Authentic Sources of General Awareness Preparation for SSC

Many SSC aspirants face problems regarding the authentic sources for the preparation of General Awareness and General knowledge section in the SSC exams. This section includes the questions from the subjects like history, geography, general science, politics, culture, environment, current affairs, awards, important dates, etc. and each subject has a very wide range of facts and information. It becomes very difficult and confusing for aspirants to prepare for these subjects. The right solution to this problem is the appropriate study material. There are numerous books and online portals, which are dedicated to providing exam-specific information. Some of them involve detailed study material, while others give the information in the form of multiple-choice questions with explanations.

In this article, we are providing few authentic sources for SSC GK & GA preparation. The mentioned sources in the following text are specific to each subject. Let us get into the detail:

SSC Exams Preparation: Study Sources for GA section

Before heading to the sources for studying, let us first dive into the general information of the GA/GK section. Here, you can find a table comprising the subjects and the respective number of questions asked in the previous year papers.

In the above table, you can find the number of questions asked, which we have put here after observing the previous year papers. We can easily find that most questions were asked from economics, politics, physics, history, geography, and environment. Hence, you are required to put extra efforts in these subjects. Let us move on to the study sources now.

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1. Geography- Out of this subject, generally 2-3 questions are asked and questions are of easy to moderate of difficulty level. Important areas from where questions are asked are as follows:

• The solar system
• Continents & Oceans
• Biosphere, Lithosphere, Atmosphere, Hydrosphere
• Latitudes, Longitudes, and heat zones of the earth
• International date line and time zones
• Weather and climate
• Internal structure of the earth
• Rocks, earthquakes, volcanoes, and various landforms created by rivers, wind, glaciers, and ground water
• Soil resources and Climate diversity in the Indian sub-continent
• Water resources and their utilization in India
• Multipurpose river valley projects
• Transport system in India
• Wildlife sanctuaries and national parks in India
• Continents highest and lowest points
• Highest mountain peaks
• Important boundary lines
• Tribes and their homelands, and so on

Following are some important and authentic sources for the preparation of this subject-

• Class-X and XII NCERT Books on Geography
• World Atlas
• moes.gov.in
• india.gov.in
• Lucent’s General Knowledge

2. History- The major topics from this subject are as follows:

• Ancient India- Harappan and Indus civilization, Vedic culture, religious movements, Mahajanapada period, Gupta Period, the Sangam period, Maurya period, and so on.
• Medieval India- Rajput period, Chola & others, Delhi sultanate, Vijay Nagar and other kingdoms, Bhakti movement, Sufi movement, Mughal Period, Maratha state & Maratha confederacy, and the advent of Europeans
• Modern India- Expansion of British Power, Economic Impact of British Rule, socio-religious movements in 19^th- 20^thcenturies, Freedom struggle, and the Gandhian Era
• Miscellaneous- Important dates, places, foreign travellers & envoys, battles, reforms/acts, committees, congress session and governor- Generals & viceroys
• Ancient World- Mesopotamian Civilization, Egyptian Civilization, Chinese civilization, Iranian Civilization, Roman Civilization, seven wonders of Ancient world
• Medieval world- Medieval Europe, Arab civilization, Medieval China, Medieval Japan, and seven wonders of Medieval world
• Modern World- Renaissance, Reformation, Geographical discoveries, Industrial revolution, American revolution, French revolution,  Unification of Italy, Unification of Germany, First World war, second world war, Russian revolution, Chinese revolution, Turkish revolution, World depression, Fascism in Italy, Nazism in Germany, and so on

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From these topics, 2-3 questions are usually asked. It is one of the most important and comprehensive subjects for SSC exams and requires a systematic approach for gaining good marks. Find some useful books on this subject for SSC exams.

• Class-X and XII NCERT Books on History
• Lucent’s General Knowledge
• india.gov.in
• museumsofindia.gov.in
• knowindia.gov.in

3. Indian Culture- This subject comprises topics such as Indian cuisines, Indian languages, Indian festivals, Indian customs & traditions, etc. You will probably get 1-2 questions out of this subject. The asked questions from this subject are very general and easy. Find some useful books and other important online references below:

• Class-X and XII NCERT Books on History & Culture
• Lucent’s General Knowledge
• knowindia.gov.in
• india.gov.in
• indiaculture.nic.in

4. Indian Environment- The major topics from this subject in SSC exams are as follows:

• Acidification (includes algal bloom, coral reef loss, etc.)
• Air quality (Air pollution, Ozone pollution, Ties to human health with asthma, Diesel emissions, etc.)
• Biodiversity, Climate change (Global warming, Greenhouse effect, Loss of glaciers, Climate refugees, Climate justice, Equity, etc.)
• Deforestation (Illegal logging, Impact of fires, Rapid pace of destruction, etc.), Desertification, Eco-tourism
• Endangered species / threatened species
• Environmental degradation
• Global environmental issues
• Habitat loss (Destruction, Fragmentation, Changed use)
• Intensive farming, Land degradation
• Invasive species (Weeds, Pests, Feral animals, etc.)
• Natural catastrophes (Linked to climate change, Desertification, Deforestation, Loss of natural resources such as wetlands, etc.)
• Nuclear power, waste and pollution
• Over-fishing and Over-exploitation of natural resources (Plant and Animal Stocks, Mineral resources (Mining), etc.)
• Ozone depletion (CFCs, Montreal Protocol)
• Pollution (Air, Water, Land, Toxins, Light, Point source and Non-point source, Use of coal/gas/etc.)
• Population issues
• Soil erosion, contamination and salination of land
• Toxic chemicals, Waste (landfills, recycling, incineration, various types of waste produced by humans, etc.)
• Water pollution & Water scarcity and so on

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From this subject, 2-3 questions are generally asked. The level of these questions is easy to moderate of difficulty level. Hence, you need to study well for this subject as sometimes there are more complex and unfamiliar phenomena asked in the SSC exams.

