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Topic wise Trend Analysis

General Studies Prelim 2010
By
Mrunal Patel
Nothing full-proof 100% technical correct here.

CONTENTS
History ......................................................................................................................................................................2

Science .....................................................................................................................................................................2

Subjectwise...........................................................................................................................................................3

Questionwise ........................................................................................................................................................3

Geography................................................................................................................................................................4

Broad breakup ......................................................................................................................................................4

Question wise breakup of geography ..................................................................................................................4

Polity.........................................................................................................................................................................5

India Yearbook related .............................................................................................................................................5

Economy...................................................................................................................................................................6

International agencies related..................................................................................................................................6

Mental ability............................................................................................................................................................7

Broad analysis...........................................................................................................................................................7

Mark-wise Breakup – Bar chart.............................................................................................................................7

% wise breakup-Pie Chart.....................................................................................................................................7

What was not asked? ...............................................................................................................................................9

Conclusion................................................................................................................................................................9

What is safe to skip ..................................................................................................................................................9

Where to concentrate the energy? ........................................................................................................................ 10

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HISTORY
Ancient 0 0
Medieval Gupta Cave paintain 1
Bhakti Cult 1
Third Battle of Panipat 1
Buddhism's decline 1
Modern Pondichery's 1
occupation
Karachi session 93 1
Bombay Menifesto 1
Simon Commission 1
Moderate vs Extremist 1
Bengal partion & 1
Swadeshi
Quit India movement 1
Cripps mission 1
Gandhi & Champaran 1
Lord Cornwallis 2
Total 15

SCIENCE

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SUBJECTWISE
Physics 3
Biology-disease 8
Chemistry 3
Agriculture & 8
biotech
Space research 3
IT 2
Zoology 3
Total 30

QUESTIONWISE

Physics Thermal /heat concepts 3

Biology-disease Digestion process 1
Hepatitis 1
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Carbon monoxide in blood 1

Swine flue 1
HIV 1
LASIK surgery 1
Cyberknife 1
Malaria vaccine 1
Chemistry Mercury Florocent lamp 1
Hydrogen fuel cell 1
Chlorination of water 1
Agriculture & Seed hybrids (MON863, golden rice) 2
Biotech research National Food Security Mission 1
Pulses cultivation problem 1
Bluegreen alage 1
Jatropha 1
Maize for ethanol production 1
Nitrosomonas for oil spill 1
Space research OCENSAT 1
Neutrinos etc 1
ISRO's Bhuvan 1
IT Frequencies of gadgets 1
GSM 1
Zoology Insectivore plants 1
King cobra nest 1
Evolution shark 1
30

GEOGRAPHY
BROAD BREAKUP
Indian geography 17
Environment related 12
Total 29

QUESTION WISE BREAKUP OF GEOGRAPHY

Indian geography Coal reserves of Gondwana 1

India's land use classification 1
Winds-rotation 1
Weather with out Himalaya 1
Latitute of Sikkim 1
Soil types 1
Tea-coffee cultivation method 1
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Pepper temprature 1
requirement
Forest/climat types 3
Minerals in India 1
Rivers of India 3
(Luni/Himachal/Lake)
Soil conservation methods 1
TN cotton yarns 1
World map Strait of malaca 1
Environment –wildlife related El nino Modoki 1
Wild life sanctuary etc 3
Fresh water 1
Acid Rain 1
Taxol tree-Parkinson 1
Atmosphere pollution 1
Rice cultivation and global 1
warming
Greendex 2009 meaning 1
Global warming - limitation of 1
India
RAMSAR 1
Total 30

POLITY
Finance Commission 1
State finance 1
Commission
SC advice President 1
Taxes levied by union 1
Misc. (DPSP etc) 3
Total 7

INDIA YEARBOOK RELATED

Rehab policy 2007 1
Swadhar 1
Consumer Disputes Redressal 1
Lok Adalad 1
Suger pricing & essential 1
commodity
Total 5

