Prof.B.R.A.Rao's Institute for Competitive Examinations
The Institute located at Indiranagar, Bangalore 38 has been functioning since 1968 and has helped many aspiring candidates to get into the Union and State Civil Services. The subjects taught are Political Science, Anthropology, History and General Studies.
In order to encourage candidates from Karnataka a free e mail service is available through which the candidates can ask for information regarding the examinations as also information on how to answer specific questions. Brief gudelines will be given. This service is absolutely free. Also assistance will be given on what books to read etc., Only e mails will be entertained. Address your e mail to Prof. Rao at aswath@bgl.vsnl.net.in
Watch out this space for updates on important messages for General Studies and the other subjects on the Message centre.
Prof. Rao is available at 640, I Main. I Stage, Indiranagar, Bangalore. (Parallel to the Old Madras Road). Phone no 5250837.MESSAGE CENTRE Message 1.(Feb.4,1999) ANTHROPOLOGY PAPER I: The Time Magazine January 11,1999 (international edition) contains a large number of articles on the Future of Medicine. Practically all of them are important for Physical Anthropology. A few topics may be mentioned: DNA; Genetic Screening; Forensic Anthropology; Gene Therapy; Bio-technology; Bio-ethics etc., I advise you strongly to read this issue and master the articles. You will be covering atleast 80 marks in Anthropology Paper I. GENERAL STUDIES: These articles are also of immense use for the General Studies Paper. You can easily expect 50 marks from these. COMPULSORY ESSAY: You will agree that a topic Bio-Technology and Bio-ethics is very likely this year. MESSAGE 2 (Feb. 4, 1999): Our definition of Human Rights should be changed if we really mean to enforce them. Take for instance abolition of child labour. Many families in the Developing World depend on child labour and abolishing it, while highly desirable, is impracticable. Hence why not insist on education and entertainment for the child outside the main stream. There is an excellent article on this in the Time Magazine (December 14, 98). This article is of immense use in International Relations paper as well as for Current Affairs International in the General Studies Paper. MESSAGE 3(Feb 4, 1999): There is a debate in this country on whether the Constitution of India needs to be revised. In which areas has it faled? What changes are necessary? There is an excellent article on this by Mr. Subhas Kashyap a leading writer on the Constitution, published in the main stream newspapers. You can access this article in the latest Chronicle Magazine ( a good magazine, you should consult) GENERAL STUDIES : WHAT TO STUDY(posted 4 March 99) Geography : While preparing for geography make it a point to keep the Mains in mind. Usually twenty to twenty five questions are asked at the Preliminary. It is good to study NCERT books on Indian Geography. India on the Move published earlier is a very useful book. MBD Publications have a book in the Map format. In fact it is very good to have a large number of small maps of India and adopt a map approach. Tackle the questions asked in previous years. Important topics to be mastered are crops, where they are grown , soil conditions, rainfall required etc. Similarly important industries, raw materials used, where they are found etc. It is also good to have a broad idea of World Geography (Farrow is a good book) and have an understanding of climatic zones, important rivers, islands etc. Here again map approach is the best. I have listed hereunder important topics which you must study. The organisation of the topics is a bit rough and not very scientific. It is however useful.(Being updated) Study the following very briefly. Only the core points are necessary. Books to be consulted shown in brackets. I. ORGANIZATIONS 1. Survey of India, Geological Survey of India (India 1998) 2. Space Research (India 1998) 3. Important Laboratories (India 1998) II . ECONOMIC GEOGRAPHY 1. Important Public Sector industries ; their branches and where they are located. (Map) 2. Important Minerals - where they are found in India. (Map) 3. Hydro Electric Projects - States served by them - rivers on which they are built. (Map) 4. Nuclear Power Stations - (Map) (India 98) 5. Thermal Power - states dependant on it. 6. Oil wells, refining centres, Off shore oil explorations. 7. Fertilizer plants ; important fertilizers . 8. India's ports ; their hinterlands. 9. Shipping yards 10. Coal fields 11. Production of atomic minerals - where ? III. PHYSICAL MAP OF INDIA. (Map study is very important for this unit) 1. Important rivers of India - source - mouth - states through which they pass; nature of these rivers. 2. Important towns on river banks . 