Civilsdaily

Subject: Trivia

  • How to Make Most Out of Coaching Classes for IAS Preparation

    Still in college or a dilemma whether to  go for coaching classes or rely on self studies for IAS Preparation? Read To coaching or not to coaching first to make up your mind.

    Now then, if you have indeed made up your mind to attend some, here are 5 recommendations on How to Make Most Out of Coaching Classes for IAS Preparation:

    #1. Follow the class plan religiously

    Most of the coaching centre follow a pre-meditated plan which is generally handed over at the outset listing the topics to be covers and the dates. Take advantage of this routine!

    Since you already have the topic that shall be covered by the instructor, go through it from the reference books or the study material that may have been provided by the institute. The rationale behind doing so is that you shall have a fair idea of what to expect in the class, you shall be able to relate more to the topic and shall also be able to clarify doubts that would have cropped if you had read the topic from the reference books at a later stage.

    Secondly, there is high chance that sometimes you might miss what the instructor just said in the ongoing clatter. In such cases you can still manage to get back on the track because you shall be able to fill up the gap from your prior reading of the topic. Thirdly, you will only take down the instructions that are not there in the reference book avoiding jotting down everything that the instruction speaks.

    #2. Read your books, even if they are just NCERTs

    At times the instructors shall themselves ask you to read some books, which may even be an NCERT, before you come for the next class. Read it. Do not assume that it will not serve any purpose as it is ‘just a NCERT’. NCERTs help a lot in understanding the most complex issues and the instructor must be having a reason to refer to it.

    #3. Utilise your travel time well. Don’t waste it in playing teen patti!

    Many of the aspirants travel from far off places to their coaching center. Make use of this traveling time. Opening a newspaper and spreading it might be annoying to fellow travelers and in any case does not give you the luxury of underlining in most cases and a reference book may be too heavy to carry everyday. Fall back on digital media. Best time to read up on from Civilsdaily’s Newscards, right?

    #4. Avoid being the last bencher

    It was just fine and cool if you were last bencher in your school/college, but in these classrooms try to occupy front benches if you really want to gain some knowledge. The last benches have enough non-serious candidates and noise to distract you through out the class. If some of them are your friends, shun them, for the class we mean!

    #5. Create a better network – Study & Share

    Few days into the class, you can very well identify the candidates who are there because they want to be there and are serious about their preparation. Befriend them. They will not only increase the utility of the class but shall also come in handy for discussing the issues. It is only with discussions with such candidates that you open up to new ideas and develop alternative perspectives.

     

     

  • Cornelia Sorabji: India’s First Woman Barrister

    While women in Britain were campaigning for the right to vote, Cornelia Sorabji became the first woman to practise law in India. Here are a few things that you should know about the woman who was a contemporary of Sarojini Naidu.

     

    In the later 19th century, while a woman was accepted in the field of teaching and medicine was slowly opening up, law was a closed case. In 1894, Cornelia returned home to India after studying law from Oxford. It was only by 1924 that women were officially permitted to practice law in India.

    What was she doing before all the while? Well, she couldn’t practice law in courts so she accepted the invitation of Maharajas who regaled in their trivialities!

    In one such case she was ordered to defend an elephant, against the Maharaja himself. The judge presiding the case? Also the Maharaja.

    Quite an intriguing personality she was!

    She was an Indian whose loyalty to the British Raj never wavered; a passionate advocate of women’s rights whose own career was nearly compromised through her inappropriate relationship with a married man; and, an independent and free-thinking intellectual who depended for work on patronage from an elite circle.

  • IAS Prelims 2016 Corner #5

    Today let’s take a detour through the Indian landscape. It is a favourite topic among the examiners with the richness and variety it can throw in the questions and who knows what surprises IAS Prelims 2016 can throw! Let’s go!

    #1. Which of the following forms a watershed between the Brahmaputra and the  Barak river systems?

    (a) Dafla Hills

    (b) Barail Range

    (c) Mishmi Hills

    (d) Garo Hills

    #2. Eight Degree Channel separates

    (a) Minicoy Island and Maldives

    (b) Little Andaman and Car Nicobar Islands

    (c) Great Nicobar Island and Indonesia

    (d) Amindivi and Cannanore Islands

    #3. Consider the following pairs:

    Peak/Hills                   Region

    1. Amarkantak     :   Vindhyan Range

    2. Kudremukh     :    Middle Sahyadri

    3. Girnar Hills     :    Kathiawar Peninsula

    Which of the above is/are correctly matched?

