GS PT ECOLOGY & ENVIRONMENT – COURSE MANAGEMENT AND ADVISORY

Environment section for PT is an amalgamated section comprising Biology, Zoology, Botany, Geography and Economy. The section has been reframed from syllabus point of view because of close association between these subjects and the overlapping relationship between them. These sections have got many overlaps and preparing all of them simultaneously has its own advantages if the entire study of the syllabus is so synchronized.

Preparing this portion thoroughly gives you good score in PT. The section doesn’t end up helping your GS, it can immensely help the students in their Geography optional, the offshoots and applications of the knowledge gained by mastering this component are very rewarding for Geography optional. And not to talk about GS Mains, which will be covered more than half. Candidates can enhance their answering abilities on questions related to world biomes, distribution of flora and fauna, conservation measures, etc. asked in GS Paper I and III in their Mains Examination.

So, it means that the cost benefit analysis of this portion of the syllabus highly favors a comprehensive preparation of PT.

Focus Areas

The soul of the syllabus of Environment section lies in understanding the key concepts of ecosystems, biomes, Zoogeographical regions, and linking it with Biogeographical processes. The students have to be specially prepared with the terms and terminologies of the subject.

The whole section has to be divided into five broad sections-Ecosystem and its processes, Soils and vegetation, Role of Humans, Impact of Humans, a fifth component in the form of various issues, besides having a sixth component in the form of International Treaties and Convention. Moreover all the chapters have an Indian extension as well. This involves a parallel study of soil types in India; vegetation of India and it can save ones time and develop their understanding better.

In fact it is better to make it a rule to think of all the concepts in the Indian context. UPSC used to be asking such questions in the past.

The entire section is a bit factual sometimes particularly in topics of soil classification, biomes, floral and faunal distribution, etc. the other is completely conceptual and still another completely analytical.

A new dimension is always in form of Government Schemes and Recent developments particularly in Current Affairs.

Relations with GS Mains

There is a complete section in GS on Ecological Issues in the third paper. Besides these

1. 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
2. Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment
3. Disaster and disaster management.

 

Thus, one can be sure of 20-30 marks in GS PT.

What the students Get

• Ecology & Environment for PT by K. Siddhartha, S. Mukherjee

Additional material that the students can go for

Anything needed will be updated.

Learning Sequencing as it should be in order to understand the topic, and chapter structure

The course sequencing is not per the syllabus. This is done to provide concept to the candidates. If the candidates follow the topic after another as per the syllabus they will never follow the concept. Hence the sequencing and reordering has been done to students benefit so that students are able to connect the dots and connect their concepts.

How best to utilise it

Pre Online Learning

Before picking Environment for PT to study, the candidate must have studied and understood Basic Biology at the 10^th standard level.

Online Learning sequence.

1. First read the topics
2. Listen to the explanation
3. Now use the summary to revise it
4. Practice answering Objective type questions from the MCQ tab
5. Ensemble will keep you updating on current affairs regularly on this topic, as and when required
6. Keep an eye on updates

 

Environment (The syllabus as it should be studied)

