Author: Staff @CD

  • How to become an IAS Officer in First Attempt After Graduation? || Roadmap to Prepare for UPSC in next 2-3 years ||  Samanvaya 2021: Book Your First  Free Counselling Session with us Now!

    How to become an IAS Officer in First Attempt After Graduation? || Roadmap to Prepare for UPSC in next 2-3 years || Samanvaya 2021: Book Your First Free Counselling Session with us Now!

    Though, you can prepare for UPSC and give your attempts anytime till 32 years, the optimal time to begin your preparation is during the college days. A graduation degree is for 3 years and almost all toppers have prepared for the same amount of time to get the success they now enjoy.

    One of the biggest advantage for a college student is that they can easily switch to study mode as there are no other additional family responsibilities or expectations. Plus, an IAS officer who clears the exam within 23 years is more likely to hold the highest position of cabinet secretary than someone who cleared it in their late twenties. Youthful enthusiasm is the biggest internal motivation that college students possess which can help them in clearing this exhausting exam.

    So, now that you have broken the news to your parents about wanting to write the UPSC-CSE exam, you might be now wondering — what is UPSC-CSE? How to prepare for it? Should I attend a coaching institute? What is the syllabus? How many hours to study… the list is endless and daunting.

    However, you would have missed the obvious question— What kind of questions come in the paper and what kind of answers UPSC expects from an aspirant?

    Is UPSC CSE really about reading Unlimited Sources?

    Some of us will ask advices from all our friends and family on how to prepare for the exam, resulting in confusion in following through the UPSC syllabus. Don’t let these questions play the devil and make you postpone your UPSC preparation by a few more years. Having the right direction and guidance can help you save 2-3 critical attempts in UPSC. Listen to our Civilsdaily student and AIR 132 2020 UPSC topper Lakshay Chaudhary on how he improved his performance after 2 attempts with the guidance of civilsdaily mentors.

    Without much ado, register yourself for our free 1-on-1 counselling session at Civilsdaily known as Samanvaya. Your counsellors are trained mentors who have given the Mains exam six times and have attended UPSC interview multiple times. Experienced mentors like Sajal sir and Ajay sir have nearly mentored 500+ students.

    What are the other mistakes in UPSC preparation first-time aspirants are likely to make?

    About 60% of the UPSC toppers have mostly prepared the wrong way in their first attempt. This could range from books, notes to time and consistency. If you want to start in the right direction, then it’s about time you booked a slot with your Samanvaya mentor.

    First time aspirants often make the mistake of reading many sources for a single subject. If there is a new book in the market, they will not hesitate to buy it. UPSC preparation is not about reading multiple books, but one book multiple times. Few others, answer the essay paper in a very academic and technical manner. Most of the first time aspirants skip studying for the language and CSAT paper. In the first few months of preparation all of us read the entire 24 pages of newspaper and waste 3-4 hours time. Some of us are over-confident of clearing the exam with our own preparation or by our institute’s coaching. We might be making notes but we will not be updating them or revising them. First time aspirants struggle to understand what to skip in a book or what to cover. They take atleast 2-3 months to finish books like Laxmikanth and yet don’t have conceptual clarity.

    You can go through this video over here to get a basic understanding of the UPSC preparation.

    Toppers were once Beginners. And they began with Samanvaya.

    We, at Civilsdaily, are extremely proud to announce the incredible success of our students who have made their dreams come true. Today, we celebrate the hard work, commitment, and dedication with which they prepared for this exam, and succeeded! They are the heroes of today and leaders of tomorrow, and we are extremely glad to have been a part of their journey.

    We are also happy to announce that 78 Civilsdaily students (and counting) are now rank holders in UPSC. Our success rate has increased by 77% from last year in terms of rank holders. Civilsdaily is proud to say that 20 of our students are in the top 100 ranks. And this is a phenomenal 25% increase in our success rate for the top 100 positions since last year.

    And finally, we are extremely proud of our mentors whose tireless efforts helped our students become officers today. Their daily guidance, skilled mentorship, round-the-clock support, and dedication to work with the students day-in and day-out has led to this wonderful occasion where we celebrate the success of our students together!

    How is Samanvaya, UPSC Counselling Session Planned?

    At Civilsdaily, your assigned mentors interact with you on a daily basis. They are not just teachers, but coaches, philosophers, and guides. And this is how they will help you succeed:

    • Motivating you for one whole year and pushing you to complete the modules on time.
    • Helping you restart preparation despite low scores in test series.
    • Helping you study for 6 hours everyday if you are working.
    • Guiding you on how to revise the whole syllabus 3 months before prelims and mains.
    • Providing you topic-wise notes.
    • Teaching you elimination techniques, tikdams and helpful strategies like 4-2-4 model of preparation.
    • Keeping you updated on what to study and from where to study.

    1. 30 minute counselling session: Once you fill the form, our senior mentors get on a 30-40 minute call with you to understand your preparation level, study constraints, your strategy for the last 6 months, and create measurable targets for next week, next month and so on. You will hear back from us within 24 hours. The first counselling session is absolutely free for all, however there are limited slots available. So please register now.

    2. Access to our invite-only chat platform, Habitat:  This is where you can post your daily doubts, discuss your test questions and have real-time, live discussions on news and op-eds, and connect with other aspirants in your optional groups.

    3. 1 on 1 mentor allotment: The mentor will be available on scheduled calls with you throughout all the stages of your UPSC preparation and will daily assess, evaluate, and plan the next module according to the available time. We will help you pick the right books, make you practice answers daily, evaluate them and design practical & personal strategies that you can follow everyday

  • 1st December 2021| Daily Answer Writing Enhancement(AWE)

    GS Papers:

    Topics for Today’s questions:

    GS-1    The Freedom Struggle — its various stages and important contributors/contributions from different parts of the country.

    GS-2    Parliament and State legislatures—structure, functioning, conduct of business, powers & privileges and issues arising out of these.

    GS-3    Science and Technology- developments and their applications and effects in everyday life.

    GS-4     Emotional intelligence-concepts, and their utilities and application in administration and governance.

    Questions:

    Question 1)

     

    Q.1 Discuss how the methods adopted by Wellesley aided the expansion of British power in India.(10 Marks)

     

    Question 2)

    Q.2 In the recent past, Parliament has passed quite a few bills whose constitutionality has been challenged by social sections affected by them. What are the implications of such challenges? Suggest the way forward. (10 Marks)

    Question 3)

    Q.3 What are the risks involved in growing investors interests in cryptocurrencies? What are the factors responsible for such a shift? (10 Marks)

    Question 4)  

    Q.4 What do you understand by Social Intelligence? Discuss its relation with the Emotional Intelligence of an individual. (10 Marks)

     

    HOW TO ATTEMPT ANSWERS IN DAILY ANSWER WRITING ENHANCEMENT(AWE)?

    1. Daily 4 questions from General studies 1, 2, 3, and 4 will be provided to you.

    2. A Mentor’s Comment will be available for all answers. This can be used as a guidance tool but we encourage you to write original answers.

    3. You can write your answer on an A4 sheet and scan/click pictures of the same.

    4.  Upload the scanned answer in the comment section of the same question.

    5. Along with the scanned answer, please share your Razor payment ID, so that paid members are given priority.

    6. If you upload the answer on the same day like the answer of 11th  October is uploaded on 11th October then your answer will be checked within 72 hours. Also, reviews will be in the order of submission- First come first serve basis

    7. If you are writing answers late, for example, 11th October is uploaded on 13th October, then these answers will be evaluated as per the mentor’s schedule.

    8. We encourage you to write answers on the same day. However, if you are uploading an answer late then tag the mentor like @Staff so that the mentor is notified about your answer.

    *In case your answer is not reviewed, reply to your answer saying *NOT CHECKED*. 

    For the philosophy of AWE and payment: 

  • Legalising MSP: Why Do We Need? Will All Farmers Get Benefit ? #UPSC | CivilsDaily #IAS #कृषिकानून

    To download the pdf of the lecture click here:https://bit.ly/freelecturepdf

    Explainer-How & When #MPs Are Suspended? #ParliamentaryAffairs | Procedure & Rule CivilsDaily #IAS

    Save your time now and follow our daily Mains+ Prelims specific programme #CDyoutube rituals @IASaspirants.

    The Hindu Newspaper Analysis in Hindi (UPSC/IAS). The Hindu Daily Current Affairs and Newspaper Analysis covering Important articles and editorials mainly for UPSC IAS Exam

  • How to become an IAS Officer in First Attempt After Graduation? || Roadmap to Prepare for UPSC in next 2-3 years ||  Samanvaya 2021: Book Your First  Free Counselling Session with us Now!

    How to become an IAS Officer in First Attempt After Graduation? || Roadmap to Prepare for UPSC in next 2-3 years || Samanvaya 2021: Book Your First Free Counselling Session with us Now!

    Though, you can prepare for UPSC and give your attempts anytime till 32 years, the optimal time to begin your preparation is during the college days. A graduation degree is for 3 years and almost all toppers have prepared for the same amount of time to get the success they now enjoy.

    One of the biggest advantage for a college student is that they can easily switch to study mode as there are no other additional family responsibilities or expectations. Plus, an IAS officer who clears the exam within 23 years is more likely to hold the highest position of cabinet secretary than someone who cleared it in their late twenties. Youthful enthusiasm is the biggest internal motivation that college students possess which can help them in clearing this exhausting exam.

    So, now that you have broken the news to your parents about wanting to write the UPSC-CSE exam, you might be now wondering — what is UPSC-CSE? How to prepare for it? Should I attend a coaching institute? What is the syllabus? How many hours to study… the list is endless and daunting.

    However, you would have missed the obvious question— What kind of questions come in the paper and what kind of answers UPSC expects from an aspirant?

    Is UPSC CSE really about reading Unlimited Sources?

    Some of us will ask advices from all our friends and family on how to prepare for the exam, resulting in confusion in following through the UPSC syllabus. Don’t let these questions play the devil and make you postpone your UPSC preparation by a few more years. Having the right direction and guidance can help you save 2-3 critical attempts in UPSC. Listen to our Civilsdaily student and AIR 132 2020 UPSC topper Lakshay Chaudhary on how he improved his performance after 2 attempts with the guidance of civilsdaily mentors.

    Without much ado, register yourself for our free 1-on-1 counselling session at Civilsdaily known as Samanvaya. Your counsellors are trained mentors who have given the Mains exam six times and have attended UPSC interview multiple times. Experienced mentors like Sajal sir and Ajay sir have nearly mentored 500+ students.

    What are the other mistakes in UPSC preparation first-time aspirants are likely to make?

