Schedule of Civils Prelims and Main Exam for 2015 and suggested books

CSP 2015: Schedule of Model exams under the aegis of PINAKA Institute of Competitive Exams

Dear Friends,

It is planned to conduct 30 Civil Services Preliminary [CSP] and Main Model Tests in a span of 9 months, starting from October, 2014 to June, 2015.  The schedule of exams on 6 subjects, Indian History and Culture; Indian Polity and Governance; Indian Economy; Geography; Ecology including Science and Technology and Current Events of National and International Importance as given under. You are required to prepare sincerely and attempt the exams which are intended to make you to understand the subjects in a systematic manner and empower to attempt the CSP exam with confidence, which is scheduled to be in the month of August, 2015.

Month	15th	30/31st
October, 2014	India Polity-1 Indian History-1	India Polity-2 Indian History-2
November, 2014	India Polity-3 Indian History-3	Indian Polity-4 Indian Economy-1
December, 2014	Indian Polity-5 Indian Economy-2	Indian Economy-3 Indian History-4
January, 2015	Indian History-5 Indian Economy-4	Geography-1 Indian Economy-5
February, 2015	Geography-2 Ecology & S& T-1	Geography-3 Ecology & S& T-2
March, 2015	Geography-4 Ecology & S& T-3	Current Events-1 Geography-5
April, 2015	Ecology & S& T-4 Current Events-2	Ecology & S& T-5 Current Events-3
May, 2015	Current Events-4 Current Events-5	CSP Model Test- 1
June, 2015	CSP Model Test- 2	CSP Model Test- 3

      The subject wise sub-division of Syllabus is as under.

Note: The CSP syllabus is in normal font and where as the Main syllabus is in bigger font and in bullet form. There would be CSP exam on every 15 days with 50 to 100 multiple choice questions and Main exam would consist of around 10 to 20 questions with different maximum marks.

Syllabus for the Indian Polity & Governance

Polity Test-1:

Constitutional Development in India [Charter Act 1773 to drafting of Constitution]; Preamble; Territory; Citizenship; Fundamental Rights; Directive Principles of Sate Policy [DPSP] and Fundamental Duties.

Ø Indian Constitution‐ historical underpinnings, evolution, features, amendments, significant provisions and basic structure.

Ø Comparison of the Indian constitutional scheme with that of other countries

Polity Test-2:

Executive at Central, State and Local Governments, Central Government; State Governments; Union Territories; Panchayati Raj and Urban Local Governments; Scheduled Areas & PESA act.  All Constitutional Authorities, Election Commission of India [ECI]; Controller & Auditor General [CAG]; Attorney General and Solicitor General of India and Advocate Generals for states ; UPSC and State Public Service Commissions; Finance commission; National commission for SCs; STs and Non- constitutional bodies such as, reformed Planning body in place of Planning Commission, NDC, Central Vigilance Commission; NHRC and SHRCs; Central and state Information Commissions, Lokpal and Lokayuktha etc. National Judicial Appoints Commission.

Ø 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.

Polity Test-3

Legislature at all levels in India, Parliament to Gram Sabha. Judiciary at all levels from Supreme Court to sub-courts. Public Interest Litigation [PIL] and Judicial Activism.

Ø Parliament and State Legislatures ‐ structure, functioning, conduct of business, powers & privileges and issues arising out of these.

Ø Separation of powers between various organs dispute redressal mechanisms and institutions.

Ø 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.

Polity Test-4

Federal structure of India, Parliamentary System of Government and Centre-state relations. Quasi judicial authorities such as Tribunals, National Green Tribunal [NGT]; Central Administrative Tribunal; etc.

Ø Statutory, regulatory and various quasi‐judicial bodies

Ø Appointment to various Constitutional posts, powers, functions and responsibilities of various Constitutional Bodies.

Ø Treaty making under the constitution of India.

