IAS GS(Mains) 2004

Paper-I Marks:300
1. Answer anyone of the following (in about 250 words): 30
(a) Discuss the major regulations enacted by the British rulers to
curb the freedom of Press in India.
(b) Form a critical assessment of the Non-Cooperation Movement.
2. Answer any two of the following (in about 150 words each) :
2 x15 = 30
(a) What led to the partition of Bengal in 1905 ?
(b) Write a note on· the Theosophical Society.
(c) Discuss the main findings of the Hartog Committee (1929).
3. Write about the following (not exceeding 20 words each) :
15 x 2 = 30
(i) Upanishads (ii) Vajrayana
(iii) Kumarsambhav (iv) Razmnama
(v) Mirza Haidar (vi) Muhammad Barkatullah
(vii) Sohan Singh Bhakna (viii) Alluri Sitaramaraju (ix)
Canjeevaram Natrajan Annadurai
. (x) Jadong (xi) Jadunath Sarkar
(xii) Nazir Hasan (xiii) Subhash Gupte
(xiv) Acharya Nirmalya (xv) Jyotirao Phule
4. Answer any two of the following (in about 125 words each) :
2 x 10 = 20
(a) Examine the distribution of oil refineries in India.
(b) Why are the Aravallis called a divide between Mewar
and Marwar ?
(c) What is Golden Quadrilateral? How will it help in the
economic development of the country?
5. Write short notes on the following (in about 20 words each) :
5 x 2 = 10
(a) EI Nino, La Nina and monsoon rains
(b) The Sambhar lake
(c) The Sundarbans
(d) Bombay High
(e) Sabarkantha & Banaskantha
6. Answer anyone of the following (in about 250 words) : 30
(a) What is the significance of a preamble to a constitution? Bring
out the philosophy of the Indian polity as enshrined in the
Preamble of the Indian Constitution.
(b). Discuss the meaning of "breakdown of constitutional
machinery". What are its effects?
7. Answer anyone of the following (in about 250 words): 30
(a) Discuss how the Constitution of India provides equal rights.
(b) How does the Indian Constitution seek to maintain
independence of the Public Service Commission?
8. Answer any two of the following (in about 150 words each) : 2 x
15 = 30
(a) Define Money-bill. Discuss how it is passed in the Parliament.
(b) What is a Finance Commission? Discuss the main functions of
the State Finance Commission .
(c) Discuss how state governments can exercise control over
panchayats.
9. Answer the following (in about 20 words each) : 5 x 2 = 10
(a) What is Habeas Corpus?
(b) What are the constitutional restrictions imposed upon the power
of borrowing of the state governments?
(c) What is the special facility provided to the linguistic minorities
under Article 350 A ?
(d) How can a judge of the Supreme Court be removed?
(e) How is the Election Commission of India constituted?
10. Write on anyone of the following (in about 250 words): 30
(a) The Inter-State river water dispute has once again
assumed centre-stage after the Punjab Assembly's Bill terminating all
previous accords on river waters. Discuss.
(b) What is PURA ? Discuss its major objectives.
11.Write on any two of the following (in about 125 words each) 2 x 10=20
(a) Explain UNDP Report on human development in India.
(b) What is WTO ? What are India's objections to its overall functioning ?
(c) Discuss the utility of e-governance in the Indian context.
12. Write notes on any two of the following (in about 125 words
each) : 2 x 10 = 20
(a) Housing for all by 2010 is the goal set by the National Habitat Policy.
How far is it achievable?
(b) "Is greater spending on education linked to higher literacy?" Discuss.
(c) What is Enterprise Resource Planning ?
13. Write about the following (in about 20 words each):
5 x 2 = 10
(a) ISRO (b) Central Vigilance Commission
(c) NDDB (d) Hiren Mukherjee
(e) Pareechu Lake

IAS GS(Mains) 2005

Paper-I Marks:300
1. Answer anyone of the following questions (in about 250
words) : 30
(a) What in your opinion were the positive steps taken by the
British to modernise India?
(b) Examine the policy of Subordinate Union towards
Princely States. Account for the shift from the policy of
Subordinate Isolation.
2. Answer any two of the following questions (in about 150
words each) : 15 x 2 = 30
(a) "In the Montagu-Chelmsford Report communal
representation and reservations were not only retained but
considerably extended." Comment.
(b) Evaluate Subhas Chandra Bose's contribution to India's
freedom.
(c) Why and how did the Congress come to accept the
partition of the country?
3. Write about the following (not exceeding 20 words
each) : 2x 15 = 30
(a) Yajnavalkya Smriti (b) Sutta Pitaka
(c) Bhagawati Sutra (d) Gangaikonda-ChoJapuram
(e) Nizamuddin Auliya (f) Raidas
(g) Calcutta tvladrasa (h) Jagat Seth
(i) Bhawani Mandir (j) Baba Ram Chandra
(k) Pandita Ramabai (I) Sir Thomas Roe
(m) Moplah Rebellion (n) Tavernier
(0)Darul-Uloom
4. Answer any two of the following (in about 125 words
each) : 10 x 2 = 20
(a) What are the resource bases available for the economic
development of the newly created States of Jharkhand and
(wUbat)t taEerrlau hncacidhrvaaetle?s tt ihneg fianc Itnodrsia c, obnottrhib ruutrianlg a tnod t huerb garno.w ing need for
(c) "Political boundaries and regional boundaries need to be
co-terminus.:" Do you agree?
5. Write notes on the following (in about 20 words each):
2 x 5 = 10
(a) Regurs (b) Karewas
(c) Negative impacts of shifting cultivation
(d) Causes of droughts in India
(e) Significance of Lake Chilka
6. Answer anyone of the following (in about 250 words each) : 30
(a) Comment on the financial relations between the Union
and the States in India. Has post-1991 liberalization in any
way affected it?
(b) Is it possible to distinguish between judicial review and
judicial activism in India? Does the recent behavior of the
Indian judiciary partake more of judicial activism? Argue with
suitable examples.
7. Answer anyone of the following (in about 250 words): 30
(a) Would you say that the implementation of the Panchayati
System in the last ten years has led to a real restructuring of
the Indian polity?
(b) Give your views on the right to freedom of religion as
enshrined in the Indian Constitution. Do they make India a
secular State?
8. Answer any two of the following (in about 150 words each):
15 x 2 = 30
(a) What are the constitutional limitations on the free
movements of Indians throughout the country?
(b) How has the Indian State tackled the trade-off between
environment and development?
(c) What are the steps that the Election Commission may
take if a recalcitrant State Government wants to put off
Assembly Elections?
9. Answer the following questions (in about 20 words each)
2 x 5 = 10
(a) What is meant by 'double jeopardy'?
(b) What are the protections afforded to Scheduled Tribes in
the Fifth Schedule of the Indian Constitution?
(c) In what ways can the President of India ascertain the
views of the Supreme Court on a particular bill?
(d) What is the common point between Articles 14 and 226 of
the Indian Constitution?
(e) Who and what does the Indian Parliament consist of?
10. Answer anyone of the following questions (in about 250
words) : 30
(a) Discuss the impact of globalization on higher education in
India.
(b) What is disaster management? Discuss the steps
required to tackle natural disasters.
11.Answer any two of the following questions (in about 125
words each) : 10 x 2 = 20
(a) Explain th,e implications of the recent Supreme Court
verdict on reservations in private and minority educational
institutions.
(b) What is the energy independence? Discuss how India can
be transformed into an 'Energyindependent Nation.'
(c) What is eco-tourism? How could it be promoted in India?
12. Write notes on any two of the following (in about 125
words each) : 10 x 2 = 20
(a) Sethusamudram Project
(b) Causes of soil erosion and its control in India
(c) Use of Information Technology in health management in
India
13. Write short notes on the following (in about 20 words
Each): 2 x 5 = 10
(a) Equal rights for women in parental property
(b) National knowledge Commission
(e) Genetically modified seeds
(d) Ban on bar dancing
(e) Rehabilitation of street children in India