    About 60% of the UPSC toppers have mostly prepared the wrong way in their first attempt. This could range from books, notes to time and consistency. If you want to start in the right direction, then it’s about time you booked a slot with your Samanvaya mentor.

    First time aspirants often make the mistake of reading many sources for a single subject. If there is a new book in the market, they will not hesitate to buy it. UPSC preparation is not about reading multiple books, but one book multiple times. Few others, answer the essay paper in a very academic and technical manner. Most of the first time aspirants skip studying for the language and CSAT paper. In the first few months of preparation all of us read the entire 24 pages of newspaper and waste 3-4 hours time. Some of us are over-confident of clearing the exam with our own preparation or by our institute’s coaching. We might be making notes but we will not be updating them or revising them. First time aspirants struggle to understand what to skip in a book or what to cover. They take atleast 2-3 months to finish books like Laxmikanth and yet don’t have conceptual clarity.

    You can go through this video over here to get a basic understanding of the UPSC preparation.

    Toppers were once Beginners. And they began with Samanvaya.

    We, at Civilsdaily, are extremely proud to announce the incredible success of our students who have made their dreams come true. Today, we celebrate the hard work, commitment, and dedication with which they prepared for this exam, and succeeded! They are the heroes of today and leaders of tomorrow, and we are extremely glad to have been a part of their journey.

    We are also happy to announce that 78 Civilsdaily students (and counting) are now rank holders in UPSC. Our success rate has increased by 77% from last year in terms of rank holders. Civilsdaily is proud to say that 20 of our students are in the top 100 ranks. And this is a phenomenal 25% increase in our success rate for the top 100 positions since last year.

    And finally, we are extremely proud of our mentors whose tireless efforts helped our students become officers today. Their daily guidance, skilled mentorship, round-the-clock support, and dedication to work with the students day-in and day-out has led to this wonderful occasion where we celebrate the success of our students together!

    How is Samanvaya, UPSC Counselling Session Planned?

    At Civilsdaily, your assigned mentors interact with you on a daily basis. They are not just teachers, but coaches, philosophers, and guides. And this is how they will help you succeed:

    • Motivating you for one whole year and pushing you to complete the modules on time.
    • Helping you restart preparation despite low scores in test series.
    • Helping you study for 6 hours everyday if you are working.
    • Guiding you on how to revise the whole syllabus 3 months before prelims and mains.
    • Providing you topic-wise notes.
    • Teaching you elimination techniques, tikdams and helpful strategies like 4-2-4 model of preparation.
    • Keeping you updated on what to study and from where to study.

    1. 30 minute counselling session: Once you fill the form, our senior mentors get on a 30-40 minute call with you to understand your preparation level, study constraints, your strategy for the last 6 months, and create measurable targets for next week, next month and so on. You will hear back from us within 24 hours. The first counselling session is absolutely free for all, however there are limited slots available. So please register now.

    2. Access to our invite-only chat platform, Habitat:  This is where you can post your daily doubts, discuss your test questions and have real-time, live discussions on news and op-eds, and connect with other aspirants in your optional groups.

    3. 1 on 1 mentor allotment: The mentor will be available on scheduled calls with you throughout all the stages of your UPSC preparation and will daily assess, evaluate, and plan the next module according to the available time. We will help you pick the right books, make you practice answers daily, evaluate them and design practical & personal strategies that you can follow everyday

  • How to become an IAS Officer in First Attempt After Graduation? || Roadmap to Prepare for UPSC in next 2-3 years ||  Samanvaya 2021: Book Your First  Free Counselling Session with us Now!

    How to become an IAS Officer in First Attempt After Graduation? || Roadmap to Prepare for UPSC in next 2-3 years || Samanvaya 2021: Book Your First Free Counselling Session with us Now!

    Though, you can prepare for UPSC and give your attempts anytime till 32 years, the optimal time to begin your preparation is during the college days. A graduation degree is for 3 years and almost all toppers have prepared for the same amount of time to get the success they now enjoy.

    One of the biggest advantage for a college student is that they can easily switch to study mode as there are no other additional family responsibilities or expectations. Plus, an IAS officer who clears the exam within 23 years is more likely to hold the highest position of cabinet secretary than someone who cleared it in their late twenties. Youthful enthusiasm is the biggest internal motivation that college students possess which can help them in clearing this exhausting exam.

    So, now that you have broken the news to your parents about wanting to write the UPSC-CSE exam, you might be now wondering — what is UPSC-CSE? How to prepare for it? Should I attend a coaching institute? What is the syllabus? How many hours to study… the list is endless and daunting.

    However, you would have missed the obvious question— What kind of questions come in the paper and what kind of answers UPSC expects from an aspirant?

    Is UPSC CSE really about reading Unlimited Sources?

    Some of us will ask advices from all our friends and family on how to prepare for the exam, resulting in confusion in following through the UPSC syllabus. Don’t let these questions play the devil and make you postpone your UPSC preparation by a few more years. Having the right direction and guidance can help you save 2-3 critical attempts in UPSC. Listen to our Civilsdaily student and AIR 132 2020 UPSC topper Lakshay Chaudhary on how he improved his performance after 2 attempts with the guidance of civilsdaily mentors.

    Without much ado, register yourself for our free 1-on-1 counselling session at Civilsdaily known as Samanvaya. Your counsellors are trained mentors who have given the Mains exam six times and have attended UPSC interview multiple times. Experienced mentors like Sajal sir and Ajay sir have nearly mentored 500+ students.

    What are the other mistakes in UPSC preparation first-time aspirants are likely to make?

    About 60% of the UPSC toppers have mostly prepared the wrong way in their first attempt. This could range from books, notes to time and consistency. If you want to start in the right direction, then it’s about time you booked a slot with your Samanvaya mentor.

    First time aspirants often make the mistake of reading many sources for a single subject. If there is a new book in the market, they will not hesitate to buy it. UPSC preparation is not about reading multiple books, but one book multiple times. Few others, answer the essay paper in a very academic and technical manner. Most of the first time aspirants skip studying for the language and CSAT paper. In the first few months of preparation all of us read the entire 24 pages of newspaper and waste 3-4 hours time. Some of us are over-confident of clearing the exam with our own preparation or by our institute’s coaching. We might be making notes but we will not be updating them or revising them. First time aspirants struggle to understand what to skip in a book or what to cover. They take atleast 2-3 months to finish books like Laxmikanth and yet don’t have conceptual clarity.

    You can go through this video over here to get a basic understanding of the UPSC preparation.

    Toppers were once Beginners. And they began with Samanvaya.

    We, at Civilsdaily, are extremely proud to announce the incredible success of our students who have made their dreams come true. Today, we celebrate the hard work, commitment, and dedication with which they prepared for this exam, and succeeded! They are the heroes of today and leaders of tomorrow, and we are extremely glad to have been a part of their journey.

    We are also happy to announce that 78 Civilsdaily students (and counting) are now rank holders in UPSC. Our success rate has increased by 77% from last year in terms of rank holders. Civilsdaily is proud to say that 20 of our students are in the top 100 ranks. And this is a phenomenal 25% increase in our success rate for the top 100 positions since last year.

    And finally, we are extremely proud of our mentors whose tireless efforts helped our students become officers today. Their daily guidance, skilled mentorship, round-the-clock support, and dedication to work with the students day-in and day-out has led to this wonderful occasion where we celebrate the success of our students together!

    How is Samanvaya, UPSC Counselling Session Planned?

    At Civilsdaily, your assigned mentors interact with you on a daily basis. They are not just teachers, but coaches, philosophers, and guides. And this is how they will help you succeed:

    • Motivating you for one whole year and pushing you to complete the modules on time.
    • Helping you restart preparation despite low scores in test series.
    • Helping you study for 6 hours everyday if you are working.
    • Guiding you on how to revise the whole syllabus 3 months before prelims and mains.
    • Providing you topic-wise notes.
    • Teaching you elimination techniques, tikdams and helpful strategies like 4-2-4 model of preparation.
    • Keeping you updated on what to study and from where to study.

    1. 30 minute counselling session: Once you fill the form, our senior mentors get on a 30-40 minute call with you to understand your preparation level, study constraints, your strategy for the last 6 months, and create measurable targets for next week, next month and so on. You will hear back from us within 24 hours. The first counselling session is absolutely free for all, however there are limited slots available. So please register now.

    2. Access to our invite-only chat platform, Habitat:  This is where you can post your daily doubts, discuss your test questions and have real-time, live discussions on news and op-eds, and connect with other aspirants in your optional groups.

    3. 1 on 1 mentor allotment: The mentor will be available on scheduled calls with you throughout all the stages of your UPSC preparation and will daily assess, evaluate, and plan the next module according to the available time. We will help you pick the right books, make you practice answers daily, evaluate them and design practical & personal strategies that you can follow everyday

  • 30th November 2021| Daily Answer Writing Enhancement(AWE)

    GS Papers:

    Topics for Today’s questions:

    GS-1    Modern Indian history from about the middle of the eighteenth century until the present – significant events, personalities, issues.

    GS-2    Constitution of India — historical underpinnings, evolution, features, amendments, significant provisions and basic structure.

    GS-3    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.

    GS-4    Aptitude and foundational values for Civil Service, integrity, impartiality and non-partisanship, objectivity, dedication to public service, empathy, tolerance and compassion towards the weaker sections.

    Questions:

    Question 1)

     

    Q.1 The Government of India Act, 1919, not only marked major changes in British India but also equally significant responses from the leadership of the national movement. Examine. (10 Marks)

     

    Question 2)

    Q.2 Explain the salient features of the constitution (One Hundred and Third Amendment) Act, 2019. Do you think reservation can be treated as a poverty alleviation measure? Substantiate your views. (15 Marks)

    Question 3)

    Q.3 How do subsidies affect the cropping pattern, crop diversity and economy of farmers? What is the significance of crop insurance, minimum support price and food processing for small and marginal farmers? (15 Marks)

    Question 4)  

    Q.4 While code of conduct presents a structure to organized values, code of ethics gives a foundation to that structure. Examine. (10 Marks)

     

    HOW TO ATTEMPT ANSWERS IN DAILY ANSWER WRITING ENHANCEMENT(AWE)?

    1. Daily 4 questions from General studies 1, 2, 3, and 4 will be provided to you.

    2. A Mentor’s Comment will be available for all answers. This can be used as a guidance tool but we encourage you to write original answers.

