General Resources and most important Different websites,Wikipedia and youtube

are very good learning resources on the internet. You should make use of them as often
as possible. You must copy the important webpages and links to important videos. I
cannot overemphasise the importance of doing so. Google search is also useful in case
you face difficulty in understanding. Wikipedia should be used to clarify concepts. For
non science students you tube videos are excellent help.
Remember that the toppers like Gaurav feel that internet contributed more than 2/3rd of
their preparation.
Facebook There are excellent groups on facebook where the following material is
available in e format posted by your fellow IAS aspirants . Try Sriram or Vajiram IAS
groups.
Important for those who chose non English medium or face difficulties in reading
material in English. If your level of English is very low use Google translator. If you have
occasional difficulties then use this free offline dictionary Download WordWeb. Your
English reading comprehension will improve dramatically within six months. This will
help you to understand the IAS question papers too.
PolityIndian Polity by Laxmikant
Sriram's notes
Supplement with the youtube videos esp series Pradhanmantri.
Playlists of Loksabha and Rajyasabha channels, 7 RCR.
2nd ARC report- Dont read entire report, but read those topics only which are in
the syllabus.Be very selective while reading it. Only selected and relevant areas should be
studied . Revision is very important after each reading. Use it extensively in your
answers.
Yojana- not only the current issues but also the issues of previous years can be read
selectively according to the topics in syllabus.
Topic wise
3.Indian ConstitutionHistorical underpinnings, evolution, features,
amendments, significant provision & basic structure
NEED TO KNOW
Historical underpinnings
*Indian Constitution Act 1909, Government of India Act 1935
*Cripps mission, Cabinet mission, Mountbatten plan, Indian Independence Act 1947
Evolution
*Sources from which the Constitution of India was drawn
*Constituent Assembly of India, Drafting committee, Adoption of the constitution
Features
*Details of the chapters, schedules, articles in the constitution
*Preamble to the Constitution Significant Provisions
*Citizenship, Territory
*Fundamental Rights, Fundamental Duties and Directive Principles of State Policy
*Writ Petitions
*Schedules in the Constitution G Emergency Provisions
Amendments
*Amendment of the Constitution: Different Methods, Ar-368
*Important Amendments18th, 24th, 42nd, 44th, 52nd, 61st , 73rd,74th, 86th, 91st,
97th etc
Basic Structure

*Basic structure theoryEvolution of the concept through a series of Supreme Court

Judgments as in the Kesavananda Bharati Case, Minerva Mill case etc
*Features pointed out by various judges to constitute the basic structure of the
constitution
GOOD TO KNOW
*The Preamble and Fundamental Duties by heart
*Significant Article numbers such as citizenship, fundamental rights, amendments,
election provisions, money bill, finance commission, UPSC etc
*To be able to identify which subject falls under which list: Union/State/Concurrent
*Special status of Jammu and Kashmir
GREAT TO KNOW
*National Commission to Review the Working of the Constitution Report by Justice
M.N.
Venkatachaliah
*Landmark judgements delivered by the Supreme Court in cases pertaining to
Constitution of India
14. Functions & Responsibilities of the Union & the states, Issues &
challenges
pertaining to the federal structure, evolution of powers and finances upto
local
levels and challenges there in
NEED TO KNOW
*Constitutional division of power between the Centre and the States
*Legislature, Executive and Judicial functions Central Government and State
Government
*Centre-State Administrative, Legislative and Financial relations
*Emergency powers and Residual powers
*Provisions relating to Panchayati Raj Institutions and powers bestowed upon them
*Financial allocation to PRIs and their functioning
*Power to impose taxation and financial resources of PRIs
*Finance Commission: constitution, functions
GOOD TO KNOW
*Cooperative federalism
*Inter-state Council, National Planning Commission, NDC
*Role of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India
*Panchayat Finance Commission
*Social Audit, role of Gram Sabha
GREAT TO KNOW
*Reports of Sarkaria Commission, Punchhi Commission, Administrative Reforms
Commission on Centre State Relations
*73rd and 74th Amendment Acts in detail
1 5 . Separation of powers between various organs, dispute redressal
mechanisms & institutions
NEED TO KNOW
*Article 50 of Indian Constitution
*Relationship between Legislature, Executive and Judiciary
*Independence of judiciary and Judicial review
*Right to Information Act 2005
*Office of the Chief Information Commissioner and effectiveness
GOOD TO KNOW
*Judicial activism and Public Interest Litigation
*Whistle Blower Protection
*Role of Civil Society in grievance redressal