    (a) 1 only

    (b) 1 and 3 only

    (c) 2 and 3 only

    (d) 1, 2 and 3

    #4. Which of the following is/are tributaries of River Krishna?

    1. Tungabhadra

    2. Indravati

    3. Bhima

    4. Pranhita

    Select the correct alternative using the codes given below:

    (a) 1 and 4 only

    (b) 1, 2 and 3 only

    (c)  2 and 4 only

    (d) 1 and 3 only

    #5. Which of the following is most southerly located?

    (a) Nilgiri Hills

    (b) Shevaroy Hills

    (c) Javadi Hills

    (d) Cardamom Hills

    #6. Karewas are a feature generally found in the state of

    (a) Arunachal Pradesh

    (b) Himachal Pradesh

    (c) Jammu and Kashmir

    (d) Uttarakhand

    #7. River Alaknanda is joined by the river Pindar at

    (a) Devprayag

    (b) Vishnuprayag

    (c) Rudraprayag

    (d) Karnaprayag

    Answer Key:

    #1. (b)

    #2. (a)

    #3. (c)

    #4. (d)

    #5. (d)

    #6. (c)

    #7. (d)

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  • IAS Prelims 2016 Corner #4

    So let us have some questions from the terms that keep appearing in the newspapers to find out if we did out little extra effort on them. Who knows what’s in store for the IAS Prelims 2016. Here we go!

    #1.  Consider the following statements:

    1. Index of Industrial Production (IIP) is released every quarter.

    2. Index of  Eight Core Industries (ICI) is released every month.

    Which of the above statements is/are correct?

    (a) 1 only

    (b) 2 only

    (c) Both 1 and 2

    (d) Neither 1 nor 2

    #2. Consider the following statements:

    1. Central Sector Schemes are fully funded by the Central government.

    2. Centrally Sponsored Schemes are implements by the respective State      governments.

    Which of the above statements is/are correct?

    (a) 1 only

    (b) 2 only

    (c) Both 1 and 2

    (d) Neither 1 nor 2

    #3. Which of the following grouping of countries operates without any permanent Secretariat?

    (a) ASEAN

    (b) G-20

    (c) APEC

    (d) BIMSTEC

    #4. Consider the following statements:

    1. The Advocate-General of a State is appointed by the State’s Governor.

    2. The Advocate-General of a State cannot be removed by the State’s Governor.

    Which of the above statements is/are correct?

    (a) 1 only

    (b) 2 only

    (c) Both 1 and 2

    (d) Neither 1 nor 2

    #5. Consider the following statements:

    1. Creation or abolition of a Legislative Council in a State does not involve an amendment of the Constitution.

    2. Parliament has no role to play in the creation or abolition of a State’s Legislative Assembly.

    Which of the above statements is/are correct?

    (a) 1 only

    (b) 2 only

    (c) Both 1 and 2

    (d) Neither 1 nor 2

    #6. Consider the following pairs:

                         Body                                     Headed by

    1. National Security Council           :   Defence Minister

    2. Cabinet Committee on Security :   Prime  Minister

    3. Board of Approval for SEZs        :   Commerce Minister

    Which of the above pairs is/are correctly matched?

    (a) 2 only

    (b) 1 and 2 only

    (c)  3 only

    (d) 1, 2 and 3

    #7. Consider the following statements:

    1. Geographical Indications Registry has been set up at New Delhi.

    2. All aspects of GI are administered by the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion.

    Which of the above statements is/are correct?

    (a) 1 only

    (b) 2 only

    (c) Both 1 and 2

    (d) Neither 1 nor 2

    Answer key:

    #1. (b)

    #2. (c)

    #3. (b)

    #4. (a)

    #5. (a)

    #6. (a)

    #7. (b)

    Explanations shall follow in comment section.

     

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

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

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

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

    #1. The Idea of India by Sunil Khilnani

     

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

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

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

     

    #2. The Story of India by Michael Wood

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

    Why should you read it?

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

    #3. The Great Arc by John Keay

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

    Do you know the importance of that work?

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

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

    #4. Land of the Seven Rivers by Sanjeev Sanyal

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

    #5. India After Gandhi by Dr. Ramachandra Guha

     

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

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

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

     

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

     

  • IAS Mains 2015 & Beyond – Mini Quiz #2

    Let’s change study habits for good!

     

    For this week, for answer writing practice for IAS Mains 2015, we are bringing in these choicest questions from the topics that have been in news in 2015.

    #1. Discuss the concept of judicial independence in the light of the recent judgements of the SC with regard to NJAC.

