Monday, November 11, 2013

Public Administration and Sociology



PAPER - I(FUNDAMENTALS OF SOCIOLOGY)

1. Sociology - The Discipline:
Modernity and social changes in Europe and emergence of sociology.
Scope of the subject and comparison with other social sciences.
Sociology and common sense.
Sociology as a science and as an interpretative discipline; impact of industrial and French Revolution on the emergence of sociology; sociology and its relationship with history, economics, political science, psychology and anthropology.
2. Sociology as Science:
Science, scientific method and critique.
Major theoretical strands of research methodology.
Positivism and its critique.
Fact value and objectivity.
Non- positivist methodologies.
3. Research Methods and Analysis:
Qualitative and quantitative methods.
Techniques of data collection.
Variables, sampling, hypothesis, reliability and validity.
4. Sociological Thinkers:
Kar l Marx- Histor ical mater ial ism, mode of production, alienation, class struggle.
Emile Durkheim- Division of labour, social fact, suicide, religion and society.
Max Weber- Social action, ideal types, author i ty, bureaucracy, protestant ethic and the spirit of capitalism.
Talcolt Parsons- Social system, pattern variables.
Robert K. Merton- Latent and manifest functions, conformity and deviance, reference groups.
Mead - Self and identity.
5. Stratification and Mobility:
Concepts- equality, inequality, hierarchy, exclusion, poverty and deprivation.
Theories of social stratification- Structural functionalist theory, Marxist theory, Weberian theory.
Dimensions – Social stratification of class, status groups, gender, ethnicity and race.
Social mobility- open and closed systems, types of mobility, sources and causes of mobility.
6. Works and Economic Life:
Social organization of work in different types of society- slave society, feudal society, industrial /capitalist society.
Formal and informal organization of work.
Labour and society.
7. Politics and Society:
Sociological theories of power.
Power elite, bureaucracy, pressure groups, and political parties.
Nation, state, citizenship, democracy, civil society, ideology.
Protest, agitation, social movements, collective action, revolution.
8. Religion and Society:
Sociological theories of religion.
Types of religious practices: animism, monism, pluralism, sects, cults.
Religion in modern society: religion and science, secularization, religious revivalism, fundamentalism.
9. Systems of Kinship:
Family, household, marriage.
Types and forms of family.
Lineage and descent.
Patriarchy and sexual division oflabour.
Contemporary trends.
10. Social Change in Modern Society:
Sociological theories of social change.
Development and dependency.
Agents of social change.
Education and social change.
Science, technology and social change.
11.
PAPER - II(INDIAN SOCIETY : STRUCTURE AND CHANGE)
A. Introducing Indian Society:

(i) Perspectives on the study of Indian society:
Indology (GS. Ghurye).
Structural functionalism (M N Srinivas).
Marxist sociology (A R Desai).
(ii) Impact of colonial rule on Indian society :
Social background of Indian nationalism.
Modernization of Indian tradition.
Protests and movements during the colonial period.
Social reforms.
B. Social Structure:
(i) Rural and Agrarian Social Structure:
The idea of Indian village and village studies.
Agrarian social structure - evolution of land tenure system, land reforms.
(ii) Caste System:
Perspectives on the study of caste systems: GS Ghurye, M N Srinivas, Louis Dumont, Andre Beteille.
Features of caste system.
Untouchability - forms and perspectives.
(iii) Tribal communities in India:
Definitional problems.
Geographical spread.
Colonial policies and tribes.
Issues of integration and autonomy.
(iv) Social Classes in India:
Agrarian class structure.
Industrial class structure.
Middle classes in India.
(v) Systems of Kinship in India:
Lineage and descent in India.
Types of kinship systems.
Family and marriage in India.
Household dimensions of the family.

