Sociology Mains Preparation

Sorry guys for the delay in writing this post and though I would try my best to answer the various questions put forward by cse aspirants regarding sociology remember, I am only human....I did not make notes on every topic...nor did I cover every sub-topic in great detail...but what I made sure was that:

1.Before reading any notes or chaalu copy paste books I should be thorough with the original books (mentioned later)

2.Thinkers and Theories(say Theories of social change,of power etc.) should be done in great detail with elaborate notes,rest of the topics can be done via a single book(you could pull out/photocopy relevant chapters and put them alongwith your notes so that everything is in one place when you revise) or mere pointers can do (say for topics like Child Labour).

Warning:No notes should be made before a third reading of the chapter/book/source material especially for those who were, till they decided to plunge into cse preparation completely alien to the subject and its nuances.

3.These notes/pointers were to be made in the format of:

First Page-The Syllabus with the newly added topics (info for the newbeeies, the syllabus changed from 2008 Mains) highlighted (you can expect increased importance to be allotted to the newer topics in the exam)and sources referred to for the various sub-topics written alongwith a mention of whether you have written notes on it or not.

This will help you in cross referring the source books when you feel that there is something missing in your notes when you revise after a long time,or to ask doubts/search for new material 'cos you would know what you don't know ...very important since this would guide you in selecting which questions to answer in the final exam hour ( no one is allowed to ask...is there a choice in the question paper or even worse...how will it guide one in question selection!)

Second Page-All old questions including the 1980's ones(according to syllabus of course!)...if you notice some of the really old questions pertain to the newly added topics...bringing the changes made to a full circle! :)

Also, its important to know which sub topic can be interlinked with which other sub topic , which sub-topic requires more elaborate reading and note-making and which topics you cant afford to miss(some questions have been repeatedly asked indirectly or directly...)

All of this can only be gathered by a thorough analysis of the questions asked (preferably on your own) in the previous years so pay attention to the second page too !

Third Page- Now your note making starts...the elaborate notes and even pointers should follow this format :

a.Theory/Concept-Who said,What was said and in Which context was it said

b.Criticism-Every theoretician/perspective has a critique which points out the lacunae in the same and at the same time takes it forward...one should be very clear with this aspect.

c.Application-

In paper 1: Emphasise on case studies usa,uk('cos many studies are available from there!) or any other foreign country if you have a relevant case study ...but , at the same time do not forget to connect it to Indian examples.

In paper 2 : Emphasis should be placed on Indian Sociologists and application to Indian context, though here too works of important sociologists(from paper 1) can be applied .

Hence, studying , note making and then answer writing (in the same chronological order for very obvious reasons!) should be done keeping in mind that paper 1 and paper 2 are not exclusive of each other but are in fact interlinked and at times even draw sustenance from each other.

4.The notes would be made preferably in the same format as the answer sheets given in the upsc mains exam ie A4 blank sheets with space left at both sides(instead of wasting time making margins with scale and pencil just fold the paper on both sides to give the impression of a margin) and punched to be put into well organised folders.

5.This organisation of notes may sound like a very very childlike suggestion but it has great bearing on your revision...remember you are not writing notes to publish them for the benefit of mankind (which is not a bad idea but not your primary goal!) but to apply them in the examination, so please revise revise revise(this is not a typo error :) bad joke...still)

6.I would share resources like advice/coaching material/your own notes with another serious student...its a personal belief that petty competitiveness pulls you down as well.

7.Internet resources (some books have a few pages put out for reading online) and library(D School,Arts Faculty-Delhi University) resources (through a student) would be used appropriately.

Note :If you get hold of an amazing book for a very small sub-topic and don't have time to go through it just read the Introduction+Preface...it usually encapsulates the whole argument

This was the "how to read" bit... now lets come down now to the "what to read" part :

The "How to start" dilemna plagues most of the cse aspirants esp those who did not have a humanities background....The solution is simple-

Start with NCERT XI and XII (old and new editions both)

Then for :

Paper 1- Refer (in accordance with the syllabus...if time permits you could read the whole book as well...if nothing else it may help you in the essay or later on in the interview stage):

Anthony Giddens-Sociology(I believe the 5th edition is available in India in a paperback format...expensive book but its usefulness justifies its expense)

MacIonis-Sociology(brought to India by Pearsons publications)

These books give a basic understanding and at the same time an analysis of more contemporary topics.

Now you could go onto the basic book for Thinkers which is:

Francis Abraham and John Henry Morgan-Sociological Thought

You should also elaborate upon Thinkers by referring to Ritzer selectively(a must)

Some of my friends picked up tit-bits from Lewis Coser and some referred to Raymond Aron too(optional)

For Paper 2- Start with IGNOU BA course material and stick to it! Take care to mention the case studies considered in the IGNOU booklets in your examination.

You should also read:

M.N.Srinivas-Social Change in India

Yogendra Singh-Modernisation of Indian Tradition

Handbook of Indian Sociology-edited by Veena Das (selective reading of the book )

J.C.Verma (a NBT publication on Tribals) for the portion on problems faced by tribals...

I found books like Madan and Mazumdar- Social Anthropology and Horton and Hunt relevant for prelims only

Though one could pick up meaning of terms like culture etc from the Horton and Hunt book to understand its usage and maybe, apply it in the Essay paper (if it so demands)

Now the question arises how to supplement this basic material ?

In paper 2 the theory portion should be connected to/updated by egs drawn from real life /recent case studies covered in magazines like Yojana and Economic and Political Weekly . You could become an online member of these magazines and avail the benefit of browsing through their archives.

I was too lazy to do this and consequently suffered(thankfully not too badly!) in paper 2.

In paper 1 there is an excellent reference book by the name of Haralombos and Halborn,its detailed,comprehensive and contemporary....unfortunately, reading it is a time consuming exercise so do it only as a last resort and/or to add value to selective topics(to avoid meandering away from relevant topics always keep the syllabus by your side)

These are the books/resources which I found relevant ..if I later on recall more(not that you would want me to, once you see the content of some of these books!) I would add on to this post...

Hopefully all of you would come to enjoy Sociology as much as I did (and also get good marks...very imp! )

Abu Uwach: Answering the Why - Part II

The Indian Civil Services - Answering the Why - Part II


The Wrong Reasons?

