Last Month, Ministry of information & broadcasting published
the bookIndia 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.
Rule#1: DONOT read in linear sequence
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
Area/subject/topic
first finish
then read IYB chapter
finally, newspaper/magz+
Geography
EnB
Sci.Tech
NCERT & NIOS
1, 4, 12, 25, 27, 30
12thFYP
Economy
NCERT
8, 11, 17, 19, 26
12thFYP, budget, economic survey
1. Polity
2. rights issue,
3. development
Laxmikanth:English/Hindi
polity: 2, 3, 20
10, 15, 16, 21, 23, 24, 28
12thFYP
defense, IR
For international relation basics: IGNOU moduleMPSE-001
9, 18
Misc.GK
nothing
5, 22, 29, 31, 32, 33
Some of the chapters will overlap in multiple topics. For
example:
1. Ch1: Census data during education, welfare etc. chapters
2. Ch4 Agro: during finance/insurance, food-civil supply,
welfare.
3. Ch9 Defence: some Misc. GK, some IR/bilateral, some Sci-tech
research.
4. Ch11 Energy: Part of it with EnB (renewable) and part with
infrastructure (thermal)
5. Ch23: Planning chapter will overlap in other areas e.g. EnB:
environment forest; Economy-infrastructure; welfare, education and
so on.
6. 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/mains.
Moving to the next rule:
Rule#2: Organizations imp. BUT evolution is NOT
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 ____, 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. Whenever you read any
organization, only focus on three things:
1. Nature:Constitutional/statutory/executive/attached
office/society/PSU/SPV/autonomous body/anything else?
2. Boss:Who is the boss? Under which ministry does it fall?
3. Function:
3. Whatre the functions/schemes/policies associated?
3. in Sci-tech related organizations youll find fancy
terms/inventions associated. you need to dig their feature/benefit
from google- for the GS3 paper.
While 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.)
Rule#3: Location not important for Misc. organization
Do not waste time in memorizing the locations of relatively
unknown organizations. for example
1. Harishchandra research institute,Allahbad
2. Institute of mathematical science ,Chennai
3. 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.
Rule#4: IgnoreBolbachhan
While describing schemes/policy/functions, the IYB-writers give
a lot ofbolbachhan(Filler information.) Observe:
1. Under ____ scheme, the ministry has initiated new and
improved processes, improved functionality and efficient cost
effective services, network integration, human resources
development
2. The Department of ____ also has a specialized center to
analyze metals, alloys, organic and organometallic compounds,
inorganic compounds, rocks and minerals.
3. The national institute of ___ provides an integrated
M.Sc.+Ph.D course in biology, chemistry, math and physics.
4. 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.
Rule#5: Schemes/funds/projects what to read, what to skip?
In the schemes related paragraphs- there is lot ofbolbachchan.
Example
1. During the 11thFive year plan, Rs._____ crore were spent. Out
of this, ____ number of beneficiaries were given ____ Cores. Under
the 12thfive year plan, the allotment has 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 junk.
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 Which came first? or what is the correct chronological
order in following?
Q1.Project Tiger/elephant/crocodile?
Q2.Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan / right to education / mid-day
meal?
Because ^this type of MCQs are still asked.
1. Who is the boss?[i.e. which ministry/department looks
after?]
1. Where does the money come?
0. Does Union government provide 100% funding, or do the states
need to contribute something as well? 10%/20%/25% etc?]
1. 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.]
1. What are the salient features
0. Who is eligible beneficiary?
1. What benefit does he/she get?
2. How does he get benefit? (direct cash, in kind (e.g. tractor,
wheelchair), indirect benefit via subsidy to fertilizer company and
so on)
1. + 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*
Rule#6: Policies: Must maintain separate notes
Usually 90% of the policy paragraph is justbolbachhanfiller
junk.
We only need to digfive things:
1. Year(not absolute year, but you need to be aware of
chronological order, for MCQs)
2. Boss:Which ministry / Department is responsible for this
policy? (e.g. Manufacturing policy=Department of Industrial Policy
& Promotion (DIPP) under Commerce Ministry.)
3. Features:What are the salient features/targets?
4. Methods:What schemes/projects have been launched to
accomplish this policy?
5. 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 writingbolbachhan, 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 gathering content. Try to make a revision
note that summarizes every policy (and its five area) insingle 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
justbolbachhancopy-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.
Bills/Acts/laws
Approach remains similar to policy topic:
1. year
2. boss
3. features (from prsindia.org)
4. analysis (from prsindia, other newspapers)
anyways, lets start with ch1.
Chapter 1: Land and People
DONOTread entire Chapter 1 in a single sitting. Instead,
approach in following manner
Read this section from ch1
then directly shift towards
1. Indian Geography
Ch. 30 States and UT
1. Flora Fauna
Ch. 12 environment (and then to 12thFYP)
1. Census
Donor read census right now. Instead, come back to refer census,
when youre reading education, health, welfare related chapters.
The first four pages the first chapter of IYB are dedicated to
this topic Indian (physical) Geography.
#1 Pre-requisite: NCERT Indian Geography
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
CHAPTERS
India Basic
6
7
9
1, 2, 4
11*
1 and 2
Rivers
9
3
10
3
11*
3
12*
6
Economic Geography
10
1,5, 6, 7
12*
7 to 12
Human Geography
9
6
12*
1to 4
*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 keep a school atlas
While reading these (NCERT) chapter and IYB topics, if you keep
reading 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. Welcome back. Now open
the chapter 1, page 1 of IYB14.
1. First para. Quote of Mark Twain = important as Essay
title.
2. Second para. well youd know this by reading NCERTs
3. From (Page1 Para3) to (Page4 Para2): finish while
simultaneously referring to Atlas. This is mostly location /mapping
type GK in a compressed form.
4. 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
Ch1: Mock MCQ Questions
Q1. Consider following river basins
1. Ganga-Brahmaputra-Meghna
2. Brahmani-Baitarani
3. Luni
4. Subarnarekha
Which of them are examples of composite river basins?
0. only 1 and 2
1. only 3 and 4
2. only 1
3. only 3
Q2. Find correct statements about drainage system in Western
India
0. West coast streams are short in length, have limited
catchment area.
1. Streams of Western Rajasthan are ephemeral.
2. Both A and B
3. Neither A nor B
Q3. Which of the following rivers dont drain into sea? (1) Luni
(2) Macchu (3) Saraswati (4) Ghaggar
Answer choices:
0. only 1 and 3
1. only 1, 2 and 3
2. only 1 and 4
3. 1234
Correct answers
answer/hint
IYB Page#
Trap MCQ. Composite doesnt mean composite word as in English
grammar. Composite river basin = having area between 2k to 20k
sq.kms => correct are Luni and Subernarekha
4
Both are correct
3
None of them drains into sea
3
So far you finished Indias physical geography: mountains and
rivers from Chapter 1.Now directly shift to Chapter 30.
Chapter 30: States and UT
Youll have to refer this chapter back and forth many times (for
culture, polity, mining, infrastructure etc.)
APPROACH #1
APPROACH #2
You finish everything at once e.g. picked Andhra, then read
everything about Andhra: history, geography, agro, irrigation,
power, industries, transport, tourismeverything.
Only move topic wise PER state. example
History, tourism, festivals: Andra, Assam, Bihar
Agriculture: Andra, Assam, Bihar
Forest wildlife: Andra, Assam, Bihar
and so on
use this approach for:
1. first sitting.
2. state service exam (only your state)
3. UPSC interview (all the states where youve been in terms of
birth, school, college and job).
use this approach for
Subsequent revisions in second, third, 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
manner.)