    3. You can write your answer on an A4 sheet and scan/click pictures of the same.

    4.  Upload the scanned answer in the comment section of the same question.

    5. Along with the scanned answer, please share your Razor payment ID, so that paid members are given priority.

    6. If you upload the answer on the same day like the answer of 11th  October is uploaded on 11th October then your answer will be checked within 72 hours. Also, reviews will be in the order of submission- First come first serve basis

    7. If you are writing answers late, for example, 11th October is uploaded on 13th October, then these answers will be evaluated as per the mentor’s schedule.

    8. We encourage you to write answers on the same day. However, if you are uploading an answer late then tag the mentor like @Staff so that the mentor is notified about your answer.

    *In case your answer is not reviewed, reply to your answer saying *NOT CHECKED*. 

    For the philosophy of AWE and payment: 

  • UPSC PRELIMS || How Santosh sir’s mentorship leads to success in Prelims || Student’s Testimonial – Pradyot Sisodia

    Register here for Smash Prelims:- https://bit.ly/3EtmxNo

    Santosh sir’s Super-25 for Prelims-2021 had resounding success and Pradyot is one his proud student.

    Join Smash Prelims-2022 under his mentorship just like Super-25:-
    https://www.civilsdaily.com/course/smash-prelims-2022-by-santosh-sir/

    You can also reach us to know more, call us at:- 8882914738


    A quick bit about Santosh Gupta:-

    Santosh sir has scored above 140 twice in UPSC prelims and 120 plus in all 6 attempts. He has written all 6 mains and has appeared for Interviews 3 times. He has qualified UPSC EPFO and BPSC 56-59th also.

    He is Prelims coordinator at Civilsdaily and also course coordinator for ongoing Smash Prelims program for UPSC Prelims-2022.

    He has been teaching and mentoring UPSC aspirants for the last 5 years with tremendous interest in environment, ecology, and polity.

  • How to become an IAS Officer in First Attempt After Graduation? || Roadmap to Prepare for UPSC in next 2-3 years ||  Samanvaya 2021: Book Your First  Free Counselling Session with us Now!

    How to become an IAS Officer in First Attempt After Graduation? || Roadmap to Prepare for UPSC in next 2-3 years || Samanvaya 2021: Book Your First Free Counselling Session with us Now!

    Though, you can prepare for UPSC and give your attempts anytime till 32 years, the optimal time to begin your preparation is during the college days. A graduation degree is for 3 years and almost all toppers have prepared for the same amount of time to get the success they now enjoy.

    One of the biggest advantage for a college student is that they can easily switch to study mode as there are no other additional family responsibilities or expectations. Plus, an IAS officer who clears the exam within 23 years is more likely to hold the highest position of cabinet secretary than someone who cleared it in their late twenties. Youthful enthusiasm is the biggest internal motivation that college students possess which can help them in clearing this exhausting exam.

    So, now that you have broken the news to your parents about wanting to write the UPSC-CSE exam, you might be now wondering — what is UPSC-CSE? How to prepare for it? Should I attend a coaching institute? What is the syllabus? How many hours to study… the list is endless and daunting.

    However, you would have missed the obvious question— What kind of questions come in the paper and what kind of answers UPSC expects from an aspirant?

    Is UPSC CSE really about reading Unlimited Sources?

    Some of us will ask advices from all our friends and family on how to prepare for the exam, resulting in confusion in following through the UPSC syllabus. Don’t let these questions play the devil and make you postpone your UPSC preparation by a few more years. Having the right direction and guidance can help you save 2-3 critical attempts in UPSC. Listen to our Civilsdaily student and AIR 132 2020 UPSC topper Lakshay Chaudhary on how he improved his performance after 2 attempts with the guidance of civilsdaily mentors.

    Without much ado, register yourself for our free 1-on-1 counselling session at Civilsdaily known as Samanvaya. Your counsellors are trained mentors who have given the Mains exam six times and have attended UPSC interview multiple times. Experienced mentors like Sajal sir and Ajay sir have nearly mentored 500+ students.

    What are the other mistakes in UPSC preparation first-time aspirants are likely to make?

    About 60% of the UPSC toppers have mostly prepared the wrong way in their first attempt. This could range from books, notes to time and consistency. If you want to start in the right direction, then it’s about time you booked a slot with your Samanvaya mentor.

    First time aspirants often make the mistake of reading many sources for a single subject. If there is a new book in the market, they will not hesitate to buy it. UPSC preparation is not about reading multiple books, but one book multiple times. Few others, answer the essay paper in a very academic and technical manner. Most of the first time aspirants skip studying for the language and CSAT paper. In the first few months of preparation all of us read the entire 24 pages of newspaper and waste 3-4 hours time. Some of us are over-confident of clearing the exam with our own preparation or by our institute’s coaching. We might be making notes but we will not be updating them or revising them. First time aspirants struggle to understand what to skip in a book or what to cover. They take atleast 2-3 months to finish books like Laxmikanth and yet don’t have conceptual clarity.

    You can go through this video over here to get a basic understanding of the UPSC preparation.

    Toppers were once Beginners. And they began with Samanvaya.

    We, at Civilsdaily, are extremely proud to announce the incredible success of our students who have made their dreams come true. Today, we celebrate the hard work, commitment, and dedication with which they prepared for this exam, and succeeded! They are the heroes of today and leaders of tomorrow, and we are extremely glad to have been a part of their journey.

    We are also happy to announce that 78 Civilsdaily students (and counting) are now rank holders in UPSC. Our success rate has increased by 77% from last year in terms of rank holders. Civilsdaily is proud to say that 20 of our students are in the top 100 ranks. And this is a phenomenal 25% increase in our success rate for the top 100 positions since last year.

    And finally, we are extremely proud of our mentors whose tireless efforts helped our students become officers today. Their daily guidance, skilled mentorship, round-the-clock support, and dedication to work with the students day-in and day-out has led to this wonderful occasion where we celebrate the success of our students together!

    How is Samanvaya, UPSC Counselling Session Planned?

    At Civilsdaily, your assigned mentors interact with you on a daily basis. They are not just teachers, but coaches, philosophers, and guides. And this is how they will help you succeed:

    • Motivating you for one whole year and pushing you to complete the modules on time.
    • Helping you restart preparation despite low scores in test series.
    • Helping you study for 6 hours everyday if you are working.
    • Guiding you on how to revise the whole syllabus 3 months before prelims and mains.
    • Providing you topic-wise notes.
    • Teaching you elimination techniques, tikdams and helpful strategies like 4-2-4 model of preparation.
    • Keeping you updated on what to study and from where to study.

    1. 30 minute counselling session: Once you fill the form, our senior mentors get on a 30-40 minute call with you to understand your preparation level, study constraints, your strategy for the last 6 months, and create measurable targets for next week, next month and so on. You will hear back from us within 24 hours. The first counselling session is absolutely free for all, however there are limited slots available. So please register now.

    2. Access to our invite-only chat platform, Habitat:  This is where you can post your daily doubts, discuss your test questions and have real-time, live discussions on news and op-eds, and connect with other aspirants in your optional groups.

    3. 1 on 1 mentor allotment: The mentor will be available on scheduled calls with you throughout all the stages of your UPSC preparation and will daily assess, evaluate, and plan the next module according to the available time. We will help you pick the right books, make you practice answers daily, evaluate them and design practical & personal strategies that you can follow everyday

  • [Burning Issue] NANOTECHNOLOGY

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    Introduction

    Nanotechnology is science, engineering, and technology conducted at the nanoscale, which is about 1 to 100 nanometers. Nanoscience and nanotechnology are the study and application of extremely small things and can be used across all the other science fields, such as chemistry, biology, physics, materials science, and engineering.

    Nanotechnology proposes the construction of new nanoscale devices that possess extraordinary properties as they are lighter, smaller and less expensive, and more precise. Materials reduced to the nanoscale can show properties compared to what they exhibit on a macro-scale, enabling unique applications.

    Two main approaches are used in nanotechnology:

    1. Bottom-up approach – materials and devices are built from molecular components that assemble themselves chemically by principles of molecular recognition.
    2. Top-down approach – nano-objects are constructed from larger entities without atomic-level control.

    Why do we need it?

    (1) Health sector

    • Nanomedicine: It has healthcare applications such as treatment and diagnostics of various diseases using nanoparticles in medical devices, as well as nanoelectronic biosensors and molecular nanotechnology.
    • Smart pills: Nano-level electronic devices that are shaped and designed like pharmaceutical pills but perform more advanced functions such as sensing, imaging, and drug delivery.
    • Cancer detection and treatment: Regular chemotherapy and radiation damages body’s healthy cells during the treatment. New nanomedicine approaches are being used in the treatment of skin cancer, which enables efficient delivery of drugs and other therapeutic treatments to specific tumor sites and target cells with low toxic side-effects.
    • Nanobots: Nanobots are micro-scale robots, which essentially serve as miniature surgeons. They can be inserted into the body to repair and replace intracellular structures. They can also replicate themselves to correct a deficiency in genetics or even eradicate diseases by replacing DNA molecules. Nanobots can also be used to clear artery blockages by drilling through them.
    • Nanofibers: Nanofibers are being used in wound dressings and surgical textiles, as well as in implants, tissue engineering, and artificial organ components.
    • Nanotech-based wearables: Such wearables have embedded nanosensors in the cloth that record medical data such as heartbeat, sweat components, and blood pressure. It helps save lives by alerting the wearer and medical professionals of any adverse changes faced by the body

     (2) Food Industry

    • Nanotechnology provides the potential for safe and better quality food and improved texture and taste of the food.
    • A contamination sensor, using a flash of light can reveal the presence of E-coli.
    • Antimicrobial packaging made out of cinnamon or oregano oil or nanoparticles of zinc, calcium, etc., can kill bacteria.
    • The nano-enhanced barrier can keep oxygen-sensitive food fresh.
    • Nano-encapsulating can improve the solubility of vitamins, antioxidants, healthy omega, etc.
    • Nanobarcodes are used to tag individual products and trace outbreaks.

    (3) Electronic components

    Nanotechnology has greatly improved the capacity of electronic components by:

    • Reducing the size of the integrated circuits’ transistors
    • Improving the display screens of the electronic devices
    • Reducing power consumption, weight, and thickness of the electronic devices.

    (4) Energy-efficient

    • This technology can improve the efficiency of the existing solar panels. It can also make the manufacturing process of solar panels cheaper and efficient.
    • It can improve the efficiency of fuel production and consumption of petroleum materials.
    • It is already being made use of in many batteries that are less-flammable, efficient, quicker-charging and are lightweight and higher power density.

    (5) Textile industry

    • Nanotechnology has already made revolutionary changes in the textile industry and is estimated to make a market impact worth hundreds of billions of dollars.
    • Nanoscience has now produced stain and wrinkle resistant cloths and may further improve upon the existing innovations.