I ended my last post with a few questions about what a bureaucrat really does, and whether one’s personality is really suited to be a bureaucrat. KK commented that my somewhat cynical references to the real reasons (the ‘lal batti’ syndrome) why candidates appear for this exam cannot be divorced from other, more genuine reasons. I agree with him on this point as my ‘cynical’ references were meant more as a provocation to thought as why one wants to write the exam. But more on that later. There are really no absolute right reasons for writing the exam. We must all choose our own right reasons for writing the exam. But I will insist that there may be some wrong reasons for writing the exam. Writing the exam for monetary gain, for example, would fall clearly in this category. Government service offers enough opportunities for illegal gratification but if money is really one’s true aim, there are enormous legitimate opportunities in the private sector for those with the will and creativity. Writing the exam so that one can actively serve the interests of particular groups or sections within the nation, to the detriment of others, whether they may be on the basis of caste, religion or region, I believe is another wrong reason.

This brings me to the controversial issue of the last post: How far should status and privilege motivate one to join the civil services? The Indian Civil Service has traditionally enjoyed huge status on account of the colonial legacy where Whitehall’s writ was executed by the ICS officer on the ground. The notion of the ‘administrator as ruler’ that underpinned this colonial position continues to have a powerful hold on the public imagination. To my mind at least, if the civil service must play a constructive role in pulling India into the 21st century, it must actively seek to break this mould, and this is the most difficult question that both aspirants and civil servants must ask themselves today. Would you still choose the services if it did not perpetuate a semi-feudal ruling elite, but was merely an ordinary part of the executive that was responsible for sensible policy making and effective policy implementation? Would it still be so attractive without its attendant perks, but was merely an agent of change that would empower citizens to depend less and less on the civil servant himself?


The Right Reasons

Undoubtedly, the ‘diminished’ civil servant may not be the ideal person to motivate one for this exam, but here then is the rub: Why then write this exam at all? In spite of all my ‘cynicism’ I do believe that may be some good reasons to give this exam. As I pointed out before, each one will have their own right reasons but here is a checklist of questions that one could ask of oneself before making a final decision. The logic is simple: find out what a civil servant (and here be more specific - IAS, IFS, IPS, etc) does and figure out whether this is the kind of job that you would want to do, and would have a reasonable chance of success in.

1. Is your understanding of a civil servants job based upon perception or
reality? If it is the latter, would discussing his or her day to day job
(even spending some time with an officer if possible) give you a clearer view?

2. What is your defining interest/motivation in life? Is it to make money, for
example and have a reasonably comfortable life, or is it to attain some degree of fame or to contribute to society in some meaningful way, or even to pursue knowledge for its own sake (not to suggest that any of these objectives are mutually exclusive)? Each of these have particular correlation in different fields, just as some of them may find expression within the services? Do you believe that you can utilize your interest while working for government while acknowledging that it may not give you the returns that it would have, had you pursued it exclusively?

3. What kind of aptitude do you have? Is it amenable to working in a fixed hierarchical system where merit may not always be a priority, although there may be other intangible rewards? Do you have an aptitude for ‘hands on’ public interface or do you prefer to work in a more rarified office atmosphere?

4. And finally, what is your death bed story? As morbid as it sounds, I personally rate it as the most important question when deciding whether or not to join the services. When you look back at your life from your deathbed, how would you have wanted to live it? Are you willing to take someone else’s dream and live it as your own, or are you willing to find your own?


The questions listed above are only indicative of what a decision making process could look like. Points 2 and 3, I wish to mark out since they not only help you decide whether to write the exam, but indicate how successful you may be in the service. The government works in a peculiar environment that everyone may not find comfortable. Your aptitude and your motivation, if appropriately suited, will determine your ability to persevere and succeed. Your aptitude will also help you choose the right service, an issue I hope to deal with in a later post.

A final personal note on the last point: I knew that, personally, when I looked back, I would have wanted to spend a considerable part of my life representing this extraordinary country, representing more than a billion people, and being in part responsible for its rise in the global comity of nations. If I can achieve even a small part of that story as a member of the civil service, I will be a happy man. 

Preparing for Law (Main)

I am grateful to Cyril for his inputs on the post.

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The syllabus for the law (main) is huge and it does require great deal of effort to cover the entire syllabus. Gone are the days when one could cover 75-80% of the syllabus and still secure decent marks. One may keep following points in minds while preparing and answering the law paper:

I. Study Materials

1. Standard Text Books:

I referred to following materials in the course of my preparation:

Constitution: V.N.Shukla (For Admin Law portion refer to S.P.Sathe/articles from journals)
International Law: Starke (for contemporary topics like terrorism which are not mentioned in Starke you can refer also refer to S.K. Kapoor as a supplementary text)
Law of Crimes: Gaur
Contract-Avatar Singh
Torts-Bangia
Recent Legal Developments- Internet and various legal journals like JILI, Supreme Court Journal, etc.

Reading aforementioned books is necessary but not sufficient. These books will not cover the entire syllabus and therefore, you might need to look at other books/articles as well to cover the areas not covered in these books. However, read them well to get the conceptual clarity.

2. Extra Materials:

Constitution

• Constitutionalism: Refer to M.P. Jain and also pub ad material on the same (Mohanty’s printed material has a page or two on constitutionalism)
• PIL; Legal Aid; Legal Services Authority: For PIL refer to the posts on the blog www.lawandotherthings.blogspot.com. For Legal Aid and Legal Services Authority refer to the website of the National Legal Service Authority and also relevant pages from the India Year Book.
• Eminent domain – State property – common property – community property. (V.N.Shukla has a page on eminent domain. Could not find material on State, Common and Community property.)
• Legislative powers, privileges and immunities. Refer to M.P. Jain for detailed analysis of this topic and also read the SC judgment in Raja Ram Pal v The Hon''Ble Speaker, Lok Sabha dated January 10, 2007
• Principles of natural justice – Emerging trends and judicial approach, Delegated legislation and its constitutionality, Judicial review of administrative action: Refer to Sathe on Administrative law. Also look for the relevant articles from JILI, Supreme Court Journal etc.
• Separation of powers and constitutional governance: Read articles from the net.
• Ombudsman: Lokayukta, Lokpal etc.: Refer to the relevant report of the Second Administrative Reform Commission.


- Please read the National Commission to Review the Working of the Constitution’s Report (Available on Ministry of Law’s website), the Annual Report of the Supreme Court (Available on the SC’s Website) reports of the Standing Committee of the Parliament on the Law and Justice (Contents of some of which might be available in newspapers and magazines), Law Commission of India’s Report-101, 195, 214 etc.

- Read the complete judgment delivered in some of the landmark cases (Maneka Gandhi, Express Newspaper Ltd, R. Rajgopal, Santosh Bariyar, S.R. Bommai, Raja Ram Pal etc. etc.) You do not have to read all the individual judgments. Just read one of the majority judgments and the head notes for the case.

