Category: Strategy Sessions

  • How to Prepare Current Affairs for Core Subjects?|| Decoding the UPSC-CSE Current Affairs Puzzle|| Register for Samanvaya Free 1-on-1 Counselling Now

    How to Prepare Current Affairs for Core Subjects?|| Decoding the UPSC-CSE Current Affairs Puzzle|| Register for Samanvaya Free 1-on-1 Counselling Now

    Are you finding Current Affairs for UPSC-CSE to be a time-consuming affair? Do you either spend the entire day reading only current affairs or skip reading it for many days? Is there a lack of clarity while answering current affairs questions? Do you want to know the right approach to prepare for UPSC-CSE Current affairs without wasting time on trial and error? Then it’s time you filled the Samanvaya form for free 1-on-1 counselling session with an experienced faculty from Civilsdaily!

    Current Affairs for UPSC-CSE doesn’t only test an aspirant’s basic understanding, but their ability to critically analyze and remember certain very important details. It requires you to do match the following — you need to match the topic in your UPSC syllabus with the current affairs as you read. For example, India has placed an anti-dumping duty recently on China to protect it’s local manufacturers from cheap imports. This news is related to GS 3 Economics and comes under Foreign Trade topic.

    But that’s not all. Current Affairs is the key component that you cannot do without in all the 3 stages of your UPSC-CSE preparation — Prelims, Mains and Interview. And the way you are supposed to prepare for current affairs under each stage varies. You have to remember facts for Prelims, understand the background, challenges and the solutions of current events for Mains and for Interview you should be able to drive meaningful discussions with your current affairs knowledge. Hence, simply reading a newspaper cannot help you ace current affairs for UPSC-CSE.

    Unlike popular notion, importance of current affairs isn’t decreasing in UPSC-CSE papers. Rather, it’s become a part and parcel of every topic in the Core Subjects like Economy, Polity, Science and Environment. Let’s understand this with a question asked in UPSC-CSE Mains 2020 —

    Which steps are required for constitutionalization of a commission? Do you think imparting constitutionality to the National Commission for Women would ensure greater gender justice and empowerment in India? Give reasons.

    This question needs you to have current knowledge on government policies/interventions, constitutional and non-constitutional bodies, constitutional provisions and issues related to developmental and management of social sectors. That’s totally 4 topics for one answer!

    Remembering current affairs indices for Prelims MCQs & using them to substantiate answers in Mains is crucial to get marks above cut-off.

    Why Samanvaya for UPSC-CSE Current Affairs Preparation?

    In UPSC 2020, Civilsdaily helped 80+ students secure ranks in their exams. In the top 100, every 3rd ranker was a Civilsdaily student.

     A very recent success story would be Vishwa Shah, student of Civilsdaily Mentor, Sukanya Ma’am. Vishwa has cleared the GPSC exam to become the Deputy Superintendent of Police in Gujarat. He has penned a thank-you note yesterday. Heartiest Congratulations to Vishwa!

    One of our other Civilsdaily Student, Shubham Nagargoje cleared the exams in 2020 to become an IPS Officer. Shubham was gracious enough to let us know how he felt about Civilsdaily Samanvaya Guidance under Parth sir.

    To know how all of them cleared the exam with our mentorship, visit the Unherd Podcast.

    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.

    Be it Telegram, Whatsapp or Habitiat channels, they are always available and clear student’s doubts in a turnaround time of 24 Hours.

    Why Civilsdaily Mentors are the GPS for Your UPSC-CSE Preparation

    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.

    See the source image

    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.

    How are Current Civilsdaily Students Gearing up for UPSC-CSE 2022?

    Initially, our Civilsdaily student Smriti wasn’t confident about Prelims when she began her preparation. Though she had joined Civilsdaily in 2020, she started studying for UPSC-CSE back in 2019. At that time, Smriti had enrolled in multiple institutes. Though, most of these institutes had promised a personal mentor, she was unable to get in touch with them on a daily basis. Also those mentors never scheduled test-series on a weekly basis. Hence, despite preparing for a year, Smriti had scored only 35 marks out of 200 in her first test series by Civilsdaily.

    She then started writing 20-25 test series over the course of UAP 2021 and in her last test, her scores have drastically improved. She now scores in the range of 130-135 marks in prelims’ and 110+ in mains’ papers.

    In Smriti’s own words she describes her Samanvaya Mentorship Experience to be —

    Our parents provide us financial and emotional support, friends provide us moral support and the right mentor gives you logistic and logical support for UPSC. There are days when I felt I won’t be able to compete against lakhs of aspirants. That’s when my mentor, Ravi sir reminded me of my improvement and encouraged me that I can crack it with the same consistency. We need someone, who tells us we are performing well especially when we cannot see that ourselves. The mentorship at Civilsdaily helped me become mentally stronger as a person. In other institutes, mentors are allotted only for doubt resolution. But at Civilsdaily, I am getting end-to-end mentorship via value added notes, classes, test series and detailed evaluation.”

    Similarly our another Civilsdaily student, Ashish sums up his Samanvaya experience with Civilsdaily mentor, Pravin Sir, “Because of Pravin sir’s support, I am able to understand a topic in lesser time.”

    This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is ashish.jpg

    This is how Pravin sir evaluates Ashish’s Mains Test Series every week. After every test series evaluation, Pravin sir schedules a 1 hour call to discuss how Ashish can improve his marks and the sources he can refer for key topics.

    It’s Your Turn Get the Free 40 Min Counselling Session By a CD Mentor

    At the core of Samanvaya lies the fact that each one of you will have a unique journey while preparing for the exam. Some will get through on the first attempt without much effort while others will take both more time and more effort.

    We want to understand you better to help you optimize your journey so you can focus on the right things and not waste time on the wrong ones. We are asking you to tap into the valuable experiences of mentors who underwent the same grind and realize the pitfalls and understand the shortcuts to make it.

    In the first counselling session, we will understand your weaknesses. Over 80% of students who claimed to have revised NCERTs twice were unable to answer basic questions. Many were not comfortable with at least 1 GS subject and Optional. Many struggled with ‘What went wrong’ after 2-3 years of hard work. Our mentors will provide free preliminary assignments so that we can assess your preparedness and suggest accurate strategies. We then help you to stick to one plan or strategy throughout your preparation.

    Samanvaya Code of Conduct to be followed

    However, before you fill the form and get your first 30 minute counselling with us for free, please keep in mind the following —

    • Be honest with your mentors about your preparation levels and stage.
    • Follow their advice and participate in tests and assignments that they set for you
    • Stay active in the telegram groups, ask doubts, don’t hold yourself back.
    • Don’t expect spoonfeeding. You have to drive the initiative.

  • Increase your 2021 GS Mains Marks by Following Civilsdaily Free Value Added Material || A Compilation of Subject-Wise Data, Indices & Statistics|| Register Now to Claim Your Handbook

    Increase your 2021 GS Mains Marks by Following Civilsdaily Free Value Added Material || A Compilation of Subject-Wise Data, Indices & Statistics|| Register Now to Claim Your Handbook

    All Mains Recommended Aspirants, here is the good news! Civilsdaily is providing a free compilation of the topic-wise data and statistics that will help you write better answers for Mains 2022 examination. If you have difficulty remembering facts, you can use this handbook as a revision material.

    We all know how an aspirant can create a good impression and get the extra 2-4 marks in their papers when they write an introduction and conclusion with solid data. The statistics, reports & indices complied by Civilsdaily is based on the past 1-2 year survey and committee reports.

    The topics range from Education, Employment, Labour & MSME’s , Infrastructure, Population and Security.

  • [Sansad TV] Perspective – Internet: Regulating the Ban

    Distribution:

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

    Context

    • The Parliamentary Standing Committee on ICT has observed that Internet today is an indispensable part of everyday lives of citizens.
    • Hence, the government should explore the possibility of banning particular internet services, such as messengers like WhatsApp and social media websites, instead of putting in place blanket internet bans.

    Internet shutdowns in India

    • Nowadays, India is widely considered to be a world leader in cutting off access to the Net.
    • Yet, there are no detailed official data on Internet shutdowns in India.
    • Taking a serious note of the situation, the Supreme Court has for the first time set the stage for challenging such suspension orders before courts.
    • It has directed the government to mandatorily publish all orders permitting Internet shutdowns. It has opened such decisions amenable to judicial review.

