Important Topics - Prelims 2023
GROWTH, DEVELOPMENT AND POVERTY ALLEVIATION
- Growth and Development
- GDP-GVA GAP
- Human Development Report (HDR)
- Poverty Alleviation
- Poverty Estimates
- Developments on financial inclusion
- Concepts and Information on Growth, Development and Poverty Alleviation
FISCAL POLICY
- Status of Government Finances
- Current Account Deficit (CAD)
- Strengthening State Finances
- State’s Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management (FRBM)
- Municipal Financing
- Taxation
- Goods and Services Tax (GST)
- Digital Tax
- Taxation of Virtual Digital Assets (VDAs)
- Non-Tax Revenues
- Key Concepts and Information on Fiscal Policy
BANKING AND MONETARY POLICY
- Urban Co-operative Banks (UCBs)
- Regional Rural Banks (RRB)
- Non-Banking Financial Companies (NBFCs)
- Amendment to Nidhi Rules, 2014
- Financial Services Institution Bureau (FSIB)
- Banking System Liquidity
- Asset Quality and Restructuring
- Non-Performing Assets (NPAs)
- Recovery and Restructuring Measures
- Debts Recovery Tribunals (DRTs)
- Asset Reconstruction Companies (ARCs)
- Monetary Policy
- Inflation in India
- Inflation Targeting
- Price Monitoring Centres (PMC)
- Standing Deposit Facility (SDF)
. PAYMENT SYSTEMS AND FINANCIAL MARKETS
- Payment Systems
- Indian Payment System
- FinTech
- Central Bank Digital Currency
- Tokenisation
- Unified Payments Interface (UPI)
- Digital Banking Units (DBUs)
- Digital Lending
- Financial Markets
- Credit Rating
- Social Stock Exchange (SSE)
- Sovereign Green Bonds (SGrB)
- Institutions and systems in the Financial Sector
- Other concepts in the Financial Sector
- Insurance Sector
- New Insurance Rules
- Pension Sector
- Pension System in India
EXTERNAL SECTOR
- Trade
- Internationalization of Rupee
- World Trade Organization (WTO)
- Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA)
- Investment
- Foreign Direct Investments (FDI)
- Other Developments Related to Foreign Investment
- Exchange Rate Dynamics
- Indian Rupee (INR) Depreciation
- India’s Forex Dynamics
- Global Institutions
- International Monetary Fund (IMF)
- World Bank Group
INNOVATION, SKILL DEVELOPMENT and ENtrepreneurship
- Innovation
- Global Innovation Index (GII)
- Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) Regime in India
- National Intellectual Property Awareness Mission (NIPAM)
- Skill Development
- National Initiative for Promotion of Upskilling of Nirman workers (NIPUN)
- Entrepreneurship
- Unicorns in India
- Government e-Marketplace (GeM) portal
- Technical textiles (TT)
- Pharmaceutical Industry and Medical Devices
- Medical Devices Industry in India
- Bulk Drug Park (BDP)
- Toy Sector in India
- Ease of Doing Business (EoDB)
- Competition Law and Big Technology Companies
AGRICULTURE
- Agricultural Inputs
- Minimum Support Price (MSP)
- Tobacco Cultivation
- Allied Sector
- India’s Dairy Sector
- Food Processing
- Food Processing Sector in India
- Agricultural Marketing and Entrepreneurship
- Asian Palm Oil Alliance (APOA)
- Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS)
- Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC)
International Year of Millets (IYM) 2023 - Rice/Paddy Acreage
- Sugarcane Production in India
- E-Commerce
- Promotion and Regulation of E-Commerce
- Cotton Cultivation
- Jute Cultivation
- Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC)
SERVICES SECTOR
- Tourism Sector in India
- National Strategy for Sustainable Tourism
INDUSTRY AND ASSOCIATED DEVELOPMENTS
- Mining
- District Mineral Foundation (DMF)
- Gold Mining in India
- Steel Industry in India
- Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs)
- Semiconductor Industry
- Telecom Sector
- GatiShakti Sanchar Portal
- Other Services Sector Developments
- Software as a service (SaaS)
INFRASTRUCTURE SECTOR
- Logistics Sector
- National Logistics Policy (NLP)
- PM Gati Shakti
- Logistics Ease Across Different States (LEADS) 2022 Report
- Multi Modal Logistics Park
- Innovation in Railways
- Aluminium Wagons
- Civil Aviation Sector
- National Air Sports Policy (NASP) 2022
- Other Developments in the Civil Aviation Sector
- Roadways
- Private Investment Models in Road Infrastructure