Note: in the market, many GK books deal with such data: state vs
festival, tourism, river etc. those things will work fine for SSC,
Bank type exam. But they often ignore non-popular, non-clichd data
such as
1. Sualkuchi, Assam = silk;
2. Hajo, Assam= Meeting point of Buddhism ,Hinduism and
Islam
But youll find these things in 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.)
This article series deals with how to handleIndia 2014||Bharat
2014(+12thFive year plan + sample MCQs).
So far we are done with
1. ch1 (land and people), ch30 (state and UT)click me
2. ch12 (Environment and Forest)click me
3. ch11 (Energy)click me
Now time for the Ch25 Science Tech. Its the
biggesthathodaa(hammer) chapter in India yearbook. Once you
overcome this one, remaining chapters arehalwaa.
Prerequisite: NCERT- Science
Use the NCERTs as the base material, in following order:
Class
Chapters (PHYSICS)
Chemistry
Biology
7
4, 13, 14 and 15
5 and 6
1,2,10,11 and 12
8
11 to 16
3 to 6
2, 8, 9 and 10
9
8 to 12
1 to 4
5,6,7 and 13
10
10, 12 and 13
1 to 5
6 to 11
11
Physics textbook ch.1
**
**
12
**
**
Biology textbook Ch.11 and 12
** If you observe theanswerkey ofCDS (I) 2014 paper, UPSC has
asked quick a few tough questions from Class11-12 science NCERTs.
(Twelve MCQs from from 7-10 and Eight from 11-12).
Moral of the story is: one should selectively read Class11-12
science NCERTs for CSAT-2014, as an Insurance policy against any
BackbreakingTMMove.
After NCERT, go through following articles on Mrunal.org/SNT
1. [Space Tech] Current Affairs Compilation 2012-13 for SSC CGL,
UPSC CSAT
2. [Defense] Current Affairs compilation 2012-13: missiles,
joint exercises, operations, organizations
3. [Public Health] Current Affairs 2012-13: Diseases, Drugs and
Research (Part 2 of 3)
Some of their content is outdated, but the basics about space
program, missile program etc. remain one and same, and should help
you build the base.
Now, time to finish following chapters
IYB
ch 25 science tech (entire)
IYB
ch 9 Defense (only R&D related portion)
IYB
ch 8 Comm. & IT (only R&D related portion)
12thFYP vol1
ch 8 Science
12thFYP vol1
ch 9 Innovation
IYB Chapter 25 Science Technology
This chapter mainly talks about four things:
1. Lot of HRD/fellowship/scholarships with catchy names. (not
that important)
2. Nuke Tech. we are already done with Nuke Energy part.Click
me. Now we only see nuke-techs relevance to agro and
healthcare.
3. Bio Tech
4. Space Tech
Ignore this trash
ch
topic
English
Hindi
25
Ignore first page of this chapter because its
onlybolbachhanwithout much utility.
781
816
25
Paragraph on science tech and alliances
785
821
25
International cooperation- because most of this data is from
2012. You will find better content in MEA website and PIB.
785-86
822
25
First three paragraphs mostly useless. (NABL, NRDMS, NSDI)
787
822-23
25
mostly useless filler stuff about R&D promotion
788
824
25
Pretty much entire page except IIST and ESSO
816
866-867
25
Eight centres under Earth ministry
817
Not given
25
Polar science (Very old 2011)
820
869
25
International cooperation; USA, SARR- Very old 2005-08
821-22
870-71
25
Centre of excellence
823
872
25
Biotech product and processed development
833
878
25
THSTI
839
Not given
25
Promotion of Biotech in North-East
841
883
25
Administration (Last para)
841
Not given
Organizations
ch
topic
English
Hindi
25
Dept. of science tech
781
816
25
SERB
782
817
25
Dept. of scientific and industrial research DSIR
787
823
25
Dept. of Atomic Energy
792
830
25
CSIR
790
826
25
AERB
799
839
25
Dept. of biotechnology(last paragraph useless)
822
871
POLICIES
ch
topic
English
Hindi
25
New Science and technology policy 2003 (Mainly for the purpose
of chronology, otherwise new policy has been made)
781
816
25
New Science technology and innovation policy
782
816
Medicine related
ch
topic
English
Hindi
25
DPRP- Anti- malarial drug
784
819
25
TDB- suryamin, Cefixime
786
822
25
Risorin, Memory sure, Lupfio, klotbuster, Beseb, Indibacter
790
827
25
Terafil water filter
791
828
25
Stevioside
792
Not given
25
Lysostaphine, and other research
792
829
25
Nuclear medicine- only important names
802
843
25
Radio immuno assay and IRMA- Principle
803
845
25
PACT of IAEA, Bhabahtron
803
845
25
ISOMED sterilization use
803
845
25
Blood irradiator- use
804
847
25
ELIZA, Celiac disease Glial biology*
828
875
25
Stem cell research- This chapter hardly gives any info. dig net
for principles, policies and issues
829
876
25
Bio-Engineering, Bio-Design- Only brief overview
830
876
25
Nano Science- again Dig net
833
877
25
Artemisinin
834
Not given
25
SAM, Cactus pulp health drink
834
879
25
Bio safety issues- GEAC- Origin function. Beyond that, Dig net
for facts and fodder.
834
879
25
Drug Pemetrexel for cancer; Gemcetamin
837
Not given
25
MAIBA- MAIBI (Traditional health practitioners in manipur)
838
881
25
JAIVAC-1 Anti-Malaria vaccine
840
883
25
HAPMAP Project
839
882
*Dig net for all such terms
Atomic energy related
Although youd have already covered this under last part. But
still for the sake of quick reference:
25
Overview of three stage program
793
830-31
25
First stage of nuclear program
794
831
25
Stage -2 of nuclear program
798
837
25
Stage-3 of nuclear program
798
838
Atomic energy- Location and Terms
25
Location of deposits
794-95
833
25
Location of underground mines and opencast mines of uranium
795
833
25
Vitrification- nuke waste management
796
835
25
Mobscan, Ropman, Rohytam
797
836
25
Bhavini, Kamini
798
837-38
25
ADS, SODAR, IREMON, CERMS
799
839
25
List of research reactors
800
841
Applications of nuke technology already listed under respective
tables of biotech / agro/ medicine topics.
Environment/ Agriculture
25
Nisarga- Runa
800
840
25
Sesbania- Green manure crop
801
842
25
Krushak, Cobalt- 60
801
842
25
MSF, RO, LTE desalination technology
805
850
Space And Particle Physics
25
Kali 200, 1000, 5000
804
849
25
Narayangaon Telescope, Grace-Mt. Abu, TACTIC Gamma ray
telescope
806
852
25
Indias contribution to CERN
808
854-55
25
Location of accelerator facilities in India
808
855-56
25
ADITYA Tokamak
809
857
25
ITER purpose
809
858
25
Ignore this page due to garbage info
810
859
ISRO- SPACE PROGRAM
Entire data is given in boring paragraphs making it difficult to
remember and recall.
So, first you go through my Space tech-compilation to understand
the basics.Click me.
Then come back to
25
Indian Space Program
811-16
860-866
You need to focus on following information
1. Difference between INSAT vs. IRS; PSLV vs. GSLV
2. Satellites with catchy names Example: SARAL vs. ADITYA
3. Antarix and its functions
4. This chapter is mostly confined to developments upto 2012
(With cursory mention of GSLV MK-3, Mars mission etc.) So go
through Mrunal.org/SNT. For new developments.
5. For GSLV MK- 3 Dig net
6. Mars mission already covered.Click me
7. Chandrayan- 1 too old and clichd Only remember the basics
about chronology launch vehicle, discovery.
Disaster Management
25
Tropical cyclone tracker
818
868
25
RIMES
818
868
25
Coral bleaching alert system- CABS
819
?
