Economic and Social Issues (ESI) & Agriculture and Rural Development (ARD) are two of the most important subjects in the syllabus of NABARD Grade A and many of the aspirants have requested NABARD study material for ESI and ARD. For your assistance, we have created this blog to help you out with the complete ESI & ARD Preparation Guide for NABARD Grade A.
ESI & ARD Preparation Guide
In the NABARD Grade A exam, ESI (Economic & Social Issues) and ARD (Agriculture & Rural Development) play a very important role. Each subject carries 40 marks in Phase 1 and a combined 100 marks in Phase 2. In Phase 2, 50 marks are for Objective questions and 50 marks are for Descriptive questions, so you must have a clear and well-planned preparation strategy for both subjects. Your preparation should focus on two parts, Static and Current Affairs. Based on previous years' papers, some exams have had more Static questions, while others focused more on Current Affairs.
To clear the sectional cut-off, you need to be confident in both areas. If you are still building your preparation, start with the most important chapters and strengthen your basic concepts first.
Important Chapters for Economic & Social Issues (ESI)
Some of the important chapters of ESI are as follows:
| Important Chapters |
|---|
| Measurement of Growth & National Income | Rural Banking & financial institutions in India |
| Inflation & Monetary Policy | International funding institutions |
| Fiscal Policy | Urbanization & Migration |
| Balance of Payments (BoP) | Health & Education |
| Economic Reforms in India | Indian Political Systems (Very Basic) |
| Poverty Alleviation & Employment Generation in India | Human Development |
| Industrial & Labour Policy | Ecology & Climate Change |
Important Chapters for Agriculture & Rural Development (ARD)
Some of the important chapters of ARD are as follows:
| Important Chapters |
|---|
| Agronomy including Crops | Poultry |
| Irrigation | Soil Science |
| Agricultural Engineering | Horticulture |
| Animal Husbandry | Less Important Chapters: Fisheries & Forestry |
For the Preparation for the Phase 2 Descriptive Paper, For the first few weeks, make sure your ESI & ARD concepts are clear and you have covered all the basic chapters.
Attempt FREE NABARD Grade A Mock Test
ARD Preparation Guide for NABARD Grade A
Firstly, understand that the preparation required for Phase 1 & 2 is the same. More weightage will be given to current affairs. Here is your 8-step guide to ace the Agriculture and Rural Development section for both Phase-I & II.
Step-1 – Start your prep by building your basics. Begin with the chapters such as Agronomy, Soil Conservation, etc.
Step-2 – Solve all the Topic tests related to these two chapters and make sure you revise them at least twice.
Step-3 – Move on to the other chapters: A. Agricultural Engineering, B. Irrigation & Water Management, C. Horticulture, D. Fisheries, E. Forestry.
Step-4 – Keep in mind that while preparing for the ARD chapters, you will have to also memorize important data points. Questions are asked from both Static Concepts as well as Facts.
Step-5 – Solve all the Topic wise tests and revise the chapters given in Step III again.
Step-6 – Now, move on to the Model Descriptive Q&A. Go through these answers at least twice.
Step-7 – You are now ready to attempt the Descriptive Answers – Practice at least 5 Descriptive Answers in a Week. Do not write them, type them.
Step-8 – Go through the remaining chapters given in the syllabus. Keep revising using recorded Video Lectures, Study Notes, Topic Tests, Model Q&A & Mock Tests.
ESI Preparation Guide for NABARD Grade A
The following types of questions can be asked in the ESI section: Concept-based, Factual & Current Affairs Questions. Firstly, understand that the preparation required for Phase 1 & 2 is the same. More weightage will be given to current affairs. Here is your 8-step guide curated by expert to ace the Economic & Social Issues section for both Phase-I & II.
Step-1 – Start your prep by building your basics. Begin with the following chapters:
A. Measurement of Growth & National Income
B. Monetary & Fiscal Policy
C. Balance of Payments
Step-2 – Solve all the topic tests related to these three chapters and make sure you revise them at least twice.
Step-3 – From the ESI section most of the questions asked are current affairs based, but for that, it is important that first, we build the basics.
Step-4 – Then move on to the other chapters given in the syllabus. Do not spend much time on these. Make sure you are comfortable with the basic concepts.
Step-5 – Attempt all the topic tests related to these chapters and revise these other chapters once again.
Step- 6 – It is important to link current affairs as you prepare for the ESI Concepts. Start reading monthly current affairs.
Step- 7 – Now, start with the descriptive model questions & answers. Go through these answers at least twice.
Step – 8 – You are now ready to attempt the Descriptive Q&A. Practice at least 5 descriptive answers in a week (Type them).
Current Affairs Preparation Guide for NABARD Grade A
- 5-6 months prior to the exam is of great importance.
- Indices, Important Schemes, and Reports need to be covered.
| Components to be Covered for Current Affairs |
|---|
| Daily News (Newspapers/PIB) |
| Economic Survey |
| Union Budget |
| Agri Census |
| SECC |
| Census |
| Government Schemes |
| NABARD Model Bankable Projects |
| Livestock Census |
It is advisable to take up a topic from ESI and ARD and complete it in a stipulated time without procrastination. Revision is always very very important when it comes to competitive exams like NABARD. Whenever you learn a new topic, do not forget to revise it. The revision will help you in the retention of the basics that you learned and will aid you in recollecting them on the Exam day.
How to Manage Time?
We would recommend covering the basic chapters of ESI & ARD during weekdays while reserving the weekends for the coverage & revision of Current Affairs & Practicing Quants, Reasoning & English Questions.
How to Prepare for NABARD Grade A Exam?
If you are a candidate who has never prepared for the NABARD Grade A Exam before and is scared of the Agriculture section that is asked in the exam, then you must check out the following success stories:
Success Story of Anantha Giri Padmanabhan
Success Story of Himanshu Baliyan
Special Note: Any Graduate candidate from any discipline can apply for this exam. With a systematic way of preparation, aspirants can smoothly get good marks in the Agriculture section.
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The syllabus of all the regulatory exams is somewhat similar, so practicing and learning from other exam-specific ebooks are also beneficial in the preparation. Here, we have compiled all the latest ebooks that will help you ace the exam.