IAS GS(Mains)-2006

Paper-I Marks:300

1. Answer anyone of the following (in about 250 words): 30
a) Regardless of distance in time, there were lots of similarities
between Lord Curzon and Jawahar Lal Nehru. Discuss.
b) How did the Government of India Act, 1935 mark a point of no
return in the history of constitutional development in India?
2. Answer any two of the following (in about 150 words each):
2x15=30
a) What was the attitude of Indian industrialists towards the Indian
National Congress in the pre- independent era?
b) Critically assess Sir Tej Bahadur Sapru's views on Indian
Nationalism.
c) Characterise the main features of Indian Renaissance.
3. Write about the following (not exceeding 20 words each):
15x2=30
a) Kalhana
b) Panini
c) Yakshagana
d) Natyasastra
e) Tabaqat-i-Nasiri
t) Madhura Vijayam
g) Pandurang Mahatmya
h) Prithviraj Raso
q) "The Insider"
J) Ali Sardar J afri
k) Aruna Roy
l) Dr. J.C. Daniel
m) Balwant Gargi
n) Dr. JayantNarlikar
0) Shashi Tharoor
4. Answer any two of the following (in about 125 words each):
2x1O=20
a) Bring out the prospects of development of alternative energy
sources of India.
b) Blue Revolution has definite advantages in India but it is not
free from environmental impacts. Discuss.
c) Why do the rivers of west coast not form a delta?
5. Write notes on the following (in about 20 words each): 5x2=10
a) Mixed economy
b) Winter rains in India
c) New Moore Island
d) National Water Grid
e) Hussain Sagar
6. Answer anyone of the following (in about 250 words): 30
a) What is right to life and personal liberty?
How have the courts expanded its meaning in recent years?
b) On what grounds can a member be disqualified from either
House of Parliament?
7. Answer anyone of the following (in about 250 words): 30
a) What is the 'strategic partnership' between India and United
States of America? What are its implications for both the partners?
b) Discuss economic backwardness as a major challenge of
Indian democracy. Can democracy and development go together
smoothly?
8. Answer any two of the following questions (in about 150 words
each): 2x 15=30
a) How would you differentiate between the passage of a
Constitution Amendment Bill and of an Ordinary Legislative Bill?
b) How does the Inter-State Council establish co-ordination
between States?
c) Is the High Court's power to issue 'writs' wider than that of the
Supreme Court of India?
9. Answer the following questions (in about 20 words each): 5 x2= 1 0
a) Explain the following terms:
b) i) Dissolution of the House
ii) Prorogation of the House
iii)Adjournment of the business of the House
b) What is Consolidated Fund of India?
c) To what extent can the President withhold his assent to a Bill
already passed by the Parliament?
d) What is India's 'Look East' Policy?
e) What is meant by 'empowerment of women' in India?
10. Answer anyone of the following questions (in about 250
words): 30
a) What are the social and economic consequences of abolishing
child labor in India?
b) Explain the implications of the implementation of intellectual
Property Clauses in our patent law regime after joining the WTO.
11. Answer any two of the following questions (in about 125
words each): 2 x I 0=20
a) Explain full convertibility of Indian Rupee.
b) What are the linkages to be developed under the
Knowledge Revolution for Rural India Plan?
c) What do we understand by 'Doha Round' oft talks?
12. Answer any two of the following questions (in about 125
words each): 2x 10=20
a) Explain the social constraints in bringing about gender
equality in Indian society.
a) What are the problems related to the rehabilitation of the
mentally challenged persons in India?
a) Bring out the issues involved in implementing
compulsory primary education in India.
13. Write about the following (in about20 words each):
5x2=10
a) Business Process Outsourcing
b) Female foeticide
c) RCI
d) UNlDO
e) S. Chandrasekhar

About IAS:Eligibility,Subjects,Attempts etc.

The Civil Services Examination is conducted by UPSC (Union Public Service Commission) every year. The examination has three stages i.e., (1) Civil Services Preliminary Examinations (CSP) - normally conducted during the second half of May.(2) Civil Services (Main) Examinations conducted during the month of October/November. Here, those who are selected in the preliminary examination only are eligible to appear.(3) Those who are selected in the main examination will be eligible to appear before the Interview Board at New Delhi.
Preliminary Examination (CSP) CSP consists of two papers i.e., (1) optional subject to be selected from the listed subject for 300 marks. (2) General studies for 150 marks. Total of 450 marks. Each paper is of two hours duration. The course content of the syllabi for the optional subjects is at the degree level. Normally, there are about 3 lakh applications for the preliminary examination. From this, the UPSC selects 10 to 12 folds of vacancies for the main examinations. This is only for the selection and not to be taken into consideration in the main ranking.
Subjects for Preliminary Examination: The General Studies syllabus is same for all.
Subjects for Paper II (one subject to be selected): Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Science, Botany, Chemistry, Civil Engineering, Commerce, Economics, Electrical Engineering, Geography, Geology, Indian History, Law, Mathematics, Mechanical Engineering, Medical Science, Philosophy, Physics, Political Science, Psychology, Public Administration, Sociology, Statistics, Zoology.
(The question papers are in Hindi and English and each paper is of two hours duration. The course content of the syllabi is of degree level. Each paper is of two hours duration. Blind candidates are allowed an extra time of 20 minutes for each paper.)
Main Examination Only those who are declared by the Commission to have qualified in the Preliminary Examination in a year, are eligible for the Main examination of that year, provided they are otherwise eligible for the Main Examination.
Civil Services Main examination has two optional subjects (two papers each carries 300 marks), one General Studies (two papers each carries 300 marks), one essay (carries 200 marks) - total 2000 marks. Other than this, there are two language papers one in Indian language and one in General English at the level of 10th standard. This is to test the ability of the candidate's proficiency in his mother tongue / Indian language and English. Total nine papers. These two papers carry 300 marks each but it will not be considered for the ranking. It is must to clear these two papers. If a candidate fails to clear these papers, his other papers will not be evaluated.
The Main Examination is intended to assess the overall intellectual traits and the depth of understanding of the candidates, rather than merely the range of their information and memory. Sufficient choice of questions is allowed in the question papers.
Optional Subjects for the Main Examination: Optional subjects: Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Science, Botany, Chemistry, Civil Engineering, Commerce and Accountancy, Economics, Electrical Engineering, Geography, Geology, History, Law, Management, Mathematics, Mechanical Engineering, Medical Science, Philosophy, Physics, Political Science and International Relations, Psychology, Public Administration, Sociology, Statistics, Zoology. Each paper is of 3 hours duration.
Literatures: Arabic, Assamese, Bengali, Chinese, English, French, German, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Kashmiri, Konkani, Marathi, Malayalam, Manipuri, Nepali, Oriya, Pali, Persian, Punjabi, Russian, Sanskrit, Sindhi, Tamil, Telugu, Urdu.The following combinations not allowed are: Political Science & International Relations and Public Administration Commerce and Management Anthropology and Sociology Maths and StatisticsAgriculture and Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Science Management and Public Administration Animal Husbandry & Veterinary Science and Medical Science Any two branches of engineering.Combination of two literatures in the above list.
Interview: At interview stage, two-fold vacancies are called to appear before the UPSC Board. Interview carries 300 marks. Interview calls are sent on the basis of minimum marks fixed by the UPSC at its discretion. The overall ranking is done based on the Mains performance (i.e., 2000 marks) and interview. Therefore, the total marks involved in the ranking are 2300. Candidates are allotted various services keeping in view their ranks in the examination and preferences given by them in their main application form. Note: If a person fails in either in mains or interview, he has to appear once again from the preliminary stage. Eligibility Conditions:(i) Nationality:(1) For the Indian Administrative Service and the Indian Police Service, a candidate must be a citizen of India.(2) For other services, a candidate must be either: (a) A citizen of India, or(b) a subject of Nepal, or(c) a subject of Bhutan, or(d) a Tibetan refugee who came over to India before 1st January, 1962 with the intention of permanently settling in India. or (e) a person of Indian origin who has migrated from Pakistan, Burma, Srilanka, East African countries of Kenya, Uganda, the United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia, Malawi, Zaire, Ethiopia and Vietnam with the intention of permanently settling in India.Provided that a candidate belonging to categories (b), (c), (d) and (e) shall be a person in whose favour a certificate of eligibility has been issued by the Government of India.Provided further that candidates belonging to categories (b), (c) and (d) above will not be eligible for appointment to the Indian Foreign Service.A candidate, in whose case a certificate of eligibility is necessary, may be admitted to the examination but the offer of appointment may be given only after the necessary eligibility certificate has been issued to him by the Government of India.
(ii) Minimum Educational Qualifications:The candidate must hold a degree of any of Universities incorporated by an Act of the Central or State Legislature in India or other educational institutions established by an Act of Parliament or declared to be deemed as a University Under Section 3 of the University Grants Commission Act, 1956, or possess an equivalent qualification.
Note I: Candidates who have appeared at an examination the passing of which would render them educationally qualified for the Commission's examination but have not been informed of the results as also the candidates who intend to appear at such a qualifying examination will also be eligible for admission to the Preliminary Examination. All candidates who are declared qualified by the Commission for taking the Civil Services (Main) Examination will be required to produce proof of passing the requisite examination with their application for the Main Examination failing which such candidates will not be admitted to the Main Examination.
Note II: In exceptional cases the Union Public Service Commission may treat a candidate who has not any of the foregoing qualifications as a qualified candidate provided that he has passed examination conducted by the other Institutions, the standard of which in the opinion of the Commission justifies his admission to the examination.
Note III: Candidates possessing professional and technical qualifications, which are recognised by Government, as equivalent to professional and technical degree would also be eligible for admission to the examination.
Note IV: Candidates who have passed the final professional M.B.B.S. or any other Medical Examination but have not completed their internship by the time of submission of their applications for the Civil Services (Main) Examination, will be provisionally admitted to the Examination provided they submit along with their application a copy of certificate from the concerned authority of the University/Institution that they had passed the requisite final professional medical examination. In such cases, the candidates will be required to produce at the time of their interview original Degree or a certificate from the concerned competent authority of the University/Institution that they had completed all requirements (including completion of internship) for the award of the Degree.
(iii) Age limit: 21 years must be completed on 1st August of the year, which a candidate is appearing. Maximum 30 for general category, 33 for OBCs and 35 for SCs/STs. Ex-servicemen will get 5 more years exemption from the prescribed age limit.
(The date of birth accepted by the Commission is that entered in the Matriculation or Secondary School Leaving Certificate or in a certificate recognised by an Indian University as equivalent to Matriculation or in an extract from a Register of Matriculates maintained by a University, which extract must be certified by the proper authority of the University or in the Higher Secondary or an equivalent examination certificate).
(iv) Number of Attempts: Four attempts for open, seven for OBCs and no limit for SCs/STs. If a person appears in the Preliminary Examination or even one paper is counted as an attempt.
(v) Restrictions on applying for the examination: A candidate who is appointed to the Indian Administrative Service or the Indian Foreign Service on the results of an earlier examination and continues to be a member of that service will not be eligible to compete at this examination.
How to Apply: (a) The UPSC have developed an application form common for all their examinations, which will be processed on computerised machines. This application form alongwith an Information Brochure containing general instructions for filling up the form, an acknowledgement card and an envelope for sending the application is obtainable from the designated Head Post Offices/Post Offices throughout the country as against cash payment of Rs. 20/- (Rupees twenty only). Form should be purchased from the designated Post Offices only and not from any other agency. This form can be used only once and for only one examination. Candidates must use the form supplied with the Information Brochure only and they should in no case use photocopy / reproduction / unauthorisedly printed copy of the Form. Since this form is electronically scannable, due care should be taken to fill up the application form, correctly. While filling up the application form, please refer to detailed instructions given in the Notice.