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ECONOMY
SLR 1
Interest rates of Nationalized banks 1
Non banking Financial Companies(NBFC) 1
Inflation/recession-(basic concepts) 2
WPI 1
CRR 1
PSU deficit 1
PSU's share in GDP declined 1
Budget and finance ministry 1
WTO codex 2
SEZ 1
FRBM Act 1
Banking ombudsman 1
Commericial banking function 1
Rural banking financial inclusion 1
Excise duty declined in 5 years 1
Fiscal stimulus concept 1
Bulls & bears definition 1
Forward market Commission 1
Limited Liability Partnership 1
Five Year plans (11th & trend) 2
National investment fund 1
Double Taxation avoidence agreement 1
Total 26

INTERNATIONAL AGENCIES RELATED

UNTCAD-Emerging Economies 1
Stiglitz Commission 1
UN agency 1
BRIC nations China's power 1
SDR vs. ADR 1
UNFCC 1
IDA and IBRD 1
Sustainable Development 1
UN habitat report-urbanization 1
Child rights 1
Common wealth nations 1
EU Commission and council 1
WTO-Geo trademarking 1
WTO-Special safeguard mechanism 1
Total 14
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MENTAL ABILITY
Percentages / ratio/progression 5
Shapes/colors 1
Books or sitting arrangement 4
Permutation /combination/probability 7
Speed-circular movement 5
Verbal logic 2
24

BROAD ANALYSIS

MARK-WISE BREAKUP – BAR CHART

% WISE BREAKUP-PIE CHART

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Table
History 15
Science 30
Geography 30
Polity 7
Yearbook 4
Economy 26
International
14
Agencies
Mental Ability 24
Total 150

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WHAT WAS NOT ASKED?

Ancient history 0
Persons in news 0
Awards 0
Sports 0
Total 0 !!

CONCLUSION
On the first hand, during the exam most of us found the 2010’s prelim GS paper very ‘tough’, but after doing
the breakup and analysis myself, I find that this paper looked ‘tough’ only because we are following a study-
pattern based on previous years’ trends (like cramming the Constitution article numbers, history, geography-
location, current affairs, sports etc.). This prelim General Studies paper is both a trend breaker and a trend
setter (for upcoming CSAT), just like the Mains GS paper of 2009.
Now it’s more about understanding than just blind cramming.
( These are my personal conclusions and I’m not inviting anyone to debate it ;-) )
I’m talking about ‘cost benefit ratio’: how much energy should you give to a topic or a book to gain each mark.

WHAT IS SAFE TO SKIP

Polity No meaning of mugging up all those article numbers, this time it was common sense
questions.
But you must have a thorough understanding of how Constitution works.

India Yearbook Safe to skip entire book (4 marks worth stuff, no meaning of doing Ph.D on that 1000 page
book, like we had to do 4 years back when they used to ask 20+ marks worth questions
from it.)

Ancient and Safe to skip ancient and medival (No meaning of mugging up 1 million names,dates and
medival history events for 4 marks when you can pump all energy for other easy to understand things.)
Five Year Plans No meaning of mugging up all data for 2 marks.
International 1. Most stuff was from UN and its agencies since they’ve direct relevance to
affairs poverty,Development and climate change. And wasn’t from the ‘cramming part’ like
WHO was established in ***** year and its headquater is @ xyz place
2. Bilateral visits, international summits ignored. (magz put lot emphasis on this)
Science No point in cramming all those chemical formulas, periodical table, and numbers like 1
joule=how much kilowatt etc.
Space No cramming of all those planets, PSLV date-line etc stuff.
Current affairs LIKE tonnes of film and social service awards, 500 sports events, national ‘summits’ and all
those things on which the magazines put too much emphasis but who have no practical

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relevant to human life and problems of this world on macro scale.

WHERE TO CONCENTRATE THE ENERGY?

UPSC is telling you that general studies have to have relevance with day to day life.
Its more important to understand a topic than a blind cramming
1. GS becomes more relevant to practical problems of India, economy, and environment.
2. Agriculture, environment and economy gains prominence like never before
3. Very dangerous to neglect economy. And this ‘New’ economy is not about numbers but understanding.
Few years back, Economy was only worth 5 marks, this time its 17+ But interestingly, it wasn’t really a rocket
science or Ph.D stuff, if you put some energy, almost all questions were easy to solve.
4. Disease (HIV, Swine Flu, hepatitis, malaria) is important
5. Geography – jungle, environment, and wildlife related. (not all those ‘famous places cramming’)

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