“Prelims, Mains and Interview are 3 stages of pilgrimages and I found all of them equally challenging”, says Vaibhav Rawat IAS after securing All India Rank 25 in UPSC 2020 Exam.
He started his preparation in 2018 without any idea of what was civil services or the challenging syllabus of UPSC. Fresh out of his job in Samsung R&D, Vaibhav initially faced umpteen difficulties in understanding or remembering what he had read. However, with daily studies there was an improvement and he was slowly able to master the topics. In his first attempt, Vaibhav reached till interview stage but missed out on the final ranking by a whisker. After this, he took the mentorship of Sajal Sir to score high marks in Mains and Interview. Vaibhav proves the saying that, successful people are not gifted but they work hard.
Upon finding his name in the final pdf, Vaibhav asserts that his parents are more happier than him. For Vaibhav, there is only relief as he doesn’t have to start the exhausting cycle of UPSC preparation all over again.
Open to All, Free to Attend—Ask me Anything Session with Vaibhav Rawat IAS
Vaibhav Rawat is geared up for an Ask me Anything Session with all Civilsdaily UPSC aspirants. For anyone wanting tips on certain topics, preparing for UPSC Mains in the last 3 months or suggestions on improving their marks, this session will be useful. Your questions will be Vaibhav’s answers which are drawn from his own experiences. Just register yourself with us as soon as possible to confirm your presence.
Key Takeaways of Vaibhav Rawat’s Webinar
1. Importance of having a role model. Who was Vaibhav Rawat’s idol and how did that help him stay calm and focused towards his goals?
2. Unpredictability of UPSC .What to study when you are not sure of the type of questions which would come in the exam?
3. The art of answer writing in Mains. What are few of the common practices Vaibhav followed in the Mains exam?
4.Memory techniques followed by Vaibhav Rawat. What did he do to recall important dates, names, statistics, conventions for the exam?
5. First Attempt v/s Second Attempt. How did Vaibhav approach prelims, mains and interview preparation?
6. Tips for beginners. Why is it better to work for a year or two before preparing for UPSC?
A major part of the session would be interactive and in Q&A format. This will surely benefit any aspirant who are in midway of their preparation.
Webinar Details
If you are studying hard but are unsure that you are studying right, then its time to get some assurance from the topper himself! Register for thisfree webinarby IAS officer Vaibhav Rawat.
“Prelims, Mains and Interview are 3 stages of pilgrimages and I found all of them equally challenging”, says Vaibhav Rawat IAS after securing All India Rank 25 in UPSC 2020 Exam.
He started his preparation in 2018 without any idea of what was civil services or the challenging syllabus of UPSC. Fresh out of his job in Samsung R&D, Vaibhav initially faced umpteen difficulties in understanding or remembering what he had read. However, with daily studies there was an improvement and he was slowly able to master the topics. In his first attempt, Vaibhav reached till interview stage but missed out on the final ranking by a whisker. After this, he took the mentorship of Sajal Sir to score high marks in Mains and Interview. Vaibhav proves the saying that, successful people are not gifted but they work hard.
Upon finding his name in the final pdf, Vaibhav asserts that his parents are more happier than him. For Vaibhav, there is only relief as he doesn’t have to start the exhausting cycle of UPSC preparation all over again.
Open to All, Free to Attend—Ask me Anything Session with Vaibhav Rawat IAS
Vaibhav Rawat is geared up for an Ask me Anything Session with all Civilsdaily UPSC aspirants. For anyone wanting tips on certain topics, preparing for UPSC Mains in the last 3 months or suggestions on improving their marks, this session will be useful. Your questions will be Vaibhav’s answers which are drawn from his own experiences. Just register yourself with us as soon as possible to confirm your presence.
Key Takeaways of Vaibhav Rawat’s Webinar
1. Importance of having a role model. Who was Vaibhav Rawat’s idol and how did that help him stay calm and focused towards his goals?
2. Unpredictability of UPSC .What to study when you are not sure of the type of questions which would come in the exam?
3. The art of answer writing in Mains. What are few of the common practices Vaibhav followed in the Mains exam?
4.Memory techniques followed by Vaibhav Rawat. What did he do to recall important dates, names, statistics, conventions for the exam?
5. First Attempt v/s Second Attempt. How did Vaibhav approach prelims, mains and interview preparation?
6. Tips for beginners. Why is it better to work for a year or two before preparing for UPSC?
A major part of the session would be interactive and in Q&A format. This will surely benefit any aspirant who are in midway of their preparation.
Webinar Details
If you are studying hard but are unsure that you are studying right, then its time to get some assurance from the topper himself! Register for thisfree webinarby IAS officer Vaibhav Rawat.
“Prelims, Mains and Interview are 3 stages of pilgrimages and I found all of them equally challenging”, says Vaibhav Rawat IAS after securing All India Rank 25 in UPSC 2020 Exam.
He started his preparation in 2018 without any idea of what was civil services or the challenging syllabus of UPSC. Fresh out of his job in Samsung R&D, Vaibhav initially faced umpteen difficulties in understanding or remembering what he had read. However, with daily studies there was an improvement and he was slowly able to master the topics. In his first attempt, Vaibhav reached till interview stage but missed out on the final ranking by a whisker. After this, he took the mentorship of Sajal Sir to score high marks in Mains and Interview. Vaibhav proves the saying that, successful people are not gifted but they work hard.
Upon finding his name in the final pdf, Vaibhav asserts that his parents are more happier than him. For Vaibhav, there is only relief as he doesn’t have to start the exhausting cycle of UPSC preparation all over again.
Open to All, Free to Attend—Ask me Anything Session with Vaibhav Rawat IAS
Vaibhav Rawat is geared up for an Ask me Anything Session with all Civilsdaily UPSC aspirants. For anyone wanting tips on certain topics, preparing for UPSC Mains in the last 3 months or suggestions on improving their marks, this session will be useful. Your questions will be Vaibhav’s answers which are drawn from his own experiences. Just register yourself with us as soon as possible to confirm your presence.
Key Takeaways of Vaibhav Rawat’s Webinar
1. Importance of having a role model. Who was Vaibhav Rawat’s idol and how did that help him stay calm and focused towards his goals?
2. Unpredictability of UPSC .What to study when you are not sure of the type of questions which would come in the exam?
3. The art of answer writing in Mains. What are few of the common practices Vaibhav followed in the Mains exam?
4.Memory techniques followed by Vaibhav Rawat. What did he do to recall important dates, names, statistics, conventions for the exam?
5. First Attempt v/s Second Attempt. How did Vaibhav approach prelims, mains and interview preparation?
6. Tips for beginners. Why is it better to work for a year or two before preparing for UPSC?
A major part of the session would be interactive and in Q&A format. This will surely benefit any aspirant who are in midway of their preparation.
Webinar Details
If you are studying hard but are unsure that you are studying right, then its time to get some assurance from the topper himself! Register for thisfree webinarby IAS officer Vaibhav Rawat.
