Civil Services Preliminary: Important Topics To Read For Indian Economy

One of the toughest entrance examinations in India, Civil Services, is around the corner. If you ask aspirants which section is most difficult in the preliminary exam, most of them will say Indian economy. There is no surprise here, because a lot of critical thinking is involved and candidates should memorise many facts.

Indian economy is a crucial section in both the preliminary and main examinations. Every year, over 15 questions in the preliminary exam will be based on the Indian economy. Most of the questions in the preliminary exam will be related to the current affairs such as government policies and schemes. During the last days of the preliminary preparations, one must not ignore the topics which will help you fetch a good score. Prior to the important topics in the economy section, let's explore a few preparation tips.

Never Ignore The NCERT Textbooks

Be it Indian economy, polity or geography, aspirants should start their preparations by reading the NCERT textbooks. Starting from class IX and XII, all the NCERT textbooks related to the Indian economy are very important; they help you understand topics such as poverty, food security, consumer rights, population, etc.

One should meticulously read about the national income, globalisation and sectors of the economy. This will give you a better understanding of the concepts for the preliminary and main examination. If you have any doubts during the last days, never hesitate to refer to the NCERT textbooks.

What You Should Read In Economy

The organiser of the Civil Services, UPSC, has not clearly mentioned the preliminary syllabus for the economy section. The responsibility of the aspirants is to figure out which topics to read for the preliminary exam. You will find a detailed syllabus of the economy section in many guidance books. Pick a book which you understand best and try to keep at least two or three additional books to refer to.

Be Familiar With The Economy Survey And The Union Budget

Aspirants should master everything about the Union Budget of the respective financial year. While reading, make a note of the economic terms. Keep the Economic Survey as your first reference book and refer to this book only when you come across any dubiety about the facts mentioned. One should be familiar with the money spent on social schemes and plans.

Important Topics In Civil Services Economy

• Development and Economics: macroeconomics, microeconomics, growth vs development, economic policies, green index, etc.

• Poverty: status of poverty, poverty eradication programmes, poverty and resource policy, missions of urban and rural poor, etc.

• Inclusion: types of inclusion, dimension of financial inclusion, government schemes such as PMJDY, Atal Pension Yojana, etc.

• Demographics: 2011 Census, gender ratio in various fields, population, caste composition, literacy, human development index, etc.

• Fiscal Policy: Capital account and revenue account, all taxes, both planned and unplanned expenditure, legislative process for budget, etc.

• Social Issues: policies on health, infrastructure, telecommunication, energy, transport and education, social security, regional cooperation, etc.

• Agriculture: NABARD, RRB, land reforms, insurance, seed crop insurance, revolutions such as blue, white, yellow and blue, irrigation projects, drip irrigation, etc.

• Miscellaneous: MGNREGA, MSME, skill development council, NITI Aayog, make in India, finance committee and commission, centre and state financial relation, black money, etc.

Also Read: Civil Service 2018: You Can't Expect A Question Paper Without These Topics