It is a bulky book with lots of facts. I too grappled with this question. Then with the help of a kind college senior who got into IPS that year, I figured out this way.
Read the book once in its entirety. Don't worry about remembering anything, but take a curious look at it. Use google and spend time exploring this world. Should take 3-5 days.
Once done, start again.
The first few chapters on environmental science are essential. Understand and remember every concept.
Chapters on agricultural science and international cooperation are also important. Try to understand and remember them.
Then comes the problem of how to remember so many flora and fauna species? There scientific names do not make much sense right? (Atleast to ignorants like me). In which schedule are they placed according to WPA or CITES? Which all species are found in any particular climate type?
What to do with all those big tables?
We can't remember them so no point in wasting time and energy into the effort.
I instead made a list of all critically endangered species and categorized them under mammals, fishes, birds, reptiles and amphibians (if there were any; not sure). Categorization makes remembering facts easier.
With this much knowledge, intelligent guessing became easier. Moreover if you follow a test series your knowledge will keep on expanding as and when they ask you random factual questions.
Hence, my way of revising Shankar IAS was to read specific chapters (concepts, definitions, everything about international bodies) in the book. No short notes. While revising I ignored absurd facts. When the fact seemed important (if you a see a question about it in a test) I tried remembering that. And finally used to end my revision with the list of critically endangered species.
Read the book once in its entirety. Don't worry about remembering anything, but take a curious look at it. Use google and spend time exploring this world. Should take 3-5 days.
Once done, start again.
The first few chapters on environmental science are essential. Understand and remember every concept.
Chapters on agricultural science and international cooperation are also important. Try to understand and remember them.
Then comes the problem of how to remember so many flora and fauna species? There scientific names do not make much sense right? (Atleast to ignorants like me). In which schedule are they placed according to WPA or CITES? Which all species are found in any particular climate type?
What to do with all those big tables?
We can't remember them so no point in wasting time and energy into the effort.
I instead made a list of all critically endangered species and categorized them under mammals, fishes, birds, reptiles and amphibians (if there were any; not sure). Categorization makes remembering facts easier.
With this much knowledge, intelligent guessing became easier. Moreover if you follow a test series your knowledge will keep on expanding as and when they ask you random factual questions.
Hence, my way of revising Shankar IAS was to read specific chapters (concepts, definitions, everything about international bodies) in the book. No short notes. While revising I ignored absurd facts. When the fact seemed important (if you a see a question about it in a test) I tried remembering that. And finally used to end my revision with the list of critically endangered species.
Caution: One has to supplement this static knowledge with current affairs. There one has to remember absurd stuff sometimes; can't help it. Shankarias book, test series and current affairs compilation was my way of covering the syllabus of environment.
~ UPSC CSE Topper
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