Tips for IAS Interview

Basics of Interview:
The interview is nowadays known as a Personality Test. The reason being that it is not a test of knowledge, but of the overall personality of the candidate/aspirant.
Interview is more of a psychological test that is just content-based. Along with good communicative skills and self-confidence, good knowledge base no doubt gives you an upper hand. However, it has to be borne in mind that nearly all the aspirants/candidates in the Personality Test start more or less as equals in the sphere of knowledge base.
The most important thing to know about an interview is that it is not always a question-answer session and that the Board members are looking for different aspects of one’s personality.
One is not expected to know everything under the sun. If you do not know the answer to a particular question, do not hesitate to say – I don’t know, Sir/Ma’m. However, even “I don’t know Sir/Ma’m” should be said confidently and with a reasonable amount of cheerfulness. Remember – your knowledge levels have been thoroughly checked during the earlier stages of the CSE – viz Prelims and Mains.
Always remember that the interview is not a cross examination, but a natural, purposeful conversation.
Personality is a life-long asset and a thing, which evolves and changes every day.
Preparation
Keep a photocopy of the form filled for the Mains examination handy. Most of the initial questions – viz the meaning of your name, educational background, professional experience, hobbies etc will be based on this form only. Try to prepare on your bio-data; roughly 70% questions are based on bio-data, 20% questions are based on your subject and 10% are based on current affairs.
Aspirants to CSE should take an intelligent interest not only in areas of their specialization, but also in what is happening around them – both within and outside the country.
Be well informed about your interests and hobbies as there will be a few questions probing your levels of knowledge as regards your hobbies and interests.
Prepare thoroughly about your hometown & home state. If you hail from a place of historical importance or tourist interest, prepare well on it.
Know yourself. Prepare brief answers to choice of your subjects, family background, meaning of your name. You should try to take the lead by answering questions based on your bio-data.
One of the secrets of success is to prepare for the Personality Test along with the written test.
If a person gives the impression of being a bookworm, the chances of his/her selection are reduced. The candidate must exhibit an all-round personality, which indicates that the aspirant possesses a complete personality. MOCK /PRACTICE
One should form a group of 4-5 people, as the preparation for Personality Test cannot be done in isolation. Try holding as many mock interviews as possible.
No training institute can develop/transform your personality in a few days. However, some of the tips may help in ironing out some weaknesses/grey areas and can provide an avenue for a well-planned preparation and group discussions.
Take mock interviews. In the mock interview, ask your friends to grill you so that you can face pressure from the Board easily.
Discuss a lot with your friends. This not only helps in you assimilating different points of view, but also enhances knowledge levels. DRESSING UP:
Dress sense is of crucial importance. The choice of dress should be according to the weather conditions. Try not to wear newly stitched clothes, as they might make you uneasy. Light colours should be preferred. White colour is a good choice.
Wear comfortable clothes. Men need to wear light coloured shirt and a dark trouser with a tie (if weather permits). Women appear best in a saree or salwar/kameez.
Pay attention to the details, ironed dress, polished shoes, hair accessories, trimmed nails etc. Polish your footwear meticulously. Use convenient footwear like black or brown leather shoes.
Women candidates should take care to avoid the hair falling over the face as it could annoy both – you and the interviewer.
Do not wear anything that connects you with a religious or political group.
Do not use heavy perfume/deodorants.
In case you have a running nose or have caught a cold, carry a handkerchief, or sufficient stock of tissue paper. Tissue paper is preferable.
Some candidates take medicine to relax on the previous night of the interview; this should be avoided as the effect of medicine may decrease your alertness during the interview.
What and how you eat is also important. Have a light meal on the day of the Personality Test. Do not go for the interview on an empty stomach. However, also avoid over-eating, or having a heavy meal.
First impression is often the best impression. So create a positive, good impression within the first few minutes of the interview. ENTRY:
Arrive 20-30 minutes early. Prepare a route map and arrive well in time. This will give you enough time to relax
While waiting for your turn in the waiting area, read a newspaper or a magazine and try to remain focused without thinking too much of what will happen in the interview. Try not to presuppose situations.
Do not get nervous when you are waiting for your turn for the Personality Test. When waiting for your turn, try relaxing with closed eyes and practice deep breathing. It really relaxes you. Do not try to pre-suppose situations in the Personality Test.
Take a final, deep breath before entering the boardroom.
Do not forget to knock at the door before entering, as it indicates basic courtesy.
On entering the room, greet all the members cordially and do not sit down on the seat without being asked to.
If there is a lady member in the interview board, greet her first.
Be conscious of your body language when you are seated.
Men should keep the feet flat on the floor during the interview, knees at waist level, and hands on your thighs and place your elbows on the armchair. Avoid locking hands.
Women, cross your ankles or legs, but keep the bottom leg straight down and do not swing it over the top leg and keep your elbows positioned on the arms of the chair.
When the Board members thank you at the end of the Personality test, do not forget to thank the members one last time and keep your body posture straight at the time of leaving the room.
Remember that interview is a two-way process.
Be cool. Be yourself during the Interview.
Your aim should be to make the board members feel comfortable in your presence.
Be truthful, transparent and Predictable.
The object of the interview is to assess the suitability of the aspirant/candidate for a career in public service.
Most of the questions posed in the Personality Test are opinion-based.
Don’t expect any expression on the faces of board members, even if your answer is very good. During Interview
In a personality test, what is of importance is how you say what you say. It is the style of presentation that matters.
Your personality is, on an average, assessed in 25-30 minutes, it is your responsibility to bring out your very best in front of the board.
Be attentive and listen to each question carefully. Try not to jump into an answer before the complete question has been posed as you will end up wasting time on answering a question that you were not actually asked. If you are not sure of what was asked, you can always politely seek a clarification.
Do not try to answer the question as soon as it is posed. Think over the question, take your time and organize the broad outline of the answer before airing it. Pause a while before answering, even if you know the answer.
At times, you will be given situations wherein you will be required to take a decision. In such situations, the board is testing your ability to comprehend issues and use reason and good judgment logically, precisely and arrive at a balanced decision.
Your replies should be crisp and to the point. Do not beat around the bush.
Maintain a gentle smile off and on during the Personality Test without overdoing it. It displays a sense of ease and confidence. Wherever possible use your sense of humour judiciously. General Do’s and Don’ts for the personality test:
The board members are usually very senior and learned people, so give utmost respect to the board.
Don’t go by any stories/rumours spread by others. Avoid unnecessary details.
Don’t ask the previous candidate about his/her interview.
The board has no biases towards anyone.
Never make any sweeping statements/generalized descriptions.
Accept your mistakes boldly.
Speak honestly, truthfully and modestly.
Do not give a hasty reply.
Answer in an orderly and logical fashion and always maintain eye contact with the Board members while answering.
Be polite and courteous.
Don’t try to be too argumentative.
Be consistent in your views. Don’t change your views just because the Board differs in its opinion from your opinion.
Never make an attempt to present a made-up appearance or politically correct answers.
If you are taking an extreme view, you should also be able to justify the same.
Take tea or coffee, if any member offers the same to you. This will show you are relaxed and it will also help in lightening and relaxing further proceedings and give them an informal touch.
Avoid chewing gums and other munching items as it gives a negative and a careless image.
Try holding mock interviews in front of a mirror. Look out for unwarranted actions/emotions and try to rectify any shortcomings. If possible record your own answers and play them again for finding out errors.
Don’t criticize any government policies or even individuals.
Take a good night’s sleep. A good, sound sleep will keep you refreshed, cheerful and relaxed. Otherwise you will have a fuzzy head and you will betray a confused personality. You will neither be able to grasp questions correctly, nor be able to think clearly.
Do not speak rapidly. Speak slowly and clearly so that the Board members grasp what you are saying and do not have to interrupt you or ask you to repeat your views.
The Board will check you for certain traits – such as honest and integrity, logical exposition, balance of opinion, leadership skills, mental alertness, variety and depth of interest, social cohesion, moral integrity, acumen, your response to a peculiar situation, your views on varied topics.
At times, the Board members might pile pressure upon you. Do not panic – it is a strategy aimed at gauging the point till which you can maintain your cool under pressure and can think originally even in pressure cooker situations. Try to resemble tealeaves – show your true colours when in hot waters.
Form your views on a subjects in a logical and rational manner supported by data whenever necessary.
To be in touch with the latest happenings/events – nationally and internationally, candidates should read magazines and newspapers (at least two for interview), watch current affairs-based television programmes.
Assume that all questions are asked with a good reason and answer them accordingly.
Keep a file/folder to keep your certificates and documents in an organized manner. They are verified before you enter the interview room. (You don’t have to carry file/folder inside board room

