VAJIRAM & RAVI

INSTITUTE FOR IAS EXAMINATION

VAJIRAM & RAVI

SMART
CURRENT AFFAIRS
STRATEGIES FOR UPSC MAINS

BY DR. JAYANT PARIKSHIT

 UPSC MAINS SYLLABUS
v PAPER-1: ESSAY
v PAPER-2: GENERAL STUDIES-1: Indian Heritage and Culture, History and Geography
of the World and Society
v PAPER-3: GENERAL STUDIES-2: Governance, Constitution, Polity, Social Justice, and
international relations
v PAPER-4: GENERAL STUDIES-3: Technology, Economic Development, Biodiversity,
Environment, Security and Disaster Management
v PAPER-5: GENERAL STUDIES-4: Ethics, Integrity, and Aptitude
v PAPER-6: OPTIONAL PAPER-1
v PAPER-7: OPTIONAL PAPER-2

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GENERAL STUDIES-1:
Indian Heritage and Culture, History and Geography of the World and Society
§ Culture:
Ø Major aspects of the various Indian art forms, Architecture & literature of India, from
ancient to modern India
§ Indian History
Ø Significant issues, events & personalities from the mid 18th century to the present
Ø The Freedom Struggle — its various stages and important contributors/contributions
from different parts of the country.
Ø Post-independence consolidation and reorganization within the country
§ World History
Ø World events from the 18th century onwards and their effects on society & the world
at large. (Industrial Revolution, World Wars, delineation of national boundaries,
colonization, decolonization, effects of political philosophies like communism,
capitalism, etc.)
§ Society
Ø Society of India, its diversity and important aspects
Ø Role of women and women’s organization
Ø Social empowerment, communalism, regionalism & secularism
Ø Population and issues related to it
Ø Poverty, and development-related issues, urbanization, problems due to it and
solutions, etc.
Ø Globalization and its effects on Indian society
§ Geography
Ø Salient features of world’s physical geography
Ø Distribution of key natural resources across the world (including South Asia and the
Indian sub-continent)
Ø Factors responsible for the location of primary, secondary, and tertiary sector
industries in various parts of the world (including India)
Ø Important Geophysical phenomena such as earthquakes, Tsunami, Volcanic activity,
cyclone etc., geographical features and their location-changes in critical geographical
features (including water-bodies and ice-caps) and in flora and fauna and the effects
of such changes

GENERAL STUDIES-2:
Governance, Constitution, Polity, Social Justice and International relations
§ Polity and Indian Constitution
Ø Historical underpinnings, evolution, features, amendments, significant provisions
and basic structure
Ø 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.
Ø Separation of powers between various organs, dispute redressal mechanisms and
institutions.
Ø Comparison of the Indian constitutional scheme with that of other countries.

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 Ø Parliament and State legislatures—structure, functioning, conduct of business,
powers & privileges and issues arising out of these.
Ø Structure, organization 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.
Ø Salient features of the Representation of People’s Act.
Ø Appointment to various Constitutional posts, powers, functions and responsibilities
of various Constitutional Bodies.
Ø Statutory, regulatory and various quasi-judicial bodies.
Ø The development sector and its processes – the role of SHGs, NGOs, and other
associations and groups, institutions, and other stakeholders.
§ Social Justice
Ø Welfare schemes issued by the Centre and states for vulnerable sections, the
performance of these schemes; laws, mechanisms, bodies and institutions set up for
the protection, and development of the vulnerable sections.
Ø Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to
Health, Education, Human Resources
Ø Issues relating to poverty and hunger
§ Governance
Ø Governmental policies & interventions aimed at developing various sectors and
issues arising out of their design & implementation
Ø Key aspects of governance, e-governance- applications, successes, potential,
accountability and transparency, models, limitations; citizen charters, and other
measures.
Ø The role of Civil Services in a democracy.
§ International Relations
Ø India and its neighbourhood- relations.
Ø Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or
affecting India’s interests.
Ø Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India’s
interests, Indian diaspora.
Ø Important International institutions, agencies and fora - their structure, mandate.

GENERAL STUDIES-3:
Technology, Economic Development, Bio diversity, Environment, Security and
Disaster Management
§ Economy
Ø The economy of Indian and planning-related issues.
Ø Government budgeting
Ø Inclusive growth and issues/challenges associated with it.
Ø Liberalization and its effects on the economy (post-1991).
Ø Infrastructure – Ports, Airports, Roads, Energy, Railways, etc.
Ø Investment models like PPP, etc.
§ Agriculture
Ø Predominant cropping patterns in various parts of the nation, various types of
irrigation techniques and systems, storage, marketing, transportation of agricultural
produce, and challenges/issues related to it

