GENERAL STUDIES - II

SOURCES
SYLLABUS PREPARATION
BREAKDOWN STRATEGY

Effective - Realistic - Decentralised Approach

 GENERAL STUDIES - ll SYLLABUS

No. Of Que
Average Marks
Subject ( 5 yrs )
Weightage
Till 2014 2015 - 2016 2017 - 2024
Polity &
125 51
Constitution
25 que x 10 20 que x 12 10 que x 10
marks marks marks
Governance 50 15
(150 words) (200 words) (150 words)

International
50 20 10 que x 15
Relations
marks
(250 words)
Social Justice 25 14
 POLITY & CONSTITUTION
TOPIC 1
Indian Constitution—Historical Underpinnings, Evolution, Features, Amendments,
Significant Provisions and Basic Structure.

Historical underpinnings
Features Amendments
and evolution

• Written constitution
• Preamble
• Regulating act, 1773 to • Salient features • Procedure for amending Constitution
Independence act, 1947 • Federal vs non-federal features • Important amendments and their
• Constituent assembly • Flexible and rigid provisions
• Objective resolution • Parliamentary vs. presidential • Important pending amendments
• Adoption, enactment and system. • Types of majority required in Indian
enforcement of Constitution. • Centralised and decentralised constitution
features
• India as a welfare state
 Signi cant provisions Basic structure

• FR + DPSP + FD
• Separation of powers
• Judicial review
• Single citizenship • Doctrine of basic structure- how it evolves?
• Universal adult franchise • Cases and judgements
• Lawmaking process in India
• Role of constitutional and extra
constitutional bodies in law making
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 TOPIC 2
Functions and Responsibilities of the Union and the States, Issues and Challenges Pertaining to the
Federal Structure, Devolution of Powers and Finances up to Local Levels and Challenges Therein.

Functions and responsibilities Devolution of powers and nances up to

of the union and states local levels and challenges therein

• Regulating functions of gov

• Developmental functions of gov
• Role of state government
• Administrative and quasi-judicial functions
• Role of state nance commission
• Financial devolution constitutional provisions
• 11th and 12th schedule
and issues
• Panchayat devolution index
• Seventh schedule
• Reasons for there ineffective performance
• Inter relationship between union states and
• Steps to improve performance
local gov
• Steps for improvement.
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 Issues and challenges pertaining to federal structure

• Administration relations
• Legislative relations
• Financial relations - poor devolution etc.
• Characteristic of Indian federal structure
• Issues associated with concurrent list
• Cooperative and competitive federalism
• Preserving bill for presidential
• Centre state relations & issues
approval
• Commission reports- 2nd ARC, sarkaria, punchhi etc.
• Special package for different states
• Interstate relations & issue
• Recommendations for improvement
• misuse of A356
• Issues related to governor role
• Issues related to state formation
• Central sponsored schemes and issues
 TOPIC 3
Separation of Powers between various organs Dispute Redressal Mechanisms and Institutions.

Separation of powers between various organs Dispute redressal mechanisms and institutions

• Doctrine of separation of power • What is dispute redressal mechanism?

• Separation of power in Indian constitution • Need of dispute redressal mechanism
• Doctrine & provisions of checks and balances • Various mechanisms- PIL, RTI, administrative tribunals,
between various organs fast track courts, gram nyalayas, Lok adalat, family
• Related judgements- Golak Nath, Kesavananda courts, NALSA & their issues.
Bharati, Indira Gandhi vs Raj Narain etc. • Recommendations for improvement

TOPIC 4
Comparison of Indian constitutional scheme with that of other countries.

Comparison of Indian constitutional scheme with other countries

• Indian constitution vs US, Britain, South Africa, Germany, Japan, Australia & neighbours
 TOPIC 5
Parliament and State Legislatures—Structure, Functioning, Conduct of Business, Powers & Privileges
and Issues Arising out of these.

