Strategy for General Studies

Topic Wise Books and Study Material

Indian Modern History
12th Old NCERT by Bipin Chandra
Vaji Ram Notes
Indian Medieval and Ancient History
40 pages that came in Preliminary Special History Edition of Wizard
Word History
9th, 10th Old NCERT
Wizard World History by Ankur Sharma
Indian and World Geography
6th to 12th NCERT
Indian Society
Indian Society NCERT
IGNOU Notes on Special Topics
Culture
Around 60 Page Notes of GK Today Prelim Notes for Culture
NCERT on Indian Architecture
A few page notes from Preliminary Special Culture Edition of Wizard and Chronicle
Governance and Constitution
Vaji Ram Notes on Polity
Lakshmikant (for reference)
Wizard Magazine
Notes of Public Administration by Lukmaan
All India Radio
Social Justice
Hindu Newspaper
Wizard Magazine
Same Notes of IGNOU done for Indian Society
All India Radio
International Relations
Hindu Newspaper

Wizard Magazine
All India Radio
Science and Technology
Hindu Newspaper
Wizard Magazine
Economics
Vaji Ram Notes
Economic Survey
Wizard Magazine
All India Radio
Biodiversity and Environment
ALS Notes for Geography Optional (Biodiversity is a subtopic in Geography)
ICSE Books (2)
Internet (Wiki, Mrunal etc.)
Disaster Management
HalfMantr Website
Mrunal
Internal Security
Vaji Ram Notes
ALS Notes
Ethics
Synergy Notes
Chronicle Lexicon
Newspaper and Magazine
The Hindu
Wizard
Coaching and Test Series
Vaji Ram and Ravi (Classroom)

Synergy (Test Series)

LIST OF BOOKS :
->Introduction to political theory and Thouht- O. P. GAUBA/ Arora and Awasti(easy to
understand)
->IR- V. K. MALHOTRA
->Politics- ANDREW HEYWOOD
->Indian constitution- D. D. BASU/SUBHASH KASHYAP/P.M. BAKSHI
->Indian Govt & Politics- FADIA
->Indian political thought- V. R. MEHTA
->Indian politics:contemporary issues & concerns- MP SINGH & REKHA SAXENA
->Politics in India Since Independence NCERT XII CLASS
->Comparative Politics IGNOU M.A. MATERIAL
->India and the World IGNOU M.A. MATERIAL,Arunday Bajpai
->Challenges & Strategy- MP SINGH & REKHA SAXENA
-> Globalization of World Politics- BAYLISS AND SMITH
But to build basics start with NCERTs, O.P. Gauba,Arunday Bajpai(for India and the World),D.D.
Basu,Andrew and P.M. Bakshi's handy Indian Constituion.Then supplement it with IGNOU notes
and other standard books.

Political Theory
1. IGNOU MA notes- Base material
2. OP Gauba- for selected topics
3. Internet for some topics which were not there in books
Indian Government and Politics
1. I had Law where we read Constitutional Law in details so no basic material required.
2. Oxford Companion for India Politics. (Its Rs. 3500 book. Great book, now shorter version
available in students companion for Rs. 500)
3. IGNOU MA notes for selected topics

International Relations
1. Globalisation of World Politics by Baylis and Smith
2. Global Politics by Andrew Haywood
3. IGNOU notes for Theory portion
India and The World
1. Does the Elephant Dance? by David Malone in Oxford (Great great book)
2. Indian Foreign Policy: retrospect and Prospects by Sumit Ganguly (The dealing of subject
matter is very good)
3. Rethinking Indian Foreign Policy: Challanges and Strategies by Rajeev Sikri (Good but few
chapters on US/Iran etc. are biased)"
___________________
TODO
http://meaindia.nic.in/mystart.php?id=2304
http://meaindia.nic.in/mystart.php?id=2303

