Most Important Topics for UPSC Civil Services Mains 2016

We have compiled the most important topics for UPSC Civil Services Mains 2016 (mainly contemporary issues). Aspirants are also advised to go through our UPSC Mains mock questions – as part of ClearIAS 30-day AWP and 50-day HVAW. All the best!

Most Important Topics for UPSC Civil Services Mains

Only current issues relevant for UPSC CSE mains are mentioned here. We will be updating this page in the next few days as well. Readers can suggest/add any important topic we missed in the comment section.

Governance

• Cashless Economy
• Presidents rule in many states
• India’s efforts to reduce Disaster Risks
• Railway: Bibek Commette Recommedations, merging of railway budget with general budget, safety measures, Dynamic fare pricing of railways, First Rail Vikas Shivir (Rail Development Camp) etc.
• Advancing the budget date.
• New urban development policy
• Reforms in BCCI
• Energy Crisis in India and Hydro Electric Projects
• Special categories Status demand by Andra Pradesh
• Rajaswa gyan sangam
• ‘Mann Ki Baat’
• Green Highway Projects
• National Mission for Clean Ganga
• Tax on Junk Food
• Interstate Council Meeting
• Income declaration scheme
• 15 years vision document of NITI Aayog
• Two years of NDA government.
• National Policy on Education + RSS resolution.
• National encryption policy.
• Simultaneous elections of Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assemblies
• The Problem of Excessive Government Litigation.
• National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF)
• Anti-Defection Law: Is it time for reconsideration?

Schemes and Social Justice

• Two years of Swachh Bharat Abhiyan
• Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Yojana
• PM Ujjawala Yojna.
• Child welfare
• Emerging issue of triple talaq and Uniform Civil Code
• India In Global Hunger Index
• Building a Divyang friendly society (Differently Abled Persons)
• Forest rights of tribals.
• Denotified Tribes (DNT) and Nomadic Tribes (NT).

Judiciary

• Judicial decisions on pollution crisis in Delhi.
• Supreme court decision on power of the state to remit sentences of convicts under central law.
• Supreme Court verdicts on Singur land deal.
• Ban on High end diesel cars
• Cauvery Water Dispute
• Satluj Yamuna link canal
• SC ruling on Uttrakhand State assembly
• SC decision on Arunachal Pradesh Issue
• SC uphold lodha committee report
• SC decision on Common entrance test for medical courses
• Judicial measures against Rapist
• Contempt of Court: Time for a relook?
• The Problem of Pending Cases in Indian Courts: How to tackle?
• Sedition in India: Section 124 A of IPC vs Freedom of Speech.
• Defamation – Section 499 IPC.

Bills

• GST
• Model shops and establishment Bill
• Enemy Property Bill
• Benami transaction prohibition amendment bill 2015
• Black Money (Undisclosed Foreign Income and Assets) and Imposition of Tax Act 2015.
• The Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Bill, 2016
• Adhaar bill.
• Real Estate Bill.
• Citizenship Amendment Bill 2016
• Compensatory Afforestation Fund Bill, 2015
• The Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Bill, 2016
• The Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Amendment Bill.
• The Companies (Amendment) Bill, 2016.
• The Surrogacy (Regulation) Bill, 2016.
• Draft national water framework bill, 2016.
• HIV/AIDS bill 2016
• Trafficking of Persons bill 2016
• Draft national health policy 2015
• Draft national education policy
• Draft national policy for women
• Maharashtra Protection of People from Social Boycott (Prevention, Prohibition and
  Redressal) Act of 2016.

