What is GS Paper 3 in UPSC?

GS Paper 3 covers the following important topics: Technology, Economic Development, Biodiversity, Environment, Security and Disaster Management.

How to study GS Paper 3 for UPSC?

The strategy to cover GS Paper 3 have been discussed above in this article

How many subjects are there in GS Paper 3?

The GS Paper 3 consists of 6 subjects such as Economic Development, Agriculture, Science and Technology, Environment and Ecology, Security and Disaster Management.

How many questions are there in UPSC mains GS 3?

There are 20 questions, 10 questions carrying 10 marks each and 10 questions carrying 15 marks each.

What are the topics to be covered for GS 3 Syllabus – Economic Development paper?

The topics are: Indian Economy – Issues related to planning, mobilization of resources, employment, growth, and development. Inclusive growth Government Budgeting Land reforms in the country Effects of liberalization on the economy Changes in industrial policy Industrial growth. Infrastructure: Energy, Ports, Airports, Roads, Railways, and others Investment models

What are the topics under the Environment section in the GS 3 Syllabus?

Answer: The topics to be covered are: Conservation Environmental pollution and degradation Environmental impact assessment

Is NCERT is an essential book for preparing GS Paper 3?

Yes, reading NCERT will establish a strong foundation of this section.

How to start preparing for GS Paper 3?

The best way to start GS Paper 3 is to first Analyse its syllabus and previous year papers for getting the understanding of the subject.

How can Study IQ help in Preparing GS Paper 3?

Study IQ is an authentic platform and aspirants can follow it getting free contents as Current affairs and notes for static section as well which could help in GS Paper 3.

UPSC GS Paper 3, Syllabus, Exam Pattern, Trend Analysis and Preparation Strategy

UPSC GS 3 Paper is one of the nine subjective papers of UPSC Mains .The Paper consists of subjects such as Indian Economy and Economic Development, Agriculture and Related Issues, Environment and Ecology, Internal Security and Disaster Management. Check the article below for knowing the details on UPSC GS Paper 3 Syllabus and preparation of the UPSC Exam

UPSC Mains GS Paper 3

The GS 3 Syllabus is focussed on the following subjects::

Indian Economy and Economic Development
Agriculture and its Related Issues
Science and Technology
Environment and Ecology
Internal Security and
Disaster Management

Strategy for Preparing UPSC GS Paper 3 Syllabus

The following are the Topics for preparing the UPSC GS Paper 3:

Focus Areas in GS Paper-III
Subject	Topics
Economics	Economic Development in India Macroeconomics
Science & Technology	Dark Matter Higgs Boson Rare Earth Elements GM Crops Gene Editing Artificial Intelligence Space Technology Defence Technology
Biodiversity	Types of Biodiversity Biodiversity and Environment
Security	Internal Security Challenges in India Extremism Terrorism Money-Laundering
Disaster Management	Disaster Management in India PM Cares Fund National Disaster Management Plan 2016

Indian Economy and Economic Development

Current Affairs
Select articles from ‘The Hindu’
Class 12 NCERT – ‘Introductory Macroeconomics’
Economic Survey of India and India Year Book

Agriculture and Related Issues

For the preparation of Agriculture paper, you should study the topic thoroughly and do note-making. Keep up with recent events. Discussions about minimum support prices and the subsidies paid to farmers in the agriculture sector.
The Hindu newspaper or The Indian Express newspaper will provide you various points of view on Agriculture and its related issues mostly the Editorials of The Hindu and Indian Express and Explained section of Indian Express.
You will learn a great deal about the subject and be able to provide insightful answers if you approach your studying methodically.

Science and Technology

Under the subject of Science and Technology, usually analytical questions are asked. Use the compilation of current events to gain information, then use it to inform your responses to the questions to give them some substance.

Environment and Ecology

Both the General Studies component of the Prelims exam and the UPSC CSE (Main) GS III Paper cover the topic of environment. Since 2013, when the Indian Forest Services Prelims Exam was combined with the UPSC Civil Services Prelims, the weighting of the environmental issue has increased. It is imperative to thoroughly prepare for the environmental issue because it may be covered in up to 33% of the questions on the General Studies paper. For the preparation of the Environment, candidates can follow NCERT and a standard book as of Study IQ Environment Book. But without being thorough with current affairs answering questions from this section will be quite difficult.

