tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24768528822082333912024-02-19T22:50:33.762+05:30Civil Services Exam-IAS and other Allied ServicesThis blog aims to deal with preparation strategies for all the three stages of civil services exam.It would provide a good first hand information to all those people who do not have an opportunity to meet toppers and other successful candidates and to know their approach.silverstreamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17525161851701196335noreply@blogger.comBlogger31125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2476852882208233391.post-30412237590724488422008-11-03T10:52:00.000+05:302008-11-03T11:00:11.473+05:30Supreet Gulati: Rank 2 CSE-2007 About Electrical EngineeringThis is what The 2nd Topper of CSE-2007, Mr. Supreet Gulati says about EE as an optional:<br /><br />Don't opt for it unless IES is your backup!! or you are already an IES topper. But don't drop it if you are already on your way ahead with it.<br /><br />Circuits: A. Chakrabarti (Dhanpat Rai) Circuit Analysis and Synthesis covers the entire syllabus well.<br />Signals and Systems: I had Oppenheim and Willsky. The only thing missing was handling initial conditions in z-transform. Any Indian author book that has this can be used as a supplement.<br /><br />Power Electronics: PS Bhimbra is enough. Stick to syllabus, prepare notes for this topic. They'll be quite handy.Machines: Nagrath-Kothari or Ashfaq Hussain is enough. I had Ashfaq.<br /><br />EMTheory: Follow any standard book. K D Prasad is considered The Bible for this topic of the exam.<br />Communication(Analog/Digital):Whatever the book followed in college, supplemented by Singh/Sapre (TMH) should be enough.<br /><br />Measurements: Sawhney is the only book. Solve IES EE papers for this topics (a must). Questions are repeated.<br /><br />Power System and Power System Protection: Ashfaq hussain and Wadhwa for Power Systems. Bardriram-Vishwakarma for PSP. Again IES papers are a must.<br /><br />Controls: Kuo is good even though I haven't read it. I read Nagrath-Gopal.<br /><br />Digital Electronics: Any book that covers the syllabus.Analog Electronics: I followed Boylestad though I wasn't happy with it. Sedra-Smith goes too much into depth that isn't needed for this exam. I also had Millman-Grabel.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
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Also, since I will get scholarship, the amount of money spent on me is less. Chairman: That means you will get job after diploma. Raju: Yes Sir, I got a private job. Company is Cain energy limited. Chairman: Then, why did you join B.Tech? Raju: Sir, After completion of my diploma, I wrote ECET and I got state 1st rank. So I convinced my father that I will join REC which is a premier Engineering institute in our state. Chairman: Then, you joined ME because your father insisted on that? Raju: No Sir, It is based on my project guide ճ suggestion.<br />Sir, infact there are two streams to enter into B.Tech. One through EAMCET after Intermediate and other is through ECET. After ECET...<br />Chairman: What question I have asked? Raju: Sorry Sir, you have asked me why I joined ME after B.Tech. Chairman: OK. Then stick on to the question. Raju: Sir, I am explaining it. Chairman: Be specific. Raju: OK sir, during my final year I got all India rank 3 in Gate. My guide on knowing this result suggested me to join IISc. He further told that this is the golden opportunity for me. ԉf you miss it you will not get it again! ՠ he told sir. Then, I informed about my career option as civil services. He then convinced me by saying that I can write civil services after M.E. also.<br />Chairman: That means you are preparing for civil services while you are in IISc? Raju: I beg to differ with you sir. I started my preparation only after completion of M.E. Chairman: You have written that you joined Railways in September 2004. That is of which exam? Raju: Sir, This is based on IES-2003. Chairman: That means you are in IISc. Raju: Sir, I completed my second semester at that time. Chairman: That means you have prepared for IES in IISc. Raju: Sir, I have given IES in my own background i.e., Electrical Engineering. Hence I need not prepare much for this exam. I just gave the exam. Chairman: For how many years you are in Railways? Raju: Sir, I joined Railways on September 2004. Then I took leave for 1 year, i.e., leave on loss of pay. Chairman: What did you do in that year? Raju: Sir, I have prepared for this exam. Chairman: How many months you are in Railways? Raju: Sir, roughly 5 months. Chairman: That means you are in Railways till February. Raju: Sir, I am in Railways till the result of civil services exam 2005 was out. I was given leave for interview preparation in March. Chairman: Then what did you do after the declaration of the result? Raju: Sir, Once the result of out, I came to know that I will get IPS. So, I convinced my director for leave to appear civil services again. My director gave me leave. Chairman: When did you join IPS? Raju: Sir, I joined IPS on December 18, 2006. Chairman: Which part of training you missed? Raju: Sir, I missed foundation training in Mussorie. At SVPNPA, training started on December 18, 2006. So, I haven մ missed any training at Hyderabad. Chairman: How many days you have taken leave for interview? Raju: Sir, 4 days.