25
Costal vulnerability index
819
?
25
Indian ocean dipole and its relationship with summer monsoon
820
870
Biotech related Terms/Technology
25
ROSUB- ROSIS
820
870
25
Black pearls
820
870
25
Agri. biotech- Nagina 22 rice, Vivek maize, Virupaskshi
banana
824
873
25
Biofertilizers bioinsecticides*
825
873
25
IBIN- Indian bioresource information network
826
Not given
25
Saffron network program
826
Not given
25
Medicinal and aromatic plants
826
874
25
Xenobiotic compounds, biorestoration technology, HCH degrading
bacteria**
831
?
25
Biofertilizer-Biopesticide given under IBSD
838
881
25
AmA1 gene improves staple crops
837
881
25
Biotech parks
835
879
25
Biocluster
840
882
*Dig net for utility of all the micro-organisms, fungi, algae,
plants mentioned here.
Instruments and vehicles
25
VISCOTRAN
790
827
25
NISHANT- UAV
791
Not given
IT- web portal related
25
TKDL
791
823
25
IREMON, CERMS
799
839
25
Anupam- Ameya super computer
805
851
Low Priority [LP]
Dont waste too much time in here:
#LP1: Misc. Organizations
25
NRDC, CEL
789
825
25
NPCIL falls under DAE and its functions
793
831
25
Uranium corp. of India
795
833
25
Heavy water board
796
834
25
Electronics corp. of India
797
837
25
National bioresearch board
825-26
873-74
25
Biotechnology industry research assistance council
833
879
25
NII, NCCS, NBRC, DNF Fingerprint centre
836
880
25
Instem
838
882
25
National Institute on Biomedical genomics: Agri. food: Agri.
biotech: Animal biotech
839
882
25
ICGEB, C-CAMP
840
883
#LP2: HRD/awards/fellowship related
25
INSPIRE, PURSE, FIST
783
818
25
That CSIR runs shanti swaroop bhatnagar prizes, young scientist
award, JRF, NET, etc.
792
829
25
NISER conducts NEST
807
853
25
BEST- Teachers Training programme
785
821
25
Star college scheme
823
871
25
Bamalinga swami reentry fellowship
823
872
25
Rapid grant for young investigator
823
872
25
Program for SC/ST, Women
832
878
25
Biotechnology ignition grant
833
?
IYB Ch9: Defense (R&D Related)
Defense chapter mainly talks about three topics:
1. IR / bilateral
2. GK type (Army, Navy airforce- their ranks, entry schemes
etc.)
3. Sci-tech (missiles, technology, DRDO etc.)
First we focus on the third topic. But before that, do read
following article
[Defense] Current Affairs compilation 2012-13: missiles, joint
exercises, operations, organizations
(Although joint exercise etc. is outdated, but the Basics about
missile /tank development etc. remain one and same)
Defense PSU/org.
in PSUs- main focus should be: what have they produced?
CH.
TOPIC
ENGLISH
HINDI
9
Ordinance factories
220
187
9
Hindustan Aeronautics
220
187
9
Bharat Electronics
221
187
9
Garden reach
221
188
9
Shipyards; Goa, Hindustan, Mazagaon
221
188
9
Bharat Earth mover, Bharat dynamics
222
189
9
Mishra dhatu (Midhani)
222
190
9
NIRDESH
226
193
Policies
CH.
TOPIC
ENGLISH
HINDI
9
FDI in defense production (Update from newspapers)
223
190
DRDO
CH.
TOPIC
ENGLISH
HINDI
9
DRDO- Its achievements and developments*
229-237
197-206
*Ignore technologies without catchy names for example
1. Advanced technologies developed (Page. 235),
2. Infrastructure facilities established (Page. 235 upto 237,
except INS Sagar Dhwani, Bio-digesters.)
Terms/inventions
CH.
TOPIC
ENGLISH
HINDI
9
ATGM, KONKOR, INVAR, C-303
222
189
9
Exhibition; Aero India, Def Expo. India (Find latest locations
from newspapers)
225
192-93
9
NIRDESH (Its society but catchy terms for MCQs)
226
193
9
NIRBHAY
231
200
9
Missile systems and their ranges
232
200
9
LAKSHYA, NISHANT, RUSTOM
232
200
9
PINAKA, Adrushy mine
232
200-01
9
MBT- Arjun, Ajey, Bhim, Sarvatra, Daksh
233
201
9
Truckload of radars, sonar given under electronics, computer
systems
233-34
201-02
Misc. Organizations
CH.
TOPIC
ENGLISH
HINDI
9
DGAQA, DOS, DEO, IITF
224-25
190-192
IYB Ch8: IT Related Research
Chapter 8 deals with e-governance, postal, telecom etc. that
well see separately.
Right now, for the sci-tech, we only focus on following topics
at the moment:
CH.
TOPIC
ENGLISH
HINDI
8
Sameer
188
??
8
C- DAC: Garuda, eAgriEn, Bharatiya AFIS, Sarjeevani, E-
Nayana
188-190
??
8
EDGE, Chakra, APPSAMVID
190
??
8
CERT-IN
190
??
8
C- MAT
191
??
NIELIT, ERNET, etc. we will see under education
E-Governance.
Now its time to read 12thFive year plan, Chapter 8 and 9
12thFYP Vol1: Ch8 Science
RELEVANCE
Topic
PDF page
FODDER
8.21-science technology national mission should focus on
274
MCQ
8.23- the fact that The technologies on flocculation and
chlorination currently in vogue do not remove trace organics,
metals and pathogens in treated drinking water and, therefore
274
MCQ
8.28-list of six mega facility and their utilities
276
FODDER
box 8.1 Indias contribution in the discovery of Higgs boson
particle
276
ORG
serb, National innovation foundation, purse, curie
278
MCQ
BONISTA, RECEPTOL, RHOCLONE, HAGAR
279
FODDER
8.48- 12th FYP RND innitiatives
281
E-GOV
8.54- NGIS
282
MCQ
Public Sector developed GM CROPS
284
ORG
11.BIRAC
286
SCHEME
Box.8.5- Doppler weather radars, National monsoon mission, PFZ,
LTTD (Dig Net for principles)
288
MCQ
8.70 Fact that Sagar sampada is an ocean research vessel
290
MCQ
8.76 Fact that Earth system enterprise is a PSU under ministry
of Earth Science
292
MCQ
8.79 Fact that CSIR@ 80 and India@ 75 will coincide on 2022
291
SCHEME
8.82 PRISM, PACE, BIRD, A2K+
292
TERM
8.84 Benefit of GRATZEN CELL over traditional solar cells
292
TERM
CMM5- All metal civil aircrafts
293
TERM
CAERULOMYCIN- For heart and kidney transplant
293
TERM
Krishi Shakti Tractor
293
TERM
Heptafloropropane- Fire fighting system
293
TERM
Terafil water filter
293
TERM
Ashvagandha Applications
294
TERM
Risorin- TB
294
TERM
PROSTALYN- Cancer; BACOPA Memory Enhancer; CSIR 800,
Soleckskaw
294
SCHEME
8.96- Techvils under CSIR 800
296
TERM
8.97- OSDD, DOCS- For drug discovery
296
FODDER
8.105- Space plan for 2025
298
FODDER
Box.8.7 Space launches during 11th FYP
298-99
TERM
8.111 GAGAN, IRNSS (More details under Mrunal/SNT)
300
FODDER
8.116 Disaster Management support by ISRO
301
TERM
POLIX
302
MCQ
Box.8.8- Spider robot, Barcom, IERMON
303
MCQ
8.126- Fact that AHWR uses thorium
305
MCQ
Fact that only dhruva research reactor is working
305
TERM
8.131-Fair project, Germany, INO, LIGO,TMT, SKA
306
MCQ
Table 8.1 Fact that dept. of Space is given largest plan outlay
among all science related dept.
