Extended syllabus for BIG-3 (Compiled from old question papers)
BIG-3 is a collective name of three important sections of GS Mains Paper-2, namely
- India and the World.
- India's Economic Interactions with the World.
- International Affairs and Institutions.
1. India and the World
- Indo- Pak, Japan, USA;
- South East Asia/ South Asia;
- India- Israel, Iran, China, South Africa, Nigeria;
- India- Bhutan, Afghanistan, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal;
- Indian diaspora in the world;
2. India's Economic Interactions with the World
I categorize the questions in this section in following sub-sections:
- National income: Engel's Law; Lorentz Curve; Paradox of high saving rate with low income and low growth rate in Indian economy; Measurement of economic growth-Per capita income, GNP, NNP;
- Financial System: Offshore currency market; Forward currency market; Hundi; Objectives and role of SEBI;
- Taxation: Counter Vailing Duty; Laffer Curve; Minimum Alternative Tax (MAT); Recommendation on tax administration (Kelkar task force); Personal income tax; Elimination of standard deduction; Ad-valorem tax and specific duties; MODVAT-1986; Tobin tax;
- Capital Market: Venture Capital; Nifty and Nifty Junior; Rolling Settlement; Policy related to buyback of shares; NASDAQ; Current account convertibility of rupee; CRISIL; ICOR; Mutual fund;
- Agriculture: (Issues from wide areas)
- Trade Services: Current account balance; Free trade area; Non tariff trade barrier; ASIDE; Balance on current account; Non factor services; Free trade vs Common market; Role of external financial assistance- FIPB, FIIA; Competition Act-2002; MFN Policy; Custom duty; SEZ; OGL; Dumping; EXIM Policy 2002-07;
- Development: Road transport economy; Green GDP; Development of underdevelopment; Human development index; Life expectancy; Effect of economic development on environmental degradation in India; Misery index; Trickle down theory of development; Steps to lower the fiscal deficit; HDI vs gender related DI; Quality of life; Bottlenecks to stifle the economic growth in India- Infrastructure, etc
- Budget (Meaning of various terms appear in union budget report): Budget deficit; Twin deficit; Fiscal deficit; Revenue deficit; Deficit financing; Fiscal responsibility and budget management bill; Zero based budget; New economic policy of India;
- Capital Formation: Round tripping in FDI; PIIGS countries; Performance of India in attracting FDI; Suggestions to attract FDI;
- Liberalization: Reverse financial liberalization; Integration of foreign investment with economic growth (foreign investment policy); Role of public sector after economic reforms in India; Consequences of liberalization- consumerism, overproduction of white goods, etc.
- Inflation: Stagflation; Philips curve; Cost push inflation; Galloping inflation; Runaway inflation; Steps taken by government to control inflation;
- Finance Commission: Objective; Procedures and powers of finance commission; 10th, 11th, 12th finance commission;
- Banking/ Investment: Convertibility of rupee; Capital account convertibility of rupee; Cheap money; Narsimhan Committee regarding banking sector; Cash reserve ratio; Priority sector lending; Different rate of interest scheme; Objectives and achievements of new industrial policy 1991; RBI’s automatic route in FDI- NBFC, SEZ, etc. UTI crisis & US-64 –effect on investment climate in India; Hard currency vs Soft currency; NABARD; Cash reserve ratio; SIDBI; Monetary policy;
- Planning: Administered price; Gandhian economy; Three sectors of economy- changes of shares in GDP during 1950-2012; Necessity and role of control in mixed economy; Comprehensive structural reforms of 1991; Strategy of planning in India since 1951; Three major items of expenditure of India’s revenue account; Plan holiday; Objective of the most recent 5 year plan; Rolling plan; Past 50 years of India were characterized by planning but next 50 years of development would be led by the market;
- Industry: Source of industrial finance- IDBI, IFCI, ICICI, IIBI, IDFC, SIDBI, etc.; Reason for industrial sickness in India; Abid Hussain Committee; NHDP; Industry status to agriculture; New industrial policy 1991;
- Population/ Poverty: Effect of globalization on poverty removal; Disguised unemployment; Structural unemployment; Measurement of poverty level; Social justice in Indian economy; Poverty eradication programme; Government policy for child labor; National health policy-2002; Operation blackboard scheme; PMGSY; Jan Shri Bima Yojna; National population policy; Annapurna scheme; Sampoorna Gramin Rojgar Yojna; Sex ratio; How to structure poverty eradication programme; Population rate and economic growth rate; Couple protection ratio; Mid day meal scheme; Social security;
- Miscellaneous: Opportunity and Challenges at global level & importance of WTO to India; Dumping- measures taken by WTO and India; NAMA; SDR; Doha round; India & World Bank; Free trade agreement between India & ASEAN; Green box and blue box subsidies; IFC; Provision related to agriculture in WTO; Euro control; Multilateral agreement on investment- affect on India; Jasmine revolution- economic and political consequences; IMF vs World Bank; GDI & GEM- UNS-HDR; Global competitiveness Index 2007; Merit good; Social forestry programme; Consolidated fund; Capital output ratio; Implications of gender disparities in India; Euro bonds; CEMA Bloc; Hunger in Africa; Crude oil price and Indian economy; Latin American reserve fund; European free trade association; Mekong Ganga cooperation; Plant variety right act 2002; Essential commodities act 1955; Parallel economy; Reason and effect of the failure of Seattle Millennium talk of WTO; Rao Manmohan model of development; TDPS; Economic effects of black money; Role of NRIs in economic development; EIA of project; Dow Jones;
3. International Affairs and Institutions
Balance of power concept; Arctic Council Nations; Cam Rahn Bay; International intervention in Ivory
Coast; Drug cartels in Columbia- Role of USA
& UNODC; Billion Acts of Green; Roterdam convention; The Maui Marmora incident; Uruguay Round & TRIPS, WTO; Gilgit Baltistan Empowerment &
Self Govt. order 2009; India’s soft and hard power strategy; Universal
declaration of human rights-1948;Clash of civilization theory; End of history theory; Indian ocean development policy; Nuclear Submarine-Arihant; India’s effort for permanent seat in UN;
Eurozone; WCO; NSG; IMF and
World Bank; UNFCC
(Anex-I & II); MONUSCO; ICC- Kampala
Declar.; Wakhan
Corridor; NSAB, NEPAD,
OAU; NAMA, GCC,
ICRC; MERCOSUR,
INTERPOL; NAM, ICT4D,
IAEA; BIMSTEC, ECJ; Maastricht
treaty; ICJ,
INTELSAT; IBRD, WMO,
WHO; Unipolar
world; OAPEC, IFAD; UPU, ODA,
ARF; OPEC, UNHCR,; MIGA, AU,
UNDO; UNCHR, WIPO; OIC, UNCIP;
Note: Write the full name, objectives, establishment, members, etc.
There is a list of organizations in which India participates, on Wikipedia of
“Foreign Relations of India”.