    A lot has been said and debated in this topic in 2014/15. In this question, to fetch most marks – make sure you summarise and mention recent judgements and arguments put forth by either sides of the debate.

    Ref:

    • https://www.civilsdaily.com/key-points-on-njac-that-you-need-to-remember/
    • https://www.civilsdaily.com/njac-a-triumphant-verdict/

    #2. Bring out the potential of- and the bottlenecks to the ‘Start Up India, Stand Up India’ initiative.

    A classic question which looks at summarising our growing economic and political initiatives which can embolden India’s Startup initiatives. Answer in quick key points to cover this holistically.

    Ref: https://www.civilsdaily.com/story/digital-india-initiatives-whats-buzzing/

    #3. MDGs shall soon give way to the SDGs. Evaluate the performance of India on various parameters of the MDGs.

    #4. Discuss the recent political developments in Nepal. Should they be of any concern to India?

    #5. Present a case for the India’s membership to the UN Security Council.

    Imagine that you are making a case before countries with conflicting interests, how can you show the pros of putting India in the Security Council so that they agree despite not being on board with India’s ambitions. It’s a perfect question for the wannabe IFS Officer!

     

  • General Guidelines to Solve Ethics Case Studies for IAS Mains

    Hello,

    It is very heartening to see your students attempt the 3 case questions put forward on this platform. I have to admit many of you have been very meticulous in your answers and even I learnt a thing or two reading them. However, I feel that I should lay forward some basic guidelines on answer writing format which will help you secure most marks in solving Ethics Case Studies for IAS Mains.

     

    #1. Make use of value based terminologies as much as possible

    It will make your answer subject specific i.e. ethics, integrity & aptitude based rather than merely a generalist or public administration heavy opinion. Remember that your optionals might help you to get a feel of the question but your answer has to be relevant to the Ethics paper at hand.

    e.g: professional integrity, conscience, Nishkam Karma, ethical competencies, ethical reasoning, ethical illiteracy, obligations, intellectual integrity, empathy, compassion & tolerance, dignity of an individual, etc.

    #2. Understand basic difference between ethical decision and legal decision

    Majority of the Public servants/ Managers world over suffer from “ethical illiteracy” i.e. they consider that their legal decision is ethical decision. But if it indeed were so then what is the need to talk about ethical decision. (just ponder!!!)

    But that does not mean that one has to become a lawbreaker. Yet one has to come out with some “out of box” solution. However, if you do then you have to face ire of your seniors. But that’s invariable part of ethical decision. Hence, be ready for dire personal consequences !!!( food for thought)

    #3. Make use of ethical reasoning/ moral imagination

    Immediately sketch whole of case as a movie in your mind placing yourself as one of the character.

    #4. Based on ethical reasoning/moral imagination raise questions

    #4.1. Are there any ethical issues?

    #4.2. If yes , what are they? Enumerate them. For example – 

    In the Case 1 of our first problem statement on Ethics, ethical concerns involved are : ” breach of professional integrity , trust, conflict of interest, health hazard, image of organization, appearance of unethical act,leadership, emotional competencies, etc.”

    #4.3. What to do next? Explore different alternatives/options available:

    • This is very significant stage in solving problem. More you explore options better will be your decision.
    • For each option think of probable consequences – negative as well as positive.
    • Never give alternatives without exploring probable consequences.

    For example, in the first case –

    1. Stop her to see Raj
      1. She might resign
      2. Work progress might get delayed
      3. I might lose very competent & honest team member so maybe transfer her?
    2. Transfer her
      1. She might take it as punishment
      2. A wrong message of “lack of trust” might demoralise others
      3. Delaying Work
    3. Trust her to do her job 
      1. If later on your boss discovers or leaked to media then you will be blamed
        Informing your boss
    4. Informing your boss
      1. He might take a biased decision
    5. Transfer & Promote her
      1. Recently this is what happened with Police Commissioner Rakesh Maria in Mumbai. It was taken as a punishment in spite of a promotion!

    #4.4. Choose best option according to you and justify your stand

    Yes, it also had negative consequences but make an attempt to minimise. Ethical decision is not cake walk. It carries with itself dire consequences for oneself. Be ready for that! At this step , to justify your decision you can take help of moral philosophers, moral principles like justice, rights, common good, ethical approaches like duty based , virtue based or utilitarianism.

    Best decision is that which enhances your self esteem, that which makes you to look directly into your eyes when you see yourself in the mirror and finally that which gives you sound sleep!

    Hope this helped you in getting a better hang at solving Ethics Case studies. I will try to put in more in the coming weeks.