<br />Member 2: How was your IPS training? Raju: Sir, training is good and we are enjoying every aspect of training. member 2: What are you learning in training? Raju: Sir, our training is divided into two parts. Indoor and outdoor. In indoor, we have subjects like police in modern India, criminology and law subjects like IE Act, CrPC, IPC and other subjects. Member 2: You are in IPS for 4 months. So I can ask some questions. Raju: Yes, sir. Member 2: Do you aware that the confession admitted to police is not allowed as witness. Why? Raju: Yes sir. Confession admitted to police is not allowed as witness. Since there is always a possibility of getting the confession in the way the police like, law doesn մ allow it. Member 2: What is Res gestae? Raju: Sir, All the circumstances leading to the same transaction are allowable as evidence. Member 2: You are on the line. Could you explain more? Raju: (after 2-3 seconds), If some people wanted to commit dacoity and in the process if they theft a vehicle, eventhough theft of vehicle is not connected with dacoity but it is admissible as it forms the circumstance leading to dacoity. Member 2: Could you tell me the section which deals with Res gestae? Raju: Sorry sir, I could not remember the exact section. Member 2: Then how sections you were taught in IE Act? Raju: Sir, In our academy our sirs are not teaching according to sections. They are teaching the sections which are more useful for the police at first. Member 2: Do you aware of RTI? Raju: Yes. Sir. It is Right to Information Act. Member 2: What are the provisions in RTI? Raju: Sir, According to provisions of RTI, every government department has to nominate one officer as information commissioner to give information about duties, responsibilities and functions of various officers working in those departments... Member 2: Then what is the benefit to common man? Raju: Sir, Common man can know the functions, duties & responsibilities of various officers. They can know the status of their applications. This also increases transparency and accountability of officers. Hence reduces corruption. Member 2: How can you say that people will get required information? Raju: Sir, There is a provision in RTI that any one who refuses to give information or delays 30 days for giving information, they are liable for cut in salary. Member 2: How much salary cut? Raju: Sir, I think it is 250 Rs./ day. Member 2: It is not cut from salary. It is separately cut. Raju: Thank you Sir. Member 2: Can you tell me what is the maximum limit? Raju: Sorry sir, I don մ know.<br />Chairman: Your hobbies are meditation, motivating others and Indian Mythology. Don մ you think that all are inward looking? Raju: Sir, Whenever possible I play cricket in addition my hobbies, which is a team game.<br />Member 2: Tell me which countries will reach final in the present world cup? Raju: Sir, I think Australia and Srilanka. Member 2: Already two countries reached semifinals i.e., Sri Lanka & Newzealand. What do you think about other two? Raju: Sir, I beg to differ with you. Actually three countries i.e., Srilanka, New Zealand and Australia reached semifinals. 4th team depends on the outcome of the today ճ match between England & South Africa. Member 2: Do you know about fly ash? Raju: Sir, Thermal power stations produce fly ash while generating electrical power. Member 2: Which state is using it more? Definitely it is not Haryana, My own state. Raju: Sorry Sir, I don մ know.<br />Member 3 : (X-A) (X-B) has highest X power of 2. Do you agree? Raju: Yes, Sir. Member 3: (X-A) (X-B) (X-C) has highest X power... Raju: 3, Sir. Member 3: Then, tell me. What is the answer for (X-A) (X-B).... (X-Z). Raju: (after 3-4 seconds), It must be Zero. Sir, because of the presence of the term (X-X). Member 3: Whom do you think a greatest mathematician of all times? Raju: Sir, Srinivasa Ramanujan, because even though he lived for only 33 years, he contributed more to mathematics in the areas like Numerical methods, Solution of algebraic equations, number theory like prime numbers etc.