(vi) Religion and Society:
Religious communities in India.
Problems of religious minorities.
C. Social Changes in India:
(i) Visions of Social Change in India:
Idea of development planning and mixed economy.
Constitution, law and social change.
Education and social change.
(ii) Rural and Agrarian transformation in India:
Programmes of rural development, Community Development Programme, cooperatives, poverty alleviation schemes.
Green revolution and social change.
Changing modes of production in Indian agriculture .
Problems of rural labour, bondage,migration.
(iii) Industrialization and Urbanisation in India:
Evolution of modern industry in India.
Growth of urban settlements in India.
Working class: structure, growth, class mobilization.
Informal sector, child labour.
Slums and deprivation in urban areas.
(iv) Politics and Society:
Nation, democracy and citizenship.
Political parties, pressure groups , social and political elite.
Regionalism and decentralization of power.
Secularization
(v) Social Movements in Modern India:
Peasants and farmers movements.
Women’s movement.
Backward classes & Dalit movement.
Environmental movements.
Ethnicity and Identity movements.
(vi) Population Dynamics:
Population size, growth, composition and distribution.
Components of population growth: birth, death, migration.
Population policy and family planning.
Emerging issues: ageing, sex ratios, child and infant mortality, reproductive health.
(vii) Challenges of Social Transformation:
Crisis of development: displacement, environmental problems and sustainability.
Poverty, deprivation and inequalities.
Violence against women.
Caste conflicts.
Ethnic conflicts, communalism, religious revivalism.
Illiteracy and disparities in education.




Books
Administrative Thinker (Prasad and Prasad)
Indian Admnistration by arora and Goyal
IGNOU
IIPA Notes
Vajiram notes
NCERT


PAPER – I
Administrative Theory

1. Introduction:
Meaning, scope and significance of Public Administration; Wilson’s vision of Public Administration; Evolution of the discipline and its present status; New Public Administration; Public Choice approach; Challenges of liberalization, Privatisation , Globalisation; Good Governance: concept and application; New Public Management.

2. Administrative Thought:
Scientific Management and Scientific Management movement; Classical Theory; Weber’s bureaucratic model – its critique and post-Weberian Developments; Dynamic Administration (Mary Parker Follett); Human Relations School (Elton Mayo and others); Functions of the Executive (C.I. Barnard); Simon’s decision-making theory; Participative Management (R. Likert, C. Argyris, D. McGregor).

3. Administrative Behaviour:
Process and techniques of decision-making; Communication; Morale; Motivation Theories – content, process and contemporary; Theories of Leadership: Traditional and Modern.

4. Organisations:
Theories – systems, contingency; Structure and forms: Ministries and Departments, Corporations, Companies, Boards and Commissions; Ad hoc and advisory bodies; Headquarters and Field relationships; Regulatory Authorities; Public - Private Partnerships.

5. Accountability and control:Concepts of accountability and control;
Legislative, Executive and Judicial control over administration; Citizen and Administration; Role of media, interest groups, voluntary organizations ; Civil society; Citizen’s Charters; Right to Information; Social audit.

6. Administrative Law:
Meaning, scope and significance; Dicey on Administrative law; Delegated legislation; Administrative Tribunals.

7. Comparative Public Administration:
Historical and sociological factors affecting administrative systems; Administration and politics in different countries; Current status of Comparative Public Administration; Ecology and administration; Riggsian models and their critique.

8. Development Dynamics:
Concept of development; Changing profile of development administration; ‘Antidevelopment thesis’; Bureaucracy and development; Strong state versus the market debate; Impact of liberalisation on administration in developing countries; Women and development - the self-help group movement.

9. Personnel Administration:
Importance of human resource development; Recruitment, training, career advancement, position classification, discipline, performance appraisal, promotion, pay and service conditions; employer-employee relations, grievance redressal mechanism; Code of conduct; Administrative ethics.

10. Public Policy:
Models of policy-making and their critique; Processes of conceptualisation, planning, implementation, monitoring, evaluation and review and their limitations; State theories and public policy formulation.

11. Techniques of Administrative Improvement:
Organisation and methods, Work study and work management; e-governance and information technology; Management aid tools like network analysis, MIS, PERT, CPM.

12. Financial Administration:
Monetary and fiscal policies; Public borrowings and public debt Budgets - types and forms; Budgetary process; Financial accountability; Accounts and audit.

PAPER - II

Indian Administration

1. Evolution of Indian Administration:
Kautilya’s Arthashastra; Mughal administration; Legacy of British rule in politics and administration - Indianization of public services, revenue administration, district administration, local self-government.

2. Philosophical and Constitutional framework of government:
Salient features and value premises; Constitutionalism; Political culture; Bureaucracy and democracy; Bureaucracy and development.

3. Public Sector Undertakings:
Public sector in modern India; Forms of Public Sector Undertakings; Problems of autonomy, accountability and control; Impact of liberalization and privatization.

4. Union Government and Administration:
Executive, Parliament, Judiciary - structure, functions, work processes; Recent trends; Intragovernmental relations; Cabinet Secretariat; Prime Minister’s Office; Central Secretariat; Ministries and Departments; Boards; Commissions; Attached offices; Field organizations.