Bilateral and International

• Indo – Nepal Bilateral Relations
• India – UK Bilateral Relations – Economic Ties: New Vistas
• India – Japan Bilateral Relations
• India – Israel Bilateral Relations
• India – Sri Lanka bilateral relations
• India – New Zealand bilateral relations
• India – Brazil Bilateral Relations
• India – Myanmar Bilateral Relations
• India – Afghanistan Relations
• India – Iran Relations
• India – Russia relations
• US Presidential Election
• First International Agro– Biodiversity Congress
• China’s dual policy on terrorism
• Challenges before the new UN Secretary General
• BRICS summit – terrorism and growth
• Venezuela NAM Summit
• India and G20 Summit.
• India – Africa Foreign summit and Potential of India-africa trade relations.
• External Affairs Minister Speech at UNGA
• India pulls out from SAARC Summit in Islamabad
• Impact of espionage case on Indo Pak relations
• Trans pacific partnership(TPP).
• Pacific Island Countries (PICs) and India.
• 70 years of UN
• India’s Foreign Trade Policy (2015-20)
• International Solar Alliance (ISA)
• Nairobi Package – WTO’s Tenth Ministerial Conference
• Indus Water Treaty: Everything you need to know
• China’s Lalho Dam Project: Should India worry?
• Brexit: How does it affect India and the World?
• International North–South Transport Corridor (INSTC)
• Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
• Is China buying the world? Review of Global Banking Scenario.
• European Refugee Crisis.
• Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR).
• India and NSG
• South China Sea Issue
• One Road One Belt.
• Expanding the idea of India
• The Election Process of US President: (Comparing Constitutions).

Economy

• Rs.500, Rs.1000 Currency Notes Scrapped: What you need to know
• 10 Benefits of Goods and Service Tax (GST).
• Unified Payment Interface (UPI): Made Simple.
• Merger of associate banks with SBI
• Settling NPA in Public sector Banks.
• Marginal cost-based lending rate (MCLR)
• Differentiated banks.
• Public debt management in India
• Strategic Oil Reserves
• Merger of the Forwards Markets Commission (FMC) with the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI)
• Ease of doing business in ranking
• Net neutrality and free basics.
• Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code: Why do we need it now?
• The Black Money Saga In India: A Short Analysis
• Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana: The New Crop Insurance Scheme
• Union Budget of India 2016-17: Highlights and Analysis
• Major Programs Under Central Plan 2016-17
• Major Programs Under Central Assistance to States Plan: 2016-17
• Start up India initiative

Defense and Internal Security

• Surgical strike across LoC
• Terror attack in Uri Army Base
• Challenges before the Indian Air Force
• Rafale Deal
• Introduction of LCA Tejas.
• Leakage of Submarine documents.
• Defence expo
• New Capabilities show Air Force
• Missing of Indian Aircraft AN32
• Police reforms

Environment

• Paris Climate Agreement.
• Kigali Agreement.
• Festivity and Air Pollution.
• Indiscriminate sand mining from rivers.
• Wild Animals as Vermin.

Science and Technology

• Successfully launch of GSAT-18.
• Successful launch of SCATSAT-1.
• ISRO – Scramjet engine.
• IRNSS 1G
• India’s Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV): Everything you need to know
• Successful launch of Weather Satellite INSAT-3DR
• Successful launch of PSLV C34
• Use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVS) or Drones.
• Artificial Intelligence
• Virtual Reality
• Augmented Reality.
• Internet of Things (IoT)
• CRISPR–Cas9 genome editing.
• Gravitational Waves
• ICANN and the future of Internet

Disaster Management

• Flood and disaster management
• Deteriorating flood situation in different states.
• National Disaster Management Plan 2016.
• National Disaster Management Plan for Animals

History

• Contribution of Deen Dayal Upadhyay in Indin Politics.
• Contributions of JP Narayan.
• Role of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel in Uniting the Nation.

Questions based on Dates

• World Mental Health Day.
• Kargil Vijay diwas.
• Quit India Movement-9th August.
• International Internet Day
• International day of Yoga

