how to do better my polity subject
Answers
Once an aspirant clears Civil Services, she/he becomes a part and parcel of the administration. Thus, it is necessary that one should know how the system works and functions of its various institutions and their contribution to the society.
Hence it is imperative that one should have a clear and deeper understanding of the subject as a whole.
But the first thing to do before preparation is to get acquainted with the polity syllabus .
Now lets begin with some basics -
Indian Polity is one of the important topics of the General Studies for Civil Services exam. In the new syllabus since 2011 it is mentioned as polity and governance.
Earlier preparation for the Preliminary and Main Examinations were totally different, the former tested the factual premises and the later checked the analytical premises. But, the new syllabus demands an integrated approach for both Prelims and Mains. According to the new trends of UPSC there is a necessity to study Indian Polity along with overall governance of the country.
Of course Indian Constitutional topics like Preamble, Nature of Constitution, Fundamental Rights and DPSPs, Union Executive, Union Parliament, State Executive and Legislature, Judiciary, Centre-State Relations etc form the core of Indian Polity. Apart from this several challenges to Indian democracy are also becoming one of the preferred areas of UPSC, for example Communalism, Regionalism, Caste Politics, Internal Security, Criminalization of politics, Corruption, Population, Poverty, Unemployment, etc.
In addition to this, contemporary issues like Good Governance, Role of IT in administration, Civil Society, Right to Information, Electoral Reforms, Role of Pressure Groups, Energy and Food Security, Environment and Sustainable development, etc. are also important.
Let me tell you how to divide & conquer this subject. First of all, divide Indian Polity into 3 parts –
Preamble, Fundamental rights , DPSP, Fundamental duties, Amendments and Emergency provisions
Parliament and state legislature, President, Supreme court and high courts, Federalism, Center state relations
iii. Constitutional bodies, Statutory bodies , Rights issues , Panchayats & Political parties, elections , anti defection law, all schedules, oaths and remaining topics
When you start one part and study that completely. You may choose to divide the syllabus in your own way but please do fragment the syllabus and study. It makes you easy to remember.
Prelims examination not only requires conceptual clarity but also the applied part of it. Some of the preparation tips for the Prelims exam are:
One should be thorough in facts and also the conceptual part of it.
The conceptual clarity helps to solve the analytical question asked from this section.
According to the earlier trends, it was easy to attempt maximum number of questions from this section because generally questions from this section were direct and based on factual information. Almost 90% of the questions are asked from the constitutional provisions and the remaining part usually covers the current affairs. But, now the nature of questions has changed. Along with factual information one should cover the current political developments. Therefore, one should be thorough with the current political developments in the country.
Practicing previous year questions will help you to find out the areas where you commit mistakes.
Atleast once read the bare act thoroughly to understand the small facts & concepts related to topic.
Attempt at least one IAS Quiz/Test on Polity
Recommended Books for Indian Polity
Indian Polity for Civil Services Examinations – M. Laxmikanth
Introduction to the Constitution of India – Durga Das Basu
Our Parliament – Subhash Kashyap
UPSC IAS PRE: Indian Polity for Civil Services Preliminary Examination
Additional books for reference : Civil Services Preliminary Exam Indian Polity :
Constitutional Law of India(Reprint) with (Free – Bakshi: Constitution of India)
UPSC Portal Indian Polity MCQs 1000+Q
Our Constitution: An Introduction to India’s Constitution and Constitutional Law – Subhash C. Kashyap
Constitution of India and Indian Polity – Spectrum