Civilsdaily

Author: Root

  • International Relations

    India’s Foreign Relations

    # Role of border states in India’s Foreign Policy

    # Indian maritime challenges and its diplomatic dimensions

    # Raja-Mandala diplomacy – Maritime India versus Continental Delhi, France, Middle East

    # Yoga: Re-uniting the World

    # Different levels of Diplomacy | Track 1, Track 2, Track 3

    # Demystifying The Concept Of Diplomatic Immunity

    # India–Sri Lanka

    # India-Bangladesh – Radio Bangla, Digital Radio Mondiale (DRM), Border Haats, Sebi, Bangla regulator sign pact over co-operation, Teesta, The BCIM Corridor

    # India-Myanmar – India and Myanmar bilateral ties, History of Ethnic insurgency in Myanmar, Imphal-Mandalay bus service, Kaladan Multi Modal Project in Myanmar, Myanmar operation: Hot pursuit, the Rohingya Conflict, the BCIM Corridor.

    # India-Russia

    # India-China – Delhi-Nagpur high-speed rail, Ladakh, Stilwell Road, boundary negotiations, China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, Indian International Fleet Review, China’s Indian Ocean strategy: Implications for India(Colombo port project, String of Pearls, One belt One Road, Maritime Silk Road, Project Mausam), The Great Fall of China (Devaluation of Yuan and Stock Market Volatility, Special Drawing Rights(SDR)), China’s Silk Route & OBOR diplomacy, AIIB & The Changing World Order, The BCIM Corridor.

    # India-Pakistan – Indus Treaty, MFN status, Balochistan, Pathankot probe, Kashmir dispute, UN Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP), China-Pakistan Equation

    # India – US – Defence ties [The Logistics Support Agreement (LSA), The Communication and Information Security Memorandum of Agreement (CISMOA), The Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement (BECA),Defence Technology and Trade Initiative (DTTI)], Visa, Free Trade and WTO [ Totalisation Agreement, H1B and L1 visas, NASSCOM], Latest developments [Yudh Abhyas, India, US and Japan major naval drill, Anti-Dumping Duty (ADD), WTO’s Government Procurement Agreement(GPA)]

    # India-Maldives – Maldives’ political crisis

    # Nepal’s Constitution & Emerging Developments – Nepal adopts historic constitution, Blockade.

    # India-Afghanistan – India-Afghanistan Motor Vehicles Agreement, extradition treaty, Heart of Asia conference, Taliban Conundrum.

    # India-Africa – Operation Sankat Mochan, South Sudan civil war, India-Tanzania: Solar Mamas, India-Mozambique, Exim Bank’s African credit, Pelindaba Treaty, Seychelles.

    # India-Iran – Chahbahar port, Iran oil policy change, International North South Transport Corridor (INSTC), Farzad-B gas field, Iran N-deal.

    # India-Sri Lanka – Constitutional issues in Sri Lanka, 13th Amendment, 19th amendment

    # India-France

    # India-South Korea

    # India – Germany

    # India-Middle East – The Syrian civil war, Russian interest in Syria, Syria peace plan, anti-terror bloc, Latest developments (NIIF)

    # India-Pacific Island Nations

    #Ministry of External Affairs : Important Updates – Haj pilgrimage, Ashgabat Agreement, Pravasi Bharatiya Divas

     Miscellaneous

    # Italian Marines Case

    # The Saudi Cable leaks

    International Issues

    # Cross-Border Terrorism – Islamic State, J&K attack, surgical strikes, War on terror CCIT, Deradicalisation plan, Breaking The Terror Cycle, Islamic Military Alliance.

    # Contention over South China Sea – Hague ruling, China-Russia joint naval exercise,2002 Declaration on the Conduct of Parties, N. Convention on the Law of the Sea, 2002 declaration on conduct.

    # North Korean Fusion Bomb test in bid to change world power equation

    # The refugee crisis: Understanding the refugee crisis and lessons for India, Europe’s Challenge, The Rohingya Conflict

    # Vienna Conference to end Syrian Crisis

    # Yemen Crisis – Operation Rahat, The Arab Spring.

    International Institutions, Agencies, Groupings and Fora 

    # Economic integration and different types of trade agreements – FTA, PTA, CEPA, CECA

    # India’s Bid To Join Export Control Regimes – Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR), NSG, the Hague Code of Conduct.

    # United Nations – World Health Organisation, World Bank Group

    # IMF – International Monetary Fund and India [Extended Fund Facility (EFF), South Asia Regional Training and Technical Assistance Center(SARTTC)]

    # World Trade Organization (WTO) – WTO and India [ Most Favoured Nation status, Doha Development Agenda, Global Value Chains, Recent India-US trade disputes – WTO, Peace Clause, Bali Package, TFA in Services, GATS, Special Safeguard Mechanism (SSM)]

    # India-Africa Forum Summit (IAFS)

    # ASEAN – ASEAN-India and East Asia Summit 2015, RCEP and its significance for India, India-ASEAN [Multinational Field Training Exercise (FTX)]

    # India-APEC

    # BRICS

    # G4 – Why G4 nations need a hardball diplomacy?

    # G20 – The Antalya Summit 2015

    # Mekong Ganga Cooperation and BIMSTEC

    # SAARC – Comparing ASEAN with SAARC, South Asia Free Trade Agreement (SAFTA) and the complexities surrounding it, India-SAARC Nations [SAARC satellite, Mutua l Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT) between India and Maldives, BBIN Agreement, National Knowledge Network]