    (6) Environment

    • It has the potential to address the current problem of pollution.
    • It can provide for affordable, clean drinking water through swift detection of impurities and purification of water.
    • The nanotechnology can be used to remove industrial water pollutants in the groundwater through chemical reactions at a cheaper rate.
    • Nanotechnology sensors and solutions also have the potential to detect, identify, filter and neutralise harmful chemical or biological agents in the air and soil.

    (7) Transport

    • Nanotechnology contributes to manufacturing lighter, smarter, efficient and greener automobiles, aircraft and ships.
    • It also allows various means to improve transportation infrastructures like providing resilience and longevity of the highway and other infrastructure components.
    • The nanoscale sensors and devices can also provide for cheap and effective structural monitoring of the condition and performance of the bridges, rails, tunnels, etc. They can also enhance transportation infrastructure that makes the drivers avoid collisions and congestions, maintain lane position, etc.

    (8) Space

    • Materials made of carbon nanotubes can reduce the weight of the spaceships while retaining or increasing the structural strength.
    • They can also be used to make cables that are needed for the space elevator. Space elevators can significantly reduce the cost of sending materials to the orbit.
    • The nanosensors can be used to monitor the chemicals in the spacecraft to look into the performance of the life support system.

    (9) Agriculture

    • The nanocapsule can enable effective penetration of herbicides, chemical fertilizers, and genes into the targeted part of the plant. This ensures a slow and constant release of the necessary substance to the plants with minimized environmental pollution.
    • The nanosensors and delivery systems can allow for precision farming through the efficient use of natural resources like water, nutrients, chemicals etc.
    • The nanosensors can also detect the plant viruses and soil nutrient levels.
    • Nano-barcodes and nano-processing could also be used to monitor the quality of agriculture produce.

    Carbon Nanotubes

    • Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are cylindrical molecules that consist of rolled-up sheets of single-layer carbon atoms (graphene).
    • They can be single-walled (SWCNT) (dia<1nm) or multi-walled (MWCNT) (dia>100nm), consisting of several concentrically interlinked nanotubes. Their length can reach several micrometers or even millimeters.
    • Like their building block graphene, CNTs are chemically bonded with sp2 bonds, an extremely strong form of molecular interaction

    Applications:

    • Used in electric wires to reduce losses
    • It can replace silicon made transistors as they are small and emit less heat and it can revolutionise electronics
    • Can be used in solar cell

    Graphene

    • Graphene is a one-atom-thick sheet of carbon atoms arranged in a honeycomb-like pattern. Graphene is considered to be the world’s thinnest, strongest and most conductive material – of both electricity and heat.
    • All of these properties are exciting researchers and businesses around the world – as graphene has the potential to revolutionize entire industries – in the fields of electricity, conductivity, energy generation, batteries, sensors and more.

    Issues in Nanotechnology

    • The nanotechnology may pose a potential risk to the environment, health and other safety issues.
    • Since this field is still at its nascent stage, the likely risks are contentious. As for whether or not this technology requires special government regulation, the issue is still debated.
    • The regulatory authorities like the US Environmental Protection Agency and the Health and Consumer Protection Directorate of the European Commission have started assessing the potential risks posed by the nanoparticles.
    • The organic food sector is the first to be regulated so that the engineered nanoparticles are excluded from the organic produce. It has been implemented in Australia, UK and Canada as well as all the food certified under the Demeter International Standards.
    • Nanotoxicology is the study of potential health risks of nanomaterials.  The human body can easily take up the nanomaterials as they are small in size.
    • However, there is a need for detailed research on how it would behave inside an organism. The behaviour of nanoparticles based on their size, shape and surface reactivity must be thoroughly analysed before launching them into the market.
    • Nanopollution is the generic term that is used to describe the waste generated by the nanodevices or nanomaterials during the manufacturing process.
    • Nanowastes may be of risk due to their size and different properties and interactions. Since the man-made nanoparticles are not naturally made, living organisms may not have the appropriate means to deal with them.
    • The risk of nanotechnology on health, environment, society, economy, security, and trade is not yet fully assessed. This in itself is a threat.

    Government Measures

    • Nanotechnology regulatory board to regulate industrial nano products
    • Nano technology institutes like Indian Institute of Nano sciences at Bangalore,Mumbai,kolkata
    • Nano technology initiatives program by Department of Information technology and for nano electronic products
    • Nano mission:1000 crore allotted for 5 years for development of nano technology
    • Department of Science and Tech-Nanomission (nano-biotechnology activities) through DBT, ICMR, and CoE in Nanoelectronics by MeitY support nanoscience, nanotechnology, nanobiotechnology, and nanoelectronics activities.
    • Eighteen sophisticated analytical instruments facilities (SAIFs) established by DST across India play a major role in the advanced characterization and synthesis of nanomaterials for various applications.
    • The Center of Excellence in Nanoscience and Nanotechnology established by DSTNanomission helps research and PG students in various thrust areas.
    • Thematic Units of Excellence (TUEs) for various areas of nanoscience and nanotechnology play a major role in product-based research to support nanotechnology.
    • Visveswaraya Ph.D. fellowships offered by MeitY supports various nanotechnology activities in the country.
    • INSPIRE scheme supports research fellows to work in interdisciplinary nanotechnology, nanoscience, and nano-biotechnology areas.
    • DST-Nanomission supports more than 20 PG teaching programs to create a baseline for nanoscience and nanotechnology in India, out of about 70 PG programs currently running in India.

     Mission on Nano Science and Technology (Nano Mission)

    • Launched in 2007.
    • It is as an “umbrella capacity-building programme”.
    • The Mission’s programmes will target all scientists, institutions and industry in the country.
    • It will also strengthen activities in nano science and technology by promoting basic research, human resource development, research infrastructure development, international collaborations, among others.
    • It will be anchored in the Department of Science and Technology and steered by a Nano Mission Council chaired by an eminent scientist.

     Outcomes and significance of the mission

    • As a result of the efforts led by the Nano Mission, today, India is amongst the top five nations in the world in terms of scientific publications in nano science and technology (moving from 4th to the 3rd position).
    • The Nano Mission itself has resulted in about 5000 research papers and about 900 Ph.Ds and also some useful products like nano hydrogel based eye drops, pesticide removal technology for drinking water, water filters for arsenic and fluoride removal, nanosilver based antimicrobial textile coating, etc.
    • The Nano Mission has thus helped establish a good eco-system in the country to pursue front-ranking basic research and also to seed and nurture application-oriented R&D, focused on useful technologies and products.

    Conclusion

    Nanotechnology provides a bright future for humankind. However, much is yet to be known about its impacts and risks. The government, before indulging in the promotion and launch of this new technology, must invest more in basic research to understand this field.


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  • Meeting Link Inside|| Register & Join || How to Write, Add, Segregate & Organise Notes for UPSC-CSE?|| Ask me Anything Session with AIR 132, UPSC 2020 Topper Lakshay Chowdhary|| Free for All, Limited Slots|| Invitation by Registration Only

    Meeting Link Inside|| Register & Join || How to Write, Add, Segregate & Organise Notes for UPSC-CSE?|| Ask me Anything Session with AIR 132, UPSC 2020 Topper Lakshay Chowdhary|| Free for All, Limited Slots|| Invitation by Registration Only

    Team is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

    Ask me Anything Session with Lakshay Kumar Chowdhury, AIR 132, UPSC 2020
    Date & Time: Nov 29, 2021 @07:00 PM (start logging in by 06:45 PM) India

    Join Zoom Meeting
    https://zoom.us/j/96841785220pwd=QjFSakt6R1kxNjhJMnlDNkhnN3hXZz09

    Meeting ID: 968 4178 5220
    Passcode: 222007

    “I followed multiple strategies, multiple sources and asked advices from multiple people when I began my preparation in 2016. Yet, I felt a lack of guidance. By 2020, I followed a single strategy, a single source and took guidance from only Civilsdaily. And finally I cleared the exam after 2 attempts. ”

    Lakshay Chowdhary was an ardent follower of Civilsdaily current affairs from 2016. In 2018, he took the help of our Mains Answer Writing program and reached till the level of interview. However, by a few marks his name didn’t feature in the final list. That’s when he decided he will not prepare full-time but will take a job, support his family and prepare for UPSC-CSE once again. He decided to take mentorship for all the 3 stages from Civilsdaily mentors Santosh sir and Pravin sir. That’s when, he achieved the remarkable feat of clearing the exam with a high All India Rank of 132.

    Free Open for All, Q&A Webinar by Lakshay Choudhary

    They say, it’s better to get guidance from those who have failed than those who won. Because, those who have failed will know what mistakes they have made. However, for UPSC we would like to tweak this a little bit.

    “It’s better to get guidance from someone who has given several attempts and then went onto become a UPSC Topper”

    This Ask me Anything session by UPSC Topper Lakshay Choudhary will give all UPSC aspirants clarity on the right process to prepare the exam and the right strategy to excel. Lakshay, an aspirant from commerce background was confused like anyone initially. He chose the wrong optional, he started answer-writing practice after prelims, he was a subject expert but not an overall player, he studied for 12 hours everyday and never took breaks.

    So, what did he do that reduced his stress and prepare with limited sources yet achieve maximum marks? What did he do because of which he left only one question in 2020 Mains exam, while previously he couldn’t answer 2-3 questions from every paper? How did he clear the exam with just 6-8 hours of daily preparation when he couldn’t replicate success with 12 hours daily preparation in 2016? Attend his webinar on Monday to find out.

    Key Takeways of Ask me Anything Session with Lakshay Chowdhary

    1. When to start writing Mains answers. Is it better to practice 2-3 answers everyday even if there is a year more for UPSC exam?

    2. How many times in a month did Lakshay write Essay answers? Why practicing Essay Paper is important even as a beginner?

    3. Preparing for Current Affairs as a working professional. How did Lakshay reduce his newspaper reading time by using the Civilsdaily app?

    Consolidated notes from mentors and developing his own. How did Lakshay manage to create 1-2 pages of notes for the most important topics from every subject which helped him finish an answer within 250 words?

    Preparing without fear-factor. Why is it less stressful to prepare for UPSC as a working professional?

    Prelims, Mains and Optional — all in a day. How did Lakshay divide his daily schedule into three sessions?

    Negotiables vs Non Negotiables. What is required for UPSC exam and what is not?

    Be a practical risk-taker. When is it okay to switch an optional and why should you wait till the next attempt to change your study materials?

    Webinar Details

    Be ready with your list of doubts and get them clarified once and for all on Monday! Register for this free webinar by Lakshay Chowdhary (AIR 132).

