1.

Prologue 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Rule#1: DONOT read in linear sequence Rule#2: Organizations imp. BUT evolution is NOT Rule#3: Location not important for Misc. organization Rule#4: Ignore Bolbachhan Rule#5: Schemes/funds/projects what to read, what to skip? Rule#6: Policies: Must maintain separate notes Ch1: Mock MCQ Questions Ch30: Mock MCQ Questions

2. 3.

Chapter 1: Land and People 1. 1. Chapter 30: States and UT

Prol og ue Last Month, Ministry of information & broadcasting published the book India 2014 (in English) || Bharat 2014 (in Hindi) Theyre Commonly known as India Yearbook among the toppers, senior players and coaching classes for UPSC. In this [Yearbook] article series, well see how to utilize this book effectively for preparation of UPSC civil service exam.

R ul e#1: D ONO T r ead i n l i nea r s eq ue nc e India Yearbook has total 32 chapters + appendix. Donot read them in linear fashion (1,2,3,4,5) instead go topic wise.

CLICK TO ENLARGE THIS PHOTO

Ar ea/subject/topic

first finish

then read IYB chapter

finally, newspaper/magz+

1. 2. 3.

Geography EnB Sci.Tech Economy Polity rights issue, development defense, IR Misc.GK For international relation basics: IGNOU module MPSE-001 nothing Laxmikanth: English / Hindi NCERT 8, 11, 17, 19, 26 12th FYP, budget, economic survey NCERT & NIOS 1, 4, 12, 25, 27, 30 12th FYP

polity: 2, 3, 20 10, 15, 16, 21, 23, 24, 28 9, 18 5, 22, 29, 31, 32, 33

12th FYP

Some of the chapters will overlap in multiple topics. For example:

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

Ch1: Census data during education, welfare etc. chapters Ch4 Agro: during finance/insurance, food-civil supply, welfare. Ch9 Defence: some Misc. GK, some IR/bilateral, some Sci-tech research. Ch11 Energy: Part of it with EnB (renewable) and part with infrastructure (thermal) Ch23: Planning chapter will overlap in other areas e.g. EnB: environment forest; Economy-infrastructure; welfare, education and so on. Ch30: state UT will also overlap- in agro, forest, water, energy, culture/tourism etc. Anyways, well see them in detail- where and how they overlap. But point being, that if you read the book topicwise, youll become less vulnerable to trap MCQs, you can write more comprehensive answers and essay/mai ns. Moving to the next rule:

R ul e#2: Or ga ni zati o ns i mp. BUT ev ol uti o n i s N OT Often the IYB will tell you evolutionary story about a ministry/department/organization. For example: __ department was setup in ___ year under ___ ministry. In the ___ year, department was shifted to _____ ministry. In the year ___, the ministry was renamed into ____,

1. 2. 3.

blah blah blah. This type of GK/chronology/Evolution was important under Public Administration optional subject in preliminary exams (i.e. before 2011). But in 2011, UPSC introduced CSAT system (no more optional subjects in prelims). = such details are useless. and even for Public Administration optional subject in Mains exam- such evolution details are no longer asked/useful. Therefore, dont bother with such details. W henever you read any organization, only focus on three thi ngs: Nature: Constitutional/statutory/executive/attached office/society/PSU/SPV/autonomous body/anything else? Boss: Who is the boss? Under which ministry does it fall? Function: 1. 2. Whatre the functions/schemes/policies associated? in Sci-tech related organizations youll find fancy terms/inventions associated. you need to dig their feature/benefit from google- for the GS3 paper.

W hile youre reading IYB, try to maintain an excel spreadsheet, mindmap, or handwritten micronote about ^this. (and continue updating it from newspapers, Pib.nic.in and yojana/kurukshetra magazine.)

R ul e#3: L oca ti o n not i mp ort a nt fo r Mi sc. org a ni zati o n Do not waste time in memorizi ng the locations of relatively unknown organizations. for example 1. 2. 3. Harishchandra research institute, Allahbad Institute of mathematical science , Chennai Institute of physics, Bhuwaneshwar. Match the following (Chillar) institute vs location= this type MCQs were asked in late 90s-early 2000s era. But since last three years, UPSC has stopped harassing aspirants with such trivial GK.

Besides, even if 1-2 MCQs are asked from this area, the cost:benefit is terrible (in terms of the amount of effort required to mugup & recall the list in the exam). Youre better off investing that much time in the Core areas of CSAT- polity, geography, science, EnB, economy and aptitude. R ul e#4: Ig nor e B olb ach han W hile describing schemes/policy/functions, the IYB-writers give a lot of bolbachhan (Filler information.) Observe:

1. 2. 3. 4.

Under ____ scheme, the ministry has initiated new and improved processes, improved functionality and efficient cost effective services, network integration, human resources development The Department of ____ also has a specialized center to analyze metals, alloys, organic and organometallic compounds, inorganic compounds, rocks and minerals. The national institute of ___ provides an integrated M.Sc.+Ph.D course in biology, chemistry, math and physics. During the year ___ , Doordarshans DTH platform was upgraded from 50 to 59 SDTV channels and 65000 set top boxes with an Expenditure of Rs.____ crore. Such details are useless for prelim-MCQs. such details wont even fetch any marks in descriptive question under Mains /Essay. In short, dates-numbers-fancy things are almost always useless. Even if one or two things help directly/indirectly in the exam- the cost benefit is still terrible. Therefore, always focus on facts-features relevant to the exam. Ask youself can this be asked as MCQs? can I quote this while writing a descriptive answer? if answer is NO, then dont bother reading such data. If youre totally new to this game, DO go through at least last three years prelims and mains papers of UPSC. thatll give you a basic idea of what is important and what is useless from exam point of view.

