Sunday, August 24, 2008

Important Current Affairs topics for CSE 2008

Prepare answers (facts + analysis + organise answer) in your own words for them and treat them as a part of syllabus.

India and World
============
Indo - US relations (due to nuclear deal)
Indo - Pak relations (due to recent political developments in Pakistan and firing across LoC)
Indo - China (Tibet issue and boundary talks)
Indo - France (Visit by Sarkozy)
Steps by India to get civilian nuclear cooperation
Energy Security (due to Nuclear deal)
SAARC

International Affairs
===============
Developments in Nepal
Developments in Pakistan
Developments in West Asia Peace Process
Developments on Iran nuclear issue (do mention turnabout in US policy)
G8 summit
Lisbon Treaty

Economy
=======
Inflation
WTO and Agriculture
Global recession and oil price rise
FAO summit on food crisis
WIPO and its Development agenda

Science and Technology
=================
DNA, its structure and functions (A pioneer in the field - Gunther Stent - died recently)
Genetic Engineering
Chandrayaan/India's space programme (it was postponed from February this year to sometime next year)
India's three stage nuclear programme

Polity
====
Trust Vote
Role of Speaker
Parliamentary control over executive
2 markers on Rule 184 and Rule 192
Trial by Media (Arushi murder case). See some points from P M Bakshi for this topic.

National, Social and Environmental issues
=============================
Climate change and India's Climate Change Action Plan
Project Tiger
Internal Security

Try to add relevant points from Current Affairs even in traditional questions. For example:

(1) On Parliamentary control over executive make a reference to current govt. taking trust vote on a deal with foreign country even though no law has been passed for it yet.
(2) In Project Tiger give the recent developments on it (National Tiger Conservation Authority has been formed recently for Project Tiger areas. Give its functions too)
(3) In Internal Security give reference to recent blasts and steps taken by govt.

Climate Change could be an essay topic this year.

17 comments:

Anonymous said...

Thanks Sir do guide us like that in future as well it will definitely help us

Anonymous said...

Gud Evening Sir

Sir do tell us were an aspirant generally make a mistake while preparing for civil services n must b to take care of n like that tips so it help us to b careful like before this year prelim i only prepare for pre examination n does not apy attension to so many point just keeping in mind that option are there to make me remember relevant so i did not understand n keep going on reading only while preparing now i know prepraing for mains help to learn n true sense.... u always help sir i know like that keep guding us as u always do
Best of Luck Sir
Thanks

Anonymous said...

Can U please tell me that which area in newspaper is must to read whether u understand the material or not but specify thje area which must b read in newspaper n give stees to topic ok
tell me page like front page, international national editorial etc...............
in hindu paper
Same case with chornicle please identfy those area which are irreavalent not necessary to study n give suggesstion how to read news paper, how timke should b spent n all what to cover please answer this......
basicaly how to read newspaper n magzine from UPSC point of view



Are u able to tell me that in GS paper 2
Q3 asked always about NRI related question
can u explain me where material related to it are sufficient if its is newspaper on which page which kind of article it found do tell ok

Sir please also tell me that how can one news become question in UPSC as u write role of media b the topic of polity qustion n how trust vote is another one climate change is other examplesss....
can u please tell how u found or u getting that this is going to b a question in UPSC actually
are u understand what m tryng to tell u want to know please help me in this regard

Supreet Singh Gulati said...

Usually front page, editorial, international and economy page suffice, but there is no hard and fast rule. I don't think in terms of which page is important. I see a news item and try to correlate it with the syllabus. I mean, GS has Polity, National Affairs, International Affairs, Economy and India and World as broad topics. So, whenever I see a heading I try to correlate it with these broad heads.

If newspaper is followed religiously, magazines actually become just a source of revision rather than source of new info. I would select important topics of a month from newspaper (again keeping one eye on the syllabus) and prepare them. Then I'd open the magazine to see what all I missed. From Chronicle do study the main articles well. You can be very selective in remaining topics for Mains.

I don't remember preparing specially for NRIs. But News Notes given in Chronicle should be sufficient for it.