    # SCO & India

    # Indian-Ocean Rim Association (IORA)

    # East Asia Summit (EAS)

    # International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) – AERB to get Regulatory Independence

    # Nuclear Security Summit (2010 – 2016)

    # Important International NGOs which often recur in news – Amnesty International, Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative, CARE International, OXFAM, Greenpeace International

    # Important World Reports & their Organisations

  • Civilsdaily featured at Product Hunt! Upvote us today

    Subjects:

    For the uninitiated, Product Hunt is a curation of the best new products, every day. That means they feature cool products which offer some bit of innovation from otherwise run of the mill products.

    Civilsdaily featured at Product Hunt! And this is great news for us. What will make it even greater? Your UPVOTES!

    Please click the link – login via your twitter handle and upvote it.

    https://www.producthunt.com/tech/civils-daily

     

     

  • How much do you score on this list of 5 must read books on Indian History?

    Subjects:

    Preparing for Civil Services gives you the best time to catch up on your nation’s history, unless you are the one who snoozes through the subject and wakes up in the last minute to ratofy Spectrum books!

    But traditional books tend to become a boring read after a while! Add to that, the oft recommended best sellers – Discovery of India, Freedom at Midnight, Argumentative Indian and likes become a tad too traditional for our senses, neh?

    Hence, to keep things spicy, go through this article and let us know – How much do you score on this list of 5 must read books on Indian History?

    #1. The Idea of India by Sunil Khilnani

     

    This long essay makes an eloquent and persuasive argument for Nehru’s idea of nationhood in India. At a time when the relevance of Nehru’s vision is under scrutiny, this book assumes a special significance.

    This is what Anil Swaroop (Secretary, GoI) has to say about the book,

    The book doesn’t directly answer the critical question: What is the idea of India? However, it lays bare certain dimensions of the idea that enables the reader to have a reasonably good idea of the idea. A well researched book on what could be the idea of India. Given the complex matrix of Indian history and the present day existence, it is indeed difficult to articulate in black and white such an idea but one can comprehend and perhaps appreciate it as one walks through the pages of the book.

     

    #2. The Story of India by Michael Wood

    Michael sets out on an epic journey across this vibrant country to trace the roots of India’s present in the incredible riches of her past. The Story of India is a magical mixture of history and travelogue, and an unforgettable portrait of India – past, present and future.

    Why should you read it?

    It reinforces some otherwise mundane facts with beautiful anecdotes! You will read a lot about Kanishka and the southern empires in this compelling narrative. In case you haven’t watched the BBC produced documentary, do give it a shot!

    #3. The Great Arc by John Keay

    The Great Arc is a wonderful little chronicle of the “Great Trigonometrical Survey” carried out in India roughly between 1800-1860 CE. Various teams surveyed India right from its southern tip, to the Himalayas.

    Do you know the importance of that work?

    The Great Arc made possible the mapping of the entire Indian sub-continent and the development of its roads, railways and telegraphs. India as we now know it was defined in the process.

    It’s a thin book and is amazingly well chronicled and you would thank us for referring this to you!

    #4. Land of the Seven Rivers by Sanjeev Sanyal

    Did the Great Flood of Indian legend actually happen? Why did the Buddha walk to Sarnath to give his first sermon? How did the Europeans map India?
    The history of any country begins with its geography. So grab this book as soon as you can! 

    #5. India After Gandhi by Dr. Ramachandra Guha

     

    We are sure you already know about this one. Why doubt an aspirant’s wisdom and knowledge when he has already spent countless hours wondering whether to read post independence from India After Gandhi or fall back on Bipan Chandra!

    However, we did come by an interesting review of this book and we would do well to produce a befitting quote to suit the magisterial work that this is.

    If you do not know where you come from, then you don’t know where you are, and if you don’t know where you are, then you don’t know where you’re going. And if you don’t know where you’re going, you’re probably going wrong.
    — Terry Pratchett

     

    So, that was it from our side! If you have some free time, catch up on these books. Let us know some of your favorites and of course, do let us know your score!

     

  • Indian Society

    # Tribal Issues

    Related reading: The Northeast Insurgency

     # Census 2011

    # Growing intolerance in society

    # Miscellaneous:

  • Geography

    Physical geography

    # Water in the Atmosphere – Saturation, Condensation, Classification of clouds and Precipitation

    # Geographic phenomenon : Key Concepts and Issues – Some Geographical terms: Drought, Normal Monsoon, Positive Indian Ocean Dipole

    # El Niño: A Global Weather Phenomenon – How does El Nino affect Indian Monsoon? La Nina, Southern Oscillation, El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO).

  • Indian History

    Modern India

    # The First Firangis | Chap 1|Warren Hastings and his time as the Governor General of India(1772-1785) – The Regulating Act of 1773

    # The First Firangis | Chap 2 | Hey Pitt, What’s Your Act? – Pitts Act of 1784

    # The First Firangis | Chap 3 | Lord Cornwallis & His Permanent Settlement – Governor General Cornwallis (1786-1793), Permanent Settlement

    # The First Firangis | Chap 4 | Extracting Land Revenue – Land revenue systems – Permanent Settlement, Ryotwari, Mahalwari.