R ul e#5: Sc he mes /f unds /pr oj ects w hat to rea d, w ha t t o s ki p? In the schemes related paragraphs- there is lot of bolbachchan. Example 1. During the 11 Five year plan, Rs._____ crore were spent. Out of this, ____ number of beneficiaries were given ____ Cores. Under the 12 five year plan, the allotment has
th th

been raised by __%.

2.

Then a big table is given, showing the allocations made to each state/UT etc. Nearly 70% of scheme related paragraphs are full of such j unk. Ignore it. And extract ONLY following five things:

1.

When did the scheme start? Absolute year is not important but you need it for Chronological type MCQ W hich came first? or what is the correct chronological order in following?

2. 3. 1. 2. 0. 1. 2.

Q1. Project Tiger/elephant/crocodile? Q2. Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan / right to education / mid-day meal? Because ^this type of MCQs are still asked. Who is the boss? [i.e. which ministry/department looks after?] Where does the money come? Does Union government provide 100% funding, or do the states need to contribute something as well? 10%/20%/25% etc?] In some cases, even Private sector gives money e.g. India Inclusive Innovation Fund 100 crore by Union and 400 by banks/FI/donors etc.] What are the salient features Who is eligible beneficiary? What benefit does he/she get? How does he get benefit? (direct cash, in kind (e.g. tractor, wheelchair), indirect benefit via subsidy to fertilizer company and so on) + any other term/condition that you find worthy of a UPSC level MCQ. Sometimes youll not get all of this data within IYB. In that case dig pib.nic.in Hint: in google search box, type site:pib.nic.in *name of the scheme* R ul e#6: P ol i ci es: M ust mai nt ai n se pa rat e no tes Usually 90% of the policy paragraph is just bolbachhan filler junk. W e only need to dig five things:

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Year (not absolute year, but you need to be aware of chronological order, for MCQs) Boss: Which ministry / Department is responsible for this policy? (e.g. Manufacturing policy=Department of Industrial Policy & Promotion (DIPP) under Commerce Ministry.) Features: What are the salient features/targets? Methods: What schemes/projects have been launched to accomplish this policy? Analysis: (for mains & interview): the pros/cons/suggestions. Often, you wont find all these details in IYB (because the author got so carried away in writing bolbachhan, he forgot to provide the essential details.) In all such cases, dig pib.nic.in for topic 1 to 4 and; for #5- dig Hindu, Indianexpress etc. hint: to find a policy on pib.nic.in quickly, open google search box, and type site:pib.nic.in *name of the policy* Dont do Ph.D while gatheri ng content. Try to make a revision note that summarizes every policy (and its five area) in single side A4 page (or even less.) Im writing this article on Mar-03-2014. Meaning less than 5 months left before prelims. Its ideal time to gather these details right now. After mains, youll be caught up with so many other topics of GS and Optional subjects, you wont have sufficient time to cover hte policies. Then youll try to take shortcut by getting some coaching note/current affairs book= useless, because most of them are justbolbachhan copy-pasted from IYB, newspapers and government sites. Such details will not stay in long term memory. You cannot recall the points in examhall = bogus quality answer. But if you prepare a self-note in your own words-revolving around those five things, and keep revising it regularly, then you can handle pretty much any descriptive question related to xyz policy, you can recall the answer points quickly.

Bi ll s/Acts /l aws Approach remai ns similar to policy topic: 1. 2. 3. 4. year boss features (from prsindia.org) analysis (from prsindia, other newspapers) anyways, lets start with ch1.

C hap ter 1: La nd a nd P eopl e DONOT read entire Chapter 1 in a single sitting. Instead, approach i n following manner
Read this section from ch1 1. 2. 3. Indian Geography Flora Fauna Census then dir ectly shift towards Ch. 30 States and UT Ch. 12 environment (and then to 12th FYP) Donor read census right now. Instead, come back to refer census, when your e reading education, health, welfa re related chapters.

The first four pages the first chapter of IYB are dedicated to this topic Indian (physical) Geography.

#1 P re- req ui si te : N CER T I ndi a n Ge ogr a p hy If you directly read the land-people chapter. Itll be a big hathodaa (hammer) on your head. So, first make sure youve thoroughly finished with NCERTs (for Indian Geography)
TOPIC CLASS 6 India Basic 9 11* 9 Rivers 10 11* 12* Economic Geography 10 12* 9 12* CHAPTERS 7 1, 2, 4 1 and 2 3 3 3 6 1,5, 6, 7 7 to 12 6 1to 4

Human Geography

*For Class 11 and 12, NCERT has three books of Geography, but In above table

Class 11 Geography means India-Physical-Environment-Geography Class 12 Geography means India People and Economy PS: all NCERT, NIOS PDFs are available at Mrunal.org/download #2: DO kee p a s c ho ol atl as W hile reading these (NCERT) chapter and IYB topics, if you keep readi ng only text like western Himalayan region extends from Kashmir to Kumaon. without referring to atlas, itll never go in your long term memory. Then, despite having read the text, you wont be able to solve the MCQs. Assuming that youre done with #1 and #2. W elcome back. Now open the chapter 1, page 1 of IYB14.

1. 2. 3. 4.