International Law

In addition to Starke also relied on readings (which were compilation of some excellent articles) from the college days. Some of which are as follows:

• The Identity of International Law: Rosalyn Higgins
• Recognition in Theory and Practice: Ian Brownlie
• Recognition of States, Int’l and Comparative Law Quarterly, Vol. 41, p.473
• Status of Treaties in Domestic Legal Systems: John H. Jackson, The American Journal of International Law, Vol.86, p.310.
• India’s Policy of Recognition of States and Governments: K.P.Mishra, The American Journal of International Law, Vol.55, p.398.
• Int’l Law and the use of force by States: Ian Brownlie, OUP
• The Right of States to Use Armed Forces: Oscar Schachter, Michigan Law Review, Vol.82, Nos. 5 & 6, April/May 1984
• On Prohibition of Force and Self Defense . you can also look at the relevant pages (pp.108-121 and 661-678) from the book The Charter of the United Nations: A Commentary, Ed; Bruno Simma, OUP, New York, 199.
• The Position of the Individual in International Law: Alexander Orkahelashvili, 31 California Western International Law Journal 241.


For topic mentioned below relied a lot on the information from the internet. Please go through the UN website very well to gather information about UN, its organs, reforms, terrorism etc. You can also look at website of the International Criminal Court, for latest developments and also have an idea of the latest issues surrounding some of these international bodies. For example, the question on the International Criminal Court asked in the 2009 Mains, was not entirely legal, but also pertained to the broad theme of international affairs, as very specific questions were asked on functioning of the court, the drawbacks and the amendments to the Regulations. Hence questions are of a very contemporary nature for some of the topics for which the best source is the internet.

• United Nations: Its principal organs, powers, functions and reform.
• Legality of the use of nuclear weapons; ban on testing of nuclear weapons; Nuclear – non proliferation treaty, CTBT. ( For Legality of the use of nuclear weapons, please read ICJ’s judgment in full)
• International terrorism, state sponsored terrorism, hijacking, international criminal court. (FOR ICC, I read two articles which were part of my college reading. Am unable to locate them now. Will put up their citation as soon as I find them)
• New international economic order and monetary law: WTO, TRIPS, GATT, IMF, World Bank.
• Protection and improvement of the human environment: International efforts.
• Fundamental principles of International Humanitarian Law: You can refer to the chapter in Malcolm Shaw.


Law of Crimes


• Kinds of punishment and emerging trends as to abolition of capital punishment: read the related posts on the blog www.lawandotherthings.blogspot.com.
• Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988: Read the Bare Act well.
• Protection of Civil Rights Act 1955 and subsequent legislative developments: Read the Bare Act well.
• Plea bargaining: Cr.P.C amendments incorporating the Plea bargaining provisions in India, Law Commission Report and one or two article on the same from the net.

- You may also have a look at the Law Commission’s 156th Report on the IPC.


Law of Torts

• False Imprisonment: Refer to the Winfield for this topic.
• Consumer Protection Act: Read the Bare Act well and also Bangia’s commentary.


Law of Contracts and Mercantile Law

• E-Contract: From internet.
• Insurance: Did not prepare.
• Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881: Did not prepare.
• Sale of Goods: Bare Act + DU Law Duggi (guide)
• Hire Purchase: Law Commission’s 168th report.
• Formation and dissolution of Partnership: Bare Act + DU Law Duggi (guide) + Law Commission’s 7th report.
• Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996: Bare Act + DU Law Duggi (guide)

- You may also have a look at the Law Commission’s Report on the Contract Act.


Contemporary Legal Developments

• Read mostly from the net. Look at Law Commission’s 200th Report on “Trial by Media”.
• For some of the topics like Competition, Intellectual Property Rights, Right to Information Act, you can refer to some of the important sections of the bare acts.
• Since some of the topics mention that the concepts/types/prospects are being tested, you should be familiar with some of the important concepts, for eg. Polluter pays in environmental law.


II. Studying for the Main


Why it makes sense to cover the entire syllabus

• You must aim to cover almost everything mentioned in the syllabus. UPSC is not sticking to the broad area wise division while clubbing two or more questions into one. For example: There could be three questions of 20 marks each from topics as varied as Plea Bargaining, Negotiable Instruments Act and the Competition Act. The 60 markers in paper II are not single question but always an unusual combination of 2 or 3 questions from IPC/Contract/Recent Legal Developments etc. This makes life very tough because if you don’t prepare for everything, it is likely that you might not be able to answer every part of the question. For example, if you decide to skip negotiable instruments act and sale of goods act, it might just happen that the questions from these areas are asked not as part of a single question but in combination with other areas (say contract/recent legal developments). This can land you in trouble because with your selective preparation you can answer only part of a question and this could happen for more than one question.

• It is unusual on the part of the UPSC to repeat the last year questions the very next year. But it did so for the main 2009. Many of us did not prepare for the topics from which questions had already been asked in the main 2008 (For example indemnity and guarantee, IT Laws etc.). However, to our complete surprise UPSC repeated the questions from these topics in the main 2009 as well. This was surprising considering there were several recently added topics in the syllabus from where they could have asked the questions.

• Preparing an area comprehensively is no guarantee that one would be able to answer all possible questions from that area. In paper I, you might focus more on constitutional law/international law depending on your area of interest but I would still advice you to cover the entire syllabus of both. You might have a genuine interest in the constitutional law and might have studied hard for it, but that is no guarantee that you would be able to answer all the questions. For instance, I prepared well for the constitutional law but in the exam except for the compulsory question, I just answered only 1 question from the constitutional law as opposed to my earlier plan of answering 2 questions from there and 1 from the IL. I would have been in real trouble had I not prepared reasonably well for the IL as well.



III Writing the Main Paper:

Always see yourself as the salesman (of your answers) who is out there to satisfy the toughest customer (i.e. the examiner). Your answers have to be different from the rest and you will have to walk the extra mile to get extra marks from the examiner. You may keep following things in mind while writing the answer:

• Cases and Statutory provisions are a must and you must write them wherever needed. However, you answer should not look like a compilation of case list. Write only the landmark ones and write them in BLOCK CAPITAL so that it does not escape the examiner’s eyes.

• Quote wisely from the Commission/Committee’s (esp. law commission) reports and underline them. For example in the main 2009 there was a question on the fundamental duties. In my answer I mentioned very briefly the recommendations of

Swarn Singh Committee;
The National Commission to review the working of the Constitution; (“NCRW”)
Justice Verma Committee on opertionalisation of Fundamental duties.