*****************************************
GS PAPER ANALYSIS
2010 - Paper 1
1. 20 markers: 40, 12 markers: 156, 5 markers: 60, 2 marker: 32.
2. Polity: water disputes (non bookish): 20 marker, cooperatives 106 and 111 CA Acts (non
bookish): 12 marker, grounds of disqualifications (bookish): 12 marker, KV vs Navodaya
(non bookish): 12 marker, Art 249 and 312: 5 marker, speaker (bookish): 12 marker, mutual
funds (non bookish): 12 marker, tribal university (non bookish): 12 marker, real estate draft
bill (non bookish): 12 marker, legco (bookish): 5 marker, wadhwa commission (non
bookish): 5 marker, oil spill plan (non bookish): 5 marker, accident (non bookish): 5 marker,
babli project (non bookish): 2 marker, svavlamban scheme (non bookish): 2 marker.
3. Economics: national statistics (non bookish): 20 marker, small farms vs big farms (non
bookish): 12 marker, ICAR (non bookish(: 12 marker, golden revolution (bookish): 5 marker,
repo rate (bookish): 12 marker, cost benefit of CWG (non bookish): 12 marker, FDI (sectoral
and spatial): 5 marker, national investment fund (non bookish): 2 marker.
4. History: Dalhousie (bookish): 12 marker, latika ghose (non bookish): 2 marker, maharaj
singh (non bookish): 2 marker.
5. Geography: spatial distribution of urban waste management (economic, bookish): 12
marker, local hot weather storms (physical, bookish): 12 marker, transhumance (economic,
bookish): 5 marker, sea floor spreading (physical, bookish): 5 marker, dendritic drainage

(physical, bookish): 5 marker, break of bulk towns (economic, bookish): 5 marker, golden
quad vs freight corridors (economic, non bookish): 12 marker.
6. S&T & Ecology: Bharat norms (non bookish): 12 marker, Frontogenesis and Frontolysis
(non bookish): 5 marker, Ramsar (bookish):12 marker, HFC emissions (non bookish): 5
marker, chandrayan (non bookish): 2 marker, agni 5 (non bookish): 2 marker, aerostat
balloon (non bookish): 2 marker.
7. Culture: Indian art and painting forms (non bookish): 12 marker, literary awards (bookish):
12 marker.
8. Personalities: non bookish: 16 marker
2010 - Paper 2
1. 20 marker: 40, 12 marker: 120, 5 marker: 85, 3 marker: 24, statistics: 31.
2. Bilateral: Russia (strategic): 20 marker, Israel (comprehensive) : 12 marker, Japan
(economic): 12 marker, Afghanistan (economic): 5 marker, Mauritius (economic): 5 marker,
US (economic): 5 marker, S Arabia: 5 marker,
3. Plurilateral: China and India (energy, economic): 20 marker, 12 marker, MONUSCO: 5
marker, bio weapons convention: 12 marker
4. Multilateral: Trips (India and abroad): 12 marker, IMF: 5 marker, GDI : 5 marker, UNFCC: 5
marker, Rotterdam convention: 5 marker,
5. International: Bangladesh-Myanmar boundary dispute: 12 marker, PIGS: 5 marker, west
asia: 12 marker, sudan: 12 marker, ICC: 5 marker, Cambodia: 5 marker, Mavi Marmara: 5
marker,
6. Indian diaspora: Contribution in caribbean: 12 marker.
7. S&T: phytoremediation: 12 marker, LCD vs LED: 12 marker, CESM: 12 marker, cloud
computing: 12 marker, nano tech in health: 12 marker.
2011 - Paper 1
1. 20 marker: 100, 12 marker: 96, 5 marker: 90, 2 marker: 14
2. Polity: Part 4-A (bookish): 20 marker, mercy petitions (non bookish): 20 marker, PCPDNT (non
bookish): 20 marker, NRLM (non bookish): 20 marker, nutrition (non bookish): 20 marker,
Advertising council (non bookish): 20 marker, dindayal scheme (non bookish): 12 marker,
parliamentary committee (bookish): 12 marker, piracy (non bookish): 12 marker, NDMA (non
bookish): 5 marker, BIhar act (non bookish): 5 marker, Spectrum management commission (non
bookish): 5 marker, sanitation (non bookish): 5 marker, accident: 5 marker, e governance: 5
marker.
3. Economics: Damodaran committee (non bookish): 12 marker, cash subsidy (non bookish):
12 marker, FYP (non bookish): 12 marker, climate change (non bookish): 12 marker,
statistics (non bookish): 5 marker,
4. Geography: nomadic tribes (economic, non bookish): 12 marker, counter urbanization
(economic, bookish): 12 marker