  • IAS Prelims 2016 Corner #3

    We are starting a bi-weekly “7 question format a day” series to augment your IAS Prelims 2016 Prep. While we don’t really think you need to give full fledged Prelims mock tests for the CSE 2016, we believe that solving ~14 questions a week can easily fit in your weekly schedule!

    Prelims 2015 had questions which were not only concept-based but a good number were fact-based. We shall follow the similar trend and frame question based on factual information as well which were more or less absent from 2011 to 2014.

     

    #1. The term ‘Intended Nationally Determined Contributions’ appears in the news frequently in the context of the affairs of the

    (a) World Trade Organization

    (b) United Nations Environment Programme

    (c) Food and Agriculture Organization

    (d) United Nations Framework Conference on Climate Change

    #2. Which of the following statements regarding the proposed Sustainable Development Goals is/are correct?

    1. They are intended to be universal, applying to all the countries.

    2. They include specific goals on economic indicators for the first time.

    Select the correct answer using the code given below.

    (a) 1 only

    (b) 2 only

    (c) Both 1 and 2

    (d) Neither 1 nor 2

    #3. Consider the following pairs:

    Ancient City          Located on

    1.  Ujjain          :         Saryu

    2.  Amravati     :        Krishna

    3.  Nashik         :         Godavari

    Which of the above pairs is/are correctly matched?

    (a) 2 only

    (b) 2 and 3 only

    (c) 1 and 2 only

    (d) 1, 2 and 3

    #4. Consider the following statements:

    1. Disinflation refers to a period where the inflation has been slowing.

    2. Deflation is always accompanied with significant economic contraction.

    Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

    (a) 1 only

    (b) 2 only

    (c) Both 1 and 2

    (d) Neither 1 nor 2

    #5. Greenpeace is

    (a) an agency of the United Nations to help refugees of civil wars

    (b) a inter-governmental agency to cater to medical emergencies in war-torn regions

    (c) a non-governmental environmental organization

    (d) a global movement to protect the child rights

    #6. With reference to the ‘Better Than Cash Alliance”, which of the following statements is/are correct?

    1. It is global partnership of governments, companies and international organizations.

    2. It accelerates the transition from cash to digital payments in order to reduce poverty and drive inclusive growth.

    Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

    (a) 1 only

    (b) 2 only

    (c) Both 1 and 2

    (d) Neither 1 nor 2

    #7. Palmyra, an ancient city which was in news recently, is in

    (a) Syria

    (b) Jordan

    (c) Israel

    (d) Lebanon

    Answer Key:

    #1. (d)

    #2. (c)

    #3. (b)

    #4. (a)

    #5. (c)

    #6. (c)

    #7. (a)

    Explanations shall follow in comment section!

  • GS Paper 4: Ethics Case Studies #1

     

    #1. Consider you are a director of a regulatory agency that is charged with monitoring the probable harmful effects of commercial chemicals. Your junior officer Ms. Smriti is responsible for monitoring the use and probable effect of chemicals. She has been assigned to determine whether such chemicals should be removed from market.

    In one of the official meetings Ms. Smriti met a person named Mr. Raj who is representative of some chemical company. In due course of time Ms. Smriti got into relationship with Mr. Raj.Ms. Smriti wanted to pursue the relationship while maintaining professional integrity.

    Q1. Explore various options available to you.

    Q2. What will you do?

     

    #2. You are first lieutenant in a military organisation. You report to captain who in turn reports to Major. You share positive working relation with both.

    In your office there arises vacancy of a supervisor. In this regard both of your officers encourage you to appoint a particular person from other department. However you are not impressed with that person and found that person unsuitable for the post. In-spite of this you decided to trust your seniors and appoint him.

    After one month it is clear to you that your judgement was correct that this person is not competitive enough. Although given time he can improve and develop his skills.

    However very soon situation has become very complicated New supervisor has developed misunderstanding with the Captain and now the Major and the Captain are sending conflicting signals. Captain suggests that you immediately transfer supervisor during his probation period while Major urged you to write an early highly positive evaluation for him even before prescribed three months.

    Q1. Examine the major issues involved.

    Q2. Trace your course of action.

     

    #3. Shantanu has been appointed as the chief sanitary officer at district level. Recently, a village under his district has been awarded Nirmal Gram Puruskar for achieving the status of “Open Defecation Free Area”. This was possible due to the state sponsored scheme where each house was provided with a separate toilet and various initiatives which were taken at the Panchayat level.

    However, Shantanu notice that after few months, many villagers have started using the toilets as storerooms and are now defecating in open. Despite of huge investments, nothing has changed.