307
FODDER
Dept. based deliverables for 12th FYP- Selectively prepare a few
points for each department
308-311
12thFYP Vol1: Ch9 Innovation
short and sweet chapter.
Type
Point
Page
MCQ
9.1 Decade of innovation
312
Fodder
9.3 Why do we need innovation in India
312
ORG
9.7 NINC
313
Fund
9.10 Innovation Fund IIIF. (Recall chindu talked about this fund
in theinterim budget.)
313
MCQ
9.13 Clusters in various cities
314
E-GOV
9.17 India innovation portal
315
MCQ
9.26 Fact that Chanderi weavers belong to MP
317
Fodder
9.28 IPR concerns of western companies
317
E-GOV
9.30-9.32 Adhaar, other ICT initiatives
317-318
Fund
District innovation Fund
318
dig following from NET, because 12thFYP merely mentioned
them.
1. Principles behind: Low Temperature Thermal Desalination
(LTTD), reverse osmosis (RO) and multi-stage flash for sea water
desalination.
2. Disha for women scientist
3. BRAI Bill
4. Polymetallic manganese modules
5. Need for Indian satellite navigation policy
+Every year many summits are held at National and International
levels, You need to keep track on their locations and themes for
PIB and NET.
Mock Questions
Warning: DONOT attempt them before digging principles / features
of the various terms mentioned in IYB ch25. Example Food
irradiation. (Using books/net.)
Dont get demotivated if you cant solve all of the questions.
The purpose is to show that despite all reading-revision, there
will always be odd MCQs in UPSC outside the traditional books. For
example, observe CSAT 2013s sci-tech MCQs.click me.
So, If you are unsure of the fact/principle, better skip them
rather than risk negative marking.
Q1. The terafil water filters developed by CSIR can remove ___
from water.
1. turbid particles
2. microorganisms
3. bad odor and bad taste
Answer choices
0. only 1 and 2
1. only 1 and 3
2. only 1
3. all of them
Q2. Correct statements about terafil water filter developed by
CSIR
1. Theyre designed to use solar energy to provide safe drinking
water to coastal area.
2. TERAFIL filter is made by mixing black clay (silt clay) and
aluminum dioxide.
3. CSIR is planning to add Nano-silver particles in these
filters, so they can remove virus and bacteria from the drinking
water.
Answer choice
0. only 1 and 3
1. only 2
2. only 3
3. all of them
Q3. CSIR has developed a new technology for production of
Stevioside from Stevia Rebaudiana. What isthe main use of this
Stevioside?
0. Arthritis Drug
1. Bio fertilizer
2. Bio control Agent
3. Natural Sweetener
Q4. Correct statements about Stevioside
0. it is extracted from the fruits of Stevia plant
1. Stevia plants are native of Mizoram.
2. Both A and B
3. Neither A nor B.
Q5. Find correct statements about Green Maure crops
1. Green manure crops usually belong to leguminous family.
2. Clusterbeans andSesbania rostrataare examples of Green Manure
Crops
3. Sesbania rostratais a native of Africa, BARC used radiation
technique to make it adaptable to India.
Answer choices
0. only 1 and 2
1. only 1 and 3
2. only 2 and 3
3. all of them
Q6. BARC has set up KRUSHAK (Krushi Utpadan Sanrakshan Kendra)
in Lasalgaon for food irradiation. What are the benefits of food
irradiation method?
1. Inhibits the sprouts growth in Onion, potato, garlic and
ginger.
2. Extends shelf life of fruits and meat
3. controls Microbial pathogen in processed food.
Answer choices
0. only 1 and 2
1. only 1 and 3
2. only 2 and 3
3. all of them
Q7. Incorrect statements about Food irradiation.
0. This process makes the food radioactive, thereby making it
unfit for survival of microbes and pathogens.
1. food irradiation plant is one type of nuclear reactor.
2. Both A and B
3. Neither A nor B
Q8. Correct statements about Bhabhatron.
0. Bhabhatron is a specialized research nuclear reactor that
produces cobalt-60 isotops, which are then sold cancer hospitals at
subsidized rates.
1. Under WHOs PACT program, India donated one of the Bhabhatron
to Vietnam.
2. Both A and B
3. Neither A nor B.
Q9. Consider these terms:Anupam-Ajeya, Anupam-Ameya and
Anupam-Ashva. What are they?
0. Series of bio pesticides developed by ICAR
1. Series of research reactors developed by BARC
2. Series of super computers developed by C-DAC
3. None of Above
Q10. Incorrect statements about Radioimmunoassay
1. It is an in-vivo technique for measuring hormones and
vitamins in biological fluids.
2. Radioimmunoassay pose health hazards due to radiation
exposure.
3. ELISA is an example of Radioimmunoassay
Answer choices:
0. only 1 and 2
1. only 1 and 3
2. Only 2 and 3
3. None of them.
Q11. What are the uses of INSAT system of satellites?
1. Natural Resources Monitoring
2. Communication
3. Meteorological Services
4. DTH service
Answer choices
0. all except 1 and 4
1. all except 1
2. all except 4
3. all of them
Q12. Correct pairs
1. Megha Tropiques: Earth observation
2. Astrosat: Celestial bodies
3. SARAL: Solar Coronagraph
Answer choices
0. all correct matches.
1. all except 1 and 3
2. all except 2 and 3
3. None of them.
Q13. Correct statements about Indian Ocean dipole (IOD).
0. During a negative IOD year, the winds from Indian Ocean blow
from west to east.
1. During Positive IOD year, India receives more rainfall.
2. Both A and B
3. Neither A nor B
Q14. Correct statements about coral bleaching?
1. Coral bleaching turns white coral into grey color.
2. Coral bleaching occurs when corals symbiotic algae is
damaged.
3. Ozone depletion makes the coral reefs more vulnerable to
bleaching.
Answer choices
0. Only 1 and 3
1. only 2 and 3
2. only 1 and 3
3. None of them.
Q15. Correct statements about Mycorrhizae.
0. Mycorrhizae are fungi that exhibit symbiotic relation with
plant roots.
1. Mycorrihzae are used as biopesticides because they produce
xenobiotic compounds that kill insects and pests.
2. Both A and B
3. Neither A nor B
Q16. Correct pairs
1. Bacillus thuringiensis: biopesticide
2. Trichogramma: biocontrol agent
3. Mycorrhizae: fungus root
Answer choices
0. Only 1 and 3
1. only 2 and 3
2. only 1 and 3
3. all of them
its 12:37 AM, feeling dizzy, Stopping here. Besides, defense and
space tech related MCQs already given in those old articles.
Answers
1. D. All statements correct as perCSIR website
2. C. Only third statement right as perCSIR website
3. D. Natural sweetener,Britannica
4. D. Both wrong. Its extracted from leaves, and plant native of
S.America. (NIIR board)
5. D. All correct, as perTamilnadu State Agro portal
6. D. All of them as perBARC page
7. C. both statements wrongUC Davis university, California(note:
question asked you to find Wrong statements, hence C and not D)
8. D. Both wrong. Bhabhatron is not a nuke reactor, but
teletherapy device to help rural patients get treatment without
having to travel to faraway cities. And PACT program belongs to
IAEA and not WHO.
9. D. all wrong. These are supercomputers of BARC
10. B. 1 and 3 are wrong. It is in-vitro and not in-vivo (IYB
page 803.); ELISA is not a radioimmunoassay. (Naiks Biochem
book,Page433)
11. B. all except 1. IYB page 811. (DTH also works on INSAT)
12. B. all except 1 and 3. IYB page 811 and 813
13. B. only second statement right. (IYB 820). first statement
wrong as per Chandrasekars atmospheric science bookpage 323
14. B. only 2 and 3.Britannica: during bleaching, coral turns
white=>1stis wrong. UV radiation can cause bleaching =>#3
right.