- Other developments in the Roadways Sector
- Indian Shipping Industry
- Landlord Port Model
- National Centre of Excellence for Green Port & Shipping (NCoEGPS)
ENERGY SECTOR
- Power Sector
- Green Energy Open Access Rules
- Coal Bearing Areas (Acquisition & Development) Act
- Hydrocarbon Exploration and Licensing Policy (HELP)
- Natural Gas Pipeline Tariff, Authorisation and Capacity Regulations
MISCELLANEOUS
- Nobel Prize for Economics 2022
- Standards National Action Plan (SNAP) 2022
- Corporate Social Responsibility
INDIA AND ITS NEIGHBORHOOD
- India-China
- One-China Policy
- One Country, Two Systems
- India-Pakistan
- Indus Water Treaty
- The Shimla Agreement
- China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC)
- Gilgit Baltistan Region
- India-Bangladesh
- India- Nepal
- India-Sri Lanka
- Katchatheevu island
- India-Afghanistan
- India-Maldives
INDIA-SOUTHEAST ASIA
- India-Myanmar
- India-Vietnam
- India-Thailand
INDIA-WEST ASIA
- India-Israel
- Two State Solution
- India-Saudi Arabia
INDIA-EUROPE
- India- European Union
- INDIA-UK
- India- France
- India- Germany
- India-Denmark
- INDIA-AFRICA
- India-Mauritius
- IBSA Trilateral Ministerial Commission
INDIA-INDO-PACIFIC
- INDIA-US
- 2+2 Dialogue
- India-Japan
- India Australia
- Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF)
- Bay of Bengal
BRICS
- New Development Bank
- Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)
- Group of Seven (G7)
- Non-Aligned Movement
- Southern African Development Community (SADC)
- Multilateral
- Multilateral Organisations/Platforms in News (Of which India is not a Member/Participating)
INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTIONS AND ORGANIZATIONS
- The United Nations
- United Nations General Assembly (UNGA)
- United Nations Security Council(UNSC)
- UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC)
- United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC)
- Other Important News Related to UN
- Group of 20 (G20)
- QUAD
- Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO)
- India-UAE
- India- Israel- United Arab Emirates – USA
- (I2U2)
- Gulf Cooperation Council
- INDIA-RUSSIA and Central Asia
- Eastern Economic Forum (EEF)
- South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC)
- Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC)
- North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)
- Geneva Conventions and Russia-Ukraine war
- India-Turkmenistan
- International North-South Transit Corridor (INSTC)
- Chabahar Port
ISSUES RELATED TO SECURITY
- Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)
- Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT)
- INTERPOL
MISCELLANEOUS
- Indian Antarctic Act, 2022
- Supply Chain Resilience Initiative (SCRI)
- Financial Action Task Force
- Mission DefSpace
- Defence Acquisition Procedure, 2020
MILITARY EXERCISES IN NEWS
Indian geography
Basics of India
- Location, latitude, longitude, time zone, etc.
- Neighbours
- Important straits
- States and their position
- States with international boundaries
Physical features
- The Himalayas –formation, climate, vegetation, soil, biodiversity, physiographic divisions, major passes.
- The Great North Indian Plains –formation, physiographic divisions, climate, vegetation, soil, biodiversity
- Peninsular Plateau –formation, Central Highlands, Deccan Plateau, Western Ghats, Eastern Ghats
- Indian Desert
- Coastal plains and islands
- River systems
- Himalayan rivers
- Peninsular rivers
- River basins
- Regional development and planning
- Hydropower projects, major dams
- West-flowing and east-flowing rivers
- Interlinking of rivers
- Climate
- Monsoons – driving mechanism, El Nino, La Nina
- Seasons
- Cyclones
- Minerals and industries –distribution,policies, location
Agriculture
- Land utilisation
- Types of agricultural practices
- Green revolution
- Soils and crops
- Irrigation
- Land reforms
- Animal husbandry
- Government schemes
- Natural vegetation and fauna
Classification of natural vegetation
- Rainfall distribution in India
- Biosphere reserves, national parks, etc.
- Red-listed species
- Economic infrastructure
- Transportation (highways, inland waterways, etc.)