5. Plans and Priorities:
Machinery of planning; Role, composition and functions of the Planning Commission and the National Development Council; ‘Indicative’ planning; Process of plan formulation at Union and State levels; Constitutional Amendments (1992) and decentralized planning for economic development and social justice.

6. State Government and Administration:
Union-State administrative, legislative and financial relations; Role of the Finance Commission; Governor; Chief Minister; Council of Ministers; Chief Secretary; State Secretariat; Directorates.

7. District Administration since Independence:
Changing role of the Collector; Unionstate-local relations; Imperatives of development management and law and order administration; District administration and democratic decentralization.

8. Civil Services:
Constitutional position; Structure, recruitment, training and capacity-building; Good governance initiatives; Code of conduct and discipline; Staff associations; Political rights; Grievance redressal mechanism; Civil service neutrality; Civil service activism.

9. Financial Management:
Budget as a political instrument; Parliamentary control of public expenditure; Role of finance ministry in monetary and fiscal area; Accounting techniques; Audit; Role of Controller General of Accounts and Comptroller and Auditor General of India.

10. Administrative Reforms since Independence:
Major concerns; Important Committees and Commissions; Reforms in financial management and human resource development; Problems of implementation.

11. Rural Development:
Institutions and agencies since independence; Rural development programmes: foci and strategies; Decentralization and Panchayati Raj;73rd Constitutional amendment.

12. Urban Local Government:
Municipal governance: main features, structures, finance and problem areas; 74th Constitutional Amendment; Globallocal debate; New localism; Development dynamics, politics and administration with special reference to city management.

13. Law and Order Administration:
British legacy; National Police Commission; Investigative agencies; Role of central and state agencies including paramilitary forces in maintenance of law and order and countering insurgency and terrorism; Criminalisation of politics and administration; Police-public relations; Reforms in Police.

14. Significant issues in Indian Administration:
Values in public service; Regulatory Commissions; National Human Rights Commission; Problems of administration in coalition regimes; Citizen-administration interface; Corruption and administration; Disaster management.


Thursday, November 7, 2013

Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM)

The decision will be taken by prime minister after weighing the conflicting views of the people of Tamil Nadu, reflected in stands taken by Congress and DMK leaders, on the one hand, and maintaining good relations with a neighbour, on the other.

Out of 11 CHOGM sessions in the past 20 years, this would be the sixth in which India is unrepresented by the Prime Minister. And since 1993, it will be the third CHOGM, after Auckland in 1995 (Pranab Mukherjee) and Coolum in 2002 (Jaswant Singh), where the External Affairs Minister led the Indian delegation.

If peace returned and development took place in the Tamil areas in Sri Lanka, it would be advantageous for Tamil Nadu in the form of more industrial investments. At present, 10 lakh youths from Tamil Nadu’s southern districts migrate every year to other States in search of jobs, the Minister claimed.
LawAsia president-elect and advocate Prashant Kumar said the Sri Lankan government had denied entry to the participants of the International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute’s (IBAHRI) high-level delegation which included the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Independence of Judges and Lawyers.

The IBAHRI delegation was intending to travel to Colombo to participate in a conference co-hosted by the Bar Association of Sri Lanka and the IBAHRI titled ‘Making Commonwealth Values a Reality: the Rule of Law and the Independence of the Legal Profession’.

Asian Centre for Human Rights Director Suhas Chakma urged indian PM to attend CHOGM and demand accountability for the “war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by Sri Lanka.”

EC to convey views of parties on opinion polls to Government

The Election Commission will soon write to the Law and Justice Ministry on the views expressed by various recognised political parties on banning opinion polls during elections.

Right now the ban on displaying any election matter including results of opinion poll or any other poll survey, under Section 126(1)(b) of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, is applicable only to the electronic media, the cinematograph or other similar apparatus.

The ban is valid from 48 hours before the end of the first phase of poll to till the completion of polling hours in the final phase (if it is multiphase elections).

Informed sources said though the EC in 2004, had written, as part of electoral reforms, to the government suggesting that the opinion poll be banned from the date of notification (commencement of nominations for the first phase) itself there was not much progress after that. About one-and-a-half months ago, the govt had sent a communication to the EC asking it to get the views of the parties on banning opinion polls.

Among the some party felt that the ban on opinion polls would be a 'restriction' on the fundamental right to freedom of speech and expression guaranteed in the Constitution.

