Sociology

Sociology has turned out as a crucial part of GS paper well as an optional paper in Civil Services Examination. Being considered as one of the easiest and generalist optional, around 3000-4000 candidates take Sociology each year as their optional subject for mains. An in-depth understanding of Indian society and sociological thinkers is essential. Being a traditional hot favorite, plenty of books and study materials are available in the market. Choosing an optional subject for Mains Examination is a strategic decision a candidate has to make in the overall scheme of Mains Examination. Given the high weightage (nearly 30%: (500/1750)) of the optional subject in the Mains Examination, it plays a crucial part in deciding the ranking of the candidate. Keeping this view a candidate advised to make an informed choice carefully based on the following factors: GAAC Principle

• General interest in the subject.
• Access to expert guidance for coverage of the syllabus in a time-bound manner (about 4-5 months).
• Access to study material.
• Comfort level of the individual candidate.

Few checks before deciding

• Go through the Sociology syllabus for mains examination thoroughly.
• Go through the past 5 years question papers thoroughly.

What you’ll get:

• Comprehensive coverage of syllabus
• Through knowledge of basic sciences to strengthen your foundation.
• Mind maps
• Live online interactive classes
• Comprehensive current affairs enriched study material
• Weekly test both objective and subjective 
• One to one doubt sessions

Why Us?

• You’ll get the best faculty with years of experience
• Our extra-curricular initiatives will boost your critical thinking and sense of competition
• We divide the syllabus in such a way that it is easy to understand and remember with scientific structuring.
• You can test yourself among the best of the aspirants
• The course is lucid, crisp and relevant to current events.
• The course can be completed within 4 to 4.5 months.

Political Science and International Relations

Political Science and International Relations is one of the optional subjects offered by the UPSC in the mains exam. It is a popular optional subject and one that many toppers have chosen in IAS Exam. It has been observed among many IAS aspirants that the syllabus for this optional subject is broad and they desist from taking Political Science and International Relations (PSIR) as their optional subject. It is a very interesting subject which tests your capability of integrating static knowledge with contemporary issues. PSIR, as it is commonly known, is one subject for which a huge amount of study material is available. The syllabus consists of topics related to the freedom struggle and Indian politics, the Constitution of India, the international economic system and trade, international organisations, India’s foreign policy and peacekeeping among others. These topics are also part of the General Studies syllabus. Some key-points that will help you to opt for PSIR as your optional are highlighted below:

• Political science is one of the most informative and necessary subjects for any civil service exam aspirant looking forward to getting into the government as a civil servant.
• Any civil services aspirant who intends to serve as a bureaucrat must have a stronghold over the fundamentals of Political science and has to be well aware of the political climate around him/her.

Topics included are:

