VAJIRAM & RAVI

Institute for IAS Examination

How to use
CURRENT AFFAIRS
in Answer Writing
2025
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UPSC MAINS SYLLABUS

v PAPER-1: ESSAY
v PAPER-2: GENERAL STUDIES-1: Indian Heritage and Culture, History and Geography of the
World and Society
v PAPER-3: GENERAL STUDIES-2: Governance, Constitution, Polity, Social Justice, and
international relations
v PAPER-4: GENERAL STUDIES-3: Technology, Economic Development, Biodiversity,
Environment, Security and Disaster Management
v PAPER-5: GENERAL STUDIES-4: Ethics, Integrity, and Aptitude
v PAPER-6: OPTIONAL PAPER-1
v PAPER-7: OPTIONAL PAPER-2

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GENERAL STUDIES-1:
Indian Heritage and Culture, History and Geography of the World and Society
§ Culture:
Ø Major aspects of the various Indian art forms, Architecture & literature of India, from ancient
to modern India
§ Indian History
Ø Significant issues, events & personalities from the mid 18th century to the present
Ø The Freedom Struggle — its various stages and important contributors/contributions from
different parts of the country.
Ø Post-independence consolidation and reorganization within the country
§ World History
Ø World events from the 18th century onwards and their effects on society & the world at large.
(Industrial Revolution, World Wars, delineation of national boundaries, colonization,
decolonization, effects of political philosophies like communism, capitalism, etc.)
§ Society
Ø Society of India, its diversity and important aspects
Ø Role of women and women’s organization
Ø Social empowerment, communalism, regionalism & secularism
Ø Population and issues related to it
Ø Poverty, and development-related issues, urbanization, problems due to it and solutions, etc.
Ø Globalization and its effects on Indian society
§ Geography
Ø Salient features of world’s physical geography
Ø Distribution of key natural resources across the world (including South Asia and the Indian
sub-continent)
Ø Factors responsible for the location of primary, secondary, and tertiary sector industries in
various parts of the world (including India)
Ø Important Geophysical phenomena such as earthquakes, Tsunami, Volcanic activity, cyclone
etc., geographical features and their location-changes in critical geographical features
(including water-bodies and ice-caps) and in flora and fauna and the effects of such changes

GENERAL STUDIES-2:
Governance, Constitution, Polity, Social Justice and International relations
§ Polity and Indian Constitution
Ø Historical underpinnings, evolution, features, amendments, significant provisions and basic
structure
Ø Functions and responsibilities of the Union and the States, issues and challenges pertaining to
the federal structure, devolution of powers and finances up to local levels and challenges
therein.
Ø Separation of powers between various organs dispute redressal mechanisms and institutions.
Ø Comparison of the Indian constitutional scheme with that of other countries.
Ø Parliament and State legislatures—structure, functioning, conduct of business, powers &
privileges and issues arising out of these.
Ø Structure, organization and functioning of the Executive and the Judiciary—Ministries and
Departments of the Government; pressure groups and formal/informal associations and their
role in the Polity.
Ø Salient features of the Representation of People’s Act.
Ø Appointment to various Constitutional posts, powers, functions and responsibilities of various
Constitutional Bodies.
Ø Statutory, regulatory and various quasi-judicial bodies.

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Ø The development sector and its processes – the role of SHGs, NGOs, and other associations
and groups, institutions, and other stakeholders.
§ Social Justice
Ø Welfare schemes issued by the Centre and states for vulnerable sections, the performance of
these schemes; laws, mechanisms, bodies and institutions set up for the protection, and
development of the vulnerable sections.
Ø Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health,
Education, Human Resources
Ø Issues relating to poverty and hunger
§ Governance
Ø Governmental policies & interventions aimed at developing various sectors and issues arising
out of their design & implementation
Ø Key aspects of governance, e-governance- applications, successes, potential, accountability
and transparency, models, limitations; citizen charters, and other measures.
Ø The role of Civil Services in a democracy.
§ International Relations
Ø India and its neighbourhood- relations.
Ø Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting
India’s interests.
Ø Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India’s interests,
Indian diaspora.
Ø Important International institutions, agencies and fora - their structure, mandate.