Polity Test-5

Emergency Provisions; Interstate relations; Special status for J& K and special provisions for certain states; Importance of backward state status in India; Political Parties; Elections and electoral reforms; Pressure Groups; Regionalism; National Integration and Foreign policy. Parts and Schedules of the constitution. Eighth Schedule of the Constitution and classical language status; Anti-defection law and role of the speaker.

Ø Salient features of the Representation of People’s Act.

Ø Important aspects of governance, transparency and accountability, e‐governance‐applications, models, successes, limitations, and potential; citizens charters, transparency & accountability and institutional and other measures.

Ø Role of civil services in a democracy.

Ø Role of NGOs in democracy and development of vulnerable sections

Ø  India and its neighborhood‐ relations.

Ø  Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests

Ø  Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India’s interests, Indian Diaspora.

Ø  Important International institutions, agencies and fora‐ their structure, mandate.

Indian History and Culture including World History

India History and cultureTest-1

Different cultures in Ancient World, Stone Age [Paleolithic, Mesolithic and Megalithic and Neolithic ages], bronze cultures, Chalcolithic or copper age and Iron Age. Sources of Ancient Indian History, Indus Valley Civilization, Vedic Culture or Vedic period, Post Vedic period, Pre-Mauryan age, Mauryan Empire, Post Mauryan period, Gupta Period and Post Gupta period.  

Jainism and Budhdhism and their culture

India History and cultureTest-2

Emperor Harsha and PUshyabbhuthi dynasty.  Pallava, Chola and Chalukyan dynasties of Deccan and South. The Tripartite struggle among the Palas, Prathiharas and Rastrakutas during 8^th to 10^th centuries; The Arab conquest of Sind, Rajput states and the Turkish conquest of North India; The Delhi sultanate, Slave dynasty, Khalji dynasty, Tughluq dynasty, Sayyid Dynasty and Lodhi dynsty. Development of different facets of culture such as art and architecture, Literature, etc during the relevant period.

India History and cultureTest-3

Mughals and culture developed during the reign of Mughals. Advent of Europeans in India and wars fought by them amongst themselves and with the princes of India, Carnatic wars, Anglo-Mysore wars, Anglo-Maratha wars and Anglo-Sikh wars. Vijayanagara Empire and Bahmani Kingdoms and their contribution to culture. Carving of Deccan states, Bidar, Berar, Ahmednager, Bijapur and Golconda. Shivaji and Maratha Empire; Mysore state, Nizams of Hyderabad.  Establishments of East India Company rule in India.

India History and cultureTest-4

Sepoy Mutiny. Establishment of INC and fight for freedom under Moderates, Extremists, Advent of Gandhi on to Indian Freedom Movement and all the Modern India history up to Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms, 1919. Bhakthi Movement and their proponents; Tribal, Ryth and Peasant movements, Provincial movements against British etc.

The Academies and Institutions in the promotion of Indian Art and Culture. Painting, different schools, evolution of painting in India and Modern trends in Indian Painting. Features and types of Indian Music, Carnatic and Hindustani. Classical dances of India and other dance forms. Folk dances of India. Art and architecture; Modern theatre; Festivals and religious Institutions in India.

Ø  Indian culture will cover the salient aspects of Art Forms, Literature and Architecture from ancient to modern times.

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

Ø  The Freedom Struggle ‐ its various stages and important contributors /contributions from different parts of the country.

India History and cultureTest-5

Modern Indian History from 1919 to Independence and later on till date.

Governors-in- General and Viceroys and policies and contributions.

Religious institutions or places; Festivals and Fairs; Art and Crafts; Performing Arts such as dance, drama, martial arts and folk arts of all 29 states and 7 UTs in India. Classical languages and Language policy in India.  Development of modern press; Important INC presidents and important events associated under their President ship.

Ø  Post‐independence consolidation and reorganization within the country.

Ø  History of the world will include events from 18^th century such as industrial revolution, world wars, re-drawl of national boundaries, colonization, decolonization, political philosophies like communism, capitalism, socialism etc. their forms and effect on the society.

Ø  Salient features of Indian Society, Diversity of India.