Recently, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that the central government will repeal all three farm laws. Farmers have been protesting against the farm laws and demanding their rollback since 2020.
The Modi government has been confrontational with farmers’ organizations, giving so far an impression that it would not repeal the laws as the protesting farmers didn’t represent the “real” farmers. These laws will be repealed in the Winter Session of Parliament.
Let us look at the topic in detail and try to understand the factors behind the policy retreat of the government.
Background
Long pending reforms: Government wanted to convert the COVID-19 crisis into a reform opportunity by undertaking long pending reforms in agriculture marketing.
Out of 11 measures, 3 measures seek to liberalize agricultural marketing and hence hailed as 1991 moment for agriculture.
The 3 farms acts ware:
Act to promote Inter-state and Intra-State Trading
Act to promote Contract farming
Amendments to Essential Commodities Act
However, these 3 farm Acts have been opposed by various stakeholders- Farmers, Traders and State Governments on account of various reasons:
Discontinuation of MSP via open-ended procurement
Gradual dismantling of the Public Distribution System (PDS),
Loss of price discovery mechanism established by the APMC mandis
Exploitation by the corporates,
Fear of a reduction in the scope and size of PDS
In what circumstances were the laws passed?
Ordinance route: The government initially cleared them as ordinances in June 2020, there were token protests with the country’s attention gripped by the first wave of Covid-19.
Without consultation and haste: In Parliament, there was no thorough scrutiny of the Bills by a parliamentary panel. The government dismissed these demands and pushed the legislation through.
Opposition disregard: The Opposition benches were suspended for a week for their “disorderly conduct” while protesting against the rushed passage of the laws.
The Three Contentious Laws: A quick recap
(1) Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020:
It expands the scope of trade areas of farmers produce from select areas to “any place of production, collection, and aggregation”. It allows electronic trading and e-commerce of scheduled farmers’ produce.
It prohibits state governments from levying any market fee, cess or levy on farmers, traders, and electronic trading platforms for trade of farmers’ produce conducted in an ‘outside trade area’.
(2) Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020:
It creates a national framework for contract farming through an agreement between a farmer and a buyer before the production or rearing of any farm produce.
It provides farmers engaging with Agri-business firms, processors, wholesalers, exporters or large retailers for farm services and sale of future farming produce by a mutually agreed price framework.
(3) Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act 2020:
It allows for the center to regulate food items through essential commodities.
It also requires that imposition of any stock limit on agricultural produce be based on price rise.
Why are farmers fuming over these laws?
These bills sought to bring much-needed reforms to the agricultural marketing system. However, farmers are apprehensive that the free market philosophy supported by these bills could undermine the MSP system and make farmers vulnerable to market forces.
Let us look at all their concerns one by one:
(1) Fear against the end of Mandi System
The APMC regulates the mandi (marketplace) where farmers bring their produce, and therefore, guarantees that they receive the MSP.
Since the state governments will not be able to regulate the trade outside the APMC markets, farmers believe the laws will gradually end the mandi system and leave farmers at the mercy of corporates.
(2) Fear over MSPs and procurement guarantee
Farmers believe that dismantling the mandi system will bring an end to the assured procurement of their crops at MSP.
Similarly, farmers believe the price assurance legislation may offer protection to farmers against price exploitation, but will not prescribe the mechanism for price fixation.
They are demanding the government guarantee MSP in writing, or else the free hand given to private corporate houses will lead to their exploitation.
(3) Fear of Arhatiyas
The arhatiyas (commission agents) and farmers enjoy a friendship and bonding that goes back decades.
On an average, at least 50-100 farmers are attached with each arhatiyas, who takes care of farmers’ financial loans and ensures timely procurement and adequate prices for their crop.
Farmers believe the new laws will end their relationship with these agents and corporates will not be as sympathetic towards them in times of need.
(4) Fear over the end of subsidized electricity
Farmers concerns are also fuelled by the proposed Electricity (Amendment) Bill 2020 which might end their access to subsidized electricity.
The bill seeks to create an Electricity Contract Enforcement Authority (ECEA), a move aimed to further centralization.
Another concern is the transfer of subsidies through DBT. Farmers will have to pay first from their own pocket, after which they will get subsidies.
(5) Fear over Contract Farming
The FAPA Act formalizes contract cultivation through a “national framework” and explicitly prohibits any sponsor firm from acquiring the land of farmers through purchase, lease or mortgage.
But farmers fear over the big corporate players’ monopoly over food processing industry and its supply chain dynamics.
They fear that their ownership rights would be at risk as the Act provides for debt instruments for the companies which have their own recovery mechanisms.
(6) Fear over dispute resolution
The FAPA Act provided for a three-level dispute settlement mechanism by the conciliation board, Sub-Divisional Magistrate and Appellate Authority.
Since the highest level of appeal for the farmer against any private entity was the Appellate Authority, the farmer is effectively prevented from moving the Court.
Thus, they claim that the Act was highly skewed in favor of private entity as the individual farmers did not have the resources that private companies had.
(7) Fear over EC Amendment Act
The original EC Act de-regulated food items including cereals, pulses, potato, onion, edible oilseeds, and oils, and could only be regulated in the extraordinary circumstances.
The new law states that government regulation of stocks will be based on rising prices.
This stock-limiting puts farmers at the peril of the government and thus prevent them from making from any profit during any extra-ordinary circumstances as most of the time they only have to bear losses.
How were protests could sustain for so long?
Unity: The leaders of farmers unions were very strategic in their approach to the protest and decided to work together very early in the agitation.
Finances: The protest sites at the Delhi border needed a steady injection of resources to keep going. Aware of this need, the unions had begun making monthly collections.
People: The unions behind the farm stir are well-organised machineries with committees at the level of villages, blocks and districts.
Communication: Social media has been central to the scale of this agitation.
Engagement: The unions kept the stakeholders engaged by ensuring that there was never a dull moment in this agitation.
In practical terms, what was the status of the three laws until the repeal?
The farm laws were in force for only 221 days — June 5, 2020, when the ordinances were promulgated to January 12, 2021, when the Supreme Court stayed their implementation.
The Supreme Court stayed the implementation of the three laws on January 12 this year.
Since the stay, the laws have been suspended.
The government has used old provisions of the Essential Commodities Act, 1955 to impose stock limits, having amended the Act through one of the three farm laws.
Reasons for the repeal
There are contrasting suggestions about the timing of the decision to announce the repeal.
Forthcoming elections: There are crucial Assembly elections early next year in five states, including Uttar Pradesh and Punjab.
Public appeasement: The PM sought to announce this on Guru Nanak Jayanti probably in a move to appease a community, to which a significant segment of protesting farmers from Punjab belongs.
Rising anxiety among Public: There was a risk that anxiety among the protesters could lead to tensions as there had been many deaths since the protests began.
