Important Current Affairs topics to be covered for IAS Prelims

Civil Services Examination 2018 is just around the corner & all the aspirants aiming for Civil Services this year must be busy with rigorous preparations. Being an IAS/IPS aspirant, you should now be well-versed with UPSC syllabus and even more with the importance of covering all Important Current Affairs topics to excel in all 3 stages of Civil Services Exam. And for late risers, who have recently started preparing for India’s most prestigious Civil Services, better late than never!

Those who have Prepared for Prelims and are looking for final revision are advised to solve the Test Series

Civil Services Aspirants have always had some common questions, while preparing for the most competitive Civil Services examination, especially regarding Current Affairs preparation, because there is no static information to be studied. There are multiple information sources, vast topics to keep updated with & a whole year’s current affairs to be aware of, and in-fact serious candidates will have more reasons as to why this part of the Civil Services Examination preparation is crucial. Questions like what to prepare for current affairs for IAS Exam, how many months’ current affairs are required for Civil Services Examination, from which month should we pick the current affairs and start preparing are some of the common queries which almost every IAS aspirant has.

Also read, UPSC Preparation: How much time you should give to each subject.

If you are also looking for the answers to similar questions, then your problem has been solved!

In this article, we will try to cover some of the most important current affairs topics from the month of May 2017 – March 2018. But don’t just stop over these few, rather look for more such topics of Local, National & International importance and try to prepare brief & crisp notes for your reference & revision.

Before we look at the topics that need to be covered for the Civil Services Preliminary Examination 2018, let us first help you understand how you will be questioned, or in what manner UPSC will frame its question related to current affairs and what is the best way to deal with answering the same.

For an instance, if we take the news ‘India ranks 78th on WEF Energy Transition Index’, the question could be framed like:

Ques. The World Economic Forum’s (WEF) has released the report titled ‘Fostering Effective Energy Transition’ ranking. Consider the following statements regarding this:

India has ranked 78th position in Energy Transition Index while Sweden topped in the list of 114 countries. Among India’s emerging market peers, Brazil stood at the 38th place, Russia at 70th and China at 76th place.

India has improved its performance score by 5.6% in the period of 2013 – 2018, especially with reduced subsidies, improved energy access, and reduction in the cost of Imports.

Which of the above statements is/are correct?

a) 1 only

b) 1 and 2

c) 2 and 3

d) 1, 2 and 3

Answer: d

If asked subjectively, you may explain the answer like this:

A report titled ‘Fostering Effective Energy Transition’ was released by The World Economic Forum (WEF) on March 15, 2018. In this report, 114 countries were ranked based on how well they can balance energy security and access to environmental sustainability and affordability. India was ranked at the 78th position in the report’s Energy Transition Index, where in Sweden topped the Index.

Key points of the report:

• The Energy Transition Index was topped by Sweden, followed by Norway at the second position and Switzerland at the third.
• Rounding out the Top 10 were Finland (4th), Denmark (5th), the Netherlands (6th), the United Kingdom (7th), Austria (8th), France (9th) and Iceland (10th).
• Among India’s emerging market peers, Brazil stood at the 38th place, Russia at 70th and China at 76th place.

This is how you must include all the major highlights of the topic & make this answer even better, depending on your understanding & effective explanation skills.

Let’s now see some important current affairs topics (month-wise) to cover & be exam ready for UPSC Civil Services Preliminary Examination 2018.

Important Current Affairs Topics for May 2017:

• India and Germany Ink 12 Pacts
• Pakistan army force crosses Indian borders & behead 2 Indian soldiers
• The Indian Supreme Court’s take on 2012 Delhi Gang Rape
• ISRO successfully launches GSAT – 9 from Satish Dhawan Space Centre, India
• Supreme Court of India begins hearings on Triple Talaaq in India
• Wanna Cry ransomware attack
• MoU Signed between Indian Navy and Space Application
• The Launch of Swachh Bharat App
• ‘Darwaza Band Campaign’ Launched to promote toilet use and freedom from open defecation across the villages of the country
• India and Fiji Inks Agreement on Defense Cooperation

Important Current Affairs topics for June 2017:

• ISRO successfully launches GSAT-17 & GSAT 19 Satellite
• India and Netherlands sign 3 Agreements
• World Bank clears $250-million loan for Skill India Mission
• India and Portugal Sign 11 Pacts
• Linking of Aadhaar with PAN and for Opening Bank Accounts, made mandatory.
• Habibganj Railway Station to become India’s First Private Railway Station
• 2017 Qatar diplomatic crisis
• India, Russia sign pact for 2 nuclear power units in Kudankulam
• Reliance Defense Inks Pact with Serbia’s Yugoimport to Manufacture Ammunition in India
• International Yoga Day

Important Current Affairs topics for July 2017:

• Indian Farm Sector and Loan Waivers
• SOHUM
• National Strategic Plan for Malaria Elimination (2017-22)
• Record Low Inflation-Issues and Causes
• The Indian Presidential Election 2017 – Ramnath Kovind elected as 14th President of India
• Maharashtra’s New Social Boycott Law
• Scheme for IPR Awareness-Creative India; Innovative India
• The abuse of dowry harassment law (Section 498A of IPC)
• Taxation in India – India replaces its federal and state taxes with the Goods and Services Tax (GST), the most extensive tax reform since its independence.
• 2017 Doklam crisis

