Social Science is often underestimated — but it carries 80 marks and covers 4 very different subjects. Students who treat it as "just reading" lose marks on application-based questions. This guide gives you the key points for every chapter so you know exactly what to revise.
History (India & World): 20 marks | Geography: 20 marks | Political Science: 20 marks | Economics: 20 marks
HISTORY — India and the Contemporary World II
Chapter 1: The Rise of Nationalism in Europe
Key concepts:
- Nationalism — belief that people with shared history, culture and language should form a nation-state
- Romanticism — cultural movement that emphasised emotion, folk traditions, and vernacular languages
- Liberalism — belief in individual rights, equality before law, representative government
- Conservatism — belief in tradition, order, and established institutions (after 1815)
Key events:
- 1789: French Revolution — spread ideas of liberty, equality, nationalism across Europe
- 1815: Congress of Vienna — conservative powers tried to reverse revolutionary changes
- 1821: Greek revolt for independence (first success of nationalism in Europe)
- 1848: "Year of Revolutions" — liberal-nationalist uprisings across Europe
- 1871: Unification of Germany (Bismarck's "blood and iron" policy)
Must-know terms: Frankfurt Parliament, Zollverein, Carbonari, Junkers, Balkans
Analyse the allegory of Germania and Marianne — these appear regularly as source-based questions.
Chapter 2: Nationalism in India
Key phases:
- Non-Cooperation Movement (1920-22): Boycott of British goods, schools, courts; ended after Chauri Chaura violence
- Civil Disobedience Movement (1930-34): Dandi March — Gandhi walked 240 miles to make salt
- Quit India Movement (1942): "Do or Die" — most militant movement
Important participants:
- Alluri Sitarama Raju — tribal uprising in Andhra forest areas
- Baba Ramchandra — peasant movement in Awadh
- Ambedkar — Dalit mobilisation; disagreed with Congress on methods
Key terms: Satyagraha, Swadeshi, Rowlatt Act, Jallianwala Bagh, Khilafat Movement, poorna swaraj
Chapter 3: The Making of a Global World
Key waves of globalisation:
- Pre-1914: Silk Road trade, colonial trade, gold standard
- Interwar period: Great Depression (1929), protectionism, disruption
- Post-WWII: Bretton Woods institutions (IMF, World Bank), GATT
Indian connection: India was Britain's most valuable colony — raw materials out, British goods in (trade imbalance)
Depression effects on India: Peasants — crop prices fell 50% but revenue demands stayed; artisans — cheap imported goods destroyed local industries
Chapter 4: The Age of Industrialisation
Key points:
- Industrial Revolution began in Britain in the 1840s-50s (not 1700s as myth suggests)
- Putting-out system (proto-industrialisation) came before factories
- Staple towns — Manchester, Leeds for cotton; Sheffield for metal
- Indian textiles lost market to cheap British machine-made cloth
- Weavers adapted — niche markets, finer work, export niches
Chapter 5: Print Culture and the Modern World
Key events:
- 1448: Gutenberg's printing press (Europe)
- 17th century: Newspapers begin
- 1821: James Augustus Hickey's Bengal Gazette (India's first newspaper)
- Vernacular press led to mass literacy movements
Impact: Print enabled reading silently, encouraged individual thinking, spread nationalist ideas, enabled religious reform movements
GEOGRAPHY — Contemporary India II
Chapter 1: Resources and Development
Resource classification:
- Actual vs Potential | Renewable vs Non-renewable | Individual vs Community vs National
Land use categories: Forest, land not available for cultivation, other uncultivated land, net sown area
Soil types:
| Soil | Found in | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Alluvial | North India plains | Rice, wheat, sugarcane |
| Black (Regur) | Deccan plateau | Cotton |
| Red & Yellow | Eastern plateau | Millets, pulses |
| Laterite | Eastern hills, Western Ghats | Tea, coffee, cashew |
| Arid | Rajasthan | Irrigation-dependent |
Chapter 2: Forest and Wildlife Resources
Categories of forests in India: Reserved (most protected), Protected, Unclassed forests
Key species: Project Tiger, Project Elephant — conservation examples
Threats: Deforestation, mining, overgrazing, jhum cultivation
Sacred groves — forest patches protected by local communities (biodiversity hotspots)
Chapter 3: Water Resources
India's water scarcity: India has 4% of world's freshwater but 18% of world's population
Multipurpose projects:
- Bhakra Nangal (Sutlej) — Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan
- Sardar Sarovar (Narmada) — Gujarat, Maharashtra
- Hirakud (Mahanadi) — Odisha
Traditional water systems: Khadins (Rajasthan), Bamboo drip irrigation (Meghalaya), Johads (Rajasthan)
Criticism of large dams (displacement, ecological impact, silting) is a frequent 3-mark question.