Internal Security and Challenges Associated

Use the India Yearbook and the collection of current events to help you study this topic. You’ll be able to learn a lot of stuff and answer the questions. Look at the Indian map and learn about the dangers to the nation’s security. Become thoroughly informed about the numerous security issues.

Disaster Management

Current Affairs
Yojana (January 2017) edition- This covers Disaster Management perspectives.

UPSC GS Paper 3 Syllabus

The Detailed UPSC GS Paper 3 Syllabus have been discussed below in this table for the easy reference of the candidates:

UPSC GS Paper 3 Syllabus
GS Paper 3 Sections	Detailed Syllabus
Indian Economy & Economic Development	Indian Economy – Issues related to planning, mobilization of resources, employment, growth, and development. Inclusive growth Government Budgeting Land reforms in the country Effects of liberalization on the economy Changes in industrial policy Industrial growth. Infrastructure: Energy, Ports, Airports, Roads, Railways, and others Investment models
Agriculture	Major crops and the cropping pattern in different regions/ parts of India Types of irrigation and irrigation systems storage Transport and marketing of agricultural produce – issues and related constraints E-technology in the aid of farmers Issues in direct and indirect farm subsidies Issues relating to minimum support prices Public Distribution System – objectives, limitations, functioning, revamping Issues of buffer stocks and food security Technology missions Food processing and related industries in India – significance and scope, location, upstream and downstream requirements, and supply chain management.
Science & Technology	Developments, applications, and effects in everyday life Achievements of Indians in science and technology Indigenization of technology and development of new technology Awareness in the fields of IT, Space, robotics, Computers, nano-technology, and biotechnology
Environment & Ecology	Conservation Environmental pollution and degradation Environmental impact assessment
Internal Security	Basics of cyber security Challenges to internal security through communication networks Linkages between the development and spread of extremism Linkages of organized crime with terrorism Money laundering and its prevention Role of external state and non-state actors in creating challenges to internal security Role of media and social networking sites Security challenges and their management in border areas Various Security forces/agencies and their mandate

UPSC GS Paper 3 Trend Analysis

From the perspective of the UPSC examination, understanding trend analysis is an essential skill for students taking the Mains GS Paper 3. The following key elements highlight the significance of trend analysis for the examination:

Candidates can successfully grasp and assess any economic, social, or political situation by being aware of the trends. The trend analysis can shed light on the long-term tendencies in different economic sectors, which can aid in the understanding of the current situation.
Making future predictions can be aided by understanding the trends. Candidates can forecast the course of the economy, society, or politics by examining the trends, which is crucial from the perspective of policymakers.
The student can provide more useful answers to their inquiries if they have knowledge and experience in trend analysis. If candidates can accurately identify and comprehend the trends, many questions in the GS Paper 3 will be simple to answer.
Questions regarding the long-term trajectory of several significant statistics, such as GDP, inflation, unemployment, poverty level, etc., are frequently asked by the UPSC. Answering these questions requires an understanding of these developments.
All of these justifications highlight how crucial it is to comprehend trend analysis in the Mains GS Paper 3 from the perspective of the UPSC paper exam. Candidates who can read trends clearly have a better chance of passing the exam and becoming effective policymakers.

UPSC GS Paper 3 Previous Year Question Trends Analysis

Candidates who have started their preparation for the UPSC Examination can check the UPSC GS Paper 3 Previous Year Question Trends Analysis for a better understanding of the questions asked from UPSC GS Paper 3 in the mains examination:

UPSC GS Paper 3 Questions – Indian Economy and Economic Development

Check the Number of questions and marks asked from GS 3 Questions – Indian Economy and Economic Development from the table below:

Year	Number of Questions	Total Marks
2013	8	70
2014	7	87.5
2015	6	62.5
2016	6	75
2017	6	75
2018	5	50
2019	4	50
2020	4	50
2021	5	70

UPSC GS Paper 3 Questions – Agriculture and Related Issues

Check the Number of questions and marks asked from GS 3 Questions – Agriculture and Related Issues from the table below:

Year	Number of Questions	Total Marks
2013	4	40
2014	2	25
2015	2	50
2016	3	50
2017	4	50
2018	4	65
2019	4	55
2020	4	50
2021	4	55

