How should one prepare for modern India for a history optional?

My score was 173 in Paper 2. Hopefully I can help u a little for this paper.

Must read books and materials: B L Grover, Bipan Chandra, Balyan sir notes, Bipan Chandra India post Independence

Complementary books: Shekhar Bandoadhyay (read only few topics like socio-religious reform movements, labour, women and Dalit movements etc.)

Must do: Download previous year questions. It is beautifully compiled topic wise by selfstudyhistory. Analyse the questions asked in each topic thoroughly. You will understand what to read and what to skip. Analysis of previous year questions helped me a lot. Example: Battle of Plassey or Drain of wealth or Gandhian freedom struggle have been asked so many times. It helps in selecting topics which are highly relevant for the exam.

1.1. Modern India (from 1707–1857)

Refer B L Grover and Balyan sir notes.

Prepare notes for various themes :

1. Disintegration of Mughal India
2. Rise of Provincial states like Maratha, Mysore, Bengal, Hyderabad
3. Socio-economic-political condition of India before the British rule (asked this year)
4. Anglo-French rivalry, Duplex, carnations wars
5. Battle of Plassey, Buxar: causes and significance (very important)
6. British rule up to 1857: phases, reforms
7. British policy: land, police, revenue, education (important section. A lot of questions are asked in this sextion) Read dis from Balyan sir notes and B L Grover.

1.2. Modern India (from 1857–1905)

B L Grover, Balyan sir notes,L and few topics from Shekhar Bandoadhyay and Bipan chandra

Prepare notes on following themes:

1. 1857 revolt: Bipan Chandra and Balyan sir notes. Remember the causes, significance and nature of the revolt. Read the views of various Historians about the nature and significance of this revolt.
2. Peasant and Tribal uprisings phase 1: (very important). Bipan Chandra, Balyan sir notes and complement it with B L Grover.
3. Colonial rule and reforms : read it from B L Grover and Balyan sir notes
4. Foundation of Congress and early phase of congress: Balyan sir's notes is sufficient.
5. Economic critique: read it from Balyan sir notes, B L Grover and supplement it with Bipan chandra. Read about various views about drain of wealth, de-industrialization etc. Remember the stats and quotes views of various historians.
6. Socio-religious reform movement: read this from Shekhar Bandoadhyay, B L Grover and Balyan sir notes. Key areas are Women issues, Dalit and anti-Caste movements, famous personalities like Raja Ram Mohandas Roy, Phule, Narayana Guru, B R Ambedkar, Gandhiji and others

1.3. Modern India (from 1905–47)

Read from Bipan Chandra, Balyan sir notes (very effective) and few topics from Shekhar Bandoadhyay.

Important themes are:

1. Phases of National movement. (very important) (Moderate, Extremist, Gandhian and socialist): causes, nature, objectives and leaders of these phases. Balyan sir notes and Bipan Chandra are really good.
2. Various movements : very important) Swadeshi, NCM, CDM and Quit India Movement. Read about the distinctive features, causes and significance of these movements.
3. Tribal and Farmer movements. Balyan sir notes and Bipan Chandra are effective.
4. Labour, women and Dalit movements. Complement Balyan sir notes with Bipan Chandra and Shekhar Bandoadhyay.
5. British rule and reforms like Government of India Act 1935, Round table sessions etc. Read from B L Grover, Balyan sir notes
6. Important personalities : read from B L Grover
7. Topics like Communal ism, Partition refer Balyan sir notes, Bipan Chandra

1.4. Modern India (1947–64)

Note: only read selectively. No need to read various books.

Balyan sir notes, few topics from Bipan Chandra post Independence are enough.

Plz go through the previous yer uestions asked on these topics. Which ever topics are skipped in Balyan sir notes and in Bipan Chandra, prepare from Wikipedia.

Key topics :

1. Partition and India till 1950: challenges and opportunities. Read from Bipan chandra
2. Accession of Princely states: read from Balyan sir notes
3. Nehru policies (very important). Prepare topics like Non-Aligned movement, Nehru’s foreign policy, his mixed economic model, planning and command economy, Sino-India war etc
4. Then read few other topics like Dalit, Tribal, environmental and women movements after Independence from Balyan sir notes and from Wikipedia.

Must do:

1. Preare your micro-notes of each topic.
2. Practice writing answers especially the queations asked in previous year papers

Bortomline: I will edit this write up and include more points. Similar one I will wrote for Ancient, medieval and Modern History.

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Source :- Quora (Abinash Mishra IAS officer 2018)