First para. Quote of Mark Twain = important as Essay title. Second para. well youd know this by reading NCERTs From (Page1 Para3) to (Page4 Para2): finish while simultaneously referring to Atlas. This is mostly location /mapping type GK in a compressed form. Then climate-flora-fauna thing starts. ignore it at the moment (because we do it in Environment-biodiversity section) Lets check a few demo MCQs

C h1: Mo ck MC Q Q ues ti o ns Q1. Consider following river basins 1. 2. 3. 4. Ganga-Brahmaputra-Meghna Brahmani-Baitarani Luni Subarnarekha W hich of them are examples of composite river basins? 1. 2. 3. 4. only 1 only 3 Q2. Find correct statements about drainage system in Western India 1. 2. 3. 4. West coast streams are short in length, have limited catchment area. Streams of Western Rajasthan are ephemeral. Both A and B Neither A nor B Q3. Which of the following rivers dont drain into sea? (1) Luni (2) Macchu (3) Saraswati (4) Ghaggar Answer choices: 1. 2. only 1 and 3 only 1, 2 and 3 only 1 and 2 only 3 and 4

3. 4.

only 1 and 4 1234 Corr ect a nswe rs

answer/hint Trap MCQ. Composite doesnt mea n composite word as in English grammar. Composite river basin = having area between 2k to 20k sq.kms => correct are Luni and Subernarekha Both are correct None of them drains into sea IYB Page# 4 3 3

So far you finished Indias physical geography: mountains and rivers from Chapter 1.Now directly shift to Chapter 30.

C hap ter 3 0: S tat es a nd U T Youll have to refer this chapter back and forth many times (for culture, polity, mining, infrastructure etc.)

APPROACH #1

APPROACH #2 Only move topic wise PER state. example Histor y, tourism, festivals: Andra, Assam, Bihar Agriculture: Andra, Assam, Bihar Forest wildlife: Andra, Assam, Bihar and so on

You finish everything at once e. g. picked Andhra, then read everything about Andhra: history, geography, agro, irrigation, power, industries, transport, tourismever ything.

use this approach for: 1. 2. 3. first sitting. state service exa m (only your state) UPSC interview (all the states wher e youve been in ter ms of birth, school, college and job).

use this approach for Subsequent revisions in second, thir d, fourth sittings. UPSC prelims (because often they ask comparative type MCQs, match the following: state vs tribe, state vs festival, state vs. wildlife sanctuary etc. so you need to prepare in parallel ma nner.)

Note: in the market, many GK books deal with such data: state vs festival, tourism, river etc. those thi ngs will work fine for SSC, Bank type exam. But they often ignore non-popular, non-clichd data such as 1. 2. Sualkuchi, Assam = silk; Hajo, Assam= Meeting point of Buddhism ,Hinduism and Islam But youll find these things i n IYB. So, do prepare Ch30 religiously. Important: IYB 2014 doesnt contain information on the newly formed State of Telengana. But do dig the similar details via google. (Power plants, tourist attraction, sanctuaries, rivers etc.) C h30 : M oc k M CQ Q ue sti o ns these are only meant to test your recalling power. otherwise, UPSC MCQs will be way tougher than this chillar stuff. Q1. Which of the following dynasties have ruled over Andhra/Telugu region? 1. 2. 3. 4. Satvahan Ahom Sakas Ikshvakus Answer choice 1. 2. 3. 4. 13 134 1234 Q2. Consider following caves: Ajanta, Elllora, Elephanta, Kanheri, Karla. W hich of them are located in Maharahstra? 1. 2. 3. 4. all except Kanheri, Karla 123

all except Karla all except Elephanta All of them Q3. Consider following data

State 1. 2. 3. Odisha W.Benga l Assa m

na me in the a ncient texts Utkal Gangaridai Kamrupa

W hich of them are correctly matched? 1. 2. 3. 4. only 1 and 3 only 2 and 3 only 1 and 3 all of them Q4. Match the following
1. 2. 3. Mizoram Nagaland 4. Assa m Meghalaya 1. 2. 3. 4. Nongkrem Dance Cheraw Dance Hornbill festival Bha ona

Correct match

code a b c d

I 4 2 3 1

II 3 1 2 2

III 2 4 1 3

IV 1 3 4 4

Q5. which of the following is correct about Vijayanagar Kings? 1. 2. 3. 4. 1. 2. 3. 4. 1. 2. 3. 4. 1. 2. 3. 4. They had helped Goas king to fight against Alfonso de Albuquerque. Their empire crumbled after the humiliating defeat in the battle of Talikota. Both A and B Neither A nor B Q6. Consider following rivers: Rabi, Chenab, Beas, Sutluj, Yamuna. W hich of them pass through Himachal pradesh? All except Beas All except Yamuna All except Chenab All of them Q7. Consider following fruits: Apples, pear, peach, guava, and litchi. Which of them are temperate fruits? all except guava and litchi all except pear and peach all except pear and litchi all of them Q8. Consider following statements about Lakshadweep its capital is Minicoy its coconuts have highest oil content in the world its per capita fish availability is highest in India its administrator is called Lt.governor Incorrect statements are 1. 2. 3. 4. only 1 only 1 and 4 Q9. Consider following only 2 and 4 only 3 and 4

1. 2. 3.