    Date: 29 November 2021 (Monday)

    Time: 7 P.M

  • Registrations Closing in 1 Hour||How to Write, Add, Segregate & Organise Notes for UPSC-CSE?|| Ask me Anything Session with AIR 132, UPSC 2020 Topper Lakshay Chowdhary|| Free for All, Limited Slots|| Invitation by Registration Only

    Registrations Closing in 1 Hour||How to Write, Add, Segregate & Organise Notes for UPSC-CSE?|| Ask me Anything Session with AIR 132, UPSC 2020 Topper Lakshay Chowdhary|| Free for All, Limited Slots|| Invitation by Registration Only

    “I followed multiple strategies, multiple sources and asked advices from multiple people when I began my preparation in 2016. Yet, I felt a lack of guidance. By 2020, I followed a single strategy, a single source and took guidance from only Civilsdaily. And finally I cleared the exam after 2 attempts. ”

    Lakshay Chowdhary was an ardent follower of Civilsdaily current affairs from 2016. In 2018, he took the help of our Mains Answer Writing program and reached till the level of interview. However, by a few marks his name didn’t feature in the final list. That’s when he decided he will not prepare full-time but will take a job, support his family and prepare for UPSC-CSE once again. He decided to take mentorship for all the 3 stages from Civilsdaily mentors Santosh sir and Pravin sir. That’s when, he achieved the remarkable feat of clearing the exam with a high All India Rank of 132.

    Free Open for All, Q&A Webinar by Lakshay Choudhary

    They say, it’s better to get guidance from those who have failed than those who won. Because, those who have failed will know what mistakes they have made. However, for UPSC we would like to tweak this a little bit.

    “It’s better to get guidance from someone who has given several attempts and then went onto become a UPSC Topper”

    This Ask me Anything session by UPSC Topper Lakshay Choudhary will give all UPSC aspirants clarity on the right process to prepare the exam and the right strategy to excel. Lakshay, an aspirant from commerce background was confused like anyone initially. He chose the wrong optional, he started answer-writing practice after prelims, he was a subject expert but not an overall player, he studied for 12 hours everyday and never took breaks.

    So, what did he do that reduced his stress and prepare with limited sources yet achieve maximum marks? What did he do because of which he left only one question in 2020 Mains exam, while previously he couldn’t answer 2-3 questions from every paper? How did he clear the exam with just 6-8 hours of daily preparation when he couldn’t replicate success with 12 hours daily preparation in 2016? Attend his webinar on Monday to find out.

    Key Takeways of Ask me Anything Session with Lakshay Chowdhary

    1. When to start writing Mains answers. Is it better to practice 2-3 answers everyday even if there is a year more for UPSC exam?

    2. How many times in a month did Lakshay write Essay answers? Why practicing Essay Paper is important even as a beginner?

    3. Preparing for Current Affairs as a working professional. How did Lakshay reduce his newspaper reading time by using the Civilsdaily app?

    Consolidated notes from mentors and developing his own. How did Lakshay manage to create 1-2 pages of notes for the most important topics from every subject which helped him finish an answer within 250 words?

    Preparing without fear-factor. Why is it less stressful to prepare for UPSC as a working professional?

    Prelims, Mains and Optional — all in a day. How did Lakshay divide his daily schedule into three sessions?

    Negotiables vs Non Negotiables. What is required for UPSC exam and what is not?

    Be a practical risk-taker. When is it okay to switch an optional and why should you wait till the next attempt to change your study materials?

    Webinar Details

    Be ready with your list of doubts and get them clarified once and for all on Monday! Register for this free webinar by Lakshay Chowdhary (AIR 132).

    Date: 29 November 2021 (Monday)

    Time: 7 P.M

  • 29th November 2021| Daily Answer Writing Enhancement(AWE)

    GS Papers:

    Topics for Today’s questions:

    GS-1     Indian culture will cover the salient aspects of art forms, literature and architecture from ancient to modern times

    GS-2    Issues Relating to Development and Management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources.

    GS-3    Indian Economy

    GS-4    Attitude: Content, Structure, Function; its Influence and Relation with Thought and Behaviour; Moral and Political Attitudes; Social Influence and Persuasion.

    Questions:

    Question 1)

     

    Q.1 Elaborate on the evolution of pillar architecture in early history of India and explain how Ashokan pillar architecture was different from Persian pillar architecture. (15 Marks)

     

    Question 2)

    Q.2 How India’s taxation policies have affected the poor? Suggest the way forward. (10 Marks)

    Question 3)

    Q.3 The newly-created National Asset Reconstruction Company (NARCL) in the public sector offers hopes for the faster clean up of lenders’ balance sheets. In light of this, examine the scope of its success and challenges it may face in achieving its objectives. (10 Marks)

    Question 4)  

    Q.4 We are living in an era where success and happiness is measured by how much we accumulate. An attitude of contentment is an antidote to this tendency of consumerism. Do you agree with this idea of contentment? Substantiate your views. (10 Marks)

     

    HOW TO ATTEMPT ANSWERS IN DAILY ANSWER WRITING ENHANCEMENT(AWE)?

    1. Daily 4 questions from General studies 1, 2, 3, and 4 will be provided to you.

    2. A Mentor’s Comment will be available for all answers. This can be used as a guidance tool but we encourage you to write original answers.

    3. You can write your answer on an A4 sheet and scan/click pictures of the same.

    4.  Upload the scanned answer in the comment section of the same question.

    5. Along with the scanned answer, please share your Razor payment ID, so that paid members are given priority.

    6. If you upload the answer on the same day like the answer of 11th  October is uploaded on 11th October then your answer will be checked within 72 hours. Also, reviews will be in the order of submission- First come first serve basis

    7. If you are writing answers late, for example, 11th October is uploaded on 13th October, then these answers will be evaluated as per the mentor’s schedule.

    8. We encourage you to write answers on the same day. However, if you are uploading an answer late then tag the mentor like @Staff so that the mentor is notified about your answer.

    *In case your answer is not reviewed, reply to your answer saying *NOT CHECKED*. 

    For the philosophy of AWE and payment: 

  • Starting Today @ 7PM|| How to Write, Add, Segregate & Organise Notes for UPSC-CSE?|| Ask me Anything Session with AIR 132, UPSC 2020 Topper Lakshay Chowdhary|| Free for All, Limited Slots|| Register Now

    Starting Today @ 7PM|| How to Write, Add, Segregate & Organise Notes for UPSC-CSE?|| Ask me Anything Session with AIR 132, UPSC 2020 Topper Lakshay Chowdhary|| Free for All, Limited Slots|| Register Now

    “I followed multiple strategies, multiple sources and asked advices from multiple people when I began my preparation in 2016. Yet, I felt a lack of guidance. By 2020, I followed a single strategy, a single source and took guidance from only Civilsdaily. And finally I cleared the exam after 2 attempts. ”

    Lakshay Chowdhary was an ardent follower of Civilsdaily current affairs from 2016. In 2018, he took the help of our Mains Answer Writing program and reached till the level of interview. However, by a few marks his name didn’t feature in the final list. That’s when he decided he will not prepare full-time but will take a job, support his family and prepare for UPSC-CSE once again. He decided to take mentorship for all the 3 stages from Civilsdaily mentors Santosh sir and Pravin sir. That’s when, he achieved the remarkable feat of clearing the exam with a high All India Rank of 132.

    Free Open for All, Q&A Webinar by Lakshay Choudhary

    They say, it’s better to get guidance from those who have failed than those who won. Because, those who have failed will know what mistakes they have made. However, for UPSC we would like to tweak this a little bit.

    “It’s better to get guidance from someone who has given several attempts and then went onto become a UPSC Topper”

    This Ask me Anything session by UPSC Topper Lakshay Choudhary will give all UPSC aspirants clarity on the right process to prepare the exam and the right strategy to excel. Lakshay, an aspirant from commerce background was confused like anyone initially. He chose the wrong optional, he started answer-writing practice after prelims, he was a subject expert but not an overall player, he studied for 12 hours everyday and never took breaks.

    So, what did he do that reduced his stress and prepare with limited sources yet achieve maximum marks? What did he do because of which he left only one question in 2020 Mains exam, while previously he couldn’t answer 2-3 questions from every paper? How did he clear the exam with just 6-8 hours of daily preparation when he couldn’t replicate success with 12 hours daily preparation in 2016? Attend his webinar on Monday to find out.

    Key Takeways of Ask me Anything Session with Lakshay Chowdhary

    1. When to start writing Mains answers. Is it better to practice 2-3 answers everyday even if there is a year more for UPSC exam?

    2. How many times in a month did Lakshay write Essay answers? Why practicing Essay Paper is important even as a beginner?

    3. Preparing for Current Affairs as a working professional. How did Lakshay reduce his newspaper reading time by using the Civilsdaily app?

    Consolidated notes from mentors and developing his own. How did Lakshay manage to create 1-2 pages of notes for the most important topics from every subject which helped him finish an answer within 250 words?

    Preparing without fear-factor. Why is it less stressful to prepare for UPSC as a working professional?

    Prelims, Mains and Optional — all in a day. How did Lakshay divide his daily schedule into three sessions?

    Negotiables vs Non Negotiables. What is required for UPSC exam and what is not?

    Be a practical risk-taker. When is it okay to switch an optional and why should you wait till the next attempt to change your study materials?

    Webinar Details

    Be ready with your list of doubts and get them clarified once and for all on Monday! Register for this free webinar by Lakshay Chowdhary (AIR 132).

    Date: 29 November 2021 (Monday)

    Time: 7 P.M

  • How to Write, Add, Segregate & Organise Notes for UPSC-CSE?|| Ask me Anything Session with AIR 132, UPSC 2020 Topper Lakshay Chowdhary|| Free for All, Limited Slots|| Register Now

    How to Write, Add, Segregate & Organise Notes for UPSC-CSE?|| Ask me Anything Session with AIR 132, UPSC 2020 Topper Lakshay Chowdhary|| Free for All, Limited Slots|| Register Now

    “I followed multiple strategies, multiple sources and asked advices from multiple people when I began my preparation in 2016. Yet, I felt a lack of guidance. By 2020, I followed a single strategy, a single source and took guidance from only Civilsdaily. And finally I cleared the exam after 2 attempts. ”

    Lakshay Chowdhary was an ardent follower of Civilsdaily current affairs from 2016. In 2018, he took the help of our Mains Answer Writing program and reached till the level of interview. However, by a few marks his name didn’t feature in the final list. That’s when he decided he will not prepare full-time but will take a job, support his family and prepare for UPSC-CSE once again. He decided to take mentorship for all the 3 stages from Civilsdaily mentors Santosh sir and Pravin sir. That’s when, he achieved the remarkable feat of clearing the exam with a high All India Rank of 132.

