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Prelims 2020 - Preparing Repeatedly Asked Questions

There are many favourite topics of UPSC CSE paper setters. These questions come every year, yet are not found in an easy to do manner in most books. I want to take 20 such high yielding topics and do 1 per day. I am hoping this will help me do 4-5 extra questions in the exam.

Let us do it together. We can make a list today and start doing them from tomorrow.


Main List

  1. Wildlife Sanctuaries, National Parks, Biosphere Reserves(Finished on Sep 6) - Use ForumIAS material (link for BR|link for NP & WLS) or create tables yourself(Link for Govt Database)
  2. Ramsar - Wetlands, Marine protected areas, Elephant Reserves and Tiger Reserves(Finished on Sep 7) - No compilation that I know of, make tables of imp areas only (link for Wetlands|link for Tiger Reserves | Link for Govt Database)
  3. Jainism and Buddhism + Sufi and Bhakti tradition(Finished on Sep 8 & 9) Use your previous notes and consolidate for quick revision (Link for Bhakti & Sufi tradition)
  4. Rivers - Origin, Tributaries, Deltas, Dams and Termination (+ Lakes - Ramsar/Montreux if time permits)Finished on Sep 10
  5. Pollutants Finished on Sep 11
  6. Indexes and authorities that release themFinished on Sep 12Forum IAS links -1,2,3,4|Shankar IAS Link 
  7. Biodiversity (Species etc)Finished on Sep 13
  8. Tribes of IndiaFinished on Sep 13
  9. Schedules/Important Articles of the Constitution Finished on Sep 14
  10. Seas and water bodies in the world + countries surrounding them Finished on Sep 14
  11. Gandhian movementsFinished on Sep 15
  12. 1940-47 in Indian IndependenceFinished on Sep 16
  13. Trends in Indian economy (+ Nationalization of various sectors + Land reforms)Finished on Sep 17
  14. Acts and conventions in Environment + National Environment Bodies Finished on Sep 18
  15. International groupings that India is a part of + imp ones where India is not a member Finished on Sep 19
  16. Biotechnology Finished on Sep 19
  17. Wireless Communication + Diseases in news Finished on Sep 20
  18. WTO, UN, IMF and other important bodies Finished on Sep 20
  19. Control Groupings : MTCR, Australian Group, NSG, Wassenar and Associated topics like IAEA,NPT To do - Sep 21
  20. India's defence - Military exercises, weapons, fighter planes, submarines, stealth frigates, aircraft carriers + Satellite Missions/Space Missions To do - Sep 21
  21. Places in news + Conflict Zones + GI tags To do - Sep 22
  22. One liner type questions asking a particular pact or agreement signed between India and another country To do - Sep 22
  23. Finance Commission To do - Sep 22

Other Important Topics - No need of notes/Do from the book

  • Parliament
  • Fundamental Rights, DPSP and Fundamental Duties
  • HC/SC
  • Historical background of Indian Constitution
  • Preamble
  • Folk paintings, dance and music

Smaller topics which do not require much retention:

  • Current account and Capital Account convertibility
  • National Income - GDP, GVA, GNP etc etc.

Please comment below and then I will add them to the list.

curious_kid,rootand85 otherslike this
314.7k views

394 comments

Highest forest type in india..tropical moist deciduous or dry decidious...

Dry deciduous according to latest state of forests report

5.4k views
Highest forest type in india..tropical moist deciduous or dry decidious...

Dry Deciduous (Approx 41 percent) >Moist Deciduous (Approx 18 percent) >Semi-Evergreen (Approx 9 percent) >Plantation >Thorn >Wet Evergreen


GaryVee,Sankoza
4.9k views
@Aalsibalak Tropical Dry Decidious acc to Forest survey report 

It has changed 


4.8k views
important terms from ancient medieval  history compilation ?

I had shared GS score file some days back. You can use that.

Thanks,got it

5.2k views

Hello everyone,

I need an honest answer. My preparation level is very poor. Due to many personal reasons/issues, I have been unable to touch PT365 at all. Kindly, suggest what should I do? I have tried to revise my static portion as well as watched important videos/topics for the exam, but I am not sure if that is going to be sufficient. Sould I give this attempt? Any suggestions as to what I should do for current affairs/issues? 

@Jack__Sparrow @ArpitaJ @DM etc 

Any help/suggestion would be great, as I am losing sleep and confidence looking at the last 3-4 year papers.

Not in a position to suggest regarding attempt .for current i had done vision pt365 and right doing iasnova revision booklets.