*Delegated Legislation
*Administrative adjudication, Administrative tribunal
GREAT TO KNOW
*Theory of Separation of Powers by Montesquieu in Spirit of Laws
*Comparison with organs of the state in other countries
16.Comparison of Indian constitutional scheme with that of other countries
NEED TO KNOW
Compare and contrast constitutions of India with that of notable countries such as USA,
UK, France, Switzerland, Japan, Canada, Australia and China
*UK: Constitutional Monarchy+ Parliamentary system of government
*USA: Liberal Democracy + Presidential form of Government
*France: Parliamentary and Presidential system of Government
*Switzerland: Plural Executive Devices of Direct democracy
*Japan: Parliamentary System of Government
*Canada: Constitutional Monarchy + Quasi federal state
*Australia: Commonwealth + Federal state
*Peoples Republic of China: Single Party System + Democratic Centralism
GOOD TO KNOW
*Consider the following features of each country while comparing the constitutions:
*Type of Government
*Type of Election
*Powers of the Head of the State
*Powers of the Parliament
*Separation of Powers
*Roles of the Executive, Legislature and Judiciary
*Federalism or Centralism
*Amendment features
*Effectiveness of the working of the Constitution till date
GREAT TO KNOW
*Identify and tabulate all the countries with their respective constitutional schemes.
However we presume that it would be sufficient to examine in detail, the constitutional
schemes of the aforesaid countries.
*Distinctive features of the constitutions of other countries, if any that could be tried or
adopted in India: eg- Right to Recall
17.Parliament & State legislatures; structure, functioning, conduct of
business,
powers & privileges and issues arising out of these
NEED TO KNOW
*Union Parliament: Constitution
*Composition, functions and powers of the Council of States (Rajya Sabha)
*Composition, functions and powers of the House of the People (Lok Sabha)
*Election to the two houses of the Parliament: territorial constituencies for Lok Sabha
and
Proportional Representation for the Rajya Sabha
*Duration and Sessions of both the Houses
*Joint Sessions of Parliament
*Qualifications/ Disqualifications for membership to Parliament
*Powers, privileges, salaries, immunities of the Members
*Office of the Speaker of the Lok Sabha and Chairman of the Rajya Sabha: Powers and
Duties
*Legislative procedure: Ordinary Bills, Money Bills, Financial Bills, Bills for
Constitutional
Amendment

*State Legislatures: Structure, functions and powers

*Bicameral and Unicameral State Legislatures
*Qualifications/disqualifications, Privileges of the Members to the State Legislature
*Comparison between Union and State Legislature
GOOD TO KNOW
*Consolidated Fund of India
*Contingency Fund of India
*Committee on Estimates
*Committee on Public Accounts
*Other Parliamentary Committees
*Governors Power of Veto and Ordinance making power as compared to that of the
President of India
GREAT TO KNOW
*How to resolve a deadlock between the two houses
*Legislative control over Executive
*Empowered Group of Ministers
*MPLADS scheme
*The State Legislature of Jammu & Kashmir
*Administration of Union Territories
18.Structure, Organization & Functioning of the executive, judiciary,
ministries
& departments of the government, pressure groups, formal & informal
associations and their role in the polity
NEED TO KNOW
*The Prime Minister and the Prime Ministers office: Organisational Set up and the
Changing Role of the PMO over the years
*Union Cabinet, Council of Ministers, Cabinet Secretariat
*Centr
*The Prime Minister and the Prime Ministers office: Organisational Set up and the
Changing Role of the PMO over the years
*Union Cabinet, Council of Ministers, Cabinet Secretariat
*Central Secretariat: Evolution, Composition, Functions, Tenure System, Staffing
Scheme,
Critical Appraisal
*Ministries and Departments: Organization, Functions, Attached subordinate or
advisory
Offices
*Boards and Commissions in India
*Supreme Court High Courts Subordinate Courts: Jurisdiction, Composition,
Functions
G Pressure groups in India, Interest groups
GOOD TO KNOW
*Ministry of Home, Finance, Defence, External Affairs, Personnel in detail
*National Security Council, National Security Advisory Board
*N G Os and their influence in Public Policy formulation
GREAT TO KNOW
*Collegium system of Judicial Appointment
*Composition, functions of the Major Boards and Commissions in India
*The Judicial Accountability Bill
19. Salient features of the Representation of the Peoples Act
NEED TO KNOW
*Representation of Peoples Act 1950