    Free Open for All, Q&A Webinar by Lakshay Choudhary

    They say, it’s better to get guidance from those who have failed than those who won. Because, those who have failed will know what mistakes they have made. However, for UPSC we would like to tweak this a little bit.

    “It’s better to get guidance from someone who has given several attempts and then went onto become a UPSC Topper”

    This Ask me Anything session by UPSC Topper Lakshay Choudhary will give all UPSC aspirants clarity on the right process to prepare the exam and the right strategy to excel. Lakshay, an aspirant from commerce background was confused like anyone initially. He chose the wrong optional, he started answer-writing practice after prelims, he was a subject expert but not an overall player, he studied for 12 hours everyday and never took breaks.

    So, what did he do that reduced his stress and prepare with limited sources yet achieve maximum marks? What did he do because of which he left only one question in 2020 Mains exam, while previously he couldn’t answer 2-3 questions from every paper? How did he clear the exam with just 6-8 hours of daily preparation when he couldn’t replicate success with 12 hours daily preparation in 2016? Attend his webinar on Monday to find out.

    Key Takeways of Ask me Anything Session with Lakshay Chowdhary

    1. When to start writing Mains answers. Is it better to practice 2-3 answers everyday even if there is a year more for UPSC exam?

    2. How many times in a month did Lakshay write Essay answers? Why practicing Essay Paper is important even as a beginner?

    3. Preparing for Current Affairs as a working professional. How did Lakshay reduce his newspaper reading time by using the Civilsdaily app?

    Consolidated notes from mentors and developing his own. How did Lakshay manage to create 1-2 pages of notes for the most important topics from every subject which helped him finish an answer within 250 words?

    Preparing without fear-factor. Why is it less stressful to prepare for UPSC as a working professional?

    Prelims, Mains and Optional — all in a day. How did Lakshay divide his daily schedule into three sessions?

    Negotiables vs Non Negotiables. What is required for UPSC exam and what is not?

    Be a practical risk-taker. When is it okay to switch an optional and why should you wait till the next attempt to change your study materials?

    Webinar Details

    Be ready with your list of doubts and get them clarified once and for all on Monday! Register for this free webinar by Lakshay Chowdhary (AIR 132).

    Date: 29 November 2021 (Monday)

    Time: 7 P.M

  • How to Write, Add, Segregate & Organise Notes for UPSC-CSE?|| Ask me Anything Session with AIR 132, UPSC 2020 Topper Lakshay Chowdhary|| Free for All, Limited Slots|| Register Now

    How to Write, Add, Segregate & Organise Notes for UPSC-CSE?|| Ask me Anything Session with AIR 132, UPSC 2020 Topper Lakshay Chowdhary|| Free for All, Limited Slots|| Register Now

    “I followed multiple strategies, multiple sources and asked advices from multiple people when I began my preparation in 2016. Yet, I felt a lack of guidance. By 2020, I followed a single strategy, a single source and took guidance from only Civilsdaily. And finally I cleared the exam after 2 attempts. ”

    Lakshay Chowdhary was an ardent follower of Civilsdaily current affairs from 2016. In 2018, he took the help of our Mains Answer Writing program and reached till the level of interview. However, by a few marks his name didn’t feature in the final list. That’s when he decided he will not prepare full-time but will take a job, support his family and prepare for UPSC-CSE once again. He decided to take mentorship for all the 3 stages from Civilsdaily mentors Santosh sir and Pravin sir. That’s when, he achieved the remarkable feat of clearing the exam with a high All India Rank of 132.

    Free Open for All, Q&A Webinar by Lakshay Choudhary

    They say, it’s better to get guidance from those who have failed than those who won. Because, those who have failed will know what mistakes they have made. However, for UPSC we would like to tweak this a little bit.

    “It’s better to get guidance from someone who has given several attempts and then went onto become a UPSC Topper”

    This Ask me Anything session by UPSC Topper Lakshay Choudhary will give all UPSC aspirants clarity on the right process to prepare the exam and the right strategy to excel. Lakshay, an aspirant from commerce background was confused like anyone initially. He chose the wrong optional, he started answer-writing practice after prelims, he was a subject expert but not an overall player, he studied for 12 hours everyday and never took breaks.

    So, what did he do that reduced his stress and prepare with limited sources yet achieve maximum marks? What did he do because of which he left only one question in 2020 Mains exam, while previously he couldn’t answer 2-3 questions from every paper? How did he clear the exam with just 6-8 hours of daily preparation when he couldn’t replicate success with 12 hours daily preparation in 2016? Attend his webinar on Monday to find out.

    Key Takeways of Ask me Anything Session with Lakshay Chowdhary

    1. When to start writing Mains answers. Is it better to practice 2-3 answers everyday even if there is a year more for UPSC exam?

    2. How many times in a month did Lakshay write Essay answers? Why practicing Essay Paper is important even as a beginner?

    3. Preparing for Current Affairs as a working professional. How did Lakshay reduce his newspaper reading time by using the Civilsdaily app?

    Consolidated notes from mentors and developing his own. How did Lakshay manage to create 1-2 pages of notes for the most important topics from every subject which helped him finish an answer within 250 words?

    Preparing without fear-factor. Why is it less stressful to prepare for UPSC as a working professional?

    Prelims, Mains and Optional — all in a day. How did Lakshay divide his daily schedule into three sessions?

    Negotiables vs Non Negotiables. What is required for UPSC exam and what is not?

    Be a practical risk-taker. When is it okay to switch an optional and why should you wait till the next attempt to change your study materials?

    Webinar Details

    Be ready with your list of doubts and get them clarified once and for all on Monday! Register for this free webinar by Lakshay Chowdhary (AIR 132).

    Date: 29 November 2021 (Monday)

    Time: 7 P.M

  • How to Write, Add, Segregate & Organise Notes for UPSC-CSE?|| Ask me Anything Session with AIR 132, UPSC 2020 Topper Lakshay Chowdhary|| Free for All, Limited Slots|| Register Now

    How to Write, Add, Segregate & Organise Notes for UPSC-CSE?|| Ask me Anything Session with AIR 132, UPSC 2020 Topper Lakshay Chowdhary|| Free for All, Limited Slots|| Register Now

    “I followed multiple strategies, multiple sources and asked advices from multiple people when I began my preparation in 2016. Yet, I felt a lack of guidance. By 2020, I followed a single strategy, a single source and took guidance from only Civilsdaily. And finally I cleared the exam after 2 attempts. ”

    Lakshay Chowdhary was an ardent follower of Civilsdaily current affairs from 2016. In 2018, he took the help of our Mains Answer Writing program and reached till the level of interview. However, by a few marks his name didn’t feature in the final list. That’s when he decided he will not prepare full-time but will take a job, support his family and prepare for UPSC-CSE once again. He decided to take mentorship for all the 3 stages from Civilsdaily mentors Santosh sir and Pravin sir. That’s when, he achieved the remarkable feat of clearing the exam with a high All India Rank of 132.

    Free Open for All, Q&A Webinar by Lakshay Choudhary

    They say, it’s better to get guidance from those who have failed than those who won. Because, those who have failed will know what mistakes they have made. However, for UPSC we would like to tweak this a little bit.

    “It’s better to get guidance from someone who has given several attempts and then went onto become a UPSC Topper”

    This Ask me Anything session by UPSC Topper Lakshay Choudhary will give all UPSC aspirants clarity on the right process to prepare the exam and the right strategy to excel. Lakshay, an aspirant from commerce background was confused like anyone initially. He chose the wrong optional, he started answer-writing practice after prelims, he was a subject expert but not an overall player, he studied for 12 hours everyday and never took breaks.

    So, what did he do that reduced his stress and prepare with limited sources yet achieve maximum marks? What did he do because of which he left only one question in 2020 Mains exam, while previously he couldn’t answer 2-3 questions from every paper? How did he clear the exam with just 6-8 hours of daily preparation when he couldn’t replicate success with 12 hours daily preparation in 2016? Attend his webinar on Monday to find out.

    Key Takeways of Ask me Anything Session with Lakshay Chowdhary

    1. When to start writing Mains answers. Is it better to practice 2-3 answers everyday even if there is a year more for UPSC exam?

    2. How many times in a month did Lakshay write Essay answers? Why practicing Essay Paper is important even as a beginner?

    3. Preparing for Current Affairs as a working professional. How did Lakshay reduce his newspaper reading time by using the Civilsdaily app?

    Consolidated notes from mentors and developing his own. How did Lakshay manage to create 1-2 pages of notes for the most important topics from every subject which helped him finish an answer within 250 words?

    Preparing without fear-factor. Why is it less stressful to prepare for UPSC as a working professional?

    Prelims, Mains and Optional — all in a day. How did Lakshay divide his daily schedule into three sessions?

    Negotiables vs Non Negotiables. What is required for UPSC exam and what is not?

    Be a practical risk-taker. When is it okay to switch an optional and why should you wait till the next attempt to change your study materials?

    Webinar Details

    Be ready with your list of doubts and get them clarified once and for all on Monday! Register for this free webinar by Lakshay Chowdhary (AIR 132).

    Date: 29 November 2021 (Monday)

    Time: 7 P.M

  • How to Write, Add, Segregate & Organise Notes for UPSC-CSE?|| Ask me Anything Session with AIR 132, UPSC 2020 Topper Lakshay Chowdhary|| Free for All, Limited Slots|| Register Now

    How to Write, Add, Segregate & Organise Notes for UPSC-CSE?|| Ask me Anything Session with AIR 132, UPSC 2020 Topper Lakshay Chowdhary|| Free for All, Limited Slots|| Register Now

    “I followed multiple strategies, multiple sources and asked advices from multiple people when I began my preparation in 2016. Yet, I felt a lack of guidance. By 2020, I followed a single strategy, a single source and took guidance from only Civilsdaily. And finally I cleared the exam after 2 attempts. ”

    Lakshay Chowdhary was an ardent follower of Civilsdaily current affairs from 2016. In 2018, he took the help of our Mains Answer Writing program and reached till the level of interview. However, by a few marks his name didn’t feature in the final list. That’s when he decided he will not prepare full-time but will take a job, support his family and prepare for UPSC-CSE once again. He decided to take mentorship for all the 3 stages from Civilsdaily mentors Santosh sir and Pravin sir. That’s when, he achieved the remarkable feat of clearing the exam with a high All India Rank of 132.

    Free Open for All, Q&A Webinar by Lakshay Choudhary

    They say, it’s better to get guidance from those who have failed than those who won. Because, those who have failed will know what mistakes they have made. However, for UPSC we would like to tweak this a little bit.

