PAPER-II

General Studies-I : Indian Heritage and Culture, History and

Geography of the World and Society.
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.
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.
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.
Salient features of world’s physical geography
Distribution of key natural resources across the world
(including South Asia and the Indian sub-continent); 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 water-bodies and ice-caps) and in flora
and fauna and the effects of such changes.
 PAPER-III
General Studies- II: Governance, Constitution, Polity,
Social Justice and International relations.
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.
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.
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.
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.
 PAPER-IV
General Studies-III: Technology, Economic
Development, Bio diversity, Environment, Security and
Disaster Management
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.
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, biotechnology and issues relating to
intellectual property rights.
Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation,
environmental impact assessment.
Disaster and disaster management.
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;
moneylaundering 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.
 PAPER-V
General Studies- IV: Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude
This paper will include questions to test the candidates’ attitude and
approach to issues relating to integrity, probity in public life and his
problem solving approach to various issues and conflicts faced by
him in dealing with society. Questions may utilise the case study
approach to determine these aspects. The following broad areas will
be covered :
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.
Aptitude and foundational values for Civil Service, integrity,
impartiality and nonpartisanship, 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.
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.
Probity in Governance: 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.
Case Studies on above issues.
 GEOGRAPHY
PAPER I
PRINCIPLES OF GEOGRAPHY
Physical Geography :
1. Geomorphology : Factors controlling landform development;
endogenetic and exogenetic forces; Origin and evolution of the earth’s
crusts; Fundamentals of geomagnetism; Physical conditions of the earth’s
interior; Geosynclines; Continental drift; Isostasy; Plate tectonics; Recent
views on mountain building; Volcanicity; Earthquakes and Tsunamis;
Concepts of geomorphic cycles and Land scape development; Denudation
chronology; Channel morphology; Erosion surfaces; Slope development;
Applied Geomorphology; Geomorphology, economic geology and
environment.
2. Climatology : Temperature and pressure belts of the world; Heat budget
of the earth; Atmospheric circulation; Atmospheric stability and instability.
Planetary and local winds; Monsoons and jet streams; Air masses and
fronto; Temperate and tropical cyclones; Types and distribution of
precipitation; Weather and Climate; Koppen’s Thornthwaite’s and Trewar
Tha’s classification of world climate; Hydrological cycle; Global climatic
change, and role and response of man in climatic changes Applied
climatology and Urban climate.
3. Oceanography : Bottom topography of the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific
Oceans; Temperature and salinity of the oceans; Heat and salt budgets,
Ocean deposits; Waves, currents and tides; Marine resources; biotic,
mineral and energy resources; Coral reefs coral bleaching; Sea-level
changes; Law of the sea and marine pollution.
4. Biogeography : Genesis of soils; Classification and distribution of soils;
Soil profile; Soil erosion, Degrada-tion and conservation; Factors
influencing world distribution of plants and animals; Problems of
deforestation and conservation measures; Social forestry, agro-forestry;
Wild life; Major gene pool centres.
5. Environmental Geography : Principle ecology; Human ecological
adaptations; Influence of man on ecology and environment; Global and
regional ecological changes and imbalances; Ecosystem their management
and conservation; Environmental degradation, management and
conservation; Biodiversity and sustainable development; Environmental
policy; Environmental hazards and remedial measures; Environmental
education and legislation.
Human Geography :
1. Perspectives in Human Geography : Areal differentiation; Regional
synthesis; Dichotomy and dualism; Environmentalism; Quantitative
revolution and locational analysis; Radical, behavioural, human and
welfare approaches; Languages, religions and secularisation; Cultural
regions of the world; Human development index.

2. Economic Geography : World economic development: measurement

and problems; World resources and their distribution; Energy crisis;
the limits to growth; World agriculture: typology of agricultural
regions; Agricultural inputs and productivity; Food and nutritions
problems; Food security; famine: causes, effects and remedies; World
industries: location patterns and problems; Patterns of world trade.

3. Population and Settlement Geography : Growth and distribution

of world population; Demographic attributes; Causes and
consequences of migration; Concepts of over-under-and optimum
population; Population theories, world population problems and
policies, Social well-being and quality of life; Population as social
capital.
Types and patterns of rural settlements; Environmental issues in
rural settlements; Hierarchy of urban settlements; Urban
morphology; Concept of primate city and rank-size rule; Functional
classification of towns; Sphere of urban influence; Rural-urban fringe;
Satellite towns; Problems and remedies of urbanization; Sustainable
development of cities.