Harvalem fa lls Elephant falls Vanta wng Falls

Goa Meghalaya Mizoram

W hich of them are correctly matched? 1. 2. 3. only 1 and 3 only 2 and 3 only 1 and 3

4.
1. 2. 3. 4.

all of them Q10. Match the following

Sikkim Tripura Himachal Uttarakhand 1. 2. 3. 4. Garhwali Pahari Kokborak Lepcha

Correct match

code a b c d

I 3 4 3 4

II 4 3 4 3

III 1 1 2 2

IV 2 2 1 1

Q11. Consider following

1. 2. 3. Wollastonite pyrophyllite chyrsolite asbestos Rajasthan UP Andra

W hich of them are correctly matched? 1. 2. 3. 4. 1. 2. 3. only 1 and 3 only 2 and 3 only 1 and 3 all of them Q12. Consider following statements about the tribes of Andaman Nicobar? Negrito tribes live in Andaman group of islands Mongoloid tribes live in Nicobar group of islands The Shompen are an example of Negrito tribes. W hich of them are correct? 1. 2. 3. 4. 1. 2. 3. 4. 1. 2. 3. only 1 and 3 only 2 and 3 only 1 and 2 only 1 and 3 Q13. Which of the following statements are correct about Onge, Jarawa and Sentinalese tribes? all of them live in Andaman group of Islands all of them are Negrito tribes Both A and B Neither A nor B Q14. Correct statements about Diu-Daman vs Dadra-Nagar Haveli? Majority population of population in Diu-Daman is tribal Majority of area in Dadra and Nagar Haveli is under forest cover. Both UT are administrated by the same chief commissioner. Answer choice 1. 2. 3. 4. only 1 only 2 all of them C hap ter 3 0: C orr ect A nsw ers 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. C. Ahom = Assam. remaining are correct D. all of them. D. all of them D. 1234 all given in correct sequence in the table itself. B.only second statement correct D. all of them pass through HP A. Guava, litchi = subtropical fruits (hint: read Kashmir section of Ch30) D. incorrect statement=only 1 and 4. Capital Kavaratti and Administrator is called administrator. D. all falls are correctly matched only 1 and 2

10. 11. 12. 13. 14.

D. 4321 D all match C. because Shompen are Mongoloid. C. both right B. only first statement right Diu Daman majority tribal

So far youre done with 1. 2. chapter 1 (minus flora, fauna and census) chapter 30 Next article, we see how to handle Ch.7 Environment (+12 Five year plan).
th

1. 2. 3. 4.

Prologue Approaching Environment Biodiversity Ch1: Flora and Fauna Ch12: Environment 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. What to Ignore [High priority]: Organizations: main [High priority]: Policies/Schemes/Projects [High priority]: Theory [Low priority] Miscellaneous organizations [Low priority] International treaties/Conventions Vol1.Ch4: Sustainable Development Vol1: Ch 7 Environment, Forestry and Wildlife
th

5.

12 FYP plan: Ch4 and Ch7

th

1. 2. 6. 7. 8.

Mock MCQs: IYB Ch1 & 30 Mock MCQs: IYB Ch12, 12 FYP ch4 and 7 [FAQ] Do I need to buy new edition IF I already have 2013?

Prol og ue

In the last article, we saw how to handle Ch1 and Ch30 of India 2014 || Bharat 2014 (+sample MCQs) In this article, we see how to handle environment related segment from: IYB (Ch1, Ch8) and 12 FYP (ch4, Ch7).
th

Appr oa c hi ng E nvi ro nme nt Bi odi versi ty

Total four stages

Stage I

NCERT, NIOS and Mrunal.org/ENB

Stage II

India Yearbook ch1, 12, 23 [also ch11 on energy- but well see that in next article] 12th FYP ch4 (Sustainable Development), ch7 (environment) follow-up from books/net for whatever GA/GK/theor y is left e.g. list of parks sanctuaries etc.

stage III

Stage IV

Continuous notes making from newspapers, magazines. (This stage must be started AS AP, even if other stages havent started.)

T hre e p rer eq ui si tes be for e t o uc hi ng I YB for E nvi ro nme nt 1. 2. 3. When it comes to international treaties/kyoto/Nagoya etc. the India Yearbook and 12 FYP only give bolbachchan type coverage= not much useful in MCQs (or even for
th

recalling points in mains). So first read the treaties and summits given on Mrunal.org/ENB NIOS material for Environment and Biodiversity. Religiously mug it up for prelims. NCERT following chapters related to Environment Biodiversity (EnB). [yes you need to study BOTH NCERT and NIOS for UPSC prelims, as far as EnB topic is concerned] Both NCERT and NIOS, free download available at Mrunal.org/download
CLASS SUBJECT NCERT CHAPTERS related to EnB

geography

geo. 7 science

1 to 6

7, 16 to 18

geo. 8 sci.

7 and 18

geo

science

14

Geo. 10 sci.

14 to 16

geo(P hysical)

15 and 16

11

geo (India)

4 and 5

economy

9 (Sustainable development)

Biology 12 chemistry

13 to 16

14

Assuming that youre done with pre-requisite #1, 2 and 3welcome back. Overall Chapter 12 (Environment) and 23 (planning-subtopic Environment) give following details 1. 2. 3. Various organizations, bodies List of policies and laws. Terms/ schemes. Although in all three things, youll have to do Followup by digging google. Because the data given i n the book alone is not sufficient to handle MCQ/Mains. But you need to read the book, to prepare the base.

C h1: Fl ora a nd F a una

topic what to focus

Climate/Seasons (page 4)

Flora Page 5(English) ; Page 4(Hindi)

Fauna (page6)

Four official seasons Six traditional seasons Two seasonal winds Total number of plant species: 46,000 Vascular flora:15,000 8 distinct florist regions: what trees are found in which region? Definition of Ethno-botanical study-MCQ Red Data book-Published by BSI. Ascending Descending order of Amphebia, Mammalia, Reptilia etc. Salt water crocodile is found in __? Project crocodile __(Important for chronologica l order of various projects) This section lists names of ma ny wild life species-You need to find out the places wher e they are found.

After this census related information starts. Ignore it for the moment we will get back to it during education, Health care, W elfare related chapters. Mock MCQs related to this chapter, are given i n the appendix of this article.