Fury over year-long protests: The protest had created a ruckus on the streets of capital due to continuous blockades even after the intervention of Supreme Court.
Rising political differences: Given that it took the government a year to realise the socio-political costs, the repeal also signals a weakened political feedback mechanism within the party.
Significance of the repeal
Reflects popularity of the govt: In the immediate term, the repeal exposes the government to charges of being on the wrong path and against popular sentiments, notwithstanding its claims to the contrary.
Dedication over farmers cause: The govt moves were increasingly perceived as being not in tune with the needs of rural farming communities.
Political stewardship: The PM was clearly balancing his political posture that has thrived on the image of a strong and decisive leadership.
Implications of the repeal
CAA standpoint: Although the anti-CAA protests were called off,almost two years on, the Home Ministry has not yet framed the rules for implementation of the CAA.
Statehood for J&K: There is no such unanimity over Article 370. Most of these parties have largely been united for the restoration of statehood to J&K, and early elections.
An analysis of the enactment-repeal conundrum
(1) Reforms are must
There may be some deficiencies in the exact design and mechanism of the reforms proposed in the three farm laws.
However, most advocates of agricultural reform would agree that they were in the right direction.
(2) Reforms don’t occur overnight
These laws could be a great example for passionate reforms. However, Legislative tapasya (penance) is all about listening to outer world (i.e the farmers), not inner self.
It requires listening to those for whose benefit laws and policies are crafted. It can’t be a meditation in isolation and implementation as a divine ordeal.
(3) Answerability and consultation matters
That the government chose to push these reforms through its own set of consultations left many stakeholders feeling left out, and created a backlash.
The repeal underlines that any future attempts to reform the rural agricultural economy would require a much wider consultation.
(4) Success lies in the acceptance of reforms
The better design of reforms ensures wider acceptance.
The repeal would leave the government hesitant about pursuing these reforms in stealth mode again.
Way forward
Parliamentary scrutiny is must: Parliament approved the laws even as dialogue around them was missing. While the Union government did speak to farmer leaders, it always maintained it would implement the laws.
It is very essential to take various stakeholders under consideration including opposition leaders.
Consultation with Farmers: There were no dialogues or inputs from farmers. They were simply bulldozed into implementation, fuelling an impression that some vested private interests were guiding them.
That could be the reason why many such laws have been brought in as ordinances and were then approved in Parliament using brute majority. Public scrutiny for laws is always treated as seditious.
The government has to do away with such forceful imposition of laws on public without giving due consideration to their demands.
A lesson for the upcoming legislations: Many similar legislations will be passed in the next few months. Amendments to the Forest Conservation Act will be one of them.
Here also there are many stakeholders at the receiving end government must consider their demands.
No stopping here: Though not accepted, reforms are necessary and government should strive to bring them with necessary changes. Agriculture is the backbone of the majority of Indian population and their concerns and wellbeing should be the priority of the government.
“Prelims, Mains and Interview are 3 stages of pilgrimages and I found all of them equally challenging”, says Vaibhav Rawat IAS after securing All India Rank 25 in UPSC 2020 Exam.
He started his preparation in 2018 without any idea of what was civil services or the challenging syllabus of UPSC. Fresh out of his job in Samsung R&D, Vaibhav initially faced umpteen difficulties in understanding or remembering what he had read. However, with daily studies there was an improvement and he was slowly able to master the topics. In his first attempt, Vaibhav reached till interview stage but missed out on the final ranking by a whisker. After this, he took the mentorship of Sajal Sir to score high marks in Mains and Interview. Vaibhav proves the saying that, successful people are not gifted but they work hard.
Upon finding his name in the final pdf, Vaibhav asserts that his parents are more happier than him. For Vaibhav, there is only relief as he doesn’t have to start the exhausting cycle of UPSC preparation all over again.
Open to All, Free to Attend—Ask me Anything Session with Vaibhav Rawat IAS
Vaibhav Rawat is geared up for an Ask me Anything Session with all Civilsdaily UPSC aspirants. For anyone wanting tips on certain topics, preparing for UPSC Mains in the last 3 months or suggestions on improving their marks, this session will be useful. Your questions will be Vaibhav’s answers which are drawn from his own experiences. Just register yourself with us as soon as possible to confirm your presence.
Key Takeaways of Vaibhav Rawat’s Webinar
1. Importance of having a role model. Who was Vaibhav Rawat’s idol and how did that help him stay calm and focused towards his goals?
2. Unpredictability of UPSC .What to study when you are not sure of the type of questions which would come in the exam?
3. The art of answer writing in Mains. What are few of the common practices Vaibhav followed in the Mains exam?
4.Memory techniques followed by Vaibhav Rawat. What did he do to recall important dates, names, statistics, conventions for the exam?
5. First Attempt v/s Second Attempt. How did Vaibhav approach prelims, mains and interview preparation?
6. Tips for beginners. Why is it better to work for a year or two before preparing for UPSC?
A major part of the session would be interactive and in Q&A format. This will surely benefit any aspirant who are in midway of their preparation.
Webinar Details
If you are studying hard but are unsure that you are studying right, then its time to get some assurance from the topper himself! Register for thisfree webinarby IAS officer Vaibhav Rawat.
GS-1 Social Empowerment, Communalism, Regionalism & Secularism.
GS-2 Executive and Judiciary
GS-3 Internal Security
GS-4 Public/Civil Service Values and Ethics in Public Administration: Status and Problems; Ethical Concerns and Dilemmas in Government and Private Institutions; Laws, Rules, Regulations and Conscience as Sources of Ethical Guidance
HOW TO ATTEMPT ANSWERS IN DAILY ANSWER WRITING ENHANCEMENT(AWE)?
Daily 4 questions from General studies 1, 2, 3, and 4 will be provided to you.
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.
You can write your answer on an A4 sheet and scan/click pictures of the same.
Upload the scanned answer in the comment section of the same question.
Along with the scanned answer, please share your Razor payment ID, so that paid members are given priority.
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
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.
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*.
“Prelims, Mains and Interview are 3 stages of pilgrimages and I found all of them equally challenging”, says Vaibhav Rawat IAS after securing All India Rank 25 in UPSC 2020 Exam.
He started his preparation in 2018 without any idea of what was civil services or the challenging syllabus of UPSC. Fresh out of his job in Samsung R&D, Vaibhav initially faced umpteen difficulties in understanding or remembering what he had read. However, with daily studies there was an improvement and he was slowly able to master the topics. In his first attempt, Vaibhav reached till interview stage but missed out on the final ranking by a whisker. After this, he took the mentorship of Sajal Sir to score high marks in Mains and Interview. Vaibhav proves the saying that, successful people are not gifted but they work hard.
Upon finding his name in the final pdf, Vaibhav asserts that his parents are more happier than him. For Vaibhav, there is only relief as he doesn’t have to start the exhausting cycle of UPSC preparation all over again.