15. A. only 1 is right. #2 is wrong because Xenobiotic compounds
= compounds that are unnatural for the environment and life forms.
Example- affluent from pharma, fertilizers etc. Hence #2 is wrong.
Myco fungi cannot create xenobiotic compounds. (Environmental
Biotech, Indu Thakurpage 261)
16. D. all correctly matched as per Bioinoculants: R. P. Gupta.
Page 228
This article series deals with how to handleIndia 2014||Bharat
2014(+12thFive year plan + sample MCQs).
So far we are done with
1. ch1 (land and people), ch30 (state and UT)click me
2. ch12 (Environment and Forest)click me
Today, well see how to handle the Energy topic.
Energy
Energy topic hurts at four places:
1. Sci-tech: basics of electricity, combustion and its
principles, terms
2. Geography:locations (India and world), physical geography
related
3. Environment:pollution, renewable energy / clean energy, nuke
plants vs jholachhap NGOs, coalmines vs policy paralysis vs energy
security and so on.
4. Economy: infrastructure, inflation, CAD angle and so on.
Accordingly, youve to prepare the base material from the
following sources:
NCERT, NIOS
for basic theory on science, geography and environment angle.
(Chapter list given below)
India Yearbook (IYB)
ch.11 Energy (coal, petroleum and renewable)
Ch.25 sci-tech (Nuclear Energy and its three stages)
12thFive year plan
chapter 14 Energy
Mrunal.org/geography
Location factors: coal mine vs steel plants, refineries vs
synthetic fibers and so on.
Parallel notes making from newspapers and magazines. But first
things first: start with.
NCERT: Energy
class
book
chapter
7
sci.
14
8
sci.
5,6,14
Geo
3
10
sci.
12, 13
geo
5
12
geo*
7
*Class 12: India people and economy
NIOS: Energy
Read following chapters
28B
Nonrenewable sources of energy
22
point 22.5 onwards (nuclear hazard). Since ch28 gives basics
Nuclear energy, so first read Ch28, then come back to 22 for nuke
hazards.
29B
Renewable sources of energy I
30B
Renewable sources of energy II
31B
Energy conservation
both NCERT and NIOS, available atMrunal.org/download
IYB: Ch11 Energy
Once youre done with NCERT and NIOS, proceed to Ch11 ofIndia
2014||Bharat 2014.
What to IGNORE?
Ignore following topics because:
theyre mostlybolbachachanfiller info
they give outdated information, talk about 11thFYP or 2012
era.
ch
topic to ignore
English
Hindi
11
first three para (cap. addition, power generation, hydro
cap.)
255
225
11
Ignore the big list of CEA regulation
257
not given
11
Ignore APDRP and present status of R-APDRP
258-59
Not given
11
Transmission sector
260
230
11
Special packages for Arunachal, Ladakh, J&K etc.
283
253
11
Research and development
283-84
254
11
International cooperation
284
254
[High Priority] Organizations
ch
topic
English
Hindi
11
Ministry of power
254
224
11
List of PSU & ORG. under power ministry
254
224
11
Ministry of petroleum and gas
271
242
11
Central Electricity authority (statutory)
256
226
11
Appellate tribunal for electricity
258
228
11
Bureau of energy efficiency BEE
262
241-42
11
Ministry of new and renewable energy-MNRE
280
Not given
25
Dept. of Atomic Energy
792
830
25
AERB
799
839
25
NPCIL falls under DAE and its functions
793
831
25
Uranium corp. of India
795
833
25
Heavy water board
796
834
[High Priority] Schemes and Projects
ch
topic
English
Hindi
11
Ultra-mega power projects- their features and sites . (Power
finance corporation ltd. is the nodal agency)
255-56
225
11
New sites for thermal projects
259
Not given
11
National mission on enhanced energy efficiency, its four
initiatives
262
Not given
11
Captive power plants
260
Not given
11
Open access of transmission, distribution of power FDI
261
Not given
11
National grid
261, 265-266
263
11
National electricity fund
262
242
11
Rajiv Gandhi gramin vidhyutikaran Yojana (And rural
electrification ltd.)
264
233
11
Bharat Stage- III / IV
275
247
11
Renewable power- grid interactive
280
Not given
11
Renewable power- Offgrid- its benefits
281
252
11
Renewable purchase obligation RPO
280
Not given
11
Jawaharlal National solar mission
281
252
11
National biomass cook stoves initiative
282
253
11
Solar cities
283
Not given
11
Ladakh renewable energy initiative
283
254
[High Priority] Acts and Policies
IYB hasnt talked about any act/policy in detail, except the
salient features of electricity Act. Meaning you need to dig
NET/PIB to get details about
ch
topic
English
Hindi
11
Electricity act- 2013
257-58
227
11
National electricity policy
258
228
11
Policy initiative private sector
259-60
228-30
11
New hydro policy (not given only term mentioned)
11
Mega power policy
261
231
11
NELP- New exploration licensing policy- maintain current notes
for 10thround
271
243
11
Coal bed methane policy (CBM)
272
243
11
Pricing of petroleum products
275
248
[Low priority] Public sector undertakings
Important:In Your School Atlas ,locate the oil refinery sites
given on Page. 274s Table.(In Hindi Year book, check page. 246)
In the PSU topics, they gave longbolbachanspeech about their
evolution, recent acquisition, turnover, production etc. (although
data is mostly old- from 2012 era).
At most, you should focus on the chronology / main area of
expertise of the given PSU and which ministry controls which
PSU.
Beyond that, dont waste lot of time in this topic, because cost
: benefit is bogus.
although for IR/bilateral angle, you do need to maintain notes
about ONGC videsh etc.
ch
topic
English
Hindi
11
NHPC- National Hydro-electric power corporation ltd. and its
sites
263
231
11
NTPC- National thermal power corporation ltd.
264
232
11
Rural electrification corporation ltd. (IMP. because it
implements Rajiv Gandhi vidhyutikaran Yojana)
265
235-36
11
Power grid corporation of India ltd.
265
236
11
Power finance corporation ltd. (IMP- because it develops ultra
mega power projects)
266-67
236
11
National power exchange limited
267
238
11
Satluj Jalvidhyut nigam limited
267
238
11
Bhakhra Beas management board
271
241
11
ONGC, ONGC videsh
272
243-244
11
GAIL- Gas authority of India limited
273
245
11
OIL- Oil India ltd.
273
244
11
IOCL- Indian Oil Corporation ltd.
276
248
11
HPCL-Hindustan Petroleum Corporation ltd.
276
249
11
BPCL-Bharat Petroleum Corporation ltd.
277
250
11
Coal India ltd.
279
Not given
11
Neyveli lignite corporation
279
Not given
[Low priority] Misc. Chillar Organizations
ch
topic
English
Hindi
11
National power training institute
268
239
11
Central research power institute
268-69
240
11
North Eastern electric power corporation limited
269
241
11
PCRA- Petroleum conservation research association
278
Not given
IYB Ch25: Sci-tech (Nuke Energy)
While Chapter 11 dealt with coal, petroleum and renewable. But
it missed nuclear energy. So, after finishing ch11, directly move
to Ch25.