• Wherever possible refer to the practices in other legal system (especially that of U.S and U.K.) and show the differences/similarity between them and us

• Write in points for the question which has several parts to it and for every part you have plenty to write. For example the question on recognition and succession last year has many parts to it. I wrote the entire question in points. Remember the Golden rule: write in points whenever you are running short of time.

• Keep yourself updated and mention the recent significant judgments/pending amendment bills etc. etc. in your answer. The Hindu’s legal reporting is quite good and also keep going back to the blog “Law and other Things” for the recent legal developments. Frontline also covers articles on recent level developments, especially those by V.Venkatesan. For example, if there were to be a question on trial by media last year, I would have definitely quoted SC’s judgment in the case of R.K. Anand (NDTV Sting operation) that came just before the main last year.

General Studies (Main) - SOS!

Post By: Tanvi (with inputs from Ashutosh and Cyril)

“I can't change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination.”

Jimmy Dean

This quote aptly summarises the approach one should have while studying for the GS (Main) since it is dynamic in nature.This changing pattern is a reflection of the times to come so, the best bet now would be to have conceptual clarity on traditional areas but with an additional thrust and inter linkages with current affairs based knowledge.

We (namely Ashutosh , Cyril and Tanvi) have tried to present certain guidelines in the form of a brief analysis of 2009 GS Mains alongwith recommended books/notes, and the approach to be followed in each section of the syllabus.

Paper-I


1. History of Modern India and Indian Culture:

For Long Answers

( in 2009 GS , 15 x 2 = 30 marks,choice of 2 out of 3, word limit=150 words each)

Recommended Books:

I read only Spectrum’ Modern India. However, I would suggest Bipin Chandra's India's Struggle for Independance as a must read.

A senior recommended a book on Modern Indian History by Sumit Sarkar too, according to him 2009 GS paper picked up quotes from this book.

How to start:

If you are a complete beginner start with NCERT on Modern India by Bipin Chandra.Others who have read History as a subject in graduation can start with Bipin Chandra's book, 'India's Struggle for Independance'.Do read it well , it will give you conceptual clarity, you could then use Spectrum as some sort of notes to be revised just before the exam.

Approach:

Your aim here is a general understanding of Modern Indian History. For this, you need to have clarity on the way the freedom movement evolved,the issues involved,the perspective of national leaders,etc.Then even if the pattern changes you will be able to handle the questions with ease.

For very short answers :

(In GS 2009, 2 x 10 = 20 marks )

Recommended books:

Do take a look at old question papers 'cos sometimes 2 markers from History are asked more than once.You could read a book by Rajiv Khular which has solutions of two markers asked in the previous question papers.For 2 markers a publication by Civil Services Times is referred to by some candidates (its HUGE so make use of it only if you have time)

Approach:

Your focus should be on NAMES of freedom fighters,social movements,legal/social systems,etc which you can filter out from the recommended reads for long answers.

Your focus here is on brevity but without compromising on the important facts.

Changing Pattern :

Many of us were stumped to find two questions on dance and music (10 x 2= 20 marks) in the GS main 2009.We unfortunately focussed on Modern India to the complete exclusion of Indian Culture.

So, do pick up a decent book on Indian Culture(there is one by Spectrum) and familiarize yourself with the art/music/dance/architecture etc…..aspects of the Indian Culture.

2. Geography of India:
(15 x 4 =60 marks + 3 +3 marker relating to food production and national waterways + 2 marker relating to Desert National park can be said to fall under this heading)

Recommended Books:

The two NCERT books of class XI and XII dealing with Physical and Economic geography of India should be referred.You can also read VajiRam’s printed material on the subject.

Approach vis a vis the changing pattern:

Geography should be interlinked with current affairs knowledge weaned from the newspaper and relevant magazines(the names are mentioned later in the article) . This orientation is well illustrated in the question - significance of coastal regions in the development of India.

3. Constitution of India and Indian Polity:

(In 2009 GS Mains, there were no direct questions on Polity especially when you compare it the way it was traditionally handled.Still the questions on changing determinants of voting behaviour,corruption and esp the one on freedom to express one's opinion all 15 markers could be said to broadly fall under this heading. Further there are 2 markers usually related to terminology like Pocket veto which are asked)

Recommended Books:

Complete beginners can start with Political Science class XI NCERT book " Indian Constitution at Work" .You could then refer to Subash.C.Kashyap's books titled "Our constitution" and "Our Parliament or you could get hold of VajiRam’s printed materials on the subject and also Mr. Raveendran’s class notes. They are lucid and very informative. There is a book on Indian Polity by Wizard ,any issue in recent news can be looked up here since its updated every year.And always keep the Bare Act of the Indian Constitution by your side when you are reading these books/notes.

Approach vis a vis the changing pattern:

You should read the newspaper (preferably The Hindu ) well to keep yourself abreast with the latest issues concerning politico-administrative system of the country. You may also have a look at the excellent blog: www.lawandotherthings.blogspot.com

4. Current National Issues and Topics of Social Relevance:

(This is THE MOST IMPORTANT SECTION which witnessed the maximum allocation of marks and has to be read interlinked with Geography,Polity,Social Issues,Economy,etc)

There are seven broad areas that the UPSC has listed under this head. They do give some clue as to the kind of questions that one might expect but it is indeed an uphill task (bordering on impossibility) to prepare comprehensively for several topics under each of these areas. For example, in the main-2009, there were questions on the Domestic Violence Act, Yashpal Committee Recommendations etc. which in my considered opinion does not fall under any of the seven broad areas listed by the UPSC. You could prepare against such eventualities only by preparing as comprehensively as humanly possible.

Recommended Readings:

You can read Vajiram’s and ALS’s class notes, and also Competition Wizard’s special issue for the main for this part of the GS. You could also think of maintaining a separate note book divided into seven parts for each specified area. Read the newspaper and magazines regularly to gather relevant information under each area and file them in your notebook.Revise it before the exam and if you can ,do try and discuss the newspaper/magazine cutouts/notes with another serious CSE aspirant(remember to keep the discussions focussed since its only when you clear the exam can you change the face of the India!)

Following Resources to be referred in the manner given below should help you out :

The Hindu ( a thorough reading with jotting down of important points and taking out relevant cut outs esp of editorials is recommended)

Frontline (very very selective reading , your focus here should be trying to understand fragmented news in a holistic manner)

Any competitive magazine like Pratiyogita Darpan or Civil Services Chronicle(they encapsulate the news for ready reference.Despite their comprehensive coverage they should NOT be considered as a substitute for newspaper reading, also the opinions espoused in their articles should not be blindly aped.Rather,their articles should be used more as a source of factual information to be applied when required)

Yojana and Kurukshetra should be read selectively to understand the various debates surrounding an upcoming legislation like the women's reservation bill or a critical analysis of implementation of an act/schemes like the MNREGA.

