Detailed Weekly Plan 5 [12th July – 17th July]

Weekly Plan – 5

(12^th July, 2015 – 17^th July, 2015)

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

12^th July 2015

SUBJECT & TOPIC :

Polity – Union Executive & Union Legislature (Parliament)

Union Executive– President, Vice-President, Prime Minister, Central Council of Ministers, Attorney General

FOCUS ON:

• Election procedure/Mode of Appointment
• Powers and Functions Example: Veto power, Ordinance making power, Pardoning power (article 72) of the president
• Resignation/Removal/Impeachment
• Relationship between President and Prime-Minister with regard to their roles and responsibilities

Note: Be aware of the recent issues w.r.t to Pardoning power (as was in the case of Ajmal Kasab, Afzal Guru), Impeachment, Ordinance-making Power of the President

Central Council of Ministers (COM)

• Importance of 91st Amendment Act with regard to composition of COM
• Difference between COM’s and Cabinet Ministers
• Cabinet ministers, Cabinet Committees – their role and responsibilities
• Understand the concept of collective responsibility, kitchen cabinet

Union Legislature – Parliament

Atleast 25-30% (out of total questions in Polity) of the marks come from this chapter and is the most important topic from the exam’s perspective. The entire chapter is important!

Focus:

• Working of the Parliament– Role and functions of the Parliament; Sessions, Motions, Parliamentary procedure – Summoning, Prorogation, Joint sitting
• Devices of Parliamentary proceedings like Question Hour, Zero Hour, Adjournment Motion etc.
• Similarities and Differences between Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha, their composition, election, powers and functions; Special powers of Rajya Sabha
• Qualifications and Disqualification’s of members; Anti defection law
• Parliamentary Privileges
• Enactment/Procedure to make Law– Different stages in passing of a Bill; Different types of bills – Ordinary Bill, Money Bill, Finance Bill –its importance
• Budget-Enactment of Budget; What does the budget contain? Its significance. What do you understand by Charged Expenditure?
• Funds available like Consolidated Fund, Contingency Fund, Public Accounts Fund- who authorizes it, what does it contain?
• Role of important institutions in the Parliament like Speaker and Chairman of RajyaSabha – their election, removal/resignation, functions
• Role of Leader of opposition (LoP)
• Importance of Parliamentary Committees –Estimates Committee, Business Advisory Committee, Committee on Government Assurance – their composition, functions, and a general idea about the less significant committees like Rules Committee etc.

SOURCES TO REFER :

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

13^th July 2015

SUBJECT & TOPIC :

Polity – State Government– State Executive and State Legislature; Administration of Union Territories (UT)

FOCUS ON:

• On the ‘differences’ between the different institutions like Governor, Chief Minister, State Legislature, High Court w.r.t the Centre Government (like President, Prime Minister, Parliament, Supreme Court).
• Example: In the topic ‘ Governor focus on– The controversial nature in the ‘Appointment of Governor’; Constitutional position of Governor; The Governor’s Legislative functions, Judicial functions and Discretionary powers (as they slightly differ from the President’s functions)

• Similarly, in the topic ‘State Legislature’ focus on:
• Differences in State legislature compared to the Parliament with regard to composition, powers, functions.
• States which have Bi-cameral legislatures (Example: BIMAKUJ only these six states have Bi-cameral legislatures)
• Creation and abolition of the Upper House (or the legislative council)- Article 169
• Position of legislative council w.r.t the Legislative Assembly and Rajya Sabha

Note: The Union and the State Government is a dynamic topic, which needs to be inter-linked with the current happenings/events. Hence, Newspaper reading is a must and should !

Administration of Union Territories (UT)

Focus:

• Reasons behind the creation of UT
• Powers of President and Governor w.r.t administration of UT
• Administrative System of Union Territories like -who is the Executive Head, which UT’s have Legislative Assembly, under the jurisdiction of which High Court does it come.
• Special provisions for Delhi

Note: Have a basic understanding of Special provisions w.r.t Jammu and Kashmir (Article 370) and its provisions; Compare it with Article 371-J; Difference between article 370 & 371.

SOURCES TO REFER :

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

14^th July 2015

SUBJECT & TOPIC :

Indian Geography – Cropping (Agriculture)

FOCUS ON:

• Cropping Pattern: Example: Rice, Wheat, Pulses, Sugarcane, Millets, Coffee, Tea etc.

• Where(states) are they are grown?; Climatic conditions suitable for their growth

• Classification of crops– Kharif crops, Rabi and Zaid crops with examples.
• Irrigation – New irrigation methods like Micro-irrigation, Drip-irrigation their usage, advantages and disadvantages
• Farming – Shifting cultivation, Terrace cultivation, Crop Rotation, Mixed and Multiple farming – where are these methods practiced; advantages and disadvantages.

SOURCES TO REFER :

• NCERT – Geography – Class 10 ‘Contemporary India –II’

15^th July 2015

SUBJECT & TOPIC :

Indian Geography :

Forests (or Natural Vegetation), Human Geography, Wildlife and Conservation of flora and fauna

Forests (or Natural Vegetation)

FOCUS ON:

• Tropical Evergreen forests, Deciduous, Hill forests Thorn, Littoral and Swamp forests
• Temperature, Rainfall conducive for the growth of these Forests
• Regions they occur/grow
• Types of trees grown (general awareness)
• Economic utilities of these forests

Example: Deciduous Forests found in areas of rainfall 150-200 cm;They are found majorly in Peninsular India; Trees like teak, sal, sandalwood, rosewood grow here. They are less dense unlike evergreen forests and are a source of good quality timber.

Human Geography

FOCUS ON:

• Major Tribal groups and States they belong to; their Skills; Festivals they celebrate.
• Demographic dividend

Wildlife and Conservation of flora and fauna

FOCUS ON:

This topic overlaps with Environment

• Bird Sanctuaries, National Park, Wildlife Sanctuary, Tiger Reserves, Biosphere Reserves, Wetlands
• Be aware of their location, near-by important places on the map
• Differences among the three Protected areas- National Park, Wildlife Sanctuary, Biosphere Reserves
• Endangered Species, Vulnerable and Extinct species
• Protected Areas and Important Species found

SOURCES TO REFER :

• NCERT – Geography – Class 9 ‘Contemporary India –I’
• NCERT – Geography – Class 10 ‘Contemporary India –II’
• NCERT – Geography – Class 11 ‘India : Physical Environment’
• NCERT – Geography – Class 11 ‘Fundamentals of Physical Geography’
• NCERT – Geography – Class 12 ‘India People and Economy’

NOTE: Refer only specific topics from the above mentioned Book and supplement it with an ATLAS.

16^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

17^th July 2015

SUBJECT & TOPIC :

Environment /Ecology – Sustainable Development and related issues like Agriculture etc

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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