GENERAL STUDIES-3:
Technology, Economic Development, Bio diversity, Environment, Security and
Disaster Management
§ Economy
Ø The economy of Indian and planning-related issues.
Ø Government budgeting
Ø Inclusive growth and issues/challenges associated with it.
Ø Liberalization and its effects on the economy (post-1991).
Ø Infrastructure – Ports, Airports, Roads, Energy, Railways, etc.
Ø Investment models like PPP, etc.
§ Agriculture
Ø Predominant cropping patterns in various parts of the nation, various types of irrigation
techniques and systems, storage, marketing, transportation of agricultural produce, and
challenges/issues related to it
Ø Use of e-technology in the agricultural sector
Ø Rearing of animals and the economics related to it
Ø Industries related to food processing and its kind in India – significance and scope, upstream-
downstream requirements, location, supply chain management.
Ø Problems related to indirect and direct farm subsidies and minimum support prices
Ø Objectives of Public Distribution System, functioning and its limitations, revamping; food
security and buffer stock issues; technological missions
Ø Land reforms in India
§ Science & Technology
Ø Recent technological developments and their effects
Ø Indians and their achievements in science & technology
Ø Indigenous technological innovation and the development of new tech
Ø General Awareness of Space, IT, Robotics, Computers, biotechnology, and nanotechnology
Ø Problems related to intellectual property rights

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§ Environment
Ø Conservation
Ø Pollution of the environment and its degradation
Ø EIA (Environmental Impact Assessment)
§ Disaster Management (Act, laws, etc.)
§ Security
Ø Challenges to internal security (non-state actors and external state)
Ø How extremism develops and spreads.
Ø Internal security challenges pertaining to the communication networks.
Ø Fundamentals of cyber security; money laundering and how to prevent it.
Ø Challenges to security and managing security in border areas; the connection between
organized crime and terrorism.
Ø The names of the various security agencies and forces and their mandates

GENERAL STUDIES-4:
Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude
§ Human Interface & Ethics
Ø The essence of ethics, the determinants & consequences in human interaction.
Ø Dimensions of Ethics
Ø Ethics in public and private relationships
Ø Human values: lessons from the lives and teachings of great leaders, reformers and
administrators
Ø The role of one’s family, society, and educational institutes in developing ethical and moral
values in him/her
§ Attitude
Ø The content of attitude
Ø The influence of attitude in behaviour and thought
Ø The relation of attitude to behaviour and thought
Ø Political and Moral attitudes
Ø Social influence and persuasion
§ Aptitude
Ø The foundational values and aptitude of civil services
Ø Integrity
Ø Non-partisanship and impartiality
Ø Objectivity
Ø Dedication to serving the public
Ø Compassion towards society’s weaker sections
§ Emotional Intelligence
Ø The concept of emotional intelligence
Ø The application and utility of emotional intelligence in administration and governance.
§ Contributions of Philosophers and Thinkers
Ø From the world and India
§ Public/Civil service values and Ethics in Public administration:
Ø Status and problems
Ø Ethical concerns and dilemmas in government and private institutions
Ø Laws, rules, regulations and conscience as sources of ethical guidance
Ø Accountability and ethical governance
Ø Strengthening of ethical and moral values in governance
Ø Ethical issues in international relations and funding
Ø Corporate governance
§ Probity in Governance
Ø Concept of public service

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Ø Governance & probity and its philosophical basis
Ø Transparency & information sharing in government
Ø Right to Information
Ø Codes of ethics
Ø Codes of conduct
Ø Citizen’s charters
Ø Work culture
Ø Quality of service delivery
Ø Utilization of public funds
Ø Challenges of corruption

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ANSWER WRITING FOR MAINS USING CURRENT AFFAIRS

INTRODUCTION:

BODY-1:
a. Meaning/Definition/Components

b. Data/Facts/Trends

c. Method/Formula/Model

BODY-2:
a. Schemes/Policies/Efforts

b. Challenges
c.
Solutions

CONCLUSION:

SAMPLE QUESTIONS:

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Foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows into India have crossed the $1 trillion milestone in
the April 2000-September 2024 period, firmly establishing the country’s reputation as a safe
and key investment destination globally.