Indian Economic Survey should be read only to understand the general growth trajectory of the Indian Economy with special focus on the boxes.

India Year Book, an extttrrrrremely boring book unfortunately has to be referred to know about the various Govermental schemes :P

Paper-II


1. India and the World:

(This is a very important topic and should be read interlinked with India's economic interaction with the world,together these two topics cover almost 50% of the question paper)

Recommended Readings:

You can rely on Vajiram’s and ALS’s class notes. Competition Wizard’s special issue for the main is useful too. For information on Indian Diaspora, one can look at the India Year Book.However to get a background understanding you can also refer to certain issues of Word Focus, especially the Annual Issue which comes out in Nov-Dec, which is on India’s Foreign Policy.

Further here regular reading of newspaper and magazines would be of great help.

Approach:

You should know about any new/landmark bilateral treaty/diplomatic initiative/points of dissent between India and say countries like USA,Russia etc and between India and its neighbouring countries like Bangladesh,China,etc.

2. India’s Economic Interaction with the World:
Recommended Sources :

You could refer Vajiram’s, ALS class notes and The Economic Survey. Also, you could pick up bits of information from Pratiyogta Darpan’s special issue on Economics. For the role and functions of IMF, World Bank, W.T.O, W.I.P.O etc you can get information from the net.Further the Ministry of Commerce website http://commerce.nic.in/ is a useful source for information regarding India’s position on various issues in the WTO, etc. along with India’s Foreign Trade Policy.

Approach:

Here you should know the latest happenings globally say, the recent meltdown, its impact on India and India's response to it.Further the debates/controversies/demands of developing countries in IMF/WTO, World Bank , etc should be read alongwith an analysis of India's Position on the same.

3. Developments in the Field of Science & Technology, IT and Space:

(In 2009 GS there was a deluge of questions from this section which took most candidates by surprise....it covered almost 100 marks which is 33% of paper 2 !)

Recommended Readings:

You could read from Vajiram’s class notes and also from the Competition Wizard’s special issue for the main. However, they were not of much use this time since the questions were very contemporary and pertained to the happenings of last one and half year.

So a thorough reading of newspaper especially the Science and Technology supplement from The Hindu (freely available on the net) alongwith online inputs wherever required is recommended to score well in this section.

There is a Spectrum guide on Science and Technology which can also be referred.

Approach:

Most importantly, non-science background candidates should not get intimidated by this section.Though certain amount of specialized reading is required no one expects you to write like a scientist.Just try to understand the recent technological developments for eg, cloud computing etc along with an analysis of dynamic fields of enquiry like Nanotechnology etc.Further areas of reasearch which are in the form of sub-topics mentioned in the syllabus (robotics, biotechnology, etc.) should be done thoroughly.You should try to understand the concept, the present applications, the future possibilities and limitations/disadvantages surrounding each.

Also try to link current affairs knowledge covered via newspaper to this section for example, the question on Green Fluorescence Protein was asked because it was related to the 2008 Nobel Prize for Chemistry.

Hence, one can also make notes from newspapers and the internet about the latest developments in this field. The sub-topics mentioned in the syllabus can be useful headings while making notes. A little hard-work in this area may actually fetch a lot of marks and may be the difference between clearing the exam, as Science and Technology is one area which requires specialised reading and where one cannot make up an answer.

4. International Affairs and Institutions:
Recommended Readings :

You could rely on Vajiram’s and ALS’s class notes. Competition Wizard’s special issue for the main is useful too.

Approach:

Try to link this section as well to recent issues/controversies/debates covered in the news and extrapolated with online information.

5. Statistical Analysis, Graphs and Diagrams:

(Around 30 marks were asked from this section in 2009. Though it may seem like a tough proposition to people who suffer from mathematics-phobia ,its in reality not difficult at all and to top it, it is extremely scoring!On the other hand, Engineers and Science students get overconfident .... please practise since the questions might be easy but because of time crunch you cant make up formulae on the spot.)

Recommended Readings:

You could solve the old question papers by taking the help of either Vaji Ravi's class notes or by solving questions from the Spectrum’s book on the Statistics.

For Mental Ability try to get Mr.Ashok Kumar Singh's(Meridian Coaching,Mukherjee Nagar) solutions of old questions or you could try R.S.Agarwal's book

Approach:

Practise old question papers.

Answering the GS (Main) Paper

By Ashutosh

1. Finishing on time:

One is very likely to overshoot the time limit in the GS paper. One way to ensure completion of the paper with in time limit is to practice answer writing in exam like situation. I just could not get myself to write test series for the GS. However, I tried my best to follow my Senior Aparna’s advice of time-marks division in the exam. Divide 300 marks by 180 mins and figure out the time you would need for 10/20/30 marker and stick to the time limit. I did so and more or less I was able to finish my paper without overshooting the word limit.

2. Plan it out in Your Mind:

For the main -2009, I had visualized the order in which I would answer the GS paper. However, it is a different matter that the UPSC threw cold waters on all my grand visualization by completely altering the pattern of the question paper. For example, I had decided that I would start with the polity questions and then move on to History, Current Affairs etc. I wanted to start with the part of the syllabus that I was most comfortable with and finish it with the part that I was least comfortable with. But you must be prepared with an alternate plan as well in the event your original plan goes haywire like it went for me the last year.

3. Writing in Points:

There are people who have written their entire GS paper in points (for e.g. Roopa Mishra, IAS Topper-2003) while other have stuck to the paragraph format (For e.g. Shubhra Saxena, IAS Topper-2008). I wrote both in points and paragraph depending on the kind of questions, availability of time and amount of information available with me. It does not make sense to write in points when you have very little to write for an answer. I wrote in points for Economics, India and the World, Geography, Science and Technology and some of the questions from current affairs. For history and polity, I stuck to the paragraph format.

4. Value Addition to the Answers:

I think this holds true for every paper including the Essay. You have to walk the extra mile to draw the examiner’s attention towards your answers. Most of us read the same materials for the examination (which is usually the notes given by the coaching institutes or competitive magazines) and end up writing similar answers. Draw maps/diagrams whenever needed; quote from the government/int’l agencies reports and recommendations; make cross country comparisons etc. etc….( Wish I followed what I am preaching now; the score would have looked much better…:) )

Post By Abu Mathen George, IFS (Batch of 2009)

Dear All,

It gives me immense pleasure to introduce Abu Mathen George as our guest blogger. Abu is my batchmate from NLS, Bangalore and a very dear friend. He is currently undergoing training as IFS (probationer) in New Delhi. Abu is one of the finest mind I have come across. We are grateful to him for taking time out to write for the blog.