C h12 : E nvi ro nme nt W hat to Ig nor e you may ignore following topics, because 1. 2.
ch. topic

bolbachchan paragraphs, useless junk for MCQ/descriptive. outdated data from 2012s era- lot new developments have taken place
English Hindi

12

Milestone achievement

291

261

12

Environment research

297

267

12

NNRMS

297

267

12

Education and awareness

298

268-69

12

National museum

298

269

12

Wildlife education and training

299

269

12

Centre of excellence

299

269

12

Sustainable development and inter national cooperation*

302

272

12

Climate change

302-03

273

*It deals with RIO+20, but same thi ng explains in detail in Mrunal.org/ENB [Hi g h p ri ori ty]: Org a ni za ti o ns: mai n
ch. topic English Hindi

12

Ministry of environment and for est

285

255

12

National biodiversity authority NBA

288

258

12

National tiger conservation authority

290

260

12

Wildlife crime control bureau- statutory

290

261

12

Central pollution control board- CPCB

292

263

12

Central wetla nds regulatory authority

295

265

12

Eco-development forces(IMP- They are under defence ministry and not under environment ministry)

296

267

12

National gr een tribunal*

301

272

12

National environment assessment and monitory authority- NEAMA

301

272

23

National Ganga river basin authority

682

699

*better dig net for more.

[Hi g h p ri ori ty]: Pol i ci es/Sc hem es/ Proj ec t s

12 Forest management scheme 289 260

12

Project tiger, project elephant (insufficient info given, dig NET for mor e)

291

261

12

Environment impact assessment- EIA, its amendment

291-92

262

12

Policy for abatement of pollution- 1992

292

262

12

National environment policy- 2006

292

262

12

E-waste rules- 2011

293

264

12

National river conser vation plan

294

264

12

National wetlands conservation progra m

295

265

12

Biomedical waste ma nagement

294

264

12

National affor estation progra m

296

266

12

Awards and fellowships- only na mes and features

299-300

270-71

12

ENVIS- web portal

300

271

23

National costal ma nagement progra m

682

700

23

Biodiversity hotspots

684

702

23

National action pla n for climate change- NAPCC (more details given in 12th FYP)

685

702-03

23

Green India mission

685

703

[Hi g h p ri ori ty]: T heor y

12 Mangroves 286 257

12

Coral reef- Four major areas

287

257

12

Clean technology

294

264

12

Ozone layer protection

303

273-74

for more on the theory, refer to NIOS and NCERTs.

Laws
12 Forest conser vation Act 289 259

12

Environment protection Act 1986 *

12

National gr een tribunal act 2010 *

*Dig net

[Low pri ori ty ] Mi sc el l ane o us or ga ni za ti ons as the name suggests- theyre Miscellaneous, so dont spent lot of time in them- even if an MCQ is asked, the cost:benefit is bad.

ch.

topic

English

Hindi

12

Botanical survey of India

285

255

12

Zoologica l survey of India

286

256

12

Forest survey of India

286

256

12

Wildlife institute of India- WII

290

260

12

Central zoo authority

291

261

12

Animal welfare board

291

262

12

National river conser vation directorate

294

264

12

National affor estation and eco-development board

296

266

12

GB pant institute

297

268

12

Four institutes given under for estry research

298

268

[Low pri ori ty ] I nter na ti o nal tr eati es/ Co nv e nti o ns Topic is high priority, but from the given books given chapter, its low priority because data is outdated, and very brief overview given.

ch.

topic

English

Hindi

12

Biospher e reserve

287

257

12

Biodiversity conser vation- its two components: Biodiversity and bio-safety

287

257

12

Convention on biodiversity CBD*

288

258

12

Cartagena biosafety protocol

289

259

12

Ramsar convention

295

266

*go through Mrunal.org/ENB And for remaining conventions, dig NET.

12th F YP pl a n: C h4 a nd C h7 So far youre done with Environment chapter of IYB. Now time to shift to 12 Five year plan (FYP).
th

To download the free PDFs of 12th FYP (English | Hindi), CLICK ME Vol 1.C h4: S ustai na bl e De vel opm e nt
Relevance Topic to focus PDF page#

MCQ/fodder

4.1 Definition of sustainable Development and who gave it?

146

fodder

figure 4.1

147

fodder

4.6 definition of Eco-efficiency

147

MC Q

4.9 Green tax- meaning, utility and Indian exa mple

147-48

fodder

4.10 why diesel-fertilizer subsidies are bad

148

fund

4.12 Nationa l clea n ener gy fund

148

fund

4.13 Compensatory affor estation fund

148

fodder

4.15 benefit of PAT and REC

149

fodder

4.16 list of non-monetary incentives to protect envir onment

149

fodder

4.22 Eco Industrial hub

150

MC Q

4.26 coastal regulation zone classification

151

MC Q

4.27 fact that Swaminatha n Committee is associated with coastal zone Management

151

MC Q

4.29 Ecomark -label (last two sentences)

151

fodder

box 4.1: focus areas in 12th FYP

152

MC Q

4.35: why supercritical powerplants are better than sub-critical

152

fodder

box 4.2: that research in adva nced coal technology = better cost:Benefit than soal ener gy

153

MC Q

4.37: whats the benefit of coal gasification?

153

MC Q

4.39: which states have highest potential in wind ener gy?

153

fodder

4.41: the need for national wind ener gy mission?

154

MC Q

4.42: which states have off-shore wind potential?

154

MC Q

4.44: benefit of solar photovoltaic tech vs solar thermal tech

155

fodder

4.47 to 4.52: how to refor m solar mission?