According to data from the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade
(DPIIT), the cumulative amount of FDI, including equity, reinvested earnings and other
capital, stood at $1,033.40 billion during the said period.

About 25% of the FDI came through the Mauritius route. It was followed by Singapore
(24%), the U.S. (10%), the Netherlands (7%), Japan (6%), the U.K. (5%), the UAE (3%) and
Cayman Islands, Germany and Cyprus accounted for 2% each.

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India received $177.18 billion from Mauritius, $167.47 billion from Singapore and $67.8
billion from the U.S. during the period under review, as per the data.

The key sectors attracting the maximum of these inflows include the services segment,
computer software and hardware, telecommunications, trading, construction development,
automobile, chemicals, and pharmaceuticals.

According to the Commerce and Industry Ministry, since 2014, India has attracted a
cumulative FDI inflow of $667.4 billion (2014-24), registering an increase of 119% over the
preceding decade (2004-14).

FDI equity inflows into the manufacturing sector over the past decade (2014-24) reached
$165.1 billion, marking a 69% increase over the previous decade (2004 -14), which saw
inflows of $97.7 billion, an official has said.

To ensure that India remains an attractive and investor-friendly destination, the

government reviews FDI policy on an ongoing basis and makes changes from time to
time after having extensive consultations with stakeholders.

The overseas inflows into India are likely to gather momentum in 2025, as healthy
macroeconomic numbers, better industrial output and attractive PLI schemes will attract more
overseas players amid geopolitical headwinds, experts said.

They added that despite the global challenges, India is still the preferred investment
destination.

Avimukt Dar, Founding Partner, INDUSLAW, said the inflows are likely to continue in a
robust form. There is strong anticipation that private equity financing in the tech sector, which
had slowed down in the past, will pick up again since various funds have enjoyed good exits
in the public markets and are ready to deploy again.

“The government can continue with structural reforms, particularly in the space of M&A, by
nudging SEBI to make the public takeover regime more friendly for foreign players,” Mr. Dar
said.

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Rumki Majumdar, an economist at consultancy Deloitte India, said FDI inflows are likely to
remain modest amidst expected policy changes in the U.S. and the impact of policy stimulus
on China’s economy.

Geopolitical situations may alter supply chains, and trade regulations would dampen
investors’ sentiments, keeping capital flows volatile, she said, adding that the government will
have to prioritise infrastructure capex with timely project execution, boost workforce skilling
via PPPs and incentives, invest in digital ecosystems for productivity gains, and foster R&D
for digital solutions that help inclusion and formalisation of the economy.

Commenting on the data, Manav Nagaraj, Partner, Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas & Co, said
FDI in India is likely to continue to rise in all areas – early-stage investments, growth capital
and strategic investments.

“India as an investment destination has historically been and continues to be attractive for
foreign investors across various countries, whether from the U.S., the U.K., continental
Europe or Asian countries,” he added.

FDI is allowed through the automatic route in most of the sectors, while in areas like telecom,
media, pharmaceuticals and insurance, government approval is required for foreign investors.

Under the government approval route, a foreign investor has to get a prior nod from the
Ministry or department concerned, whereas, under the automatic route, an overseas investor
is only required to inform the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) after the investment is made.

At present, FDI is prohibited in some sectors. They are lottery, gambling and betting, chit
funds, Nidhi company, real estate business, and manufacturing of cigars, cheroots, cigarillos
and cigarettes using tobacco.

FDI is important for India as it will require huge investments in the coming years for the
infrastructure sector to boost growth. Healthy foreign inflows also help in maintaining the
balance of payments and the value of the rupee.

Published - December 08, 2024 10:36 pm IST

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CURRENT AFFAIRS NOTE MAKING FOR MAINS:
DEFINITION:

AGENCY:

TREND:
§ April 2000- Sept 2024:

§ (2004-14) to (2014-24):

§ Key Recipient Sectors:

§ Source Country

FACTORS FOR SUCCESS:

CHALLENGES:

SUGGESTIONS:

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Question: Define FDI. Discuss the factors that unleashed the current FDI trends in India.
(250 words, 15 marks)

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VAJIRAM & RAVI
Institute for IAS Examination
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