Miscellaneous

1. PM alert against cow vigilante
2. Debate on Dalit issue in Loksabha
3. All Party meeting on Kashmir Issue and PM statement on PoK
4. Human rights violations in Balochistan and PoK
5. India and Rio Olympics.
6. Task forcce to prepare for olympic games
7. Launch of Akashvani Maitri Channel (Ind-Bangladesh)
8. Inauguration of first phase of SAUNI Project
9. Dhaka Terror Attack
10. Operation sankat Mochan in South Sudan
11. Incident in France in Bastille day function
12. Intelligence sharing for internal security
13. Verdict on Gulberg society case
14. Bihar Board Cheating row
15. Udta Punjab film controversy
16. Economic resolutions of BJP
17. Office of profit issue in Delhi
18. Attacks on minorities in Bangladesh
19. NSG meeting and china’s role
20. Utility of Panchayati raj system + Educational Qualifications
21. Cabinet approves 7th pay commission recommendations
22. Rajya Sabha debate on Augusta Westland deal
23. Atrocities against Women in Kerala
24. RBI proposals to make names of wilful defaulters public
25. Hypertension and stroke in India
26. China block India’s move against Masood Azhar at UN
27. 1st phase of assembly elections
28. Role of AYUSH in Indian health Sector
29. New Criteria for IIT JEE ranking
30. India China Strategic Dialouge
31. Temple fire cracker tragedy in Kerala
32. Tackling offshore tax evasion
33. Water scarcity in India
34. Making India a knowledge society in 21st century
35. PM address on Civil Services Day
36. Political development in Uttarakhand
37. Gramodaya se Bharat Uday
38. Conferences of Chief Ministers and Chief Justices
39. Qouta for economically weaker sections in Gujarat
40. Issues regarding tax proposal on epf
41. PM on reply on motion of thanks
42. Setu Bharatam project
43. Representation of women in democratic institution
44. Bad debt crisis in Public sector Banks and action against wilful defaulters
45. Issues related to real estate sector
46. Traffic updates on national highway through radio
47. Economic policy challenges in asia
48. Government bans harmful drugs
49. Constitutional amendment to revise SC list
50. US-Cuba relations
51. Challenges in eradicating TB
52. Access to clean water for sustainable development
53. Time bound public grievance redressal
54. Role of UN in combating international terrorism
55. International emergency over Zika virus
56. Future of Biotechnology
57. GM Mustard
58. 47th conference of Governors
59. Opportunity in north east- NE festival
60. JNU incident
61. Kisan Kalyan Mela
62. Jat Reservation issue
63. Rurban Mission
64. Annual conference of state minority commission
65. Railway Budget 2016
66. Terror attack at pathankot airbase
67. S&T for indigenous development
68. North korea nuclear test
69. Legacy of Mufti Mohd Sayeed
70. Constitutional aspects of DDCA probe
71. Devaluation of Chinese Yuan and impact on India
72. Restructuring of CBFC
73. New Defence procurement policy
74. India Pakistan talks
75. Indian Army symbol of courage – Army day
76. Sustainable agriculture
77. PM development agenda for North East
78. IRNSS 1E
79. UNCTAD report of FDI flow to India
80. Declassification of Netaji files
81. Constitutional Amendment in Nepal and its significance
82. 67 years to India republic
83. Fed Reserve rate change and its impact on India
84. Labour Laws and trade unions
85. Rescue and relief operation in flood affected Tamil Nadu
86. Rising pollution in big cities and climate change
87. India at the Heart of Asia summit
88. Paris climate agreement to reduce global warming
89. Journey of Indian space programme
90. Police officer’s meet and internal security.
91. Proceedings of parliament and important pending bills
92. WTO meet and its outcome
93. Make in India’s hurdle in defence procurement
94. Juvenile justice care and protection bill
95. Decommisioning of INS Godavari(India’s first indigenous warship)
96. Central Government measures to promote good governance.
97. Government decision to add more drugs to essential medicine list
98. Start up India and Stand up India
99. Financial inclusion of SC/STs
100. Achievement and initiatives of NITI ayog
101. Necessity to improve road infrastructure in India
102. Drug Pricing Policy
103. President address for Quality Higher Education
104. Increase Minimum Support Prices for Pulses
105. Special package for Jammu Kashmir
106. Myanmar Election: Importance for India
107. Launch of GSAT – 15
108. Increase in FDI Cap
109. Paris Terror Attacks
110. India at G 20 Summit
111. PM’s Malaysia Visit – ASEAN Business & Investment Summit
112. Declaration of ASEAN Economic Community & Opportunities for India
113. India-Singapore Diplomatic Relations – 50th Anniversary
114. Turkey’s shooting down of Russian fighter plane
115. 7 years since 26/11 Mubai Attacks
116. India Germany relations and solar energy
117. IMF projection of India growth rate
118. National war memorial and museum
119. Increase in indirect tax collection
120. Status of Article 370
121. India support to Palestine
122. Dadari incident
123. NJAC
124. Compensation for call drops
125. Falling sex ratio in India
126. Resuming India-pak cricketing ties
127. Price of pulses and essential commodity act
128. New capital of Andra Pradesh
129. US-PAK civil nuclear deal
130. Earth Quake preparedness
131. Draft Civil aviation policy

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