Open to All, Free to Attend—Ask me Anything Session with Vaibhav Rawat IAS
Vaibhav Rawat is geared up for an Ask me Anything Session with all Civilsdaily UPSC aspirants. For anyone wanting tips on certain topics, preparing for UPSC Mains in the last 3 months or suggestions on improving their marks, this session will be useful. Your questions will be Vaibhav’s answers which are drawn from his own experiences. Just register yourself with us as soon as possible to confirm your presence.
Key Takeaways of Vaibhav Rawat’s Webinar
1. Importance of having a role model. Who was Vaibhav Rawat’s idol and how did that help him stay calm and focused towards his goals?
2. Unpredictability of UPSC .What to study when you are not sure of the type of questions which would come in the exam?
3. The art of answer writing in Mains. What are few of the common practices Vaibhav followed in the Mains exam?
4.Memory techniques followed by Vaibhav Rawat. What did he do to recall important dates, names, statistics, conventions for the exam?
5. First Attempt v/s Second Attempt. How did Vaibhav approach prelims, mains and interview preparation?
6. Tips for beginners. Why is it better to work for a year or two before preparing for UPSC?
A major part of the session would be interactive and in Q&A format. This will surely benefit any aspirant who are in midway of their preparation.
Webinar Details
If you are studying hard but are unsure that you are studying right, then its time to get some assurance from the topper himself! Register for thisfree webinarby IAS officer Vaibhav Rawat.
Let’s admit this— As much as we have heard our seniors, mentors and toppers advise us to answer fewer questions in Prelims exams due to negative marking, do we want to follow it? All of us wish to answer as many questions as possible correctly. However, post 2014 questions have started getting tougher so much that now –
“Prelims is no longer about selecting the right option. It’s searching for the correct option by eliminating the incorrect ones.”
Let’s take a sample question from Prelims 2021 Paper —
Constitutional government means
a representative government of a nation with federal structure
a government whose Head enjoys nominal powers
a government whose Head enjoys real powers
a government limited by the terms of the Constitution
An average aspirant gets confused between 2-3 options. Option a), b) and d) look equally correct but you have to select only one. The right answer is option d). How can you find out what was the missing criteria in option a) and b) which option d) fulfilled to emerge as the right answer?
Attend the free webinar by Santhosh sir to get the answer.
Key Takeaways of Santosh Gupta Sir’s Free Prelims Orientation Webinar
1. Complete Analysis of the 2021 Prelims Paper. How to change your preparation methods right now?
2. The 7 Steps of Tackling Prelims 2022. How to maximize revision and minimize study materials?
3. Significance of Current Affairs. Is it really declining in Prelims?
4. Important Topics to Cover for Prelims 2022 for every subject. What are the correct study materials for these topics?
5. Time-Tested Elimination Techniques. How to use these techniques in sample questions?
Webinar Details
Prelims question papers have become more or less like a game of Sudoko. Except, in Sudoko you can solve the puzzle at your leisure and over here you are limited by 2 hours. We hope this webinar will help all 2022 aspirants implement the suggestions of Santosh Gupta Sir.
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. As the Prelims coordinator at Civilsdaily, he has helped 15 out of 25 students clear the prelims examination this year.
Let’s admit this— As much as we have heard our seniors, mentors and toppers advise us to answer fewer questions in Prelims exams due to negative marking, do we want to follow it? All of us wish to answer as many questions as possible correctly. However, post 2014 questions have started getting tougher so much that now –
“Prelims is no longer about selecting the right option. It’s searching for the correct option by eliminating the incorrect ones.”
Let’s take a sample question from Prelims 2021 Paper —
Constitutional government means
a representative government of a nation with federal structure
a government whose Head enjoys nominal powers
a government whose Head enjoys real powers
a government limited by the terms of the Constitution
An average aspirant gets confused between 2-3 options. Option a), b) and d) look equally correct but you have to select only one. The right answer is option d). How can you find out what was the missing criteria in option a) and b) which option d) fulfilled to emerge as the right answer?
Attend the free webinar by Santhosh sir to get the answer.
Key Takeaways of Santosh Gupta Sir’s Free Prelims Orientation Webinar
1. Complete Analysis of the 2021 Prelims Paper. How to change your preparation methods right now?
2. The 7 Steps of Tackling Prelims 2022. How to maximize revision and minimize study materials?
3. Significance of Current Affairs. Is it really declining in Prelims?
4. Important Topics to Cover for Prelims 2022 for every subject. What are the correct study materials for these topics?
5. Time-Tested Elimination Techniques. How to use these techniques in sample questions?
Webinar Details
Prelims question papers have become more or less like a game of Sudoko. Except, in Sudoko you can solve the puzzle at your leisure and over here you are limited by 2 hours. We hope this webinar will help all 2022 aspirants implement the suggestions of Santosh Gupta Sir.
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. As the Prelims coordinator at Civilsdaily, he has helped 15 out of 25 students clear the prelims examination this year.
HOW TO ATTEMPT ANSWERS IN DAILY ANSWER WRITING ENHANCEMENT(AWE)?
Daily 4 questions from General studies 1, 2, 3, and 4 will be provided to you.
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.
You can write your answer on an A4 sheet and scan/click pictures of the same.
Upload the scanned answer in the comment section of the same question.
Along with the scanned answer, please share your Razor payment ID, so that paid members are given priority.
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
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.
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*.
Let’s admit this— As much as we have heard our seniors, mentors and toppers advise us to answer fewer questions in Prelims exams due to negative marking, do we want to follow it? All of us wish to answer as many questions as possible correctly. However, post 2014 questions have started getting tougher so much that now –
“Prelims is no longer about selecting the right option. It’s searching for the correct option by eliminating the incorrect ones.”
Let’s take a sample question from Prelims 2021 Paper —
Constitutional government means
a representative government of a nation with federal structure
a government whose Head enjoys nominal powers
a government whose Head enjoys real powers
a government limited by the terms of the Constitution
An average aspirant gets confused between 2-3 options. Option a), b) and d) look equally correct but you have to select only one. The right answer is option d). How can you find out what was the missing criteria in option a) and b) which option d) fulfilled to emerge as the right answer?
Attend the free webinar by Santhosh sir to get the answer.
Key Takeaways of Santosh Gupta Sir’s Free Prelims Orientation Webinar
1. Complete Analysis of the 2021 Prelims Paper. How to change your preparation methods right now?
2. The 7 Steps of Tackling Prelims 2022. How to maximize revision and minimize study materials?
3. Significance of Current Affairs. Is it really declining in Prelims?
4. Important Topics to Cover for Prelims 2022 for every subject. What are the correct study materials for these topics?
5. Time-Tested Elimination Techniques. How to use these techniques in sample questions?
Webinar Details
Prelims question papers have become more or less like a game of Sudoko. Except, in Sudoko you can solve the puzzle at your leisure and over here you are limited by 2 hours. We hope this webinar will help all 2022 aspirants implement the suggestions of Santosh Gupta Sir.