5. History: Navy revolt (bookish): 20 marker, early women organization (non bookish): 20
marker, unsung heroes: 15 marker
6. Environment and S&T: green benches (non bookish): 12 marker, tiger project (non
bookish): 5 marker, nuclear: 5 marker kaveri aero engine: 5 marker, MBI technology: 5
marker.
7. Culture: festivals: 5 marker, theatre: 5 marker, pottery: 5 marker, classical dances: 5
marker.
8. Personality: 14
Mishra puri/ramesh singh? econ
Excellent (book series) GS 1/2
Trends in Indian Culture and Heritage by Dr Ausaf Sayeed-English-Har Anand Publication

Working a Democratic Constitution: A History of the Indian Experience

Pax indica tharoor

Rajiv Sikiri Indian foreign policy

IGNOU- India and world
Shekhar bhandopadhya-from plassey to partition
Nitin singhania modern his
Norman lewis-(world history)

Read Insight world history optional class notes first. for colonization, there was one chapter
in old class 9 or 10 history ncert book.
Ashok singh-tmh (s&t)

Yojana special edition on e-gov, 2nd ARC , Mohit bhattyachryaa ?(e-gov)

Linkages between development and spread of extremism.::2nd ARC report: 5th

schedule, PESA, FRA, 6th schedule topics are imp. here

Mukul pathak-eth,baliyan-hist

farm subsidies, MSP

Uma Kapila

major crops, irrigation

Past years geography optional solved

Integrity Aptitude By Retd. IAS Officers- G.Subba Rao And PN Roy Chowdhary

Representation of peoples act

inclusive growth

vision,wiki

vision,excellent

budgeting,major crops

vision,wiki,year book

irrigation,
agro produce storage, marketing

Same

e-technology for famers

Same

farm subsidies, MSP

Same

PDS, buffer, food security

Same

technology mission

Same

animal rearing economics

Same

food processing

Same + food processing act document + yojana edition

land reforms

Same

liberalization

Same

infra

Same

investment models

Same

science-tech day to day life

CCS special edition on S&T

Indian achievements in sci-tech

Same + internet

awareness in IT, space, biotech, nano, IPR

Same

environmental impact assessment

Same + wikipedia

Disaster Management

Visionias material + CCS special edition on DM, 2nd ARC on disa

Uttarakhand incident

non state actors, internal security

Internet + visionias material+ excellent book series paper 3

internal security role of media, social

networking site

same

cyber security

same

money laundering

same

border Management

same

organized crime, terrorism

same

security agencies- structure mandate

same

My Experiments with Truth - Mahatma Gandhi

* Hind Swaraj - Mahatma Gandhi
* Key to Health - Mahatma Gandhi
* Discovery of India - Jawaharlal Nehru
* Glimpses of World History - Jawaharlal Nehru
* My Truth - Indira Gandhi * Golden Threshold - Sarojini Naidu
* The Broken Wing, Songs of Life, Death & the
Spring - Sarojini Naidu
* The Birds of Time, Songs of Life, Death & the
Spring - Sarojini Naidu
* The Sceptred Flute: Songs of India - Sarojini Naidu
* The Feather of the Dawn - Sarojini Naidu
* India Wins Freedom - Maulana Abul Kalam
Azad
* Unhappy India - Lala Lajpat Rai
* Poverty and Un-British Rule in India - Dadabhai Naoroji
* Geeta Rahashya - Bal Gangadhar Tilak
* The Arctic Home in the Vedas - Bal Gangadhar
Tilak
* The Insider - PV Narasimha Rao