Essay Tips for IAS

One is required to write an essay for three hours duration. This length of duration is enough. There is no standard word limit for writing an essay.
Remember to divide an essay into three parts – (i) Introduction (ii) Main body and (iii) Conclusion.
The choice of topic on which the essay is to be written after careful thought. While selecting a topic, the knowledge base of the topic – i.e how much you know about the subject is of crucial importance. If you have data or statistics at your fingertips to back some statements, all the more better.
The introduction is of crucial importance. Remember – well begun is half done. This applies to an essay all the more. One could begin with a saying or a quotation. Quotations make the essay interesting to read.
If you cannot mentally arrange the points to be covered in the essay, jot down the points on a rough sheet of paper. Try to expand one point in its entirety in one paragraph and then move on to the next point. Do not keep returning back to one point after you have started another point. It makes the essay repetitive and boring to read. If possible, try to maintain a link between the points by a connecting sentence at the end of the paragraph covering a given point.
Keep your sentences short. Longer sentences not only lead to complex sentences, but also point to complexity in thought process. Use minimum number of conjunctions. Finish off a sentence as quickly as possible and start a new sentence.
In an essay, try to point out the problem areas and also suggest solutions to solve them.
Conclusion is as important as an introduction. It gives an insight into your analyzing powers. Try to give a brief overview in the form of a gist of the essay in the conclusion

Strategy for IAS Mains

INSTRUCTIONS GIVEN AT THE BEGINNING OF THE QUESTION PAPERS SHOULD BE READ CAREFULLY.
Preparations for Mains examination should be done intensively.
It always helps if the choice of the optionals for the Prelims examination is one of the subjects chosen for the Mains.

After analysis/taking the decision on the options, one should sort out the Main question papers according to the syllabus topics of the Mains examination. If one analyses these questions, after sometime the questions are repeated in one form or the other. This will give you time to prepare a standard answer to the question papers of the previous years. This will also make your task easy at the Mains examination.

Questions asked are of the Masters level examination. Sometimes the questions are ‘conceptual’ in nature, aimed at testing the comprehension levels of the basic concepts. So, if you don’t have a basic grounding in the basic concepts, it would be advisable to start from simple books.

The right choice of reading material is important and crucial. You should not read all types of books as told by others. Get a list of standard textbooks from the successful candidates, or other sources and also select proper notes for studying.

One should always target for Mains even while preparing for Preliminary examination. This is because there is much in common ground for study and there is little time for preparation for the Main examination after the results of the Prelims examination are announced.

While studying for the optional subjects, keep in mind that there is no scope for selective studies in CSE. The whole syllabus must be completely and thoroughly covered. Equal stress and weightage should be given to both the optionals. Remember – in the ultimate analysis both subjects carry exactly the same amount of maximum marks.

For subjects like Mathematics and Statistics and Geography maps etc, practice is very important. One should also practice other subjects and should not treat the same examination, as an “experience gathering” exercise to get a chance for writing mains is a great thing, which one may not get again. Hence, you should go through the unsolved papers of the previous papers and solve them to stimulate the atmosphere of the examination. Stick to the time frame (roughly 1 minute for 2 marks. Speed is the very essence of this examination. Hence, time management assumes crucial importance.

Writing skills (packaging) matter a lot in the Civil Services. Most of the candidates appearing for the Mains examination have a lot of knowledge, but lack writing skills. They are not able to present all the information/knowledge in a coherent and logical manner, as expected by the examiner. It is not only what you write, that is important, but also how you write what you write.
For developing the writing skills, one should keep writing model answers while preparing for the Mains examination. This would help the candidate to “get into the groove” of writing under time pressure in the Mains examination. The attitude should never be “I will directly write in the examination”.
Develop and follow your own style of writing. Try not to be repetitive and maintain a flow in the style of your writing. Never try to imitate others in the style of writing.
Sequential and systematic style of answering comes after a lot of practice and analysis of standard answers. Try to stimulate the actual examination hours to judge your performance and to plug any loopholes.
Strictly adhere to the word limit as prescribed at the end of the question to the extent possible. Try not to exceed the word limit, as far as possible. Sticking to the word limit that will save time. Besides, the number of marks you achieve are not going to increase even if you exceed the word limit.
Revision of subjects is very important because “anything you could not revise prior to the examination is as good as not having prepared at all”. The reason is that you have been preparing for months or years together. It is a human tendency to forget something after some time. Hence, revision is a must.

Write it legibly as it will simplify the evaluator’s task and he can read the answers easily.
Highlight/underline the important points, which you feel, are important.
If the write up is in essay form, write in paragraphs. A new point should start with a new paragraph.

If the question needs answer in point form, give it a bullet format.
Keep sufficient space between two lines.

Try to maintain uniformity in your write-ups throughout the paper. Some students write well in the initial papers. Under time pressure, the script goes from bad to worse in the later stages of the answer sheets and gets bad treatment. This may irritate the evaluator.

Don’t count words after every answer. If you have practiced well, you can count “how many words do you write in a line and how many lines in a single page and the total words per question”.
Give space and divide it by a dividing line between two questions.
One should target 1200-1250/2000 marks in the Mains. The main cut off also varies from year to year

How to Prepare GS for IAS

Read newspapers and magazines carefully, which will expand your knowledge base and give good command and writing skill.
Preparation for General studies should be done hand in hand while preparing for optional papers.
NCERT books should be studied carefully and newspapers like The Hindu and magazines such as Frontline.
Trend nowadays has shifted more towards current issues, hence a thorough awareness of recent events/happenings is mandatory.
In the Prelims, though the General Studies carries only 150 marks, all the candidates are required to solve the same questions, hence, this paper assumes enormous importance, as anyone spoiling this paper cannot have any chance of qualifying for the Mains stage of the examination.
Other than the syllabus given, questions on planning, budgeting, developmental programmes, latest issues of political and constitutional importance, Panchayati Raj, electoral reforms, natural resources, culture, growth of nationalism, committees, commissions etc can be expected almost every year.
Emphasis is normally placed on the general aspects of the subjects, which every educated person aspiring to join the civil services is expected to know.
The General Studies paper needs special and thorough preparations and does not need to be over-emphasised.
In General Studies, other than current affairs, each and every aspect is covered in our school syllabi. Whatever one has studied upto Class XII is only asked in General Studies. The only thing which is different is that it has an application but the basic is from our school textbook only. A good, bright student who understood the basic concepts during his/her school studies will definitely be strong in General Studies too.
Those who would like to appear for Civil Services should have a strong base, which will make them easy to follow the subjects.
Exhaustive study of each subject and every aspect of the General Studies is essential.
An important point is efficient time management and proper planning. The time available with the candidates for preparations is limited and hence has to be intelligently utilized.

