If you are an IAS aspirant then you have to start your preparation soon. When you are starting with your preparation you need to know the dates for the prelims and main examination. Along with the dates you will need to know the syllabus for the same. After you know the required information you will have to see which resource to have. Whether you want to join coaching to have proper guidance or you will like to prepare individually. If you are planning to enrol yourself in a coaching centre then you need to go for offline coaching or online coaching. You need to find answers for yourself keeping in mind these questions. You need to see the pros and cons of the options you are considering.
Environment and Ecology Syllabus
Environment and ecology become part of both prelims and the main UPSC examination. So you need to learn about this subject thoroughly leaving no scope of the gap in your preparation. To start with preparing this topic, you need to be acquainted with the Environment and Ecology syllabus. So here, you will get to know the syllabus.
| Environmental Pollution & Degradation | Types of Pollution & Pollutants
Ozone Layer Depletion and Ozone Hole Causes/Sources of Pollution & Degradation Impact of Pollution & Degradation Hazardous Waste, etc. Eutrophication Desertification Acid Rain National Environment Agencies, Legislations and Policies International Environment Agencies & Agreements Greenhouse Gas Effect & Global Warming Prevention & Control of Pollution & Degradation |
| Conservation | What is Biodiversity?
Importance of Biodiversity – Ecosystem Services, BioResources of Economic Importance, Social Benefits, etc. National Guidelines, Legislations & Other Programmes. Types of Biodiversity – Genetic, Species, Ecosystem, etc. Reasons for Loss of Biodiversity Eco-Sensitive Areas Ecological Hotspots Conservation: In-situ & Ex-Situ International Agreements & Groupings |
| Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) | What is EIA?
EIA Process Need & Benefits of EIA Indian Guidelines & Legislations Measures to Make EIA Effective Shortcomings of EIA in India |
| Disaster Management | Types of Disasters
Government Initiatives on Disaster Management Community Level Disaster Management Management of Disasters |
Also Read:- Environment Notes For UPSC: How To Prepare For Environment UPSC?
Environment and Ecology Books for UPSC
Now that you have information about the syllabus, you now have to see from which source you want to learn about these topics. If you think that you will go with other resources other than books that are available online, then you are missing out on the importance of books. The online resource that you are planning to refer to may not contain the deep knowledge about the topic that books contain. You will always see the books will have more in-depth knowledge about the concepts. So, if you are skipping reading books, then this is a bad decision. You should see what all books are good for you to read more about the Environment and Ecology. We will acquaint you with the list of books for Environment and Ecology.
1. The NCERT Textbooks
NCERT textbooks are a must to read for Environment and Ecology. There are many benefits to reading NCERT textbooks. The most important one is that you get to build a foundation for the Environment and Ecology subject. Another advantage is that you get simple language content in the book so it is easily understandable with technical jargon to remember. You should read the following:-
#Class 6 to Class 11th NCERT Geography
#Class 7 and Class 10 NCERT Science
#Class 12th NCERT Chemistry
#Class 12th NCERT Biology
2. Environmental Studies: From Crisis to Cure- R. Rajagopalan
After completing the NCERT book you can choose the book by R. Rajagopalan. This provides important topics for you to prepare for the Environment and Ecology subject. The book is known for its way of presenting current issues, precautions, solutions, and major other discussions of the topic. You get a better understanding of the topic with image illustrations given in the book.
Also Read:- How to Prepare an Environment Paper for the UPSC Exam? A Guide to The Civil Services Examination
3. Ecology and Environment by P. D. Sharma
Moving a step ahead to build your steps much closer, you will be looking for a book that has more details about the concept of Ecology and Environment. To learn more about the subject, you should refer to this book and make your preparation more strong.
4. Erach Bharucha’s Textbook of Environmental Studies for Undergraduate Courses
If you prepare from a book that is dedicated to the undergraduate students then get a better understanding of the concept. You get a new level of knowledge about the Environment and Ecology for UPSC.
5. Environmental Studies – Benny Joseph
The language used in these books is comprehensive and you will find extensive and in-depth knowledge about the subject. It is made for undergraduate students thus you will see the information mentioned is written while keeping an undergraduate student in mind. It is a great book to refer to for Environment and Ecology subjects.
Conclusion
Environment and Ecology is one of the important topics for the UPSC exam, hence you cannot afford to miss this out. To prepare for this interesting and important topic, you need to refer to books to get in-depth knowledge. Along with getting knowledge from various articles, videos, and newspapers, getting knowledge from books is imperative. In this article, we have made you aware of the list of books that you can refer to for getting all the information about the topics in Environment and Ecology. We have also described the Environment and Ecology syllabus for you so that you know what topics to cover, accordingly you can search for the books. Want to get more informative articles like this? Keep your eyes here.
Is reading these books enough for preparation?
Thank you for providing such valuable information and important topics for this subject, can you also provide some tips for online preparation?