Ø  Role of women and women’s organizations in India.

Indian Economy

Indian Economy- Test 1:

The salient features of Indian Economy; Planning and Five Year Plans in India, both history and 12^th 5YP and its objectives; concept of National Income, GDP, GNP etc; Population, including 2011 Census. Development, Poverty and Poverty Alleviation programmes, including wage employment schemes. 

Ø  Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization of resources, growth, development and employment.

Ø  Inclusive growth and issues arising from it.

Indian Economy- Test 2:

Monetary Policy & RBI: Money & Money market, Instruments of money market, Cash Management Bills, Treasury Bills, Dated Securities, Commercial Paper [CP] and Certificate of Deposits [CDs]; Players of Money market, Banks and their role; Non-banking Financial corporations [NBFCs] and Non- banking Financial Institutions [NBFIs] and the regulator of Money market, RBI, objectives, powers and duties of RBI and the quantitative and qualitative credit controls used by RBI in controlling money supply in the system; Financial Inclusion, PMJDY, Small and Payment banks; All the committees appointed by GOI and RBI and their recommendations;

Capital markets and their regulator, SEBI; Derivative market and their regulator, Forward Market Commission [FMC]; Instruments of capital market, players of the capital and derivative market. Objectives, duties and responsibilities of SEBI and FMC.

Indian Economy- Test 3:

Agriculture and related topics; Industry and Industrial Policy and related topics and Tertiary or service sector and related topics; Transport and Communications

Ø  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

Ø  Food processing and related industries in India‐ scope and significance, location, upstream and downstream requirements, supply chain management.

Ø  Effects of liberalization on the economy, changes in industrial policy and their effects on industrial growth.

Ø  Infrastructure: Energy, Ports, Roads, Airports, Railways etc.

Ø  Investment models.

Indian Economy- Test 4:

Fiscal Policy and Budget; Public Finance; International Organizations, including, World Bank, IMF, Asian Bank, BRICS bank, WTO, G-4, G-20, G-8, ASEAN, SAARC, IORC, OPEC, APEC, BIMSTEC, etc. Foreign/External Trade and Balance of Payments.  

Ø  Government Budgeting.

Ø  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.

Indian Economy- Test 5:

Mineral resources of India and other topics including current events related to Economy.

Ø  Land reforms in India.

   

Geography of India and World

1) Basics of Geography; Sun & Planets; World Physical Geography,  Mountains and their formation; Deserts, landforms, tectonics, soils, Rivers, lakes, glaciers, climate, Weather etc. Geological time scale; Pangaea and origin of different continents. Continents and all geographical forms as mentioned supra. All the space projects of India, including Mars Orbitor Mission [Mangalayan].  

Ø Salient features of world’s physical geography.

Ø 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.

2) Oceanography: Oceans and seas all over the World. Structure of ocean,

3) Human geography

Ø Land and people across the globe.

Ø Population and related issues

Ø Millennium Development Goals [MDG] and progress thereof in their realization among the world countries.

4) Economic Geography: Distribution of natural resources in Primary, Secondary and Tertiary sector Industries across world and India. Agricultural patterns etc., Green revolution, Second green Revolution, Yellow revolution etc in India.

Ø Distribution of key natural resources across the world (including South Asia and the Indian sub‐continent): Natural, Mineral, Energy, Marine, Forest, Water and Land resources, Fisheries and Aquaculture.  

Ø Factors responsible for the location of primary, secondary, and tertiary sector industries in various parts of the world (including India)

Ø Urbanization, their problems and remedies, including the smart cities proposed in the Budget 2014-15 and relaxation of FDI norms under the sector.

5) Indian geography:

Physical, Social, Economic and Human Geography. Climate, monsoonal rain fall, tropical cyclones, rivers vegetation, natural resources and location of industries. Location and space relations, Geological structure and Physiography, Drainage system, including interlinking of rivers and Inter-state River water disputes, Soil, Natural vegetation, National Hazards and Disasters, Natural resources, Agriculture, Land and water resources, Food Security, Energy resources, Electricity, Minerals and Industries, Transport and Communication network, including Water ways, Road ways and Railways, Urbanization and  Population. 