Tips for sucess in civil services

With the number of vacancies dwindling each year and the competition getting tougher, with the number of aspirants increasing each year, one must consider all the pros and cons before jumping into the fray. One should preferably have an alternative job, which gives one the confidence and makes a wholehearted effort possible.Selection of Subject:
The first and foremost thing to decide while aspiring for Civil Services is the judicious choice of subjects for the Preliminary and the Mains examinations. The selection of subjects should be done most carefully, if it goes wrong, everything will go wrong.
Normally students have the advantage of selecting one of the optionals, which they are familiar with, or have at least studied till graduate level. If you are not comfortable with the subject, you should not select the subject as an optional. Example: One who studied Medicine in his/her graduation may have to refer many books for one topic. On such occasions it is better to take a subject of one's interest.
The aspirants should opt for a subject of their interest - technical subjects like engineering, medicine, veterinary sciences. Students from science background may find it difficult to understanding economics and vice-versa. Agriculture or Veterinary Sciences will be opted by the students who have studied it at their college level. Hence, the competition is among the people who have opted for the same subject. One should top in his/her subject to succeed in the examination.
One should analyse the syllabus of previous years and the question papers. The comfort levels with the subject opted for and the past trends should be analysed. While going through the questions of previous years, one can judge himself/herself about the knowledge base and comfort level with the subject. After a detailed analysis one should decide the subject for the first optional. One can get some feedback/advice from seniors and fellow students who are well versed in the subject. To avoid confusion at advanced stages of the examination, one should have some consultation with experienced/senior colleagues. They can guide you better than any coaching class.Preparation:
Preparation for General studies can be done hand in hand, along with the preparation for optional papers. Good mix of study hours for General Studies and the Optionals makes studies enjoyable and it becomes easy to sustain the momentum for longer hours, without boredom setting in and without losing interest and enthusiasm. The most important aspect for the preparation for GS (Prelims) is to identify the loopholes and plug them urgently. But remember one thing; never sacrifice the time of optional for General Studies. Because each question in optional carries 2.5 marks and in total it carries 300 marks. More importantly, input-output ratio in optional is much better than that in General Studies.
Always go in for a planned and systematic study. Work out your own study schedules in a manner suited to your style and stick to it.
One should read a leading daily regularly and also a magazine that will give an insight into the writing skills and observe how facts are presented clearly and succinctly. Also watch news & current affairs programmes on a good TV channel. The latest trend has been a shift towards the current issues; hence a thorough awareness of recent happenings is mandatory. In-depth knowledge of such events is most important, as the questions will test the knowledge of details of any given event/happening.
First one should cover the entire syllabus and then one month preceding the Mains, practice with the help of question papers of previous years. Sometimes students may end up studying topics, which are connected to the syllabus, but are practically irrelevant from your preparation point of view. For this, one should always keep a copy of the syllabus handy and keep referring to it time and again to reassess the direction of the preparation. One should also keep question papers of the previous years. Compare them and see what types of questions are repeated every year.
Try to attempt question papers of previous years and General studies papers. This will expose your weaknesses and give you an idea about the extent of your preparation, your knowledge base, your speed and accuracy.
General preparation can be broadly classified as long-term or short-term depending on the available time for preparation. Preparation for Mains examination should begin soon after the Prelims are over, without waiting for the result, as it involves wastage of time.
The generally accepted strategy for CSE is that one must have studied the entire syllabus for the Mains before the Prelims or at least before the result is out. After the Prelims results are announced, all three subjects - two optionals and General Studies should be divided equally in three quarters to revise the subjects. If the subject is not revised, it is as good as not read because preparation is a continuous process. One might have covered the syllabus long back, but memory detoriates with time
One should read/study daily 10-12 hours per day. Some people say that used to read 18-20 hours. However, don't go by the claims of other persons who say that have studied for more than 18 hours a day. It is humanly impossible. Each person knows one's own capacity, so one should prepare the timetable accordingly and follow the same for the whole period of preparation. The execution of the timetable is of crucial importance.
One should be dedicated and have faith in one's own capabilities and in the Almighty. Do not get depressed if you are unable to achieve the targets. Remember, it is your preparation; you are the one who will appear in the examination. You know yourself better than anyone else. Quality of hours put in is more important than quantity of hours. Your time and energies should be used in an efficient and effective manner.
During the entire period of the examination, take a light diet. One should maintain good health during the preparation and also maintain a hobby, which relaxes you during your preparation. Take adequate amount of sleep, as both - body and mind require it. It is always better to study when the body and mind are fresh. This helps in easy grasping of things as well as in retaining them.
To save time during revision, aspirants may mark/highlight important points during their first or second reading. The aim of the first reading is to reduce the study material to half by eliminating unnecessary points. The second reading is to make it more concise, so that you can revise the entire syllabus within two days before the examination.
Information from any source of relevance to your goal should be welcomed, as long as it is from a standard source. Discuss with your friends, talk to them and listen to their views. This will expand your knowledge base and also expose you to different views. (But while discussing be careful and don't waste time on unnecessary details). You should have a guided discussion. It is important to peak at the time of the examination. So, channelise your preparations in such a manner that you don't burn yourself out before the examination commences.
Those who still have two-three years of time left for becoming eligible to appear for Civil Services must begin the preparation for the examination in the right earnest - right now.
Once you decide that you wish to be a civil servant, as your career has to follow certain steps to be abreast with the latest trends and be ready in the first attempt itself.If you are schooling:
Read your school textbooks thoroughly. This is the building block of your general knowledge base.
Read one national newspaper regularly.
Watch one TV news regularly.
Follow discussions/debates on one TV channel regularly.
Read one national news magazine.
If possible, read one competitive examination magazine also.
Discuss news items with family members and friends that will confidence and different points of view.
Be alert to learn new things.
Keep an open mind to learn what is happening around you.
At college stage:
If you decide to make civil services a career at college stage, try to follow these things:
Learn your subject thoroughly.
Read NCERT books very carefully as they are little encyclopedias and also comprehend them carefully.
Study India yearbook published by Publication Division, Ministry of I&B. This will give you the base and a bird's eye view about India.
Read one national newspaper and a magazine thoroughly.
Watch TV news (one prime time bulletin which covers major national and international news every day). TV channels give an overall news/views scenario on their prime time slots.
Listening to morning news bulletins/analysis of All India Radio is a must. They provide invaluable background information and a balanced opinion on major issues. Evening news bulletins of AIR give an overview of the prominent news stories of the day.
Follow one competitive examination magazine regularly. That will give you the latest trends about civil services and other competitive examinations and also give you important information in capsule form.
Discussions on current affairs on standard TV channel should be followed by a student to learn "how the arguments take place and how arguments are built up".
Discuss things/news items with your friends and family members that will give confidence of taking a stand against any issue.
Once you enter 3rd year of your preparation, you can go through the question papers of the previous years of CSE. Students in the first year also can go through these papers, but it would be difficult for a person to understand all the questions because he/she might have not studied the entire syllabi.
Normally four questions from the syllabus are asked which are of PG level if the subject is from the Arts or Science stream. So one should go through the syllabus first, then decide about taking the questions for the test.
In the first step itself, if you take the question paper and if you don't know most of the questions, it will deject you. There is nothing to get dejected at this stage.
If you complete your one optional at the college level itself, it will be easy for you to crack the Civil Services in the first attempt itself. If you clear the exam before the age of 23 that will make you eligible to become Secretary to Government of India/ Chief Secretary of a State - and even go up to the rank of Cabinet Secretary.

Success Story Of a Small Town Boy-Son of a Rickshaw vendor

The 2006 competitive examinations for India's civil services is notable for the number of young people from non privileged backgrounds who feature in the merit list. For the first time, none from India's elite metros feature in the top ten.
We will bring you some amazing success stories in this special series. Today, meet a rickshaw vendor's son from Varanasi who is one of the IAS toppers this year.
Tears ran down Govind Jaiswal's face and refused to stop. Staring him in the face was the only thing he had ever wanted, and now that he had achieved it, he couldn't even reach out for the keys on his cellphone.
He waited till the tears dried up, till the news sunk in and made that one phone call on which depended the hopes of his entire family.
Govind, 24, the son of an uneducated rickshaw vendor in Varanasi, had grown up with cruel taunts like 'However much you study, you will still be a rickshawpuller.' He had studied with cotton stuffed in his ears to drown the noise of printing machines and generators below his window in a poor neighbourhood where small workshops existed cheek by jowl with tiny residential quarters.
He had given Math tuitions to supplement the paltry sum his father could afford to send him each month. His ailing father had sold a small plot of land to give Govind about Rs 40,000 so that he could move to Delhi which would provide him a better place to study.
Throughout his life, he had lived with only one dream -- to become an officer of the Indian Administrative Service. For him that was the only way. And when he broke the news to his family, that he was ranked 48 among 474 successful candidates in his first attempt at the exam -- it was the turn of his three sisters and father to weep with unbridled joy.
'Besides the Civil Services, I had no option'
Icould not afford to have any other career goal. My life would have been absolutely futile had I not made it into the civil services," says Govind, just back from his medicals in New Delhi, mandatory for the IAS.
"You must understand that my circumstances were such that besides the Civil Services, I had no option. I didn't have much of a chance with lower government jobs because they are mostly fixed, neither could I start a business because I had no money. The only thing I could do was work hard at my studies."
It was almost impossible for him to study in the one room he shared with his family. To add to his woes was the power cut that extended between 10 and 14 hours every day. The moment the lights went out, he had to shut the window to block out the deafening noise of generators in the many workshops around his home.
So in search for a quiet place to study, he briefly shared a friend's room at the Banaras Hindu University. Since that did not help him much, he did what many civil services aspirants in northern India do -- he moved to New Delhi.