<br />Member 3: Can you tell me the formula for prime numbers? Raju: Sir, exactly I don մ know but recently IIT, Kanpur professor along with his students wrote a software program which gives whether a number is prime or not within less time. Member 3: You are an electrical engineer. Tell me where prime numbers are used? Raju: Sir, they are used in coding. Member 3: I am asking a question in your engineering only. Tell me how prime numbers are used in coding? Raju: Sir, exactly I don մ know. But to the best of my knowledge, if the code length is prime, decoding and encoding are easy. Member 3: You are on the line, but not exact answer. Member 1: Your hobbies are meditation, motivating others and Indian Mythology. What you do in motivation? Raju: Madam, many of classmates and Juniors came to me for clearing their doubts in subjects as I am the toper of my class. I usually listen to their problems regarding their understanding of concepts as many have problems either in one or many subjects. I tell them that every subject is easy if knew the concepts clear and we should like the subject what we are studying... Madam: Do your response same for all? Raju: Madam, I usually spend more time with those who are very much lagging. I take classes to clear their doubts. Madam: Then do you call it motivation or strategic learning? Raju: Madam, strategic learning may be the correct term. Madam: What is the difference between these two? Raju: Madam, motivation is a general term which includes not only academic motivation but also others like psychological, etc., Madam, I don մ know exactly the meaning of strategic learning.<br />Madam: Which books you read in Indian Mythology? Raju: Madam, I read Ramayana and Mahabharata.<br />Madam: Since your hobbies are motivating others and Indian Mythology, tell me how Krishna motivated Arjuna? Raju: Madam, When Arjuna refused to fight with friends, teachers, Krishna told him that it is the duty of the king to protect Dharma and fight wars for protecting it. We should not move away from our duty. Since soul is immortal and of which is born, death is certain, of which death happened, birth is certain. Hence you should not think that you are committing crime. Also he motivated him by saying that we should do our work only. We should not think about the results of our actions. Otherwise, attachment to the results will occur which is a major reason for unhappiness.<br />Madam: Do you practise it? Raju: Madam, It is very difficult to practise.<br />Madam: Why? Raju: Madam, for example, if we are about to play a cricket match, we will think about the winning of the match which is actually the result of the playing that match.<br />Madam: One last question. What kind of training our team got during our last year world cup? Raju: Madam, exactly I am not able to recollect it. But it is like ҷe can do it this time Ӽ /span> Madam: Sorry, It is not last year world cup but it is 2003 world cup. The team was given psychological training. Raju: Yes, Madam Member 4: You studied your B.Tech. from REC Warangal and M.E. from IISc Bangalore. Do you proud of your institutions like IISc? Raju: Sir, I am proud that I have studied in a great institution like IISc, which according UNESCO survey conducted in 1997 was in 18th place among world universities. Recently a Chinese university conducted a survey in which IISc was placed at around 250th position. Member 4: Do you think that 250th position is a good position? Raju: Sir, even though it is not a good position, the position depended on the parameters they have taken into consideration like no. of nobel laureates present, no. of research papers presented, etc. Member 4: Who are nobel laureate present in IISc? Raju: Sir, now there is no nobel laureate in IISc. Earlier Sir C.V.Raman worked in IISc. Now, there are two internationally reputed professors working there. Member 4: Last year government proposed to stop B.Tech entry into IITs. Do you support that? Raju: Sir, I support it. Sir, due to hectic schedule, the professors of IITs are not able to concentrate much on research. Once the B.Tech entry is stopped, they will get more time for research and quality of research will increase. Member 4: Don մ you think the quality of B.Tech students will reduce as IITs are known for better professors? Raju: Sir, those students who are earlier eligible for entry into IITs, they will join NITs. Since they are the core students I don մ think the quality will reduce. But the professors in other institutes should get sufficient training to reach the level of IIT professors. Member 4: You agree to that proposal. But the government has withdrawn the proposal due to very good argument against it. Can you tell me? Raju: Sorry sir, I don մ know. Member 4: What do you think is responsible for reduction in research? Raju: Sir, IISc is not able to retain those students who completed M.E. and other courses there. One reason is brain drain, Sir. Second one is that research is not attractive in India, Sir. For example, in our batch out of 230 students who completed M.E. only 2 joined for Ph.D. in IISc. At the end of our M.E. we got campus placements. The minimum salary is around 6 lakhs/ annum. It is attracting most of us. Those who are really interested in research, they are going abroad as they will get more money and research is attractive there. Here, a Ph.D. student gets 12,000 - 15,000 Rs per month. Also material considerations have risen these days, sir. We have to include some compulsory courses in morale & ethics to stop this. Member 4: Instead of choosing job or research, why did you choose services as career option? Raju: Sir, The incident that took place in my village in November 2000, when I am in 3rd year of B.Tech, has changed my career options. Nearby Engineering college students came to our village for picnic as our village has excellent beach. 