(Getting Started) What Not to Do - Advice by AIR 148 Sunny Gupta

Like many other Indians, Sunny Gupta has always had the zeal for public service. However, he lacked the proper information and guidance. While working for HCL technologies, he was gradually introduced to the world of UPSC Civil Services. That’s when he found out that this was the path to realizing his dream. His determination was fanned by him successfully clearing the prelims examinations in his very first attempt. He refused to give up and having exhausted all six attempts, he stands tall with AIR 148 in UPSC CSE 2019. 

Struggles

Sunny has also cleared Kashmir Administration Services. In fact, it served as a source of confidence when despite attending interviews he was still being unable to crack the exam. In his 5th attempt, he secured IRTS services where he is currently undergoing training. He now awaits his new service call. Working under an IAS officer over the past 2-3 years, Sunny found himself even more motivated to land this service.

Sunny appeared for his preliminary and mains examinations while still working as a Tehsildar in Kashmir Administrative Services. There were challenges to holding a full-time gazetted position while appearing for an exam that is as demanding as UPSC Civil Services, but he managed it. It was less difficult while attending his interviews while undertaking training for his IRTS service as the interview preparation according to him take roughly 3 to 4 hours of one’s day.

Do’s and Don’ts

Do Not Treat Prelims and Mains Separately

Sunny says given the pattern of the preliminary examination these days, do not make the mistake of thinking you can prepare separately for prelims and mains. UPSC Preliminary questions are no longer just factual or direct; they are in fact very analytical in nature and require as in-depth an understanding as it would take to answer a mains question. Stick to the standard textbooks and study current affairs thoroughly. Connecting each current news article to the related static information is required if one is to clear UPSC CSE prelims today.

Do Not Leave Answer Writing To The End

Writing answers is key to clearing the mains examination. It has to be a year-long process and cannot be achieved in a few months. Writing every day, having the right structure and pace is crucial to finishing the paper in time and writing quality answers that fetch good marks. Do not leave writing answers until you are done with your revisions. Work simultaneously on both; that is the only way to succeed.

16 Candidates from Jammu & Kashmir cleared UPSC CSE, 2019

Do Not Make Detailed Notes

Notes making is essential. Knowing how to make crisp and concise notes is equally important. The last one month before either prelims or mains exams should be about revising the whole upsc syllabus without missing out on a single topic. How does one revise a syllabus that took years to complete in just 4 weeks? Not from textbooks, not from a compilation, and definitely not from bulk and detailed notes. Do not try to reread, that is not what revising is all about. Instead, think of your notes as cue cards meant to guide you towards information your mind has already stored. Make crisp and short notes, keep revising them as many times as you can.

Do Not Try to Act Differently in Interviews

Interviews are a test of your personality. Do not try to fake aspects of your personality or present qualities that you don’t originally possess. Dishonesty is not ethical and thus not appreciated by interview boards. Instead, revise all that you have studies to make it through to the interviews. Learn more about the aspects you have mentioned in your upsc DAF. And try to be humble and answer best to your abilities, while remaining completely professional and honest about your strengths and weaknesses. You should come off with flying colors.

Do Not Try to Study Everything

Don’t study everything. Its not a doctorate program. Study limited sources and keep revising so much that when you write, you do not need to think hard to recall the information. Revising and retaining the little you study is more important than studying a vast amount of information. Keep revising and writing answers. That is the only way to succeed in UPSC Civil Services.

Message to Aspirants

Sunny Gupta’s Interview

Do not give up. Instead, analyze your shortcomings and reform them. There is no failure in UPSC, it is just a part of your whole journey. Do not let the pressure get to you. With a cool head, keep trying till you can. Failure is not the end.

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(Getting Started) UPSC Preparation Do's and Don'ts for Working Professionals

A lot of very successful UPSC toppers have cracked this exam while working a full-time job. Many continue to do so either due to financial restraints or due to the uncertainty associated with the Civil Services Examination. It is a myth that one cannot crack UPSC Civil Services while working. If anything, the UPSC interview panel regards those with a full-time job with high regard and even admires them for their dedication and time management skills. However, given the nature of this competitive exams, here are the top 7 do’s and don’ts working aspirants should keep in mind.