Nuke energy: org
ch
topic
English
Hindi
25
Dept. of Atomic Energy
792
830
25
AERB
799
839
25
NPCIL falls under DAE and its functions
793
831
25
Uranium corp. of India
795
833
25
Heavy water board
796
834
Nuke Energy: 3 stage program
ch
topic
English
Hindi
25
Overview of three stage program
793
830-31
25
First stage of nuclear program
794
831
25
Stage -2 of nuclear program
798
837
25
Stage-3 of nuclear program
798
838
Nuke Energy-Location & terms
Nuke energy application in agriculture, healthcare = that well
see separately during sci-tech portion. right now, itll break the
flow. so only focus on the energy/reactor angle:
ch
topic
English
Hindi
25
Location of deposits
794-95
833
25
Location of underground mines and opencast mines of uranium
795
833
25
Vitrification- nuke waste management
796
835
25
Mobscan, Ropman, Rohytam
797
836
25
Bhavini, Kamini
798
837-38
25
ADS, SODAR, IREMON, CERMS
799
839
25
List of research reactors
800
841
12thFYP: Vol2 Ch14. Energy
CLICK MEto download 12thFive year plan. (Available in both
Hindi, English available)
relevance
12thFYP: Ch 14 Energy
Page# of PDF file
MCQ
Introduction: first sentence for MCQ
156
MCQ
definition of energy intensity of GDP- and Implication of its
rise and fall
MCQ
table 14.5 for ascending-descending type MCQ
160
fodder
Energy security definition , how to achieve
160-61
fodder
review of 11thfyp: to get the Criticism/limitation points
161
MCQ/fodder
Ultra-Mega Power Projects; and challenges faced by them (last
sentence).
164
MCQ
14.28 Supercritical technology
164
fodder
why distribution companies make losses? (= the Kejriwal vs Anil
Ambani fight)
165-66
MCQ
14.35. R-APDRP scheme- only the purpose
166
MCQ
14.37 Rajiv Gandhi Gramin Vidhyutikaran (prepare in detail
because IYB gave shallow coverage) + its limitation/challenges
given on page170
168
MCQ
14.42 Open Access to electricity- meaning given on first
sentence.
170
MCQ
Table 14.18 for Hydro. electric potential (Ascending-descending
type MCQs)
174
MCQ/fodder
14.63 National grid
176
fodder
14.66 North East: why difficult to extract hydro power
177
fodder
benefits of PPP and privatization in electricity
distribution
180
fodder
Universal electrification
180
MCQ
14.95 Nation mission on Energy Efficiency NMEEE
183
fodder
14.99 policy reform suggestions
184
MCQ
14.103: lignite production ascending descending order for
MCQs
186
MCQ
14.112 coal benefication
188
MCQ
14.113 coal bed methane: the fact about its pricing policy
188
fodder
14.129: Challenges in coal import (last two sentences)
192
MCQ
14.130: underground mining of coal (For MCQs) + table 14.29
192
fodder
14.145: need for amendment of Coal mines act
195
MCQ/mains
statutory body: PNGRB
199
MCQ
14.157: NELP block prioritization order (although this is
changed recently, after Kerjiwal went to SC and Moily allotted
majority of gas to city gas distribution companies)
199
MCQ
14.175: fact that commercial scale production of Coal bed
methane already started in Raniganj, WB
205
MCQ
shale gas exploration, coal gasification, gas hydrate program
although PDF hardly gives any info. so, dig NET for
principle,benefits,MCQs.
205
MCQ
14.180 fact that flaring of gas = wasteful for economy.
205
fodder
14.184 reforms required in oil and gas sector. (for
mains/interview)
208
fodder
14.187 Wind energy potential in india
209
fodder
14.188: problems in using renewable energy
209
MCQ
table 14.43 last column for ascending descending order MCQ.
211
MCQ
dig net for Bagasse cogeneration
MCQ
Renewable Energy Development Fund
214
fodder
Bioenergy mission
215
MCQ
fact that
1. India is the second largest wind turbine manufacturer next to
China.
2. Higher hub height of wind mill increases its electricity
output
216
fodder
12thFYP physical targets on energy: (not all, but a few need to
be remembered so you can throw data at the examiner).
220
Dig net for following topics/terms
(Because theyre mentioned the 12thFYP but not elaborated. And
these topics sound good enough to be asked under MCQs.)
1. bagasse cogeneration: principle, benefits
2. Solar cooker has two types: Box vs dish. so whats the
difference in their mechanism/ which one is better?
3. Solar air heating- whats the use?
4. biofuels
5. shale gas, gas hydrates
6. green township
7. alternate fuel vehicle: principle, benefit
8. fuel cell vehicle
9. power generation from hydrogen: principle, benefits
Mock MCQs from IYB Ch11,25 and 12thFYP Ch14
Q1. Consider following statements about Coal bed Methane
1. It is a nature gas found in anthracite coal mines but no in
lignite coal mines.
2. Its commercial production is yet to start in India.
3. The market prices of coal bed methane are administered by
Director General of Hydrocarbons (DGH).
Correct statements
0. only 1 and 2
1. only 1 and 3
2. only 1
3. None.
Q2. Under NELP auction
0. The Public sector oil companies are given first preference
over private sector Indian companies and foreign companies.
1. Indian companies are given first preference over foreign
companies
2. National oil companies, private sector Indian companies and
foreign companies are given equal opportunity to bid for the
exploration licenses.
3. None of above.
Q3. What is the purpose of National electricity fund?
0. Give interest subsidy to power utilities companies- to
improve their distribution network.
1. provide interest subsidy to private sector companies involved
in Rajiv Gandhi Gramin Vidhyutikaran Yojana
2. Provide interest subsidy to private sector companies involved
in generation of electricity from municipal waste, solar and wind
sources.
3. None of above.
Q4. Consider the following entities
1. Union government
2. Punjab State government
3. Himachal State government
4. Uttarakhand State government
Q4. Which of them are the stakeholders in Sutluj Jal Vidhyut
Nigam?
0. only 1, 3 and 4
1. only 2 and 4
2. only 1 and 3
3. only 2, 3, 4
Q5. Among the given regions of India, which one has lowest
potential for hydroelectricity generation?
0. Northern
1. Western
2. Southern
3. Eastern
Q6. Which among the following, provides highest amount of clean
energy to India?
0. Solar energy
1. Biomass
2. Small hydropower
3. Wind energy
Q7. Which of the following refinery is not located in Assam?
0. Bongaigaon
1. Noonamati
2. Numaligarh
3. Tatipaka
Q8.Consider the following statements about Energy Intensity
1. Energy intensity is the amount of energy required to produce
a unit of GDP.
2. In India, Energy intensity has increased in the last three
decades
3. Falling level of energy intensity implies that the growth in
energy used is less than the growth of GDP
Correct statements are
0. Only 1 and 2
1. Only 1 and 3
2. only 2 and 3
3. only 3
Q9. Consider following
1. first stage: Pressurized Heavy water reactors
2. second stage: Thorium-Uranium 233 cycle
3. third stage: fast breeder reactors
which of the above are wrongly matched?
0. Only 1 and 2
1. Only 1 and 3
2. only 2 and 3
3. only 3
Q10. Consider following statements about radioactive
elements:
1. uranium is produced by irradiation of thorium
2. thorium is produced by irradiation of plutonium
3. plutonium is produced by irradiation of thorium
4. plutonium is produced by irradiation of uranium
which of the above statements are correct?
0. 12
1. 34
2. 14
3. 24
Q11. Which of the following are examples of coastal sites for
nuclear plants: Kumharia, Bargi, Haripur, Mithi Virdi, Kovvada
0. all except Haripur and Kumharia
1. all except Bargi and Kovvada
2. all except Kumharia and Bargi
3. all of them
Q12. Consider following states: Jharkhand, Rajasthan, Meghalaya
and Andra. Which of them uranium deposits?
