Hi All,
Two years back, the day I finished my interview with UPSC , I came back home , was very relaxed and was feeling good that I did well. I was thoroughly satisfied with my performance.
Few months later, the result was negative !
Two years later, now in 2010, I finished my mains again two days back, I came back home , was very relaxed and am feeling good that I did well. I am thoroughly satisfied with my performance.
One of the teachers, SK Manocha told to the class ” Learn not only from your mistakes , but from others’ as well ! ”
Some things we learn only and through going through it, no matter how serious it is, how much ever teachers yell about it, and how much ever people write about it. It just doesn’t happen till the time we are hit hard with the effect of the experience/failure. Otherwise, how can History repeat itself ??!! Yet, I will give it a try, one more time…..just as the teacher yells in each and every batch, on and on and on…every year.
When I said, I am thoroughly satisfied, Its more to do with ‘preparedness’, with improvement, its about ‘guessing’ the pattern. We all guess and know what will be coming. What’s so much about it now ? Its not guessing what questions will come in the examination. It is sure that there will be questions on common wealth games, oil spills, and lots and lots. It is not about the ‘what’ part but the ‘how’ part. How will any question be framed. How are we going to answer that if it actually comes up. This can change the complete pattern of how we approach the examination.
Guess the answers. Not the questions !
My ‘guessing’ works. At least for me. It might not work for you ! You have to come up with your own ‘guessing’ patterns. If you are able to guess, planning starts. Plan your preparation. Finishing books, attending coaching, fluttering through materials will not be sufficient.
I repeat, Plan your preparation. Planning has to be imbibed once for all.
Guys, the exam has considerably changed. So should we.
Change the way you study, the way you ‘prepare’ yourself. Its just not hard work but “hardened work” that is needed.
The exam is becoming exceedingly tough. So should we.
Hitherto followed ways of studying wont be sufficient anymore, though they need to be strengthened. I am talking about e-preparation !
Some approaches that I can put here, for understanding ‘how’ I mean…
For polity, Prepare all the bills and acts that Parliament passes by following them all along. www.prsindia.org can give you legislative summary about each and every bill. Lots of insight !
For economics, oh buddy I tell you , u have to master this ! Follow all happenings extensively. Few good sites online to go through daily : www.rbi.org.in. RBI gives both internal and most importantly, external economy details ! And next is www.pib.nic.in/newsite/erelease.aspx. This is to be added to your routine along with newspaper.
There are around 150 videos of very high standards on public administration and sociology on youtube (IGNOU videos). Subscribe to this channel.
Download all your optional subjects from IGNOU www.egyankosh.ac.in. I am not going to say that everything comes from this. But these are the source of all topics in the first place. I have read complete pub ad and anthropology (from sociology) from these material, and boy, they are extremely useful. My FULL anthropology paper II was like reading IGNOU material again in the examination hall !
For those of Public Administration optional, how many of you read 2nd ARC reports ? All 15 of them ? Fully ? All available on government websites for download. Do you know half of the paper was from that ? To put it otherwise, do you know u can score around 150 marks directly from those reports ? There are government websites for each and every thing they do now. Watch for ALL of them.
(Please now don’t fall on me when nothing comes from those reports next time. The intent in mentioning this is to ‘guess’ your answers, whatever the source may be. For me this time, it was 2nd ARC reports and some of the government websites.)
And then comes one more… Wikipedia. This is one of the biggest gifts of information technology to humanity. Use it Preciously.
There is no science of examination. No one can ever say, u do this and that and you can clear the exam. Indian Services exam is an art ! An Art that is driven by passion and perseverance, not only for the exam, but for the “Indian Service”.
The punishment for the wise men who refuse to take part in the government is to suffer under the government of bad men !
Let’s not give that away. But be wise for that in the first place. Prove our wisdom by planning and preparing.
Two years from now, I might have to write again, may be not, but I will come back home, will be relaxed feeling good that I did well. I will be thoroughly satisfied with my performance.
The dream is worth the wait !!!!