Gauhati High Court sets aside 1963 resolution on CBI formation


The Gauhati High Court has quashed the Union Home Ministry resolution by which the Central Bureau of Investigation was constituted way back in 1963. The court held that the CBI was neither an organ nor part of the Delhi Special Police Establishment and thus could not be treated as a “police force” constituted under the DSPE Act.

In their 89-page judgment, Justices I.A. Ansari and Indira Shah said : “While we decline to hold and declare that the DSPE Act, 1946 is not a valid piece of legislation, we do hold that the CBI is neither an organ nor part of the DSPE and the CBI cannot be treated as a police force constituted under the DSPE Act, 1946.”

Though the Division Bench had directed the respondents to produce the original records on creation of the CBI, they just submitted a certified copy of the records from the National Archive.

“However, even a perusal of the entire records makes it clear that the Resolution, dated April 1, 1963, was neither produced before the President, nor did it ever receive the assent of the President. Hence, strictly speaking, the Resolution cannot even be termed the decision of the Government of India. That apart, it is apparent from the records that the CBI is a newly constituted body and not the same as DSPE.”

Tuesday, November 5, 2013

Topics Study for GS 1,2,3 and 4 ?


Indian Heritage and Culture, History and Geography of the World and Society

1) Part IV- A of the Constitution.
2) Judicial powers of the President of India
3) Nutrition transition (extent, causes, and implications)
4) PCPNDT Act, 1994, and the implication of its amendment in 2003,
5) Sequences of events in popular revolt that took place in Royal Indian Navy.(Our View)
6) Influence of three important women’s organisations of the early twentieth century in India on country’s society and politics.(Our View)
7) National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM) scheme and Swarna Jayanti Swarojgar Yojna(SGSY).
8) Structure, objectives and role of the Advertising Standard Council of India.
9) RBI-appointed Damodaran committee
10) Deendayal Disabled Rehabilitation Scheme (DDRS).
11) Evolution of ‘Green Benches’ in our higher judiciary.
12) Distinction between ‘Department Related Parliament Standing committees’ and ‘Parliamentary Forum’.
13) Cash transfers to Below Poverty Line Households.
14) National Programme for Control of Blindness (NPCB).
15) Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA)
16) Influence of Climate on Water Resources
17) Measures taken by the Indian government to combat piracy in the Indian Ocean.
18) The significance of counter-urbanisation in the improvement of metropolitan cities in India.
19) Problems specific to the denotified and nomadic tribes in India.
20) History (Freedom Struggle)
a) 'Benoy-Badal-Dinesh' martyrdom
b) Bharat Naujavan sabha
c) 'Babbar Akali' movement
21) Phase-IV of the tiger monitoring programme by the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) and the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA)
22) Central Statistical Office has notified a new series of Consumer Price Index,
23) National Executive Committee of the National Disaster Management Authority.
24) Bihar Special Courts Act, 2009
25) Telecommunications Ministry’s proposed Spectrum Management Commission.
26) Community-Led Total Sanitation (CLTS) approach to sanitation.
27) Distinguish between ‘Moatsu’ and ‘Yemshe’ festivals of Nagaland or the ‘Losar’ and ‘Khan’ festivals of Arunachal Pradesh.
28) Traditional theater forms :-  Bhand Pather,Swang,Maach,Bhaona,Mudiyettu and Dashavatar.
29) Major different styles of pottery making in India?
30) List the classical dance forms of India as per the Sangeet Natak Akademy.
31) Nisarga-Runa technology of BARC.
32) First aid that you can safely administer to a person standing next to you at the bus stop who suddenly faints.
33) Kaveri K-10 aero-engine.
34) Molecular Breast Imaging (MBI) technology.
35) E-governance initiatives by UPSC
36) Famous Personality in recent news