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I cannot but begin my first post on this blog without a salutation to the person who made it all possible, and who is now enjoying the fruits of his hard won labour. Ever since our time together in law school when we used to meet to ostensibly discuss ‘strategy’ I have been constantly inspired and motivated by my good friend Ashutosh Salil’s passion for the civils. Without his constant encouragement, his good humour and endless hours of nonsensical ramblings that would take the edge off an otherwise mind-numbing preparation schedule, I doubt that it would have been possible for me to get through the grind successfully. Let me also congratulate Cyril and Tanvi, the other contributors to this blog for their success. It has been my privilege to know Cyril well and his accomplishment this year is truly extraordinary.

Perhaps most importantly, my long conversations with Ashutosh helped answer the ‘why’ of the civils, and that is why I have chosen this as the topic of my first few posts. For those who have even involuntary trespassed on the minefield that is civils preparation will understand that arming yourself with the right reasons to write this exam is crucial. So without further ado, let me begin.

The Indian Civil Services - Answering the Why - Part I

Whenever someone asks me for help on writing the civils, I am tempted to give the same response that the English writer G.K. Chesterton did when approached for advice on marriage: Don’t! Why on earth would you want to write an exam that drags on for so long, that is outrageously maddening in the knowledge/skills that it claims to test, and is completely random in the results it produces. One often jokes that the Indian Civil Service Exam is really a test of your karma, in the classical Indian tradition. Did you do any good in your previous life? Yes, well then great! You can join the great Indian Civil Services in this life, proceed to amass assets disproportionate to your known sources of income, and become a worm in your next.

Often, when candidates are quizzed about the reasons for appearing for the CSE at the famed UPSC interview, they are suddenly possessed with sudden realization. This is, no doubt, the moment that they have all been waiting for (of course, apart from the moment when they will be interviewed by Barkha Dutt after securing the first rank). The ‘correct’ answer will gain them entry into the job of their dreams. So what is the most favoured answer? More or less, almost all variations of the following themes:

I wish to serve the nation.
I wish to make constructive and compassionate interventions at the field and policy making levels so as to bring the fruits of development to those who have traditionally been excluded from the mainstream of growth so as to serve the larger interests of the country and make India into a superpower.
And oh yes, I wish to serve poor people.

Does anyone recall that lighted thing they put on top of white ambassador cars? Or sprawling bungalows in every district headquarter from Kollam to Kohima? Or fawning men and women for whom the three letters after your name connote the appearance of a living deity?

I exaggerate, but lets get the basics out first: Any good you purport to do in the Civil Services can easily be done many other walks of life, sometimes more efficiently, sometimes with far more impact. Sure, being an investment banker with Goldman Sachs may not be the most conducive way to serve the ‘people’ but one often wonders whether more than sixty years of a glorious and independent civil service has really done any service to the nation at all, especially when one compares it to the last two decades after the initiation of reforms; something that the bureaucracy opposed tooth and nail. Extraordinary work is being done today by ordinary men and women who continuously challenge traditional notions of social service and how it should be performed. The most visible example that comes to mind is that of Aruna Roy, who left the IAS to begin a grassroots movement that transformed how people access information. One of my friends who contemplated writing the civils asked her once why she left and whether she had any regrets. “Let me put it this way,” she replied, “I drafted a law that my batchmate, the Chief Information Commissioner, now implements.”

So why does one really write this exam? Do you believe that your personality type is suited to be a bureaucrat? What does a bureaucrat really do? Let me leave you with these final thoughts, some of which I hope to answer in my next post.

On why law graduates should consider law as an optional.

Over the course of my preparations, I have come across the notion that most law graduates prefer not to take up law as their first optional, let alone an optional for the mains. Further, queries from various law graduates like whether law was a scoring optional, has finally given my some food for thought, as a result of which here is my first blog post.

I had taken law as my first optional for the prelims and as an optional for the mains. Even I had a fair share of my doubts before taking law but they were quickly dispelled after I spoke to my seniors who had taken law and qualified with good ranks. There are good reasons on why law graduates should take up law, and I would like to clarify some of the issues regarding the same and the reasons why I took law.

Foundation and Conceptual Clarity: The most important reason to take law is because you have studied law in your graduation. No matter how badly you may have done or how well, the important point to remember is that you have a foundation in law and at least some sort of conceptual understanding for most of the topics. This is a very important aspect many students ignore while choosing some other subject, because the next question is: if not law what else? Is there a better alternative? For me, I could not think of any other subject other than law because I felt that the five year B.A. LL.B. (Hons.) course, provided me a good foundation in law. Even though I enjoyed humanities subjects like sociology or history, I felt that I was stronger placed in law compared to these subjects, on the basis of which I could decide on law an optional. Hence a lot of time may be wasted in trying to understand the basics of a new subject, which could have been better utilised in revisiting law and studying it from the civil service exams perspective (as opposed to trying to build a foundation in a new subject). I prepared law on my own and did not take up coaching. I only enrolled for a law test series for the mains.

Further, for the Prelims, the law syllabus is well defined and not very vast. There are six topics and only jurisprudence is not common to the mains syllabus. Hence, it made sense to take law because it is scoring and most of the topics covered in the prelims would also be covered in the mains.

There is a misconception that law is not scoring. There are many who make it to the merit list with law as an optional. It is true that law is not a popular optional say unlike geography or public administration. But this is because only law graduates would choose law. Thus the low numbers of persons taking law should not lead to the conclusion that is not very popular, and hence not scoring. Many who are pursuing a three year LL.B. degree in law after their graduation may also opt for another subject or their subject of graduation, which may explain why many law graduates do not take law. However, the success rate of persons with law over the last few years would suggest that law has as good, if not better success rate compared to other subjects. The latest annual report of the UPSC for 2008-09 publisehd on the website shows that law has a success rate of 5%. This is good considering the fact that most subjects which had around 200-300 students appearing for that subject in the mains (law had 280 persons in 2008), had a success rate of around 5-6%. Even most popular subjects like public administration and geography had a success rate of 8.4% and 6.9% respectively. Hence it is no more or no less scoring than any other optional, provided you work hard for it and follow the right strategy. Even though the exception proves the rule, one can take encouragement from the fact that one of the highest scores for law secured by a successful candidate has been 389, obtained as recently as in the 2008 mains exam.