    “It’s better to get guidance from someone who has given several attempts and then went onto become a UPSC Topper”

    This Ask me Anything session by UPSC Topper Lakshay Choudhary will give all UPSC aspirants clarity on the right process to prepare the exam and the right strategy to excel. Lakshay, an aspirant from commerce background was confused like anyone initially. He chose the wrong optional, he started answer-writing practice after prelims, he was a subject expert but not an overall player, he studied for 12 hours everyday and never took breaks.

    So, what did he do that reduced his stress and prepare with limited sources yet achieve maximum marks? What did he do because of which he left only one question in 2020 Mains exam, while previously he couldn’t answer 2-3 questions from every paper? How did he clear the exam with just 6-8 hours of daily preparation when he couldn’t replicate success with 12 hours daily preparation in 2016? Attend his webinar on Monday to find out.

    Key Takeways of Ask me Anything Session with Lakshay Chowdhary

    1. When to start writing Mains answers. Is it better to practice 2-3 answers everyday even if there is a year more for UPSC exam?

    2. How many times in a month did Lakshay write Essay answers? Why practicing Essay Paper is important even as a beginner?

    3. Preparing for Current Affairs as a working professional. How did Lakshay reduce his newspaper reading time by using the Civilsdaily app?

    Consolidated notes from mentors and developing his own. How did Lakshay manage to create 1-2 pages of notes for the most important topics from every subject which helped him finish an answer within 250 words?

    Preparing without fear-factor. Why is it less stressful to prepare for UPSC as a working professional?

    Prelims, Mains and Optional — all in a day. How did Lakshay divide his daily schedule into three sessions?

    Negotiables vs Non Negotiables. What is required for UPSC exam and what is not?

    Be a practical risk-taker. When is it okay to switch an optional and why should you wait till the next attempt to change your study materials?

    Webinar Details

    Be ready with your list of doubts and get them clarified once and for all on Monday! Register for this free webinar by Lakshay Chowdhary (AIR 132).

    Date: 29 November 2021 (Monday)

    Time: 7 P.M

  • [Burning Issue] Non-Aligned Movement

    UPSC 2022 countdown has begun! Get your personal guidance plan now! (Click here)

    This month has the birth anniversary of Jawaharlal Nehru and the 60th anniversary of the Non-Aligned Movement. The concept of a country’s policy not aligning with others can be traced to Congress of Vienna (1814–15) when Switzerland’s neutrality, by which that country would stay away from the conflicts of others, was recognized.

    Not attending that last few summits, had signaled India’s sudden departure away from NAM and having adopted the policy of multi-alignment. This has raised eyebrows of those who still believe in the true spirit of Non-Alignment of which India has been the champion for a long time.

    What is NAM?

    • Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) is a forum of 120 developing world states that are not formally aligned with or against any major power bloc.
      • After the United Nations, it is the largest grouping of states worldwide.
    • Drawing on the principles agreed at the Bandung Conference in 1955, the NAM was established in 1961 in Belgrade, SR Serbia, and Yugoslavia.
    • It was an initiative of then PM Jawaharlal Nehru, Ghanaian President Kwame Nkrumah, Indonesian President Sukarno, Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser and Yugoslav President Josip Broz Tito.
    • The countries of the NAM represent nearly two-thirds of the United Nations’ members and contain 55% of the world population.

    Membership of NAM

    • Diverse members: Membership is particularly concentrated in countries considered to be developing or part of the Third World, though the NAM also has a number of developed nations.

    The reason behind NAM creation

    • Balancing the US and USSR: Non-alignment, a policy fashioned for the Cold War, aimed to retain the autonomy of policy (not equidistance) between two politico-military blocs i.e. the US and the Soviet Union.
      • The NAM provided a platform for newly independent developing nations to join together to protect this autonomy.

    Relevance TODAY

    • Changing with emerging scenarios: Since the end of the Cold War, the NAM has been forced to redefine itself and reinvent its purpose in the current world system.
    • Focus towards development: It has focused on developing multilateral ties and connections as well as unity among the developing nations of the world, especially those within the Global South.

    Fading significance of the NAM

    • Loosing relevance: The policy of non-alignment lost its relevance after the disintegration of the Soviet Union and the emergence of unipolar world order under the leadership of the US since 1991.
    • De-colonization was largely complete by then, the apartheid regime in South Africa was being dismantled and the campaign for universal nuclear disarmament was going nowhere.
    • Freed from the shackles of the Cold War, the NAM countries were able to diversify their network of relationships across the erstwhile east-west divide.

    India and the NAM

    • Important role played by India: India played an important role in the multilateral movements of colonies and newly independent countries that wanted into the NAM.
      • India’s policy was neither negative nor positive.
    • India as a leader: Country´s place in national diplomacy, its significant size and its economic miracle turned India into one of the leaders of the NAM and upholder of the Third World solidarity.
    • The principle of ‘acting and making its own choices’ also reflected India’s goal to remain independent in foreign policy choices, although posing dilemmas and challenges between national interests on international arena and poverty alleviation.
    • Preserving the state’s security required alternative measures: Namely, the economic situation with the aim to raise the population’s living standards challenged the country’s defense capacity and vice versa.
    • Fewer choices: Wars with China and Pakistan had led India to an economically difficult situation and brought along food crisis in the mid-1960s, which made the country dependent on US food.
      • India’s position was further complicated due to agreements with the Soviet Union about military equipment.
      • This placed India again in a situation where on one hand the country had to remain consistent on the principles of NAM while on the other hand to act in a context with fewer choices.

    What is meant by Strategic Autonomy?

    • Strategic autonomy for India denotes its’ ability to pursue its national interests and adopt its preferred foreign policy without being constrained in any manner by other states.
    • In its pure form, strategic autonomy presupposes the state in question possessing overwhelmingly superior power.
    • This is what would enable that state to resist the pressures that may be exerted by other states to compel it to change its policy or moderate its interests.
    • Today’s ideation of ‘strategic autonomy’ is much different from the Nehruvian era thinking of ‘non-alignment’.
    • Strategic autonomy is today a term New Delhi’s power corridors are well-acquainted with. It is an issue & situation-based, and not ideological.

    Beyond Power-Politics nexus

    • Strategic autonomy for India is both about power-politics and responsibilities.
    • India’s quest for strategic autonomy is more about justice in terms of creating the international system where all states’ voices will be heard and decisions are made on value-based consensus.
    • Such an idea is often misunderstood and confused with ‘opposing some states and allying the others.’

    What dictates India’s alignment now?

    India acknowledged the importance of economic growth as a factor in domestic poverty alleviation and for the realization of national interests in the international arena.

    (1) National security

    • China’s rise and assertiveness as a regional and global power and the simultaneous rise of middle powers in the region mean that this balancing act is increasing in both complexity and importance, simultaneously.
    • China’s growth presents great opportunities for positive engagement, but territorial disputes and a forward policy in the region raise concerns for New Delhi, particularly in the Indian Ocean and with Pakistan.

    (2) Global decision-making

    • Another distinctive feature of India’s foreign policy has been the aim to adjust international institutions consistent with changes in international system.
    • The support for strengthening and reforming the UN as a multilateral forum, restructuring the international economic system and preserving independence in its decision-making has become an integral part of India’s foreign policy.

    (3) Prosperity and influence

    • India’s 21st century’s strategic partnerships with two of the biggest economies, the USA and EU rely heavily on trade and technology cooperation.
    • In addition, the partnership with the USA has touched the boundaries of strategic issues like cooperation on counter-terrorism, defence trade, joint military exercises, civil nuclear cooperation and energy dialogue.

    (4) Multi-polarism

    • Another means to execute India’s foreign policy strategy of autonomy has been forming extensive partnerships with other emerging powers.
    • India has been an active G4 country speaking for the reform of the UN Security Council and having been elected seven times as a non-permanent member.
    • As a result, there is an overlap of countries in different platforms, as can be seen in cases of India’s partnership with BRICS, SAARC, etc.
    • The purpose of India is to increase the participation and share of developing countries in global policy-making.

    Benefits out of strategic alignment

    • India needs investments, technology, a manufacturing ecosystem to employ millions of its young population and improve its living standards.
    • It requires advanced weapons and technologies for its military. India is ambitious and wants to be a great power and the US and the Western world recognise this and are willing to partner India.
    • US along with France, are India’s principal backers in the UN Security Council and also support its membership in it.
    • The Quad of India, US, Japan and Australia is also slowly institutionalizing the multilateral partnership that is committed to an open, secure, inclusive and prosperous Indo-Pacific region.

    China’s “not-peaceful rise”

    • India is a long term rival for China, which does not want India’s rise. It wants to keep India boxed into South Asia, and tries to keep it off balance using Pakistan which it arms and supports.
    • It has made inroads into the region using the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). It continues to block India’s membership in the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) and continues to needle in the UNSC over Kashmir.
    • We all know the recent heat up after Ladakh standoff. It occupies parts of Indian Territory and also claims the entire state of Arunachal.

    Hence, the Non-alignment is difficult because,

    • We have to safeguard ourselves from a power which has trampled upon all her neighbours most blatantly and the whole world has seen and withstood them with deafening silence.
    • China has kept our territory since 1962 violating all international norms and we could do nothing with this diplomatic tool called Non- Alignment.
    • Any policy formulation has to serve the national interest.
    • The US prefers its partners to pay for and manage their own security, but collaborate in all possible ways — weapons sale, sharing civil and military arsenals, diplomatic support, intelligence sharing etc.
    • It will be pragmatic to take advantage of the great power rivalry by suitably aligning with a power that India can derive maximum benefit from.

    But Wait, NAM still matters!

    (1) Global perception of India

    • India’s image abroad has suffered as a result of allegations that creep into our secular polity and a need arises to actively network and break out of isolation.
    • India’s partnership with America faces an uncertain future in the post-pandemic period ahead of the regime change under Joe Biden.
    • Indeed, India is overtly keen to upgrade a quadrilateral alliance with the US, Japan and Australia — but there too, we’re all dressed up and nowhere to go. There is no concrete commitment yet.
    • We can sense the growing proximity between the NAM member countries and China.
    • As it is, one-half of NAM comprises members of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference, which remains highly critical of the plight of Indian Muslims.

    (2) For the Impulsive U.S.

    • For India complete dependence on the U.S. to counter China would be an error.
    • As the U.S. confronts the challenge to its dominance from China, the classical balance of power considerations would dictate accommodation with Russia.
    • A strong stake in India’s relations with the US could reinforce Russia’s affinity for China.
    • Russia, these days looks less pragmatic to see Indian ties with its rivals as a joint venture, not an alliance in which they could pursue shared objectives to mutual benefit.