155

MC Q

4.52: crystalline silicon vs thin film system

155-56

MC Q

4.68: three types of cements produced in India (+ that BIS per mits them to add fly ash)

158

MC Q

Table 4.2: which sectors consume high a mount of energy? ascending descending order

160

MCQ/fodder

Table 4.3 the pro-cons of carbon tax vs. cap-n-trade schemes

162

MC Q

4.93: what are the negative consequences when fr eight is transported thr ough trucks rather than via railways

164

fodder

4.94 to 96: how to improve the efficiency of rail/road/water transport

164-65

fodder

4.99: what are the benefits of using public transport? (five points)

166

fodder

4.99 (from page 167) + 4.100 + 4.101: what are the polity challenges that impede r efor ms in urban transport?

167

MC Q

4.102: BEE energy labelling progra m

167

MC Q

4.105: Bachat lamp Yojana-features

168

MC Q

4.109: SEEP program

168

MC Q

fig.4.6: electricity consumption sector wise ascending-descending

169

fodder

4.118: green building code related points

170

MC Q

4.121: green building rating system (fact that its by IGBC and not BEE/gover nment)

170

MCQ/fodder

4.128: national mission for green India

172

fodder

Annex.4.2 how/why Low carbon strategy helps in inclusive growth?

175-76

This finishes ch4 of 12 FYP. Dig following topics through pib/net.

th

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

national environment policy national policy for farmer national electricity policy integrated energy policy Indian alpine initiative vehicle labelling scheme so far we are done with

IYB

ch1 la nd people ch30 state UT and ch12 Environment ch4 sustainable development.

12 FYP
th

moving on:

Vol 1: C h 7 E nvi ro nme nt, For estr y a nd W i l dl i fe

Relevance Topic to Focus PDF page#

MCQ/fodder

7.4 (Polity) why environment needs to be included in concurrent list

237

fodder

7.13: polity initiative taken in 11th FYP

239

MC Q

table 7.1 list of schemes which of them are Central schemes (CS), and which one as centrally sponsored schemes (CSS)

240

MC Q

box 7.3: Moniterable Targets under 12th FYP

243

Fodder

box 7.4: goals of 12th FYP

244

org

7.31:National environment and for estry council (NEFC). and 7.32: similar for States.

245

org

7.33 (1)National envir onment protection authority (NEPA)

245

fodder

figure 7.3 dia gram to memor ize fodder points

246

fodder

7.35: how to ma ke Environment protection act effective?

247

org

7.38:NEAMA authority

247

fund

7.40: National environment restoration fund

247

E-gov

IBIS, IBIN, and 7.43: Nationa l infor mation grid

248

org

7.48: central board of for estry

249

e-gov

7.48: Using GIS for forest rights act

249

fund

7.51: Green fund

249

fodder

7.53: need for refor ms in Project elephant

249

MC Q

figure 7.4 for the schemes under 12th FYP

250

e-gov

7.65: NEMP; 7.66 forestry infor mation system

251-52

fodder

7.67: how to protect against invasive species

252

MC Q

7.70: Environment perfor mance index (And its table 7.2)

253

MC Q

7.73: green India mission (although mostly cutpaste from IYB)

254

fodder

7.75: climate change

255

fodder

7.82: 12th FYPs three pronged strategy for climate cha nge

257

MC Q

7.83: share of emission (ascending descending)

257

MC Q

7.84: chief contributors of agro-GHG emission

257-58

fodder

7.85: national water mission

258

MCQ/fodder

7.95 & 96: why climate change increases our vulnerability to diseases?

259-60

MCQ/fodder

7.103 to 7111: National action plan on climate change (you got the overview from IYB, her e you get detailed info.)

260-62

fodder

7.113: how to ma ke NAPCC mor e effective? (and followup on BOX 7.7 for suggested reor ganization)

262

Dig Net/PIB/prsindia for: 1. 2. 3. 1. 2. 3. 4. National ambient air quality standards (NAAQs) polysaturated fatty acids in Marine organism invasive species protection of plant varieties and farmers rights forest rights act seeds amendment bill biotech regulatory authority bill (Because theyre mentioned in FYP, but not sufficient coverage for MCQ/mains) This concludes core preparation of Environment related topics. (Allied topics/chapters- energy, water, sci-tech etc. well see in future articles.)

Mock MC Qs: I YB C h1 & 30 Q1. As per the IMD classification, which of the following are the official seasons of India? 1. 2. 3. Winter: December to February Pre Monsoon: April to June Post monsoon: October to December Answer choices 1. 2. only 1 only 1 and 2

3. 4.
1. 2. 3. 4.

only 1 and 3 only 2 and 3 Q2. Match the following seasons

early autumn Late autumn winter spring 1. 2. 3. 4. Sarada Hema nta Sisira vasanta

Answer choices

code

II

III

IV

Q3. Consider the following trees: silver fir, silver birch, juniper, blue pine. W hich of them are found in the W estern Himalayas? 1. 2. 3. 4. 1. 2. 3. 4. all except silver fir all except silver birch all except juniper all of them. Q4. Arrange the following fauna in ascending order, according to the variety of species found in India. Mammals Reptiles Amphibians Aves Correct ascending order is: 1. 2. 3. 4. 1. 2. 3. 4321 3124 1324 Q5. Consider following statements about Thamin deer? It is an endangered species as per IUCN classification. It is an endemic species of Western Ghats. It is also known as Dancing deer because of its peculiar style of walking Find correct statement(s) 1. 2. 3. 4. only 1 and 2 1234

only 2 and 3 only 1 and 3 All three correct. Q6. Consider following sanctuaries: Ichagarh, Tenughat and Chandrapura. Which of the following are correct statements about them? 1. all of them are bird sanctuaries

2. 3. 4. 1. 2. 3. 4. 1. 2.

all of them are located in Jharkhand Both A and B Neither A nor B Q7. In which of the following places, can we find Mangrove forest, swamp forest, moist-deciduous forest and tropical wet-evergreen forest? Tamilandu West Bengal Andra Pradesh Andaman and Nicobar islands Q8. Which of the following statements are correct about Andaman-Nicobar islands? Their eastern coast has fringing type of coral reefs while western coast has barrier type of coral reefs. Padauk and Gurjan- two endemic species of Mangroves, are found only in Nicobar group of islands but not in Andaman group of islands.