    Recent statistics

    • India leads the global tally in suspension of internet services.
    • An internet tracker internetshudowns.in points out there have been 550 internet shutdowns in India since 2012, more than 50 per cent of which were imposed since 2019.
    • The longest shutdown, lasting for 552 days, was imposed in J&K from August 4, 2019 to February 6, 2020.

    Mechanisms allowing Internet Shut-downs

    [1] Temporary Suspension of Telecom Services Rule, 2017

    • Home Departments in the states are mostly the authorities that enforce shutdowns, drawing powers from The Temporary Suspension of Telecom Services (Public Emergency or Public Safety) Rules, 2017.
    • The decisions are reviewed by a state government review committee. The central government also has powers under this law, but has not used it.

    [2] CrPC

    • Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure has enabled many of the shutdowns in the recent past, especially until the time the telecom suspension Rules came into force in 2017.

    [3] Telegraph Act, 1885

    • Less frequently used is The Indian Telegraph Act, 1885, whose Section 5(2) allows central and state governments to prevent the transmission of messaging during a public emergency or in the interest of public safety or in the interests of the sovereignty and integrity of India etc.
    • This act stipulates that only the Home Secretary of the Union or a state can pass an order, and that the order must include the reasons for the decision.
    • Under this the government has the power to block the transmission of messages during a public emergency or for public safety.

    Need for Internet Shutdowns

    • Civil unrest: Internet serves as a medium for the transmission of information through pictures, videos and text that have the potential to cause civil unrest and exacerbate the law and order.
    • Fake news: Shutdowns in order to block the flow of information about government actions or to end communication among activists and prevent the spread of rumors and fake news.
    • Rumors: Shutdown helps prevent the “spreading of rumors and misinformation using social media platforms which can hinder peace and law and order”.
    • Preventive Response: Cutting off the Internet is both an early and preventive response to block restive groups to organize riots against the Government.
    • National Interest: The Internet cannot be independent of national sovereignty. Therefore, the necessary regulation of the internet is a reasonable choice of sovereign countries based on national interests.

    Issues with the Kashmir Shutdown

    • Arbitrary: The Internet shutdown in Kashmir was is often alleged to be non-compliant with the Rules.
    • Unnecessary: The Rules require the suspension to be temporary; also, the orders did not provide reasons for the restrictions.
    • Discriminatory: Shutdowns in Kashmir often led to obstruction for essential services such as e-banking and hospitals.

    Supreme Court Judgment on Internet Shutdowns

    • The court ordered the government to review its order, ruling that the freedom of speech and trade on the Internet is a fundamental right under Article 19.
    • Non-recognition of technology within the sphere of law is only a disservice to the inevitable.
    • The court said that because the Rules require the order to be in accordance with Section 5(2) of The Telegraph Act, the order must be during a “public emergency” or in the “interest of public safety”.
    • Also, the suspension must be “necessary” and “unavoidable”.
    • In furtherance of the same, the State must assess the existence of an alternate less intrusive remedy,” the court said.

    Legal basis for Right to Internet

    • The access to the Internet is a right very similar to what the Supreme Court held with respect to the right to privacy in Justice K.S. Puttaswamy.
    • The Human Rights Council of the United Nations Resolution dated July 2, 2018, on the promotion, protection and enjoyment of human rights on the Internet, made important declarations.
    • It noted with concern the various forms of undue restriction on freedom of opinion and expression online, including where countries have manipulated or suppressed online expression in violation of international law.

    Why is the Internet a necessity?

    • Information: While the Internet is certainly the main source of information and communication and access to social media, it is so much more than that.
    • Education: It is a mode of access to education for students who do courses and take exams online. Access to the Internet is important to facilitate the promotion and enjoyment of the right to education.
    • Livelihood: People working in the technology-based gig economy — like the thousands of delivery workers for depend on the Internet for their livelihoods.
    • Healthcare: It is also a mode to access to health care for those who avail of health services online. 

    Dysfunctions created by shutdowns

    [1] Economic impact

    • While there is no proven benefit of closing down the internet, there are serious economic repercussions.
    • A report by the Brookings Institute adjudged India to have topped the list by incurring losses to the tune of $968 million in 2016 itself.
    • Over the past five years, some 16,000 hours of Internet shutdowns cost the economy a little over $3 billion, according to estimates in a report by the Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations (ICRIER).

    [2] Governance hurdles

    • In Sept. 2018, the Dept. of Telecommunication had acknowledged the adverse impact of a rising number of internet shutdowns that State governments are ordering.
    • The Govt. has embarked upon a programme to deliver services through mobile and internet apart from promoting a cashless economy.
    • Neither banking transactions using credit and debit cards nor internet banking can be done, which leads to hardships to common citizens.

    Way Forward

    • Internet shutdowns should be used as the option of the last resort.
    • There exists no qualitative or quantitative evidence to show that internet shutdowns are effective tools to restore normalcy.
    • In fact, the internet itself can be used to resolve the problem.
    • For example, the Government can have verified sources to spread legitimate information across various mediums stating areas that are safe/affected the updated status of the situation, etc.
    • State interests like security are important because they are the prerequisites for us to exercise our freedoms. However, in pursuing this, the freedoms themselves cannot be suspended.
    • Therefore, the government needs to clearly lay down a comprehensive framework, stating the conditions behind such Internet shutdowns.

    Conclusion

    • It is time that we recognize that the right to access to the Internet is indeed a fundamental right within our constitutional guarantees.
    • The Internet is pretty much a basic human right, even if not legally defined as such, for most parts of the world — without access to the virtual world, a very large number of vital human activities simply stops.
  • UPSC-CSE New Year Resolution|| Jan to Jun UPSC-CSE Prelims Calendar & How to Choose the Right Optional for Mains?|| Free Live Webinar with Civilsdaily Mentor  Ranadheer Ravula|| Limited Seats, Register Now

    UPSC-CSE New Year Resolution|| Jan to Jun UPSC-CSE Prelims Calendar & How to Choose the Right Optional for Mains?|| Free Live Webinar with Civilsdaily Mentor Ranadheer Ravula|| Limited Seats, Register Now

    2021 surely sped by quickly for UPSC aspirants and now there’s only three more days left to welcome the new year. Every new year brings us new hopes, and every UPSC aspirant wishes that that they clear the exam that very year.

    If you are appearing for UPSC-CSE 2022 exams, you might have completed your entire prelims and mains syllabus right now. So what are you going to be doing January onwards? How are you going to switch to a prelims focused approach till June?

    Are you feeling low that you are unable to get the required cut-off marks in your test series. Worry not, for about 65% of the UPSC toppers have said that they scored below cut-off marks till December. But by June, they were able to boost their marks to get through the prelims hurdle. How did they do this?

    Free Open to All Webinar by Civilsdaily Mentor Ranadheer Ravula

    Our Civilsdaily mentor, Ranadheer sir will be providing a fool proof time-table on how to devote your time for the upcoming prelims exams from January onwards. This will include a month-by-month outlook as well.

    Preparing ahead will help you stay focused, determined and consistent in your UPSC preparation as opposed to deciding impulsively. It takes a lot of efforts to plan the right schedule for the upcoming prelims exams. Sometimes, you will be second guessing and wondering what others are upto. Ranadheer sir will use his expertise to break down your preparation into phases.

    Additionally he will speak about the 6 ways to find the right optional for you. The right optional is always subjective, however the process of finding out an optional that’s easy to understand (for you) and is a scoring subject (by UPSC standards) is objective.

    Want to know how is the January month timetable? Then fill the form & register below

    Key Takeaways of Free Live Webinar with Ranadheer Sir

    1. How to revise 2 years of Prelims Current Affairs in the last 6 months?

    2. How to go a day without studying yet take frequent breaks in a day?

    3. Is it advisable to increase the number of study hours as the exam nears?

    4. How to speed read all the books once again?

    5. How many test series should one take before exams?

    6. What are the 6 things to keep in mind before choosing an Optional that can change your fortunes?

    7. What are the additional sources and books that can help you score above cut-off marks?

    Webinar Details

    Don’t miss the chance to get value addition inputs to score better in the examination! This webinar is absolutely free. All aspirants are welcome to attend.

    Date – 31 December 2021 (Friday)

    Time – 6:00 P.M.

    Limited slots are available. Please register immediately.

