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Indian Economy, 13th Edition: For UPSC Civil Services Examination
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Indian Economy, 13th Edition: For UPSC Civil Services Examination

Over the 12 years since I have been writing the book, Indian Economy, I have been fortunate enough to interact with many readers of the book. The majority are aspirants of the UPSC exam and some are preparing for other competitive examinations.

In my interaction with readers, I have stumbled upon the following ‘three questions’ most frequently:• Will the older editions of your book be enough or should I go for the latest one?
• What is new in the latest edition of your book?
• Do I need to read the whole book or only a few chapters of it?

My answers to these questions have always been as follows:

"Once a new edition has come on the economy of a country, it is not advisable to refer to any preceding edition”

Every new edition is released in a new shape and structure, updated with subtle to major changes in line with the changes effected by the Government.
One must keep in mind that the process of developing a new edition starts after I have fully understood the latest Economic Survey and Union Budget, not from the facts’ point of view but the point of the 'undercurrent' of evolving policy framework of the Government of India. Hence, it can be quite disastrous if one refers to the previous editions because there is a high chance of grasping outdated or redundant information about a subject that is dynamic and needs to be revised and updated consistently.

"In the new editions, not only facts and figures are updated with reference to the latest volumes of Economic Survey and Union Budget, but they are fully restructured for the upcoming exams."

Students normally feel that a new edition is all about updated data! Alas, this is not the case!

Simply put, every new edition of the book is like 'rebirth' for the book. This book is designed for the next year and this process normally involves certain typical changes, such as— dropping topics or even chapters, adding relevant topics and even chapters, restructuring the nature and scope of the contents, replacing older questions and areas with newer and more relevant ones, etc.

"No, you can't be selective if you really aim to solve the questions on the economy!"

Aspirants normally see economy as a patchwork of areas like agriculture, industry, banking, etc. I always site example of the human body which cannot be called simply the addition of 2 hands,2 legs, 2 eyes, one stomach, etc! Rather when the different organs combine in a systematic way, there emerges the human body which has its independent identity from a single or all organs put together.

Last but not the least, there is no shortcut to this exam! My advice is that instead of being selective read the whole book to have a wholesome view of India's economy otherwise handling questions will be quite challenging. One must read, at least, as much as has been covered in the latest edition (13th, 2021-22) for the exams organised in 2021-22 to answer questions on the economy aptly.

All said and done, to make optimum use of the book, I would advise aspirants to firstly buy the latest edition of the book always so that you have access to the most updated information on the economy. Secondly, once you have purchased your copy of the book, it is imperative to read all the segments and practice the objective and subjective questions covered in them.

Always remember, the more you will read the book, the more you will get out of it.

Last but not the least, never forget to revise the ‘Glossary’ properly!

Good Luck! Do Well.

30 July 2021