PART I – Political Theory and Indian Politics
Political theory	Meaning, Definition, and approaches
Theories of the state	Pluralist, Liberal, Neoliberal, Marxist, Post-colonial and feminist.
Justice	Concept of justice with reference to Rawl’s theory of justice
Equality	Relationship between freedom and equality and; Political, Social, and economic; Affirmative action.
Rights	Meaning and theories; the concept of Human Rights
Democracy	different models of democracy – deliberative, participatory and representative, Contemporary and Classical theories
Political Ideologies	Marxism, Liberalism, Fascism, Gandhism, Feminism, and Socialism.
Indian Political Thought	Dharamshastra, Arthashastra, and Buddhist traditions; Sri Aurobindo, B.R. Ambedkar, Sir Syed Ahmed Khan, M.K. Gandhi, M.N. Roy.
Western Political Thought	Plato, John S. Mill, Machiavelli, Aristotle, Locke, Hobbes, Gramsci Marx, and Hannah Arendt.
Part I – Indian Government and politics
Indian Nationalism	Political Strategies of India’s Freedom Struggle: Civil Disobedience, Non-cooperation; constitutionalism to mass Satyagraha, Peasant and workers’ movements, revolutionary movements.
Making of the Indian Constitution	Different political and social perspectives, Legacies of the British rule
Salient Features of the Indian Constitution	Fundamental Rights and Duties, Judicial Review and Basic Structure doctrine, The Preamble, Directive Principles, Parliamentary System, and Amendment Procedures.
Principal Organs of the Union Government	Executive, Envisaged role and actual working of the Legislature, and Supreme Court.
Principal Organs of the State Government	Executive, Envisaged role and actual working of the Legislature, and High Courts.
Statutory Institutions/ Commissions	Election Commission, Comptroller, and Auditor General, Finance Commission, Union Public Service Commission, National Backward Classes Commission, National Commission for Scheduled Castes, National Commission for Scheduled Tribes, National Commission for Women; National Commission for Minorities.
Federalism	Changing nature of centre-state relations; Constitutional provisions; and regional aspirations; integrationist tendencies, inter-state disputes.
Planning and Economic Development	The role of planning and public sector; land reforms and agrarian relations; liberalization, Green Revolution, and economic reforms.
Party System	National and regional political parties, Ideological and social bases of parties; trends in electoral behaviour; patterns of coalition politics; Pressure groups, changing the socio-economic profile of Legislators.
Social Movements	Civil liberties, women’s movements; environmentalist movements
Part II – Comparative Politics and International Relations
Comparative Politics	Political economy, Nature and major approaches; limitations of the comparative method.
Globalisation	Responses from developing and developed societies.
Approaches to the Study of International Relations	Idealist, Functionalist, Realist, Marxist, and Systems theory.
Key concepts in International Relations	Security, World capitalist economy and globalisation; Balance of power and deterrence; National interest, and power; Transnational actors, and collective security.
Changing International Political Order	arms race and Cold War; Rise of superpowers; strategic and ideological Bipolarity, nuclear threat;  Non-aligned movement: Achievements and Aims;  Collapse of the Soviet Union; and Unipolarity and American hegemony; Relevance of non-alignment in the contemporary world.
Evolution of the International Economic System	From Brettonwoods to WTO; Globalisation of the world economy; Socialist economies and the CMEA (Council for Mutual Economic Assistance); Third World demand for new international economic order.
United Nations	Envisaged role and actual record; Specialized UN agencies-aims and functioning; the need for UN reforms.
Regionalization of World Politics	ASEAN, SAARC, APEC, EU, NAFTA.
Contemporary Global Concerns	Human rights, Gender justice, nuclear proliferation, Democracy, environment, terrorism.
Part II – India and the World
Indian Foreign Policy	Continuity and change: Institutions of policy-making, Determinants of foreign policy
India and South Asia	South Asia as a Free Trade Area   Regional Co-operation: SAARC –past performance and future prospects   Impediments to regional co-operation: ethnic conflicts and insurgencies; river water disputes; illegal cross-border migration; border disputes.   India’s “Look East” policy
India and the Global South	Relations with Latin America and Africa, Leadership role in the demand for NIEO and WTO negotiations
India and the Global Centres of Power	USA, China, EU, Japan, and Russia.
India and the UN System	Role in United Nation Peace-keeping
India and the Nuclear Questions	Perceptions and Changing policy
Recent developments in Indian Foreign Policy	India’s position on the recent crisis in West Asia, Growing relations with US and Israel; Afghanistan and Iraq, the vision of new world

What you’ll get: This course has been specially designed for those who are,

• Interested in opting Political Science as optional with or without academic background in PSIR.
• Facing problems in correlating and connecting theories and concepts.
• Studied the subject on their own and facing problem in writing standard answers.
• Facing challenges in unfolding their knowledge to clear basic notions and theories.
• Comprehensive coverage of syllabus
• Through knowledge of basic sciences to strengthen your foundation.
• Live online interactive classes
• Mind maps
• Comprehensive current affairs enriched study material
• Weekly test both objective and subjective 
• One to one doubt sessions

Why us?

• You’ll get the best faculty with years of experience
• Our extra-curricular initiatives will boost your critical thinking and sense of competition
• We divide the syllabus in such a way that it is easy to understand and remember with scientific structuring.
• You can test yourself among the best of the aspirants
• The course is lucid, crisp and relevant to current events.
• The course can be completed within 4 to 4.5 months.
• Detailed coverage of both political science paper I & II for UPSC mains exam
• Current Affairs updated teaching for dynamic sections of PSIR. 
• Explanation of the interlinks between PSIR and GS papers  
• Availability of topic-wise module with coverage of each topic 
• Special lecture series on answer writing practice 
• Access to the best lecturers anytime and anywhere 
• 150+ hours of Offline/online lectures by Delhi based faculty members