    What shall Shantanu do in such situation? Explore various options.

  • IAS Prelims 2016 Corner #2

    #1. ‘Sendai Framework’, which has been in news, is

    (a) a strategy to combat sea level rise in Pacific Island nations, an outcome of a  summit of the Pacific Island nations

    (b) a plan of action for disaster risk reduction, an outcome of conference convened by  the United Nations

    (c) a strategy to combat organised crime, an outcome of a resolution adopted by the ASEAN countries

    (d) an agenda for countering the use of cyber space by the militant organisations, an outcome of a resolution adopted by the UN General Assembly

    #2. ASTROSAT, is the latest instance of the revolution in X-ray astronomy. X-ray astronomy cannot be done using ground-based instruments primarily because

    (a) gravity distorts the incoming X-rays

    (b) X-rays from terrestrial sources interfere with observations

    (c) incoming X-rays get contaminated with extraneous waves

    (d) incoming X-rays get absorbed by the atoms in the atmosphere

    #3. “To secure for the citizens a uniform civil code throughout the territory of India” is a provision in the

    (a) Preamble of the Constitution

    (b) Fundamental Rights

    (c) Directive Principles of State Policy

    (d) Fundamental Duties

    #4. Outside the North and South Poles, which of the following region stores  more freshwater in the form of glaciers than any other region on Earth?

    (a) Eastern Himalayas

    (b) Greenland

    (c) Andes Range

    (d) Tibetan Plateau

    #5. Complete the statement:

    ‘India Gate was built by the British as the All India War Memorial to commemorate the sacrifices of soldiers who died in World War I and the _________.”

    (a) Third Anglo-Afghan War

    (b) Second Anglo-Afghan War

    (c) Third Anglo-Maratha War

    (d) Second Anglo-Maratha War

    #6. In which of the following activities are Geostationary satellites used?

    1. Telecommunication

    2. Mineral Exploration

    3. Weather Forecasting

    Select the correct answer u sing the codes given below:

    (a) 1 and 3 only

    (b) 2 only

    (c) 2 and 3 only

    (d) 1, 2 and 3

    #7. Consider the following statements:

    1. Global Competitive Index is brought out by International Monetary Fund(IMF).

    2. Global Forest Resources Assessment report is brought out by Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).

    Which of the above statements is/are correct?

    (a) 1 only

    (b) 2 only

    (c) Both 1 and 2

    (d) Neither 1 nor 2

    Go ahead! give this a shot.

    Answer Key:

    #1. (b)

    #2. (d)

    #3. (c)

    #4. (d)

    #5. (a)

    #6. (a)

    #7. (b)

    Explanations and sources shall follow in comment sections.

  • Long Walk to IAS Preparation – Few Thoughts

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

  • 7 Fundas for IAS Prelims 2016 Preparation

     

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

    Here are the 7 fundas for IAS Prelims 2016 Preparation:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

     

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

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

     

  • IAS Prelims 2016 Corner #1

     

    All news and no questions make a candidate weary and confused!

    We are starting a bi-weekly “7 question format a day” series to augment your Prelims Prep. While we don’t really think you need to give full fledged Prelims mock tests for the CSE 2016, we believe that solving ~14 questions a week can easily fit in your weekly schedule!

    Prelims 2015 had questions which were not only concept-based but a good number were fact-based. We shall follow the similar trend and frame question based on factual information as well which were more or less absent from 2011 to 2014.

     

    #1. Located on the bank of river Tungabhadra, this temple has been granted the tag of ‘Adarsh Smarak’ by the Ministry of Culture. Free WiFi facility has also been introduced in this temple complex under the Digital India Programme. Identify the temple complex.

    (a) Badami Cave Temples

    (b) Meenakshi Temple

    (c) Mookambika Temple

    (d) Virupaksha Temple

    #2. With reference to Indian culture what is Kalarippayattu?

    (a) It is a style of wall painting prevalent in Western India

    (b) It is a martial art form popular in Southern India

    (c) It is a popular theatre form of Central India

    (d) It is ancient tradition of oral rendition of folklore in Eastern India

    #3. Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) works under the administrative control of

    (a) NITI Aayog

    (b) Ministry of Communication and Information Technology

    (c) Prime Minister’s Office

    (d) Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation

    #4. Pattiseema Project, India’s first river linking project has been accomplished by linking which of the following rivers?

