How to prepare Environmental Acts and Policies for UPSC Prelims

Since the last few years, it has been seen that UPSC is constantly giving more weightage to the ‘Environment Section’. This has happened with the change in format since the year 2011,. However various reasons could be cited for this including the inclusion of Indian Forest Services (IFoS) in UPSC Prelims Exam to increasing worldwide environmental concern. The importance of Environment is evident from the fact that this section constitutes around 25-30 percent of the General Studies, paper 1. Out of this 25-30 % a substantial segment is covered by environmental acts and policies in UPSC Prelims Exam. In today’s article, we will have a look at the strategy to cover Environmental Acts and Policies.

Books and coaching notes are in abundance in the market but because of the dynamic and unpredictable nature of the subject, the availability of concrete material is rare in the market. Considering this fact many aspirants find it almost difficult to prepare this particular section that results in failure in the Prelims Exam. Referring to the NCERT texts or any other book also does not help considerably. 

 Many civil services aspirants who do not have prior experience start on a higher note but have no idea regarding the need or essence. In this way, they get stuck in between and lose energy. Because of this, they have to pay a high price and they get stuck in the vicious cycle of preparation that keeps on moving.

Study Material and Resource to follow:

Any building is not strong enough unless its foundation is week. To strengthen the foundation one needs to put entire energy into the sources and resources that build your confidence as well as chances. The following A list of the book can be followed to have a basic idea of acts and policies:

• Basic texts like NCERT’s- Geography from 6^th and 12^th and Biology, 12^th (Old and New)
• You can also refer to ICSE books – Class 10^th and 11^th
• The Hindu, Down to Earth and Science Reporter

Important Points to Remember:

• A simple approach for environment related topics is a mix of static and dynamic portion.
• A smart way of learning will ease your approach to preparation. Prepare a table for important acts and policies with date of announcement and salient features. This will not only help you to remember the vital points in easy way but it will also help you in revision.
• Read current issues related to these acts and policies and try to link them with static portion of environment.
• Make sure that your preparation is as easy as it could be. There is nothing to panic in life. At least environment section should not panic you after going through this.

There is one major concern with these subjects that understanding the concepts is not easier in its first reading. So the aspirants often entrapped in the boredom while reading subject. So one need to have patience while preparing this subject. If a student reads the same material 2-3 times, they will find it interesting and easy. But one should revise them at least 5 times, to recall the studied content in the exam. The environment is a very dynamic subject and so requires equally a dynamic approach. Questions are asked about the happenings related to Environment, Ecology and Biodiversity in past one year or so. Aspirants need to be aware of those happenings in complete details. Questions on International Organisation, Conventions etc are more common in UPSC Prelims Paper and these are asked from Current Affairs itself so Reading and revising it is very necessary.

However the entire approach could be easier and one can avail the benefit of entire study material related to environmental acts and policies through single resource material. You just need to download Prelims Sampoorna Fact File on Environmental Acts and Policies from GS Score Website. It is the compilation of all relevant acts and policies that may be fruitful from UPSC Prelims point of view.