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. As the Prelims coordinator at Civilsdaily, he has helped 15 out of 25 students clear the prelims examination this year.
The RBI has repeatedly reiterated its strong views against cryptocurrencies since it gained popularity in India following a sudden boom in Bitcoin prices. The central bank’s argument is that cryptocurrencies pose serious threats to the macroeconomic and financial stability of the country.
The development of Bitcoin and thousands of other cryptocurrencies in a little over a decade has changed the definition of money — and spawned a parallel universe of alternative financial services, allowing crypto businesses to move into traditional banking territory.
In recent times, new services and platforms have been introduced to help people manage bitcoin and other such digital coins in day-to-day finances. Let us learn about the topic in detail.
Cryptocurrencies
(1) Rise of Cryptocurrencies: After the growth and response received to bitcoin, many newer coins have also been introduced and their cumulative market value touched $2.5 trillion by May 2021.
(2) Significance of Cryptocurrencies
Corruption Check: As blocks run on a peer-to-peer network, it helps keep corruption in check by tracking the flow of funds and transactions.
Time Effective: Cryptocurrencies can help save money and substantial time, as it is conducted entirely on the Internet, involves very less transaction fees and is almost instantaneous.
Cost Effective: Intermediaries such as banks, credit card and payment gateways draw almost 3% from the total global economic output of over $100 trillion, as fees for their services.
Integrating blockchain into these sectors could result in hundreds of billions of dollars in savings.
(3) Cryptocurrencies in India
RBI’s apprehension: In 2018, The RBI issued a circular preventing all banks from dealing in cryptocurrencies. This circular was declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court in May 2020.
Govt’s stand: Recently, the government has announced to introduce a bill; Cryptocurrency and Regulation of Official Digital Currency Bill, 2021, to create a sovereign digital currency.
Boosting startups ecosystem: In India, the funds that have gone into the Indian blockchain start-ups account for less than 0.2% of the amount raised by the sector globally.
The current approach towards cryptocurrencies makes it near-impossible for blockchain entrepreneurs and investors to acquire much economic benefit.
What do crypto businesses offer?
Lending and borrowingservices: Generally, crypto businesses offer lending and borrowing services. One can earn interest on holdings of digital currencies, often a lot more than on cash deposits in a bank.
Collateral to bank: Borrow with crypto as collateral to back a loan. Crypto loans generally involve no credit checks as transactions are backed by digital assets.
Benefits
Fosters financial inclusion
Unusuallyhigh return on their holdings for consumers
Providefinancial stability for customers in countries with volatile government-issued currencies.
What is cryptocurrency banking?
The virtual currency is not held in physical form. Digital currency is decentralized by a ledger system called blockchain, which means that it is not controlled by a bank or central authority.
Cryptocurrency banking mostly just allows people to hold their funds in a digital wallet or spend it like they would spend traditional money.
People can manage their cryptocurrency balances on exchange platforms.
These banking services can include simply holding a balance, making payments with a crypto debit card and even earning interest involving one or more cryptocurrencies.
Why such high yields?
Similar to traditional banking: Crypto outfits pool deposits to offer loans and give interest to depositors, just as traditional banks.
No reserve requirements: But by law, banks are required to have minimum reserves as a safety backup. Unlike this, crypto banks do not have the reserve requirements; the institutions they lend to can take risky bets.
Other risks: Cyber attacks, extreme market conditions, or other operational or technical difficulties that could lead to a temporary or permanent halt on withdrawals or transfers.
What is a stablecoin?
Crypto is very volatile, making it less practical for transactions like payments or loans. That’s where stablecoins come in.
Pegged to stable assets: stablecoins are cryptocurrencies pegged to stable assets, commonly the dollar.
They are meant to provide the steady value of government-issued money in digital form for blockchain transactions, but they are issued by private entities.
Popular dollar-tied tokens include Tether and USD Coin.
High global appeal: The number of stablecoins in circulation globally has jumped from $29 billion in January to $117 billion as of early September.
Keep the value of digital currency stable: It aims to do in digital form what government money does.
But issued by private entities: They provide the steady value of government-issued money in digital form for blockchain transactions, but they are issued by private entities.
Risks involved
Stablecoin issuers hold and monitor reserves, just as central bankers manage supply and demand.
But there is no guarantee they actually hold the one-to-one dollar backing they claim.
So, a sudden surge in withdrawals could lead to a collapse in one of those assets, putting clients and the broader economy at risk.
Also, a central bank digital currency would render stablecoins irrelevant.
What is a central bank’s digital currency?
Offer reliability: Central bankers are examining the potential for issuance of a government-issued cryptocurrency which would offer the convenience of crypto with the reliability of money controlled by a central bank.
Growing innovation is a challenge: But governments catching up to the innovations in the market for years will be a challenge.
Introducing India’s own cryptocurrency: The government is considering the possibility of introducing India’s own cryptocurrency, code-named “Lakshmi”.
What is the need?
Crypto-currency is a digital currency that allows transacting parties to remain anonymous while confirming the transaction is valid.
The provision of anonymity is widely misused especially in making cross-border transactions.
They are widely used as a means for money-laundering, terror funding and drug trafficking, and other illegal activities.
The increasing share and presence of bitcoins due to speculative trading for return on investments is getting to be a cause of concern.
How can legalizing help address this?
Status of fiat currency: India’s attempt to legalize and introduce its own cryptocurrency would give it the status of a fiat currency.
Good alternative: This formal government authorization could prove to be an alternative to popular non-fiat cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin and ethereum.
Syncing with the technology: “Lakshmi” would adopt a variation of the blockchain technology employed by bitcoin.
Avoid dual transaction: The technology would help verify every trade and rule out the possibility of dual transactions employing the same coin.
Also, the new currency would be subject to the same capital account controls as the rupee, in terms of cross-border transactions.
No manipulation in money supply: The money supply at every instant is known and cannot be manipulated, unlike with normal fiat currencies.
Besides, users would have to submit to the usual know-your-customer norms.
What are the challenges?
The introduction of such a new cryptocurrency, would make it a legal tender alongside the rupee.
This requires legislative action of making amendments to the Currency Act.
Pegging it to rupee would have an impact on the rupee exchange rate along with the risk of fluctuations.
What is Decentralized finance (DeFi)?
Alternative finance ecosystem: DeFi, refers to an alternative finance ecosystem where consumers transfer, trade, borrow and lend cryptocurrency.
Financial products become available on a public decentralized blockchain network, independently of traditional financial institutions and the regulatory structures.
Eliminating middleman: DeFi aims to “disintermediate” finance, using computer code to eliminate the need for trust and middlemen from transactions.
It’s a computer-controlled market that automatically executes transactions.
User governed: DeFi platforms are structured to become independent from their developers and backers over time and to ultimately be governed by a community of users.