Burning the midnight oil (Picture Courtesy: Freepik)

  Stretch Out Your Preparation

The ideal time an aspirant is expected to give to UPSC is 12 to 18 months. But this is for a candidate who can spend 10+ hours a day for their preparation. When you work 8 hours a day for 5 or 6 days a week, along with some travel time, that is just not possible. The most a working candidate can give their preparation is about 4 hours on working days and maybe 8 to 10 hours on their day off. Because of this, the recommended period for a full-time working candidate is 24 to 36 months at the least. Depending on what you are comfortable with, this may stretch to 48 months as well. Do not panic. Remember, as someone with a full-time career, you also do not have the stress of ruining your professional options with a failure. So do not fret, take your time, and nail it!

Limit Your Resources

Remember, as a working candidate, you are already short of time. The UPSC syllabus is an endless abyss, and unless you are careful, you will get lost in it. Choose no more than one main source for each topic.  You can always research a little more over either the internet or a reference book. However, you should not spend too much time doing so. Stick to one newspaper like the Hindu and one current affairs monthly compilation. That will most definitely be enough for you to cover all bases.

Make Notes and Keep Revising

Multiple revisions are key to succeeding in the Civil Services Examination. A working professional does not have the luxury of reading through the same elaborate material over and over again. So, at the very first go, make crisp, short notes for each topic. Every time you need to revise a topic, just reach out for your notes. This will not only save you the time and effort that can be better utilized studying something new, but it will also help you have a grasp of the topic better than most other aspirants.

Making notes is absolutely essential (Picture Courtesy: Freepik)

Target Writing 3 to 4 Answers A Week

Answer Writing is crucial to securing a good rank in UPSC CSE. Unlike full-time aspirants, a working professional has to make a trade-off here and cannot possibly choose to write answers every day. However, by setting weekly targets, you ensure that you get enough practice and keep improving yourself gradually. The same goes for practicing Essay writing. Target 3 to 4 essays a month to ensure you ace that paper.

Don’t Neglect Your Optional

Keep a day dedicated to studying and practicing writing for your choice of optional. It carries a total of 500 marks and needs your full attention. Target completing your optional syllabus in 9 to 12 months. This way, by the time you sit for your Civil Services Examination, you will have an in-depth knowledge of your optional subject and that is exactly what UPSC requires.

Join a Test Series

If you are starting with a 24 months target, it is advisable to join a test series for both Prelims and Mains 6 to 9 months into your preparation. A test series allows you to analyze your strengths and weaknesses, understand where you stand with respect to the competition, and improve yourself so that you come out on top when you finally sit for UPSC CSE. For working professionals, this is extremely important to keep you motivated and help you not give up on your goals.

Finally, Save as Much Time as You Can

You need to conserve time and energy. A human being cannot keep overworking themselves for years and be in good enough mental and physical health to function at their best. Stay near your workplace to limit commute time, cook your week’s food requirement over the weekend or hire a tiffin service, limit social media presence, and decrease socializing considerably. These are minor sacrifices compared to the reward in the end.

At the end of the day, it is your name that will be on top of the merit list. Do what you must to get there. The destination is worth the difficult journey you will take.

Best of Luck.

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(Article) ANALYSIS OF UPSC 2019 EXAM FINAL RESULT CUT OFF

Context : 

Recently, the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has declared the final result of the Civil Services Examination 2019. The number of total qualified candidates is 829 including the prestigious services of IAS, IPS & IFS, IRS among others.

Key details :

• A total of 829 candidates are recommended for Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Foreign Service (IFS) and Indian Police Service (IPS), among other civil services.
• Mr. Pradeep Singh secured the first rank while Mr. Jatin Kishore and Ms. Pratibha Verma secured the second and third ranks respectively in the UPSC Toppers list.

Break up of 829 candidates category wise are as under :

• Out of 829 qualified candidates, 304 are from the General category, 78 from Economically Weaker Section (EWS), 251 from Other Backward Classes (OBC), 129 from Scheduled Castes (SC) and 67 from Scheduled Tribes (ST) categories.
• The prestigious civil services examination is conducted every year in three phases i.e. preliminary, mains, and interview.

Reserve list :

• A total of 182 candidates has been put under the reserve list.
• A consolidated Reserve List of candidates along with the list of recommended candidates is maintained by the UPSC. 
• This reserve list serves the purpose of the supplementary list which comes after the first main list. Both lists are based on the number of vacancies sanctioned in a particular year.

Significance of UPSC Cut Off score :

• The minimum qualifying standards/marks secured by the last recommended candidate in various categories at various stages issued by the UPSC are as under:- 

UPSC CSE Prelims Exam 2019 :

UPSC had conducted the IAS Prelims examination on 02nd June 2019 (Sunday) across the country. There were 2 compulsory papers i.e. General Ability Test (GAT) and the Civil Service Aptitude Test (CSAT) of 200 marks each, out of which CSAT is of qualifying nature.