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 Ø Use of e-technology in the agricultural sector
Ø Rearing of animals and the economics related to it
Ø Industries related to food processing and its kind in India – significance and scope,
upstream-downstream requirements, location, supply chain management.
Ø Problems related to indirect and direct farm subsidies and minimum support prices
Ø Objectives of Public Distribution System, functioning and its limitations, revamping;
food security and buffer stock issues; technological missions
Ø Land reforms in India
§ Science & Technology
Ø Recent technological developments and their effects
Ø Indians and their achievements in science & technology
Ø Indigenous technological innovation and the development of new tech
Ø General Awareness of Space, IT, Robotics, Computers, biotechnology, and
nanotechnology
Ø Problems related to intellectual property rights
§ Environment
Ø Conservation
Ø Pollution of the environment and its degradation
Ø EIA (Environmental Impact Assessment)
§ Disaster Management (Act, laws, etc.)
§ Security
Ø Challenges to internal security (non-state actors and external state)
Ø How extremism develops and spreads.
Ø Internal security challenges pertaining to the communication networks.
Ø Fundamentals of cyber security; money laundering and how to prevent it.
Ø Challenges to security and managing security in border areas; the connection
between organized crime and terrorism.
Ø The names of the various security agencies and forces and their mandates

GENERAL STUDIES-4:
Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude
§ Human Interface & Ethics
Ø The essence of ethics, the determinants & consequences in human interaction.
Ø Dimensions of Ethics
Ø Ethics in public and private relationships
Ø Human values: lessons from the lives and teachings of great leaders, reformers and
administrators
Ø The role of one’s family, society, and educational institutes in developing ethical and
moral values in him/her
§ Attitude
Ø The content of attitude
Ø The influence of attitude in behaviour and thought
Ø The relation of attitude to behaviour and thought
Ø Political and Moral attitudes
Ø Social influence and persuasion
§ Aptitude
Ø The foundational values and aptitude of civil services
Ø Integrity

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 Ø Non-partisanship and impartiality
Ø Objectivity
Ø Dedication to serving the public
Ø Compassion towards society’s weaker sections
§ Emotional Intelligence
Ø The concept of emotional intelligence
Ø The application and utility of emotional intelligence in administration and
governance.
§ Contributions of Philosophers and Thinkers
Ø From the world and India
§ Public/Civil service values and Ethics in Public administration:
Ø Status and problems
Ø Ethical concerns and dilemmas in government and private institutions
Ø Laws, rules, regulations and conscience as sources of ethical guidance
Ø Accountability and ethical governance
Ø Strengthening of ethical and moral values in governance
Ø Ethical issues in international relations and funding
Ø Corporate governance
§ Probity in Governance
Ø Concept of public service
Ø Governance & probity and its philosophical basis
Ø Transparency & information sharing in government
Ø Right to Information
Ø Codes of ethics
Ø Codes of conduct
Ø Citizen’s charters
Ø Work culture
Ø Quality of service delivery
Ø Utilization of public funds
Ø Challenges of corruption

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Smart Current Affairs 2025 (by Jayant Parikshit) Page 6 of 10
Question-1.a: Explain and distinguish between Lok Adalats And Arbitration Tribunals.
Whether they entertain civil as well as criminal cases? (Answer in 150 words)

Introduction: 37 words
Lok Adalat (LA) and arbitration tribunals (AT) are dispute resolution mechanisms. They
reduce the burden of judiciary through timely resolution. But both have different nature
and structure to solve disputes. LT is formal & AT is informal.

Body: 110 words

‘Lok Adalat, i.e. ‘People’s Court’ promotes amicable settlement of disputes. Under
Arbitration, civil & commercial disputes (domestic & international) are settled using
arbitrators

Difference Between Lok Adalats and Arbitration Tribunals:

Lok Adalats Arbitration Tribunals
Statutory Body via Legal Services Private quasi-judicial body under
Authorities Act 1987 Arbitration Conciliation Act 1996
Voluntarily submissions during court Parties are bound by a pre-existing
proceedings or pre-litigation stages contract
Permanent or Ad-Hoc Dissolved after dispute settlement
Settlements are final, binding, and cannot Awards are binding but can be challenged
be appealed in higher courts.
Informal in nature Formal based on evidence and legalities
Handles civil & compoundable criminal Handles only civil & commercial cases
cases

Conclusion: 27 words
Indian Judiciary is burdened with 5 cr pending cases (2023). Hence, we need more
innovations like evening Lok Adalat and trained arbitrators for alternate dispute
resolution considering.

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Question-1.b: Explain and distinguish between Lok Adalats And Arbitration Tribunals.
Whether they entertain civil as well as criminal cases? (Answer in 150 words)

Introduction: 25 words
Lok Adalat (LA) and arbitration tribunals (AT) are dispute resolution mechanisms which
aim to reduce the burden of judiciary through timely resolution, but with different
approach.