    # The First Firangis | Chap 5 | The Marquess of Wellesley & His Subsidiary Alliance – Wellesley & his system of Subsidiary Alliance

    # The First Firangis | Chapter 6 | The Anglo Mysore wars – The 3 Anglo Mysore Wars

    # Gandhiji’s 4 Satyagraha – Champaran Satyagraha – 1917, Ahmedabad Satyagraha – 1918, Kheda Satyagraha – 1918, Rowlatt Satyagraha – 1919

    # Miscellaneous:

    • The relevance of republic day
    • Our Legislature through the ages – Regulating Act of 1773, Pitt’s India Act of 1784, Charter Act of 1833, Charter Act of 1853, Indian Councils Act of 1861, Indian Councils Act of 1892, Indian Councils Act of 1909 : The Morley-Minto reforms, Indian Councils Act of 1919 : The Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms, The Government of India Act 1935.

    India After Independence:

    # The emergency and its aftermath

  • Indian Heritage and Culture

    GS Papers: ,

    # Different Forms of Traditional Theatre in India:

    • Part 1 – Bhand Pather, Swang, Nautanki, Raasleela, Bhavai, Jatra
    • Part 2 – Maach, Bhoona, Dashavatar, Krishnattam, Yakshagaana, Therukoothu.

    [Related reading: 9 Indian Arts in the UNESCO’s List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage]

    # Dances of India:

    • Classical Dances of India – Manipuri, Mohiniyattam, The Sattriya Dance, Kathakali, Bharatnatyam
    •  Folk Dances Of India – Mamallapuram Dance Festival, Bathukamma – Telangana’s Floral Festival, Dumhal Dance, Hikat Dance, Hurka Baul, Tera Tali dance, Kalbelia, The Koli dance, Haryanvi dance.

     # The High and Mighty Kings of India [Click here]

    • Kanishka
    • Ashoka
    • Kharavela

    # Indian Paintings:

     # Indian Literature:

     # Architecture:

     # Music of India

    • Regional Music – Songs of the North-East, Tappa (Punjab), Powada (Maharashtra), Laman (Himachal Pradesh), Alha (Bundelkhand), Barhamasa from Kumaon, Pandavani, Lotia, Pankhida (Rajasthan)

     # Arts & Heritage Institutions

     # Protecting and Conserving our artifacts:

     #Spiritual Tourism:

     # Jallikattu

    # Miscellaneous

    • Indian Heritage & Culture – ICHR’s Encyclopedia of village folklore, Khangchendzonga National Park, World Heritage Site list, Shalimar Pavilion, Everlasting Flame International Programme, Chapchar Kut, Kondane cave art, Muziris Heritage Project, Indian Heritage Cities Network, HRIDAY, Pongal, Ganga Sagar Mela, UNESCO, Vesara style (Chalukyan or Deccan style) of Indian architecture, Someshwara temple, Channapatna craft, World Indology Conference, Terra Madre, Festival of Flowers’ Bathukamma, Kalarippayattu, The Martand Sun Temple, Shore temple, Virupaksha temple at Hampi, The Apsidal Durga, Sanchi – The oldest extant Buddhist sanctuary, Kushinagar, Mahabodhi Temple.

  • Science and Technology

    # Space technology

    # Cyber Space

    # Biotechnology:

    # Gravitational Waves

    •  Gravitational waves and LIGO – What are gravitational waves? Sources of gravitational waves, how LIGO works, LIGO-India, Second breakthrough for LIGO detectors.

    # Neutrinos and the Indian Neutrino Observatory

    # Robotics

    # Nanotechnology

    # Innovations in Science and Technology

    # Nobel Prizes

    # Intellectual Property Rights:

    # Nuclear Physics

    # Recent developments in Defence technology

    # Public Health

    # Miscellaneous

  • Disaster Management

    # Disaster Management and the way forward:

    # Floods

    # Earthquakes

  • Indian Economy: A laundry list

    # Fiscal policy

    # Inflation

    # Monetary Policy

    • Monetary policy explained with examples: Monetary policy, Monetary Policy Tools (Qualitative and Quantitative-CRR, SLR, REPO, LAF, MSF), Dear Money Policy, Sterilisation, Monetary policy transmission, Issue of autonomy of RBI.

    # Banking in India

    # National Income Aggregates

    # Public Finance and Government Budgeting

    # External Sector Of India

    # The Indian Financial Markets

    # Poverty

    # Unemployment

    # Agriculture

    # Economic Planning in India

    # Industry and Infrastructure

    # Budget 2016-17

    All budget articles compiled here.

    # Economic Survey

    All articles related to economic survey compiled here.

    # Miscellaneous Issues in News:

  • Long Walk to IAS Preparation – Few Thoughts

    Subjects:

    Hope you enjoyed writing on the first installment of IAS Mains Mini quiz. If you were late to the party, we have a set of model answers for you in the comment section.

    Here are some thoughts about how we wish to take this going forward:

    #1. Each Monday, we will release a set of questions on one particular GS Paper. They won’t be many but we make sure that our mentors do their research before putting them for you. This is an attempt to read into UPSC’s patterns and a refined way to present choicest questions to you.

