GS III Paper STRATEGY

On the lines of our tradition of other GS Strategies, moving forward with this we first see the breakdown of topics and then the strategy.

If you have not gone through the analysis of GS-III, visit here (LINK)

The core subjects of GS III are-

• Economy
• Indian Agriculture (Land Reforms, PDS, Food Processing, LPG, Infrastructure)
• Internal Security
• Disaster Management
• Environment & Ecology
• Science & Technology

Economy

Booklist/Resources suggested by toppers

Static

• Indian Economy by Ramesh Singh
• Macroeconomics – NCERT Class XII
• Indian Economic Development – NCERT Class XI
• Economic Survey (Selective reading from Prelims perspective)
• Budget (any coaching material compilation)
• Niti 3-year Action Plan report (a good resource for policy recommendations that come in handy while you write conclusion)
• A Complete Solution to Indian Economy and Economic Development (LINK)
• Prahaar (Indian Economics) (LINK)

Current Affairs

• The Hindu
• Internet for understanding concepts (Arthapedia, Google, Youtube)
• Some selective coaching compilations/articles

Strategy

• Draw graphs to illustrate your answer. For eg, a graph showing GDP pattern for 4-5 years or FDI Investments for 3-4 years.

• Try to use figures and graphs from the latest economic survey.

• Use the name of committees for economic reforms, etc. to conclude or when putting way forward

• Try to use keywords from the latest surveys and budgets to suggest in tandem understanding of the Indian Economy as well, like India’s $5 Trillion target

• Try to keep a balanced approach. For eg, for question, has India’s GDP growth been V shaped? Give points in favour and against both along with a graph of GDP.

• Use selective data from NITI Aayog’s strategy and reports.

Indian Agriculture (Land Reforms, PDS, Food Processing, LPG, Infrastructure)

Booklist/Resources suggested by toppers

• The Hindu
• Some selective coaching materials/resources
• Human geography Class XII NCERT
• Agriculture schemes (Coaching Notes/Material)

Strategy

• In GS-3, mostly questions revolve around current affairs and there is no dearth of available material, so when saying to limit your resources to material that render you in writing a 250 word answer, may sound a little counter-intuitive, but it is important not to drown in the same ocean which you want to swim across.

• Strategise to make concise notes for each topic mentioned in the syllabus from the above mentioned resources. This will aid you in following minimum resources, maximum revision leading to improved results as compared to the other way, at the time of answer writing.

• Mention best practices. Eg: for water management, mention the Netherlands. For plastic waste, Kerala’s Suchitwa mission.

• Use suggestions for conclusion from Niti Aayog’s strategy for India @75. Not entirely, but read it selectively for quoting relevant details.

• Try to draw maps to explain some practices of India or cropping patterns or sometimes diagrams to explain the issue more figuratively.

• Statistics and committee reports are very important. Like Niti Aayog’s 3-year Action Plan report.

Internal Security

Booklist/Resources suggested by toppers

• Selected and compiled coaching material
• The Hindu and any updation source for current affairs
• Internal Security by Ashok Kumar, IPS
• A Complete Solution to Internal Security (LINK)
• Prahaar (Internal Security) (LINK)

Strategy

• Prepare crisp and clear definitions of technical terms such as cybersecurity, terrorism, organised crime, money laundering, left-wing extremism etc.

• For questions on border security, draw an India map to illustrate.

• Use facts and figures wherever possible. Eg: You can mention what percentage of India is affected by naxalism

• Use the name of committees for Security Reforms.

Disaster Management

Booklist/Resources suggested by toppers

• Fundamental reading: CBSE book
• Some relevant compilations of coaching materials
• A Complete solution to Disaster Management (Mains) (LINK)

Strategy

• Prepare concise notes on NDMA (structure, functions, rules etc), international agreements such as Sendai Framework, latest current affairs from newspapers, internet and coaching material.

• Draw diagrams to illustrate concepts like river embankment, land zoning, watershed management etc.

• Draw maps wherever possible to best support your answer.

Environment & Ecology

Booklist/Resources suggested by toppers

• PMF IAS Environment book
• A Complete Solution to Environment & Ecology (LINK)
• Prahaar (Environment) (LINK)
• A Relevant source for Current Affairs (Compilation/Magazine)

Strategy

• Use facts and figures wherever possible. Eg: You can mention what percentage of different sources of air pollution, what percentage of India is affected by floods etc.

• Draw maps for wetlands, main cities of air pollution etc., wherever possible to explain some phenomena or other data.

• This is a section where you need to have your basics cleared even if the questions are asked related to prevalent current issues. The base of the topic will always leave you aware about the root causes and the developments that have taken place.

• Try to use some diagrammatic representation or flowcharts to explain the events development or the processes sometimes.

Science & Technology

Booklist/Resources suggested by toppers

• The Hindu
• A Complete Solution to Science & Technology (LINK)
• Some relevant coaching compilations ( topics like nanotechnology and robotics)
• YouTube
• For space developments, you may refer to the ISRO website where all the achievements are posted. (for both prelims and mains.)
• For current affairs, again some relevant coaching resource/material

Strategy

• This topic terrifies many aspirants, and for good reason because there’s no single book or resource to help one navigate for this section and it all feels like one big haze. But a ray of sunshine is that the questions asked in S&T are mostly from current affairs and you are expected to have only a general understanding of the topics and no expert.

• Note down scientific terms or technology that’s frequently talked about in the news. For instance, we have had repeated encounters with terms such as Artificial General Intelligence, Blockchain, Machine Learning, Cryptocurrency, CRISPR-CAS9 in news and on the internet.

• Now scour the internet (especially Youtube) to understand them. There are many explainer videos on Youtube that explain the concept so well that even a school student can understand it. Once you ensure this, it becomes actually hard to miss such questions on their practical applications. It appears a task until done.

• You also need to learn fundamental terms and technologies used in Space (PSLV, GSLV, Cryo Engine etc), Nanotech, Nuclear Research (Fast breeder reactor, Uranium enrichment, Nuclear fission and fusion etc.), Defence (Cruise missile, Ballistic missile, Stealth Bomber etc), Biotech (Gene editing, Stem Cells, GM food etc), Communication (LIDAR, RADAR, LiFi, 5G etc). Any comprehensive material of a coaching institute will be sufficient for this.

• Whatever S&T topic you are learning, always focus on the concept, why it is in news, practical applications, potential threats, benefits far into the future etc. Just do this and you will easily handle this topic in the final exam.

• Do not try to indulge yourself too much in this section, remember to keep it according to the needs of the exam, this way you’ll be able to ensure to keep it exam-relevant and other important sections won’t be compromised.

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