    Importance of NAM: As a power booster for multilateralism

    The NAM  can never lose its relevance because-

    • Cold War has revitalized with time: Critics of NAM who term it as an outcome of the Cold War must also acknowledge that a new Cold War is beginning to unfold, this time between the US and China, which if reflected in Trade War, Protectionism, Indo-Pacific narrative, etc.
    • NAM provides a much bigger platform:  NAM becomes relevant to mobilize international public opinion against terrorism, weapons of mass destruction (WMDs), nuclear proliferation, ecological imbalance, safeguarding interests of developing countries in WTO (World Trade Organization) etc.
    • NAM as a tool for autonomy: NAM’s total strength comprises 120 developing countries and most of them are members of the UN General Assembly. Thus, NAM members act as an important group in support of India’s candidature as a permanent member in UNSC.
    • A podium for India’s leadership: India is widely perceived as a leader of the developing world. Thus, India’s engagement with NAM will further help in the rise of India’s stature as the voice of the developing world or global south.
    • NAM for multilateralism:  Though globalization is facing an existential crisis, it is not possible to return to isolation. In the world of complex interdependence, countries are linked to each other one way or another. With rising threats such as climate change, terrorism, and receding multilateralism, the global south and NAM countries find themselves in a precarious condition.
    • NAM as a source for soft power: India can use its historic ties to bring together the NAM countries. India’s strength lies in soft power rather than hard power. Therefore, NAM cannot be based on the current political structure where military and economic power is often used to coerce countries.
    • NAM as a tool for institutional reforms: Global institutions such as WTO and the UN are facing an existential crisis because only a few nations dictate their functions. India can use the NAM platform to push for reforms in these institutions for a more equal and democratic world order.

    Way Forward

    In the post-COVID-19 world, India will have to make a disruptive choice — of alignment.

    • In the threat environment marked by a pushy China, India should aim to have both- American support and stay as an independent power centre by cooperation with middle powers in Asia and around the world.
    • Complete dependence would be detrimental to India’s national interest such as its ties with Iran and Russia and efforts to speed up indigenous defence modernization.
    • Rather than proclaiming non-alignment as an end in itself, India needs deeper engagement with its friends and partners if it is to develop leverage in its dealings with its adversaries and competitors.
    • A wide and diverse range of strategic partners, including the U.S. as a major partner is the only viable diplomatic way forward in the current emerging multipolar world order.

    Conclusion

    Though sections of the Indian establishment still want to reinvent non-alignment under ever new guises, India is showing signs of pursuing strategic autonomy separately from non-alignment.

    • India continues to practice a policy of non-alignment in an attempt to maintain sovereignty and oppose imperialism.
    • Indo-US ties are complementary, and a formal alliance will only help realize the full potential of these relations.
    • India, thus, emphasizes the relations with the region and emerging powers not only in terms of economic development but also as actors with similar understandings and expectations of the world system.
    • In some way, the relations can be described as expectations without expectations. States interact with each other in expectations to change the international system, but without expectations to ‘ally or oppose.’
    • India believes in making value-based decisions and maintains its coherent foreign policy. As it is familiar with the phrase ‘multi-vector’ foreign policy, it is high time to maximise its potential.

    UPSC 2022 countdown has begun! Get your personal guidance plan now! (Click here)

  • How to Write, Add, Segregate & Organise Notes for UPSC-CSE?|| Ask me Anything Session with AIR 132, UPSC 2020 Topper Lakshay Chowdhary|| Free for All, Limited Slots|| Register Now

    How to Write, Add, Segregate & Organise Notes for UPSC-CSE?|| Ask me Anything Session with AIR 132, UPSC 2020 Topper Lakshay Chowdhary|| Free for All, Limited Slots|| Register Now

    “I followed multiple strategies, multiple sources and asked advices from multiple people when I began my preparation in 2016. Yet, I felt a lack of guidance. By 2020, I followed a single strategy, a single source and took guidance from only Civilsdaily. And finally I cleared the exam after 2 attempts. ”

    Lakshay Chowdhary was an ardent follower of Civilsdaily current affairs from 2016. In 2018, he took the help of our Mains Answer Writing program and reached till the level of interview. However, by a few marks his name didn’t feature in the final list. That’s when he decided he will not prepare full-time but will take a job, support his family and prepare for UPSC-CSE once again. He decided to take mentorship for all the 3 stages from Civilsdaily mentors Sathish sir and Pravin sir. That’s when, he achieved the remarkable feat of clearing the exam with a high All India Rank of 132.

    Free Open for All, Q&A Webinar by Lakshay Choudhary

    They say, it’s better to get guidance from those who have failed than those who won. Because, those who have failed will know what mistakes they have made. However, for UPSC we would like to tweak this a little bit.

    “It’s better to get guidance from someone who has given several attempts and then went onto become a UPSC Topper”

    This Ask me Anything session by UPSC Topper Lakshay Choudhary will give all UPSC aspirants clarity on the right process to prepare the exam and the right strategy to excel. Lakshay, an aspirant from commerce background was confused like anyone initially. He chose the wrong optional, he started answer-writing practice after prelims, he was a subject expert but not an overall player, he studied for 12 hours everyday and never took breaks.

    So, what did he do that reduced his stress and prepare with limited sources yet achieve maximum marks? What did he do because of which he left only one question in 2020 Mains exam, while previously he couldn’t answer 2-3 questions from every paper? How did he clear the exam with just 6-8 hours of daily preparation when he couldn’t replicate success with 12 hours daily preparation in 2016? Attend his webinar on Monday to find out.

    Key Takeways of Ask me Anything Session with Lakshay Chowdhary

    1. When to start writing Mains answers. Is it better to practice 2-3 answers everyday even if there is a year more for UPSC exam?

    2. How many times in a month did Lakshay write Essay answers? Why practicing Essay Paper is important even as a beginner?

    3. Preparing for Current Affairs as a working professional. How did Lakshay reduce his newspaper reading time by using the Civilsdaily app?

    Consolidated notes from mentors and developing his own. How did Lakshay manage to create 1-2 pages of notes for the most important topics from every subject which helped him finish an answer within 250 words?

    Preparing without fear-factor. Why is it less stressful to prepare for UPSC as a working professional?

    Prelims, Mains and Optional — all in a day. How did Lakshay divide his daily schedule into three sessions?

    Negotiables vs Non Negotiables. What is required for UPSC exam and what is not?

    Be a practical risk-taker. When is it okay to switch an optional and why should you wait till the next attempt to change your study materials?

    Webinar Details

    Be ready with your list of doubts and get them clarified once and for all on Monday! Register for this free webinar by Lakshay Chowdhary (AIR 132).

    Date: 29 November 2021 (Monday)

    Time: 7 P.M

  • How to clear UPSC CSE 2022 after doubtful 2021 performance?| Fill Samanvaya for free 1-1 mentorship

    Half-way through your preparation for UPSC-CSE 2022 and feel stressed? After attending UPSC CSE 2021, do you feel the exam is highly unpredictable ? Of course, not! If you want to know what UPSC expects from its candidates every year, then continue reading. 

    In 2020 alone, Civilsdaily helped 80+ students secure ranks in the exam. Over 25 Civilsdaily students secured ranks in the top 100. Many of these aspirants were also struggling to clear the exam in one attempt. With our guidance, they became more confident and focused to see their LSBNAA dream come true.

    Listen to all their stories and strategies on our toppers talk series, Unherd.

    Do you want to know how we planned their daily timetable till the interview stage? Fill up our mentorship form now to get a detailed 1-on-1 counselling session within the next 24 hours! We combine your hard-work with our guidance to derive the right formula for success!

    Dear Students,

    Many say that the Prelims 2021 paper was harder than Prelims 2020, a close analysis however reveals that there are more similarities than differences. Though one did not expect questions from sports this year, we all can agree that both the papers tested the application of current affairs knowledge to all the subjects.

    Trends from the last five years tell us that UPSC is keener on testing conceptual clarity of topics from the syllabus. So, it’s no longer about reading GS, Optionals and Current Affairs in isolation. If you are reading a plethora of books or watching random videos, it’s time to reconsider your way of preparation. 

    Avoid Common Preparation Mistakes Early On

    Unlike other exams, UPSC decides your fate based on what you have studied for the last 12-15 months over 1 month before the exam. Hence, rectifying preparation mistakes at the eleventh hour will not help you.

    AIR 148 UPSC 2020 topper and our Civilsdaily student Ponmani explains why answer writing with mentorship for Mains is necessary.

    Last month we mentored around 3500 IAS aspirants, some of whom were beginners and others who had an experience of few attempts.

    We resolved common doubts related to right sources for various topics, answer writing for mains and how to crack the personality round. We found out that almost all of these aspirants struggled in one area or the other.

    If someone was excellent in scoring at prelims test series, they were not confident about mains. If someone was good at history, they were not sure about science and technology. If someone had time to revise their GS portions, they did not have time for Optionals.

    But is it wise to neglect your weak areas? Toppers manage to maintain slightly above average scores in all the subjects. 

    How Do Our Mentors Guide You

    This is where you require a mentor. A mentor helps you understand where your preparation stands as of now and what more needs to be done to fulfill the expectations of UPSC. A mentor will help you maintain your focus even when the pressure is high, instead of succumbing to it.

    This is how Civilsdaily mentorship helped Pranav Vijayvergiya clear the exam after 2 failed prelims attempts.

    https://youtu.be/DSwO38weHAA

    Samanvaya is a mentoring program with 3 phases

    Watch what our Civilsdaily student and UPSC 2020 topper (AIR 42) Shreya feels about our mentoring program.

    1. 30 minute counselling session: Once you fill the form, our senior mentors get on a 30-40 minute call with you to understand your preparation level, study constraints, your strategy for the last 6 months, and create measurable targets for next week, next month and so on.

    2. Access to our invite-only chat platform, Habitat:  This is where you can post your daily doubts, discuss your test questions and have real-time, live discussions on news and op-eds, and connect with other aspirants in your optional groups.

    .3. 1 on 1 mentor allotment: The mentor will be available on scheduled calls with you throughout all the stages of your UPSC preparation and will daily assess, evaluate, and plan the next module according to the available time.

    Who are you?

    Working Professional? Working and studying for UPSC though is not impossible, it certainly gets hectic. Your mentors will go through the entire syllabus of UPSC with you and plan a workable timetable. 

    Full time preparation? If you are allocating a year to prepare for IAS 2022, we will help you pick the right books and design practical & personal strategies that you can follow everyday

    Once you have filled the form, we will call you within 24 hours.