Detailed Weekly Plan 7 [24th July – 29th July]

Weekly Plan – 7

(24^th July, 2015 –  29^th  July, 2015)

Weekly Plan Archives                 Prelims ’60+3′ Day Plan                                          Master Plan

24^th July 2015    

SUBJECT &TOPIC :

Polity – Administration of Special Areas; Federal System; Inter-State Relations

Administration of Special Areas

FOCUS ON:

• Significance and differences between 5^th Schedule(Scheduled Areas) and 6^th Schedule (Tribal Areas)
• Powers of President and Governor w.r.t administration of Scheduled Areas and Tribal Areas

Federal System

FOCUS ON:

• Comparison between Unitary and Federal features; advantages and disadvantages
• Distribution of legislative, Executive and Financial Powers between the Union and the State Government
• Legislative – The Union list, State List and the Concurrent list; Residuary powers
• Principles underlying distribution of Tax revenues
• Circumstances under which Parliament can legislate in the State field like when Rajya Sabha passes a resolution (A-249), during national emergency (A-352) etc.
• Finance – Role of Finance Commission (Statutory grants) and Planning Commission (Discretionary grants)
• Issues with the above two institutions – FC and PC
• Borrowing powers of the Union and the States from Market and Abroad
• Executive – in giving directions to the State Government
• All-India Services, UPSC
• Extra-Constitutional devices like Planning Commission, National Development Council, National integration Council etc.

Inter-State Relations

FOCUS ON:

For coordination between States, the Constitution has provided for Inter-State Comity which consists of:

• Full Faith and Credit clause
• Inter-state River water dispute (A-262)
• Inter-state council (A-263)- composition, functions
• Zonal council- composition, functions

• Freedom of Inter-State trade and Commerce
• Freedom of Movement and residence throughout the country (Article 19(1)(d) and (e))

NOTE:

Federal System too is a very dynamic topic, which needs to be inter-linked with the current happenings/events. There are lot tension areas between the Centre and the State which needs a balanced outlook.

For example: issues range from formation of New States, Niti Ayog replacing Planning Commission, GST, river water disputes, PC and FC, role of Governor.

SOURCES TO REFER:

• Indian Polity – M Laxmikanth
• Introduction to Indian Constitution – D.D.Basu

25^th July 2015    

SUBJECT &TOPIC :

Polity – Emergency provisions & Judiciary

Emergency Provisions

FOCUS ON:

• Different kinds of Emergency- National (A-352), President’s rule(A-356) and Financial emergency (A- 360)
• Changes brought about by 42^nd and 44^th Amendment Act w.r.t Emergency
• Procedure and Time duration for approval, renewal and revocation of emergency and who is authorized to declare and revoke emergency
• Example: The President can declare National Emergency, which has to be approved by both the Houses within 1 month by Special Majority; the emergency can continue for indefinite period with periodical approval every 6 months; Only LokSabha with a Simple majority can disapprove the national emergency.

• Impact on distribution of legislative, Executive and Financial Powers when Emergency is in force
• Effect on Fundamental Rights during emergency (Article 358 and Article 359)
• Criticism/misuse of emergency powers by the Central Government

Judiciary

FOCUS ON:

• Supreme Court– Appointment of judges, Procedure for removal of judges
• Constitutional provisions to safeguard the Independence of Supreme Court
• Jurisdictions and Powers of Supreme Court – Writ jurisdiction, Appellate jurisdiction, Original jurisdiction, Special leave petition, Advising jurisdiction
• Power of judicial review
• High Court– Differences between High Court and Supreme Court with regard to their powers, jurisdiction; Removal of a HC judge
• Subordinate Courts – Understand the Organization of the Subordinate Courts

Note: Supreme Court and High Courts judgments, verdicts and directions are always in news. This topic too is dynamic – be it with the recently approved National Judicial Appointment Committee (NJAC) or appointment of Special Investigation Team (SIT) on ‘Black money’ or recent verdicts on Capital punishment

SOURCES TO REFER:

• Indian Polity – M Laxmikanth
• Introduction to Indian Constitution – D.D.Basu

26^th July 2015    

SUBJECT & TOPIC :

World Geography – The Earth and the Universe  

FOCUS ON:

• The Solar system; differences between meteors, asteroids, comets and region where they are found
• Motion of the Earth – Rotation and Revolution – it’s impact on Day and Night;
• Inclination of the Earth’s Axis – it’s effect on seasons
• Latitude and Longitude
• Important Parallels and Meridians – the countries they pass through
• General understanding of Solar Eclipse, Lunar Eclipse and Tides and their significance
• Earth’s crust
• The Structure of the Earth
• Classification of Rocks – Igneous, Sedimentary, Metamorphic with examples.

SOURCES TO REFER:

• NCERT – Class 6^th ‘The Earth Our Habitat’
• NCERT – Geography – Class 11 ‘Fundamentals of Physical Geography’
• NCERT – Geography – Class 10 ‘Contemporary India –II’
• Reference Book: Certificate Physical and Human Geography – Goh Chengleong

27^th July 2015    

SUBJECT &TOPIC :

World Geography (Physical) – Landforms

FOCUS ON:

• A general idea about Continental Drift Theory, Plate Tectonics Theory, Sea Floor Spreading
• Geomorphic process
• Exogenic and Endogenic process, geomorphic agents – its impact.
• Volcanoes – why and how are they formed?
• Weathering and its significance
• Mass Movements – creep, avalanche, landslides
• Erosion and Deposits.
• Basic ideas on other landforms like deltas, valleys, meanders, alluvial fans, caves, glaciers, cliffs, terraces, dunes
• Earth’s movements like folding, faulting, warping and its impact on Landforms
• Earthquakes – their origin, why and how are they formed, Earthquake Waves like P waves, S Waves, L Waves
• Geographical features – Atlas mountains, Highlands and the regions they are found in; Desert regions across the world

Note: You can expect match the following questions from ‘World Geographic features/landforms’

SOURCES TO REFER:

• NCERT – Geography – Class 11 ‘India : Physical Environment’
• NCERT – Geography – Class 11 ‘Fundamentals of Physical Geography’
• Reference Book: Certificate Physical and Human Geography – Goh Chengleong

28^th July 2015    

SUBJECT &TOPIC :

General Science and Technology

FOCUS ON:

The questions from this section are based on your general understanding and awareness. It will be more of application oriented and latest developments on the lines of UPSC Standards.

SOURCES TO REFER:

• NCERT– Class 6th to 10th and Biology- class 12^th
• Newspaper- The Hindu, Times of India, Down to Earth and Science Daily.

29^th July 2015

SUBJECT &TOPIC:

Environment /Ecology – National and International- Biodiversity, Wetlands, Wildlife, Flora and Fauna, Conservation measures

FOCUS ON:

The questions from this section are based on your general understanding and awareness. It will be more of application oriented and latest developments on the lines of UPSC Standards.

SOURCES TO REFER:

• ICSE books- class 9^th and 10^th
• NCERT Class 11^th– Environmental Geography and NCERT Biology-class 12^th
• NIOS- Environment Notes
• Newspapers: Times of India, The Hindu and Down to Earth

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