- Power and energy sector
- Conventional and non-conventional sources of energy
- Energy conservation
- Human Geography
- Demographics
- Recent census
World Geography
- Major natural regions
Physical Geography
- Geomorphology
- Origin of the earth
- Interior of the earth
- Types and characteristics of rocks
- Folding and Faulting
- Volcanoes, earthquakes
- Interior of the earth
- Weathering
- Landforms formed by fluvial, aeolian and glacial actions
- Climatology
- Atmosphere – structure and composition
- Temperature
- Pressure belts of the Earth
- Wind systems
- Clouds and types of rainfall
- Cyclones and anti-cyclones
- Major climatic types
Oceanography
- Ocean relief
- Temperature, salinity
- Ocean deposits
- Ocean currents
- El Nino and La Nina
- Waves and tides
Biogeography
- Soil – origin and types
- Major biomes of the world
- Ecosystem, food chain
- Environmental degradation and conservation
Human Geography
- Man & environment; relationship, growth and development of human geography; determinism and possibilism
- Population, tribes, migration
- Economic activities – agriculture, manufacturing, industries, tertiary activities
- Settlements, urbanisation, functional classification of towns, million-cities and megacities
CLIMATE CHANGE
- Global Scenario
- IPCC’s Sixth Assessment Report
- Emissions Gap Report
- The Adaptation Gap Report 2021: The Gathering Storm
- Greenhouse Gas Bulletin
- Global Methane Assessment
- India on Course to Exceed Paris Climate Change Commitments
- International Conventions and Initiatives
COP26
- Pledges/Declarations/Agendas released at COP26
- Major Initiatives launched during COP26
- Global Resilience Index Initiative (GRII)
- Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero (GFANZ)
- Infrastructure for Resilient Island States (IRIS)
- The Green Grids Initiative-One Sun One World One Grid project
- Plastic Waste Management Amendment Rules, 2021
Reports and Indices
BIODIVERSITY
- 15th COP to the Convention on Biological Diversity
- Biological Diversity (Amendment) Act, 2021
- Wildlife (Protection) Amendment Bill, 2021
- Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights Act, 2001
- Wildlife and Conservation
- Possibly Extinct Species
- Conservation Assured Tiger Standards (CATS)
- All India Elephant and Tiger Population Estimation Exercise
- National Dolphin Research Centre (NDRC)
- Kigali Amendment to Montreal Protocol
- International Solar Alliance
- Other Initiatives in News
- Climate Mitigation and Adaptation
- Climate Finance Mechanisms
POLLUTION
- Air Pollution
- New Fly Ash Utilization Rules for Coal and Lignite Based Thermal Power Plants
- Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM)
- World Health Organisation (WHO) Air Pollution Standards
- National Clean Air Programme (NCAP)
- Partnership for Clean Fuels and Vehicles (PCFV)
- Water Pollution and Conservation
- Capacity Building Initiative on ‘Making Water Sensitive Cities in Ganga Basin
- Water Commodification
- Bio-monitoring using environmental DNA (eDNA)
- Initiatives in News for Water Conservation and Management
- Land Degradation
- Plastic Pollution
- Cheetah Reintroduction Plan
- Red Sanders
- Mahseer
- India’s first cryptogamic garden
- Asian Waterbird Census (AWC)
- World’s first 5-country biosphere reserve
- Geo-tourism Sites
- Dihing Patkai National Park
- Protected Areas in News
- Key Fauna and Flora in News
- Forests
- India State of Forest Report (ISFR) 2021
- Amendments in Forest Conservation Act
- World Heritage Forests
- Lakes, Wetlands and Coastlands
- Coral Reef
- New Ramsar Sites
- Blue Flag Certification
- Amendments to the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) Notification, 2019
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
- Gross Environment Product
- Renewable Energy Certificate (REC)
- Green Day Ahead Market (GDAM) Portal
- India Plastics Pact
- Energy Efficiency
Indian Heritage & Culture
- Indian Art Forms
- Indian Paintings
- Classical Dance Forms
- Folk Dance Forms
- Classical Music
- Puppetry
- Pottery
- Drama/Theatre
- Martial Arts
- Literature
- Ancient Indian Literature
- Classical Sanskrit Literature
- Literature in Pali and Prakrit
- Early Dravidian Literature
- Medieval Literature
- Women Poets of Bhakti
- Trends in Medieval Literature
- Modern Indian Literature
- Architecture
- Harappan Architecture
- Temple Architecture
- Cave Architecture
- Indo-Islamic Architecture
- Medieval Architecture
- Modern Architecture
- Contribution of Buddhism & Jainism to the Development of Indian Architecture
- Rock-Cut Architecture
- Colonial Architecture & the Modern Period
Important Topics in Ancient India
- Indus Valley Civilization
- Rig Vedic period
- Later Vedic period
- Jainism
- Buddhism eg: Sautrantika and Sammitiya sub-sects, Hinaya school
- Mahajanapadas
- Mauryan empire eg: Chandragupta, Bindusara, Asoka’s reign etc
- Post-Mauryan India eg: Satavahanas, Sakas, Kushanas etc
- Gupta Period eg: visit of important foreign travellers, administration etc.