Important Current Affairs topics for August 2017:

• Indian vice-presidential election, 2017 – Venkaiah Naidu elected as India’s 13th Vice-President of India.
• Urban Flooding
• India gets exclusive rights to explore Polymetallic Nodules
• The Issue of NOTA in Rajya Sabha Elections
• Controversy over Article 35A
• Pradhan Mantri Kisaan Sampada Yojana
• Law Commission recommends compulsory registration of marriages
• 2016–17 Rohingya persecution in Myanmar – India announces that it is to deport an estimated 40,000 Rohingya refugees
• 2017 China–India border standoff
• Triple Talaaq in India is declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court of India.

Important Current Affairs topics for September 2017:

• Pradhan Mantri Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana – Saubhagya scheme
• Key Highlights of the Economic Survey 2016-17
• Police Reforms in India
• Embryo transfer technology (ETT)
• BRICS Summit, 2017 (read more about BRICS Summit 2017 highlights)
• PM Modi’s Myanmar Visit and India-Myanmar Relations
• Chakma-Hajong Citizenship issue
• WEF’s Global Human Capital Index
• India–Japan relations – Japan agrees to help with the construction of an Indian bullet train
• Hurricane Irma

Important Current Affairs topics for October 2017:

• Secure Himalaya Project
• India Water Week 2017 inaugurated
• SC bans usage of Coal alternative
• India tops the list of pollution-linked deaths
• 2 October: International Day of Non-violence
• World Habitat Day
• Core sector growth rises to 4.9% in August 2017
• India, Ethiopia sign agreements on trade, communication
• Aadhaar mandatory for PPF, KVP schemes
• Government launches Sampoorna Bima Gram Yojana

Important Current Affairs topics for November 2017:

• 2017 NTPC power plant explosion
• Air quality in Delhi – A blanket of thick grey smog covers the Indian capital, Delhi, with some areas 30 times more polluted than the World Health Organization’s recommended limit
• India’s stand on Fumigation agent
• UN report on Greenhouse gas emissions
• CRI 2017
• India, World Bank ink pact for clean energy
• Two Indians honored with Ozone Award
• Global Carbon Project finding
• CRI 2017
• WHO Issues guidance for treating with Child Sexual Abuse

Important Current Affairs topics for December 2017:

• Economic globalization & India’s take on it
• Cyclone Ockhi
• Lok Sabha on Triple Talaaq Bill
• UP inks MoU with South Korea in the field of tourism, skill development, culture and farming
• India-Switzerland ink agreement automatic sharing of tax-related information
• World AIDS Day
• International Day of Persons with Disabilities
• Looming soil crisis
• The new Financial Resolution and Deposit Insurance Bill
• National Energy Conservation Day

Important Current Affairs topics for January 2018:

• Kashmir conflict
• The Indian Space Research Organisation(ISRO) successfully launches PSLV-C40, India’s 100th satellite and 30 other satellites from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh.
• India stands third in crude steel production
• Zero Budget Natural Farming project launched in Himachal Pradesh
• India, Cambodia ink 4 pacts
• ASEAN-India Commemorative Summit issues Delhi Declaration
• India, Vietnam sign two agreements
• India ranked 62nd on WEF’s Inclusive Development Index 2018
• Smart city project & updates
• Anandiben Patel appointed as Governor Madhya Pradesh

Important Current Affairs topics for February 2018:

• India–Palestine relations: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visits Palestine on February 10th, 2018, marking the first time in the history of India where an Indian Prime Minister has visited Palestine
• World Congress on Information Technology 2018 in India
• India, Germany inks MoU for Sustainable Urban Development program & Smart Cities in India
• Solar cities Scheme
• India ranks 81st in Corruption Perception Index 2017
• India inks MoU with Canada’s International Development Research Centre
• World Cancer Day & recent medical advancements
• Union Budget 2018
• India joins Ashgabat agreement
• Atal Bhujal Yojana (ABY)

Important Current Affairs topics for March 2018:

• Naxalite–Maoist insurgency
• WHO SEARO countries adopt Delhi End TB Summit Statement of Action to eradicate TB
• Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India inks MoU with RBI
• Supreme Court allows passive euthanasia, living will
• World Happiness Index 2018: India ranks 133
• 15th March: World Consumer Rights Day
• Shakti Sthala: World’s largest solar park launched in Karnataka
• India & Jordan ink 12 Pacts, price focus on Defense Cooperation
• India, Vietnam inks MoU on Cooperation in the field of atomic energy
• Myanmar puts off border agreement with India

Now, you have the ultimate success mantra in your hand to crack IAS exam with high ranks. Cover all these topics & more for these months and the coming ones, until you sit for the exam. You may also like to check out the Tricky Questions Asked in IAS Exam and UPSC Interview

Let the world see your charm, with the best version of you! Wishing a very Good Luck to all our future administrators!

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