UPSC aspirants should know how to effectively read the India Year Book which is important for IAS Exam. However, the India Year Book is undoubtedly a bulky book that aspirants either cannot ignore or spend more time with.
This article will introduce the IAS candidates to India Year Book, and in the latter part, important chapters of this book will be provided.
What is the India Year Book?
India Year Book (IYB) is an annual book that has ministry-wise or department-wise chapters, and it’s a compilation of information that is available on the relevant ministry websites. The book comprises 32 chapters, which is mentioned below.
Who publishes the India Year Book?
The India Year Book is issued by the publication division, which is a media unit of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India.
Why is the India Year Book important for UPSC Preparation?
For UPSC aspirants, this book comes handy for current affairs preparation of civil services exam. Aspirants are required to concentrate on current events of the previous year till the main examination of the current year (e.g. if a candidate appears for UPSC 2023 Exam then he/she has to start preparing for current affairs from June 2022 to December 2023. (The prelims 2023 is on 28th May 2023 and mains in September 2023).
This book is the one source that covers all the information needed regarding various programs and policies launched by the government, which is very helpful for civil services exam for both prelims and mains while writing descriptive answers.
If one analyses the UPSC Civil Services Prelims Exam previous years question papers then it can be seen that roughly around 10-15 questions are asked from this book, and those are majorly related to schemes and policies initiated by the government.
The table gives the chapters, one will find in India Year Book:
| Chapters in India Year Book | |
| Chapters | Topics |
| Chapter 1 | Land and the People |
| Chapter 2 | National Symbols |
| Chapter 3 | Polity |
| Chapter 4 | Agriculture |
| Chapter 5 | Culture and Tourism |
| Chapter 6 | Basic Economic Data |
| Chapter 7 | Commerce |
| Chapter 8 | Communications and Information Technology |
| Chapter 9 | Defence |
| Chapter 10 | Education |
| Chapter 11 | Energy |
| Chapter 12 | Environment |
| Chapter 13 | Finance |
| Chapter 14 | Corporate Affairs |
| Chapter 15 | Food and Civil Supplies |
| Chapter 16 | Health and Family Welfare |
| Chapter 17 | Housing |
| Chapter 18 | India and the World |
| Chapter 19 | Industry |
| Chapter 20 | Law and Justice |
| Chapter 21 | Labour, Skill Development and Employment |
| Chapter 22 | Mass Communication |
| Chapter 23 | Planning |
| Chapter 24 | Rural and Urban Development |
| Chapter 25 | Scientific and Technological Developments |
| Chapter 26 | Transport |
| Chapter 27 | Water Resources |
| Chapter 28 | Welfare |
| Chapter 29 | Youth Affairs and Sports |
| Chapter 30 | States and Union Territories |
| Chapter 31 | Diary of National Events |
| Chapter 32 | General Information |
Especially for beginners who are first time reading this book for IAS Preparation, here are a few tips on how to read India Year Book for IAS exam:
| India Year Book – Important Chapters to Read | ||
| First Priority | Second Priority | Third Priority |
| Land and the People | Commerce | Corporate Affairs |
| National Symbols | Communications and Information Technology | Food and Civil Supplies |
| Polity (Recommended to focus more on Laxmikanth) | Finance | Housing |
| Agriculture | Industry | Labour |
IAS aspirants frequently doubt on the cost-benefit ratio while reading this book and hence generate even more doubts. Some doubts are being cleared in the points below:
| Is India Year Book important for UPSC | Yes, if the trend of the UPSC prelims is analysed, it is suggested to read a few important chapters of this book |
| Which India Year Book is best for UPSC? | Candidates can read the revised editions of India Year Book |
| In which month is India Year Book published? | Publication division generally releases annual edition of their book during March |
These are just a few tips to approach on how to read the India Year Book for UPSC Civil Services Exam Preparation. Hope, this would help the aspirants in their IAS Exam Preparation.
Every year this year book is released and candidates preparing for the upcoming examination must review the India Year Book 2022 and 2023 for further preparation.
You can refer to the important articles linked in the table below:
Ans. The Manorama Year Book is the best for candidates preparing for the upcoming civil services exam.
Ans. The India Year Book is a comprehensive digest of the country’s progress in various aspects. This will boost up a candidates knowledge of the latest schemes, policies, initiatives taken by the government of the country. Candidates must make proper notes out of it and thoroughly go through the progressive developments made by various Ministries.
Ans. Publications Division and the New Media Wing of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting publishes the India Year Book.
Ans. It is completely on the strategy of candidates that can make completing the entire yearbook in 30 days possible. However, it is recommended that candidates must go through the details subject-wise or chapter-wise, make proper notes and strategically go through the India Year Book so that no part is avoided.
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