1) Define Innovation.National Innovation Policy.
2) Informal Sector's Share in total Workforce of country.
3) Desertification in India
4) Ban on EndoSulfan
5) Indian Independence Movement was Mass-base movement that encompass various section of society.It also underwent the process of ideological evolution.Examine?
6) Tourism in Tiger reserve forest is matter of debate.Examine keeping in view recent judicial pronouncement.
7) Need for planning commision on health in 12 five year plan.
8) Proposal to rename and amend the Child Labour act 1986.
9) Domestic resource mobilization.
10) "Flute Playing Krishna" theme is popular in indian dance.
11) Consumer Protection Bill 2011
12) MDR-TB
13) Accelerated pace of developement and demand for energy.Would you consider renewable source as viable solution.
14) Trans fat in food items.Source and effect on human health.
15) Parivarik Mahila Lok Adalat.
16) Objective of National Manufacturing Policy 2011.
17) Rasarnava in studying history of indian chemistry.
18) Right within the article 21 of constitution.
19) Significance of Preamble in Right to information act.
20) On Mohini Giri committee reccomendation,goverment announced national council.
21) National Mission on Libraries
22) Musical Instrument classification
23) Significance of fire in Zoroastranism.
24) Laurie Baker "the conscience of indian architecture"
25) Our view any health incidence occurs to our friend.
26) Significance of Patharughat in freedom Struggle.
27) Bagurumba folk dance.
28) Determining the value assigned to the vote of a member of a state legislative assembly and MP in Indian presidential election.
29) Significance of Spot-6 by ISRO.
30) Issues Highlighted by famous correspondent.


GS2
(Bilateral Relation,World History,World Economy,Climate and Environment,International News and Economy,Sports,Science & Technology)
1) List the Central Asian Republics and identify those of particular strategic and economic importance to India.(20)
2) ‘string of pearls’ theory for India.
3) SAFTA and Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multisectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation Free Trade Area (BIMSTEC FTA)
4) Nuclear Supplier Group (NSG) and Agreements of nuclear energy that India has signed.
5) India’s efforts for a joint counter-terrorism strategy with China.
6) importance of the Small and Medium Enterprises Expo and Conference.
7) Political and economic relationship between India and South Africa?
8) Jasmine Revolution
9) ‘Euro-zone’ debt crisis, examine the proposed ‘six-pack’ solution.
10) melting of Arctic Sea ice, the interests of the Arctic Council nations.
12) Concept of balance of power in contemporary international politics
13) “Strategic interests seem to be replacing commercial interests for the host country with regard to Cam Ranh bay.” Amplify.
14) Withdrawal of al-Shabab from Mogadishu given peace a real chance in Somalia.
15) Formula-one (F-1) racing car track, information to drivers by different colors of flag.
16) Information on Topics
a) International Year of Chemistry
b) scourge of e-waste
c) Designer poultry eggs
d) INSPIRE programme of the Department of Science and Technology
e) Kessler syndrome
f) Omega-3 fatty acids in our food
g) Difference between ‘spin-drying’ and ‘tumble-drying’ technology 
h) admonishing population of vultures
i) ‘Arsenic-bug’ and its Significance
j) F-22 ‘Raptor’ aircraft
k) ‘Concentrated’ solar energy and’ photovoltaic’ solar energy
l) Analog hybrid and IP systems in CCTV technology
m) Various applications of Kevlar
n) Differences between Compact Disc (CD), Digital Versatile Disc (DVD) and Blu-ray Disc.
17) World Customs Organisation (WCO)
18) Success of international intervention of Cote d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast)
19) Strategic adopted by Colombia to eliminate its drug cartels
20) World Food Programme (WFP) 
21) Sculpture of the broken chair in front of the UN building at Geneva

22) Following in news recently :- 
a) Tiangong – 1
b) K-computer
c) Gliese 581 g
d) MABEL robot
e) Operation Shady Rat
f) SAGA-220
g) Billion Acts of Green
h) L’Aquila earthquake
i) OPERA detector at Gran Sasso
j) Saturn’s Titan
k) ‘News International’ newspaper
l) Mustafa Abdul-Jalil
m) Abel Kirui
m) Natalie Portman
o) Nawaf Salam

23) Draw Tables,Ogives
24) From tables calculate the missing frequency.
25) Average,Mean,Time and distance


1) Chinas emergence as largest trading partners of india
2) Globalization of R&D and its impacts on India's developement.Examine from atleast on sector IT or Health.
3) Prolonged constituional logjam in nepal.
4) Plant genomics will play critical role to keep out hunger due to rise in population.
5) Indus Water Treaty.
6) Indian Diaspora.Difference between "new and old diaspora".
7) Resource rich countries are still poor.
8) Does Putin's return as russia's president will have impact on international diplomacy towards the west.
9) Interlinkage between Convention on Bological diversity and FAO Treaty.
10) Millenium Development goals achieveing target is of international concerned.
11) Negative impact of the protectionist measures proposed by US on indian sofware industry.
12) Assisted Reproductive Technology.India has emerged as Hub of surrogacy.
13) International Trade have been failed to act as an "engine of growth" in many developing countries including india.
14) Doping.Its effect and name any five athletes.
15) Significance of IBSA and BRICS for indian diplomacy.
16) Safe landing of Curiosity by NASA.Benefits for humankind
17) US sanctioan against Iran affected India's bilateral relation with Iran.
18) Parmaculture.Three Exmaples
19) Feature and purpose of Seqouia supercomputer.
20) What is G8+5 Group.
21) Human Pappiloma Virus vaccine in India.
22) India's stake in south china sea.
23) Explain concept "Enviromental Sustainability" and "Sustainablr developement of people".
24) Clean Development Mechanism under UNFCCC
25) Draw bar and dotted Graphs 
26) average Median and Mode