History History is popularly chosen by IAS (UPSC CSE) aspirants as an optional subject because it overlaps to a large extent with the general studies papers I as well as the prelims preparation. Almost 40% of the history optional syllabus is common with the General studies syllabus, making the preparation much easier. So, in any case, if you are an IAS aspirant, there is no getting away from reading history! History is generally considered a vast optional which deters some students from venturing into this optional. But, the reality is, with proper strategies and a sound preparation plan, thus subject can be covered within 5 months. Moreover, because of the great overlap with the prelims and GS, you can actually cover a good portion of the IAS syllabus with this optional. Topics included are: The following are important topics under Paper-I of History optional:

• Sources- Archeological sources, literary sources- indigenous, primary and secondary, foreign accounts.
• Pre-history and Proto-history- geography, agriculture, the different ages
• Indus valley civilization- origin, culture, society, important sites, features
• Megalithic culture- developments of community life, agriculture, society, pastoral activities, industry outside Indus valley
• Vedic and Aryans- expansion of Aryans in India, everything about the Vedic period and its significance
• Mahajanapada- formation, Buddhism and Jainism, coinage, trade routes, the rise of Magadha and Nandas
• Mauryans empire- the foundation of the empire and important kings and developments during their reign, disintegration, Sungas and Kanvas
• Post-Mauryans Period- Indo-Greeks, Kushanas, Sakas, development of religion, Mahayana, contact with the outside world
• Guptas, Vakatakas, and Vardhanas- Indian Feudalism, caste system, position of women, Nalanda, Vikramshila and Vallabhi, decline of urban centers, coinage by Guptas
• Themes of early Indian cultural history
• Early medieval India- Cholas, political development in Northern India and the origin of Rajputs, the status of Brahmins and condition of women
• 750-1200- Shankar Acharya and Vedanta, Ramanuja, Madhva and BrahmaMimansa-Religion, Sufism, Al Beruini’s India, Tamil cults, growth of Bhakti and Islam and its arrival in India
• 13th century- establishment of the Delhi sultanate, factors about the Ghorian Invasion, early Turkish Sultans, rule of Iltutmish and Balban
• 14th century- Allauddin Khilji, Muhammad Bin Tughlaq, Firuz Tughlaq
• Society, economy, and culture in the 13th and 14th century
• 15th an early 16th century- rise of provincial dynasties- Bengal, Kashmir, Vijaynagar Empire, Lodi, Mughal Empire, Sur empire, Portuguese Colonies
• Akbar- Laws and reforms, conquests, consolidations, Rajput policy, court patronage, Art and culture
• 17th century Mughal Empire-Administrative policies of Jahangir, Shah Jahan and Aurangzeb, Ahom Kingdoms, Shivaji and rise of Maratha Kingdom, economy and society, condition of peasants, credit systems, evolution of the Sikh community and Khalsa Panth
• 18th century- decline of the Mughal empire, Nizams, emergence of Afghans, 1761 Battle of Panipat

Paper 2

• European penetration and British expansion in India- the Portuguese, Dutch, English and French East India Companies, Carnatic Wars, the conflict between English and the nabobs of Bengal, battle of Plassey, Battle of Buxar, Mysore, Marathas, The three Anglo-Maratha wars, Punjab
• Structure of early British raj- diarchy to direct control, Pitt’s India Act (1784), The Regulating Act(1773), Charter Act(1833)
• Economic impact of colonial rule- Land revenue settlements in British India, The Permanent Settlement, Ryotwari Settlement, Mahalwari Settlement, Dislocation of traditional trade and commerce, Commercialization of agriculture, Rise of landless agrarian labourers, De-industrialisation, Famine and poverty in the rural interior, European business enterprise and its limitations, Decline of traditional crafts, Railroad and communication network including telegraph and postal services
• Social and cultural development with special attention to the religious reform movement in Bengal and other areas
• Early rebellions and response of Indians against the British rule- Rangpur Dhing (1783), the Kol Rebellion (1832), the Moplah Rebellion in Malabar (1841-1920), the Santal Hul (1855), Indigo Rebellion (1859-60), Deccan Uprising (1875) and the Munda Ulgulan (1899-1900), The Great Revolt of 1857
• Rise of Gandhi, features of Gandhian Nationalism, the different movements and the beginning of the Indian National Movement
• Constitutional development of India from 1858-1935
• Muslim league, separatism, Nehru’s foreign policies,
• Caste and religion after 1947
• Economic development after 1947
• Modern concepts of politics
• Industrialization
• Division of states based on language
• Impacts of the World Wars on India
• Unification of Europe
• Disintegration of the Soviet Union

What you’ll get:

• Comprehensive coverage of syllabus
• Through knowledge of basic sciences to strengthen your foundation.
• Mind maps
• Live online interactive classes
• Comprehensive current affairs enriched study material
• Weekly test both objective and subjective 
• One to one doubt sessions

Why Us?