4). Regional Planning : Concept of a region; Types of regions and

methods of regionalisation; Growth centres and growth poles;
Regional imbalances; Regional development strategies; Environmental
issues in regional planning; Planning for sustainable development.

5) Models, Theories and Laws in Human Geography : System

analysis in Human geography; Malthusian, Marxian and demographic
transition models; Central Place theories of Christaller and Losch;
Perroux and Boudeville; Von Thunen’s model of agricultural location;
Weber’s model of industrial location; Ostov’s model of stages of
growth. Heart-land and Rimland theories; Laws of international
boundaries and frontier.
 PAPER II
GEOGRAPHY OF INDIA
1. Physical Setting : Space relationship of India with
neighbouring countries; Structure and relief; Drainage system
and watersheds; Physiographic regions; Mechanism of Indian
monsoons and rainfall patterns; Tropical cyclones and western
disturbances; Floods and droughts; Climatic regions; Natural
vegetation, Soil types and their distributions.
2. Resources : Land, surface and ground water, energy, minerals,
biotic and marine resources, Forest and wild life resources and
their conservation; Energy crisis.
3. Agriculture : Infrastructure: irrigation, seeds, fertilizers,
power; Institutional factors; land holdings, land tenure and land
reforms; Cropping pattern, agricultural productivity, agricultural
intensity, crop combination, land capability; Agro and social-
forestry; Green revolution and its socio-economic and ecological
implications; Significance of dry farming; Livestock resources and
white revolution; Aqua-culture; Sericulture, Agriculture and
poultry; Agricultural regionalisation; Agro-climatic zones; Agro-
ecological regions.
4. Industry : Evolution of industries; Locational factors of cotton,
jute, textile, iron and steel, aluminium, fertiliser, paper, chemical
and pharmaceutical, automobile, cottage and ago-based
industries; Industrial houses and complexes including public
sector underkings; Industrial regionalisation; New industrial
policy; Multinationals and liberalisation; Special Economic Zones;
Tourism including ecotourism.
5. Transport, Communication and Trade : Road, railway,
waterway, airway and pipeline net works and their
complementary roles in regional development; Growing
importance of ports on national and foreign trade; Trade balance;
Trade Policy;Export processing zones; Developments in
communication and information technology and their impacts on
economy and society; Indian space programme.
6. Cultural Setting : Historical Perspective of Indian Society;
Racial linguistic and ethnic diversities; religious minorities; Major
tribes, tribal areas and their problems; Cultural regions; Growth,
distribution and density of population; Demographic attributes:
sex-ratio, age structure, literacy rate, work-force, dependency
ratio, longevity; migration (inter-regional, interaregional and
international) and associated problems; Population problems and
policies; Health indicators.
7. Settlements : Types, patterns and morphology of rural
settlements; Urban developments; Morphology of Indian cities;
Functional classification of Indian cities; Conurbations and
metropolitan regions; Urban sprawl; Slums and asssociated
problems; Town planning; Problems of urbanisation and
remedies.
8. Regional Development and Planning: Experience of regional
planning in India; Five Year Plans; Integrated rural development
programmes; Panchayati Raj and decentralised planning;
Command area development; Watershed management; Planning
for backward area, desert, drought-prone, hill tribal area
development; Multi-level planning; Regional planning and
development of island territories.
9. Political Aspects : Geographical basis of Indian federalism;
State reorganisation; Emergence of new states; Regional
consciousness and inter-state issues; International boundary of
India and related issues; Cross-border terrorism; India’s role in
world affairs; Geopolitics of South Asia and Indian Ocean realm.
10. Contemporary Issues : Ecological issues: Environmental
hazards: landslides, earthquakes, Tsunamis, floods and droughts,
epidemics; Issues related to environmental pollution; Changes in
patterns of land use; Principles of environmental impact
assessment and environmental management; Population
explosion and food security; Environmental degradation;
Deforestation, desertification and soil erosion; Problems of
agrarian and industrial unrest; Regional disparities in economic
development; Concept of sustainable growth and development;
Environmental awareness; Linkage of rivers; Globalisation and
Indian economy.
NOTE : Candidates will be required to answer one compulsory map
question pertinent to subjects covered by this paper.