    The next day, we will provide model answers along with some suggestions.

    #2. Every Saturday and Wednesday, we will have a prelims corner – 7 questions a day. These pop quizzes are to wriggle your head and reinforce the material that you study. Answers with explanations will be provided the next day.

    #3. Most Thursdays, we plan to introduce GS Paper 4: Ethics Case Studies. Not just this, we intend to bring in mentors from reputed coaching classes give you questions and model answers on them. That means, starting this thursday – we will have 2-3 full blown case studies which will help you reverse engineer your preparation for GS Paper 4.

    Reverse engineering, also called back engineering, is the processes of extracting knowledge or design information working backwards!

    For the first session – we will be inviting Mitra Sir to share a few case questions with us.

  • 7 Fundas for IAS Prelims 2016 Preparation

    Subjects:

     

    Hope you guys had fun attempting the MCQ Maze series. We have some important observations to make regarding the IAS Prelims trends, which we are bringing forth in this very short piece.

    Here are the 7 fundas for IAS Prelims 2016 Preparation:

    Funda #1: No one could ever attempt all the 100 questions in GS Pre because they are designed that way. And you shall be no exception.

    Funda #2: Prepare the topics where you can be sure first (like Polity) before you venture into things like Environment and Biodiversity for Prelims.

    Funda #3: The paper has always been designed in a way that a candidate who studied well could be sure of the correct choice for at least 45-50 percent of the answers. Rest come from the tools we use to break the Pre like elimination and the stuff.

    Funda #4: There are things which are asked for which you cannot really prepare like list of wildlife which is endangered or naturally found until and unless it was in news. So prepare them, of course, but don’t go overboard.

    Funda #5: Follow the news carefully. A change always attracts an examiner to frame a question. For example, if you can write a 200 words write-up on UIDAI but did not notice that it is under MoIT now instead of NITI then you should be faulted for getting it wrong and not the examiner for framing a difficult question.

    Funda #6: When something high-profile comes like SDG, an examiner is always tempted to ask something from it. But the examiner knows that every candidate must have mugged up the goals but examiner shall be interested in knowing which candidate knows who shall monitor its implementation, a fact that might have been ignored by the candidates.

    Funda #7: Examiner always tries if he/she can frame questions even from static subjects like History and Culture from current affairs. Be very careful about such news items.

     

    PS: If you are a beginner and wants to get things right, read CD’s Guide to IAS Prep: From Aspirant to IAS Officer.

    PPS: We hope you are enjoying every moment of reading with Civilsdaily’s Android App. Please do take a fraction of that moment to rate us at the Playstore. Nothing motivates us more than an aspirant’s heartfelt comment!

     

  • Self Study for IAS or Seek Help of Coaching Classes?

    Subjects:

     

    We continue our series on guiding the candidates from being “An aspirant to an IAS officer” in the most objective fashion without taking sides and coloring their opinions and judgments.

    As a newcomer IAS aspirant, there are several questions that cloud your mind including whether to join a coaching institute or to rely on self studies for IAS? Which institute to join? What books to refer to? Whether to join a test series or not? When to start preparing exclusively for Prelims? et al.

    We shall take them up one by one. At this point, with all the objectivity we can bring to the board, let us try to find out whether an IAS aspirant should necessarily seek classroom coaching or rely on self-study?

     

    #1. Self-Study Vs Classroom Coaching – Comparison before Internet became common

    If you could afford and move to a Metro and attend a coaching centre, you could interact with like-minded people, understand their perspectives, take tips from their learning styles, improve your knowledge and be abreast with latest updates.

    The competitive environment would keep up your motivation levels. Inputs from faculty would help grasp more knowledge within limited period of time. Taking tests that they conduct regularly would help you improve your speed and ability to handle different types of questions.

    On the other hand, several aspirants could crack the examination in a single attempt without taking any coaching because of their confidence, determination and persistence.

    So, if you had a track record of achieving your goals without much external support, you took the Civil Services Examination without any coaching.

    If you were preparing on your own, you would have the privilege to study at a time and place+pace convenient to you. You could schedule your preparation according to your priorities.

    You could avoid losing time and energy in travelling from one coaching institute to another and then further to home/college.

     

    #2. Self-Study Vs Traditional Coaching – Contemporary Comparison

    The advent and reach of Internet has changed the whole debate about Self-Study and Classroom Coaching. It had the most profound and visible impact on self-study. Some of the benefits that it offered are as under:

    1. Pooling of information from various sources at one place.
    2. Stories/issues explained in the most lucid and palatable fashion.
    3. Opinions of multitude of fellow aspirants/administrators/coaches available to firm up your views and add different dimensions to it.
    4. Facility to read anywhere and anytime. At home or on the move. Day or night.
    5. Obviates any need of spending lakhs of Rupees as fees to the coaching institutes, in relocation and sustenance through a metro.
    6. You can request the administrators to take up particular issues/stories.
    7. Test series are available where you get reviews not from the administrators but from the fellow aspirants from across the country.
    8. Most of the information available is free.
    9. No exhaustion of travelling and no homesickness due to relocation.
    10. No need to subscribe to multiple magazines/newspapers and prepare notes.
    11. Follows wherever you go.

    All the benefits that were traditionally associated with classroom coaching have become available at the click of a mouse.