  • UPSC-CSE New Year Resolution|| Jan to Jun UPSC-CSE Prelims Calendar & How to Choose the Right Optional for Mains?|| Free Live Webinar with Civilsdaily Mentor  Ranadheer Ravula|| Limited Seats, Register Now

    UPSC-CSE New Year Resolution|| Jan to Jun UPSC-CSE Prelims Calendar & How to Choose the Right Optional for Mains?|| Free Live Webinar with Civilsdaily Mentor Ranadheer Ravula|| Limited Seats, Register Now

    2021 surely sped by quickly for UPSC aspirants and now there’s only three more days left to welcome the new year. Every new year brings us new hopes, and every UPSC aspirant wishes that that they clear the exam that very year.

    If you are appearing for UPSC-CSE 2022 exams, you might have completed your entire prelims and mains syllabus right now. So what are you going to be doing January onwards? How are you going to switch to a prelims focused approach till June?

    Are you feeling low that you are unable to get the required cut-off marks in your test series. Worry not, for about 65% of the UPSC toppers have said that they scored below cut-off marks till December. But by June, they were able to boost their marks to get through the prelims hurdle. How did they do this?

    Free Open to All Webinar by Civilsdaily Mentor Ranadheer Ravula

    Our Civilsdaily mentor, Ranadheer sir will be providing a fool proof time-table on how to devote your time for the upcoming prelims exams from January onwards. This will include a month-by-month outlook as well.

    Preparing ahead will help you stay focused, determined and consistent in your UPSC preparation as opposed to deciding impulsively. It takes a lot of efforts to plan the right schedule for the upcoming prelims exams. Sometimes, you will be second guessing and wondering what others are upto. Ranadheer sir will use his expertise to break down your preparation into phases.

    Additionally he will speak about the 6 ways to find the right optional for you. The right optional is always subjective, however the process of finding out an optional that’s easy to understand (for you) and is a scoring subject (by UPSC standards) is objective.

    Want to know how is the January month timetable? Then fill the form & register below

    Key Takeaways of Free Live Webinar with Ranadheer Sir

    1. How to revise 2 years of Prelims Current Affairs in the last 6 months?

    2. How to go a day without studying yet take frequent breaks in a day?

    3. Is it advisable to increase the number of study hours as the exam nears?

    4. How to speed read all the books once again?

    5. How many test series should one take before exams?

    6. What are the 6 things to keep in mind before choosing an Optional that can change your fortunes?

    7. What are the additional sources and books that can help you score above cut-off marks?

    Webinar Details

    Don’t miss the chance to get value addition inputs to score better in the examination! This webinar is absolutely free. All aspirants are welcome to attend.

    Date – 31 December 2021 (Friday)

    Time – 6:00 P.M.

    Limited slots are available. Please register immediately.

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

    GS Papers:

    Topics for Today’s questions:

    GS-1    Distribution of key natural resources across the world (including South Asia and the Indian subcontinent)

    GS-2    Parliament and State legislatures

    GS-3    Cyber Security

    GS-4    Case Studies

    Question 1)

     

    Q.1 Despite being mineral-rich, the Eastern states of India have failed to register expected growth and social indices. Examine the causes for this failure and suggest remedial measures. (10 Marks)

     

    Question 2)

    Q.2 ‘Once a speaker, Always a speaker’! Do you think the practise should be adopted to impart objectivity to the office of the Speaker of Lok Sabha? What could be its implications for the robust functioning of parliamentary business in India? (10 Marks)

    Question 3)

    Q.3 Discuss different types of cybercrimes and measures required to be taken to fight the menace. (10 Marks)

    Question 4)  

    Q.4 You are representing India in an international bidding for oil exploration in a country. Other, richer countries are also bidding for the project. You are sure that your bid of exploration is better as well as cheaper than that of others, and that you will definitely win the bid. A day before the auction, you come to know that other countries are employing every means, including bribing the authorities for being successful. Some of the officials of the home country have also contacted you and made some demands in exchange for assurance of India winning the bid. You are aware of the criticality of this bid in terms of domestic economic and strategic implications. Based on above information, answer the following questions. (a) Specify the ethical dilemma(s) that you face in this situation. (b) Do ethical concerns really matter in international transactions or are they secondary to domestic interests? (c) What will be your course of action in the above situation? Justify with merits and demerits. (20 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-CSE New Year Resolution || Jan to Jun UPSC-CSE Prelims Calendar & How to Choose the Right Optional for Mains? || Free Live Webinar with Civilsdaily Mentor  Ranadheer Ravula|| Limited Seats, Register Now

    UPSC-CSE New Year Resolution || Jan to Jun UPSC-CSE Prelims Calendar & How to Choose the Right Optional for Mains? || Free Live Webinar with Civilsdaily Mentor Ranadheer Ravula|| Limited Seats, Register Now

    2021 surely sped by quickly for UPSC aspirants and now there’s only three more days left to welcome the new year. Every new year brings us new hopes, and every UPSC aspirant wishes that that they clear the exam that very year.

    If you are appearing for UPSC-CSE 2022 exams, you might have completed your entire prelims and mains syllabus right now. So what are you going to be doing January onwards? How are you going to switch to a prelims focused approach till June?

    Are you feeling low that you are unable to get the required cut-off marks in your test series. Worry not, for about 65% of the UPSC toppers have said that they scored below cut-off marks till December. But by June, they were able to boost their marks to get through the prelims hurdle. How did they do this?

    Free Open to All Webinar by Civilsdaily Mentor Ranadheer Ravula

    Our Civilsdaily mentor, Ranadheer sir will be providing a fool proof time-table on how to devote your time for the upcoming prelims exams from January onwards. This will include a month-by-month outlook as well.

    Preparing ahead will help you stay focused, determined and consistent in your UPSC preparation as opposed to deciding impulsively. It takes a lot of efforts to plan the right schedule for the upcoming prelims exams. Sometimes, you will be second guessing and wondering what others are upto. Ranadheer sir will use his expertise to break down your preparation into phases.

    Additionally he will speak about the 6 ways to find the right optional for you. The right optional is always subjective, however the process of finding out an optional that’s easy to understand (for you) and is a scoring subject (by UPSC standards) is objective.

    Want to know how is the January month timetable? Then fill the form & register below

    Key Takeaways of Free Live Webinar with Ranadheer Sir

    1. How to revise 2 years of Prelims Current Affairs in the last 6 months?

    2. How to go a day without studying yet take frequent breaks in a day?

    3. Is it advisable to increase the number of study hours as the exam nears?

    4. How to speed read all the books once again?

    5. How many test series should one take before exams?

    6. What are the 6 things to keep in mind before choosing an Optional that can change your fortunes?

    7. What are the additional sources and books that can help you score above cut-off marks?

    Webinar Details

    Don’t miss the chance to get value addition inputs to score better in the examination! This webinar is absolutely free. All aspirants are welcome to attend.

    Date – 31 December 2021 (Friday)

    Time – 6:00 P.M.

    Limited slots are available. Please register immediately.

  • Increase your 2021 GS Mains Marks by Following Civilsdaily Free Value Added Material || A Compilation of Subject-Wise Data, Indices & Statistics|| Register Now to Claim Your Handbook

    Increase your 2021 GS Mains Marks by Following Civilsdaily Free Value Added Material || A Compilation of Subject-Wise Data, Indices & Statistics|| Register Now to Claim Your Handbook

    All Mains Recommended Aspirants, here is the good news! Civilsdaily is providing a free compilation of the topic-wise data and statistics that will help you write better answers for Mains 2022 examination. If you have difficulty remembering facts, you can use this handbook as a revision material.

    We all know how an aspirant can create a good impression and get the extra 2-4 marks in their papers when they write an introduction and conclusion with solid data. The statistics, reports & indices complied by Civilsdaily is based on the past 1-2 year survey and committee reports.

    The topics range from Education, Employment, Labour & MSME’s , Infrastructure, Population and Security.

  • How to Prepare Current Affairs for Core Subjects?|| Decoding the UPSC-CSE Current Affairs Puzzle|| Register for Samanvaya Free 1-on-1 Counselling Now

    How to Prepare Current Affairs for Core Subjects?|| Decoding the UPSC-CSE Current Affairs Puzzle|| Register for Samanvaya Free 1-on-1 Counselling Now

    Are you finding Current Affairs for UPSC-CSE to be a time-consuming affair? Do you either spend the entire day reading only current affairs or skip reading it for many days? Is there a lack of clarity while answering current affairs questions? Do you want to know the right approach to prepare for UPSC-CSE Current affairs without wasting time on trial and error? Then it’s time you filled the Samanvaya form for free 1-on-1 counselling session with an experienced faculty from Civilsdaily!