What are the benefits of Crypto Finance?
Financial Inclusion: Innovators argue that crypto fosters financial inclusion. Consumers can earn unusually high returns on their holdings, unlike at banks.
Quick and Cheap Transactions: Crypto finance gives people long excluded by traditional institutions the opportunity to engage in transactions quickly, cheaply and without judgment.
Low checks and hassles: As crypto backs their loans, the services generally require no credit checks, although some take customer identity information for tax reporting and anti-fraud purposes.
Privacy: On a DeFi protocol, users’ personal identities are generally not shared, since they are judged solely by the value of their crypto.
What are some risks associated with DeFi?
DeFi cuts out the third parties that financial regulators rely on to ensure market integrity.
Licensed operators like banks and brokers play a quasi-governmental role in traditional finance, collecting and reporting data to the authorities, including information on capital gains, to ensure taxes are paid.
By contrast, DeFi programs are unregulated apps created by coders interested in capital markets.
Users’ assets can and have been hacked, and not all of the operations are built in good faith. Possibility of developers abandoning programs after investors contribute significant assets cannot be refused.
Way Forward
Require new approach: New technology demands a new approach; novel risks can be addressed without necessarily restricting innovation.
E.g., Requirements like code audits and risk parameters, instead of mandating that DeFi protocols maintain the reserves of a bank and collect customer information.
Controlling financial frauds: Using artificial intelligence and data analysis to monitor suspicious activity and tracking identity to fight financial fraud.
Monitor suspicious activity: Using artificial intelligence and data analysis to monitor suspicious activity and working back to track identity.
Let’s admit this— As much as we have heard our seniors, mentors and toppers advise us to answer fewer questions in Prelims exams due to negative marking, do we want to follow it? All of us wish to answer as many questions as possible correctly. However, post 2014 questions have started getting tougher so much that now –
“Prelims is no longer about selecting the right option. It’s searching for the correct option by eliminating the incorrect ones.”
Let’s take a sample question from Prelims 2021 Paper —
Constitutional government means
a representative government of a nation with federal structure
a government whose Head enjoys nominal powers
a government whose Head enjoys real powers
a government limited by the terms of the Constitution
An average aspirant gets confused between 2-3 options. Option a), b) and d) look equally correct but you have to select only one. The right answer is option d). How can you find out what was the missing criteria in option a) and b) which option d) fulfilled to emerge as the right answer?
Attend the free webinar by Santhosh sir to get the answer.
Key Takeaways of Santosh Gupta Sir’s Free Prelims Orientation Webinar
1. Complete Analysis of the 2021 Prelims Paper. How to change your preparation methods right now?
2. The 7 Steps of Tackling Prelims 2022. How to maximize revision and minimize study materials?
3. Significance of Current Affairs. Is it really declining in Prelims?
4. Important Topics to Cover for Prelims 2022 for every subject. What are the correct study materials for these topics?
5. Time-Tested Elimination Techniques. How to use these techniques in sample questions?
Webinar Details
Prelims question papers have become more or less like a game of Sudoko. Except, in Sudoko you can solve the puzzle at your leisure and over here you are limited by 2 hours. We hope this webinar will help all 2022 aspirants implement the suggestions of Santosh Gupta Sir.
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. As the Prelims coordinator at Civilsdaily, he has helped 15 out of 25 students clear the prelims examination this year.
They say, when the going gets tough, the tough gets going. For UPSC aspirants, there is a small tweak. When your preparation gets tough we’ll be there for you.
How Successful has Civilsdaily been in Mentoring Aspirants?
In UPSC 2020, Civilsdaily helped 80+ students secure ranks in their exams. In the top 100, every 3rd ranker was a Civilsdaily student. To know how all of them cleared the exam with our mentorship, visit the UnherdPodcast.
Now that results are announced for UPSC 2021 Prelims, out of 15 out of 25 students of Santhosh Gupta sir have been recommended to Mains. One such student, Rahul expresses his gratitude and extends his appreciation —
Most of our Mentors like Sudhanshu sir, Sajal sir, Santhosh sir, Pravin sir, Parth Verma sir and Sukanya Ma’am were UPSC aspirants themselves and have attended UPSC Mains more than five times and UPSC Interview more than twice. Hence their mentorship is always a blend of the best test series, comprehensive notes and current affairs knowledge.
All of them dedicate their time weekly to give 1-on-1 mentorship to every student where they discuss last week’s performance and next week’s approach.
Remember there is always light at the end of the tunnel and if you want to get out of the tunnel you have to follow the direction of the light! Our mentors’ give you direction which is divided into daily modules. All you have to do is study and complete them on time.
As every year passes by, we don’t get confident by the previous years’ performance and become laidback. Instead, we become more hungry to convert all our students into toppers.
Why Do You Require Mentorship?
Preparing for the UPSC exam is a race against time. You have to complete an answer within 8 minutes, complete Prelims mock test within 2 hours and most importantly complete the syllabus in a span of 8 months. The syllabus is so vast that most students feel overwhelmed within just a few weeks of starting their preparation.
We confirmed this last month, in our Samanvaya Mentorship program by counselling over 3500 students. The 2 biggest problems students said they face while preparing for this exam are:
Syllabus Management
Time Management
As an aspirant, you can either spend a lot of time and effort trying to figure out how to cope with your syllabus and manage time or you can simply speak with our mentors and get the right study plan and timetable custom-made for you!
Every aspirant needs a different strategy than the other. One might be struggling in prelims, other in mains. One might find history a piece of cake and geography a tough nut to crack and for the other it will be vice-versa. For an aspirant preparing full-time, they might get demotivated on a regular basis as they have no Plan B to fall back on. A working professional might be too exhausted to study by the end of the day. There is no one-size fits all solution.
That’s why you need to register for Samanvaya free 1-on-1 counselling session to understand what study plan and study materials work best for you! Samanvaya 1-on-1 Free mentorship will help you stick to one approach of studying rather than switching plans through trial and error.
Still you want a general idea how to manage time and your syllabus? Here’s what you can do!
Syllabus Management—
Go through the entire syllabus thoroughly.
Mark the topics you feel comfortable with and those you aren’t familiar with.
Break down the syllabus into small parts and prioritize them in order.
Gather the relevant study material for the syllabus and start studying them in order.
Figure out where you need guidance – Is it with the subject matter? Do you need help with organizing your syllabus? Or you just aren’t sure how to begin?
. Time Management—
Prioritize your study material
Complete the easier topics first.
Allocate at least one hour to answer-writing
Allocate at least one hour to MCQ practice
Make notes on Current Affairs while reading the newspaper
Allocate at least 2 hours for your optional.
A Popular Time Management Technique—
The Pomodoro Technique is followed by toppers like Srusti Jayant Deshmukh (UPSC 2019 AIR 5), Manoj Madhav S (UPSC 2019 AIR 105) and Namita Sharma (UPSC 2018, AIR 108)
Developed by consultant Francesco Cirillo, the Pomodoro Technique is a time management tool that breaks work into 25-minute sessions to help you stay focused and get more done.