    (a) Godavari and Krishna

    (b) Mahanadi and Brahmani

    (c) Palar and Cauvery (Kaveri)

    (d) Damodar and Subarnarekha

    #5. ‘Aerobic’ rice cultivation is a new method of rice cultivation which is becoming popular compared to the traditional method because

    1. It increases the water use efficiency

    2. It reduces the labour usage

    3. It prevents the weed growth

    4. It gives a yield which is almost double that obtained in traditional method

    Which of the above statements is/are correct?

    (a) 1 and 2 only

    (b) 1, 2 and 4 only

    (c) 3 and 4 only

    (d) 1, 2, 3 and 4

    #6. Which of the following countries is not a member of a grouping popularly known as G4?

    (a) Japan

    (b) Germany

    (c) Brazil

    (d) South Africa

    #7. Which of the following has been entrusted with the task monitoring the progress made on the implementation of proposed Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)?

    (a) NITI Aayog

    (b) Ministry of Rural Development

    (c) Prime Minister’s Office

    (d) Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation

    PS: Official answers by Sunday evening.

  • How to Choose Correct Optional for IAS Preparation?

    Continuing with our series to guide you from being an aspirant to an officer, here is our take on the selection of the optional for IAS Preparation.

    And unless your answer resonates with Alia Bhatt’s, you should stick with us and bear with this long-ish post of ours 😉

     

     

    CSE syllabus and pattern underwent a sea change in 2013 when UPSC introduced a paper on Ethics, did away with one optional and scattered GS across three papers while still keeping the Essay paper. A candidate is to choose an optional from the list of the available 25 + 1 (Literature) subjects at the time of applying for the examination and the subject so chosen cannot be changed while filling up the DAF (earlier the change was allowed).

    The optional subjects were a big deciding factors in a candidate’s success till 2012, when they carried a weight of 1200 out of a total of 2000 in the Mains. From 2013, the optional carries a weight of 500 marks out of 1750. On the face of it, the utility of optional as a deciding factor in the selection appears diminished, however, nothing can be farther from the truth.

    Optional subject still play a crucial a crucial role in the final selection of the aspirants. Why? Because the marks obtained by the aspirants in GS and Essay papers have not varied drastically (very few could cross 110-120, in fact few toppers even got marks in 90s especially in Ethics paper) but the double digit rankers scored really well in their optional. And, therefore, choosing an optional is a decision which should be based on sound logic and nothing else. Be Wise, Be Safe should be the guiding principle while selecting the optional.

    It can be safely asserted that the number and variety of criterion for preferring one optional over others varies directly with the number of candidates making the selection. However, let us see if we can settle down on some common criterion which can guide an aspirant through the final choice.

    #Factors-For, which should guide your selection of the optional:

    1. Your interest in the subject. In fact, it should be the paramount criterion. The reason behind this factor to be paramount is simple enough. If you are interested in a subject, you shall not get bored easily, you shall ponder over it more and in general you would not mind spending more hours to it compared to a subject that you have to study with no inherent interest in it.
    2. Familiarity with the subject. Candidates do look for a subject that they might have studied at graduation level for they are already familiar the syllabus, the books and with what it takes to be at it for a long time.
    3. Overlap with the GS syllabus. If the optional selected by you can also supplement your preparation for certain portions of the GS, nothing like it!
    4. Availability of a reliable coaching institute if you have decided to go for classroom coaching.
    5. Availability of study material (This particular criterion has been rendered redundant  in certain cases with the advent of internet but still for certain other optional, the material available on internet may not suffice from the exam point of view).
    6. The topics in the syllabus to be covered is a natural concern for the aspirants. But generally it helps when you are already familiar with the subject and therefore with the topics.
    7. Few candidates also look for the type of questions that are being asked in the paper but, here, we shall suggest you to be cautious as no-one and nothing prevents UPSC from changing the type of questions. (One year they might ask fact-based questions in a subject making it appear easy but next year might make it entirely opinion/analysis based and difficult to handle)

    To be practical, none of the above criterion can be used in isolation while choosing an optional but an approach guided by using above points together can certainly be beneficial in making you pick-up the right optional.

    #Factors-Against, which must not guide your selection of the optional:

    1. Do not choose an optional because a friend or a family member suggested it. None of them shall own responsibility in case the choice does not work out well. They shall simply say, they only made a suggestion and you decided.
    2. Because it is the most common optional (Believe it or not many serious candidates fall prey to this and waste attempts before they even realize it and still many realize it after exhausting their attempts). Time and again I hear candidates choosing an optional because it has high ‘success-rate’. I could never comprehend this terminology because I believe, it is the candidates who become successful in this exam and not the subjects.
    3. Because it is more scoring. Candidates have cleared this exam with almost every optional in the list and not just with the so called scoring optional. In UPSC there is no high scoring-low scoring optional but only a paper, an innocent examinee and a ruthless examiner. High scoring-Low scoring optional is a myth.
    4. Don’t let your judgment be guided by the optional chosen by the previous year toppers. Probably they topped the examination because they did not base their choice of options on the subjects chosen by still past toppers. I have not seen any ranker exhorting any candidate to choose an optional selected by them simply because they topped with it.