• Class-X and XII NCERT Books on Indian physical environment
• Lucent’s General Knowledge
• indiaenvironmentportal.org.in
• envfor.nic.in
• india.gov.in
• moef.gov.in

5. Economics- This is the most important and major subject out of which several questions are asked in higher number and difficulty level of the questions is moderate to high. Questions are inquired from the following topics:

• Highlights of Indian Economy
• Economy and Economics
• Characteristics of Indian Economy
• National Income
• Planning
• Unemployment, trade & commerce
• New Economic Policy
• Indian Financial System
• Indian Fiscal System
• Banking in India
• Taxation
• Foreign Trade
• Industries, Agriculture & Land Development, and so on

To score well in this subject, you can refer the following books and online references:

• Class-X and XII NCERT Books on Economics
• Lucent’s General Knowledge
• india.gov.in
• finmin.nic.in
• mofapp.nic.in
• mospi.gov.in

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6. Indian Politics- The major topics includes:

• Evolution of Indian Constitution
• Constituent assembly and making of the Indian Constitution
• Different sources of the Indian constitution
• Important articles and amendments of the constitution
• Some special features of the Indian constitution
• Federal and unitary features of the Indian Union
• The Preamble of the constitution
  
• The union and its territories
• Reorganization of states
• Citizenship
• Fundamental rights and fundamental duties
• Directive principal of the state policy
• Procedure of amending the constitution
• Executives of the union
• The parliament of India, Panchayat system, and Municipalities
• The courts of India
• Finance and planning commission
• National development council
• National integration council
• Emergency Provisions
• Public service commission
• Elections
• National symbols & the official languages, and so on

There are 3-4 questions, which are asked from this subject in SSC exams every year. Questions are of an easy level and you can refer the following books and online references to ace these questions-

• Class-X and XII NCERT Books on Political Science
• Lucent’s General Knowledge
• Indian Polity by M. Laxmikanth
• india.gov.in
• loksabha.nic.in
• rajyasabha.nic.in

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7. Physics- After Economics & Indian Politics, the majority of questions are asked from this subject and the syllabus of this subject is very vast. You will find nearly 1-2 questions out of this subject. The major topics from this subject are-

• Units
• Motion
• Work, Energy, and Power
• Gravitation
• Pressure
• Floatation
• Surface tension and viscosity
• Elasticity
• Simple harmonic motion
• Wave motions
• Heat
• Light
• Static electricity
• Magnetism
• Atomic & Nuclear Physics
• Electronics & scientific instruments
• Inventions and important discoveries
• Various units of measurements and so on

To prepare for physics, you must refer to the following books-

• Class-X and XII NCERT Books on Physics
• Lucent’s General knowledge

8. Chemistry- Generally, 1-2 questions are asked from this subject. These questions normally include the following topics-

• Substances & its nature
• Atomic structure
• Periodic classification of elements
• Chemical bonding
• Oxidation and reduction
• Acids, bases, and salts
• Behaviour of gases
• Electrolysis
• Carbon and its compounds
• Fuels
• Metallurgy
• Non-metals and so on

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To prepare chemistry, you must refer to the following books-

• Class-X and XII NCERT Books on Chemistry
• Lucent’s General knowledge

9. Biology- Out of this subject, you will find 1-2 questions every year in the SSC exams. The questions generally are from the following topics-

• Classification of Organism
• Cytology and Genetics
• Organic evolution
• Classification of plant kingdom
• Plant morphology and plant tissues
• Photo-synthesis
• Plant hormones
• Plant diseases
• Ecology and pollution
• Classification of animal kingdom
• Animal tissue
• Human blood
• Human body system
• Nutrients
• Human diseases and so on

To score higher marks in these questions, you must refer to the following books-

• Class-X and XII NCERT Books on Biology
• Lucent’s General knowledge

10. Computer- You will find 1-2 questions from this subject every year and the questions generally inquire about the generation of computers, Hardware & software, keyboard shortcuts, abbreviations, and so on. To ace these questions, you must refer to the following books -

• Class-X and XII NCERT Books on Computers
• Lucent’s General knowledge

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11. Important Dates and Miscellaneous- You will find 1-3 questions on important dates, awards, memorials, and other miscellaneous facts. Questions are generally asked from the recent events. To tackle these questions, the following books are sufficient-

• Manorama’s yearbook 2018

12. Sports- There will be nearly 1-2 questions asked about the recent games, sports personality, sports awards, and other sports events. The number of asked questions from this subject is very less. However, even a single mark in the exam can make a big difference. To tackle these questions, read the following books-

• The Sports page of ‘The Hindu’ newspaper

13. Current Affairs- You will find at least one question from this subject and the syllabus for this is very huge. Questions can be from any domain. However, these questions belong to the last 6 months events. To score better, you should refer to the following books to get good marks in it-

• Manorama’s yearbook 2018
• ‘The Hindu’ Newspaper
• pib.nic.in

If you found this information on ‘Authentic sources for SSC General Awareness Preparation’ useful, then do visit www.jagranjosh.com/staff-selection-commission-ssc for more such information on SSC Exams.