Functioning, conduct of business, powers and

privileges
• Session of Parliament
Structure( parliament + State legislature)
• Lawmaking procedure
• Parliament proceedings
• Lok Sabha composition • Of cers of Parliament and state legislatures
• Rajya Sabha composition • Financial proceedings
• Legislative assembly composition • Women reservation
• Legislative council composition • Parliamentary committees
• MP + MLA quali cation and disquali cation
• Delegated legislation and issues
• Vacation of seats • Motions and resolutions
• Judicial activism and Parliament
• Lok Sabha & Rajya Sabha comparison
• Legislative assembly and Council comparison
• Powers and privileges of members
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 TOPIC 6
Structure, organisation and functioning of the Executive and the Judiciary; Ministries and Departments of the
Government; pressure groups and formal/informal associations and their role in the Polity.

Structural, organisation and functioning of executive and judiciary

• UNION - president, PM, COM, attorney general

• STATE - governor, CM, COM, advocate general
• Issues- ordinance making power, passage of bills
• Misuse of emergency provisions
• JUDICIARY - 3 tier structure, chief justice of India, SC and HC judges, jurisdiction,
• role as guardian of Constitution and protector of FRs, judicial review, judicial activism, PIL, appointments, subordinate courts

Ministries and departments of the government

• Introduction and functioning
• Cabinet Secretariat & Cabinet Secretary
• State secretariat & chief secretary
• Pros and cons
• Reforms needed
 Pressure groups and formal/informal associations and their role in the polity

• Types & signi cance of pressure groups

• Characteristics of pressure groups
• Pressure groups and interest groups
• Pressure groups and political parties
• Functional, role and importance of pressure groups
• Pressure groups in India
• Technique/methods used by pressure groups
• Shortcomings of pressure groups

TOPIC 7
Salient features of representation of peoples act
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 TOPIC 8
Appointment to various Constitutional Posts, Powers, Functions and Responsibilities of various
Constitutional Bodies.

Appointments, powers, functions and responsibilities of constitutional post

• CAG
• Election commission
• UPSC + SPSC + JPSC
• FINANCE COMMISSION
• National commission for SCS & STs
• Special of cer for linguistic minorities
• Attorney general + advocate general
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 TOPIC 9
Statutory, Regulatory & various quasi-judicial bodies

Statutory, regulatory and various quasi-judicial bodies

• Biodiversity authority of India

• SEBI + CVC + CIC + SIC + CBI + NDC + PMO
• Press council of India
• Competition appellate Tribunal
• Forward markets, commission of India
• Income tax appellate Tribunal
• RBI
• Intellectual property appellate board
• Inland waterways Authority of India
• Planning commission
• National Highway authority of India
• All India Council for technical education
• National commission for women, BCs, minorities
• ZONAL COUNCIL
• Central Electricity regulatory commission
• TRAI
• Atomic energy regulatory board
• IRDA + PFRDA
• Bar council of India
• NHRC+ SHRC
• CPCB
• National consumer disputes redressal commission
• Directorate general of civil aviation
• Medical Council of India
• FASSAI + UGC + FSDC + NGT
• Lokpal and Lokayuktas
• Central ground water commission
 POLITY & CONSTITUTION
TOPIC 1
Indian Constitution—Historical Underpinnings, Evolution, Features, Amendments,
Significant Provisions and Basic Structure.

Historical underpinnings
Features Amendments
and evolution
• Written constitution
• Preamble
• Regulating act, 1773 to • Salient features • Procedure for amending Constitution
Independence act, 1947 • Federal vs non-federal features • Important amendments and their
• Constituent assembly • Flexible and rigid provisions
• Objective resolution • Parliamentary vs. presidential • Important pending amendments
• Adoption, enactment and system. • Types of majority required in Indian
enforcement of Constitution. • Centralised and decentralised constitution
features
• India as a welfare state
 POLITY & CONSTITUTION
TOPIC 1
Indian Constitution—Historical Underpinnings, Evolution, Features, Amendments,
Significant Provisions and Basic Structure.