His father sold his last plot of land for his son's dream
F or his son to make a fresh start in a city Govind had never visited before, Narayan Jaiswal, Govind's father, sold the only remaining plot of land he had saved after getting his three daughters married.
Working for ten years at the government ration shop, Narayan earned a living by weighing goods at the store. One day when the shop shut down, he bought one rickshaw and hired it out. He added three more and at one time was prosperous enough to own about 36 rickshaws.
That was a period of financial security and Narayan was prudent enough to buy three small plots of land. With three daughters to marry off, he knew he would need it in times to come. But bad times soon befell the family. His wife passed away when Govind was in school. For 10 years there was acute hardship. The rickshaws dwindled.
On his meager earnings, the uneducated rickshaw vendor with a hearing disability continued the education of his children. The girls were married after their graduation -- Narayan sold two pieces of land for the weddings, the last plot was sold to achieve his Govinda's dream.
Narayan gave his son Rs 40,000 to prepare for his Civil Services exam in New Delhi and pursue his childhood dream of becoming an IAS officer. For the next three years, he sent his son between Rs 2,500 and Rs 3,000 every month, sometimes foregoing the expense of treating the septic wound in his foot that continues to nag him till today.

Courier boys found his house with difficulty; now the fruitwallah will tell you where the 'IAS' house is'
Outside his narrow lane, opposite the Varanasi City railway station, where Narayan Jaiswal parks his rickshaws and spends most of his waking hours, he still walks barefooted with a bandage, one end hanging loose and scraping the dirty road.
"Beyond this year, my father could not have afforded to send Govind any more money. It was getting very tough for him. Govind was earning Rs 1,500 from tuitions, I don't know what he would have done if he didn't make it to the IAS this year. My father could not sleep for 10 days before the results came," says Govind's eldest sister Nirmala, whose son is almost the same age as her brother.
Now that he will earn Rs 8,000 as his starting salary during his two-year training period in Mussoorie, Govind says his first priority is getting good treatment for his father's wound.
"I want to look after him, I don't know if he will leave Varanasi but I will definitely move him out of this rented room that we have lived for 35 years."
If his son's new job dramatically changes things for the better, Narayan Jaiswal is quite unaffected by it. He is surprised by the scores of journalists and well wishers flocking to his house.
Until now, courier delivery boys found his house with great difficulty but now even the fruit cart-wallah, one-and-a-half kilometres away, will tell you where the 'IAS' house is.
"I like my work. I haven't decided about the future -- what could be a better place than Kashi? As long as my son looks after me, what else can one want?" he says, visibly uncomfortable with the media spotlight.
'My character will be put to the test, then I want to see what a real man I am'
Having lived his life in Varanasi, the holy city on the banks of the Ganga, Govind has given his home state Uttar Pradesh as his preferred region of posting. If he doesn't get UP, he is open to being sent to any state in India.
"Varanasi needs a tight administration. As for me, I want to be a good officer. We are the agents of change and I as an administrator would like to inform common people about their right to know, their right to information. The benefit should finally go to the people."
His hero is President A P J Abdul Kalam. Govind is reading the Hindi translation of the President's best-selling book On Wings of Fire and takes out a nicely thumbed copy from a plastic bag.
"After Gandhiji, President Kalam has given us a dream and the power to dream. His dream is of a developed India and he is a symbol of many common people's dreams."
In a time when the Indian bureaucracy has its drawbacks like a lack of accountability, corruption and perpetuating a system that was handed down by the British to rule a subordinate population Govind's thoughts are fired by the idealism of youth. He insists his idealism will not be watered down in future years, that he will not allow himself to be influenced.
"I am a product of my circumstances that has been wrought with hardships. When I go out as an officer my character will be put to the test, and then I want to see what a real man I am."
Courtesy: Rediff.com

Sociology Recommended Books

Paper-I
1.Herton and Hunt, Sociology, Mcgraw- Hill International, Singapore 1984
2.Abrahamson Mark, Urban Sociology, Prentice-Hall Inc, Englewood Cliffs, N.J., 1980
3.Haris C. C., The Sociology Enterprises : A Disscussion of Fundamental Concept, St. Martin Press Inc., New York, 1980
4.Wilson John, Introduction to Social Movements, Basic Books, NY , 1998.
5.Hamilton , Malcom, B. The Sociology of Religion, Routledge, London , 1995.
6.Williams, Malcom, Science and Social Science : An Introduction, Routledge, London , 2000.
7.D.K.S. Roy, Social Development and the Empowerment of Mariginalised Groups: Perspectives and Strategies, Sage, New Delhi - 2001
8.Harris C.C., The Family, Allen and Unwin, London - 1977
9.Andreas Hess, Concept of Social Stratification, European and American Models, Palgrave, Houndmills, NY , 2001
10.Gddens, Anthony, Capitalisation and Modern Social Theory, University Press Cambridge, 1971
11.Smelser, N.J.The Sociology of Economic Life, Prentice Hall, New Delhi - 1988.
12.Haralombos, M, and Heald, R,M. Sociology : Themes and Perspectives, Oxford. Delhi - 1980.
13.Randall Collins, Theoretical Sociology, Harcourt Brace and Company, Florida, 1996.
14.Bottomore. T.B. Sociology : A GFuide of problem and Literature Allen and Unwin, London - 1972.
15.Etzioni, Amitali, Modern Organization, Prentice Hall, NY, 1995
16.Cuff, Sharrock, and Francis, Perrspective in Sociology, Routledge, NY 1995
Paper - II
1.Mandelbaum, David, Society in India, University of California, Press Berkreley, 1970
2.Srivnivas M N Caste in Modern India and Other Essays, Asia Publishing House, Bombay -1962
3.Srinivas M N Social Change in Modern India, Berkeley,University of California Press 1966.
4.Srinivas and Shah, The Myth of the self sufficiency of the Indian Village, The Economic weekly, 12:1375-1378
5.Beteille Andre Sociology, Oxford, New Delhi - 2002
6.Beteille Andre, The idea of Natural, Inequality and other Essays, Oxford, Delhi - 1987.
7.Beteille Andre, Essay in Contemporary Sociology, Oxford, Delhi - 1987.
8..Beteille Andre, Social Inequality of Indian Penguine, London, 1978.
9.Singh Yogender Cultural Change in India, Rawat, Jaipur, 2002.
10.Singh Yogender, Modernization of Indian Tradition, Thompson Press, New Delhi - 1973.
11.Unnithan T K , Indra Dev and Singh, Y, (eds) Towards a Sociology of Culture in India, Prentice Hall, new Delhi - 1965.
12.Gupta, Dipasnkar, Interrograting Caste, Penguine, New Delhi - 2000.
13.Shah A M Family in Contempory India, Orient Longman, New Delhi - 2001.
14.Chandrani and Chandrani, Essay in Rural Sociology, Rawat, Jaipur -2000.
15.Desai, Neera, and Krishnaraj, Women and Society in India,New Delhi - 1990.
16.Singer Milton and Cohen B.S. Structure and chasnge in Indian Society, Weener Grin Foundation for Anthropological Research 1968.
17.Sharma K L (ed) Sociolo Inequilities in Indian , Profiles of Caste Class, Power and Sociol Mobility, Rawat, Jaipur 19945.
18.Gallenter Masrc, Competing, Inequalities, Oxford, NY 1998.
19.Joshi, P C Sociol Science and Development: Quest for Relevence, Hasr-Anand Publication, Delhi 1995.