Monday, November 4, 2013

What to Study in NewsPaper ?


From NewsPapers
  • Polity and Governance/Administration:
  1. Press conference of government, where they announce various policies, administrative reforms etc.
  2. Various bills, minutes of Cabinet meetings
  3. The big full-page advertisements given by ruling party, about their achievements. (This usually comes before the election and on the birth anniversary of Nehru Gandhi Family). It is important because, they list out the various developmental schemes and provisions in it. Most important part is “who runs the scheme?” for example NREGA thing for under the jurisdiction of rural development Ministry (and not under Labour Ministry).
  4. Election related items: what will the initiatives taken by the election commission? Any problems or controversies.
  5. Study Scams :- All you have to do is brief highlight of what was the scam, how was it committed, what is the presence status in investigation or court and how to prevent it in future.(No need to remeber all date details.)
  6. You have to prepare these(above points) for both Union as well as your own state Government.
  • National News
  1. Crime :- Maoists kidnap a collector = name of the collector is not important. Important is what experts and politicians say we need a comprehensive hostage-crisis guideline after this incidence.
  2. Railway Accident :- Reason for the rail accident and suggestions to prevent future accidents.
  3. Floods, landslides or tsunamis :- Reason behind those geographical phenomenons is important.(No need to remeber all date and how many killed details.)
  4. ISRO launcing Space Vehicles.(No need to remember date and its weight).
  5. Incidence and Accidents :- Important is why it occurs and what measure government is taking to stop it.
  • InterNational News
  1. Bilateral Relation :- Bilateral visits of prime ministers and presidents. What treaties or trade pacts did they sign?
  2. What is going on in UN, IMF, World Bank?
  3. Elections in the big nations : USA, Russia, China, France, UK.
  4. Political or military coup (usually in South America and Africa.)
  5. Any major event: the democratic uprising in Middle East, Israel palestine, US vs China / Russia missile defence, NATO-Afghanistan and so on.
  1. Meetings of organisations such as ASEAN, G20 etc , and particularly what India did in such conferences and meetings.
  2. Climate change, environment related news.
  3. Science and Tech related items for example CERN, China’s space program, missle tests by N.Korea, Iran’s nuke program and so on.
  4. Any News that makes impact on present and future of world then go through it.
  • Economy
  1. Press conference or press note by Government, SEBI, RBI, Planning Commission etc.
  2. ASSOCHAM, NASSCOM etc. (they usually complaint or suggest about Government policies that affect the business houses.)
  3. IIP, GDP, WPI, CPI etc. Not the “numbers” but the reasons behind that number and the future because of that number.Is this IIP good or bad? And why is it good or bad? What’ll be its impact on future of Indian economy and Government / RBI policies?
  4. International: ASEAN, World Bank, EU etc.
  • Frontpage
  1. There is a narrow column on the left hand side of the front page, most of the time, the yearbook related information, government schemes etc. appear here.
  2. The main news item on the frontpage: it is usually “not-very-important”. Reason most of the time it is the political news. For example, “Bihar Mahadalit Land Racket.” If you are a candidate from Bihar, you should read it, for the others, it is not worth it.
  • Columns and Editorials
  1. These are big paragraphs like articles in the centre pages of a newspaper.Generally each article has photo of the author.
  2. Usually columns are made up of 7-8 paragraphs. But not every sentence and line is important; there are just 3-4 gemstones in it, which you can use in your mains / essay / interview answers. So just note them down.
  3. You must not admire or criticize a particular individual (minister / politician) in the mains / interview. And don’t prepare a line that is “too leftist” or “too rightists.”And if you criticise the Government, then you should also offer the reform suggestions
  • Sports / music / life-style/ Bollywood
  1. Bollywood and cricket related news = not important in any case. Unless something related to administration or polity for example should BCCI be brought under RTI? And the copyright act vs Bollywood.