    It is a secret of Polichinelle (aka an open secret) that a sort of undeclared war is under-way  between UPSC and the coaching factories with each side trying to outsmart the other. Coaching institutes wait till few days before Prelims/Mains to come out with their ‘digests’ hoping UPSC must have already framed the papers and can do little to change them and the institutes can claim victory by announcing that questions appeared from their ‘digests’.

    UPSC on the other hand has adopted, in my opinion a rather pleasant, stance wherein they frame questions which are largely based on the current events and from hitherto neglected topics, obviating any need to attend any coaching if a candidate is regularly following the news stories and the issues facing the nation.

     

    Now some of you might still prefer traditional coaching over self-study then here are few suggestions from our side:

    1. Do not join a coaching because someone advised you to. Join it if you feel the need of it.
    2. Before you join any coaching institute, get in touch with the aspirants who are reliable, been there and seek their feedback.
    3. Do not join it because you would get a chance to spend time ‘friends’.
    4. Do not join an institute based on the claims made by it in the ads. Verify them.
    5. Ring them up and have a talk with the faculty.
    6. Check on their post-batch support they provide to their past students.
    7. Attend a few classes, if allowed, before you decide to join a particular institute.

    That is all on coaching vs. self-study from our side. Whatever mode you wish to choose, just ensure you are doing it for all the rights reasons and what you are doing is your own decision. Happy learning!

     

  • UPSC Pre 2015 Results Are Declared. Download the PDF NOW

    Subjects:

    The UPSC Pre 2015 Results are OUT!

    Download the PDF from this link – CLICK HERE.

    Did you make it through? A lot of you guys are mailing us with queries on the cutoffs! It seems a bit odd that even people speculating it the range of 105+ could not make it in the final list.

    What to do next after Prelims Results? Read this post on your next steps

    Wish to start afresh? Read the ultimate guide from Aspirant to IAS Officer

  • CD’s Guide to IAS Prep: From Aspirant to IAS Officer

    Subjects:

    Yoda’s most memorable quote, bar none, and one of the greatest in all of Star Wars holds quite true for all civil service aspirants (irrespective of their stage of preparation). And it goes something like this –

    LUKE SKYWALKER: Master, moving stones around is one thing. This is totally different!
    YODA (irritated): No! No different! Only different in your mind. You must unlearn what you have learned.
    LUKE (focusing, quietly): All right, I’ll give it a try.

     

    If you are doing it, DO IT. Don’t pretend doing it.

    Civil Services Preparation (IAS/ UPSC Prep) has been veritably described as a ‘life changing process’, ‘a journey of transformation’, ‘a quest of excellence’ and what not!

    But truth be told, preparing for Civil Services can only mean 2 things:

    1. A wholehearted effort to become a Civil Servant or
    2. An equally wholehearted effort to waste best years of one’s life.

    So, If you are doing it, DO IT, don’t pretend doing it. Fair Enough? Let’s jump onto the roadmap then!

    The 3 Kinds of IAS Aspirants

    It is important to understand your stage in the Life Cycle of an IAS Aspirant so that you plan your onward strategy accordingly. Let’s take a closer look:

     

    #1. The Idealists/ College goers

     

    There is something about these idealists that is very disconcerting for the aam aadmi students. They are the benchmarks of the societies – the sharmaji ke bachche who constitute the bedrock of the society (in your parents’ eyes). They grew up reading Dominique Lapierre’s Freedom At Midnight and devoured Hindu for breakfast!

    If you identify yourself with this category, you have got a few of things correct. You need to meticulously build your base and play on your strong points.

    If you are in college, do not sweat it out in vain. No point joining any regular classes or diving into the subject books as of now. Just be more aware. Read these few articles to get a flavor of what lies ahead –

     

     

    1. Be a regular at the Civilsdaily’s Android App: It’s FREE, FOREVER and we take due care with summarising UPSC relevant news articles for you. Everyday.
    2. A Beginner’s Guide on How to Clear IAS: These 5 commandments will do well to get you started with the IAS Prep
    3. 3 Key Points on How to Read Newspapers for IAS Prep: Newspapers hold an important significance – more so in the changing times
    4. Understanding the IAS Prelims Syllabus: Start reading with what UPSC expects of you in the Prelims Exams
    5. Need Motivation? Read these posts on some Amazingly Badass Civil Servants:
    6. Recommended Memoirs of Famous Bureaucrats: To keep your spirits high among other things!

     

    #2. The Wildcard Entrants

    Remember TVF’s Pitchers?

    “Is desh ke graduates apni 9-5 jobs se bore hone lagte hain toh bahar nikalne ke liye keval 3 raste dikhte hain: MBA, IAS & Start-up.”
    (“When graduates of this country get bored of their 9-5 jobs, they look up to only 3 options : MBA, IAS & Start-up.”)