    Current Affairs for UPSC-CSE doesn’t only test an aspirant’s basic understanding, but their ability to critically analyze and remember certain very important details. It requires you to do match the following — you need to match the topic in your UPSC syllabus with the current affairs as you read. For example, India has placed an anti-dumping duty recently on China to protect it’s local manufacturers from cheap imports. This news is related to GS 3 Economics and comes under Foreign Trade topic.

    But that’s not all. Current Affairs is the key component that you cannot do without in all the 3 stages of your UPSC-CSE preparation — Prelims, Mains and Interview. And the way you are supposed to prepare for current affairs under each stage varies. You have to remember facts for Prelims, understand the background, challenges and the solutions of current events for Mains and for Interview you should be able to drive meaningful discussions with your current affairs knowledge. Hence, simply reading a newspaper cannot help you ace current affairs for UPSC-CSE.

    Unlike popular notion, importance of current affairs isn’t decreasing in UPSC-CSE papers. Rather, it’s become a part and parcel of every topic in the Core Subjects like Economy, Polity, Science and Environment. Let’s understand this with a question asked in UPSC-CSE Mains 2020 —

    Which steps are required for constitutionalization of a commission? Do you think imparting constitutionality to the National Commission for Women would ensure greater gender justice and empowerment in India? Give reasons.

    This question needs you to have current knowledge on government policies/interventions, constitutional and non-constitutional bodies, constitutional provisions and issues related to developmental and management of social sectors. That’s totally 4 topics for one answer!

    Remembering current affairs indices for Prelims MCQs & using them to substantiate answers in Mains is crucial to get marks above cut-off.

    Why Samanvaya for UPSC-CSE Current Affairs Preparation?

    In UPSC 2020, Civilsdaily helped 80+ students secure ranks in their exams. In the top 100, every 3rd ranker was a Civilsdaily student.

     A very recent success story would be Vishwa Shah, student of Civilsdaily Mentor, Sukanya Ma’am. Vishwa has cleared the GPSC exam to become the Deputy Superintendent of Police in Gujarat. He has penned a thank-you note yesterday. Heartiest Congratulations to Vishwa!

    One of our other Civilsdaily Student, Shubham Nagargoje cleared the exams in 2020 to become an IPS Officer. Shubham was gracious enough to let us know how he felt about Civilsdaily Samanvaya Guidance under Parth sir.

    To know how all of them cleared the exam with our mentorship, visit the Unherd Podcast.

    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.

    Be it Telegram, Whatsapp or Habitiat channels, they are always available and clear student’s doubts in a turnaround time of 24 Hours.

    Why Civilsdaily Mentors are the GPS for Your UPSC-CSE Preparation

    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.

    See the source image

    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.

    How are Current Civilsdaily Students Gearing up for UPSC-CSE 2022?

    Initially, our Civilsdaily student Smriti wasn’t confident about Prelims when she began her preparation. Though she had joined Civilsdaily in 2020, she started studying for UPSC-CSE back in 2019. At that time, Smriti had enrolled in multiple institutes. Though, most of these institutes had promised a personal mentor, she was unable to get in touch with them on a daily basis. Also those mentors never scheduled test-series on a weekly basis. Hence, despite preparing for a year, Smriti had scored only 35 marks out of 200 in her first test series by Civilsdaily.

    She then started writing 20-25 test series over the course of UAP 2021 and in her last test, her scores have drastically improved. She now scores in the range of 130-135 marks in prelims’ and 110+ in mains’ papers.

    In Smriti’s own words she describes her Samanvaya Mentorship Experience to be —

    Our parents provide us financial and emotional support, friends provide us moral support and the right mentor gives you logistic and logical support for UPSC. There are days when I felt I won’t be able to compete against lakhs of aspirants. That’s when my mentor, Ravi sir reminded me of my improvement and encouraged me that I can crack it with the same consistency. We need someone, who tells us we are performing well especially when we cannot see that ourselves. The mentorship at Civilsdaily helped me become mentally stronger as a person. In other institutes, mentors are allotted only for doubt resolution. But at Civilsdaily, I am getting end-to-end mentorship via value added notes, classes, test series and detailed evaluation.”

    Similarly our another Civilsdaily student, Ashish sums up his Samanvaya experience with Civilsdaily mentor, Pravin Sir, “Because of Pravin sir’s support, I am able to understand a topic in lesser time.”

    This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is ashish.jpg

    This is how Pravin sir evaluates Ashish’s Mains Test Series every week. After every test series evaluation, Pravin sir schedules a 1 hour call to discuss how Ashish can improve his marks and the sources he can refer for key topics.

    It’s Your Turn Get the Free 40 Min Counselling Session By a CD Mentor

    At the core of Samanvaya lies the fact that each one of you will have a unique journey while preparing for the exam. Some will get through on the first attempt without much effort while others will take both more time and more effort.

    We want to understand you better to help you optimize your journey so you can focus on the right things and not waste time on the wrong ones. We are asking you to tap into the valuable experiences of mentors who underwent the same grind and realize the pitfalls and understand the shortcuts to make it.

    In the first counselling session, we will understand your weaknesses. Over 80% of students who claimed to have revised NCERTs twice were unable to answer basic questions. Many were not comfortable with at least 1 GS subject and Optional. Many struggled with ‘What went wrong’ after 2-3 years of hard work. Our mentors will provide free preliminary assignments so that we can assess your preparedness and suggest accurate strategies. We then help you to stick to one plan or strategy throughout your preparation.

    Samanvaya Code of Conduct to be followed

    However, before you fill the form and get your first 30 minute counselling with us for free, please keep in mind the following —

    • Be honest with your mentors about your preparation levels and stage.
    • Follow their advice and participate in tests and assignments that they set for you
    • Stay active in the telegram groups, ask doubts, don’t hold yourself back.
    • Don’t expect spoonfeeding. You have to drive the initiative.

  • Interested in Group Studies with Peers for UPSC-CSE?|| Want to get an Offline Edge in an Online Platform?|| Then, Join the Free Civilsdaily Mentor-Led Telegram Channel || LINK INSIDE

    Group Studies for UPSC-CSE has it’s pros and cons. At it’s best, you are exposed to highly competitive and helpful aspirants who will share their knowledge and resources with you. You also get to discuss and debate on important current affairs issues with like-minded peers. When everyone transparently shares their marks, you get motivated to perform better. You will also understand easy ways to complete your preparation from another person.

    But, many a times this ideal is not achieved and group studies initiatives fail. This is because there is no one to lead the group and provide a structured agenda for everyone to follow. Every aspirant is busy, wrapped up in their own schedule that they don’t meet up often.

    At Civilsdaily, we are bridging this gap and turning the ideal to reality. Our mentors lead the telegram channels and give a direction for all aspirants to contribute. Doubts are resolved, notes are shared, timetable is laid out for everyone to complete.

    Our Telegram Channel will Have these 6 Aspects

    1. Daily Mains Sessions in the Morning

    2. Daily Prelims Session in the Evening

    3. Detailed Timetable

    4. Daily Accountability

    5. Material sharing by peer group members

    6. Doubt Resolution by Mentors

    How to Join Civilsdaily Telegram Channel?

    Join via the below link or scan the QR Code: https://t.me/+Ue3sJymgwXDQq1fj

  • How to Prepare Current Affairs for Core Subjects?|| Decoding the UPSC-CSE Current Affairs Puzzle|| Register for Samanvaya Free 1-on-1 Counselling Now

    How to Prepare Current Affairs for Core Subjects?|| Decoding the UPSC-CSE Current Affairs Puzzle|| Register for Samanvaya Free 1-on-1 Counselling Now

    Are you finding Current Affairs for UPSC-CSE to be a time-consuming affair? Do you either spend the entire day reading only current affairs or skip reading it for many days? Is there a lack of clarity while answering current affairs questions? Do you want to know the right approach to prepare for UPSC-CSE Current affairs without wasting time on trial and error? Then it’s time you filled the Samanvaya form for free 1-on-1 counselling session with an experienced faculty from Civilsdaily!

    Current Affairs for UPSC-CSE doesn’t only test an aspirant’s basic understanding, but their ability to critically analyze and remember certain very important details. It requires you to do match the following — you need to match the topic in your UPSC syllabus with the current affairs as you read. For example, India has placed an anti-dumping duty recently on China to protect it’s local manufacturers from cheap imports. This news is related to GS 3 Economics and comes under Foreign Trade topic.