0. only Jharkhand and Rajasthan
1. only Meghalaya and Jharkhand
2. all except Andra
3. all of them
Q13. Which of the following, is an example of open cast uranium
mine
0. Jaduguda
1. Bhatin
2. Banduhurang
3. none of above
Q14. What do you understand by the term Vitrification
0. It is an advanced technology for nuclear waste
Management.
1. vitrification converts nuclear waste into a liquid, which can
be used as a substitute of heavy water in the nuclear power
plants.
2. Both A and B
3. neither A nor B
Q15. Consider following pairs
1. SODAR: radiation monitoring network
2. IREMON: robot to handle emergencies in nuclear powerplant
3. ROHYTAM: prototype fast breeder reactor
Correct pairs are
0. Only 1 and 2
1. Only 1 and 3
2. only 2 and 3
3. None of them
Q16. Which of the following are examples of research reactors in
India
0. Apsara, Bhavini, Purnima
1. Bhavini, Kamini, Purnima
2. Apsara, Kamini, Purnima
3. None of above
Q17. what is the purpose of Restructured Accelerated Power
Development and Reform Programme (R-APDRP)?
0. increase the share of renewable energy in the total energy
production of india.
1. address the distribution losses in electricity network
2. exploit the hydroelectricity potential of north east
3. none of above
Q18. consider following statements about Rajiv Gandhi Grameen
Vidyutikaran Yojana (RGGVY)
1. electrification of all un-electrified villages
2. free connection to all BPL families
3. Implemented via Rural Electrification Corporation (REC) as
the nodal agency.
Correct statements are
0. Only 1 and 2
1. Only 1 and 3
2. only 2 and 3
3. all of them.
Q19. National electricity grid
0. Aims to connect the four regional grids of North, South, East
and West into one national grid.
1. once completed, itll be the second largest system in the
world after China.
2. Both A and B
3. Neither A nor B
Q20. Consider following statements
1. Coal beneficiation is a technology to extract coal from deep
underground mines without use of manual labor.
2. In China, majority of the coal output comes from Underground
mines.
3. Although Underground mines are considered less harmful to
ecology, but technologically theyre unfeasible in the Indian
forests.
Incorrect statements are
0. Only 1 and 2
1. Only 1 and 3
2. only 2 and 3
3. All of them.
Answers/Hints
1. D. as per IYB pg272
1. CBM is found in lignite seams=#1 wrong.
1. CBM commercial production has already started from Raniganj
since 2007 =>#2 also wrong.
1. 12th FYP topic 14.113: CBM prices are determined by the
developer, subject to Government approval. The word administered
makes the statement wrong.
1. C: equal opportunity
1. A
1. C. Sutluj Jal Vidhyut= Union + HP
1. B. Western India has lowest potential.
1. D. Wind energy largest [12thFYP table 14.18]
1. D. Tatipaka=Andhra.
1. B only 1 and 3
1. C: 2 and 3. IYB pg 793
1. C: 1 and 4.ura238=>plu; thorium=>ura233. IYB pg 793
1. C: all except kumharia and bargi. pg794
1. D all of them. pg795
1. C. Banduhurang in Singhbhum
1. A only first correct. pg796
1. D. none of them. pg797, 799
1. C. Bhavini = company that produces fast breeder reactors.
pg798. remaining are research reactors, full list at pg800.
1. B. distribution losses. 12thFYPvol2, pg166
1. D. all of them
1. D. Both wrong. there are five zones and itll be largest in
the world. 12thFYPvol2, pg176
1. C. 1 and 3 are wrong. 12thFYPvol2, 188, 192
In thelast article, we saw how to handle Ch1 and Ch30 ofIndia
2014||Bharat 2014(+sample MCQs)
In this article, we see how to handle environment related
segment from: IYB (Ch1, Ch8) and 12thFYP (ch4, Ch7).
Approaching Environment Biodiversity
Total four stages
Stage I
NCERT, NIOS andMrunal.org/ENB
Stage II
India Yearbook ch1, 12, 23 [also ch11 on energy- but well see
that in next article]
12thFYP ch4 (Sustainable Development), ch7 (environment)
stage III
follow-up from books/net for whatever GA/GK/theory is left e.g.
list of parks sanctuaries etc.
Stage IV
Continuous notes making from newspapers, magazines. (This stage
must be started ASAP, even if other stages havent started.)
Three prerequisites before touching IYB for Environment
1. When it comes to international treaties/kyoto/Nagoya etc. the
India Yearbook and 12thFYP only givebolbachchantype coverage= not
much useful in MCQs (or even for recalling points in mains). So
first read the treaties and summits given onMrunal.org/ENB
2. NIOS material for Environment and Biodiversity. Religiously
mug it up for prelims.
3. 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
atMrunal.org/download
CLASS
SUBJECT
NCERT CHAPTERS related to EnB
6
geography
8
7
geo.
1 to 6
science
7, 16 to 18
8
geo.
8
sci.
7 and 18
9
geo
5
science
14
10
Geo.
2
sci.
14 to 16
11
geo(Physical)
15 and 16
geo (India)
4 and 5
economy
9 (Sustainable development)
12
Biology
13 to 16
chemistry
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. Various organizations, bodies
2. List of policies and laws.
3. Terms/ schemes.
Although in all three things, youll have to do Followup by
digging google. Because the data given in the book alone is not
sufficient to handle MCQ/Mains. But you need to read the book, to
prepare the base.
Ch1: Flora and Fauna
topic
what to focus
Climate/Seasons (page 4)
Four official seasons
Six traditional seasons
Two seasonal winds
FloraPage 5(English) ; Page 4(Hindi)
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.
Fauna (page6)
Ascending Descending order of Amphebia, Mammalia, Reptilia
etc.
Salt water crocodile is found in __?
Project crocodile __(Important for chronological order of
various projects)
This section lists names of many wild life species-You need to
find out the places where they are found.
After this census related information starts. Ignore it for the
moment we will get back to it during education, Health care,
Welfare related chapters.
Mock MCQs related to this chapter, are given in the appendix of
this article.
Ch12: Environment
What to Ignore
you may ignore following topics, because
0. bolbachchan paragraphs, useless junk for MCQ/descriptive.
1. outdated data from 2012s era- lot new developments have taken
place
ch.
topic
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 international cooperation*
302
272
12
Climate change
302-03
273
*It deals with RIO+20, but same thing explains in detail
inMrunal.org/ENB
[High priority]: Organizations: main
ch.
topic
English
Hindi
12
Ministry of environment and forest
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 wetlands regulatory authority
295
265
12
Eco-development forces(IMP- They are under defence ministry and
not under environment ministry)
296
267
12
National green 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.
[High priority]: Policies/Schemes/Projects
12
Forest management scheme
289
260
12
Project tiger, project elephant (insufficient info given, dig
NET for more)
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 conservation plan
294
264
12
National wetlands conservation program
295
265
12
Biomedical waste management
294
264
12
National afforestation program
296
266
12
Awards and fellowships- only names and features
299-300
270-71
12
ENVIS- web portal
300
271
23
National costal management program
682
700
23
Biodiversity hotspots
684
702
23
National action plan for climate change- NAPCC (more details
given in 12thFYP)
685
702-03
23
Green India mission
685
703
[High priority]: Theory
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 conservation Act
289
259
12
Environment protection Act 1986 *
-
-
12
National green tribunal act 2010 *
*Dig net
[Low priority] Miscellaneous organizations
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
Zoological 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 conservation directorate
294
264
12
National afforestation and eco-development board
296
266
12
GB pant institute
297
268
12
Four institutes given under forestry research
298
268
[Low priority] International treaties/Conventions
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
Biosphere reserve
287
257
12
Biodiversity conservation- 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.