5.2k views
I haven’t touched the pt365 extended material. Can anyone please suggest if I should give it a complete miss or do selective portions (kindly suggest which ones) 
5.2k views
@Oatmeal I think you can give it a day if you are confident about other sources. If not, do skim through it for a couple of hours every day for the next three days. 


4.8k views
I scored 90+ in csat papers of 2016 and 2018 ..Is it alright or I should practise from somewhere else ...I haven't done anything apart these two papers for csat..
5k views
@Oatmeal I think you can give it a day if you are confident about other sources. If not, do skim through it for a couple of hours every day for the next three days. 


Thanks!! 

5k views
@simransingh For more practice you can try attempting 2017 and 2019 papers too. If you are scoring 90+ in all of them, you should do okay, imo.


4.7k views

Hello everyone,

I need an honest answer. My preparation level is very poor. Due to many personal reasons/issues, I have been unable to touch PT365 at all. Kindly, suggest what should I do? I have tried to revise my static portion as well as watched important videos/topics for the exam, but I am not sure if that is going to be sufficient. Sould I give this attempt? Any suggestions as to what I should do for current affairs/issues? 

@Jack__Sparrow @ArpitaJ @DM etc 

Any help/suggestion would be great, as I am losing sleep and confidence looking at the last 3-4 year papers.

Not in a position to suggest regarding attempt .for current i had done vision pt365 and right doing iasnova revision booklets.

Hey. Thanks for the response. How is iasnova material? Is it available somewhere or do we have to sign up to access? Would it be wise to read material that I haven't touched before? 

4.9k views
@arslankittur883 can xplain 1st a lil plz??esp whn originated and specific features


4.2k views
can anyone share csat formula sheet?
Sankoza,
5k views
@ujjwal1996330 yeah please! 


4.5k views

sorry bro.. dont have much info on that.. second term denotes Theory of Momentariness.. As Buddha said nothing is permanent in this world..

However, knowing the term n dat they belong to Buddhism shall suffice for prelims.. 

No 1,
6.2k views

Hello everyone,

I need an honest answer. My preparation level is very poor. Due to many personal reasons/issues, I have been unable to touch PT365 at all. Kindly, suggest what should I do? I have tried to revise my static portion as well as watched important videos/topics for the exam, but I am not sure if that is going to be sufficient. Sould I give this attempt? Any suggestions as to what I should do for current affairs/issues? 

@Jack__Sparrow @ArpitaJ @DM etc 

Any help/suggestion would be great, as I am losing sleep and confidence looking at the last 3-4 year papers.

Not in a position to suggest regarding attempt .for current i had done vision pt365 and right doing iasnova revision booklets.

Hey. Thanks for the response. How is iasnova material? Is it available somewhere or do we have to sign up to access? Would it be wise to read material that I haven't touched before? 

i subscribed day before yestrday only,havent gone through all content, small parts of few articles are free so u can check and get an idea.its good for revision of important current stuff in one to one and hallf days  .not a wise thing to pick new material at the end,but u are sying u havent done current,in that case u can do it if u have one day  spare time.if u have scheduled time for revision of other stuff,then u shoudlnt go.

4.7k views
Hi is der any website where I can get pyq of GS from 2015 in one go with explanation....
4.7k views
@skirti_0826946 GS score 


skirti_0826946,
4.3k views
Hello people, is there another international environmental organisation established by India on the lines of CDRI in the past year? I remember coming across something like this, but can’t remember now. Any help would be greatly appreciated. 
4.3k views

Hello everyone,

I need an honest answer. My preparation level is very poor. Due to many personal reasons/issues, I have been unable to touch PT365 at all. Kindly, suggest what should I do? I have tried to revise my static portion as well as watched important videos/topics for the exam, but I am not sure if that is going to be sufficient. Sould I give this attempt? Any suggestions as to what I should do for current affairs/issues? 

@Jack__Sparrow @ArpitaJ @DM etc 

Any help/suggestion would be great, as I am losing sleep and confidence looking at the last 3-4 year papers.

Not in a position to suggest regarding attempt .for current i had done vision pt365 and right doing iasnova revision booklets.

Hey. Thanks for the response. How is iasnova material? Is it available somewhere or do we have to sign up to access? Would it be wise to read material that I haven't touched before? 

i subscribed day before yestrday only,havent gone through all content, small parts of few articles are free so u can check and get an idea.its good for revision of important current stuff in one to one and hallf days  .not a wise thing to pick new material at the end,but u are sying u havent done current,in that case u can do it if u have one day  spare time.if u have scheduled time for revision of other stuff,then u shoudlnt go.

Okay, thanks. Let's see. Also, if you don't mind could you share some elimination techniques/tricks for solving questions in exam. Any document on this?


4.3k views
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