7 of them drowned in the Bay of Bengal and all of them has taken sand into their lungs in addition to water. Since our village is an island, there are no transportation, medical & meagre educational facilities, it took 2 hours to reach nearest town which is 16 Km away from my village. By that time, 6 out 7 were died, Sir.<br />Chairman: You are telling about an incident in your village. In that case who will respond first? Raju: (3-4 seconds silence) Chairman: Whether it is Block development officer, Doctor, or Police. Raju: Sir, It is the police to respond first. Chairman: Then, you are in IPS. Why did you come? Raju: Sir, even for police it took 2 hours to reach that place as there is not enough transportation facilities. Chairman: Thank you. Raju: Thank you, Sir. Thank you, Madam. Thank you, Sirs.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
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Again, for the first time, none from India's elite metros appeared in the top ten.Topping the Union Public Services Commission examination is Revu Muthyala Raju, a farmer's son and a member of the so-called Other Backward Classes, whose amazing story we will chronicle later in this special series. No less incredible are the stories of the other toppers. Like K Nandakumar, a lorry driver's son, whose success story we chronicle today.There is, prima facie, something condescending about such headlines; an unstated presumption, almost, that a lorry driver's son topping a competitive exam is a freak show of sorts.K Nandakumar's parents don't think so; they see their son not as some freak of nature, but as a young man who knew what he wanted, and went after it, surmounting obstacles as chance, and circumstance, threw them in his path."He was always a serious student," mother K Lakshmi says. "During school days he never used to go out to play. He used to go for tuitions from six to eight in the morning and again from five to eight in the evening. During exams, he studied till midnight and beyond. And in between, he was in school -- so there really was no time to play."Amusement, as we know it, was limited to a weekend game of cricket, of the limited variety -- limited, in this case, not by the number of overs, but the amount of time Nandakumar could spare for such frivolity: exactly an hour a week.Nandakumar's academic curve is typical of the no-pain, no-gain formulation that increasingly defines the Indian student. Up until the 12th standard, he studied in the Namakkal Government South School, an institution where the medium of instruction was Tamil.With 1,018 marks out of a possible 1,200 in his Higher Secondary exams, he went to the Pollachi Mahalingam College for an engineering degree.Economic constraints, and the feeling that he needed to pitch in to help his father run the household, led to a six-month stint with a private company in Coimbatore. During this period, he attempted to work days, then study nights -- but when work, and the resultant fatigue, began impacting on his studies, he quit to focus on the Indian Administrative Service exams.<br /><br />The first time he sat for the UPSC exams, he failed. On his second go-round, he ranked 350th -- a result that parlayed into a job with the Indian Railways.Though his sights were set on the IAS, it wasn't easy spurning the job that had come his way -- his background just did not give him such luxuries.Father M Karuppannan, of Mamarthapetti village in Tamil Nadu's Namakkal district, had stopped his own education at the SSC level, and went to work in the paddy fields of his native village.That proved a dead end, so Karuppannan had joined a local lorry service, as a 'cleaner'. During that stint, which lasted two years, he learnt to drive and got his license; he then parlayed that into a job as a driver, and with a relatively steady job in hand, married Lakshmi. The couple had two children: Nandakumar, now 26 and Aravindkumar, now 20.The household ran on Karuppannan's income; as the two boys moved up the academic rungs, expenses escalated and the family finances were stretched impossibly thin.Given this, Nandakumar could not ignore the bird in hand that was the Railways job, while dreaming of the IAS job he hoped