UPSC CSE Mains Exam 2019 :

Those candidates qualified in prelims exams have been invited for the CSE Mains exams conducted in September 2019.

UPSC Civil Service Personality Test (Interview):

UPSC CSE Interview was conducted in February-July 2020. A total of 2304 candidates were invited to appear for the interview round.

EWS quota cut off lower than OBC category :

• EWS quota was introduced for the first time in the 2019 exam. 
• The Final cutoff list released by UPSC shows that the EWS category cutoff is lower than the OBC, SC, and ST at different stages of the exams.
• For instance,

•  In Pre-exam 2019: EWS cut off is 90 while the OBC cut off is 95.34.
• In Mains exam 2019: EWS cut off is 696 while the OBC, SC, ST cut off is 718, 706, 699 respectively.
• In Interview 2019: EWS cut off is 909 while the OBC cut off is 925. 

• Every reserved category is having its own cut-off list that ultimately depends upon the number of candidates who actually come forward to avail the quota in that category and their subsequent performance. 
• If few people are availing of the EWS quota, then its cut off is bound to be lower in comparison to other categories.
• This also indicates that the candidates from the EWS category would have found it almost impossible to make it without quota.
• It also raises questions over the extent of the differences between the backward among forwards & the other categories.

Way Forward :

UPSC CSE 2019 results have shown a bright & clear path to its future aspirants. It once again shows that quality & hard work is the way out to achieve the dreams of being a civil servant.

Differences among the reserved categories with their cut off now give a new dimension to think about the policies of development of various social groups in the country.

Happy Studies!

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(Article) SCIENTIFIC REVISION TECHNIQUES FOR UPSC

The UPSC Civil Services Examinations are considered as one of the prestigious & toughest examinations in the country. It needs a lot of strategic preparation & smart work to crack this exam. In all these preparation strategies, revision is considered as the key to success.

However, It is not advisable to read so many book’s sources, but important is to refer only to fewer sources and compiled study notes & to revise it multiple times.

Revision makes you confidant to excel in the exams. Revision is just like going with the same route again & again and your mind will remember everything on its way automatically. 

We will discuss some scientifically proven techniques used all over the world to do the most important thing of any learning process i.e. REVISION.

How our mind works :

‘Hippocampus’ is a structure inside the Temporal Lobe of Cerebral Cortex that forms a part of the mind, which is responsible for memory. Hippocampus is made up of densely packed neurons. It plays a vital role in regulating learning, memory encoding, memory consolidation, and spatial navigation.

How to improve the capacity of the ‘Hippocampus’ :

Improving the capacity of the Hippocampus means improving the learning process i.e. memory. Hippocampus can be polished & improved as below :

• Low or Nil intake of sugar- Yes, sugar creates an artificial layer over the Hippocampus just like fog & facilitate the memory fading process. It is very much advisable to either completely stop or minimize the intake of sugar or any sugar-based products. Definitely, its not an easy task, but can be done in a phased manner. 

• 7-8 hrs of daily sleep - A good sleep is required to recharge your mind & to accelerate the memory building process.

• Sufficient physical exercise - Moderate exercise/ yoga of 45-60 mins on daily basis is required to maintain blood circulation & supply of fresh oxygen to mind & blood.

• Fresh air- Fresh oxygen is like a fuel for the body & the mind.

• Healthy diet - Healthy, balanced & nutritious diet is a complement to fresh air & necessary for the memory storing & building process.

• Be happy & confident - Extreme worry will not lead to anywhere. The only way to combat worry is to act towards your goal. The more you act towards reaching your goal, the more you complete your stepwise revision task, the more you feel confidant. Be happy & feel confidant. 

Some necessities before getting up ready for the revision :

• Eat a healthy diet: No & never ever skip breakfast. A healthy diet is essential to give your mind the required capacity to re-process the knowledge.

• Put your phone away: Minimise the use of your phone or keep it away for at least one hour while doing revision. Nothing is more important than your revision except a few medical emergencies.

• Start early - Start your day early & try to finish your revision prior to the scheduled time, because every time you revise, your revision time should be reduced considerably.

• Teach somebody- If possible teach somebody, this will revise your concepts & also helps to reorganize your thoughts along with regular revision.