Another reason many maybe dissuaded is that the syllabus for mains is vast. I would agree that the syllabus is vast but at the same time it is manageable. Also like I said before, one has to approach this issue in context of other subjects. Hence, when compared to studying a new subject, the vast syllabus of law would become manageable given the fact that more time may be spent in studying, analysing past year papers, making notes and learning, all with a view to cracking the exams. Further although it is advisable to cover all the topics equally well as the exam papers try and cover all portions of the syllabus, analysing past years papers, the syllabus and the way questions are divided section wise in both the papers, would suggest that a focussed approach makes the syllabus much more manageable.

Most people are dissuaded because of the number of cases and sections from bare acts that one has to remember. How does one remember so much? This is a problem faced by many. I faced this dilemma because five years can be a long time. I had forgotten many of the topics like constitutional law and contracts, which I had done in the first two years of law school. I was also overwhelmed by the fact that I had to memorize so many sections of the IPC or Contract Act, being so used to open book exams. The only way out is thorough study and constant revision, which is greatly enhanced if notes are prepared. While I agree that it is not easy to remember so much at one go, making notes and revising them, would over a period of time ensure that you have the important sections and case law at your fingertips.

I must admit that for most of the topics, especially constitutional law, I enjoyed learning again (in most cases learning for the first time!). As I started reading books like V.N. Shukla and the Constitution Bare Act, I realized that I missed a lot during law school. This discovery of the nuances of the constitution made me realize that it is very beautifully and meticulously written document which really makes sense. So, if you like law and like reading law, I would definitely recommend that you take law as an optional. While it is important to study law from the point of view of cracking the exam and scoring good marks, enjoying the process, would help sustain your interest and motivation, over a long period of time, which this exam demands.

So to summarize:
1. Take law because you already have a conceptual understanding and a foundation. This way you do not waste time figuring out a new subject, and spend your time more fruitfully towards cracking the law paper getting a good score. Since you have to take another optional subject anyway, you can balance your time accordingly and give more attention to learning one new subject, compared to two.
2. No matter what optional you choose, you have to work hard anyway, so you may as well work hard towards something that you enjoy reading (if not for all the topics in law at least a substantial amount of the syllabus).
3. The syllabus can be managed with a good strategy and careful analysis of past years question papers.

What are the other advantages of taking law?
1. Overlap between the Constitutional Law syllabus (Paper I) and the Polity portion of the General Studies Paper I. Even recently added topics on ‘Contemporary Legal Developments’ for Law Paper II, like Right to Information, Competition law and IPR are relevant and could be asked in the General Studies papers.
2. Even though one may choose different subjects, a law graduate may be asked questions on law during the time of the interview. So it makes sense to be in touch with all the legal provisions, especially constitutional law. I had read an interview of a candidate (a law graduate) who had not taken law as an optional but was asked many questions on law during the interview.

Getting Started: Mistakes You May Avoid

Ashutosh

One needs at least 10-12 months to prepare well for this exam. The first few months of the preparation are the most difficult one. This is more so, when there is no one around to guide and show the way. One is likely to get lost in the vast syllabus and umpteen books prescribed for the exam. I was thoroughly lost, when I started with my preparation. Committed several mistakes in the course of preparation; learnt from them and ensured that they were not repeated next time around.

Tanvi

I totally agree with Ashutosh,a year's preparation is a must especially for students who take up optionals which are completely alien to them.I picked up Sociology and Public Administration despite my graduation in Engineering and believe me it took me soooo loooong to learn what had to be read in what manner and how to express the same in lucid language :).....I kept floundering in the dark till by consistent trial and error I learnt the same...The mistakes committed by you in these initial few months would push you back by a few months to even a year(ask me,I wasted an attempt 'cos of this!)....to avoid a tragedy of such magnitude :).

Try to avoid the mistakes that we committed in the course of our preparation. To help you do so, we have tried answering some of the questions that many of us grapple with in the first few months.

1.Is collecting study material a good idea?

Ashutosh

Do not be in a hurry to collect all possible books available in the market on a particular subject. Reading few standard books well, is likely to fetch more marks than reading several books. Try and speak to some of the successful candidates (or read their interview) and based on your interaction with them, you can make a detailed list of the books to be studied. You must further narrow down this list to include only such books that have been recommended by a majority of the successful candidates. My enthusiasm led me to buy several books, some of which I did not even look at in the course of preparation.

Tanvi

Its true,collecting too many books in the initial stage will be intimidating and might make cracking cse seem like an insurmountable task.A basic booklist should be prepared before you start based on guidance given by seniors who have qualified.Though, I do suggest reading a few books thoroughly in the initial stage and then to expand your reading to cover a few relevant chapters(in accordance to the syllabus)from other books or reference material .

2.What to sudy and how to go about it?

Ashutosh

Start your preparation with the standard text books, especially, when you are a studying a subject for the first time. Get your concepts clear, and then you can gradually move on to the next level. For instance, for main-2008, I began my pub ad preparation by reading Mohit Bhattacharya’s “New Horizons of Public Administration”. While, it is an excellent book, it might be more useful for the beginners to start with Laxmikant on Pub ad, which is an easy read and explains concepts much more simplistically. I learnt from my mistake, and for the main 2009, relied heavily on Laxmikant. It rekindled my interest in the subject and reading Mohit Bhattacharya now made more sense than before.

Tanvi

Well,there are three kinds of civil services aspirants, the kind who read only chaalu notes, the kind who read as if there is a phd to be done at every topic of every subject and the kind who stick to standard textbooks only...my advice is that you would have to be each one of these at different points of time :)

Start as Ashutosh says from a basic textbook esp if the subject is completely new to you...for eg,in Sociology and most of General Studies portion,the basic textbooks would be NCERT class XI,XII....then you would proceed to a standard textbook for eg Bipan Chandra for Modern Indian History....then you would look at the syllabus and the kind of questions asked...and its only then that you would refer to these notes in the market,study material but be careful do pick and choose,do not buy randomly...I did buy books like a maniac so,now I have this huge collection of stuff most of which I touch only to remove the cobwebs ;)

3.Is making notes important?If it is,how should you do it?

Ashutosh:

I was in the habit of making notes. However, I did not do it very smartly. My suggestion would be: Do not make any notes in the course of your first reading. Use first reading to familiarize yourself with the topic. In your second reading, you can start making notes. Your notes should be concise and preferably in points, so that you can do few quick revisions before the exam. There is absolutely no point in reproducing everything you have read, in the form of notes. Leave ample space at the end of each topic, so that you can add on more information that you might collect from various sources.