3. 4.

both A and B Neither A nor B. Q9. Which of the following statements are correct about Andaman Nicobar? 1. It receives rainfall from South East Monsoon but not from North East monsoon.

2. 3. 4. 1. 2. 3. 4.

These islands have Mangrove forest but no littoral forest. Both A and B Neither A nor B Q10. Correct statements about Argali Sheep Their natural habitat is alpine grasslands. Theyre found in Khangchengzonga National Park of Sikkim. Theyre poached mainly for horns, which are used in traditional Chinese medicine. Theyve became extinct in China and Mongolia. Answer choices 1. only 1 and 2 only 1, 2 and 3 only 1, 2 and 4 only 3 and 4 Q11. Find correct statements

2. 3. 4.

1. 2. 3.

Black Necked Crane is a native of Siberia, but migrates to Nal-sarovar of Gujarat during Winter India has the largest population of snow leopards in the world. Military activity is one of the main causes for declining population of snow leopards in the world. Correct statements 1. only 1 and 2 only 2 and 3 only 1 only 3 Corr ect a nswe rs

2. 3. 4.

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Correct seasons as per IMD= only 2 and 3. Because for Winter- months are given wrong Early autumn-Sarada, Late-Hementa, Winter-sisira, Spring-Vasanta all of them found in Western Himalaya Amphi<< Mam <<Rep <<Ave C. The Answer Not given in IYB. But in IYB page6- Swamp deer mentioned, and UPSC did ask MCQ about it in CSAT 2013. So on the same logic, one should prepare all the species given in IYB, including Thamin deer. Anyways, statement #2 is wrong because Thamin deer is mainly found in Manipur, Myanmar Vietnam. So, going by elimination process, we are left with (C)

6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11.

C. all correct C. Andaman-Nicobar A. only 1 statement right

st

C. both are wrong. B. This sheep mentioned in Sikkim section of Ch.30, hence PH.D becomes necessary as per unwritten rule of UPSC MCQs. As per IUCN redlist- first three statements right. D. Black necked crane lives in Sikkim, Snow leopard largest population is in China; third statement is right- military activities have led to habitat destruction, poverty=>illegal poaching for quick cash etc. hence third statement right. (Ref. iucn) Mock MC Qs: I YB C h1 2, 12th F YP c h4 a n d 7 Q1. Consider following statements about Mangroves

1. 2. 3. 1. 2. 3. 4. 1. 2. 3. 4.

They can survive in Aerobic soil but not in Anaerobic soil They form a commensalist link between terrestrial and marine ecosystem. In India, maximum mangrove cover is found in West Bengal, followed by Gujarat and Andaman-Nicobar. Choice only 1 and 2 only 2 and 3 only 1 and 3 only 3 Q2. Which of the following are the major coral reef areas of India? Mannar Kutch Lakshadweep Andaman-Nicobar Choice

1. 2. 3. 4. 1. 2. 3. 4.

all except Mannar all except Kutch all except Lakshadweep All of them

Q3. Correct chronological order National forest policy National biodiversity authority National environment policy National Green Tribunal Answer choices 1. 2. 3. 4. 1324 2413 1234 Q4. W hich of the following is a statutory body? 1. 2. 3. 4. National biodiversity authority Wildlife crime control bureau both A and B Neither A nor B Q5. (A) Clean technology offer significant cost advantage to the producer. (R) Clean technologies are less intensive on the use of raw material and energy 1. 2. 3. 4. Both correct and R explains A Both correct but R doesnt explain A A right but R wrong R right but A wrong. Q6. Consider following statements about Eco-development forces 1. 2. 3. 4. This force consists of volunteers from high schools and colleges This force is setup by respective state governments, using the funding provided by MoEF both A and B Neither A nor B Q7. W hat is the utility of ENVIS portal? 1. 2. 3. 4. 1. 2. 3. 4. Its a vigilance portal for gathering information related to economic offenses Its an education portal for imparting English language knowledge to the women and children in rural areas Its a web portal for environment related information collection storage and processing. None of Above Q8. Ultra violate radiation can cause Skin Cancer Eye Cataract Suppress bodys immune system Decrease crop yield Answer choices 1. 2. 3. 4. 1. 2. 3. Only 1, 2 Only 1 and 3 All of them Q9. Which of the following is/are Ozone depleting substances Halon Methyl chloroform Methyl bromide Answer choices 1. 2. 3. 4. only 1 Only 1 and 2 Only 1 and 3 All of them Q10. Correct statements about Coastal zone regulations. 1. Category 1 deals with islands. All except #4 4321

2. 3.