Body: 100 words

‘Lok Adalat, i.e. ‘People’s Court’ promotes amicable settlement of disputes. Under
Arbitration, civil & commercial disputes (domestic & international) are settled using
arbitrators

Difference Between Lok Adalats and Arbitration Tribunals:

Lok Adalats Arbitration Tribunals
Statutory Body via Legal Services Private quasi-judicial body under
Authorities Act 1987 Arbitration Conciliation (AC) Act-1996
[proposed AC Amendment 2024]
Voluntarily submissions during court Parties are bound by a pre-existing
proceedings or pre-litigation stages contract
Permanent or Ad-Hoc Dissolved after dispute settlement
Settlements are final, binding, and cannot Awards are binding but can be challenged
be appealed in higher courts.
Informal in nature Formal based on evidence and legalities

Cases entertained by LA & AT: 30 words

LA handles civil and compoundable criminal cases. It doesn’t handle matrimonial cases.
AT only handles civil and commercial disputes (both domestic & international); does
not involve criminal, family or tax cases.

Conclusion: 25 words
Indian Judiciary is burdened with >5 cr pending cases (2024). Hence, we need more
innovations like evening Lok Adalat and trained arbitrators for alternate dispute
resolution considering.

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Question-2.a: Poverty and malnutrition create a vicious cycle, adversely affecting
human capital formation. What steps can be taken to break the cycle? (Answer in
150 words)
Introduction: 30 words
Poverty and pollution are often observed together. Around 11.28% of India's population
lives in extreme poverty along with 14% population being undernourished (Global Hunger
Index 2024 Rank 105th ) which reflects vicious cycle.
Vicious cycle between poverty and malnutrition: 20
words
Poverty leads to low food intake and undernourishment
which impacts health, education, IQ, skill and
productivity ultimately leading to unemployment and
poverty.
Steps taken to break the cycle:
1. Food Security:
§ National food Security Act provides free food grain to more than 80 cr people
§ Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) and midday meal scheme
provides nutritional support to mother and child
§ PM Garib Kalyan yojana provides food grains in the context of covid
§ PM Poshan provides pool to government and government aided schools to reduce
hunger and improve education
§ Food Fortification example rise is done using iron, folic acid and vitamin B-12
2. Poverty Alleviation:
§ PM Awas Yojana, Jal Jeevan Mission, Ujjawala, Swachh Bharat and Jan Dhan
Yojana provide basic necessities of life that is ease of living along with financial
inclusion to reduce vulnerability
§ PM SVANidhi, PM Vishwakarma helping job creation and livelihood generation
3. Skill development and employment: PM-Kaushal because yojana, National Skill
Development Mission, National Livelihood Mission engage in providing skill,
employability and livelihood generation
4. PM-Ayushman Bharat has been launched to provide healthcare facilities along with
insurance
Conclusion: 35 words
Around 25cr BPL population has been pulled out of poverty since 2015 but similar
efforts are required to tackle malnutrition. A long term, targeted & multidimensional
approach is required to reduce poverty & malnutrition simultaneously during Amrit Kaal.

Smart Current Affairs 2025 (by Jayant Parikshit) Page 9 of 10

Question-2-b: Poverty and malnutrition create a vicious cycle, adversely affecting
human capital formation. What steps can be taken to break the cycle? (Answer in
150 words)

Introduction: 40 words
Poverty and pollution are often observed together. Poverty leads to low food intake and
undernourishment which impacts health, education, IQ, skill, unemployment and higher
poverty. 11.28% extreme poverty along with 14% undernourished population (Global
Hunger Index 2024 Rank 105th ) which reflects vicious cycle.

Steps taken to break the cycle: 100 words

1. Improved Food Security leads to better health
outcomes, cognitive skills, & esp. reduce
vulnerabilities of women and children.
Example, National food Security Act,
Integrated Child Development Services
(ICDS), PM Poshan, Food Fortification

2. Poverty Alleviation, ease of living & financial

inclusion leads to better health, education, reach of government programmes and
reduces malnutrition. Example: PM Awas Yojana, Jal Jeevan Mission, Ujjawala, Swachh
Bharat and Jan Dhan Yojana, PM SVANidhi, PM Vishwakarma

3. Skill development and employment generation programmes leads to employability and

livelihood generation. Example: PM-Kaushal Vikas Yojana, National Skill Development
Mission, National Livelihood Mission

4. Health coverage to low-income families, ensuring access to essential healthcare

services, including maternal and child health. Example: PM-Ayushman Bharat

Conclusion: 35 words
Around 25cr BPL population has been pulled out of poverty since 2015 but similar efforts
are required to tackle malnutrition. A long term, targeted & multidimensional approach is
required to reduce poverty & malnutrition simultaneously during Amrit Kaal.

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 VAJIRAM & RAVI
INSTITUTE FOR IAS EXAMINATION
VAJIRAM & RAVI

SMART CURRENT AFFAIRS PROGRAMME

Mains
2025
Batch

Pre Cum
Mains 2026
Dr. Jayant Parikshit tsan Abhinav Srivastav

Batch

50+ Selections in 2024

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