    But that’s not all. Current Affairs is the key component that you cannot do without in all the 3 stages of your UPSC-CSE preparation — Prelims, Mains and Interview. And the way you are supposed to prepare for current affairs under each stage varies. You have to remember facts for Prelims, understand the background, challenges and the solutions of current events for Mains and for Interview you should be able to drive meaningful discussions with your current affairs knowledge. Hence, simply reading a newspaper cannot help you ace current affairs for UPSC-CSE.

    Unlike popular notion, importance of current affairs isn’t decreasing in UPSC-CSE papers. Rather, it’s become a part and parcel of every topic in the Core Subjects like Economy, Polity, Science and Environment. Let’s understand this with a question asked in UPSC-CSE Mains 2020 —

    Which steps are required for constitutionalization of a commission? Do you think imparting constitutionality to the National Commission for Women would ensure greater gender justice and empowerment in India? Give reasons.

    This question needs you to have current knowledge on government policies/interventions, constitutional and non-constitutional bodies, constitutional provisions and issues related to developmental and management of social sectors. That’s totally 4 topics for one answer!

    Remembering current affairs indices for Prelims MCQs & using them to substantiate answers in Mains is crucial to get marks above cut-off.

    Why Samanvaya for UPSC-CSE Current Affairs Preparation?

    In UPSC 2020, Civilsdaily helped 80+ students secure ranks in their exams. In the top 100, every 3rd ranker was a Civilsdaily student.

     A very recent success story would be Vishwa Shah, student of Civilsdaily Mentor, Sukanya Ma’am. Vishwa has cleared the GPSC exam to become the Deputy Superintendent of Police in Gujarat. He has penned a thank-you note yesterday. Heartiest Congratulations to Vishwa!

    One of our other Civilsdaily Student, Shubham Nagargoje cleared the exams in 2020 to become an IPS Officer. Shubham was gracious enough to let us know how he felt about Civilsdaily Samanvaya Guidance under Parth sir.

    To know how all of them cleared the exam with our mentorship, visit the Unherd Podcast.

    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.

    Be it Telegram, Whatsapp or Habitiat channels, they are always available and clear student’s doubts in a turnaround time of 24 Hours.

    Why Civilsdaily Mentors are the GPS for Your UPSC-CSE Preparation

    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.

    See the source image

    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.

    How are Current Civilsdaily Students Gearing up for UPSC-CSE 2022?

    Initially, our Civilsdaily student Smriti wasn’t confident about Prelims when she began her preparation. Though she had joined Civilsdaily in 2020, she started studying for UPSC-CSE back in 2019. At that time, Smriti had enrolled in multiple institutes. Though, most of these institutes had promised a personal mentor, she was unable to get in touch with them on a daily basis. Also those mentors never scheduled test-series on a weekly basis. Hence, despite preparing for a year, Smriti had scored only 35 marks out of 200 in her first test series by Civilsdaily.

    She then started writing 20-25 test series over the course of UAP 2021 and in her last test, her scores have drastically improved. She now scores in the range of 130-135 marks in prelims’ and 110+ in mains’ papers.

    In Smriti’s own words she describes her Samanvaya Mentorship Experience to be —

    Our parents provide us financial and emotional support, friends provide us moral support and the right mentor gives you logistic and logical support for UPSC. There are days when I felt I won’t be able to compete against lakhs of aspirants. That’s when my mentor, Ravi sir reminded me of my improvement and encouraged me that I can crack it with the same consistency. We need someone, who tells us we are performing well especially when we cannot see that ourselves. The mentorship at Civilsdaily helped me become mentally stronger as a person. In other institutes, mentors are allotted only for doubt resolution. But at Civilsdaily, I am getting end-to-end mentorship via value added notes, classes, test series and detailed evaluation.”

    Similarly our another Civilsdaily student, Ashish sums up his Samanvaya experience with Civilsdaily mentor, Pravin Sir, “Because of Pravin sir’s support, I am able to understand a topic in lesser time.”

    This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is ashish.jpg

    This is how Pravin sir evaluates Ashish’s Mains Test Series every week. After every test series evaluation, Pravin sir schedules a 1 hour call to discuss how Ashish can improve his marks and the sources he can refer for key topics.

    It’s Your Turn Get the Free 40 Min Counselling Session By a CD Mentor

    At the core of Samanvaya lies the fact that each one of you will have a unique journey while preparing for the exam. Some will get through on the first attempt without much effort while others will take both more time and more effort.

    We want to understand you better to help you optimize your journey so you can focus on the right things and not waste time on the wrong ones. We are asking you to tap into the valuable experiences of mentors who underwent the same grind and realize the pitfalls and understand the shortcuts to make it.

    In the first counselling session, we will understand your weaknesses. Over 80% of students who claimed to have revised NCERTs twice were unable to answer basic questions. Many were not comfortable with at least 1 GS subject and Optional. Many struggled with ‘What went wrong’ after 2-3 years of hard work. Our mentors will provide free preliminary assignments so that we can assess your preparedness and suggest accurate strategies. We then help you to stick to one plan or strategy throughout your preparation.

    Samanvaya Code of Conduct to be followed

    However, before you fill the form and get your first 30 minute counselling with us for free, please keep in mind the following —

    • Be honest with your mentors about your preparation levels and stage.
    • Follow their advice and participate in tests and assignments that they set for you
    • Stay active in the telegram groups, ask doubts, don’t hold yourself back.
    • Don’t expect spoonfeeding. You have to drive the initiative.

  • UPSC Alert|| Last 10 days for Mains!! Use these 20 Best Answer Writing Practices to Boost your GS score by 20 marks|| By 2017 UPSC GS Topper Sajal Sir

    Do you know that toppers use certain techniques of answer-writing to score higher marks? Are you aware of the PESTLE approach or the 7-5-3 technique of answer writing? If not, then this video by Sajal Sir will be helpful

    https://youtu.be/b_KUYPgrHJI

    Sajal sir in the past 7 years has mentored over 400 students who went onto become UPSC toppers. Apart from this, his course SMASH Mains 2020 had a turnover of 80% interview recommended candidates.

    This is how the UPSC Toppers scored in test series before Sajal sir’s intervention —

    Karishma-Nair(AIR-14)-Answers Before Feedback From CD

    Pooja-Gupta(AIR-42)-Answers Before Feedback From CD

    Pranav-Vijay-(AIR-65)- Answers Before Feedback From CD

    Lakshay-Kumar-(AIR -132)-Answers Before Feedback From CD

    Ponmani-Nehru(AIR-148)-Answers Before Feedback From CD

    They had tried everything but were not able to score high in the exams. From their approach to answering to the body of answers, they faced problems. They faced problems with things like putting proper headings, how to frame dimensions, introductions, conclusions, etc. They never even got the right feedback which could have helped them!

    And this is how they improved after learning the best answer writing practices from him 

    Karishma-Nair(AIR-14)-Answers After Feedback From CD

    Pooja-Gupta (AIR-42)-Answers After Feedback From CD

    Pranav-Vijay (AIR -65) – Answers After Feedback From CD

    Lakshay-Kumar-(AIR -132)-Answers After Feedback From CD

    Ponmani-Nehru(AIR-148)-Answers After Feedback From CD

    If you wish to learn and unlearn certain reading and writing habits at the last minute, then this video will be useful for you.

  • 28th December 2021| Daily Answer Writing Enhancement(AWE)

    GS Papers:

    Topics for Today’s questions:

    GS-1     Salient features of world’s physical geography

    GS-2    Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting  India’s interests.

    GS-3    Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment.

