Environment and ecology is a very important segment of the UPSC Prelims as well as the Mains Syllabus. What makes it interesting is that it is intertwined with current affairs immensely. It also has an overlap with other subjects such as geography, economy and social issues for the IAS exam.
Environment & Ecology for UPSC Prelims & Mains
Important topics to be focused on for Environment & Ecology are listed below. They are relevant for both Prelims as well as Mains exam. One can expect a topic related to this for the UPSC Essay paper as well.Â
- Environmental Ecology
- Biodiversity
- Climate Change
- Institutions
- Acts/Laws/Policies related to Environment
Click on the link for Environment And Ecology Notes For UPSC.
Environment & Ecology Trend Analysis
Since 2011, environment and ecology topics play a major role in the UPSC Prelims Exam. As per the trend analysis for the environment section of the UPSC prelims exam, anywhere between 10 to 20 questions are asked on average. As per the UPSC Prelims syllabus, General issues on Biodiversity, Climate Change and Environmental ecology that do not need subject specialization are part of the environment section. Usually, candidates tend to neglect these subjects as they feel it is very easy. But this can result in scoring negative marks.Â
A strong basic understanding of the Environment topics is enough to deal with the questions from the Environment and ecology segment.  Â
To learn How to Prepare for Environment and Ecology, click on the linked article.
UPSC Environment Books
Here, we give important Environment and Ecology books for the IAS Exam. This will boost your UPSC preparation. The below-mentioned list includes books for basic reading and additional reading.Â
Must-Read Books for Environment for IAS Prelims
NCERTs:
| NCERT Geography – Class VI to Class XI | NCERT Chemistry – Class XII | NCERT  Geography: Class XI – India |
| NCERT Science – Class VII to Class X | NCERT Biology – Class XII | NCERT Economy – Class XI |
You can download important NCERT books for UPSC preparation here.
Detailed Reference Books:
| Name | Author |
| Textbook of Environmental Studies for Undergraduate Courses | Erach Bharucha |
| Objective Environmental Sciences | B. B. Singh |
| Ecology and Environment | P. D. Sharma |
| Environmental Studies | Benny Joseph |
| Environment and Ecology – Biodiversity, Climate Change and Disaster Management | Majid Husain |
Other Important Books
- Environmental Ecology Biodiversity & Climate Change – Pratiyogita Darpan
- Environment and Ecology – Arihant
- Environmental Studies: From Crisis to Cure – R. Rajagopalan
Other Important sources
- Science Reporter
- Down to Earth Magazine
- Economic Survey of India
- Official Website of Environment Ministry
- The Hindu Newspaper
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