• Use of highlighter - Highlighter should be used judiciously. Like all the facts can be highlighted in red color, the key concept can be highlighted in green , any new concept/ words can be highlighted in yellow color. After finishing the first reading of any chapter, highlighter should be used in the second reading, so that unnecessary highlighting can be avoided.

• Regular break - On an average 10-20 minutes break is required after every hour of studies. This will helps in processing & storing knowledge in your memory.

Revision Techniques:

Standard Revision Method -

This is the commonest revision method employed by most of the civil services aspirants. 

Whatever you studied in the first five days, revise those studies in the last two days of that week. 

Hence every week or month your revision time should increase continuously. In this way, you will be able to learn new chapters along with the revision of previous materials.

During the completion stage of your syllabus,90% of your time should be used in revision while 10% of time should be used in learning new things.

Frequent Revision Method-

This method is commonly used by aspirants who are preparing for exams having a limited, defined & syllabus having more of a static nature. Since this requires frequent revision giving a toll on timely completion of the syllabus. However, if implemented giving sufficient time & planning, this method also proved to be beneficial for civil services preparation.

In this method, revision to be done on 3rd, 6th, 9th, 12th & 21st day of the same topics/chapters. This is just like learning car driving. An initial one or two revision you will take some time but while doing subsequent revisions, the mind automatically gets trained to move ahead on the desired path. 

Best Way Forward :

Adopt any method of revision based on your needs & applicability. Keep your studies sources judiciously minimum instead of scattering on many sources. Make maximum possible revisions & check your progress through mock tests to sail successfully through this examination process.

Happy Studies!

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(Article) BENEFITS OF STUDYING 8 HOURS INSTEAD OF 16 HOURS A DAY

There were two woodcutters, both used to cut woods for their living. Both of them work for the same time in the forest. One woodcutter becoming richer and richer while other was poor. One day a learned wise man saw their daily routine to find out their differences.

He learned something that changed his life & his way of thinking.

Both woodcutters used to work for 8 hours but the difference was that the rich woodcutter used to spend 4 hours to sharpen his axe but the other keep on cutting without improving his axe.

Moral of the story: 

Hope you got the point. Smart work is required to get through upsc exam instead of hard work. Hard work is required to do things smartly.

Think about :

If somebody wants to study 16 hours per day, of course, he can study for up to 24 hours also. After all, 24 is more than 16 hours.

But, the question here is ‘’Why do you want to increase your study hours’’? It’s just because you want to learn more.

Let me tell you that increasing the number of hours beyond a certain point is not only futile but even can be counter-productive.

How it drains your capacity :

After every passing hour, the capacity of the mind decreases to retain & recall the things compared to a fresh mind. You will end up just see the clock counting hours but mind it, your mind might not able to retain & recall things.

The quantity of learning in the second & subsequent hours of continuous study is less than the first fresh hour. If you continue to study without break for third, fourth, fifth & subsequent hours it will be a continuous deterioration in learning quality.

Even it may be negligible in the subsequent continuous hours. Although, you may have the satisfaction of moving towards that 12–14–16–20 hours study target, your output 

with every foregone hour will add continuously less and less to your learning.

Your whole concentration is on achieving the target of studying 14-16 hours, compromising the quality of the effective study, and then how will you able to concentrate?

Studying 15-16 hours per day is possible for only 2-3 days if very necessary. 

Studying at high pitch continuously drain your body's capacity to recover & hamper retaining capacity.

What can be done :

After an hour or one & half an hour, there must be a break of 15-20 mins. So that your mind can get sufficient time to restore & recall things in mind. 

 After every break go outdoors in a green environment, go jogging, or do any physical activity. This will circulate your blood movement & helps in getting oxygen to the mind.

With this recharge of fresh oxygen to the mind, your mind will be able to learn & retain things.

Your output will increase manifold.

Just don't stick with the pages you also want to remember something. Yes, you can study a novel or any interesting story continuously for 16 -20 hours if you want, although it’s not advisable.

But preparing for civil services or any other competitive exam is not like a story or novel, you need to remember the facts & concepts. For this, your mind needs sufficient time.

Don't deprive your body of sleep & other physical activity, it hampers your power to remember.  Need not to mention that all those stress hormones going to kick in a very bad way.

How to plan studies effectively :

Out of 8-10 hours, fix 6-8 hours per day for continuous new learning & remaining 2 hours for revision the previous days/week/month studies in a planned way. This will train your

mind to grab & retain new things & also your mind will be trained in recalling the previously stored items. 

In this way you are sharping your axe !

Like every machine & any other living being our body also has the optimum capacity, if it is utilized in a proper way it will work better & for a longer duration.