    GS-4    Probity in Governance: Information sharing and_ transparency in government, Right to Information, Codes of Ethics, Codes of Conduct, Citizen’s Charters, Work culture, Quality of service delivery, Utilization of public funds, challenges of corruption

    Question 1)

     

    Q.1 Explain the interconnectedness of Global Climate System with suitable examples. (10 Marks)

     

    Question 2)

    Q.2 India continues to have high equity in Myanmar, which it must now carefully leverage. In the context of this, examine India’s position on the current political situation in Myanmar and what are bilateral concerns between the two countries. (10 Marks)

    Question 3)

    Q.3 The Environment Ministry published draft regulations on Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR). Examine the issues with the regulations and suggest the way forward. (10 Marks)

    Question 4)  

    Q.4 Ethics is the first line of defence against corruption while law enforcement is remedial and reactive. Examine the statement with suitable examples. (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: 

  • Decoding the UPSC-CSE Current Affairs Puzzle|| How to Prepare Current Affairs for Core Subjects in UPSC-CSE?|| Register for Samanvaya Free 1-on-1 Counselling Now

    Decoding the UPSC-CSE Current Affairs Puzzle|| How to Prepare Current Affairs for Core Subjects in UPSC-CSE?|| Register for Samanvaya Free 1-on-1 Counselling Now

    Are you finding Current Affairs for UPSC-CSE to be a time-consuming affair? Do you either only read current affairs the entire day, or skip it for many days? Are you facing difficulty in having clarity of thoughts on a topic to interpret the questions and answer them quickly? Do you want to know the right approach to prepare for UPSC-CSE Current affairs without wasting time on trial and error? Then it’s time you filled the Samanvaya form for free 1-on-1 counselling session with an experienced faculty from Civilsdaily!

    Current Affairs for UPSC-CSE doesn’t only test an aspirant’s basic understanding, but their ability to critically analyze and remember certain very important details. It requires you to do match the following — you need to match the topic in your UPSC syllabus with the current affairs you read. For example, India has placed an anti-dumping duty recently on China to protect it’s local manufacturers from cheap imports. This news is related to GS 3 Economics and comes under Foreign Trade topic.

    But that’s not all. Current Affairs is the key component that you cannot do without in all the stages of your UPSC-CSE preparation — Prelims, Mains and Interview. And the way you are supposed to prepare for current affairs under each stage varies. You have to remember facts for Prelims, understand the background, challenges and the solutions of current events for Mains and for Interview you should be able to drive meaningful discussions with your current affairs knowledge. Hence, simply reading a newspaper cannot help you ace current affairs for UPSC-CSE.

    Unlike popular notion, importance of current affairs isn’t decreasing for UPSC-CSE. Rather it’s now tightly woven in whatever you read for your Core Subjects like Economy, Polity, Science and Environment. Let’s understand this with a question asked in UPSC-CSE Mains 2020 —

    Which steps are required for constitutionalization of a commission? Do you think imparting constitutionality to the National Commission for Women would ensure greater gender justice and empowerment in India? Give reasons.

    This question needs you to have current knowledge on government policies/interventions, constitutional and non-constitutional bodies, constitutional provisions and issues related to developmental and management of social sectors. That’s totally 4 topics for one answer!

    Why Samanvaya for UPSC-CSE Current Affairs Preparation?

    In UPSC 2020, Civilsdaily helped 80+ students secure ranks in their exams. In the top 100, every 3rd ranker was a Civilsdaily student.

     A very recent example would be Vishwa Shah, student of Civilsdaily Mentor, Sukanya Ma’am. Vishwa has cleared the GPSC exam to become the Deputy Superintendent of Police. He has penned a thank-you note yesterday. Heartiest Congratulations to Vishwa!

    One of our other Civilsdaily Student, Shubham Nagargoje cleared the exams in 2020 to become an IPS Officer. Shubham was gracious enough to let us know how he felt about Civilsdaily Samanvaya Guidance under Parth sir.

    To know how all of them cleared the exam with our mentorship, visit the Unherd Podcast.

    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.

    Be it Telegram, Whatsapp or Habitiat channels, they are always available and clear student’s doubts in a turnaround time of 24 Hours.

    Why Civilsdaily Mentors are the GPS for UPSC-CSE Preparation

    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.

    See the source image

    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.

    How are Current Civilsdaily Students Gearing up for UPSC-CSE 2022?

    Initially, our Civilsdaily student Smriti wasn’t confident about Prelims when she began her preparation. Though she had joined Civilsdaily in 2020, she started studying for UPSC-CSE back in 2019. At that time, Smriti had enrolled in multiple institutes. Though, most of these institutes had promised a personal mentor, she was unable to get in touch with them on a daily basis. Also those mentors never scheduled test-series on a weekly basis. Hence, despite preparing for a year, Smriti had scored only 35 marks out of 200 in her first test series by Civilsdaily.

    She then started writing 20-25 test series over the course of UAP 2021 and in her last test, her scores have drastically improved. She now scores in the range of 130-135 marks in prelims’ and 110+ in mains’ papers.

    In Smriti’s own words she describes her Samanvaya Mentorship Experience to be —

    Our parents provide us financial and emotional support, friends provide us moral support and the right mentor gives you logistic and logical support for UPSC. There are days when I felt I won’t be able to compete against lakhs of aspirants. That’s when my mentor, Ravi sir reminded me of my improvement and encouraged me that I can crack it with the same consistency. We need someone, who tells us we are performing well especially when we cannot see that ourselves. The mentorship at Civilsdaily helped me become mentally stronger as a person. In other institutes, mentors are allotted only for doubt resolution. But at Civilsdaily, I am getting end-to-end support, be it value added notes, classes, test series and detailed evaluation.”

    Similarly our another Civilsdaily student, Ashish gives us his Samanvaya experience with Civilsdaily mentor, Pravin Sir, “Because of Pravin sir’s support, I am able to understand a topic in lesser time.”

    This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is ashish.jpg

    This is how Pravin sir evaluates Ashish’s Mains test series. After every test series evaluation Pravin sir also gives a 1 hour call to discuss how Ashish can improve his marks and the sources he can refer to for key topics.

    Get Your 40 Min Counselling Session to Decode Current Affairs for UPSC By a CD Mentor for Free

    At the core of Samanvaya lies the fact that each one of you will have a unique journey while preparing for the exam. Some will get through on the first attempt without much effort while others will take both more time and more effort.

    We want to understand you better to help you optimize your journey so you can focus on the right things and not waste time on the wrong ones. We are asking you to tap into the valuable experiences of mentors who underwent the same grind and realize the pitfalls and understand the shortcuts to make it.

    In the first counselling session, we will understand your weaknesses. Over 80% of students who claimed to have revised NCERTs twice were unable to answer basic questions. Many were not comfortable with at least 1 GS subject and Optional. Many struggled with ‘What went wrong’ after 2-3 years of hard work. Our mentors will provide free preliminary assignments so that we can assess your preparedness and suggest accurate strategies. We then help you to stick to one plan or strategy throughout your preparation.

    Samanvaya Code of Conduct to be followed

    However, before you fill the form and get your first 30 minute counselling with us for free, please keep in mind the following —

    • Be honest with your mentors about your preparation levels and stage.
    • Follow their advice and participate in tests and assignments that they set for you
    • Stay active in the telegram groups, ask doubts, don’t hold yourself back.
    • Don’t expect spoonfeeding. You have to drive the initiative.

  • MEETING LINK INSIDE, Register & Join||Free Live Webinar Discussion on Important Treaties, Policies, Conventions, Acts related to Environment & Ecology || Ask me Anything Session with Indian Forest Officer Aniket Wanve

    MEETING LINK INSIDE, Register & Join||Free Live Webinar Discussion on Important Treaties, Policies, Conventions, Acts related to Environment & Ecology || Ask me Anything Session with Indian Forest Officer Aniket Wanve

    “Ask Me Anything” with Aniket Wanve (IFoS, AIR 66) UPSC 2018, Himachal Pradesh cadre

    Date & Time: Dec 27, 2021 @07:00 PM (Log in starts 06:45 PM onwards) India

    Join Zoom Meeting
    https://zoom.us/j/97075806197pwd=c2ZGU00vdmloaUdZckhndWtPclVMUT09

    Meeting ID: 970 7580 6197
    Passcode: 020235

    If there was one visible change in UPSC CSE 2021, then its the high weightage of questions from Enviornment and Ecology. Most of the current affairs questions from Environment and Ecology are not from the last one year and one had to know about conventions and conferences held long time back. About 25-30% of the questions in GS Paper 3 in UPSC Mains are from this subject.

    Many aspirants make the mistake of assuming that Enviornment and Ecology is an easy subject as it tends to overlap with Geography and Science. Post 2013, with the introduction of separate Indian Forest Service Exams, the weightage for this subject has increased as well. Topics such as Biodiversity, Wildlife conservation, Pollution, Sustainable Development, Climate Change and International Organisations have the maximum questions asked.

    Free Open for All Webinar by Retired Indian Forest Officer Aniket Wanve

    If as a UPSC aspirant, you also want to appear for Indian Forest Exams and score better in Prelims and GS Paper 3, then this webinar is for you.

