How to Effectively Use India Year Book for UPSC Civil Services Exam?

Issued by the Publication Division (media unit) of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India, India Year Book is an annual publication that includes the report of all the ministries under the Government of India. It is a comprehensive digest of the country’s progress in various aspects. Hence, India Year Book is an important resource for UPSC aspirants. It is an extremely resourceful addition to UPSC aspirants’ preparation!

Since it includes detailed coverage on various aspects of development (from rural to urban, industry to infrastructure, science and technology, art and culture, economy, health, defense, education, and mass communication), it is a rather voluminous publication. Hence, it is important to read the India Year Book for the UPSC exam very strategically.

Details About the Chapters of India Year Book For UPSC Preparation

India Year Book has 32 chapters, the details of which are mentioned in the table below:

Most Important Topics in India Year Book for UPSC Aspirants

The priority-wise order of the chapters is:

• Most important : Chapters 1,2,3,4,5,6,9,10,11,12,16,18,23, 24,25,28,29,30
• Fairly Important : Chapters 7,8,13,19, 20,31,32
• Less Important : Chapters 14,15,17,21, 22,26,27

Subject-wise Grouping of Chapters from India Year Book for UPSC Preparation

An effective way to approach India Year Book is by reading it subject-wise, rather than following the chapter sequencing. We have grouped the chapters according to the subjects for your convenience:

• Indian Polity & Social Development: Chapters 2,3,10,15,16,20,21,23,24,28
• Geography & Environment: Chapters 1,4,12,25,27,30
• Economy & Growth: Chapters 8,11,17,19,26
• Defence & International Relations: Chapters 9,18
• GK and Miscellaneous: Chapters 5,22,29,30,31,32

How to Effectively Read India Year Book for UPSC Preparation?

Every year about 15-20 questions are asked directly from current affairs and as much as 60-70% of the General Studies paper in prelims is based on the current events. This makes it important to have a thorough understanding of the current events. India Year Book, being a government publication, is the most authentic and important source of information for preparing current affairs. Here is how you should read India Year Book for UPSC:

• Read the content of India Year Book from the book itself. Do not rely on the analysis or gist of IYB as the book in itself is a gist of the current affairs of the entire year.
• Read the book topic-wise or subject-wise rather than reading it chapter by chapter.
• Read the most important chapters first, followed by the fairly important ones. If you have time, then read the less important chapters.
• You do not have to remember all the facts and figures, just remember the approximate numbers. That would be sufficient to answer the questions from India Year Book in UPSC exam.
• It is important to remember the purpose and prospects of the schemes/acts/bills/committees, etc. Only the facts and figures related to budget allocation are important; other than that, you can ignore the remaining statistics and numbers.
• For Prelims, only the chapters related to environment, geography, science and technology, energy, defense, international relations, and industry should be given priority. The rest can be read after the Prelims.

In case you want expert guidance on Important chapters of India Year Book, you can join our India Year Book Program that offers complete coverage of all the important Chapters in India Year Book.

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