Geography Recommended Books

PAPER - I : SECTION A: PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY
1.Geomorphology :Physical Geography by Strahler & Strahler Principles of Geomorphology by W.D. ThornburyPhysical Geography - Made Simple, Rupa PublisherPhysical Geography in Diagrams by BunnettPhysical Geography by Savindra SinghGeomorphology by Savindra Singh
2.Climatology :Climatology by D.S.LalGeneral Climatology by CritchfieldPhysical Geography - Made Simple, Rupa PublisherPhysical Geography by Strahler & Strahler
3.Oceanography :Oceanography by Sharma & Vatal, NCERTPhysical Geography by Savindra Singh
4.Biogeography :Physical Geography - Made Simple, Rupa PublisherPhysical GEography by Strahler & Strahler
SECTION -B : HUMAN GEOGRAPHY
1.Perspectives in Human Geography :Evolution of Geographic Thought by Majid Husain
2.Economic Geography :Economic Geography by Hertshorn & AlexanderEconomic and Social Geography - Made Simple by Rupa PublisherAgricultural Geography by Masjid Husain
3.Population Settlement Geography :Human Geography by Majid HusainUrbanization & Urban Systems in India by RamachandranEconomic and Social Geography - Made Simple, Rupa PublishersA Geography by Population by R.C. Chandna
4.Regional Planning:Regional Planning - by Chand & Puri
5.Environmental Geography: Environmental Geography by Savindra SinghEnvironmental Awareness by R.C.ChandnaEnvironmental Geography by Saxena
6.Models, Theories and Laws in Human Geography :Economic and Social Geography - Made Simple, Rupa PublisherPolitical Geography by R.D.Dixit
MAP QUESTIONS - Any School level atlas and the maps given in the above mentioned books.

PAPER - II : GEOGRAPHY OF INDIA
Section A
1.Physical Setting :Economic and Commercial Geography of India by Sharma & CoutinhoEconomic and Commercial Geography of India by C.B. MamoriaA Geography of India by Gopal Singh
2.ResourcesEconomical Geography - A Study of Resources by Guha and Chattoraj (NCERT books)
3.AgricultureAgriculture Geography by Majid HusainIndian Economy by Dutt and SundaramIndia Year Book, published by Ministry of Information and BroadcastingHindu's Survey on Agriculture.
4.Industry Economical and Commercial Geography of India by C.B. MamoriaEconomical and Commercial Geography by Sharma & CoutinhoIndian Economy by Dutt and SundaramHindu's Survey on Industry
5.Transport, Communication and TradeEconomical and Commercial Geography of India by C.B. MamoriaEconomical and Commercial Geography of India by Sharma & CoutinhoIndia Year Book published by Ministry of Information and BroadcastingIndian Economy by Dutt and Sundaram
Section B:
1.Cultural Setting :Human Geography by Majid HusainGeography of Population by R.C.ChandnaNCERT Books
2.Settlements :Human Geography by Majid HusainUrbanization and Urban Systems in India by Ramachandran
3.Regional Development and Planning Regional Planning and Development by Chand and PuriIndia Year BookIndian Economy by Dutt and Sundaram
4.Political AspectsModern Political Geography of India by B.L. Sukhwal.
5.Contemporary Issues :Environmental Geography by Savinder SinghIndia disasters - ReportEnvironmental Awareness by R.C.ChandnaEnvironmental Geography by Saxena
Map Questions for paper II : Any School level Atlas & the maps in the above mentioned books.
NOTE : Current Articles on various syllabus topics in different magazines and newspapers will be quite useful for Paper - II.
PAPER - II : GEOGRAPHY OF INDIA
Section A
1.Physical Setting :Economic and Commercial Geography of India by Sharma & CoutinhoEconomic and Commercial Geography of India by C.B. MamoriaA Geography of India by Gopal Singh
2.ResourcesEconomical Geography - A Study of Resources by Guha and Chattoraj (NCERT books)
3.AgricultureAgriculture Geography by Majid HusainIndian Economy by Dutt and SundaramIndia Year Book, published by Ministry of Information and BroadcastingHindu's Survey on Agriculture.
4.Industry Economical and Commercial Geography of India by C.B. MamoriaEconomical and Commercial Geography by Sharma & CoutinhoIndian Economy by Dutt and SundaramHindu's Survey on Industry
5.Transport, Communication and TradeEconomical and Commercial Geography of India by C.B. MamoriaEconomical and Commercial Geography of India by Sharma & CoutinhoIndia Year Book published by Ministry of Information and BroadcastingIndian Economy by Dutt and Sundaram
Section B:
1.Cultural Setting :Human Geography by Majid HusainGeography of Population by R.C.ChandnaNCERT Books
2.Settlements :Human Geography by Majid HusainUrbanization and Urban Systems in India by Ramachandran
3.Regional Development and Planning Regional Planning and Development by Chand and PuriIndia Year BookIndian Economy by Dutt and Sundaram
4.Political AspectsModern Political Geography of India by B.L. Sukhwal.
5.Contemporary Issues :Environmental Geography by Savinder SinghIndia disasters - ReportEnvironmental Awareness by R.C.ChandnaEnvironmental Geography by Saxena
Map Questions for paper II : Any School level Atlas & the maps in the above mentioned books.
NOTE : Current Articles on various syllabus topics in different magazines and newspapers will be quite useful for Paper - II.
GEOGRAPHY (PRELIMINARY)
1.Cartography Topic :Laboratory Techniques and Fieldwork (NCERT)Fundamentals in Cartography by R.P. Mishra and A.Ramesh.Cartography by R.L.Singh
Section A,B,D & E Consult the recommended books for Main Examinations.Section C :Geography of the World:World Regional Geography by Wheeler and KostbadeSection F :Techniques of Geographical AnalysisSee Cartography Topic
School level AtlasPhysical Geography by Goh Cheng LeongHuman & Economic Geography by Leong & Morgan

Public Administration Recommended Books

Paper-I
Chapter-I: Introduction Mohit Bhattacharya: New Horizons of Public AdministrationNicholas Henry : Public Administration and Public AffairsSpecial Issues of Indian Journal of Public Administration
Chapter-II: Theories of Administration D. Ravindra Prasad, V.S. Prasad and P. Satyanarayana : Administrative ThinkersD. Gvishiani Organisation and Management: A Critique of Western Theories.
Chapter-III: Structure of Public Organisations : R.K. Jain : Public Sector Undertakings; andMohit Bhattacharya : New Horizons of Public Administration
Chapter-IV: Administrative BehaviourPaul Hersey : Organisational BehaviourORStephen P. Robbin : Organisational Behaviour
Chapter-V: Accountability and Control: Mohit Bhattacharya : New Horizons of Public AdministrationSpecial Issues of Indian Journal of Public Administration on Accountability
Chapter-VI: Administrative Law:Massey :Administrative Law ORM.P. Jain :Administrative Law
Chapter-VII: Administrative Reforms:P.R. Dubbashi : Administrative ReformsG.E. Gaiden :Administrative Reforms
Chapter-VIII: Comparative Public Administration:Ferrel Heady : Public Administration-A Comparative PerspectiveORR.K. Arora : Comparative Public Administration
Chapter-IX: Development Administration:Ferrel Heady : Public Administration - A Comparative PerspectiveORR.K. Arora : Comparative Public Administration
Chapter-X: Public Policy :IGNOU Lessons on Public PolicyR. K. Sapra : Public Policy
Chapter-XI: Personnel Administration:O Glenn :Stahl : Public Personnel AdministrationS. L. Goel : Personnel Administration in India.
Chapter-XII: Financial AdministrationM. J. K. Thavaraj :Public Financial AdministrationORG.S. Lal :Financial Administration in IndiaIGNOU Lessons on Financial Administration



PAPER II
Indian Administration
Chapter-I: Evolution of Indian AdministrationB.N. Puri Administrative History of India (Vol. I, II and III)
Chapter-II: Constitutional Framework D. D. Basu An Introduction to the Constitution of India
Chapter-III: Union Government and AdministrationA. Avasthi Central Administration
Chapter-IV: State Government and AdministrationJ.D. Shukla State Administration
Chapter-V: District AdministrationT.N. Chaturvedi District Administration; andSpecial Issue of Indian Journal of Public Administration on District Administration
Chapter-VI: Local GovernmentS.R. Maheswari Local Government in India
Chapter-VII: Public Sector in IndiaR. K. Jain Public Sector UndertakingsAnnual Survey on Public Sector of Department of Public Enterprises
Chapter-VIII: Public ServicesS.L. Goel Personnel Administration in India
Chapter-IX: Control of Public ExpenditureM. J. K. Thavaraj Financial AdministrationIGNOU Lessons on Financial Administration
Chapter-X: Administrative ReformsP.R. Dubbashi Administrative ReformsS. R. Maheswari Administrative ReformsSpecial Issue of Indian Journal of Public Administration on Administrative Reforms
Chapter-XI: Machinery for PlanningA. Avasthi Central Administration
Chapter-XII: Administration of Law and OrderK. K. Sharma Law and Order Administration in IndiaK. J. Guha Roy, District Policing
Chapter-XIII: Welfare AdministrationAnnual Reports of Department of Social Welfare
Chapter-XIV: Major Issues in Indian AdministrationSpecial Issue of Indian Journal Public Administration on Indian Administration, Retrospect and Prospect and on Good Governance.

