Extended Syllabus for BIG-3

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

1. India and the World.
2. India's Economic Interactions with the World.
3. International Affairs and Institutions.

Although official syllabus gives some hints about the questions which can be expected, this extended syllabus presents a more clearer picture of that.

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; 10^th, 11^th, 12^th 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”.