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

How To Start UPSC CSE Mains Paper-II (GS-1)

GS-1: Indian Heritage and Culture, History and Geography of the World and Society.
In this heading total 12 topics and around 40 sub-topics are given in the syllabus.
Two important things fundamental to your exam preparation:

Get familiar with all the topics and sub-topics by writing them many times – they should be strongly etched in your memory.
Keep a copy of the syllabus always with you no matter where you are.

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. All you need to study for Art and Culture part is just TWO sources:

NCERT Books
NIOS Books

Once done with these book, then read following NCERT books. Here, in the following books, along with reading history of India, look for art and culture related topics and make a note of them. You will not find separate art and culture chapters in these books, you have to mine them.

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 II

Apart from these you should refer following sources for more information:

CCRT Website
Graphic Book On Indian Art and Culture

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TOPIC-2

Modern Indian history from about the middle of the eighteenth century until the present- significant events, personalities, issues

Note that this topic wants you to cover important events from 1750s to Present. It’s not just related to freedom struggle. You should focus on all important events and contributions of personalities that are significant and have had important impact on nation till now.
For this part of the syllabus, just rely on above mentioned NCERT books and current affairs. You don’t have to read any separate book. Looking at the kind of questions they are asking fro this part of the syllabus, your focus should be on understanding basic events from NCERT and keeping an eye on relevant current events. For example, Netaji Bose files were declassified in August 2016 and there were many articles comparing his contribution with Gandhiji and Nehru.
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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 read Bipan Chandra’s Struggle For India’s Independence. You should revise this book at least 2-3 times.
Some prefer Spectrum’s modern history book. But for Mains preparation, Bipan Chandra’s book is very important.
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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 World’s Largest Democracy

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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 Lowe , covers all topics of this part of the syllabus . You should also read world history from NCERT books of class IX, X and XI (only modern world history part).
You can go through this book – Old NCERT World History Class-X
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TOPIC-6

[Salient features of Indian Society, Diversity of India.]

For salient features of Indian Society – NCERT – Indian Society Class 12
Two indispensable books to cover this topic:

Indian Society – Ram Ahuja
Social Problems in India – Ram Ahuja

TOPIC-7

[Role of women and women’s 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 Women’s 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.
This topic is mainly current affairs based. Keep tab on all important events that take place related to this topic.
You should also read about role of women from ancient to modern times (including freedom struggle, art and culture etc).

TOPIC-8

[Effects of Globalization on Indian society]

If you have a basic understanding of Indian Society and Globalization, their mutual relation can be elucidated with ease.
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

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:

Regionalism In India
Communalism

TOPIC-10[Salient features of world’s 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 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.]
You can read Physical Geography book - Goh Cheng Leong
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