Tanvi:

Note Making is important especially if you are from a science/engg background and have completely switched over to humanities 'cos its important to inculcate a writing capability specific to the demands of your optional.But like Ashutosh says , dont make it in your first reading,preferably it should be done in your third reading(yes, you would have to read the same stuff at least three times!)....some of the topics can be in the form of exhaustive notes like Thinkers and Theories because only when you know them well can you apply them to the analytical questions so popular with the upsc nowadays....for others see the syllabus ,see the questions asked and then make pointers...for some other topics that were say completely given in a book I would xerox it and put it my notes...this made my notes organised and in one place,so I didnt have to sift through the 100 books that I had during revision time!I also used to make it in A4 size punched white sheets with margins on both sides (just like a upsc mains answer sheet) and put everything in an organised manner in a spiral folder...this would ensure that you know how much you are writing and also let you add more stuff easily....Let me give you the format for more clarity...

FIRST PAGE

Paper 1,Topic 1

List of sub topics -books/material referred,(I put big question marks next to topics I had no idea about :) )...Its important in case you want to refer back to the book esp when you cant understand your own pointers after giving prelims ;D!

SECOND PAGE

Topic

Sub topic 1:

List of questions asked from past years question papers with the year/(s) when they were asked and whether they were asked in the form of short notes and/or long answers alongwith arrows interlinking subtopics in case a question relates to more than one issue.

(This will help you understand the trend and hence , its here that you will truly understand what NOT to study !)

Sub Topic 2:

The same thing........

THIRD PAGE:

If it related to the few topics that you are going to cover exhaustively...write down a framework of how you aim to do so for eg who's name would come under what theory,who criticised what and what future trends if any

If its amongst the topics(dont worry,majority of the topics fall under this!) that you aim to cover through pointers do that say with an intro,body and conclusion all in bullet form

This note making process is only with respect to an optional like Sociology or Law(in the case of Ashutosh),with a subject like Public Administration a wide reading with pointers should suffice.

In the case of General studies please donot attempt the mistake of trying to make notes...you cant possibly tame an ocean right!Make 3 things as your starting point: 1.NCERT books,2.a standard textbook for each portion,3.Vaji Ravi Ram or some other dependable coaching notes of GS as your base,then make pointers from or cut out relevant articles from The Hindu alongwith with print outs of appropriate online resources,like Wikipedia ;)

3.So much to do ....how do you manage?

By sticking to Schedule:

Ashutosh

Make a balanced schedule and try to stick to it. Allocate time for each subject. We tend to focus more on topics that we are already familiar with. Doing so might be alright from the prelim perspective, but avoid doing that for the main preparation. Both the optional and the GS carry equal weightage in the main examination. Therefore, it is important to do well in every paper rather than just one paper. I did not enjoy reading pub ad much, especially paper-I, but I had to force myself to study it. Similarly, as much as I hated Science and technology, I had no option but to study it. My aim was to do reasonably well in every paper rather than scoring excellent marks in just one of the optional.

Tanvi

A schedule of study is a must esp after the prelims...your aim should be to identify the short(weekly),medium(monthly),long(till 15-20 days before the exam) term goals for GS and the two optionals and try to stick to it...have a daily target(realistic!) with a little flexibilty thrown in for eg if you dont feel like studying History for General Studies take up one optional instead....and please don't judge your progress by the number of hours you put in on a day to day basis...everyone has their own way of studying with varying outputs for the same number of hours put in....remember no one here is a study-robot,everyone takes breaks just make sure the break is not as long as your study hour :)

Also,I agree with Ashutosh, you have to do average to above average in every subject including GS so,please don't ignore any subject esp if you dont want to appear again for the prelims ;)

By studying smartly:

Ashutosh

Clearing the exam with a good rank was my only goal throughout. Pursuit of knowledge was only incidental to my primary goal. Please remember, you are not studying for a doctorate but for a competitive exam. You will have to be very clear about what to study and how much to study? In depth study of the entire syllabus is extremely difficult and time consuming. Therefore, it is important to delineate the important areas and pay great attention to them in the course of preparation. However, this is not to suggest that you should not cover the entire syllabus. I am only suggesting that your efforts should be directly proportionate to the importance of the topic.

Tanvi

Ashutosh is right, you should be able to identify what's important and what's not...the next question would be how to do that?

There are no short cuts here,it will take you some time...you would have to read the basic material,have a conceptual understanding,then you could look at the old question papers(before doing the spadework if you look at a new optional's question papers you would definitely end up feeling like a loser!) ...it's only after this, can you reorient yourself to whats more relevant and important.You also need to understand that you can only delineate important topics in your optionals,GS on the other hand needs wide reading where you should have a "general" overview of everything under the sun with a special focus on current news items.

4.Is joining a Coaching Institute absolutely necessary?:

Ashutosh

Join an institute only after you are convinced that you will get the best possible guidance there. I did not join any institute for law and pub ad, since, I did not see any value being added to my preparation. You must talk to as many people as possible before zeroing on to any institute. There is absolutely no point in wasting your time and money on third class institutes.

Tanvi

I have unfortunately wasted alot of my parent's money on coaching which were well,disasterous for me....so , now I see my name splashed across ads for coachings some of which in effect pulled me down,and then there are some others that were encouraging in the sense that, I felt I knew more than the teacher himself!....its sad the way I was mislead as a newcomer by pictures and ranks of qualified candidates...now others would be too :( .....so if you are really underconfident that you won't be able to manage your optionals and GS(I was!) and you need the kind of discipline and study group that a coaching can give you...do meet the teacher under whom you intend to study,see his communication skills as well,also ask other students who already have studied under that teacher,check out the pros and cons before joining a coaching...remember a poorly exercised choice would not only result in wastage of your parent's hard earned money but also waste something which is priceless,your time.

The only full fledged coaching which really helped me was Vaji Ravi and Ram's Mains coaching for GS which I took for my first mains....also,I do believe that a good Test Series can prove to be a blessing,I think it worked for me.A "good" test series would be:

one which is regularly held so that your preparation takes place in a time bound manner,

which is of upsc ie not too high(too demoralising) nor too low a standard(can make you overconfident),

which evaluates you in such a comprehensive manner that you can identify and improve upon your weakpoints ....

I know that I am repeating myself but do ask around before you join any coaching institute...its placing your career at risk,good guidance can push you forward and a bad coaching can well,place you at a sub-zero level where first,you would have to unlearn then, relearn the same thing , all on your own...How I wish that I was as smart as Ashutosh was :) (point to be noted: smartness here credited only wrt decisions regarding coaching ;D!)