    Since you are joining the party late, you have a lot of lost opportunities (and syllabus) to cover! If you are juggling IAS preparation along with job, you might be biting a lot more than you can chew! In that case, these few articles can come in handy before you make up your mind and scale up your efforts to take an extended sabbatical from your corporate life –

    1. Along with CD’s Android App updates, be a regular at one national daily – Hindu or Indian Express. Live Mint is very good for its article on Economics and Business Standard may be referred for some heavy gyan (but it is avoidable).
    2. Know Thy Syllabus:
    3. Choose your Optional Wisely: We do not have authoritative articles on how to go about that but we will be inviting UPSC Rankers to share their strategies.
    4. Coaching: To do or not to do? – Read the pros and cons of self study/ coaching
    5. Importance of Writing Practice? Everything you need to know about answer writing for IAS Mains
    6. Test Series for Pre & Mains? [to be published]
    7. Analyse the Previous Year UPSC Prelims:
    8. Analyse Previous Year UPSC Mains Examination [to be published]

     

    #3. The Nirvana Seekers

     

    They have weathered all storms, seen one too many pattern changes, possibly even attended a few LIVE interview and are still sticking it out for that magical double digit rank. For them,

    Winning isn’t everything, it’s the only thing.

    What do we have for you? 

    1. Go through our neatly curated News Stories in full: Since you already have a good understanding of current affairs in general – you will be able to appreciate and gain from our connected news stories.
    2. Run through our CD Explains at the CD Hub: Revise and build upon your basics as we try our best to break down complex news for you.
    3. Importance of Writing Practice? [to be published]
    4. Test Series for Pre & Mains? [to be published]
    5. What beyond UPSC? In a rare case that you run out of time or attempts – what should you do to prepare yourself for the bumps ahead? [to be published]

    This page will be frequently updated. Share this among your friends and relatives who might benefit from this.

  • [Registration Starts] Campus Ambassadors for Civilsdaily

    We are following up on our week old post on *How to Help Civilsdaily Grow*

    1. This initiative is strictly for college going students who have completed the first year.
    2. We do not require you to send in your CVs/ Resume. We have built a very short, cool application form and we would like you to fill just that for us! Fill it up for us, please!

  • UPSC Syllabus | GS Paper 3 | IAS Prep

    Subjects:

    UPSC Syllabus for GS Paper 3 with Infographics [250 marks]

     

    Read the IAS Mains - GS Paper 1 Syllabus already? Click Here.
    Read the IAS Mains - GS Paper 2 Syllabus already? Click Here.

    The Civil Services Main examination is designed to test the academic talent of the aspirant, also his/her ability to present his/ her knowledge in a clear and coherent manner.

    The Main Examination is intended to assess the overall intellectual traits and depth of understanding of candidates rather than merely the range of their information and memory.

    Economics & Enviro are the mainstay of this GS Paper 3. While we can say that Economics will be an interesting read, not much can be said about Environment & Biodiversity. The other 3 topics form a relatively small segment of this paper and are mostly covered at the end of time (which is a euphemism for last month of IAS Mains).

    #1. Indian Economy

     

    1. Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization of resources, growth, development and employment.
    2. Inclusive growth and issues arising from it.  
    3. Government Budgeting.
    4. Major cropping patterns in various parts of the country, different types of irrigation and irrigation systems  storage, transport and marketing of agricultural produce and issues and related constraints; e-technology in the aid of farmers.
    5. Issues related to direct and indirect farm subsidies and minimum support prices; Public Distribution System– objectives, functioning, limitations, revamping;  issues of buffer stocks and food security; Technology missions;  economics of animal-rearing.
    6. Food processing and related industries in India– scope and significance, location, upstream and downstream requirements, supply chain management.
    7. Land reforms in India.
    8. Effects of liberalization on the economy, changes in industrial policy and their effects on industrial growth.
    9. Infrastructure: Energy, Ports, Roads,  Airports, Railways  etc.
    10. Investment models

    Civilsdaily.com focuses on Current Economics News here – Stories @Economics

    #2. Environment & Biodiversity

     

    #3. Science & Tech

    1. Science and  Technology – developments and their applications and effects in everyday life.
    2. Achievements of Indians in science & technology; indigenization of technology and developing new technology.
    3. Awareness in the fields of IT, Space, Computers, robotics, nano-technology, bio-technology and issues relating to intellectual property rights.

      #4. Disaster Management

    It forms an integral part of Environment & BioD. So, beyond policy and institutional maneuvers (by Center and State), you won’t have to focus on anything separately.

    #5. Internal Security 

    1. Linkages between development and spread of extremism.
    2. Role of external state and nonstate actors in creating challenges to internal security.
    3. Challenges to internal security through communication networks, role of media and social networking sites in internal security challenges, basics of cyber security; money-laundering and its prevention.
    4. Security challenges and their management in border areas;linkages of organized crime with terrorism.
    5. Various Security forces and agencies and their mandate.

     

    What’s with all the hashtags?

    1. We are thinking of adding sub categories to news and explainers which we put forth.
    2. What that will do is bring more focus to your preparation and give you more context on current affairs.
    3. While we do make efforts to make current affairs easy and approachable – that still leaves a LOT and LOT of current affairs to be covered! Hence, in our continued efforts on making “complex news, easy” – we will try out this experiment.
    4. The Civilsdaily’s Android App however will still carry the same old broad categories. Don’t want to create a clutter of categories everywhere!

    Anything that you would love to share? or Propose?

    PS: We will be sharing the pdfs of these infographics in a short while.

     

  • 5 Amazingly Badass Bureaucrats You Would Be Proud To Know: Part #2

    Read the Part 1, here.