Historical underpinnings
Features Amendments
and evolution
• Written constitution
• Preamble
• Regulating act, 1773 to • Salient features • Procedure for amending Constitution
Independence act, 1947 • Federal vs non-federal features • Important amendments and their
• Constituent assembly • Flexible and rigid provisions
• Objective resolution • Parliamentary vs. presidential • Important pending amendments
• Adoption, enactment and system. • Types of majority required in Indian
enforcement of Constitution. • Centralised and decentralised constitution
features
• India as a welfare state
POLITY & CONSTITUTION
SOURCES
 GOVERNANCE
TOPIC 10
Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors & issues arising out of their
design and implementation

Government policies for development in various sectors

• Need of government policies - G&D, human development & human capital formation, equality & justice
• Need of government policies - unity and integrity, trust between government and citizens.

Government intervention for development in various sectors

• Interventions in health, gender, education, poverty etc.

• Good governance - role of institutions, bureaucrats and other stakeholders
• Transparency and accountability
• Optimum use of resources - right targeting, plugging leakages and wasteful expenditure,
• use of available knowledge, research and innovation
• Monitoring and evaluation - input output analysis, outcome budget, cost bene t analysis etc.
• Setting up of institutions, regulatory taskforce, steering committees and review committeess.

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 Implementation and issues arising from it

• What is effective implementation?

• Requirements of effective implementation - priority identi cation, target oriented vision,
• building humancapacity, good governance, good leadership, optimum use of funds,
• transparency and accountability etc.
• Issues arising out of implementation -
• Lack of technology, mobilisation of funds, right kind of human capital,
• Design policies and modus operandi of implementation etc.
• critical assessment of centrally sponsored schemes(css)
• Rationalisation of CSS
• Analysis of mean schemes - smart city, MGNREGA, digital India, skill India, make in India etc.
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 TOPIC 12
Important Aspects of Governance, Transparency and Accountability, E-governance- applications, models,
successes, limitations, and potential; Citizens Charters, Transparency & Accountability and institutional and
other measures.
E- Governance
Governance, transparency and accountability
• Introduction
• Dimensions of governance • Applications
• Citizen centric governance • Models
• Good governance - features, aspects, barriers etc. • Successes
• Necessary preconditions for GG • Limitations
• How to ensure GG? • Potential
• Legislative, administrative and judicial accountability • Government initiatives, Future prospects
• Ombudsman
Citizen charter
• Whistleblower concept
• Components and features
• Anticorruption machinery
• Shortcomings
• Role of citizens
• Measures to make it effective
• Role of media
• Six principles of CC
• Social audit
• Sevottam model
• Systematically reforms
• Issues and reforms needed
 TOPIC 11
Development Processes and the Development Industry — the Role of NGOs, SHGs, various groups
and associations, donors, charities, institutional and other stakeholders.

Development process and development industry

• Development, meaning and difference between growth and development
• Development process- human development, community development, economic development with structural
changes, social development with attitudinal changes, sustainability development, Relief and rehabilitation,
democracy, freedom and human rights.
• Constraints in development.

Stakeholders in development process

• NGOS - Role, impact, issues, UN criteria for international NGO and NGOs, areas of activity
• SHGs - need, bene ts, weakness, challenges, case studies, measures for improvement
• Various groups & associations, donor charities, institutional and other stakeholders etc.
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 TOPIC 13
Role of Civil Services in a Democracy.
Governance, transparency and accountability
• Concept of civil services
• Need of civil services
• Role played by civil services :- administer of law of land, advisory role in policy formulation, policy
implementation, policy evaluation, protector of democracy, protector of minorities, promote inclusive and
sustainable growth, institutionalise socio-economic change, discharge, delegated functions, watch dogs,
record keeping, channels of communication, continuity in times of political instability

Issues affecting Indian civil services

• Lack of professionalism and poor capacity building
• Inef cient incentive system
• Outdated rules and procedures
• systematic inconsistencies in promotion
• Lack of adequate transparency and accountability procedures
• Arbitral & whimsical transfers
• Political interference and administrative acquiescence
• Erosion in values and ethics, redtapeism, poor play, elitist in nature, tendency to capture power
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 Reforming bureaucracy to strengthen democracy