Love playing Tennis. Love Movies
QUESTIONS MAY BE ANYTHING FROM ANYWHERE! THE OBJECTIVE OF EXAMINATION IS TO SEE THE ALERTNESS OF THE PARTICIPANT. FOR EXAMPLE A QUESTION MAY BE ASKED ON NUCLEAR TECHNOLOGY WHICH IS A HOT TOPIC. WHICH ARE THE ORGANISATIONS INVOLVED IN THE WHOLE PROCESS-THERE ARE MANY INSTITUTIONS LIKE NSG, WASSENAAR, AUSTRALIA GROUP, MCTR, ETC. BASIC UNDERSTANDING OF ALL THESE IS ALSO IMPORTANT. MOST OF THE INSTITUTES OFFER JUST GUIDANCE BUT IT IS UPTO THE STUDENT TO TAKE KEEN INTEREST IN SPREADING AND UNDERSTANDING VARIOUS ASPECTS OF IMPORTANT POLITICO-ECONOMIC SITUATIONS. WAR ON TERROR IS ONGOING INTERNATIONAL TOPIC. ALL ISSUES RELATING TO THIS SHOULD BE CONSTANTLY FOLLOWED WHILE READING DAILY NEWS PAPER. WITH GREAT FAN FARE I HAVE ADMITTED MY DAUGHTER IN VAJI RAM & RAVI INSTITUTE WHO OFFER COACHING IN DELHI, SURPRISINGLY ONLY SOME OF THE SUBJECTS ARE TAUGHT WELL AND MOST OF THE FACULTY LACK TACT TO GUIDE CORRECTLY. FOR EXAMPLE THE COMMERCE SUBJECT IS TAUGHT BY SOMEONE WHO IS VERY VERY ORDINARY IN TEACHING. PREPARATION FOR CIVIL SERVICES SHALL BE GETTING HANDS ON FULL AND THOROUGH KNOWLEDGE AND ON TIPS OF ALL THE SUBJECTS FROM 8TH CLASS STANDARD BOOKS UPTO 10+2 LEVEL; FOLLOWED BY ONE SUBJECT OF ONE’S EXPERTISE IN GRADUATION AS ONE OF THE OPTIONALS AND ANOTHER SUBJECT WITH RELATIVE EASE AND COMFORT IN PREPARATION. ACTUAL PREPARATION SHALL START FROM SECOND YEAR DEGREE AT THE RATE OF 2 HOURS A DAY WITH REGULAR 1 HOUR NEWS PAPER READING AND SITTING FULL TIME AFTER PASSING OUT GRADUATION WITHOUT GOING FOR PG. THIS WILL MAKE A CANDIDATE TO GET INTO AT THE EARLIEST AGE OF 22 YEARS. LOT OF PARENTS DO NOT HAVE IDEA ABOUT THE PREPARATION AS SUCH THEY FOLLOW THE USUAL ROUTES OF SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING WHICH IS ALSO GOOD BUT CIVIL SERVICE CAREER IS VERY CHALLENGING AND HIGHLY SATISFYING ENRICHED WITH POWER AND COMFORT.
EXCELLENT WRITE UP NOTE ON PREPARATION FOR CIVIL SERVICES EXAMINATION
Excellent write up on preparation for Civil Services Examination.
Hi Sagar, I donno if I can suggest anything regarding time management, I am no expert in that as such myself. I believe only a haunting passion is the answer for it. I might be wrong. Read this also, which I have as a reply from my side for time management : https://www.worthview.com/energy-peace-good/
Sorry if i couldn’t answer u.
all the best.
hi kalyan,
This is sagar, can you please tell me how you manage time preparing civils by doing job.. im a s/w engg. and i want to do civils. can you please suggest me time management?
“The punishment for the wise men who refuse to take part in the government is to suffer under the government of bad men !”
gud 1..
thank u very much ra. always happy to see such likes….
thank u !
hopefully, it helps us all.
thank u !
true. try it out once urself. u can find the difference.
all the best
Excellent Boss
U mentioned art of preparation and guessing answers.
As u said earlier topics on which questions come are clear to people who appear. But the answers have to be unique and have to impress them
What an insight into UPSC exams, I’ve never thought that Govt. websites contain such a valuable information. Sure u’ve prepared ur ‘hardened work’ and the result will be positive. All the best for ur ‘guessing work’ on Interview 🙂
Boss super rasaru boos mi article.. bhale rasaru boss.. i donno how to comment but i liked it very much…
Congratulations on doing well!! Thats the only part in our hands after all..
You got the right attitute Kalyan…You are going to WIN..
Good luck for the results anyways…:)