- Harshavardhana
- Sangam period
Important Topics in Medieval India
- Bhakti and Sufi Movement
- The Pratiharas
- The Palas
- Pallavas
- Chalukyas
- Rashtrakutas
- Indian Feudalism
- Cholas
- Early Muslim invasions eg: Mahmud of Ghazni, Muhammad Ghori
- The Delhi Sultanate eg: Khalji Dynasty, Tughlaq Dynasty, Lodi Dynasty etc
- The Battle of Panipat
- Akbar’s rule and religious views
- Jahangir’s rule
- Aurangzeb
- Shivaji
- The Peshwas
- Vijayanagara Empire
Modern Indian History
- Middle of the Eighteenth Century till the Present
- Socio-economic Condition of the People
- European Penetration of India
- British Conquest of India
- Socio-economic Condition of the People
- European Penetration of India
- British Conquest of India
- The Freedom Struggle The Revolt of 1857
- Growth of Nationalism in India (1858–1905)
- Political, Economic & Administrative Unification of the Country
- Role of Western Education
- Role of the Press
- Rediscovery of India’s Past
- Early Political Movements
- Formation of INC
- Era of Moderates
- Growth of Militant Nationalism & Revolutionary Activities (1905–18)
- Swadeshi & Boycott Movement
- Surat Split
- International Influence
- Morley-Minto Reforms
- Growth of Communalism
- Beginning of Mass Nationalism (1919–39)
- Mahatma Gandhi – His Ideas & Leadership
- Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms
- Rowlatt Act, Satyagraha, and Jallianwala Bagh Massacre
- Non-Cooperation & Khilafat Movements
- Swarajists & No-Changers
- Emergence of New Forces – Socialistic Ideas, Youth & Trade Unionism
- Revolutionary Activities
- Simon Commission & Nehru Report
- Civil Disobedience Movement
- Round Table Conferences
- Communal Award & Poona Pact
- Participation in Elections to Central Legislature (1934) & Provincial Assemblies (1937)
- Government of India Act, 1935
- Towards Freedom & Partition (1939–47)
- National Movement during World War II
- August Offer
- Individual Satyagraha
- Growth of Communalism
- Peasant Movements
- State People’s Struggle
- Cripps Mission
- Quit India Movement
- Wavell Plan
- INA & Subhash Chandra Bose
- Cabinet Mission
- Nationalist Upsurge Post-World War II
- Independence with Partition
Post-Independence Consolidation
- Nation Building
- Partition and its Aftermath
- Integration of Princely States
- Reorganization of States
- Issue of Official Language
- Tribal Consolidation
- Regional Aspirations
- Foreign Policy
- Non-Aligned Movement
- Panchsheel Wars with Pakistan & China
- Nuclear Policy
- Economy
- Planned Development
- Green Revolution
- Operation Flood & Cooperatives
- Agrarian & Land Reforms
- Industrial Reforms
Miscellaneous
- The outbreak Industrial Revolution
- Renaissance
- Discovery of Sea Routes
- Reformation
- Counter-Reformation
- European Nations Settle North America
- Rise of the Slave Trade
- American War of Independence
- French Revolution
- Nationalism in Europe
- Rise of Capitalism, Colonialism, and Imperialism
Personalities
- Governor generals and viceroys of India
- Important Personalities include:
- Mahatma Gandhi
- Jawaharlal Nehru
- Sarojini Naidu
- Annie Besant
- Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel
- Subhas Chandra Bose
- Rabindranath Tagore
- Maulana Abul Kalam Azad
- Bal Gangadhar Tilak
- Lal Bahadur Shastri
- Jyotiba Phule
- Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar
- Swami Vivekananda
- Raja Ram Mohan Roy
Biotechnology
- Definition and Explanation
- Transgenic and Cisgenic Organisms
- Bt Brinjal
- Bt Cotton
- Genetic Pollution
- Concerns about Genetically Modified Crops
Information Technology
- Important Terms in IT
- Cyber Warfare
- Blockchain Technology
- Automation
- Artificial Intelligence
Achievements of Indians in Science & Technology
Awareness in Different Fields
- IT & Computers
- Space
- Nanotechnology
- Biotechnology
- Robotics
- Defense
- Nuclear
- Issues Related to Intellectual Property Rights(IPR)
- Need for Intellectual Property Rights
- Types of IPR
- IPR Regime in India
- International Agreements Related to IPRs
- Geographical Indicators
- Recent Issues; Evergreening, Compulsory Licensing, Prominent Cases, etc.
