Table of contents
The Challenge of Prioritization in Art & Culture
For UPSC aspirants, Art and culture is an important subject for prelims. You get a few questions in the mains, but it is very important for prelims. Now, where to begin with this subject is always a big dilemma.
The sheer volume of material spread across different time-periods and a vast variety of art forms can make it tempting to prioritize over the subjects that seem to offer a higher "return on investment" (ROI) in terms of marks scored.
So, how can you strategically approach Art & Culture and maximize your score?
Choosing the Right Resources
Although aspirants consider different sources for these subjects, we do not recommend you change them at this point if you have already started. However, if you are clueless, you can follow these two sources.
Nitin Singhania Art and Culture
Art and Culture 11th NCERT - Fine Arts
Breaking Down the Index
Our method involves a systematic analysis of the books' indexes, categorizing chapters based on their importance derived from previous years' questions (PYQs). Here's how we do it:
- Red Marked Chapters: These are your must-read chapters. They hold the essence of the periods and are frequently visited in exams.
- Blue Marked Chapters: Important, but second in priority. They provide additional context and are occasionally queried.
- Green Marked Chapters: These should be your last priority, offering background information that seldom makes its way into exams.
Important Topics from Nitin Singhania
High Priority Topics
1. Indian Architecture
5. Coins in Ancient and Medieval India
6. Indian Paintings
9. Indian Music
18. Bhakti and Sufi Movements
19. Buddhism and Jainism
20. Indian Literature
22. Science and Technology through the Ages
25. India Through the Eyes of Foreign Travellers
Medium Priority Topics
3. Indian Sculpture and Pottery
4. Edicts and Inscriptions
12. Martial Arts in India
15. Trade, Traders and Cultural Exchange
16. Languages in India
17. Religions in India
21. Schools of Philosophy
Low Priority Topics
2. Legendary Cities in India
7. Indian Handicrafts
8. UNESCO's List of World Heritage Sites in India
10. Indian Dance Forms
11. Indian Theatre
14. Tribal Culture in India
23. Fairs and Festivals of India
24. Calendars in India
Appendix: Terms from Ancient and Medieval History
Important Topics from XI NCERT - Fine Arts
High Priority Topics
2. Arts of the Indus Valley
3. Arts of Mauryan Period
4. Post-Mauryan Trends in Indian Art and Architecture
5. Temple Architecture and Sculpture
8. Some Aspects of Indo-Islamic Architecture
Medium Priority Topics
1. Prehistoric Rock Paintings
5. Later Mural Traditions
Low Priority Topics
7. Indian Bronze Sculpture
Just because we have marked some topics as red that does not mean that you avoid the low-priority ones. It means that you don't worry about the green ones till you've done Reds and Blues.
That's all we wanted to share today. All the best.
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