• You’ll get the best faculty with years of experience
• Our extra-curricular initiatives will boost your critical thinking and sense of competition
• We divide the syllabus in such a way that it is easy to understand and remember with scientific structuring.
• You can test yourself among the best of the aspirants
• The course is lucid, crisp and relevant to current events.
• The course can be completed within 5 months.

Anthropology Anthropology as an optional subject in the UPSC civil services mains exam is a popular choice for aspirants, especially for those with a science or engineering background. It is also an interesting subject and considered scoring by many. UPSC topper Anudeep Durishetty (AIR 1, CSE 2017) had anthropology as his optional subject. Although the number of candidates who take up anthropology as their optional is not as high as subjects like public administration or geography, anthropology enjoys a relatively high success rate which hovers around 10%. According to the latest figures, in 2016, 345 candidates had opted for anthropology out of which 37 candidates cleared the exam giving a success rate of 10.7%. The following table gives the number of candidates who appeared for the IAS exam with anthropology as the optional vis-a-vis the number of candidates who cleared the exam with it. Topics included: Paper 1

• Meaning, scope & evolution of anthropology.
• Human evolution and the creation of man
• Cultural Evolution
• Study of Family
• Concept of kinship
• Types of Marriage
• Study of Religion
• Concept of Society
• Concepts of Ecological Anthropology
• Concept of Human growth & Development
• Forensic Anthropology.
• Understanding Contemporary Society

Paper 2

• Evolution of the Indian Culture and Civilization
• Demographic profile of India
• Emergence, growth, and development of anthropology in India
• Aspects of Indian villages
• Impact of Hinduism, Buddhism and other religion
• Role of anthropology in tribal and rural development.
• The exploitation of scheduled castes
• Social change among the tribes during colonial and post-Independent India.
• Study of tribal communities

What you’ll get:

• Comprehensive coverage of syllabus
• Through knowledge of basic sciences to strengthen your foundation.
• Mind maps
• Live online interactive classes
• Comprehensive current affairs enriched study material
• Weekly test both objective and subjective 
• One to one doubt sessions

Why Us?

• You’ll get the best faculty with years of experience
• Our extra-curricular initiatives will boost your critical thinking and sense of competition
• We divide the syllabus in such a way that it is easy to understand and remember with scientific structuring.
• You can test yourself among the best of the aspirants
• The course is lucid, crisp and relevant to current events.
• The course can be completed within 5 months.

English literature Civil Services aspirants, who choose English literature as optional often face challenges in terms of right guidance on important topics to be studied, study material, etc. Therefore, this article is written keeping in mind the challenges which most of the aspirants face during the preparation for IAS with English literature as optional, which is considered as one of the most interesting subjects too. Recent trends show that the success rate of Literature subjects is soaring with years. The UPSC allows English as an optional subject in the Civil Services Exam. The English Literature syllabus for UPSC Mains is vast and covers literature from old English used during the medieval and early modern period as well as modern English used from 1900 AD onwards. The English language is also one of the compulsory language papers in UPSC Mains. Topics included are: Paper 1 Section – A

1. William Shakespeare: King Lear and The Tempest.

1. John Donne

• Canonization;
• Death be not proud;
• The Good Morrow;
• On his Mistress going to bed;
• The Relic

1. John Milton: Paradise Lost, I, II, IV, IX

1. Alexander Pope. The Rape of the Lock.

1. William Wordsworth. The following poems:

• Ode on Intimations of Immortality.
• Tintern Abbey.
• Three years she grew.
• She dwelt among untrodden ways.
• Michael.
• Resolution and Independence.
• The World is too much with us.
• Milton, thou shouldst be living at this hour.
• Upon Westminster Bridge.