SEQUENCE	TOPICS	CHAPTER AND STUDY MATERIAL	VIDEO EXPLANATION & MULTIMEDIA	SYNOPSIS & FACTFILE	MCQ	CURRENT AFFAIRS & ENRICHMENTS
1a.	Ecosystem Concept, Types of Ecosystems	Ecology & Environment for preliminary Examination Volume-1	Compact Powerpoint description and analysis with trend analysis..	✔	✔	Not Applicable NA, Not Needed
2	Soil Genesis	Ecology & Environment for preliminary Examination Volume-1	Compact Powerpoint description and analysis with trend analysis..	✔	✔	Not Applicable NA, Not Needed
3	Soil Profile	Ecology & Environment for preliminary Examination Volume-1	Compact Powerpoint description and analysis with trend analysis..	✔	✔	Not Applicable NA, Not Needed
4	Soil Classification	Ecology & Environment for preliminary Examination Volume-1	Compact Powerpoint description and analysis with trend analysis..	✔	✔	Not Applicable NA, Not Needed
5	Soil Degradation and Conservation	Ecology & Environment for preliminary Examination Volume-1	Compact Powerpoint description and analysis with trend analysis..	✔	✔	Not Applicable NA, Not Needed
6	Distribution of Fauna and Flora	Ecology & Environment for preliminary Examination Volume-1	Compact Powerpoint description and analysis with trend analysis..	✔	✔	Not Applicable NA, Not Needed
7	Biomes	Ecology & Environment for preliminary Examination Volume-1	Documentary type International level videos with a story line explanation	✔	✔	Not Applicable NA, Not Needed
8	Gene Pool Centres	Ecology & Environment for preliminary Examination Volume-1	Not needed	✔	✔	Not Applicable NA, Not Needed
9	Laws of Ecology	Ecology & Environment for preliminary Examination Volume-1	A simplified examination oriented lecture recording of K. Siddhartha Sir.	✔	✔	Not Applicable NA, Not Needed
10	Human ecological adaptations	Ecology & Environment for preliminary Examination Volume-1	A simplified examination oriented lecture recording of K. Siddhartha Sir.	✔	✔	Not Applicable NA, Not Needed
11	Global Ecological Imbalances Mans Impact on Ecosystem, Environmental Degradation, Ecological Superiority of Humans	Ecology & Environment for preliminary Examination Volume-1	Compact Powerpoint description and analysis with trend analysis..	✔	✔	Will  keep on bringing new updates with new developments in Current Affairs
12	Human Impact on Climate-Global Warming, Global cooling, Ozone Hole, Climatic modification by human Activities.	Ecology & Environment for preliminary Examination Volume-1	Compact Powerpoint description and analysis with trend analysis..	✔	✔	Will  keep on bringing new updates with new developments in Current Affairs
13	Human Impact on Atmosphere- Aerosols, Acid rain, Urban Heat Island	Ecology & Environment for preliminary Examination Volume-1	Compact Powerpoint description and analysis with trend analysis..	✔	✔	Will  keep on bringing new updates with new developments in Current Affairs
14	Human Impact on Land-Land degradation, Soil Degradation) Erosion, Salinization, Laterisation) Derelict Land Formation,	Ecology & Environment for preliminary Examination Volume-1	Compact Powerpoint description and analysis with trend analysis..	✔	✔	Will  keep on bringing new updates with new developments in Current Affairs
15	Human Impact on Water- Marine Pollution (Oil Pollution, Algal Bloom) Marine Waste Disposal, Eutrophication, Biomanipulation, Thermal Pollution,	Ecology & Environment for preliminary Examination Volume-1	Compact Powerpoint description and analysis with trend analysis..	✔	✔	Will  keep on bringing new updates with new developments in Current Affairs
16	Human Impact on Ecosystem- Biomagnification, Mass extinction, Holocene extinction	Ecology & Environment for preliminary Examination Volume-1	A simplified examination oriented lecture recording of K. Siddhartha Sir.	✔	✔	Will  keep on bringing new updates with new developments in Current Affairs
17	Pollution- Air Pollution, Stubble burning, Water pollution, Oil Pollution,	Ecology & Environment for preliminary Examination Volume-1	A simplified examination oriented lecture recording of K. Siddhartha Sir.	✔	✔	Will  keep on bringing new updates with new developments in Current Affairs
18	Biodiversity	Ecology & Environment for preliminary Examination Volume-1	Compact Powerpoint description and analysis with trend analysis..	✔	✔	Will  keep on bringing new updates with new developments in Current Affairs
19	Forest Conservation, Forest Fires	Ecology & Environment for preliminary Examination Volume-1	Compact Powerpoint description and analysis with trend analysis..	✔	✔	Will  keep on bringing new updates with new developments in Current Affairs
20	Wildlife Conservation	Ecology & Environment for preliminary Examination Volume-1	Compact Powerpoint description and analysis with trend analysis..	✔	✔	Will  keep on bringing new updates with new developments in Current Affairs
21	Sustainable development	Ecology & Environment for preliminary Examination Volume-1	KS, See Also Bio Environmental Geography	✔	✔	Not Applicable NA, Not Needed
22	Animals of the World	Ecology & Environment for preliminary Examination Volume-1	Compact Powerpoint description and analysis with trend analysis..	✔	✔	Not Applicable NA, Not Needed
23	International Conventions and Treaties	Ecology & Environment for preliminary Examination Volume-1	KS	✔	✔	Will  keep on bringing new updates with new developments in Current Affairs
24	Government Schemes and Programmes	Ecology & Environment for preliminary Examination Volume-1	KS	✔	✔	Will  keep on bringing new updates with new developments in Current Affairs

Post Script- General Directions after Course

• After having gone through the entire section, the candidates are advised to go through the entire of the summary part in order to revise the topics
• Also start observing the diagrams and illustrations.
• The emphasis has to be more on correlationship rather than on memorization of some facts.
• Questions have to be attempted only after having understood the topics and having acquired the ability to answer the questions.
• Go through the entire MCQ and answer the questions.
• Repeat this process more than once.