Anonymous said...

Sir
Please tell about marking scheme in UPSC
ex.....what is inflation? explain types of inflation????
if some know answer of half question then UPSC allot mark or give negative marks for attempting half question not in full........
please do explain this marking scheme in detail where marks can score, what was negative system how negative marks give in mains n all that......
THANKS

Anonymous said...

Thanks Sir for reply keeping gudiing me like that Thanks one again have fun while training

Anonymous said...

Sir can u guide me for preparing notes of current afiar...... means i m confusing in betweem how to divide the section n make notes for CA...... whter divison on syllabus base like indian n world , international affair etc or it was like abbrevation, person in news,places,interinal affair nation affair etc... Sir please gudie me which method is more conveninet n ready to use for reason n why please answer that Sir
have a gud day

Anonymous said...

gud morning Sir
please help me in this regard.....
Time management ............. how 2 divide time for study of GS n optional. some day i read only pub ad or some day only GS history or something else or i read newspaper n i know i m not gud with that n do not have any idea how to divide time( i know i m very bad with time management) can u make plan for me for a day or for week or for a month please do tell in present context as this is Oct n pre is in May... mainly for GS as GS seems a endless game here we r not going to deal with single subject here history, geography, science ,economy, statistics, curents etc is there how can i move day by day with all this can u please give some rough idea....... or some time table

Supreet Singh Gulati said...

If you know only a part of the question, answer it well and leave the rest. You'll get credit for it. Don't attempt flukes in Mains. That'll leave a negative impression on the examiner. Also, answer the questions that you know best first.

For Current Affairs detail questions, it is best to go topic wise. For example, if you are preparing for Indo-US relations, collect the news items on it for a few months. After that jot down the major developments in the relations and prepare answer on it. This exercise can be started by March 2009 if you are appearing in Mains 2009.

For 2 markers, rely on any one magazine. It will give you persons in news, places etc. No need for separate notes for this,

Supreet Singh Gulati said...

Time management: I usually tell the aspirants to concentrate on GS Mains and 2nd optional till November, GS Prelims and 1st optional (Mains + Prelims preparation for 1st optional) till Prelims exam.

Many people pick up second optional after the Prelims and some do clear the paper, but it is a risky approach.

Anonymous said...

Thnks Sir
its nice u take out ur percious time n answer my questions.
have a nice time in masoorie

Unknown said...

Dear Surpreet Sir, I just want to know how was your experience in SRIRAMS. I am Planning to join SRIRAMS for GS for Mains.Please guide

Unknown said...

First of all, kudos for carrying out tedious,peevish job of answering several myriad of queries of many aspirants.I was not aware of this means of communication (blogging)and guidance
so was very tensed at prima facie when i thought of preparing for cse.your and few other toppers blog appeared to be boon for aspirant.I went thro most and still going thr ur replies under several blogs.I hav few queries to my relevance(may b 4 others):-
Can i get any contact(blog,mail id etc) of ur batchmates or toppers with chemistry as optional for guidance.Also u hav given solution for ur physics similarly if u give for GS mains, it'd imperative.Reply soon.my mail id is anodon@gmail.com

Best Regards,
vivek

Unknown said...

Sir, I desperately need ur advices,guidances, cos i am cut-off fm city and serving in govt job.I am confident abt my chemistry but want to utilise experience of cse topper wth chem and also the second optional guidance. u I know it is painstaking effort for u to look 4 chemistry person and answer my queries.I'd like to correspond 2 u thr ur mail id if u cosider my request serious u acknowledge otherwise, u simply reply no atleast.

sincerely,
vivek

Unknown said...

I was not aware of this means of communication (blogging)and guidance
so was very tensed at prima facie when i thought of preparing for cse.your(esp. and most) and few other toppers blog appeared to be boon for aspirant.I went thro most and still going thr ur replies under several blogs.I hav few queries to my relevance(may b 4 others):-
Can i get any contact(blog,mail id etc) of u and ur batchmates or toppers with chemistry as optional for guidance.Reply soon.
anodon@gmail.com
Best Regards,

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