Ø Population and related issues, including the Census of 2011 and demographic dividend

Ø Poverty and developmental issues

Ø Millennium Development Goals [MDG] and progress thereof in their realization in India

Ecology & Environment and Science & Technology

E& E, Test- 1:

ü  Ecology: History of ecology, environment & its components and levels of organisation.

ü  Functions of an ecosystem: energy flow, food chain, food web, ecological pyramid, pollutants & trophical level, biotic interaction, bio-geochemical cycle and ecological succession. 

ü  Terrestrial ecosystem: tundra, forest ecosystem, Indian forest types, deforestation, grassland ecosystem,  desert ecosystem (Thar & cold),  and desertification

ü  Aquatic ecosystem: aquatic organisms, lake ecology, eutrophicat1on, wetland ecosystem, national wetland-conservation programme and estuary ecosystem. Mangrove ecosystem; coral reefs and coral bleaching and Initiatives to protect coastal environment

ü  Environmental pollution: pollutant; air pollution, smog, indoor air pollution, fly ash and NAMP and NAAQ. Different kinds of pollution: water pollution, soil pollution, noise pollution, radioactive pollution, e-waste, solid waste and bio-remediation.

ü  Environmental impact assessment: the need for EIA, EIA cycle and its procedures, components of EIA, procedure of public hearing and drawbacks and recommendations of EIA.

Ø  Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment

Ø  Disaster and disaster management.

E& E, Test- 2:

ü  Biodiversity: definition, levels of biodiversity, measurement of biodiversity, biodiversity services, modes of conservation, botanical garden & zoo

ü  Indian biodiversity: Indian bio-geographical classification, fauna diversity, flora diversity and Indian wildlife

ü  Animal diversity of India: red book data, IUCN classification, critically endangered mammals, endangered mammals, vulnerable mammals, marine mammals, egg laying mammals, marsupial, critically endangered birds, critically endangered reptiles, critically endangered fishes, critically endangered spiders & coral, bird migration, wild life disease, species extinction and man-animal conflict

ü  Plant diversity of India: plant classification, effect of abiotic components on plants, insectivorous plant, invasive alien species, invasive alien flora of India, medicinal plants, tree characters

ü  Marine organism: plankton, phyto-plankton, zoo-plankton, sea-grass and seaweed

ü  Protected area network: national initiative, wildlife sanctuary & national parks,          conservation reserves & community reserves, costal protected areas, sacred groves of India and export prohibited items

ü  Global initiative: man and biosphere, biosphere reserves, national biosphere reserve programme, world network of biosphere reserves, biodiversity hotspots, and world heritage sites

ü  Conservation efforts: project Tiger, project elephant, vulture, one horned rhinoceros, project snow leopard, sea turtle project, crocodile conservation project, project hangul, captive breeding, ganges dolphin and schedule list-WLA, 1972

E& E, Test- 3:

ü  Climate change: global warming, green house effect and green house gases, climate forcing, global warming potential,  and global emissions

ü  Acidification: acid rain and ocean acidification

ü  Ozone depletion

ü  Impact of climate change – India: agriculture & food security, water stress & water insecurity, sea level rise, ecosystem & biodiversity and climate change & health

ü  Mitigation strategies, carbon sequestration, carbon sink, carbon credits, carbon offsetting, carbon tax and geo-engineering

ü  India and Climate Change: India’s position on climate change, Observed climate and weather changes in India, correct actions for adaptation and migration, National Action Plan on climate change, Indian network on climate change assessment, National Communication [NATCOM], India’s policy structure relevant to Green House Gas [GHG] mitigation, Green Building, GRIHa, National Initiative on climate resilient Agriculture, Bombay stock Exchange Greenex, and 24 other critical entities.

