The GS 3 Syllabus of UPSC/JKPSCCivil Services is focussed on the following subjects:
- Science and Technology
- Agriculture
- Economy
- Internal Security
- Environment
- Disaster Management
The detailed GS 3 syllabus is mentioned below:
| Subject |
Topics |
| Economic Development |
- Indian Economy – Issues related to planning, mobilization of resources, employment, growth, and development.
- Inclusive growth
- Government Budgeting
- Land reforms in the country
- Effects of liberalization on the economy
- Changes in industrial policy
- Industrial growth.
- Infrastructure: Energy, Ports, Airports, Roads, Railways, and others
- Investment models
|
| Agriculture |
- Major crops and the cropping pattern in different regions/ parts of India
- Types of irrigation and irrigation systems storage
- Transport and marketing of agricultural produce – issues and related constraints
- E-technology in the aid of farmers
- Issues in direct and indirect farm subsidies
- Issues relating to minimum support prices
- Public Distribution System – objectives, limitations, functioning, revamping
- Issues of buffer stocks and food security
- Technology missions
- Food processing and related industries in India – significance and scope, location, upstream and downstream requirements, and supply chain management.
|
| Science |
- Developments, applications, and effects in everyday life
- Achievements of Indians in science and technology
- Indigenization of technology and development of new technology
- Awareness in the fields of IT, Space, robotics, Computers, nano-technology, and biotechnology
|
| Environment |
- Conservation
- Environmental pollution and degradation
- Environmental impact assessment
|
| Internal Security |
- Basics of cyber security
- Challenges to internal security through communication networks
- Linkages between the development and spread of extremism
- Linkages of organized crime with terrorism
- Money-laundering and its prevention
- Role of external state and non-state actors in creating challenges to internal security
- Role of media and social networking sites
- Security challenges and their management in border areas
- Various Security forces/agencies and their mandate
|
How to approach Mains General Studies Paper 3
The following table will mention the important sources which an aspirant can refer to prepare for UPSC Mains GS-III:
|
Subject
|
Sources
|
| Economic Development |
- Current Affairs
- Select articles from ‘The Hindu’
- Class 12 NCERT – ‘Introductory Macroeconomics’
- Economic Survey of India and India Year Book
|
| Environment |
- Current Affairs
- ‘Textbook of Environmental Studies For Undergraduate Courses’ by Erach Bharucha
- Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC) Official Website
- Yojana (January 2020) – Click the link to get the gist of Yojana.
|
| Science & Technology |
Current Affairs |
| Security & Disaster Management |
- Current Affairs
- Yojana (January 2017) edition- this covers Disaster Management perspectives.
|
Quick Tips to prepare for GS Paper 3:
- Focus on Current Affairs – Many topics from IAS Mains GS-III overlap with current affairs and hence, aspirants can take help from the below-mentioned links to prepare accordingly:
- Make notes on blank sheets of paper, or alternatively on an unruled notebook – Draw margins on both sides of the paper, as this familiarizes you with the format of the answer booklet given to candidates appearing for the Mains Examination.
- Use Mnemonics wherever possible – You can create mnemonics that work for you. For Example, the schemes under, ‘Bharat Nirman’ can be memorized using the mnemonic ‘WRITE H’- wherein each alphabet denotes one component, i.e. W: Water, R: Roads, I: Irrigation, E: Electricity, T: Telephone, and H: Housing.
- Use illustrations while making notes – You can use sticky notes for drawing brief diagrams, flowcharts, etc. which you can then paste on the textbook page you are referring to, or on the notebook you are maintaining for points that you are jotting down from the tablet. This will help during revision.