Chapter 4: Agriculture
Types: Subsistence (primitive/intensive) vs Commercial | Plantation agriculture
Cropping seasons:
- Kharif: Rice, maize, jowar, cotton — sown June-July, harvested Sept-Oct
- Rabi: Wheat, gram, mustard, peas — sown Oct-Nov, harvested March-April
- Zaid: Watermelon, cucumber, muskmelon — between Rabi and Kharif
Green Revolution: Punjab, Haryana — wheat; increased yield but caused soil salinity, water table issues
Chapter 5: Minerals and Energy Resources
Non-metallic minerals: Mica (Jharkhand/Rajasthan), Limestone (everywhere)
Metallic minerals:
| Mineral | Leading states |
|---|---|
| Iron ore | Jharkhand, Odisha, Chhattisgarh |
| Bauxite | Odisha, Jharkhand |
| Manganese | Odisha, Karnataka |
| Copper | Rajasthan, Jharkhand |
Conventional energy: Coal (largest reserve — Jharkhand), Petroleum (Assam, Gujarat, Mumbai offshore)
Non-conventional: Solar (Rajasthan), Wind (Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Maharashtra), Biogas
Chapter 6 & 7: Manufacturing & Lifelines of the National Economy
Cotton textile — Mumbai; Jute — Kolkata; Steel — Jamshedpur, Bhilai, Rourkela
Types of roads: National Highway, State Highway, District roads, Rural roads
Golden Quadrilateral: Delhi–Mumbai–Chennai–Kolkata (NH network)
POLITICAL SCIENCE — Democratic Politics II
Chapter 1: Power Sharing
Why power sharing matters: Reduces ethnic conflict, ensures no group is permanently excluded
Forms of power sharing:
- Horizontal: Among organs of government (legislature, executive, judiciary)
- Vertical: Among levels of government (central, state, local)
- Among social groups: Reserved seats, minority rights
- Among political parties: Coalition governments, party competition
Belgium vs Sri Lanka: Belgium chose power-sharing (federal system) → peace; Sri Lanka ignored Tamil minority → civil war
Chapter 2: Federalism
Features of Indian federalism: Dual government, division of powers (Union/State/Concurrent lists), written constitution, supremacy of constitution, independent judiciary
Key changes: 73rd/74th Amendments — local self-government (Panchayati Raj); decentralisation
Coalition government — when no single party has a majority, parties form alliances
Chapter 3: Gender, Religion and Caste
Gender and politics: Low female representation in Parliament despite political mobilisation
Communalism: Using religion for political power — leads to violence
Caste and politics: Vote bank politics, caste discrimination, reservations as remedy
Chapter 4 & 5: Political Parties & Outcomes of Democracy
Functions of political parties: Form governments, represent public opinion, provide opposition, mobilise voters
Challenges: Dynastic succession, lack of internal democracy, money and muscle power
What makes democracy successful: Accountability, free elections, rule of law, protection of rights
ECONOMICS — Understanding Economic Development
Chapter 1: Development
Development goals vary: Economic (income, wealth) + Non-economic (education, health, freedom, safety)
National vs Per Capita Income: National income = total production; Per capita = national/population
HDI — Human Development Index: Income + Education + Health (life expectancy)
NREGA 2005: 100 days of guaranteed work for rural households
Chapter 2: Sectors of the Indian Economy
Primary sector: Agriculture, fishing, mining — produces raw materials
Secondary sector: Manufacturing — transforms raw materials
Tertiary sector: Services — banking, transport, education, IT
Disguised unemployment — more workers than needed in farming; appears employed but marginal productivity = 0
GDP calculation: Sum of value added by all sectors
Chapter 3: Money and Credit
Functions of money: Medium of exchange, unit of account, store of value, deferred payment
Formal credit: Banks (regulated by RBI) — lower interest rates
Informal credit: Moneylenders, landlords — higher interest rates, exploitative
Self-Help Groups (SHGs): Women pool savings → group loans → less reliance on moneylenders → empowerment
Chapter 4: Globalisation and Indian Economy
Globalisation: Integration of countries through trade, investment, technology, labour
MNCs (Multinational Corporations): Set up production wherever costs are low
WTO (World Trade Organization): Establishes rules for free trade; developing countries argue rules favour rich nations
Impact on India: IT boom, export growth; but also local industries hurt by cheap imports
Chapter 5: Consumer Rights
Consumer Rights: Right to safety, to be informed, to choose, to be heard, to seek redressal, to consumer education
Consumer Protection Act 2019: Three-tier consumer courts (district, state, national)
COPRA: Consumer Protection Act of India
Hallmark, ISI, Agmark — quality certification marks for gold/silver, industrial products, agricultural produce
Memorise all consumer rights (6 total) and the 3-tier consumer court structure. These are almost guaranteed for 3 marks.
Quick Revision — Most Expected Map Items
History maps: Centres of the Indian National Movement (Champaran, Kheda, Ahmedabad, Bardoli)
Geography maps: Iron ore, coal, oil fields; major ports; railway routes; crops by region
Practice at least one past paper specifically for map identification — it's an easy 5 marks most students miss.
Revise Social Science chapter by chapter with adaptive practice at JoyOfExams.in