[Study-plan] Topicwise 'Plausible' booklist and study-plan for CSAT 2012 General studies Paper 1

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As I keep saying GS prep. is like Kung-fu, everyone has to develop his own style but given the lot of email queries here it goes:

This study plan is designed on two key-points

• Plausible in the given time limit
• Requires Minimum Expenditure 

This plan is not exhaustive, this plan doesnot guarantee 100% success, this plan is only for those who're totally confused about what to do and where to start.

1. General Studies (GS) Manual
2. Science and Technology (S&T)
3. Economy for GS
4. Polity for GS
5. History for GS
6. Geography for GS
7. Environment and Biodiversity (E&B)
8. Empowerment and Social Issues
9. Public Policy and Rights Issue
10. Mock Tests Practice
11. To sum up the plan
12. Related Articles by me

General Studies (GS) Manual

GS Manual a very thick book containing almost every topic of General Studies (Geography History, Polity, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, etc.)
Many publication houses (TMH, Unique,Spectrum,Pearson) release their Manuals.
You should buy atleast one of them. Because after each topic, they provide hundreds of mock questions, you must solve them to gain confidence and command over the topic.
If you have not purchased a GS manual, I recommend you get TMH (TataMacgrawhill's) Click me to get it from flipkart.com with attractive discount.
Hindi version of this GS manual is also available on Flipkart. Click Me to get Hindi Version TMH Manual Crux of this whole plan is : First read NCERT, then read GS Manual and at last solve the Mock-questions given at the end of GS Manual.

Science and Technology

• NCERTs 7 to 10 (science): Can be downloaded for Free, in English Medium OR Hindi Medium
• For Arts and Commerce grads, the 11-12th science NCERT may appear very tiresome, so leave them.
• GS Manual's Science and Technology section (the explanations and principles of various things are important, "Why" this or that?) + the mock tests given in it. If you've purchased any Manual, well and good- just stick to it. But if you're yet to purchase a GS manual, I suggest you get TataMacgrawhill's GS Manual.
• Not much point in mugging up inventors, radius of Saturn's moons, chem.formulas, Latin names of various plant and animal kingdoms and families etc in the manual.
• The Hindu's S&T section (can be read online). 
• Liberal use of websites such as Howstuffworks and Kids' Encyclopedia Britannica for time pass.

Economy

• NCERT (10, 11, 12). If you can't grasp formulas, leave them. Just try to understand the basics only.
• Any one GS Manual's Economy section + the mock tests given in it.
• Any one Magazine's Economy section, to be upated with currents (Pratiyogita, CST, Wizard or Chronicle)
• Regular reading of Economy section of newspaper (The Hindu or Indianexpress, whichever you can get.)
• Consult  wikipedia and google whenever you encounter any difficult terminology but donot try to do Ph.D on Economy. You just need to understand the basic concepts.
• Not much point in doing entire 'Economic Survey', because the magz issue will cover the important facts anyways. 
• Not much point in doing that 'Economy' special-book of Pratiyogita Darpan, because it's mostly fact-bombing. That trend is over now. [That book used to sell like hot-cakes 2-3 years ago]

Polity

• The Best book for Polity is M.Laxmikanth (Tata Macgrawhill publication). Nobody has or can explain polity in a lucid manner than he did. So just forget everything else and read his book thoroughly atleast 3 times.
It is also available in Hindi Medium.
• But Instead of mugging down article numbers, try to understand the provisions.
• Mock questions given in GS Manual. 
• Magazine issues for Polity specific Current affairs (Laws, Amendments etc)
• Not much point in doing D.D. Basu's book on Indian Constitution, it is good for mains but given the time-limit you've before prelims. better leave it for the time being.

If you're Yet to purchase Laxmikanth, Do it from Flipkart.com, Get it at home within 3 business-days. with almost 40% discount!

