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
- 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)
- 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)
- 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)
- Rivers - Origin, Tributaries, Deltas, Dams and Termination (+ Lakes - Ramsar/Montreux if time permits)Finished on Sep 10
- Pollutants Finished on Sep 11
- Indexes and authorities that release themFinished on Sep 12Forum IAS links -1,2,3,4|Shankar IAS Link
- Biodiversity (Species etc)Finished on Sep 13
- Tribes of IndiaFinished on Sep 13
- Schedules/Important Articles of the Constitution Finished on Sep 14
- Seas and water bodies in the world + countries surrounding them Finished on Sep 14
- Gandhian movementsFinished on Sep 15
- 1940-47 in Indian IndependenceFinished on Sep 16
- Trends in Indian economy (+ Nationalization of various sectors + Land reforms)Finished on Sep 17
- Acts and conventions in Environment + National Environment Bodies Finished on Sep 18
- International groupings that India is a part of + imp ones where India is not a member Finished on Sep 19
- Biotechnology Finished on Sep 19
- Wireless Communication + Diseases in news Finished on Sep 20
- WTO, UN, IMF and other important bodies Finished on Sep 20
- Control Groupings : MTCR, Australian Group, NSG, Wassenar and Associated topics like IAEA,NPT To do - Sep 21
- India's defence - Military exercises, weapons, fighter planes, submarines, stealth frigates, aircraft carriers + Satellite Missions/Space Missions To do - Sep 21
- Places in news + Conflict Zones + GI tags To do - Sep 22
- One liner type questions asking a particular pact or agreement signed between India and another country To do - Sep 22
- 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.
Does anyone have any method to remember the manipur and mizoram based GI and art & culture stuff?
I always confuse the two. Whether it's Chak hao rice or the martial arts form.
TIA
I had similar problem. Then I spent some time trying to understand the regional dialects in Manipur and Mizoram. It helped. Took me two days to narrow down my observations that might be of help for prelims. Sharing some for the benefit of all :)
1. In Manipuri(Meiti) language, the emphasis is more on the vowels or a combination thereof, especiallyei, ai, uietc.
- Meititribe
- Kangleiis another name for Manipur
- Traditional deities are calledLais.Lai Harobais a Manipuri festival.
- Keibul Lamjhao NP is in Manipur
2. In Mizo language, the emphasis is more on these consonants-T,V,W,Z. +Community festivals are known by 'Kut' in Mizo.
- Aizawlis the capital.
- Chapchar Kut, Thalfavang Kut, Mim Kut and Pawl Kutare festivals
- Khawnglung Wildlife Sanctuary, Phawngpui NP, ThenzawlDeer Park
Disclaimer- I'm a North Indian. I do not know these languages. Supplement your knowledge with thissasta jugaad. It has helped me thus far. It might go wrong too at times, but there is no other technique in the market :p
Scribbled basics of all Bhakti and Sufi saints by referring this table. This to my mind is 'the' source which UPSC is referring all the time while setting the papers. For example- last time they asked on Sheikh Ahmad Shirandi and Nimbarka, Kabir, which is given here.
While writing this, I had following variables in my mind- timeline, i.e, who is contemporary of whom, weather they were Shaivaite or Vaishnavite, if they founded any further sect (samprada), major literary works if any, and region of their influence.
Please bear with my handwriting, and some of the spelling mistakes, especially while using hindi words, which I have used for easy remembering. 
Bhakti_Sufi_NCERT.pdf
This is the table used as reference- (page 167, Theme 2, New NCERT, at the end of the chapter)
If anyone can share notes of pre-1857 wars, it would be helpful. I'm getting confused.
This is quite comprehensive. But we certainly can add "one liner type questions asking a particular pact or agreement signed between and India and....."
BTIA has been asked twice.
Last year there was that Russia nuclear agreement.
This year we have
Forward looking agreement: south Korea India
Special strategic and global partnership: Japan India.
Industrial security annex agreement : USA india
So on and so forth...a compilation of all such one liners can be made✌️
@AzadHindFauz I always thought would it be possible for South as well?Kerala and Tamil Nadu also gets confusing
Some hacks for South India too exist. Off the top of my head, I remember these-
1. Pattinammeans a town on the sea shore. Vishakhapatnam, Kaveripattinam, Nagapattinam etc. are all coastal areas.
2.Kondais aTeluguword that means mountains. So, Papikonda National park would be around the Papi hills in Andhra/Telangana. NagarjunaKonda is Nagarjuna hills off the coast of Andhra Pradesh.
Thoda effort maarna hoga dost, everything has some kind of logic underneath. We need to decipher it.
Keep things simple! :)
@thistooshallpass Thank you for organizing this. Will you accept the blue tick? :D
70_Policies.pdf. this file is may be also helpful as there are questions from thse things in recent papers.
https://medium.com/@grabcse/some-important-mnemonics-for-upsc-cse-74acc3602069
Some helpful mnemonics.
anybody have before independence acts in table format. always get confuse ki kisme kya tha! will be highly obliged.
From Spectrum, Laxmikanth, and tests. Btw the colours have significance :p
Two situations-
1.The three statements are related to the same topic- If I have no clue at all about C and I know the first two options well, my line of thought is the option has been deliberately framed to misguide me and hence, is wrong. It can't be that I know the two options well and do not have even the faintest clue about one.
2.The three statements are unrelated and each one is independent in its own right- It becomes a situational decision then. If I need more attempts and if there are 3 such questions, I exclude the C statement in each of them without applying any mind further. It's net positive usually. If I have already had enough attempts, I would not bother attempting them. I am not aspiring for Forest Service :)
Summarily put, I never mark that statement correct!
I am not endorsing this approach. Approaches may differ. This is just my opinion.
Nothing much i can add here. This is pretty much on point.
The third (or one of the options) is mostly designed deliberately in a manner to make it seem true. But it will actually help you arrive at the answer. Substantiating with the help of a couple of examples.
In this question,IARI and Punjab Universityare clear hints ki daal mein kuch kaala hai.
Iss question mein, three options have 2 and three options have 3. I have noticed, kahin na kahin this is a hint that you need to eliminate either 2 or 3 in order to arrive at the answer. 1,2,3 can never be the answer in such questions. Now, its upto you as to how calm you can stay and eliminate one of 2 or 3.
Lets face it, aise questions na kisi ka baap bhi predict nai kar sakta, hum log to bas mere mortals hain. But if UPSC is still giving such a question, it more often than not has in built fallacies that you must be able to recognize.
And like i had mentioned in another post of mine, these things are easy to analyze with the benefit of the hindsight. On the D day in the exam hall, our hands will be shivering and hearts will be pounding. Can we ,then, overcome those jitters and back ourselves nevertheless ? Well, All the best :)
@MonicaGeller @thistooshallpass Reminder: don't forget the thumb rule guys....no new material in the last days no matter how good it is..😉
@whatonly can you please provide the pdf format?
anybody have before independence acts in table format. always get confuse ki kisme kya tha! will be highly obliged.
From Spectrum, Laxmikanth, and tests. Btw the colours have significance :p
Many thanks boss. Would like to know the color coding key!
No problemo :) Yellow for GG/Viceroy, pink for Board of Control, blue for Executive Council/central executive, green for central legislature, purple for provincial executive, orange for provincial legislatures, red for franchise
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