    Ankit Wanve IFoS is a two time UPSC-CSE interview candidate. He however cleared the Indian Forest Exam in his first attempt with an AIR 66 in 2018. He was able to do this, thanks to his strong engineering background. This goes to show that if not UPSC-CSE, there are other overlapping government examinations one can give a try.

    What will you learn from IFoS Aniket Wanve in this webinar?

    1. How is IFoS as an alternative career choice to Civil Services. What are the roles, responsibilities, perks and benefits Ankit of an IFoS officer?

    2. Forest and administration. Important conventions and clauses from exam point of view will be discussed.

    3. Issues of Climate Change. What are the important protocols passed by International Organisations?

    4. Current Affairs of Past One year related to Environment. What is happening in India with respect to this?

    5. How to prepare for Environment and Ecology for Prelims and Mains. How to connect concepts of Geography with Environment?

    6. Maximize your score in the Interview round. As a two-time interview what are Ankit Wanve’s suggestions?

    This live webinar for all students will also be interactive in nature with a Q&A session.

    Webinar Details

    Don’t miss the chance to get value addition inputs to score better in the examination! This webinar is absolutely free. All aspirants are welcome to attend.

    Date – 27th December 2021 (Monday)

    Time – 7 PM

    Limited slots are available. So please register ASAP.

  • Registrations Closing in 1 Hour, Webinar @ 7PM|| Environment for UPSC-CSE Prelims & Mains||Free Live Discussion on Important Treaties, Policies, Conventions, Acts related to Environment & Ecology || Ask me Anything Session with Indian Forest Officer Aniket Wanve|| Limited Slots, Register Now

    Registrations Closing in 1 Hour, Webinar @ 7PM|| Environment for UPSC-CSE Prelims & Mains||Free Live Discussion on Important Treaties, Policies, Conventions, Acts related to Environment & Ecology || Ask me Anything Session with Indian Forest Officer Aniket Wanve|| Limited Slots, Register Now

    If there was one visible change in UPSC CSE 2021, then its the high weightage of questions from Enviornment and Ecology. Most of the current affairs questions from Environment and Ecology are not from the last one year and one had to know about conventions and conferences held long time back. About 25-30% of the questions in GS Paper 3 in UPSC Mains are from this subject.

    Many aspirants make the mistake of assuming that Enviornment and Ecology is an easy subject as it tends to overlap with Geography and Science. Post 2013, with the introduction of separate Indian Forest Service Exams, the weightage for this subject has increased as well. Topics such as Biodiversity, Wildlife conservation, Pollution, Sustainable Development, Climate Change and International Organisations have the maximum questions asked.

    Free Open for All Webinar by Retired Indian Forest Officer Aniket Wanve

    If as a UPSC aspirant, you also want to appear for Indian Forest Exams and score better in Prelims and GS Paper 3, then this webinar is for you.

    Ankit Wanve IFoS is a two time UPSC-CSE interview candidate. He however cleared the Indian Forest Exam in his first attempt with an AIR 66 in 2018. He was able to do this, thanks to his strong engineering background. This goes to show that if not UPSC-CSE, there are other overlapping government examinations one can give a try.

    What will you learn from IFoS Aniket Wanve in this webinar?

    1. How is IFoS as an alternative career choice to Civil Services. What are the roles, responsibilities, perks and benefits Ankit of an IFoS officer?

    2. Forest and administration. Important conventions and clauses from exam point of view will be discussed.

    3. Issues of Climate Change. What are the important protocols passed by International Organisations?

    4. Current Affairs of Past One year related to Environment. What is happening in India with respect to this?

    5. How to prepare for Environment and Ecology for Prelims and Mains. How to connect concepts of Geography with Environment?

    6. Maximize your score in the Interview round. As a two-time interview what are Ankit Wanve’s suggestions?

    This live webinar for all students will also be interactive in nature with a Q&A session.

    Webinar Details

    Don’t miss the chance to get value addition inputs to score better in the examination! This webinar is absolutely free. All aspirants are welcome to attend.

    Date – 27th December 2021 (Monday)

    Time – 7 PM

    Limited slots are available. So please register ASAP.

  • Registrations Closing in 3 Hours, Webinar @ 7PM ||Environment for UPSC-CSE Prelims & Mains|| Free Live Webinar Environment for UPSC-CSE Prelims & Mains|| Discussion on Important Treaties, Policies, Conventions, Acts related to Environment & Ecology || Ask me Anything Session with Indian Forest Officer Aniket Wanve|| Limited Slots, Register Now

    Registrations Closing in 3 Hours, Webinar @ 7PM ||Environment for UPSC-CSE Prelims & Mains|| Free Live Webinar Environment for UPSC-CSE Prelims & Mains|| Discussion on Important Treaties, Policies, Conventions, Acts related to Environment & Ecology || Ask me Anything Session with Indian Forest Officer Aniket Wanve|| Limited Slots, Register Now

    If there was one visible change in UPSC CSE 2021, then its the high weightage of questions from Enviornment and Ecology. Most of the current affairs questions from Environment and Ecology are not from the last one year and one had to know about conventions and conferences held long time back. About 25-30% of the questions in GS Paper 3 in UPSC Mains are from this subject.

    Many aspirants make the mistake of assuming that Enviornment and Ecology is an easy subject as it tends to overlap with Geography and Science. Post 2013, with the introduction of separate Indian Forest Service Exams, the weightage for this subject has increased as well. Topics such as Biodiversity, Wildlife conservation, Pollution, Sustainable Development, Climate Change and International Organisations have the maximum questions asked.

    Free Open for All Webinar by Retired Indian Forest Officer Aniket Wanve

    If as a UPSC aspirant, you also want to appear for Indian Forest Exams and score better in Prelims and GS Paper 3, then this webinar is for you.

    Ankit Wanve IFoS is a two time UPSC-CSE interview candidate. He however cleared the Indian Forest Exam in his first attempt with an AIR 66 in 2018. He was able to do this, thanks to his strong engineering background. This goes to show that if not UPSC-CSE, there are other overlapping government examinations one can give a try.

    What will you learn from IFoS Aniket Wanve in this webinar?

    1. How is IFoS as an alternative career choice to Civil Services. What are the roles, responsibilities, perks and benefits Ankit of an IFoS officer?

    2. Forest and administration. Important conventions and clauses from exam point of view will be discussed.

    3. Issues of Climate Change. What are the important protocols passed by International Organisations?

    4. Current Affairs of Past One year related to Environment. What is happening in India with respect to this?

    5. How to prepare for Environment and Ecology for Prelims and Mains. How to connect concepts of Geography with Environment?

    6. Maximize your score in the Interview round. As a two-time interview what are Ankit Wanve’s suggestions?

    This live webinar for all students will also be interactive in nature with a Q&A session.

    Webinar Details

    Don’t miss the chance to get value addition inputs to score better in the examination! This webinar is absolutely free. All aspirants are welcome to attend.

    Date – 27th December 2021 (Monday)

    Time – 7 PM

    Limited slots are available. So please register ASAP.

  • 27th December 2021| Daily Answer Writing Enhancement(AWE)

    GS Papers:

    Topics for Today’s questions:

    GS-1     Social empowerment, communalism, regionalism and secularism

    GS-2    Issues related to Health and Education

    GS-3    Indian Economy, Application of Science and Technology in everyday life

    GS-4    Probity in Governance: Information sharing and_ transparency in government, Right to Information, Codes of Ethics, Codes of Conduct, Citizen’s Charters, Work culture, Quality of service delivery, Utilization of public funds, challenges of corruption

    Question 1)

     

    Q.1 Regional aspirations in the North East have been dominated by demands for autonomy, movements for secession, and opposition to ‘outsiders’. Discuss with relevant examples. (15 Marks)

     

    Question 2)

    Q.2 Over the past two decades, initiatives announced to extend health care coverage to the indigent sections have come under criticism due to their near-exclusive focus on hospitalisation (inpatient, IP) care and exclusion of outpatient health care. In light of this, examine the reasons for extending the coverage to inpatient care and challenges in doing so. (10 Marks)

    Question 3)

    Q.3 In India, the need of the times is thoughtful legislation and rigorous regulation of cryptocurrencies and crypto-assets that are already here and being used. In the context of this, examine the practices or legislative models that have been adopted by the other countries to regulate the cryptocurrencies and how can India adopt them. (10 Marks)

    Question 4)  

    Q.4 What do you understand by code of conduct? Discuss how it defers from code of ethics? (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: 

  • Registrations Closing Today, Webinar @ 7PM || Enviornment for UPSC-CSE Prelims & Mains|| Free Live Webinar Discussion on Important Treaties, Policies, Conventions, Acts related to Environment & Ecology || Ask me Anything Session with Indian Forest Officer Aniket Wanve

    Registrations Closing Today, Webinar @ 7PM || Enviornment for UPSC-CSE Prelims & Mains|| Free Live Webinar Discussion on Important Treaties, Policies, Conventions, Acts related to Environment & Ecology || Ask me Anything Session with Indian Forest Officer Aniket Wanve

    If there was one visible change in UPSC CSE 2021, then its the high weightage of questions from Enviornment and Ecology. Most of the current affairs questions from Environment and Ecology are not from the last one year and one had to know about conventions and conferences held long time back. About 25-30% of the questions in GS Paper 3 in UPSC Mains are from this subject.