Step 1
Choose a task
Step 2
Set a timer for 25 minutes
Step 3
Work on the task until the timer goes off
Step 4
Once the timer goes off. Check off the item on a piece of paper
Step 5
Take a short break
Step 6
Every four Pomodoros, take a longer break
How is Samanvaya 1-on-1 Guidance Program Structured?
Our guidance program is designed as solutions to your challenges. We speak with students personally and understand their concerns on a one-on-one basis. Our mentors spend time understanding the individual requirements of our students and teach students how to break down the syllabus and create a plan they can stick to. Our mentors don’t advise you with run of the mill stories, they help in scripting your story!
We will discuss the important ways in which you can crack this exam through the following methods:
Personalized study plan – Make a list of the tasks that you need to accomplish that day, and note in upcoming meetings or deadlines as you become aware of them. As you complete your list, make sure to tick off the tasks you have completed.
3. Tracking your progress – The key to time management success is to know your deadlines and set reminders. We suggest setting a reminder 15 minutes before a meeting or event so you can prepare and gather your things.
4. Investing in topics with good ROI – First and foremost, turn off your email notification. Set 30-minute blocks to check your email every couple hours instead of checking it every 15 minutes. Make sure you minimize non-work distractions such as your cell phone, social media, or your favorite online store.
5. Focusing on smart study – On your daily list of things to do, pen in how much time you think each task will take you. If you don’t finish, stop when the time you allotted ends, and come back to it later. Sometimes moving on to different responsibilities and then coming back gives your mind a fresh start and a new perspective.
So, get all your UPSC demands addressed by a seasoned mentor, get one point source study materials, have regular engagement via calls and WhatsApp, adapt to course-correction strategies and follow a syllabus completion-cum-revision plan every month.
GS-2 Bilateral, Regional and Global Groupings and Agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests.
GS-3 Science and Technology- Developments and their Applications and Effects in Everyday Life.
GS-4 Public/Civil Service Values and Ethics in Public Administration: Status and Problems; Ethical Concerns and Dilemmas in Government and Private Institutions
HOW TO ATTEMPT ANSWERS IN DAILY ANSWER WRITING ENHANCEMENT(AWE)?
Daily 4 questions from General studies 1, 2, 3, and 4 will be provided to you.
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.
You can write your answer on an A4 sheet and scan/click pictures of the same.
Upload the scanned answer in the comment section of the same question.
Along with the scanned answer, please share your Razor payment ID, so that paid members are given priority.
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
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.
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*.
Let’s admit this— As much as we have heard our seniors, mentors and toppers advise us to answer fewer questions in Prelims exams due to negative marking, do we want to follow it? All of us wish to answer as many questions as possible correctly. However, post 2014 questions have started getting tougher so much that now –
“Prelims is no longer about selecting the right option. It’s searching for the correct option by eliminating the incorrect ones.”
Let’s take a sample question from Prelims 2021 Paper —
Constitutional government means
a representative government of a nation with federal structure
a government whose Head enjoys nominal powers
a government whose Head enjoys real powers
a government limited by the terms of the Constitution
An average aspirant gets confused between 2-3 options. Option a), b) and d) look equally correct but you have to select only one. The right answer is option d). How can you find out what was the missing criteria in option a) and b) which option d) fulfilled to emerge as the right answer?
Attend the free webinar by Santhosh sir to get the answer.
Key Takeaways of Santosh Gupta Sir’s Free Prelims Orientation Webinar
1. Complete Analysis of the 2021 Prelims Paper. How to change your preparation methods right now?
2. The 7 Steps of Tackling Prelims 2022. How to maximize revision and minimize study materials?
3. Significance of Current Affairs. Is it really declining in Prelims?
4. Important Topics to Cover for Prelims 2022 for every subject. What are the correct study materials for these topics?
5. Time-Tested Elimination Techniques. How to use these techniques in sample questions?
Webinar Details
Prelims question papers have become more or less like a game of Sudoko. Except, in Sudoko you can solve the puzzle at your leisure and over here you are limited by 2 hours. We hope this webinar will help all 2022 aspirants implement the suggestions of Santosh Gupta Sir.
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. As the Prelims coordinator at Civilsdaily, he has helped 15 out of 25 students clear the prelims examination this year.
Let’s admit this— As much as we have heard our seniors, mentors and toppers advise us to answer fewer questions in Prelims exams due to negative marking, do we want to follow it? All of us wish to answer as many questions as possible correctly. However, post 2014 questions have started getting tougher so much that now –
“Prelims is no longer about selecting the right option. It’s searching for the correct option by eliminating the incorrect ones.”
Let’s take a sample question from Prelims 2021 Paper —
Constitutional government means
a representative government of a nation with federal structure
a government whose Head enjoys nominal powers
a government whose Head enjoys real powers
a government limited by the terms of the Constitution
An average aspirant gets confused between 2-3 options. Option a), b) and d) look equally correct but you have to select only one. The right answer is option d). How can you find out what was the missing criteria in option a) and b) which option d) fulfilled to emerge as the right answer?
Attend the free webinar by Santhosh sir to get the answer.
Key Takeaways of Santosh Gupta Sir’s Free Prelims Orientation Webinar
1. Complete Analysis of the 2021 Prelims Paper. How to change your preparation methods right now?
2. The 7 Steps of Tackling Prelims 2022. How to maximize revision and minimize study materials?
3. Significance of Current Affairs. Is it really declining in Prelims?
4. Important Topics to Cover for Prelims 2022 for every subject. What are the correct study materials for these topics?
5. Time-Tested Elimination Techniques. How to use these techniques in sample questions?
Webinar Details
Prelims question papers have become more or less like a game of Sudoko. Except, in Sudoko you can solve the puzzle at your leisure and over here you are limited by 2 hours. We hope this webinar will help all 2022 aspirants implement the suggestions of Santosh Gupta Sir.
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. As the Prelims coordinator at Civilsdaily, he has helped 15 out of 25 students clear the prelims examination this year.
Let’s admit this— As much as we have heard our seniors, mentors and toppers advise us to answer fewer questions in Prelims exams due to negative marking, do we want to follow it? All of us wish to answer as many questions as possible correctly. However, post 2014 questions have started getting tougher so much that now –
“Prelims is no longer about selecting the right option. It’s searching for the correct option by eliminating the incorrect ones.”
Let’s take a sample question from Prelims 2021 Paper —
Constitutional government means
a representative government of a nation with federal structure
a government whose Head enjoys nominal powers
a government whose Head enjoys real powers
a government limited by the terms of the Constitution
An average aspirant gets confused between 2-3 options. Option a), b) and d) look equally correct but you have to select only one. The right answer is option d). How can you find out what was the missing criteria in option a) and b) which option d) fulfilled to emerge as the right answer?