UPSC GS Paper 3 Questions – Science & Tech/ Environment/ Disaster Management

Check the Number of questions and marks asked from GS 3 Questions – Science & Tech/ Environment/ Disaster Management from the table below:

Year	Number of Questions	Total Marks
2013	9	85
2014	6	75
2015	8	75
2016	7	75
2017	5	75
2018	8	100
2019	8	100
2020	8	100
2021	8	75

UPSC GS Paper 3 Questions – Internal Security

Check the Number of questions and marks asked from GS 3 Questions – Internal Security from the table below:

Year	Number of Questions	Total Marks
2013	5	55
2014	3	62.5
2015	4	62.5
2016	4	50
2017	4	50
2018	3	40
2019	4	45
2020	4	50
2021	3	45

Comparison of Mains 2021 and 2022 GS Paper 3

Many candidates found the trend analysis of Mains GS Paper 3 from the prior year to be eye-opening. The paper’s main issues were security and disaster management, environmental ecology and biodiversity, and economic and social growth. There was a noticeable change in the relative importance of the topics, with a stronger focus on modern problems including cyberterrorism, artificial intelligence, and space technology.

Traditional topics including agriculture, manufacturing, and services nevertheless continued to be important.
A thorough evaluation of the candidate’s understanding was ensured by the multidimensional method utilized in question framing.
The purpose of the article was to evaluate how well various topics could be integrated and used in practical contexts.
A candidate would do well if they were able to critically and from various angles examine existing situations and offer workable remedies.

UPSC GS Paper 3 – Section	Mains Question in 2021 – Topics	Mains Question in 2022 – Topics
Disaster Management	Landslide Earthquake	Cloud burst
Indian Economy & Economic Development Agriculture	India- GDP Land reforms- Marginal farmers Capital Budget v/s Revenue Budget Micro-irrigation Investment in Infrastructure National Food Security Act 2013 V- Shaped economic recovery Crop diversification	PPP in the railway station Integrated farming systems Inclusive growth & Market Economy Challenges of PDS Challenges leading to increased Life Expectancy Food Processing Industry Renewable energy Labour productivity Marketing of agricultural products
Environment & Ecology	Green Grid Initiative COP – 26th Global Air Quality Guidelines	Cellulose- decomposition Global Warming and Global Climate Photochemical Fog- Gothenburg protocol Coastal erosion
Internal Security	Money Laundering Challenges by external state and non-state actors Cross Boarder Cyber Attack Terrorism	Types of Organised Crimes Cyber Security Maritime Security challenges Naxalism
Science and Technology	S-400 Air Defence System Nobel Prize in Physics -2014 Biotechnology	Vaccine development James Webb Space Telescope

Must-Read Important Topics in GS-III for UPSC

The table below mentions the GS-III topics that are important for the UPSC CSE Exam:

Important Topic for UPSC GS Paper 3

Indian Economy

Economic Planning in India
Economic Growth & Development
Unemployment in India

Inclusive Growth

Inclusive Growth
Financial Inclusion

Budgeting

Union Budget 2020
Union Budget 2021

Major Crops

Major Crops in India
Agricultural Produce Market Committee

Subsidies, Agriculture

Minimum Support Price (MSP)
Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP)
PDS & TPDS

Food Processing

Food Processing

Land Reforms

Land Reforms in Post-Independent India

Liberalization

Difference between Globalization and liberalisation
Industrial Policy in India

Infrastructure

List of Major Ports in India
List of Important National Highways in India

Investment

Public Private Partnership (PPP)

Science & Technology

Nanotechnology
Intellectual Property Rights in India

Environment

Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA)

Disaster Management

Disaster Management in India

Security

Cyber Security
Financial Action Task Force (FATF)

UPSC IAS Exam Pattern

Check the table below to understand the scheme and subjects of the IAS examination:

UPSC IAS Exam	Pattern of IAS Exam
Preliminary Examination	General Studies Aptitude Test
Mains Examination	Qualifying Paper-A (One of the 22 Indian Languages) Paper-B (English) Papers to be counted for merit Paper-I (Essay) Paper-II (GS-I) Paper-III (GS-II) Paper-IV (GS-III) Paper-V (GS-IV) Paper-VI (Optional Paper-I) Paper-VI (Optional Paper-II)
Personality Test	–