• Setting right the asymmetry of power

• Insulating civil servants from undue political intervention
• professionalism with stability of tenure and competition
• Citizen centric administration
• Accountability
• Promoting public service, values and ethics
• Outcome orientation
 GOVERNANCE
TOPIC 10
Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors & issues arising out of their
design and implementation

Government policies for development in various sectors

• Need of government policies - G&D, human development & human capital formation, equality & justice
• Need of government policies - unity and integrity, trust between government and citizens.

Government intervention for development in various sectors

• Interventions in health, gender, education, poverty etc.

• Good governance - role of institutions, bureaucrats and other stakeholders
• Transparency and accountability
• Optimum use of resources - right targeting, plugging leakages and wasteful expenditure,
• use of available knowledge, research and innovation
• Monitoring and evaluation - input output analysis, outcome budget, cost bene t analysis etc.
• Setting up of institutions, regulatory taskforce, steering committees and review committeess.

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GOVERNANCE
SOURCES
 SOCIAL JUSTICE
TOPIC 14
Welfare Schemes for Vulnerable Sections of the population by the Centre and States and the Performance
of these Schemes; Mechanisms, Laws, Institutions and Bodies constituted for the Protection and
Betterment of these Vulnerable Sections.

Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of the population by Centre and states

• Constitutional arrangement
• Women, welfare, child, welfare, SC and ST welfare, obc welfare, minority welfare, old age welfare, disabled
welfare, transgender welfare etc.
• Legislations
• Issues
• Reforms required
 Performance of schemes, mechanisms, laws, institutions, and bodies

• WOMEN & CHILD :- immortal traf c(prevention) act, indecent representation of women(prevention) act, dowry
Prohibition act, commission of Sati(prevention) act, prohibition of Child marriage act, protection of women from
domestic violence act, juvenile Justice(care and protection of children) act, etc. Central adoption resource
agency(CARA), POSCO act, sexual harassment of women at workplace(protection, prohibition and redressal) act,
pre-conception and pre-natal diagnostics Techniques(PC & PNDT) act, gender budgeting, national policy for
women, maternity bene t act etc.

• SCS :- national commission for schedule caste, protection of civil rights act, scheduled caste and scheduled
Tribes(prevention of atrocities) act, schedule caste sub-plan etc.

• STs :- national commission for scheduled Tribes, tribal sub-plan,, TRIFED, schedule Tribes and other traditional
Forest dwellers(recognition of Forest rights) act etc.

• MINORITIES :- national commission for minorities,, national commission for religious and linguistic minorities etc.
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 Performance of schemes, mechanisms, laws, institutions, and bodies

• ELDERLY :- maintenance and welfare of parents and Senior citizens act etc.

• DISABLED :- rehabilitation Council of India act, the persons with disabilities(equal opportunities, protection of
rights and full participation) act, rights of persons with disabilities act, mental retardation and multiple disabilities
act, the National Trust for the welfare of persons with autism, cerebral Plasy, mental retardation and multiple
disabilities act etc.
 TOPIC 15
Issues Relating to Development and Management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health,
Education, Human Resources.
Health Education
• Health infrastructure in India, private and public • Education structure in India - primary secondary and
health structure in India higher education
• Universal health coverage • Literacy status in India
• 12 FYP • Challenges faced by educational sector in India
• India s performance and various health indicators • Financing education
• Weaknesses in Indian healthcare system • ASER report, Subramanyam panel report etc.
• Health insurance • Government initiatives & Reforms needed
• National family health survey
• Future prospects in education sector
• National health policy
• Skill development
• National health Mission
• Maternal and adolescent health Human resource
• Child health • Skill development need & initiatives
• Antimicrobial resistance
• Challenges in skilling landscapes in India
• Disease burden in India
• Shortcomings of skill development initiatives
• Issues, Government initiatives and reforms needed
• Government initiatives & Reforms needed
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 TOPIC 16
Issues relating to poverty and hunger