*Representation of Peoples Act 1951

*Conduct of Election Rules 1961
*Election Commission of India, State Election Commissions and their role
GOOD TO KNOW
*Challenges of democracy
*Partisan Politics and Coalition Governments
GREAT TO KNOW
*Important clauses on election rules such as criteria to be recognized as a political party,
symbols that could be used for elections etc
*Election Reforms: proposed/needed in India
1. Appointment to various constitutional posts, powers, functions &
2.
responsibilities of various constitutional bodies
Constitutional Posts
*President of India Article- 54 to 65
*Vice President of India Article- 66
*Governor of the State Article- 158
*Special Officer for Linguistic Minorities Article- 350B
*Comptroller and Auditor General of India Article- 148
*Attorney General of India Article- 76
*Advocate General of the State Article- 165
Constitutional Bodies
*Election Commission Article- 324 G Union Public Service Commission Article- 315
*State Public Service Commission Article- 315 to 323 Finance Commission Article- 280
*National Commission for Scheduled Castes Article- 338
*National Commission for Scheduled Tribes Article-338A
21. Statutory, regulatory and various quasi-judicial bodies Statutory Bodies
(the number indicates the year in which the act was passed by the Parliament
constituting the respective body)
*Railway Board- 1905
*University Grants Commission- 1956
*Central Board of Direct Taxes- 1963
*Central Board of Excise and Customs- 1963
*National Commission for Women- 1992
*National Commission for Minorities- 1992
*National Human Rights Commission- 1993
*State Human Rights Commission- 1993
*National Commission for Backward Classes- 1993
*National Commission for Safai Karmacharis- 1994
*Central Vigilance Commission- 1964 (made statutory in 2003)
*Central Information Commission- 2005
*State Information Commission- 2005
*National Commission for Protection of Child Rights- 2007
Regulatory Bodies
Of all the regulatory bodies in India, the most important ones are the following (which
have also been made statutory by an act of Parliament)
*Reserve Bank of India- 1934
*Forwards Market Commission- 1952
*Medical Council of India- 1956

*Securities Exchange Board of India- 1992

*Telecom Regulatory Authority of India- 1997
*Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority- 1999
*Competition Commission of India- 2002
*Central Electricity regulatory Commission- 2003
*Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority- 2003
Quasi-judicial Bodies
*There are 62 quasi-judicial bodies in India, as of now including
*Central Administrative Tribunal
*State Administrative Tribunals
*Tribunals for Taxation, Land Reforms etc
Neither Constitutional nor Statutory Bodies
*Planning Commission
*National Development Council
Yet to be instituted
*LOKPAL, Lokayukta (present in select states)
22. Government Policies and Intervention for development in various
sectors
and issues arising out of their design and implementation
NEED TO KNOW
*Public Policy and Decision Making
*Constraints in Public Policy Making
*Problems in Policy Implementation: Conceptual, Political, Administrative, Lack of
Public
involvement
* R o l e of Administrative, Legislative, Judicial and Civil Society bodies in Policy
Implementation
GOOD TO KNOW
*The Policy Cycle: Identifying the Underlying Problem, Determining Alternatives for
Policy
Choice, Forecasting and Evaluating the Alternatives, Making a Choice, Policy
Implementation, Policy Monitoring, Policy Outcomes, Policy Evaluation, Problem
Structuring
*Policy Analysis and its Limitations
*Corruption and nepotism at various stages of policy making and implementation
GREAT TO KNOW
*Planning Commission and National Development Council: their functions and roles in
policy-making, analysis and implementation
*Case studies of certain policy making and implementation issues in India
23. Development Process