to land some day.So he joined the Railways, and began the required training. Nights, he shrugged off the fatigue, and studied for yet another attempt at the big one.This year marked his third -- and, to his mind, final, attempt. When the results came in, his first reaction was relief; that of his parents, pride.He had ranked 30th all India; in his native Tamil Nadu, where he had taken the exam in his mother tongue, he topped the charts.Lakshmi, seated in her home in Tiruchirappalli, where the family moved from Namakkal three years ago, now anticipates her son's homecoming. He has not, she says, managed to get leave for a trip home, after the results were announced; hopefully he will come sometime in June, and the family will celebrate.<br /><br />She is used to Nandakumar being away from home. When he was studying for his engineering degree, she says, he stayed in the hostel and only came home during holidays.The mother paints a picture of a son focused, to the exclusion of all else, on studies, on the relentless march to his self-appointed goal of becoming an IAS officer. Even when he was in hostel, she says, all he did was study. He didn't like movies; he only had a small circle of friends.Lakshmi is most happy for her husband. "He grew up facing great difficulties and I too come from a poor background. Thus we know the value of money and have always saved. We never waste money. All our life, we have saved to educate our sons."Even now, the grind that she has been witness to, part of, for 27 years is far from ending: Karuppannan continues to drive his lorry, going wherever the load takes him, returning whenever he is done with his deliveries. There is, Lakshmi points out, the younger son still to worry about.Aravindkumar is currently in his second year, working towards his own engineering degree. One year's worth of education costs Rs one lakh (Rs 100,000), she says -- and that is about all her husband can earn.To put food on the table, Lakshmi invested in a sewing machine, and works from home. "I make about one hundred rupees a day, and that takes care of the household expenses," she says, with the smile of a woman who is proud of pulling her freight in the partnership she has with her husband.They have a small two-room house -- but, she points out, it is their own. "My husband will continue to drive his lorry till our second son finishes college," she says.<br /><br />The mother meanwhile is busy planning how to "settle down" her elder son. "We will find a good girl for him; we don't want dowry or anything, just that she must be a good girl, a good wife for my son."He will agree to an arranged marriage," she says, almost as an afterthought. For her, it is inconceivable that her son, who in all his 26 years has shown no thought for anything other than his academic goal, would have a mind of his own on this subject.She still cannot get over the day she heard the news. "He always used to say he would become famous -- but when he called me (on May 14) and told me the news, my first reaction was to tell him he was lying."Once she realised that her son had found the pot of gold at the end of his particular rainbow, she and her husband rushed to share the news with their relatives, friends.The first real intimation of what Nandakumar had achieved came when Ashish Vachchani, Tiruchi's District Collector, visited their home to felicitate the couple on their son's success.Close on his heels came Murthy, an IAS officer who had previously served in Tiruchi and who was now in neighbouring Karur district.To Karuppannan and Lakshmi, for whom a 'Collector' is only a remove or two from celestial beings and just as unapproachable, to have two such persons visit their humble home was exhilarating; those visits brought home to them, in graphical fashion, the fact that her son was now the equal of these exalted beings.Aravindkumar, happy though he is for his elder brother, has no intention of following in those footsteps; his ambition is to graduate, then find work as an engineer.<br /><br />His elder sibling, Aravind says, is a "jolly fellow" who would help with studies, who taught him chess and yoga. Nandakumar's success has, he says, given him cachet with his own friends in college, some of whom plan to write the UPSC exam."I have given them my brother's number, so they can ask him for tips," Aravind says, with more than a hint of pride.For both Aravind and Nandakumar, their parents are "our gods". "We are proud of our father," Aravind says. "He is very hardworking and very thrifty."At the centre of all the attention, Nandakumar is a bit bewildered by it all -- especially his sudden, unlooked for fame.There is no secret to success, he says, seemingly puzzled that someone would even ask. "It was hard work and nothing else," he says. "It was a group effort. We are five friends who studied together."The friends went together to trawl