    #So how should we go about this process?

    1. First go through the list of all the optional subjects available before you.
    2. Then take a pen and strike off the optional that you shall certainly not choose. For example a computer engineer shall immediately strike off subjects like Literature or may be subjects like Zoology and Biology. Medical students may strike off subjects like History or Geography or Law. Clear?
    3. Now go back to your school/college days and try to recollect the subject that interested you the most. The subject for which you never bunked the classes. The subject for which you were all ears in the class and that made you learn more and more about it.
    4. Go back to the list of remaining subjects.
    5. Now use the Factors-For and Factors-Against to choose the optional from the remaining list.

    In the end, go with the optional take strikes a chord with you and not the one which is most successful or most popular. Happy Selection!

     

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

     

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

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

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

     

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

     

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

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

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

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

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

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

     

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

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

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

     

  • What to do after IAS Prelims 2015 Results?

    Ah, so finally the results are out! The UPSC’s Official pdf for “IAS Prelims 2015 results” is hosted at this post – click here

    Thought of having a small word with all of you before I come back again in more detail.

    What if you cleared it?

     

    First of all congratulations! So UPSC has given you the ticket to enter the ring. Now you to capitalize on it. Abhi bas ticket mili hai dost, picture abhi baki hai. You have a little over 60 days with you. And that’s all you have. No point in lamenting what you could have covered by now. Cover whatever you can now. Remember I stand by my assertion that about 50 percent of those who have cleared the Prelims might actually be the one who have not prepared anything at all waiting for result to be out. So your competition is only with the remaining half. Plan each day ahead, and I really mean each day, meticulously.

    If at all, only a small fraction of the syllabus might be left for you to cover at least once. Finish it off as soon as possible and in any case by this month end.  Start revising what you have already covered and practice writing if you have not started already. Focus on the areas where you are most comfortable, revise them and strike it off from the syllabus list. It takes the burden off your head if you see the list of remaining topics go short. Do not leave any topic. If you cannot cover it in detail just have enough points to write at least 50 words on it. It might sound cliché but please start practicing writing.

    One more thing, don’t wait for the last day to fill the DAF. Fill it very carefully. Read the instructions given to fill it. Fill the cadre and state preferences as you want them and not because some earlier topper suggested a particular order. You are the one who will get the service and state, not them. Be it your own choice as per your liking and preferences.

     

    What if you did not clear it?

     

    If you gave it for any reason other than for actually making it, then just party!

    But if you really prepared for it and still could not make it, then don’t get disheartened (I understand it’s easier said than done). Whatever I might say here, tonight and a day or two ahead are going to be tough especially answering sadists that surround us. Be prepared to hear “Ye banenge IAS?” , “Ban gaye collector?”…It’s ok. It hurts. Really really hurts. But then it is for you to decide whether to want to get overwhelmed with such negative criticism or take it in your stride. You will get a chance to respond, you just need to reinvent your strategy.

    Tonight just sleep over it. You might wish to cry. Do it. It unburdens your heart and clears your mind. Especially for guys, it is ok to cry.

    Ok. So what next. See if you could not make it through then it means that there must be some inadequacy. And by this time you might already have known where you could have done better. Work over it. We shall come back to Prelims strategy pretty soon. Right now you can even take a break. Then keep preparing for Mains in the same momentum. Yes, I meant Mains only. That’s what we all prepare for. Prelims will be taken care of next time by you and us, together. We shall come with the strategy soon.  

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

    The UPSC Pre 2015 Results are OUT!

    Download the PDF from this link – CLICK HERE.

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

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

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

  • The Importance of Answer Writing for IAS Mains

     

    Update: Participate in the FREE Target Mains initiative going over at CD – Click Here

    We cannot stress more upon the importance of the answer writing for IAS Mains, but let’s take you step by step on questions which an IAS aspirant face when he plans to go for it.

    All of you must have read articles/books/notes on various topics. And all of you must be having some favourite writers over the other. Agreed, Civil Services is not about choosing the potential writers rather the administrators but truth be told, writing is the only way the examiner evaluates the level of your understanding of various topics, your ability to deal with unexpected questions and eventually your potential as a civil servant.

