Get familiar with all the topics and sub-topics by writing them many times they should be
strongly etched in your memory.
2. Keep a copy of the syllabus always near you no matter where you are.
Now, how to deal with GS-1?
Assuming you are now familiar with the syllabus of GS-1, we will discuss a topic by topic what to
read, from where to read and what not to read for these topics.

TOPIC-1
Indian Culture will cover the salient aspects of Art forms, Literature and Architecture from ancient to
modern times.
In this topic, the sub-topics are - Art forms, Literature, Architecture from ancient to modern times.

Before jumping into Big Books, first go through these beautiful books by NCERT to get a glimpse
of the sub-topics they are
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

NCERT Class VI History Our Past

NCERT Class VII Our Past -I
NCERT Class VIII Our Past II and III
NCERT Class XII Themes In Indian History I
NCERT Class-XII Themes in Indian History II
NCERT Class XII Themes In Indian History III

Hold on 4 books for one topic? No. You have to read only a few chapters from each book that are
related to Sub-Topics. For ex, you have to read only Chapters 2 and 3 from Class-XII -Themes in
Indian History-II book.
Apart from these you should have a reference book for getting more information:
1.
2.
3.
4.

Facets of Indian Culture or

Indian Art and Culture
Download Free Material Complete Set
Graphic Book On Indian Art and Culture Free Download

TOPIC-2
Modern Indian history from about the middle of the eighteenth century until the present- significant
events, personalities, issues
Read this book: Comprehensive History of Modern India Spectrum (It covers topics from the
Advent of British to Indias Independence so covers this part of the syllabus completely.)
Why this book? Why not Bipan Chandra?
Bipan Chandra is specifically for studying in depth the various dimensions and concepts of the
Freedom Struggle. But for the above topic where events, personalities and issues have to be read
that too between 1750s to 1950s, Spectrum book covers all the topics quite comprehensively.
It is bulky and factual, so it is recommended for beginners both for Prelims and Mains along with
Bipan Chandras book, but not for aspirants writing Mains this year who are running short of time.

TOPIC-3
The Freedom Struggle its various stages and important contributors /contributions from different
parts of the country.
Because this topic demands specific knowledge of Freedom Struggle and its various facets, you must,
along with the above mentioned book, read Bipan Chandras Struggle for Indias Independence.

TOPIC 4
Post-independence consolidation and reorganization within the country.
For this you need to study Chapter 6 to 12 of India since Independence Bipan Chandra
0r Chapters 8 to 14 from India after Gandhi: The History of the Worlds Largest Democracy (above
mentioned chapters cover completely this part of the syllabus)

TOPIC-5
History of the world will include events from 18th century such as industrial revolution, world wars,
redrawal of national boundaries, colonization, decolonization, political philosophies like communism,
capitalism, socialism etc.- their forms and effect on the society.
Except for Industrial revolution, Mastering Modern World History by Norman covers all topics of
this part of the syllabus it is a very good book. Stick to only this book. Refer above links for a
glimpse of those sub-topics in Wikipedia, but dont dwell deeply on them. Above book is not
available anywhere these days. Best alternative is a book by Arjun Dev History of the World from
the Late Nineteenth to the Early Twenty First Century
If both books are not available, then read this book Old NCERT World History Class-X

TOPIC-6
Salient features of Indian Society, Diversity of India.
About salient features of Indian Society dont look anywhere else Just read this NCERT Indian
Society Class 12 (Complete book without watermarks)
Two indispensable books to cover this topic:

Indian Society Ram Ahuja

Social Problems in India Ram Ahuja

(Above books are critically acclaimed and are taught in many universities as a text, and is written by
an acclaimed scholar)

TOPIC-7
Role of women and womens organization; population and associated issues; poverty and
developmental issues; urbanization; their problems and their remedies.
For India specific women related issues download this beautiful report (PLATFORM FOR
ACTION-REPORT ON INDIAN WOMEN) where you can find everything you want to learn about
Womens issues.

Other sub-topics are general in nature and can be found in Magazines and Newspapers. If one is
thorough with current events questions on these sub-topics can be answered very well by
consolidating their knowledge.

TOPIC-8
Effects of Globalization on Indian society
This is also general in nature. If you have a basic understanding of Indian Society and Globalization,
their mutual relation can be elucidated with ease. Here is a good article from a Marxist politician
about the topic. (UPSC people love the slightly leftist version of everything)
To know more about effect of Globalization on Indian Society, you need to know better about Indian
Society. This book is a must have for broad understanding of the Indian Society.

Indian Society Ram Ahuja

Social Problems in India Ram Ahuja

If you want to learn the impact of Globalization on Indian Economy, here is a book. (Purely optional)

TOPIC-9
Social empowerment, communalism, regionalism & secularism.
This is again generic. But you must know the basic concept of communalism, regionalism and
secularism. Wikipedia comes handy here.
BASICS:
1.
2.
3.

Regionalism In India
Communalism
For Regionalism in India.

TOPIC-10
Salient features of worlds physical geography.
To cover this part two books are necessary:
1. Certificate Physical and Human Geography 1st Edition
2. NCERT Class-XI Fundamentals of Physical Geography

TOPIC-11
Distribution of key natural resources across the world (including South Asia and the Indian
subcontinent); factors responsible for the location of primary, secondary, and tertiary sector
industries in various parts of the world (including India)
1) NCERT Class XII Human Geography
2) NCERT Class-XII India-People and Economy
3) For reference: Geography of India 4 Edition

TOPIC-12
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.
This is a repetition actually. You can read Physical Geography book by Goh Cheng Leong which is
mentioned above (Certificate Physical and Human Geography 1st Edition)
This topic on critical changes in geographical features is broadly related to climate change and other
anthropogenic factors (such as depletion of resources, dumping of wastes etc). Geographical features
like rainforests, ice caps, rivers, corals, cyclones all get affected by climate change. Anthropogenic
factors are involved in increasing desertification, vanishing forests, biodiversity, pollution of rivers
and lakes, etc.
Your focus should be on such changes. Question may be on how monsoon is affected by global
climate change? Or how a cyclone is affected by global warming? What effect has the melting ice cap
on the biodiversity in the Polar Regions? Etc
Until now we saw what books to read. Now the question is how to remember most of the things
we read and how to translate them into better answers.

A common mistake most of the aspirants commit is reading so many books for a single
topic. This mistake costs both your time and ability to remember things clearly and
concisely.
Stick to a single source and read it again and again. Remember The Same Source. Avoid
the temptation of doing Research on a topic.
Always Remember UPSC tests Basic Understanding. Not mastery over a topic.
Make short notes on each topic. It is while making notes that readers tend to do
RESEARCH and scout various sources. Stick to one book even if you are not 100%
satisfied with it.
Remember that old saying? Jack of all trades, master of NONE. If you try to do
Research, most probably your name wont appear in the Final List. I guarantee it.
For GS-1 being thorough with Current Events plays a crucial role in enabling you to
acquire analytical skills.

Very Important Part in the Preparation

Writing! Writing! Writing!

But what? One must practice answer writing to PREVIOUS YEAR QUESTIONS, or
take a Mock Test. Whatever, before you enter examination hall, you must have spent lot of
time on ANSWER WRITING.

Most Important Part in the Preparation

Revision! Revision! Revision!
You do this and you appear for the Personality Test.
If you dont Revise what you read all these months you slightly miss the Personality Test,
or You narrowly miss appearing in the Final List.

Well, to sum up. To get the interview call all you need to do is: Read, Re-read the same source,
Write and Revise.
Preparation for this paper can be finished in 20 days provided you are focused and determined.
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