    Many aspirants make the mistake of assuming that Enviornment and Ecology is an easy subject as it tends to overlap with Geography and Science. Post 2013, with the introduction of separate Indian Forest Service Exams, the weightage for this subject has increased as well. Topics such as Biodiversity, Wildlife conservation, Pollution, Sustainable Development, Climate Change and International Organisations have the maximum questions asked.

    Free Open for All Webinar by Retired Indian Forest Officer Aniket Wanve

    If as a UPSC aspirant, you also want to appear for Indian Forest Exams and score better in Prelims and GS Paper 3, then this webinar is for you.

    Ankit Wanve IFoS is a two time UPSC-CSE interview candidate. He however cleared the Indian Forest Exam in his first attempt with an AIR 66 in 2018. He was able to do this, thanks to his strong engineering background. This goes to show that if not UPSC-CSE, there are other overlapping government examinations one can give a try.

    What will you learn from IFoS Aniket Wanve in this webinar?

    1. How is IFoS as an alternative career choice to Civil Services. What are the roles, responsibilities, perks and benefits Ankit of an IFoS officer?

    2. Forest and administration. Important conventions and clauses from exam point of view will be discussed.

    3. Issues of Climate Change. What are the important protocols passed by International Organisations?

    4. Current Affairs of Past One year related to Environment. What is happening in India with respect to this?

    5. How to prepare for Environment and Ecology for Prelims and Mains. How to connect concepts of Geography with Environment?

    6. Maximize your score in the Interview round. As a two-time interview what are Ankit Wanve’s suggestions?

    This live webinar for all students will also be interactive in nature with a Q&A session.

    Webinar Details

    Don’t miss the chance to get value addition inputs to score better in the examination! This webinar is absolutely free. All aspirants are welcome to attend.

    Date – 27th December 2021 (Monday)

    Time – 7 PM

    Limited slots are available. So please register ASAP.

  • [Sansad TV] Perspective: All India Judicial Service

    Distribution:

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

    Context

    • There were reports of the Centre renewing attempts to build consensus with state governments and High Courts on setting of the AIJS.
    • However the government recently informed Parliament that only 2 states – Haryana and Mizoram, and two high courts, Tripura High Court and Sikkim High Court, are in favour of creating the AIJS.
    • As per govt data on High Courts, 13 have opposed the proposal, six have sought changes in it and others have not responded.

    All India Judicial Service (AIJS): A backgrounder

    • The AIJS is a reform push to centralize the recruitment of judges.
    • It would work at the level of additional district judges and district judges for all states.
    • In the same way that the UPSC conducts a central recruitment process and assigns successful candidates to cadres, judges of the lower judiciary are proposed to be recruited centrally and assigned to states.

    This idea has been debated in legal circles for decades, and remains contentious.

    How are district judges currently recruited?

    • Articles 233 and 234: These articles deal with the appointment of district judges, and place it in the domain of the states.
    • State PSC: The selection process is conducted by the State Public Service Commissions and the concerned HC since HCs exercise jurisdiction over the subordinate judiciary in the state.
    • Interview by HC judges panelists: They interview candidates after the exam and select them for an appointment.

    Why has the AIJS been proposed?

    The idea was to ensure:

    • Efficient subordinate judiciary
    • Address structural issues such as varying pay and remuneration across states
    • Fill vacancies faster
    • Ensure standard training across states

    Beginning of the debate

    • The idea of a centralized judicial service was first proposed in the Law Commission 1958 ‘Report on Reforms on Judicial Administration’.
    • It was proposed again in the Law Commission Report of 1978, which discussed delays and arrears of cases in the lower courts.
    • In 2006, the Parliamentary Standing Committee backed the idea of a pan-Indian judicial service, and also prepared a draft Bill.

    What is the judiciary’s view on the AIJS?

    • 1992: the Supreme Court directed the Centre to set up an AIJS in All India Judges’ Assam. vs Union of India
    • 1993: In review of the judgment, the court left the Centre at liberty to take the initiative on the issue.
    • 2017: The Supreme Court took suo motu cognizance of the issue of appointment of district judges, and mooted a “Central Selection Mechanism”.

    Need for AJIS

    • Huge vacancy of judges and delay in recruitment: Currently there are about 5400 vacant posts in lower judiciary across the country and a pendency of 2.78crore cases in lower judiciary.
    • Dearth of good quality judicial officers: The ever continuing decline in their qualityhas led to decline in the competence of overall judiciary.
    • Lack of finances: State judicial services are not attractive for ‘best talents’ due to low salaries, rewards and compensations by the state governments.
    • Lack of specialized training: Adjudication is a specialization which requires state of the art training institutes and professors but state institutes don’t allow such exposure to interns.
    • Discretion of a narrow body: The process of selecting a good judge is a difficult job and should not be left at the discretion of few persons (collegiums) however sagacious they may be.
    • Subjectivity in the process: Current judicial appointments suffer subjectivity, corruption and nepotism on the part of Collegium.

    Critical views on AJIS

    • Blow to federalism: AJIS is seen as an affront to federalism and an encroachment on the powers of states granted by the Constitution.
    • Language of Business: Language and representation, for example, are key concerns highlighted by states. Judicial business is conducted in regional languages, whi ch could be affected by central recruitment.
    • Quotas: A “national exam” risks shutting out those from less privileged backgrounds from being able to enter the judicial services.
    • Separation of power: The opposition is also based on the constitutional concept of the separation of powers.
    • Not a complete remedy: Additionally, legal experts have argued that the creation of AIJS will not address the structural issues plaguing the lower judiciary.
    • Mismanaged legal education: Curriculum followed by law universities, overseen by Bar Council of India, lacks effective standards barring few National Law Universities.

    Other limitations of AJIS

    • Legacy issues unaddressed: AIJS addresses neither the problem of disproportionately low pay nor unavailability of adequate judicial infrastructure in states nor the lack of career advancement.
    • Problem of local laws and customs: AIJS does not take into account the problem of local laws, practices and customs which vary widely across States, thus increasing the costs of training for judges selected through the mechanism.
    • Unnecessary bureaucratization: The argument that the centralization of recruitment processes through the UPSC automatically leads to a more efficient recruitment process is flawed and not a guarantee of a solution.

    Why is the government seeking to revive the idea of AIJS?

    • The government has targeted the reform of the lower judiciary in its effort to improve India’s Ease of Doing Business ranking.
    • It will act as efficient dispute resolution is one of the key indices in determining the rank.
    • AIJS is a step in the direction of ensuring an efficient lower judiciary.

    Centre’s argument for AJIS

    • The government has cited IAS officers’ examples.
    • It has argued that if a central mechanism can work for administrative services — IAS officers learn the language required for their cadre — it can work for judicial services too.

    Way forward

    In its report on Strategy for New India @75 which defines objectives for 2022-23, Niti Aayog suggested that

    • An all-India judicial services examination on a ranking basis can be considered to maintain high standards in the judiciary
    • There is a need to facilitate the availability and usage of video-conferencing facilities to assist in speedy access to justice and to minimize logistical issues.
    • To maintain judicial independence, the cadre should report to the Chief Justice in each High Court.

    The Supreme Court has recently suggested the establishment of the National Judicial Infrastructure Corporation (NJIC)  for the modernization of judicial infrastructure. This is also another welcome move in reforming India Judiciary.

    Conclusion

    • If we want to create a robust judicial system at the subordinate level, the constitution of an Indian judicial service is a sound idea.
    • Only a meritocratic service with a competitive recruitment, high-quality uniform training and assured standards of probity and efficiency would be able to ensure speedy and impartial justice in India.