    Believe me civil servants have to do a lot of writing, from file notings to blogs and they do it meticulously. Short, simple, pertinent.

    Now look at the importance of writing from another angle. Suppose you are brilliant reader and have mugged up all the books available and are invincible in any debate on any topic. But unfortunately the UPSC has no place for group discussion in the selection process. You have to write.

    Let us break down the entire thing into the following heads:

    #1. When should be start practicing writing?

    Many suggest that first one should wait till he/she has enough knowledge of all the topics and then start practicing writing. ‘Enough’ knowledge of all the topics? And when is that going to be? Two months before the Mains or one month before the Mains? And then you shall start writing for 4-5 hours daily. But then who will read the newspapers? Who will revise the notes/books? Who will take the tests?

    The answer writing practice has to go hand-in-hand with your preparation. There shall never be one fine day when you shall stop reading and start writing thereupon. This exam is way above such stereotypical compartmentalization. Once you start preparing star writing. If not full-fledged time-bound answers then at least start scribbling. Ponder over a topic and see if you can generate some relevant points. Get into this habit so that in the examination hall you can generate some points for questions for which you have only a faint idea.

    Moreover you shall have to write about 8,000-10,000 words in a single day during the Mains exam and if you have not cultivated a habit of writing over a period of time, writing itself might become insurmountable obstacle between you and a place in the final list.

    #2. What should one write?

    If you lament that you understand how important it is writing and you really, like really, want to write but do not know what to write, then you are not alone.

    7 out of 10 candidates who set down to the task of writing face this problem. And interestingly, each one of you know the answer. Read a topic, frame a question on it yourself and write. If you cannot frame a question, use the heading of the article add a suitable word like ‘discuss’, ‘explain’, ‘comment’ and write the answer. And of course practice question from previous year papers as well.

    #3. What should be the level of our writing?

    Far from Shakespearean. Your writing should reflect the maturity of a civil servant. What does that mean? It means your writing should be free from grammatical errors, misspellings, sentences of disproportionate length, bombastic words, bluff, irrelevant facts and figures. Do break down the answer into paragraphs or points, as you may choose.

    If you are using a quote, please don’t change or rearrange its words.

    #4. Should we use flowcharts and/or diagrams?

    If you can find time for it do it. But don’t do it just because you have a target of using two flowcharts/diagrams in each answer. Flowcharts/diagrams should facilitate the examiner go through your answer and not over shadow it.

    #5. Paragraph or Point-wise writing

    There is perhaps one question which has no authoritative answer. Number of toppers who shall vouch for paragraph writing and those siding with writing in points abound. The current topper favoured the point-wise writing. Let us see if we can infer something about this debate from what we are witnessing.

    Firstly, from 2013, UPSC started this trend of asking 20-25 questions in each paper of GS requiring a candidate to write about 4000-5000 words in each paper and it is quite an uphill task even if you know the answer to all of them.

    Probably one of the reason behind increasing the number of questions and limiting the space available to write an answer is to ensure that candidates do not get a chance to write frivolous things and just write the pertinent points if they have to attempt all questions!

    Secondly, an important departure was that while introducing this pattern UPSC took it upon itself to tell the students that “Contents of the answer are more important than its length.”

    Thirdly, the marks scored by the topper in last two years have hovered around 50-55 percent than the usual 60-65 percent of the previous years. What I see here is a pattern of ‘ruthless’ marking by the examiners wherein they are more interested in candidate writing more relevant points instead of writing few points subsumed under paragraphs. Somehow they seem to have taken the ‘content more important than length’ instruction too seriously and are not interested in the superficial answers. And we shall all agree that if we have more information to provide in the answer, point-wise writing is more relevant. We tend to use paragraphs where we have few points which we hide though the paragraphs and then underline them so that the examiner is inveigled into believing that we not only wrote points but also wrote using good enough number of words. But I guess UPSC this time conducted a country-wise exam to choose the examiners who can see through such tactics!

    But again the question remains unanswered. Paragraph or points? To be honest, I have no yes or no answer to this. Choose the style that’s suits you. As they say this exam is an individual exam and one topper’s strategy might be suicidal for another.

    Any questions? I would love to help you guys out!

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

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

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

     

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

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

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

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

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

    The 3 Kinds of IAS Aspirants

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

     

    #1. The Idealists/ College goers

     

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

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

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

     

     

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

     

    #2. The Wildcard Entrants

    Remember TVF’s Pitchers?

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

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

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

     

    #3. The Nirvana Seekers

     

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

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

    What do we have for you? 

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

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