1.

ENVIRONMENT- very broad subject but if u see questions from last few years, they basically come from
the following areas:

Natural Resources renewable and non-renewable (questions on non-conventional energy

resources have become a surety in last few years, so it should be done rather comprehensively)
* Two questions in prelim, 2014; relating to solar energy and shale gas & coal-bed-methane.
(Source Erach Bharuchas Environmental Studies for Undergraduate Courses
Pollution a thorough understanding of Air, water, noise, soil, nuclear, thermal,e-waste.
*one question in prelim, 2014; relating to pollutants of steel industry.
(Source Erach Bharuchas Environmental Studies for Undergraduate Courses)

International Efforts just basic ideas about:

United Nations Environment Program (UNEP),

International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN),
Global Environment facility
*question asked in this prelim, 2014).
World Wildlife fund for nature (WWF)
*question about WWFs earth hour appeared in prelim, 2014.
NGOs like Conservation International, Greenpeace etc.
(Source- all these organizations have their own web-pages, can google-search and read).

Indias Efforts get basic ideas of:

Environment protection act-198

*question on eco-sensitive zones figured in prelim, 2014. Eco-sensitive zones come under
Environment protection Act.
Various pollution related acts (Air pollution Act-1981, water pollution act-1974 etc.),
Environment Impact Assessment.
Indian institutions and organizations like BNHS, Animal Welfare Board of India, NGRBA (*all
three figured in a question this year), Centre for Science and Environment, TERI, Central
Pollution Control Boards etc.(Source- Google search and read them, best option)

Current happenings reports, issues, discoveries.

(Keeping an eye on The Hindus Thursday science page can take care of most things here. Dont go for
every small piece of information coming from various research groups, just some important ones coming
from national, international platforms).

2. ECOLOGY- questions here are easy pickings if you just go through the basic ecology. Areas one can
cover here are:
1. Structure of ecosystem (biotic-abiotic components, Producer-consumer-decomposer concept),
2. Types of ecosystems (grasslands, mangroves, estuaries,
3. Food chains and food web (*question asked in prelim,2014),
4. Ecological pyramids,
5. Biogeochemical cycles,(*question asked on carbon cycle, prelim 2014)
6. Ecological succession,
7. Biological interactions (mutualism, parasitism etc.)
8. A glossary of ecological terms

3. BIO-DIVERSITY- here one can go for a mix of theory and the present International and Indias efforts:
Theory:

concept of bio-diversity (genetic, species, ecosystem diversity),

threats to bio-diversity (habitat fragmentation, desertification, poaching),
Conservation of biodiversity (in-situ and ex-situ conservation),
Bio-diversity in India (hot-spots, world heritage sites of natural importance).
(Source ICSE board books on environmental studies, class-IX, X ; Erach Bharuchas
Environmental Studies for Undergraduate Courses).

International Efforts get basic ideas about;

Convention on bio-diversity (CBD)-history and current events/decisions.

Cartagena Protocol,
Nagoya protocol (and Aichi targets),
IUCN Red list (its various categories, important additions to it in last year, especially from
India),
Various conventions like Convention on migratory species (CMS), Convention on the
International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna (CITES), Ramsar
convention (* 2 questions in this years prelim) etc.

Indias Efforts basic idea of;

Wild-life protection act,

Forest conservation act,
Bio-diversity Act, 2002 (and National Biodiversity Authority),
Protected areas (biosphere reserves, National parks, wildlife sanctuaries names and states
in which they are located, protected areas known for particular animals {e.g. Kaziranga for
rhino}, protected areas that have been in news, protected areas notified recently.
Conservation efforts (project tiger, project elephant, rhino vision-2020 etc.)
Concept of Genetically Modified Organisms (or Transgenic organisms), current debate on it,
institutional mechanisms in India.
Environmental clearance, National Green Tribunal.

4.CLIMATE CHANGE- again can be divided into theory, International Efforts and Indias Efforts;
Theory:- basic understanding of

Global warming; ozone layer and its depletion; Acid Rain.

Implication of these events on climate
(Source- Erach Bharuchas Environmental Studies for Undergraduate Courses).

International Efforts:

UNFCC- history (the convention, Kyoto protocol, Bali Road map, Cancun Agreement, Durban
Outcomes, Doha climate gateway, Warsaw outcomes), current happenings/decisions (COP
deliberations).
(Sourcehttp://unfccc.int/essential background/items/6031.php)

IPCC- crux of its recent reports (Source-http://www.ipcc.ch/organization/organization.shtml)

Vienna Convention, Montreal protocol.

Indias Efforts:

National Action Plan for climate change, its various sub-planes.

Indias stand at international platforms.
Various policies/projects/schemes.

(Source- Economic Survey Chapter ; India Year Book chapters)