3. States, Union Territories, Boundaries, Landlocked States ; State with longest coast line. 4. Boundary lines and marks : Mc Mahon Line, Radcliffe Line ; Palk Strait etc. 5. Important mountain ranges of India, passes, states above and below them. 6. Types of soils and where they are found. 7. Territorial belt; economic zones, fisheries belt etc. 8. Earth quake zones 9. Important bridges in India 10. General contour map of India 11. Types of forests in India 12. Types of drainage 13. Types of forests 14. Rainfall map of India, seasons, behaviour of monsoons 15. Location of cities. You have to go from A to X. You have to pass through…. 16. Climograph 17. Settlement patterns along the ridges 18. Types of coal ; Gondwana, Tertiary, Quartenary etc. 19. Ecosystems and biodiversity 20. Why space centre is located at Thumba, 21. Denudation, Erosion etc 22. Nature of Deltas IV. AGRICULTURE IN INDIA 1. Types of farming 2. Important crops; where they are grown ; economic importance. 3. Types of trees 4. Area cultivated and important crops 5. Soil erosion V. ASTRONOMY 1. Atmosphere and other layers above the earth. 2. Important latitudes, longitudes etc. How to determine latitudes. 3. Date line 4. Calculation of time 5. Doldrums 6. Types of rocks 7. Deserts 8. Important flora and fauna 9. Structure of the Earth-core-mantle etc 10. Ocean currents, tides 11. Circumference of the earth 12. Position of the planets in realtion to the earth, their moons etc 13. Seasons 14. Spheres : Magnetosphere, Exosphere etc. 15. Atoll, Continental shelf etc. important geographical terms 16. Types of mountains : Fold, Block etc. VI. DEMOGRAPHIC DETAILS 1. Demographic situation in India (Datta & Sundaram) Indian Economy 2. Census (India 98) 3. Sex ratio, mortality rate etc. 4. Rural, urban populations 5. Death rate, Birth rate etc. 6. Density of population VII. TRANSPORT 1. Important Railway lines : Where they start from and where they end; Towns through which they pass. 2. Important National Highways (Map) 3. Important airports 4. Important air routes VIII. WORLD GEOGRAPHY 1. Important Ocean routes.(Map) 2. Important canals.(Map) 3. Important lakes, islands, straits, peninsulas etc. (Map) 4. Important mountain ranges 5. Important climatic zones or belts (Book by Farrow) Poles, Types of climate 6. World Production Centres : Crops industries, minerals. (Map) 7. Change of names 8. Epithets 9. Air routes 10. Important tribes 11. Important rivers of India, the towns located on them and the states through which they pass. 12. Trade winds 13. Location of states in relation to other states. Map given. 14. Eclipses 15. Climatic variations 16. Flora and fauna 17. Shape of the land - continental slope etc 18. Limit below which a star cannot exist 19. Temperatures and rainfall along the coast 20. Tides ,oceans 21. Sea wealth - flora and fauna 22. Factors responsible for rainfall 23. Atmosphere and colour of the sky 24. Raw materials and minerals IX.ENVIRONMENT 1. Tiger reserves 2. Bird sanctuaries 3. Lion safaris 4. Bio-diversity X. PEOPLES, LANGUAGES ETC. 1. Tribes of India 2. Languages of India INDIAN HISTORY AND NATIONAL MOVEMENT A rapid study of NCERT (10th Standard) books on ancient, medieval and modern India is recommended. Do not go into too much detail. You must have a broad understanding of chronology, succession of dynasties, their important achievements, important monuments, art styles, cultural trends etc. The wonder that was India by A.L.Bhasham is important. I shall list a dozen or more topics under each head : ancient, medieval and modern next week. As regards National Movement you must study Freedom Struggle by Bipan Chandra even though NCERT Modern India is also by Bipan Chandra. Here again import trends in the National Movement must be studied. Important events in the struggle prior to 1857, the 1857 revolt, the Moderates, the Extremists etc. Focus on persons, important quotations, dates etc. Watch out for the space for a list next week. On Indian History and National Movement there are usually around 30 questions. Watch out this space next week. I shall write about other units in General Studies. Well prepared materials given to our students on the above are available. You can ask for particular sections and I shall let you know what it costs. In the guides published in the market you get what are called previous years questions .You cannot rely on their veracity totally till 1992. From 1992 candidates were allowed to take the question papers. Hence from 1992 you can depend on the published papers. Earlier papers have been compiled with the help of a few candidates and through memory. Hence they are only rough guides. Wish you all the best! Watch out for further Messages. Now that you have seen how useful this site is why don't you tell your friends about it? Also send me an e mail on your suggestions to improve this site.
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