Attend the free webinar by Santhosh sir to get the answer.
Key Takeaways of Santosh Gupta Sir’s Free Prelims Orientation Webinar
1. Complete Analysis of the 2021 Prelims Paper. How to change your preparation methods right now?
2. The 7 Steps of Tackling Prelims 2022. How to maximize revision and minimize study materials?
3. Significance of Current Affairs. Is it really declining in Prelims?
4. Important Topics to Cover for Prelims 2022 for every subject. What are the correct study materials for these topics?
5. Time-Tested Elimination Techniques. How to use these techniques in sample questions?
Webinar Details
Prelims question papers have become more or less like a game of Sudoko. Except, in Sudoko you can solve the puzzle at your leisure and over here you are limited by 2 hours. We hope this webinar will help all 2022 aspirants implement the suggestions of Santosh Gupta Sir.
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. As the Prelims coordinator at Civilsdaily, he has helped 15 out of 25 students clear the prelims examination this year.
HOW TO ATTEMPT ANSWERS IN DAILY ANSWER WRITING ENHANCEMENT(AWE)?
Daily 4 questions from General studies 1, 2, 3, and 4 will be provided to you.
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.
You can write your answer on an A4 sheet and scan/click pictures of the same.
Upload the scanned answer in the comment section of the same question.
Along with the scanned answer, please share your Razor payment ID, so that paid members are given priority.
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
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.
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*.
They say, when the going gets tough, the tough gets going. For UPSC aspirants, there is a small tweak. When your preparation gets tough we’ll be there for you.
How Successful has Civilsdaily been in Mentoring Aspirants?
In UPSC 2020, Civilsdaily helped 80+ students secure ranks in their exams. In the top 100, every 3rd ranker was a Civilsdaily student. To know how all of them cleared the exam with our mentorship, visit the UnherdPodcast.
Now that results are announced for UPSC 2021 Prelims, out of 15 out of 25 students of Santhosh Gupta sir have been recommended to Mains. One such student, Rahul expresses his gratitude and extends his appreciation —
Most of our Mentors like Sudhanshu sir, Sajal sir, Santhosh sir, Pravin sir, Parth Verma sir and Sukanya Ma’am were UPSC aspirants themselves and have attended UPSC Mains more than five times and UPSC Interview more than twice. Hence their mentorship is always a blend of the best test series, comprehensive notes and current affairs knowledge.
All of them dedicate their time weekly to give 1-on-1 mentorship to every student where they discuss last week’s performance and next week’s approach.
Remember there is always light at the end of the tunnel and if you want to get out of the tunnel you have to follow the direction of the light! Our mentors’ give you direction which is divided into daily modules. All you have to do is study and complete them on time.
As every year passes by, we don’t get confident by the previous years’ performance and become laidback. Instead, we become more hungry to convert all our students into toppers.
Why Do You Require Mentorship?
Preparing for the UPSC exam is a race against time. You have to complete an answer within 8 minutes, complete Prelims mock test within 2 hours and most importantly complete the syllabus in a span of 8 months. The syllabus is so vast that most students feel overwhelmed within just a few weeks of starting their preparation.
We confirmed this last month, in our Samanvaya Mentorship program by counselling over 3500 students. The 2 biggest problems students said they face while preparing for this exam are:
Syllabus Management
Time Management
As an aspirant, you can either spend a lot of time and effort trying to figure out how to cope with your syllabus and manage time or you can simply speak with our mentors and get the right study plan and timetable custom-made for you!
Every aspirant needs a different strategy than the other. One might be struggling in prelims, other in mains. One might find history a piece of cake and geography a tough nut to crack and for the other it will be vice-versa. For an aspirant preparing full-time, they might get demotivated on a regular basis as they have no Plan B to fall back on. A working professional might be too exhausted to study by the end of the day. There is no one-size fits all solution.
That’s why you need to register for Samanvaya free 1-on-1 counselling session to understand what study plan and study materials work best for you! Samanvaya 1-on-1 Free mentorship will help you stick to one approach of studying rather than switching plans through trial and error.
Still you want a general idea how to manage time and your syllabus? Here’s what you can do!
Syllabus Management—
Go through the entire syllabus thoroughly.
Mark the topics you feel comfortable with and those you aren’t familiar with.
Break down the syllabus into small parts and prioritize them in order.
Gather the relevant study material for the syllabus and start studying them in order.
Figure out where you need guidance – Is it with the subject matter? Do you need help with organizing your syllabus? Or you just aren’t sure how to begin?
. Time Management—
Prioritize your study material
Complete the easier topics first.
Allocate at least one hour to answer-writing
Allocate at least one hour to MCQ practice
Make notes on Current Affairs while reading the newspaper
Allocate at least 2 hours for your optional.
A Popular Time Management Technique—
The Pomodoro Technique is followed by toppers like Srusti Jayant Deshmukh (UPSC 2019 AIR 5), Manoj Madhav S (UPSC 2019 AIR 105) and Namita Sharma (UPSC 2018, AIR 108)
Developed by consultant Francesco Cirillo, the Pomodoro Technique is a time management tool that breaks work into 25-minute sessions to help you stay focused and get more done.
Step 1
Choose a task
Step 2
Set a timer for 25 minutes
Step 3
Work on the task until the timer goes off
Step 4
Once the timer goes off. Check off the item on a piece of paper
Step 5
Take a short break
Step 6
Every four Pomodoros, take a longer break
How is Samanvaya 1-on-1 Guidance Program Structured?
Our guidance program is designed as solutions to your challenges. We speak with students personally and understand their concerns on a one-on-one basis. Our mentors spend time understanding the individual requirements of our students and teach students how to break down the syllabus and create a plan they can stick to. Our mentors don’t advise you with run of the mill stories, they help in scripting your story!
We will discuss the important ways in which you can crack this exam through the following methods:
Personalized study plan – Make a list of the tasks that you need to accomplish that day, and note in upcoming meetings or deadlines as you become aware of them. As you complete your list, make sure to tick off the tasks you have completed.
3. Tracking your progress – The key to time management success is to know your deadlines and set reminders. We suggest setting a reminder 15 minutes before a meeting or event so you can prepare and gather your things.
4. Investing in topics with good ROI – First and foremost, turn off your email notification. Set 30-minute blocks to check your email every couple hours instead of checking it every 15 minutes. Make sure you minimize non-work distractions such as your cell phone, social media, or your favorite online store.
5. Focusing on smart study – On your daily list of things to do, pen in how much time you think each task will take you. If you don’t finish, stop when the time you allotted ends, and come back to it later. Sometimes moving on to different responsibilities and then coming back gives your mind a fresh start and a new perspective.
So, get all your UPSC demands addressed by a seasoned mentor, get one point source study materials, have regular engagement via calls and WhatsApp, adapt to course-correction strategies and follow a syllabus completion-cum-revision plan every month.