    Courage is not the absence of fear but rather the judgement that something is more important than fear; the brave may not live forever but the cautious do not live at all.

    #1. Vinod Rai

    A 1972 batch Kerala cadre IAS officer, started his career as a sub-collector of Thrissur district and became a Comptroller & Auditor General of India. Rai who pursued Masters in Economics from University of Delhi and Master of Public Administration from Harvard University, is known for his uncanny ability to cut through bureaucracy.

    Rai came into lime light for his compilation of audit reports of irregularities in Delhi Common Wealth Games 2010, CoalGate allocation & allocation of 2G spectrum licenses. Forbes quoted Rai as one of the bad-ass IAS officer of rarest breed of civil servants who knows how to get work done in the bureaucracy.  Throughout his service as an IAS officer, he made sure that everything that came under his ambit was dealt with honesty and perfection.

     

    #2. Ashok Khemka

    He is an IAS officer who got transferred highest number of times i.e. 45 times in 23 years. This speaks volumes about him. Khemka, who pursued Masters in Economics and is also an alumnus of IIT Kharagpur, grabbed attention of the entire nation when he cancelled Robert Vadra’s illegal mutation deal with DLF in a Congress ruled state while the Congress party was in power at centre as well.

    Haryana State Government has intentionally kept him away from important government roles. Being honest to his role, he has kept a check on all the wrong doings and scams in each department that he was posted to and brought it to public notice. Many false chargesheets & departmental inquires have been initiated against Khemka to discourage him . He was conferred ‘The Manjunath Shanmugam Trust Commendation on Public Works’ in 2009 & The S R Jindal Prize for ‘Crusader against Corruption’ in 2011.

    #3. Durga Shakti Nagpal

    This 31 year old IAS officer truly stood to her name & unearthed the nexus of ‘Sand Mafias’ in Greater Noida, UP. A Punjab cadre IAS officer, who married Abhishek Singh, also an IAS officer of UP cadre & later on moved to Gautam Budh Nagar district of UP, where she was posted as ‘Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM)’.

    Nagpal demolished an illegal mosque that was under construction in Kadalpur village, for which the UP government arm-twisted & suspended her on false charges. However she was reinstated later by CM Akhilesh Yadav after facing ire from national media & bureaucrat circles.

    #4. Uma Shankar

    This Tamil Nadu cadre IAS officer became the reason for defeat of CM J. Jayalalithaa in polls of 1996. He unearthed the Cremation Shed scam as additional collector of Madurai. He didn’t stop there. Further, during the regime of new government, he continued his stir to catch hold of corruption. During his stint as Joint Vigilance Commissioner, he probed Marans and the DMK patriarch’s kin for which he faced suspension too.

    During his tenure as District Collector, he made Tiruvarur the first e-district in India, introducing transparent and technology enabled administration for the public. This project got an international attention. Uma Shankar is among the few pioneers in India who initiated the e-governance project which later got implemented across India.

    #5. Rajni Sekhri Sibal

    Rajni, a Haryana cadre IAS officer who bluntly says NO when it comes to corruption & this very habit of her led to her frequent transfers. But what she did next will make every one of you spellbound. Her act of a ‘4 mtr cloth’ led to imprisonment of former CM Om Prakash Chautala, his son Ajay Chautala and 51 others. Chautala & other were involved in a scam in which interview scores of 3,200 Junior Basic Training (JBT) teachers in 1999-2000 were manipulated to give jobs to those who had paid for it.

    When Rajni was asked to take 5% of bribe money & change the result list by CM’s associates & his son, Rajni denied to do so, as a result of which she was transferred. After receiving her transfer orders, the first thing she did was, she wrapped the steel almirah with the actual list of results lying inside, with four-metre-long cloth and bandages, making it impossible for anyone to open the almirah and temper with the list. Even her successor wasn’t able to do much with tampering of files, as he knew that this would lead him into troubled waters.

    That’s all for this time. We will keep expanding our *Badass Bureaucrats* list and present it before you. But feel free to help us out. There are a lot of unsung heroes and we need to know them all!

  • UPSC Syllabus | GS Paper 2 | IAS Prep

     

    UPSC Syllabus for GS Paper 2 with Infographics [250 marks]

     

    Read the IAS Mains - GS Paper 1 Syllabus already? Click Here.

    The Civil Services Main examination is designed to test the academic talent of the aspirant, also his/her ability to present his/ her knowledge in a clear and coherent manner.

    The Main Examination is intended to assess the overall intellectual traits and depth of understanding of candidates rather than merely the range of their information and memory.

    Polity and IR has a healthy mix of static + dynamic portions which makes it an interesting topic to prepare! Be wary of one thing – Do not get into Politics. Polity has nothing to do with the masala around Politics 🙂

     

    #1. Indian Polity and Its Constituents

    1. Indian Constitution – Historical underpinnings, evolution, features, amendments, significant provisions and basic structure.
    2. Functions and responsibilities of the Union and the States, issues and challenges pertaining to the federal structure, devolution of powers and finances up to local levels and challenges therein.
    3. Comparison of the Indian constitutional scheme with that of other countries.
    4. Parliament and State Legislatures – structure, functioning, conduct of business, powers & privileges and issues arising out of these.
    5. Structure, organisation and functioning of the Executive and the Judiciary Ministries and Departments of the Government; pressure groups and formal/informal associations and their role in the Polity.
    6. Salient features of the Representation of People’s Act.
    7. Appointment to various Constitutional posts, powers, functions and responsibilities of various Constitutional Bodies.
    8. Development processes and the development industry – the role of NGOs, SHGs, various groups and associations, donors, charities, institutional and other stakeholders.
    9. Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of the population by the Centre and States.
    10. Important aspects of governance, transparency and accountability.
    11. Role of civil services in a democracy.

