Civil Services: Should I leave my job to prepare for IAS?

Should I go Delhi to prepare for it? When should I really start? How should I prepare?When are you going to make time for yourself? After getting into job?

The job pressure, the daily exhaustion will not allow you to study further. Even if you are very passionate your efficiency will be reduced as you would have done were you not in the job.

 

The best time therefore to prepare is at college, where the pressure is not forceful. Where even if you stop all your extra activities you are not bothered. After an average 7 hrs a day you are left with all your time. Don't tell yorself that you have to prepare for quizzes, assignments, mids! One whose goal is clear (IAS) will never give such excuses. Assignments and Quiz don't require no preparation provided one is active in the class. The one who has decided to crack Civil Service needs to understand one thing for clear: BTech or any bachelor's degree is just an eligibility cum necessary requirement to sit for this competitive UPSC exam.

UPSC expects conceptual clarity rather than blind cramming.

 

2010, GS Question Paper: UPSC took a sheer U-turn and dumped all the most expected study material circulating among CS Aspirant’s community. There was not even a single question on ordinary current affairs like 'New Appointments', 'Awards', 'Sports', 'Summits', 'Defence', 'Books & Authors' and 'Places & Persons in News' which was emerging as a cardinal part of GS Paper since last few years. Paper was more concerned about practical and application part of knowledge rather than just quantitative and theoretical part of knowledge. This paper itself a reply to one of the most frequently asked question about CSE- “Whether Coaching is mandatory or not for cracking IAS”-? 

If you are confused to be an engineer or a civil servant read this:

1. Being an engineer you may solve all the technical problems in an industry. While an IAS has got the control over all Industries in the district if not state or country.

1. If you are very good in your major and love to work on it then your major is your future.

1. The prestige and power one enjoys being an IAS officer cannot be held by anybody. If you are a person who thinks of or at some point of time thought of doing something for ones village or town then Civil services is the best way.

Things to be done for this exam:

• Start reading newspaper. Make notes + add clips of various big issues and events. If you are reading newspaper online on your computer no need to write on paper. Just install 'evernote'. Clip the news portion or article, create your notes and it will be automatically syncronised to your account. Moreover if you own a smartphone, install evernote there as well and the notes will be syncronised simultaneously to your phone. Classify the news into events and issues and form your opinion on them. Facts will help in preliminary and your opinion on issues will help you in both mains and interview. 

Events are those that occur only once. Issues are continuous events. Eg: Mullaperiyar is an issue, Naxalism is an issue. But Oscar award, Nobel Prizes are events.

• Go through the exam syllabus and formulate a study plan in your planner diary. Decide your study timing. Make it a point to-read at least one heading/topic every night. Choose one standard book and do not refer many books.

• Once at college you get the opportunity to develop your personality and speaking skills. Participate in events and activities. You need not join any club but learn the team work and organizing skill. This is the best place to bring out the talent in you. That's why we have so many extra curricular activities in college. Do some community service as well, as this may help you in future.

• While filling in your mains application form you have to give in a lot of information w.r.t. you. Eg: Schools you studied, Places you stayed, hobbies etc.. During interview they specifically ask you questions based on your bio data. For eg: You once stayed in "Vishakhapatnam". They may ask, " Whats the population of the city?", " Which party won the seat from there?", "Name the naval station there" and many more. Work on your bio-data and keep a good understanding of yourself and your surroundings.

• Apply for online test series. Eg: refer http://www.civilservice.in; http://www.csmantra.com, etc.. HINDU is the only newspaper worth reading. 

Finishing the Mains(GS) paper in time:

• Prepare the order in which you shall attempt the paper. Start from your areas of strength. For e.g. For me in first paper I decide to do History, then polity then something else. 

• Calculate time available for each mark. Cram by heart the various times by which you will be finishing a particular question. For e.g. a 30 marker corresponds to 18 minutes. So if the paper starts at 9:30, the first question should finish at 9:50 and so on. 

• Practice writing answers. Develop your own perspective not borrowed one from photocopied notes. Neither should your answers sound emotional nor taking sides without presenting both sides of the issue at hand. 

Here is an account OF guidelines as prescribed by Experts:

• History -Class 12th NCERT, CLASS 10th NCERT, An advanced history of India by RC Majumdar.

• Geography -  CLASS 10th NCERT, and Atlas

• Polity -  CLASS 10th NCERT  

• National Issues and Social Issues/International Relations - Read Yojna / one year chronicle, India Today

• Economics - Evolution of Indian Economy - NCERT,  CLASS 10th NCERT

• Science and technology - Spectrum, Newspaper.

• Statistics - Study from S K Manocha's book, NCERT

You will find most (if not all) of the books in your College Library.

This is what I have been advised by many toppers. People who have cleared and people who are yet preparing. Apart from this people preparing need to inculcate the following habits and character in themselves: Be magnanimous, Be silent but bold, Be active, Keep encouraging and helping. Do not switch your sleep pattern. A healthy mind dwells in a healthy body.

For Smartphone users: Apps like Indian Constitution, Indian Penal code, ITA, CPC, etc.. are available on http://www.appbrain.com . Its the same and much concise as you would in a book.

हम उबलते हैं तो भूचाल उबल जाते हैं
हम मचलते हैं तो तूफ़ान मचल जाते हैं !!
हमे बदलने की कोशिश करनी है ऐ दोस्तों
क्योंकि , हम बदलते हैं तो “इतिहास” बदल जाते हैं !!!