Important Topics of Science and Technology for the UPSC 2023 Exam:
- Nanoparticles Types, Production, and Uses
- Future Of Solar Power In India
- Application of Biotechnology
- Applications of Information Technology
- Environmental Impacts of Nanotechnology
- Carbon Footprint
- What is Green Building?
- Women in the Field of Science and Technology
- Ecological And Economic Importance Of Bryophytes
- Kapila Kalam Program
- Triclosan: Uses and Side Effects
- Facts and Fears Associated with Nuclear Energy Programme
- Biorock Technology
- Polar Code
- Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme
- Probiotics And Its Importance
- Deep Ocean Mission
- Tissue Culture Plants
- Compensatory Afforestation
- Artificial Sweetening Agents
- National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research
- Bioenergy for Sustainable Development
- Anti-Radiation Pills
- PM WANI Scheme
- NAFIS – National Automated Fingerprint Identification System
- Ethanol Blended Petrol (EBP) Program
- Liquid Nano Urea
- Rabies Disease: Transmission, Symptoms, Treatment, and Prevention
- Ecological Importance of Algae
- Diseases Caused by Worms
- Common Diseases Caused By Bacteria
- Samudrayaan Mission
- Fixed-dose Drug Combinations (FDCs)
- Major Diseases Caused By Protozoans
- Types Of Diseases Caused By Viruses
- National Mission On Nano Science And Technology
- Agriculture Census of India
- Applications of Genetic Engineering in Agriculture
- Environment Protection Act 1986
INDIA AND ITS NEIGHBORHOOD
- India-China
- One-China Policy
- One Country, Two Systems
- India-Pakistan
- Indus Water Treaty
- The Shimla Agreement
- China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC)
- Gilgit Baltistan Region
- India-Bangladesh
- India- Nepal
- India-Sri Lanka
- Katchatheevu island
- India-Afghanistan
- India-Maldives
INDIA-SOUTHEAST ASIA
- India-Myanmar
- India-Vietnam
- India-Thailand
INDIA-WEST ASIA
- India-Israel
- Two State Solution
- India-Saudi Arabia
INDIA-EUROPE
- India- European Union
- INDIA-UK
- India- France
- India- Germany
- India-Denmark
- INDIA-AFRICA
- India-Mauritius
- IBSA Trilateral Ministerial Commission
INDIA-INDO-PACIFIC
- INDIA-US
- 2+2 Dialogue
- India-Japan
- India Australia
- Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF)
- Bay of Bengal
BRICS
- New Development Bank
- Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)
- Group of Seven (G7)
- Non-Aligned Movement
- Southern African Development Community (SADC)
- Multilateral
- Multilateral Organisations/Platforms in News (Of which India is not a Member/Participating)
INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTIONS AND ORGANIZATIONS
- The United Nations
- United Nations General Assembly (UNGA)
- United Nations Security Council(UNSC)
- UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC)
- United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC)
- Other Important News Related to UN
- Group of 20 (G20)
- QUAD
- Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO)
- India-UAE
- India- Israel- United Arab Emirates – USA
- (I2U2)
- Gulf Cooperation Council
- INDIA-RUSSIA and Central Asia
- Eastern Economic Forum (EEF)
- South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC)
- Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC)
- North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)
- Geneva Conventions and Russia-Ukraine war
- India-Turkmenistan
- International North-South Transit Corridor (INSTC)
- Chabahar Port
ISSUES RELATED TO SECURITY
- Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)
- Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT)
- INTERPOL
MISCELLANEOUS
- Indian Antarctic Act, 2022
- Supply Chain Resilience Initiative (SCRI)
- Financial Action Task Force
- Mission DefSpace
- Defence Acquisition Procedure, 2020
MILITARY EXERCISES IN NEWS