through the market, looking for books relating to the civil services; they then pored over their finds. Newspapers were devoured cover to back page, with meticulous care."For current affairs, they usually ask questions about the last one year, so you have to read a lot of newspapers," Nandakumar points out.Like his younger brother, Nandakumar too believes that if there is a "secret" to his "success", it is his father."I am lucky to have a very friendly father," Nandakumar says. "He is very understanding. I can discuss anything with him. More than a father, he is a friend.""He always allowed me to express my thoughts freely. Because of his job, he has had exposure to people and places all over India; maybe that is why he has given me so much freedom to express myself."Down time with his father is a rare commodity since he is always behind the wheel of his lorry, travelling to wherever work takes him."My father doesn't even have a mobile; when he gets somewhere, he calls, and that is how we stay in touch." Nandakumar recalls how, when he passed the UPSC and got a job with the Railways, it was over a month before he could share the news with his father.<br /><br /><br />Courtesy: Rediff.com</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
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Comment.<br />(b) Evaluate Subhas Chandra Bose's contribution to India's<br />freedom.<br />(c) Why and how did the Congress come to accept the<br />partition of the country?<br />3. Write about the following (not exceeding 20 words<br />each) : 2x 15 = 30<br />(a) Yajnavalkya Smriti (b) Sutta Pitaka<br />(c) Bhagawati Sutra (d) Gangaikonda-ChoJapuram<br />(e) Nizamuddin Auliya (f) Raidas<br />(g) Calcutta tvladrasa (h) Jagat Seth<br />(i) Bhawani Mandir (j) Baba Ram Chandra<br />(k) Pandita Ramabai (I) Sir Thomas Roe<br />(m) Moplah Rebellion (n) Tavernier<br />(0)Darul-Uloom<br />4. Answer any two of the following (in about 125 words<br />each) : 10 x 2 = 20<br />(a) What are the resource bases available for the economic<br />development of the newly created States of Jharkhand and<br />(wUbat)t taEerrlau hncacidhrvaaetle?s tt ihneg fianc Itnodrsia c, obnottrhib ruutrianlg a tnod t huerb garno.w ing need for<br />(c) "Political boundaries and regional boundaries need to be<br />co-terminus.:" Do you agree?<br />5. Write notes on the following (in about 20 words each):<br />2 x 5 = 10<br />(a) Regurs (b) Karewas<br />(c) Negative impacts of shifting cultivation<br />(d) Causes of droughts in India<br />(e) Significance of Lake Chilka<br />6. Answer anyone of the following (in about 250 words each) : 30<br />(a) Comment on the financial relations between the Union<br />and the States in India. Has post-1991 liberalization in any<br />way affected it?<br />(b) Is it possible to distinguish between judicial review and<br />judicial activism in India? Does the recent behavior of the<br />Indian judiciary partake more of judicial activism? Argue with<br />suitable examples.<br />7. Answer anyone of the following (in about 250 words): 30<br />(a) Would you say that the implementation of the Panchayati<br />System in the last ten years has led to a real restructuring of<br />the Indian polity?<br />(b) Give your views on the right to freedom of religion as<br />enshrined in the Indian Constitution. Do they make India a<br />secular State?<br />8. Answer any two of the following (in about 150 words each):<br />15 x 2 = 30<br />(a) What are the constitutional limitations on the free<br />movements of Indians throughout the country?<br />(b) How has the Indian State tackled the trade-off between<br />environment and development?<br />(c) What are the steps that the Election Commission may<br />take if a recalcitrant State Government wants to put off<br />Assembly Elections?<br />9. Answer the following questions (in about 20 words each)<br />2 x 5 = 10<br />(a) What is meant by 'double jeopardy'?<br />(b) What are the protections afforded to Scheduled Tribes in<br />the Fifth Schedule of the Indian Constitution?<br />(c) In what ways can the President of India ascertain the<br />views of the Supreme Court on a particular bill?<br />(d) What is the common point between Articles 14 and 226 of<br />the Indian Constitution?<br />(e) Who and what does the Indian Parliament consist of?<br />10. Answer anyone of the following questions (in about 250<br />words) : 30<br />(a) Discuss the impact of globalization on higher education in<br />India.<br />(b) What is disaster management? Discuss the steps<br />required to tackle natural disasters.<br />11.Answer any two of the following questions (in about 125<br />words each) : 10 x 2 = 20<br />(a) Explain th,e implications of the recent Supreme Court<br />verdict on reservations in private and minority educational<br />institutions.<br />(b) What is the energy independence? Discuss how India can<br />be transformed into an 'Energyindependent Nation.'<br />(c) What is eco-tourism? How could it be promoted in India?<br />12. Write notes on any two of the following (in about 125<br />words each) : 10 x 2 = 20<br />(a) Sethusamudram Project<br />(b) Causes of soil erosion and its control in India<br />(c) Use of Information Technology in health management in<br />India<br />13. Write short notes on the following (in about 20 words<br />Each): 2 x 5 = 10<br />(a) Equal rights for women in parental property<br />(b) National knowledge Commission<br />(e) Genetically modified seeds<br />(d) Ban on bar dancing<br />(e) Rehabilitation of street children in India<div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