    As you can see, this part of the UPSC Syllabus is very detailed one. It is so well described that beyond a point it’s exhaustive to even list it up in full!

    We would suggest that you take up Indian Polity by Lakshmikanth and read it full. Then read it again. Keep up with News at Civilsdaily’s App and read our explainers when we try to break down issues for you.

    For advanced readers, you would have developed an eye for the trending issues. No need to slug it out on daily newspapers – just maintain key points of the major themes on news.

    Civilsdaily.com focuses on Current Polity News here - Stories @Polity

    #2. International Relations & World Institutions

    Truth be told, most of the aspirants neglect this part of the syllabus even though it forms a small part of the Prelims Exam. The reason is that foreign treaties are so dynamic – diplomatic relations so complex that we have no clue what UPSC can ask about it!

    Moreover, one would have little idea where to start from – how to connect the web – and with Modi Sahab doing the *Around The World In 80 Days* feat, you have more to fear <kidding>!

    At Civilsdaily, you can get help with our aggregation and curation of news items in one single place.

    Bookmark this page on WORLD NEWS  STORIES. Start with the stories that we have curated over here and then build up on your understanding.

    We are thinking of releasing full infographs of all the UPSC Syllabus in a pdf so that you may store offline and refer when you wish. Would that be cool?

     

  • 5 Simple Tips Which Can Turbocharge Your Reading Speed

    Subjects:

    Just look at this picture, and tell me one thing. What if you need to revise the entire pile of books in just 5 days, because the 6th day is your doom’s day? You need to finish so you crack your IAS, okay?

     

     

    Yes! Of course I know, you people aren’t much bothered to read or memorise stuff. Even if it is the IAS exam, you hallucinate and hope some magic to happen that you remember all the stuff in the examination hall. But here’s an option! How about being able to remember everything on your own and let your confidence be the real magic that can hit the ‘bingo’ point?

    The IAS exam comes with a lot to memorise and nobody can escape that.

    You know what – There are a hell lot of ways in which you could memorise faster, without making you sit bored for hours long. The most important thing being, pacing up your reading speed. If your reading speed is pathetic, you’ll 100% get bored of finishing that entire syllabus or even revising it on the eve of your exam. On the contrary, what if you develop a great speed for reading? That’ll definitely help you retain those facts faster. Not only faster, but you could even revise the portion if you cut out that time of reading.

    Say – reading a page as this one takes you 4 minutes, what if it could get done in around 2.5 minutes? You could read more, even retain more in your brain which you think is just too small.

    So, there you go with some great ways to help you improve upon your reading speed.

     

     

    #1. STOP TALKING TO YOURSELF WHILE READING

    • While you read mutely, you tend to speak those words internally and that makes your jaws move. This puts a control on the speed of reading. The speed decreases as you clearly try to utter each word in your mind.
    • Rather, while reading in mind, stop your mind from pronouncing those words clearly internally. Skipping these clear utterances will make you run through the words faster, ending your reading session waay faster by 2/3 times.

    #2. COVER THE WORDS YOU’VE ALREADY READ

     

     

    • Covering the words you’ve already read with your palm or a ruler helps, as your eyes don’t keep moving around those extra words that are unnecessary. Covering them will help you to focus on what you’re actually supposed to read.

    #3. MAKE LESSER EYE MOVEMENTS

    • If the next words are familiar, the brain decides to move your eyes in a way that you can read faster. Training your eyes to move directly to the familiar words helps you read the entire page quickly, as you jump through and understand quickly.

    #4. UNDERSTAND EYE MOVEMENTS

    • Don’t give jerks to your eyes while reading. Let your eyes read the words naturally and smoothly all throughout the line. Make fewer movements of your eyes while reading all the words in a line.

    #5. TRUST YOUR BRAIN

    • To improve reading speed, you have to start trusting your brain. If you can start trusting your brain more, you will definitely have an easier time breaking your old reading habits and learning new ones. This is because without your brain you could not have come as far as you’ve come already.
    • Every step of the way, your brain has been right alongside you. And whether you believe it right now or not, your brain is fully capable of understanding all the information you read. Don’t just panic because it is the nervousness that tends to make you forget things you have read. Be calm and trust your memory power for a very effective quick learning.

    So, that’s it.

    I gave you enough tips to work upon your reading speed. All you need to crack an IAS exam is, a good memory, which would come with a great reading speed. Of course, common sense and intelligence stand two of the main concerns.
    Good luck! Hope you’ll have a happy speed – read.

     

    P.S. – Reading faster is not everything. Read fast, and UNDERSTAND your facts. Because, only if both are added, you get enough to clear an exam such as IAS. Not only could you get passing marks, but also finish any Harry Potter in 2 days! But I really hope you get extra time, from your IAS related readings!

     

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