upsc mains paper 3

UPSC Mains General Studies Paper-III 2021 is one of the nine subjective papers of UPSC Mains. Trends of UPSC Main Examinations in the recent past make it clear that it has become very dynamic, and hence, the old traditional method of preparation does not suffice.

General Studies (GS) is multi-dimensional in nature as it deals with diverse subject matters that are constantly evolving to keep pace with the new developments. General Studies carries a total weightage of 1000 marks and can play a significant role in obtaining a good rank overall. Thus, it becomes highly imperative to master the GS answer writing skills.

This year, the IAS Prelims 2021 will be conducted on June 27, 2021 and IAS Mains will be conducted on September 17-22, 2021.

This table demonstrates the pattern of the exam of the different stages you have to attempt:

Prelims	General studies Aptitude test
Mains	Qualifying in nature Paper A- compulsory Indian language- 22 languages Paper B- English To qualify, minimum 25% is necessary Merit-based paper Paper-I (Essay) Paper-II (GS-I) Paper-III (GS-II) Paper-IV (GS-III) Paper-V (GS-IV) Paper-VI (Optional Paper-I) Paper-VI (Optional Paper-II)

General Studies Paper 3 is divided into:

1. Science & Technology
2. Economic Development
3. Biodiversity & Environment
4. Security & Challenges
5. Disaster Management.

Aspirants who wish to download the UPSC Mains General Studies Paper-III pdf can visit the official website of the government or can refer the content provided on our website.

Download UPSC Mains General Studies Paper-III 2021 Pdf

 

UPSC IAS Mains 2020: Structure of General Studies Paper-III

1. The pattern of Mains General Studies Paper-III will consist of 20 questions that need to be attempted in a time frame of 3 hours.
2. The paper is of a total of 250 marks with questions of 10- and 15-marks weightage
3. The word limit for 10 marks questions is 150 and 15 marks are 250

UPSC Mains General Studies Paper-III 2021 Syllabus is given in the detailed manner in table below:

Focus Areas in GS Paper-III
Subject	Topics
Economics	Economic Development in India Current Affairs Select articles from ‘The Hindu’ Class 12 NCERT – ‘Introductory Macroeconomics’ Economic Survey of India and India Year Book Macroeconomics Indian Economy Issues related to planning Mobilization of resources Growth Development Employment · Government Budgeting Land reforms in India Infrastructure Energy Ports Roads Airports Railways
Science & Technology	Dark Matter Higgs Boson Rare Earth Elements GM Crops Gene Editing Artificial Intelligence Space Technology Defence Technology Important contributions of Indians in Science and Technology Indigenization of technology Developing new technology indigenously Developments in Science and Technology Applications of scientific developments in everyday life Effects of scientific developments in everyday life
Biodiversity	Types of Biodiversity Biodiversity and Environment Conservation Environmental pollution and degradation Environmental Impact Assessment Current Affairs Awareness in the following fields: IT Space Computers Robotics Nanotechnology Biotechnology Issues related to Intellectual Property Rights in these fields ‘Textbook of Environmental Studies for Undergraduate Courses’ by Erach Bharucha Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC) Official Website Yojana (January 2020) – Click the link to get the gist of Yojana
Security	Terrorism Linkages between development and spread of extremism Role of state and non-state actors in creating challenges to internal security Challenges to Internal Security through communication networks: Role of media and social networking sites in internal security challenges Basics of Cyber Security Money laundering and its prevention Security challenges and their management in border areas: Linkages of organized crime with terrorism Various Sec
Disaster Management	Disaster Management in India PM Cares Fund National Disaster Management Plan 2016 Yojana (January 2017) edition- this covers Disaster Management perspectives.

Students can download previous years question paper from: https://www.upsc.gov.in/examinations/previous-question-papers

Recommended Books for UPSC Mains General Studies Paper-III 2021 for IAS Mains Exam:

1. NCERT Class X – Understanding Economic Development
2. NCERT Class XI – Indian Economic Development
3. NCERT Class XII – Macroeconomics (chapters 2,5 and 6 are very important)
4. Indian Economy for Civil Services Examinations – Ramesh Singh
5. Challenges to Internal Security of India by Ashok Kumar and Vipul
6. IGNOU Notes on Disaster Management.
7. IGNOU Notes on Cyber Security.
8. India Year Book
9. NITI Aayog Reports

10.Lok Sabha Question-Answers

Check out >> UPSC Mains General Studies Paper-IV Syllabus