ü  Climate Change Organizations: unfcc, kyoto protocol, Bali meet, Copenhagen summit, Cancun summit, Durban summit, other mechanism of UNFCC, redd and redd+, global environment facilities, climate smart agriculture, IPCC, national green house gas inventories programme, green economy

ü  Agriculture: crop and its classification, cropping system and pattern, farming system, sustainable agriculture, integrated farming system, and soil science

E& E, Test- 4:

ü  Acts and policies: wild life protection act 1972, environmental protection act 1986, national forest policy 1988, biological diversity act 2002, schedule tribes and other forest dwellers act 2006, coastal regulation zone, wetland rules 2010, nation green tribunal [NGT], and the ozone depleting substances rules

ü  Institution and measures: national wide life action plan, national afforestation and eco-development board, campa, joint forest management, social forestry, national bamboo mission, CEPI, lighting a billion lives, eco-mark, users, BCRLIP, national clean energy fund, national mission for electric mobility, science express - bio diversity special and mangrove for future

ü  Environmental organisations: animal welfare board, central zoo authority, national bio diversity authority, wildlife crime control bureau, national lake conservation plan, and national ganga river basin authority

ü  international environmental conventions: united nations conference on environment and development, convention on biological diversity (CBD), Ramsar convention on wetlands, cites, the wildlife trade monitoring network (traffic), convention on the conservation of migratory species (cms), coalition against wildlife trafficking (cawt), International tropical timber organization (ITTO), united nations forum on forests (UNFF), IUCN, global tiger forum (GTF), Stockholm convention, Basel convention, Rotterdam convention, united nations convention to combat desertification, international whaling commission (iwc), and Vienna convention and Montreal protocol

üEnvironment issues and health effects

E & E Test 5:

Bio, space, Nuclear and other technologies; Communication satellites and Defence, Missile and rocket industry; cryogenic technology, Transgenics etc.

Ø  Science and Technology‐  developments and their applications and effects in everyday life

Ø  Achievements of Indians in science & technology; indigenization of technology and developing new technology.

Ø  Awareness in the fields of IT, Space, Computers, robotics, nano‐technology, bio‐technology and issues relating to intellectual property rights.

Ø  Linkages between development and spread of extremism.

Ø  Role of external state and non‐state actors in creating challenges to internal security.

Ø  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

Ø  Security challenges and their management in border areas; linkages of organized crime with terrorism

Ø  Various Security forces and agencies and their mandate

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Suggested Books

Name of the subject	NCERT	Others
Indian Polity and Governance:	Indian Constitution at Work	Indian Polity by Lakshmikanth Any reputed coaching material
Gegraphy	Fundamentals of Physical Geography India, Physical Environment Fundamentals of Human Geography India, People and Economy  [ All these 4 books are Plus 1 and 2 standard] Land and People [VIII standard]	Any reputed Coaching material Atlas from Study Today or ttk publications
Ecology and Science and Technology	NECRT plus 1 and 2 books.	Shankar IAS Institute, Chennai Material for Ecology Down to Earth Magazine
Indian History and Culture	Ancient India Mideval India Contemporary World Politics, Class XII.	Modern India-Spectrum book Material from any Institute India Year book published by Govt. “Indian Art and Culture” from  Vajiram and Ravi Institute
Indian Economy	---	Prathyogitha Darpan SRiram’s IAS Material
Current Affairs	Magazines	Civil Services Chronicle Yojana [for case studies] Kurukshetra [for case studies]
	News Papers	The Hindu Business Line/Business Standard
	Sites	Wikipedia, Investopedia  [for Economic concepts] Economic and Political weekly
	Online Coaching sites	Mrunal org; gkIndiatoday and others

      Note: The list given is only indicative and not exhaustive. You can follow any other               reputed  material. It is to be noted that follow at least two sources for all prelim syllabus 

      and one reputed source for Main exam. Make your own notes for all important main 

      questions from News papers or magazines or from study material.

       Anybody can suggest other books or syllabus I would have missed in this note. 

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