Geograpgy a good optional for CSE

Geography as an optional subject has become very popular since the introduction of new scheme in 1979 for Civil Services Examination. The subject has a scientific flavour and is objective and analytic. It is this scientific nature of subject which has made geography a very popular optional. The past performance of candidates clearly reveals that the subject is highly scoring and reliable. Also, unlike common belief, the subject is not vast and can be easily prepared in 2-3 months time if worked systematically.The syllabus for the Mains examination has two papers : Paper-I deals with the Principles of Geography whereas Paper-II encompasses Geography of India. Very often, these two papers are taught or studied in isolation, which is a wrong approach. In fact, the two papers are intricately related. In Paper I fundamental principles of Geography are to be learnt and in Paper-II the fundamental principles learnt in Paper I are to be applied in the context of India. Thus, Paper I is concerned with understanding of concepts and Paper II seeks the application of those concepts. Prepared this way, the subject becomes objective, analytic, less time-consuming, very little or no mugging is required, and gives advantage over all other subjects of humanities and social science.Geography can be taken as an optional by any candidate who has a scientific temper and average level of intelligence. Elementary understanding of concepts of everyday science is an asset. It is specially recommended to Science and Social Science graduates and also for those who do not have very good command over language.Like any other subject, guidance by properly trained subject experts, i.e. Geographers; specially those teaching in universities and who have a feel of Civil Services Examination system can greatly help students in the preparation and getting best and of limited time. Fortunately, proper guidance in geography is available in most of the major cities of India. But students must take guidance from the right persons, otherwise guidance from untrained, self-proclaimed geography expects can even harm their interest.Besides understanding the concepts, more important from the point of view of Civil Services examination is writing answers and, if possible, getting them properly evaluated.
Paper 1
Five questions are to be attempted; out of which two questions are compulsory�one on map and the second on short notes. Three full length questions to be attempted � two from one section and one from the other section. For question on map, the student is given the option of World or India map. If you have familiarity with world, then you may opt for World map otherwise concentrate on India. For question on map, students should practice map filling on blank maps. Try to learn using proper symbols for map filling. Also, one has to write in 10 words about the location asked. For this, one should write the most salient feature of the location.For other four questions students should first understand all the basic concepts given in the syllabus and then focus on the more important concepts that can be found out from past years question papers or from a proper guide.Three full length questions are to be attempted. Students should try to attempt two questions from Section A (Physical Geography) as these questions are comparatively more scoring. The important topics are Geomorphology, Climatology, Eco-System, Settlement Geography and Economic Geography. Some questions on Political Geography and Human Geography are also very scoring.
Paper 2
As mentioned earlier, Paper II is to be taken as the case study of India i.e. application of the geographical concepts in Indian context. Thus, students should try to examine and explain the spatial patterns in India with the help of concepts learnt in Paper I.Traditional Geography books on India are far from satisfactory; specially with respect to socio-economic aspects as books on Geography of India have narrow and limited vision and data are not recent. The students need to develop a holistic view and here a proper guidance can help a lot. In Paper II, for getting high score, a holistic approach plays a very important role. Also, students should understand and study any one region of India in detail as many questions ask to write your answer with reference to any region with which you have familiarity.The important topics in Paper II (keeping in view scoring as well) are Physical aspect, Resources, Agriculture, Industry, Regional Development and Planning.
Book List
Basic Reading
1. Strahler, A.N. or Strahler & Strahler : Modern Physical Geography.2. NCERT�11th and 12th class Geography books.3. Geography Made Simple series by Rupa publications.4. Rama Chandran�Urbanization and urban systems in India.5. Five Year Plan document.6. Yojna/Kurukshetra/Employment News.Further Reading1. Small, R.J.�Study of Landforms.2. Eyre�Soil, Vegetation and Climate.3. Trewartha, G.T.�An Introduction to Climate.4. Sharma & Vatal�Occanography for Geographers.5. Adhikari, S.�Fundamentals of Geographical Thought6. Dikshit, R.D.�Political Geography7. Northern�Urban Geography8. Hurst, M.E.�Geography of Economic Behaviour.9. Symons or Moryan & Mutton�Agricultural Geography10. Leong, G.S. & Morgen�Human & Economic Geography11. Sharma & Continho�Economic & Commercial Geography of India12. Chand, Mahesh & Puri�Regional Planning in India.13. Leong, G.S. Certificate to Physical Geography14. Critch field, Elements of Climatology15. Singh G., Geography of IndiaKey Points1.(a) Subject is Scoring, reliable.(b) Subject has Scientific Flavour(c) Subject is not lengthy(d) Time required for preparation�2-3 months.2.(a) Paper-I is understanding of fundamental concepts.(b) Paper II is application of fundamental concepts(c) In paper I, two full length question to be attempted from section A.(d) For Paper II, holistic view needs to be developed.(e) Question on Map in both papers, quite moving3. (a) Guidance should be seeked from only trained Geographers.(b) Prefereably by Geographers teaching in Universities with a feel of Civil Services Examination system.(c) Guidance must not be sought from untrained, self proclaimed geography expects as it may prove harmful.4. (a) Write answers of important questions that have come in the past, get the answers properly evaluated.(b) Rewrite your answer in the light of comments from evaluation and get reevaluated.

(Survey) IAS - Youths First Choice To Begin Career With: ASSOCHAM

Despite complaints of falling standards and relatively lower salary, Indian Administrative Services continue to be preferred option for majority of youths as these provide with visible & invisible perks, social status and benefits with 100% job security, which remain totally incompatible with their private sector counterparts, according to The Associated Chambers of Commerce & Industry of India (ASSOCHAM).
In a Survey carried out by ASSOCHAM on Have Civil Services Lost their Charm with Advancement in Liberalisation, 80% of 300 young executives opted for placement in corporate sector and responded to the Survey said, “IAS, IFS, IPS go on drawing the best available talent in them contrary to surfacing impressions that flight of talent has shifted more towards private sector with fast advancing liberalisation”.
The assertions that civil services are loosing their sheen and lustre are totally malicious and disparaging as every aspirant cannot withstand the rigors of layers of civil service examination, said ASSOCHAM President, Mr. Venugopal N. Dhoot.
Releasing the Survey, Mr. Dhoot said, “65% of executives, however, felt that since other channels for employment have opened up, particularly in information, communication and technology as the wave of liberalisation has advanced but it would be wrong to conclude that the first grade talent is being attracted in these sectors and it is the only second hand talent that is opting for civil services”.
Over 70% said that private sector does offer handsome package to young and bright executives for career making in which certainty for sustenance is always missing and it has a negative impact on personality making. While, in civil services, confidence building is a regular exercise as a result of continuous learning process with no element of uncertainty befalling any civil servant.
70% of respondents, however, regretted that impressions have been gaining ground that mediocrity has been prevailing in civil services. This is totally false and that private sector has been attracting brains cannot be substantiated with facts as for vast majority of young men and women, getting into civil services still remain the first priority.
55% of respondents have blamed the system for discouraging brighter and brilliant young men & women for opting for civil services due to often reported interventions of politicians in civil servants day to day routine life as this could be one reason which amount to demotivation.
75% of executives argued that private sector does pay them higher salaries with lot of perks but the sword is always hanging over their heads in case their non-performance is noticed and the element of job security is hardly there as no one in private sector is too sure that he will be able to retain his job despite working hard and long period of time.
Majority of executives that took part in the Survey were unanimous in endorsing a suggestion that Directorate of Audio Visual Publicity which normally comes out with government advertisement should occasionally print what the civil services are all about to attract talent in it. A special drive is called for to fuel and ignite youngsters interest in the civil services for reasons that they carry high growth prospects, decent conditions for jobs particularly for those that have honesty of purpose.
A suggestion was also mooted during the survey period saying that each state headquarter should have academy to train young boys & young girls for career making in civil services. These academic institutions should be entirely be managed by state governments with proper funding facilities and also facilities for giving stipend to those that belong to vulnerable section of society and cannot afford literature that go into preparation of civil service examinations. With the suggested move in place, the contribution of each state in the list of successful candidate for civil servants will enhance and that candidates from metros alone will not be there among successful candidates for civil services.
It may be mentioned here that Indian administrative services which came into effect slightly before India obtained her freedom continued to be cynosure for young and bright educated youth for many decades but from 1992-93 onwards, it was somehow felt that the brighter and more intelligent young populace have been preferring other professional avenues in corporate sector rather than concentrating in making priority career in Indian adminsitrative services, commented Mr. Dhoot.
The Survey also concludes that in the last couple of years, forward looking states in terms of intellectual input, their percentage in civil services has declined substantially. Demotivation and general apathy of good and educated lot towards civil services in the absence of right publicity exercise has been the primary cause for this.

Courtesy: The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India. (ASSOCHAM) web: http://www.assocham.org