1. Alfred Tennyson: In Memoriam.

1. Henrik Ibsen: A Doll’s House.

Section – B

1. Jonathan Swift. Gulliver’s Travels.
2. Jane Austen. Pride and Prejudice.
3. Henry Fielding. Tom Jones.
4. Charles Dickens. Hard Times.
5. George Eliot. The Mill on the Floss.
6. Thomas Hardy. Tess of the d’Urbervilles.
7. Mark Twain. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.

Paper 2

1. William Butler Yeats

•  Easter 1916
•  The Second Coming
•  A Prayer for my daughter.
•  Sailing to Byzantium.
•  The Tower.
•  Among School Children.
•  Leda and the Swan.
•  Meru
•  Lapis Lazuli

1. T.S. Eliot

•  The Love Song of J.Alfred Prufrock
•  Journey of the Magi.
•  Burnt Norton

1. W.H. Auden

•  Partition
•  Musee des Beaux Arts
•  in Memory of W.B. Yeats
•  Lay your sleeping head, my love
•  The Unknown Citizen
•  Consider
•  Mundus Et Infans
•  The Shield of Achilles
•  September 1, 1939
•  Petition

1. John Osborne : Look Back in Anger
2. Samuel Beckett. Waiting for Godot.

1. Philip Larkin

•  Next
•  Please
•  Deceptions
•  Afternoons
•  Days
•  Mr. Bleaney

1. A.K. Ramanujan

•  Looking for a Causim on a Swing
•  A River
•  Of Mothers, among other Things
•  Love Poem for a Wife 1
•  SamllScale Reflections on a Great House
•  Obituary

What you’ll get:

• Comprehensive coverage of syllabus
• Through knowledge of basic sciences to strengthen your foundation.
• Live online interactive classes
• Comprehensive current affairs enriched study material
• Weekly test both objective and subjective 
• One to one doubt sessions

Why Us?

• You’ll get the best faculty with years of experience
• Our extra-curricular initiatives will boost your critical thinking and sense of competition
• We divide the syllabus in such a way that it is easy to understand and remember with scientific structuring.
• You can test yourself among the best of the aspirants
• The course is lucid, crisp and relevant to current events.
• The course can be completed within 5 months.

Geography Geography is a highly popular optional subject in the UPSC mains exam. It is especially popular with candidates with a science or engineering background because of the nature of the subject itself. It is a science and this makes it attractive for such candidates. It is also popular because of the overlap with the syllabus for UPSC. In 2016, a whopping 4049 candidates had opted for Geography out of which 236 candidates cleared the exam. Geography has ‘overlapping’ topics which covers Environment, Economics (Human geography- Demography) and Current Events. One should always have an ATLAS while studying geography. It gives you more insights, makes your reading more meaningful and enjoyable.  Geography as an optional has a high success rate and easy availability of study material, which makes it a preferred optional subject for many. It is advised that the candidates should at first go through the syllabus and only if it looks interesting, they should opt for the Geography optional. At the end of the day, you need to master our optional. The syllabus is quite vast and lengthy which requires consistent effort and strategy. We here at CivilsGuru do exactly that to ensure your success. Topics included are: Paper 1 Principles of Geography Physical Geography:

1. Geomorphology
2. Climatology
3. Oceanography
4. Biogeography
5. Environmental Geography

Human Geography

1. Perspectives in Human Geography
2. Economic Geography
3. Population and Settlement Geography
4. Regional Planning
5. Models, Theories and Laws in Human Geography

Paper 2 Geography of India

1. Physical Setting
2. Resources
3. Agriculture
4. Industry: Evolution of industries
5. Transport, Communication and Trade
6. Cultural Setting: Historical Perspective of Indian Society
7. Settlements
8. Regional Development and Planning
9. Political Aspects
10. Contemporary Issues

What you’ll get:

• Comprehensive coverage of syllabus
• Through knowledge of basic sciences to strengthen your foundation.
• Mind maps
• Live online interactive classes
• Comprehensive current affairs enriched study material
• Weekly test both objective and subjective 
• One to one doubt sessions

Why Us?

• You’ll get the best faculty with years of experience
• Our extra-curricular initiatives will boost your critical thinking and sense of competition
• We divide the syllabus in such a way that it is easy to understand and remember with scientific structuring.
• You can test yourself among the best of the aspirants
• The course is lucid, crisp and relevant to current events.
• The course can be completed within 4 to 4.5 months.