Poverty and hunger

• Poverty de nition by different committees
• Poverty data in India
• Causes of poverty
• Poverty and unemployment, Poverty and social con ict
• Link between poverty & development
• MDGs + SDGs + impact of LPG reforms on poverty
• Rural + urban poverty
• Feminisation of poverty
• Poverty elevation measures and issues in its implementation
• Poverty and hunger
• Rising Hunger, hunger & health, food security programmes in India & issues
• Impact of poverty and hunger on economic development
• Controversy over poverty data estimation
• Measures to reduce poverty and hunger - NFSA, MGNREGA, Mid-day meal etc.
• Government initiatives and reforms needed.
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 SOCIAL JUSTICE
TOPIC 14
Welfare Schemes for Vulnerable Sections of the population by the Centre and States and the Performance
of these Schemes; Mechanisms, Laws, Institutions and Bodies constituted for the Protection and
Betterment of these Vulnerable Sections.

Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of the population by Centre and states

• Constitutional arrangement
• Women, welfare, child, welfare, SC and ST welfare, obc welfare, minority welfare, old age welfare, disabled
welfare, transgender welfare etc.
• Legislations
• Issues
• Reforms required
SOCIAL JUSTICE
RESOURCES
INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
TOPIC 17
India and its neighbourhood-relations

India’s relations with

• Afghanistan
• Pakistan
• China
• Nepal
• Bhutan
• Myanmar
• Sri Lanka
• Maldives
• Bangladesh
 TOPIC 18
Bilateral, Regional & Global Groupings & Agreements Involving India and/or Affecting India's Interests

India’s foreign policy Doctrine India’s bilateral relations with

• Evolution of India s foreign policy • Major powers- USA, Russia, Japan etc.
• Panchsheel & Non-aligned • Central Asian countries
movement(NAM) • West Asian countries
• Cold War era in India • African countries
• Nuclear doctrine • Australia, New Zealand
• Gujral doctrine • EU & European countries
• Look east to act East • Latin American countries
• Think West etc. • Paci c countries
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 Regional and global groupings

• SAARC, BRICS, BBIN & BCIM, INSA, ASEAN + RCEP, SCO, FIPIC
• India Africa forum
• Ashgabat agreement
• IOR-ARC
• Mekong Ganga cooperation
• Raisina dialogue
• Heart of Asia conference
• East Asia Summit
• G-20
• ADB
• Multilateral nuclear export regulatory regimes- MTCR, Wassenar, Australia Group etc.
• Security challenges in the Indian Ocean region
• South China Sea dispute
• Global issues- disarmament, climate, change, terrorism, global governance, Indian abroad
 TOPIC 19
Effect of Policies & Politics of Developed & Developing Countries on India's Interests, Indian diaspora

Effect of policies and politics of developed and

developing countries on India’s interest

• One belt one Road

Indian diaspora
• International North-South transport corridor
• Ukraine con ict • Spread of Indian diaspora
• Syrian war • India s diaspora policy and engagement -
• Global currency war Pravasi, Bharatiya Divas, know India

• Global trade war programme, OCI etc.

• UN reforms • LM Singhvi high-level committee on

• WTO reforms diaspora

• South China Sea con ict • Issues concerning diaspora - remittances,

• Brexit dual nationality etc.

• Deglobalisation and protectionism- US sanctions on Iran, US

pullout from Paris agreement, H1B visa issues etc.
• OPEC Oil prices manipulation etc.
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 TOPIC 20
Important International Institutions, agencies and fora - their Structure, Mandate.

Important international institutions

• UN AND ITS AGENCIES

• WORLD BANK
• WTO
• World economic forum
• Commonwealth of Nations etc.
INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
TOPIC 17
India and its neighbourhood-relations

India’s relations with

• Afghanistan
• Pakistan
• China
• Nepal
• Bhutan
• Myanmar
• Sri Lanka
• Maldives
• Bangladesh
INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
SOURCES