* Wings of Fire - APJ Abdul Kalam * Ignited Minds - APJ Abdul Kalam
* You Are Unique - APJ Abdul Kalam
* India 2020 - APJ Abdul Kalam
* Indomitable Spirit - APJ Abdul Kalam
* Turning Points - A Journey through Challenges
- APJ Abdul Kalam * Target 3 Billion - APJ Abdul Kalam and Srijan
Pal Singh
* My Journey - Transforming Dreams into
Actions - APJ Abdul Kalam
* Jobs for Millions - VV Giri
* Mein Kampf - Adolf Hitler * My Presidential Years - R Venkataraman
* My Own Boswell - M Hidyatullah
* Prison Diary - Jayaprakash Narayan
* Without Fear or Favour - Neelam Sanjeeva
Reddy

* Midnight Diaries - Boris Yelstin * The Audacity of Hope - Barrack Obama

* Dreams From My Father - Barrack Obama
* Indian Philosophy - Dr. S. Radhakrishnan
* Hindu View of Life - Dr. S. Radhakrishnan
* Matters of Discretion: An Autography - I K
Gujral * Back to Work - Bill Clinton

[1]Chairman of Railway Board Mr. Arunendra

Kumar released a book entitled "India Junction A
Window to the Nation".
[2]Not Just an Accountant Former CAG Vinod
Rai
[3]A book titled Assassination of Rajiv Gandhi: An Inside Job? - Faraz Ahmad.
[4]Gujarats success story in Water Management Sriram Vedire
[5]Munger through the Ages - late DP Yadav
[6]Strictly Personal, Manmohan and Gursharan Daman Singh [7]One Life is Not Enough- Natwar Singh
[8]The Lives of Others- Neel Mukherji
[9]The Vijay Mallya Story- K Giriprakash
[10]The Accidental Prime Minister: the making and
unmaking of Manmohan Singh- Sanjaya Baru
[11]Crusader or Conspirator? Coalgate and other Truths - PC Parakh
[12]Hard Choices authored by Hillary Rodham
Clinton
[13]Author Rakhshanda Jalil on 11 March 2014
released a book titled A Rebel And Her Cause: Life
and Work. [14]The candidate was written by Indian
Journalist Anirudh Bhattacharya.
[15]Arctic Summer written by Novelist Damon
Galgut
[16]A book entitled A Stamp is Born authored by
C. R. Pakrashi [17]A book My Years with Rajiv and Sonia
written by R.D.Pradhan.
[18]A book Post Haste: Quintessential India
written by B.G. Verghese
[19]Book entitled India Junction A Window to
the Nation was released by Arunendra Kumar, the Chairman of Railway Board.
[20]Shekhar Guptas book entitled Anticipating
India - The best of national interest was released.
[21]Getting India Back on track-an action agenda

for reform- edited by Bibek Debroy, Ashley Tellis &

Reece Trevor. [22]Biography of Dilip Kumar, entitled The
Substance and the Shadow was released in
Mumbai. The biography has been penned by Uday
Tara Nayar.
[23]The book titled Warrior State: Pakistan in the
Contemporary World- T V Paul [24]A Bad Character - Deepti Kapoor.
[25]Blood Feud: The Clintons vs. the ObamasEdward Klein
[26]Pranab Mukherjee received first copy of a
coffee-table book titled First Citizen: Pranab
Mukherjee
LAW

Torts- Bangia
International Law= S.k. Kapoor (very repetitive) or Starke ( if there is enough timeespecially basics such as Treaty, Custom, etc)
Constitutional law MP Jain OR VN Shukla
Contract= Avtar Singh (question on Agency or Partnership always comes)
IPC= Gaur/Pillai + pay special attention to the Offences Against Property
AK Jain Dukkis strictly for revision purpose for all subjects+ small Acts= Sale of Goods,
Partnership, Arbitration, IPR.