Category 4 lists the ecological sensitive areas of India Construction activities are permitted in category 2 and 3 Answer choice 1. only 1 Only 2 Only 3 All of them Q11. Consider following statements about Super-critical technology in coal power plants? 1. It produces higher amount of electricity per kg of coal, compared to sub-critical technology. Its R&D is still in nascent stage and practical application is extremely expensive than sub-critical technology Both A and B neither A nor B Q12. What are the potential applications of Coal gasification technology? 1. exploitation of deep coal deposits that cannot be mined using conventional means In-situ capture of carbon Both A and B Neither A nor B Q13. Correct statements 1. India produces only two varieties of Cement: Portland Pozzolana Cement (PPC) and Ordinary Portland Cement. Given the environmental concerns, MoEF has banned cement companies from mixing fly ash into Portland Pozzolana Cement Both A and B Neither A nor B Q14. Consider following statements about carbon tax? it doesnt provide cost certainty to the manufacturer and consumers there is potential chance of manipulation and evasion Coal cess is an example of carbon tax Answer choices 1. Only 1 and 2 Only 1 and 3 only 2 and 3 only 3 Q15. In India, if lower amount of freight is transported through railways than through trucks, what will be its consequences on the economy? 1. fiscal deficit will increase adverse balance of payment both A and B Neither A nor B Q16. find W rong statements 1. Through Bachat lamp Yojana, government sells CFL lamps to households at the same price as tubelights LED lamps are more energy efficient than CFL lamps but less than tubelights. both A and B Neither A nor B Q17. (A) In India, only the Parliament can amend the environmental laws. (R) Environment is a residual subject in Constitution of India. 1. Both correct and R explains A Both correct but R doesnt explain A A right but R wrong R right but A wrong. Q18. 12th Five year plan aims to 1. Clean all the the critically polluted rivers by 2020 Train veterinary professionals to treat wildlife. Setup an autonomous body named National Environment Assessment and Monitoring Authority (NEAMA) for EIA, coastal zone regulations and marine fisheries regulations. All of above Q19. correct match 1. National environment restoration fund: proceeds of the coal cess National clean energy fund: donations and fees collected from private sector for accessing specified natural resources. Green Fund: proceeds from tax collected on the sale of forest produce.

2. 3. 4.

2. 3. 4.

2. 3. 4.

2. 3. 4. 1. 2. 3.

2. 3. 4.

2. 3. 4.

2. 3. 4.

2. 3. 4.

2. 3. 4.

2. 3.

4.

none of above. Q20. Agriculture contributes significant amount of GHG emission in India. W hich among the following is/are responsible for it?

1. 2. 3.

Methane from Rice paddies fermentation in ruminant animals Nitrous oxides from and fertilisers. choice 1. Only 1 and 2 Only 1 and 3 only 2 and 3 all of them Corr ect A nswe rs

2. 3. 4.

1. 1. 2. 3.

D. As per IYB page 287 They can survive Anaerobic soil=#1 wrong Commensalism= only one party benefits without damaging other. Symbiosis=both benefit. Mangrove = Symbiosis link between Marine vs Terrestrial=> #2 wrong #3 is right. D. All of them major coral reef areas D. forest-88, NBA-03,environment-06, NGT-10 C. both are statutory A D. both wrong. Ref page 296 C D D. All of them. Ref page 303 C. only 3 A only first statement right C both right D both wrong only 3 (ref. table 4.3 of 12 FYP)
th

C. Both of them right (ref point 4.93 in 12 FYP)

th

C. both wrong. (same price as CFL, and not tubelights) A. D all of them all wrong D. all of them [FAQ ] D o I ne ed to b uy new edi ti o n I F I al ready ha ve 20 13? A question asked by many readers, I already have IYB 2013, do I need to buy 2014s edition? Answer is NO. (Observe the change list, then I elaborate)

C ha nge s i n C h1. La nd a nd p eopl e

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15.

First six pages are almost the same. Census: data is updated. C ha nge s i n C h12 . E nvi ro nme nt Compressed forest resource and survey Compressed environment conservation Compressed CBD, Biological diversity act Removed genetic engineering approval committee Removed COP-MOP-5, AICOPTAX Removed forest policy Compressed project tiger and project elephant Removed regulatory acts under animal welfare Compressed EIA Compressed CPCB Compressed E-waste management Removed chemical safety Compressed Bio-medical waste management Compressed national river conservation directorate Compressed ramsar convention national wetland conservation program

16. 17. 18. 19. 20.

Added central wetland regulatory authority Compressed Environmental research and NNRMS from two pages to just two paragraphs Removed statistical cell and NGO cell Compressed Climate change and removed COP-16 Removed- IPCC , INCCA, UK Collaboration and many other miscellaneous topics

C ha nge s i n C h30 . S tat e a nd UT

Updated population data as per Census 2011 Updated names of governor, CM, chief Secretary, + a few state schemes here and there. (It also lists Kejriwal as Delhi PM- meaning pretty latest printed book.) but other than that, Most of the static content is identical to the previous edition. [^ Im yet to compare remaining chapters in detail. But they also run on same pattern: lot of data either compressed or removed.] Now coming back to the question I already have 2013 edition of India Yearbook, so, do I need to buy 2014s edition? My answer/advice/opinion is NO because:

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

They did Compress a lot of topics, eliminated many outdated topics, but havent updated the topics much. The way things are moving under UPSCs Backbreaking era, youll have to dig net, newspaper and magazines- for almost every term, scheme, policy, act, bill, irrespective of how up-to-date your IYB is. Therefore, IYBs main use is base material, and as the base material- it hasnt updated much between 2013 vs 2014s edition. Census data updated- but you can easily get it from net. Those ten new pages alone dont justify the need for dishing out another 250/- rupees. In almost all chapters, the IR/HRD related data is still from 2012s era one and same. Even in above COP/UNFCC/Kyoto/RIO+20 etc. summits. Whatever few things are newly added, you can dig through PIB/Net (as per the list/tables given in above article). I believe you already have used highlighter/ballpen/margin-notes on the 2013s edition for quick reading/revision. So If you get new 2014s edition again= youll have to repeat the same exercise on those 1000+ pages again = not worth the cost:benefit. (because data hardly new- only page numbers changed.) In short, if you already have IYB-2013 then not much point in getting IYB-2014: your 250-350 rupees are better spent buyi ng in some other books or stationary.