UPSC IAS Mains Online Test Series - 2020

• Women and child related Issues

• Yojana related issues
• PIB Features

Test-2

• Salient features of world’s physical geography.
• Distribution of key natural resources across the world (including South Asia and the Indian subcontinent); factors responsible for the location of primary, secondary, and tertiary sector industries in various parts of the world (including India)
• Important Geophysical phenomena such as earthquakes, Tsunami, Volcanic activity, cyclone etc., geographical features and their location- changes in critical geographical features (including waterbodies and ice-caps) and in flora and fauna and the effects of such changes.

• Fundamentals of physical geography, India: Physical environment – 11 ​th NCERTS
• Fundamentals of human geography
• India, people and environment – 12 ​th NCERTs
• Certificate physical and human geography by Oxford India publications
• World geography by Majid Hussain
• Comprehensive geography of india – Khullar
• Orient longman atlas

Test-3

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

• Indian Constitution at
  work- 11 ​th ​ NCERTs
• Indian polity by Laxmikant
• 2 ​nd ​ ARC report (relevant
  chapters only)
• Punchhi Commission report
  (relevant chapters only)
• PIB website
• Yojana
  magazine
• Public administration by Laxmikant (relevant chapters)

Test-4

• Science and Technology- developments and their applications and effects in everyday life
• Achievements of Indians in science & technology; indigenization of technology and developing new technology.
• Awareness in the fields of IT, Space, Computers, robotics, nano-technology, bio-technology and issues relating to intellectual property rights.

•  Science and technology by Tata Mcgraw Hill
• India Year book

Test-5

• Ethics and Human Interface:    Essence, determinants and consequences of Ethics in human actions; dimensions of ethics; ethics in private and public relationships.
• Human Values – lessons from the lives and teachings of great leaders, reformers and administrators; role of family, society and educational institutions in inculcating values.
• Attitude: content, structure, function; its influence and relation with thought and behaviour; moral and political attitudes; social influence and persuasion.

• 2nd ​ ARC report- (Ethics in governance, personnel administration, RTI, Citizen Centric administration)
• Lexicon for ethics, integrity and aptitude

Test-6

• Constitutional and moral Issues for India

• Yojana issues
• Newspaper columns of The hindu, Indian Express, etc.

Test-7

• Indian culture will cover the salient aspects of Art Forms, Literature and Architecture from ancient to modern times.
• Modern Indian history from about the middle of the eighteenth century until the present- significant events, personalities, issues
• The Freedom Struggle – its various stages and important contributors /contributions from different parts of the country.

• Post-independence consolidation and reorganization within the country.

• Introduction to fine arts – NCERT class 11 ​th
• CCRT website
• Modern India by Bipin
  Chandra – Old NCERT
• Brief history of modern
  India – Spectrum

• Politics in India After Independence- NCERT
• India and Contemporary
  World – 9th ​ and 10th NCERTs
• India after independence- Bipin Chandra

Test-8

• Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation.
• Development processes and the development industry- the role of NGOs, SHGs, various groups and associations, donors, charities, institutional and other stakeholders
• Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of the population by the Centre and States and the performance of these schemes; mechanisms, laws, institutions and Bodies constituted for the protection and betterment of these vulnerable sections.
• Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources.
• Issues relating to poverty and hunger.

• Reports of concerned
  ministries for relevant social
  issue
• Selected articles from EPW
  
• Polity and governance by
  Laxmikant
• Economic survey 2016-17

Test-9

• Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment
• Disaster and disaster management.

•  ICSE environment
  education,
• Environment by Shankar IAS,
• The Hindu survey of
  environment

• 2​nd ​ ARC (Crisis
  management)
• Disaster Management by
  IGNOU
• Selective reading of www.ndmindia.nic.in

Test-10

• 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.

• 2​nd ​ ARC report (Ethics in governance, Personnel Administration, RTI, Citizen Centric Administration)
• Lexicon for ethics, integrity and aptitude
• Ethics, Integrity & Aptitude by G Subbarao.

Test-11

Essay :

• India and issues
• Social Justice issues

• Yojana issues
• EPW articles

Test-12

• Salient features of Indian Society, Diversity of India.
• Role of women and women’s organization, population and associated issues, poverty and developmental issues, urbanization, their problems and their remedies.
• Effects of globalization on Indian society
• Social empowerment, communalism, regionalism & secularism.

• Indian society, social
• change and Development- 12 ​th ​ NCERTs
• Social problems in India by Ram Ahuja
• Indian social system – Ram Ahuja
• Indian Society and culture – Nadeem Hussain
• Ministry of child and women development report
• Selected articles from EPW

Test-13

• India and its neighborhood- relations.
• Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests
• Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India’s interests, Indian diaspora.
• Important International institutions, agencies and fora- their structure, mandate.

• Challenges strategy rethinking India’s foreign policy – Rajiv Sikri
• Ministry of External Affairs website
• Relevant current affairs from The Hindu, Indian Express, etc.

Test-14

• Linkages between development and spread of extremism.
• Role of external state and non-state actors in creating challenges to internal security.
• Challenges to internal security through communication networks, role of media and social networking sites in internal security challenges, basics of cyber security; money-laundering and its prevention
• Security challenges and their management in border areas; linkages of organized crime with terrorism
• Various Security forces and agencies and their mandate

• 2​nd ​ ARC report (Public order, Capacity building for conflict resolution, Combating terrorism)
• Ministry of Home affairs website and annual report
• Challenges to internal security of India by Ashok kumar (TMH)
• Relevant current affairs from The Hindu, Indian Express, etc.

Test-15

• Aptitude and foundational values for Civil Service , integrity, impartiality and non-partisanship, objectivity, dedication to public service, empathy, tolerance and compassion towards the weaker sections.
• Emotional intelligence-concepts, and their utilities and application in administration and governance.
• Contributions of moral thinkers and philosophers from India and world.

• Lexicon for ethics, integrity and aptitude
• Ethics, Integrity & Aptitude by G Subbarao

Test-16

• Philosophical and Moral Issues

• Yojana
• PIB Features
• Newspapers
• Frontline issues

Test-17

• 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.

• World history by Norman lowe
• World history –Arjun dev (Old NCERT)

Test-18

• Important aspects of governance,
• transparency and accountability,
• e-governance- applications, models, successes, limitations, and potential;
• citizens charters, transparency & accountability and institutional and other measures.
• Role of civil services in a democracy.

• Reports of concerned ministries for  relevant social issues
• Selected articles from EPW
• Polity and governance by Laxmikant
• Economic survey 2016-17

Test-19

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

• Indian economic development – 11 ​th ​ NCERTs
• Economic survey
• 12 ​th ​5 year plan (relevant chapters only)
• Indian Economy by Ramesh Singh
• Uma and Kapila
• Yojana relevant articles
• India year book
• Relevant current affairs from The Hindu, Indian Express, etc.

Test-20

• 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.

• 2​nd ​ ARC report- (Ethics in governance, personnel administration, RTI, Citizen Centric administration)
• Ethics, Integrity & Aptitude by G Subbarao

• Complete essay syllabus in general

• All essay related material

Test- 2

• Complete General Studies – 1 Syllabus

• All GS-1 Books & Notes

Test-3

• Complete General Studies – 2 Syllabus

• All GS-2 Books & Notes

Test-4

• Complete General Studies – 3 Syllabus

• All GS-3 Books & Notes

Test-5

• Complete General Studies – 4 Syllabus

• All GS-4 Books & Notes