History

• NCERT 7 to 12 (Free download in Hindi Medium || English Medium)
• GS Manual's History Section + Mock tests.
• (although it'd be a very daring move but) If you're running out of time, you may skip Ancient and Medival History, because they'll disappear in mains GS. And for prelims GS, they're barely 4-5 marks and yet have big 'hours-requirement'.
• Do prepare History of Modern India (1857 and freedom struggle) as it is important topic in Mains GS too. 
• If you've time, you can use Bipin Chandra and Spectrum's History of Modern India.

Geography

• NCERT 7 to 12
• GS Manual (instead of trying to mug up place-names, concentrate on clearing concepts and 'why' this or that). + Practice mock questions given in it.
• In Newspapers and Magazines issues, in the National/ International current affairs: note down the place names and check their location on Atlas.

Environment and Biodiversity (E&B)

• Download the NOS studymaterial. Click Me
• Again NCERT 7 to 10 (Both Geography and Science): Can be downloaded for Free in English Medium OR Hindi Medium
• GS Manual's science portion
• The Hindu S&T (can be read online).
• Magz : current affairs related to Environment. (without getting into fact-bombing)
• Wikipedia for anything that requires elaboration.

The level of difficulty shown in last years' paper for E&B, ain't no point in doing Ph.D.
So I don't think it is necessary to buy any separate 'special' book.
You can download some Free study material for Biodiversity by Clicking ME

Empowerment

NCERT sociology books: Can be downloaded for Free in English Medium OR Hindi Medium Magazine current affairs sections to know about various Social sector initiatives. If you've time, go through India yearbook's important chapters (click me to get the list of important chapters) But keep in mind, frequent revision is necessary otherwise easy to get trapped in 4TF (4 Statements True/False) type questions (if you've time) Yojana, Kurukshetra etc. (but then again no need to get into 'village/NGO case-studies') just get the basics. Again this study-plan is not exhaustive, it doesnot cover each and every topic. Always include current-affairs from newspapers / magazine in all of them (except History) Always keep the official notification handy and see the syllabus- topics given in it. (click Me to download the Official notification of UPSC for 2012's exam)

Public Policy and Rights Issue

Please read my separate article on it. How to prepare Rights Issues ? Click Me

Mock Tests Practice

No amount of preparation is complete, unless you practice some mock questions. I've provided the free blank answersheets (click me to download). Print them, then take 15-20 photocopies of them and practice the mock questions given at the end of each topic in your General Studies Manual.

To sum up the plan

• No one can score 100% in GS.  So have plausible targets :  

I'll cover polity so good that If they ask 8 Questions, I can tick atleast 5 correctly without hesitation. 

• I believe UPSC will continue the trend of asking from the 'basic-concepts' to crush the coaching factories of Delhi and to give level playing ground to the newcomers. So, You should have impeccable command over the basics. 
• When they give you four statements and ask you to identify correct or incorrect ones, you can do it only if you've impeccable command over the basics, otherwise you'll always feel 50-50.
• That's why I recommend you use NCERTs and GS Manual, because they deal with the basics. In the market, there are lot of books and magz 'special issues' dealing with each topic, but have the tendency of "fact/data-bombing" or unnecessary elaboration (Ph.D-izing) to make the things complicated.
• From now on to 20th May: Buying new book, for any topic, is useless unless you've the time and energy to do revision atleast 3 times. So Better to read one book thrice instead of reading three new-books once.
• UPSC= unpredictable PSC, Just because last year they didnot ask map-question in CSAT, doesn't mean they won't do the same this year. So always be prepared for unexpected surprises, never take things for granted.
  

UPDATE:
Many readers have questions: how effective is this plan? so subsequent article on following link
http://mrunal-exam.blogspot.com/2012/02/q-doubts-about-study-plan-for-csat-ias.html

Related

What is the utility of mock-tests, wikipedia and postal series for CSAT?
Topicwise analysis of CSAT-2011 General Studies paper