12thFYP plan: Ch4 and Ch7
So far youre done with Environment chapter of IYB. Now time to
shift to 12thFive year plan (FYP).To download the free PDFs of 12th
FYP (English | Hindi),CLICK ME
Vol1.Ch4: Sustainable Development
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
MCQ
4.9 Green tax- meaning, utility and Indian example
147-48
fodder
4.10 why diesel-fertilizer subsidies are bad
148
fund
4.12 National clean energy fund
148
fund
4.13 Compensatory afforestation fund
148
fodder
4.15 benefit of PAT and REC
149
fodder
4.16 list of non-monetary incentives to protect environment
149
fodder
4.22 Eco Industrial hub
150
MCQ
4.26 coastal regulation zone classification
151
MCQ
4.27 fact that Swaminathan Committee is associated with coastal
zone Management
151
MCQ
4.29 Ecomark -label (last two sentences)
151
fodder
box 4.1: focus areas in 12thFYP
152
MCQ
4.35: why supercritical powerplants are better than
sub-critical
152
fodder
box 4.2: that research in advanced coal technology = better
cost:Benefit than soal energy
153
MCQ
4.37: whats the benefit of coal gasification?
153
MCQ
4.39: which states have highest potential in wind energy?
153
fodder
4.41: the need for national wind energy mission?
154
MCQ
4.42: which states have off-shore wind potential?
154
MCQ
4.44: benefit of solar photovoltaic tech vs solar thermal
tech
155
fodder
4.47 to 4.52: how to reform solar mission?
155
MCQ
4.52: crystalline silicon vs thin film system
155-56
MCQ
4.68: three types of cements produced in India (+ that BIS
permits them to add fly ash)
158
MCQ
Table 4.2: which sectors consume high amount of energy?
ascending descending order
160
MCQ/fodder
Table 4.3 the pro-cons of carbon tax vs. cap-n-trade schemes
162
MCQ
4.93: what are the negative consequences when freight is
transported through 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 reforms in urban transport?
167
MCQ
4.102: BEE energy labelling program
167
MCQ
4.105: Bachat lamp Yojana-features
168
MCQ
4.109: SEEP program
168
MCQ
fig.4.6: electricity consumption sector wise
ascending-descending
169
fodder
4.118: green building code related points
170
MCQ
4.121: green building rating system (fact that its by IGBC and
not BEE/government)
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 12thFYP. Dig following topics through
pib/net.
1. national environment policy
2. national policy for farmer
3. national electricity policy
4. integrated energy policy
5. Indian alpine initiative
6. vehicle labelling scheme
so far we are done with
IYB
ch1 land people
ch30 state UT and
ch12 Environment
12thFYP
ch4 sustainable development.
moving on:
Vol1: Ch 7 Environment, Forestry and Wildlife
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 11thFYP
239
MCQ
table 7.1 list of schemes which of them are Central schemes
(CS), and which one as centrally sponsored schemes (CSS)
240
MCQ
box 7.3: Moniterable Targets under 12thFYP
243
Fodder
box 7.4: goals of 12thFYP
244
org
7.31:National environment and forestry council (NEFC). and 7.32:
similar for States.
245
org
7.33 (1)National environment protection authority (NEPA)
245
fodder
figure 7.3 diagram to memorize fodder points
246
fodder
7.35: how to make 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: National information grid
248
org
7.48: central board of forestry
249
e-gov
7.48: Using GIS for forest rights act
249
fund
7.51: Green fund
249
fodder
7.53: need for reforms in Project elephant
249
MCQ
figure 7.4 for the schemes under 12thFYP
250
e-gov
7.65: NEMP; 7.66 forestry information system
251-52
fodder
7.67: how to protect against invasive species
252
MCQ
7.70: Environment performance index (And its table 7.2)
253
MCQ
7.73: green India mission (although mostly cutpaste from
IYB)
254
fodder
7.75: climate change
255
fodder
7.82: 12thFYPs three pronged strategy for climate change
257
MCQ
7.83: share of emission (ascending descending)
257
MCQ
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, here you get detailed info.)
260-62
fodder
7.113: how to make NAPCC more effective? (and followup on BOX
7.7 for suggested reorganization)
262
Dig Net/PIB/prsindia for:
1. National ambient air quality standards (NAAQs)
2. polysaturated fatty acids in Marine organism
3. invasive species
1. protection of plant varieties and farmers rights
2. forest rights act
3. seeds amendment bill
4. 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 MCQs: IYB Ch1 & 30
Q1. As per the IMD classification, which of the following are
the official seasons of India?
1. Winter: December to February
2. Pre Monsoon: April to June
3. Post monsoon: October to December
Answer choices
0. only 1
1. only 1 and 2
2. only 1 and 3
3. only 2 and 3
Q2. Match the following seasons
0. early autumn
1. Late autumn
2. winter
3. spring
1. Sarada
2. Hemanta
3. Sisira
4. vasanta
Answer choices
code
I
II
III
IV
a
4
3
2
1
b
1
3
2
4
c
1
2
3
4
d
2
1
3
4
Q3. Consider the following trees: silver fir, silver birch,
juniper, blue pine.
Which of them are found in the Western Himalayas?
0. all except silver fir
1. all except silver birch
2. all except juniper
3. all of them.
Q4. Arrange the following fauna in ascending order, according to
the variety of species found in India.
1. Mammals
2. Reptiles
3. Amphibians
4. Aves
Correct ascending order is:
0. 1234
1. 4321
2. 3124
3. 1324
Q5. Consider following statements about Thamin deer?
1. It is an endangered species as per IUCN classification.
2. It is an endemic species of Western Ghats.
3. It is also known as Dancing deer because of its peculiar
style of walking
Find correct statement(s)
0. only 1 and 2
1. only 2 and 3
2. only 1 and 3
3. All three correct.
Q6. Consider following sanctuaries: Ichagarh, Tenughat and
Chandrapura. Which of the following arecorrect statements about
them?
0. all of them are bird sanctuaries
1. all of them are located in Jharkhand
2. Both A and B
3. 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?
0. Tamilandu
1. West Bengal
2. Andra Pradesh
3. Andaman and Nicobar islands
Q8. Which of the following statements are correct about
Andaman-Nicobar islands?
0. Their eastern coast has fringing type of coral reefs while
western coast has barrier type of coral reefs.
1. Padauk and Gurjan- two endemic species of Mangroves, are
found only in Nicobar group of islands but not in Andaman group of
islands.
2. both A and B
3. Neither A nor B.
Q9. Which of the following statements are correct about Andaman
Nicobar?
0. It receives rainfall from South East Monsoon but not from
North East monsoon.
1. These islands have Mangrove forest but no littoral
forest.
2. Both A and B
3. Neither A nor B
Q10. Correct statements about Argali Sheep
1. Their natural habitat is alpine grasslands.
2. Theyre found in Khangchengzonga National Park of Sikkim.
3. Theyre poached mainly for horns, which are used in
traditional Chinese medicine.
4. Theyve became extinct in China and Mongolia.
Answer choices
0. only 1 and 2
1. only 1, 2 and 3
2. only 1, 2 and 4
3. only 3 and 4
Q11. Find correct statements
1. Black Necked Crane is a native of Siberia, but migrates to
Nal-sarovar of Gujarat during Winter
2. India has the largest population of snow leopards in the
world.
3. Military activity is one of the main causes for declining
population of snow leopards in the world.
Correct statements
0. only 1 and 2
1. only 2 and 3
2. only 1
3. only 3
Correct answers
1. Correct seasons as per IMD= only 2 and 3. Because for Winter-
months are given wrong
2. Early autumn-Sarada, Late-Hementa, Winter-sisira,
Spring-Vasanta
3. all of them found in Western Himalaya
4. Amphi