No need to torture your brain, mind and soul for 16 or 24 hours. It isn't an exercise. It is simply learning, retaining & recalling things. Study slowly. Enjoy it and concentration will come along. 

Best Way out :

The success mantra is the continuity & consistency of studies. Make your schedule in such a way so that you can study 8-10 hours daily on a routine basis without compromising

on other necessary leisure activities. 

Remember 3R- REVISION, RETAINING, RECALLING.

Best of Luck!

Happy Studies!

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(Article) TIPS & STRATEGY FOR UPSC Aspirants TO STAY MOTIVATED DURING COVID-19 SCENARIO

In this devastating situation of COVID-19, professionals, service persons, political entities, economic stakeholders & the whole ecosystem are badly affected. All the students in school, colleges, or preparing for any competitive exams are no exception to it. It is a tough time especially for the aspirants who are preparing for UPSC Civil Services. Some of you might have left your lucrative job to opt for civil services preparation.

Most of the people are working in remote mode, feeling a little extra-challenged in engaging with civil services preparation. All the civil aspirants may find it difficult with increased stress outbursts.

While it’s a challenge for the aspirant, there are certain steps you can take to feel more motivated to engage in your preparation.

Consider the questions below & think how would you answer? 

• What plans can I design for myself to boost my motivation?
• How I can make engaging or interesting my preparation?
• How my preparation benefit me down the road in near future?
• How do I get myself to study even when I’m not in the mood?
• Do I know about anything that hinders my motivation and what can be done to help?
• What am I doing to keep myself energized & healthy and take care of my well-being?
• Are the precautions that I’m taking to save with COVID19 is enough?
• How am I managing, planning, or implementing my study routine?

And finally… 

• What new practices do I need to start to help myself feel engaged and motivated?

Every aspirant may answer these questions based on his/her situation. You will be the best judge to judge your situation.

Now we will discuss what can be an ideal way out while responding to the above questions. These points will surely give an answer & strategy for all the above questions.

Optimistic about COVID 19:

• Although COVID-19 has almost all the negative things, the aspirant must be an optimistic person to think best out of the waste.
• This situation has given enough time for all the aspirants to study in detail. Since there are no exams & neither expected to be held in a few months. This has given you a lot of time to study in detail.
• It is one of the best times to study especially for a person doing self-study. Since with the approaching date of exams, we mostly focus on important things leaving the less important topic.
• It is the best time to go & refresh your basics by studying NCERT Books.
• Make multiple revisions of all the upsc test papers & study notes. Make sure to revise all important topics by 10-12 times. A maximum revision of the same things makes you confidant & helps in the elimination method to be used in upsc preliminary exams.
• For people whose optional subject is not ready due to lack of time, may prepare their optional subject. This is more beneficial for those whose syllabus is matching with the upsc preliminary exam syllabus.
• Ethics, GS preparations, essay & language test for upsc mains can be prepared. This will give you an extra edge over other participants. Since the time gap between the pre & mains is very less as compared to the demanding syllabus.
• COVID-19 has given you sufficient time to prepare leaving other disturbances like outings, partying, social gathering. So use this time wisely.

Plan your study : 

• Start your day with a your schedule.
• Break down your study plan into small, manageable tasks.
• Make quarterly, monthly study plans & divide it into weekly & daily plans. 
• Give yourself rewards for the tasks completed like completing your weekly or monthly targets.
• Balance your studies with leisure time also.

Conscious about Health :

• It is more than mandatory to keep yourself away from this COVID19 disease by adhering to all the precautionary guidelines.
• A healthy person will always get an extra edge over a diseased person.
• Exercise regularly & pay attention to sleep.
• Eat healthy & immune-building foods.
• Make just use of digital media & stay connected with your dear ones with a limited or nil connectivity to unnecessary peoples.

Think about the daily routine :

• Taking breaks
• Exercising
• Eating right
• Staying on a regular sleep schedule
• Staying connected with dear ones.
• Reaching out for help when you need it most.

Stay motivated :

• Think about the reason you choose to become a civil servant, your ambition, future plans associated with that.
• Think about the result declaration day when you will find your name in the selected list.
• Think about the cherished faces of your family & dear ones.
• If possible see motivation videos or read IAS Toppers success stories daily for 10-15 mins to have a daily dose of motivation.

You will be able to find & relate most of the answers to the above questions. Think positive & convert this dark COVID period into your GOLDEN period to write a new history.

Happy Studies!

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