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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.<br /><strong><em>Subjects for Preliminary Examination:</em></strong> The General Studies syllabus is same for all.<br />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.<br />(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.)<br /><strong><em>Main Examination</em></strong> 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.<br /> 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.<br /> 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.<br /><strong><em>Optional Subjects for the Main Examination:</em></strong> 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.<br />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.<br /><strong><em>Interview:</em></strong> 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. <strong><em>Eligibility Conditions:(</em></strong>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.<br /><strong><em>(ii) Minimum Educational Qualifications:</em></strong>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.<br /><strong><em>Note I:</em></strong> 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.<br /><strong><em>Note II:</em></strong> 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.<br /><strong><em>Note III:</em></strong> 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.<br /><strong><em>Note IV:</em></strong> 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.<br /><strong><em>(iii) Age limit:</em></strong> 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.<br />(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).<br /><strong><em>(iv) Number of Attempts:</em></strong> 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.<br /><strong><em>(v) Restrictions on applying for the examination:</em></strong> 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.<br /><strong><em>How to Apply:</em></strong> (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.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
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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.<br />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.<br />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.<br />Always remember that the interview is not a cross examination, but a natural, purposeful conversation.<br />Personality is a life-long asset and a thing, which evolves and changes every day.<br />Preparation<br />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.<br />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.<br />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.<br />Prepare thoroughly about your hometown & home state. If you hail from a place of historical importance or tourist interest, prepare well on it.<br />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.<br />One of the secrets of success is to prepare for the Personality Test along with the written test.<br />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<br />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.<br />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.<br />Take mock interviews. In the mock interview, ask your friends to grill you so that you can face pressure from the Board easily.<br />Discuss a lot with your friends. This not only helps in you assimilating different points of view, but also enhances knowledge levels. DRESSING UP:<br />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.<br />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.<br />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.<br />Women candidates should take care to avoid the hair falling over the face as it could annoy both – you and the interviewer.<br />Do not wear anything that connects you with a religious or political group.<br />Do not use heavy perfume/deodorants.<br />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.<br />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.<br />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.<br />First impression is often the best impression. So create a positive, good impression within the first few minutes of the interview. ENTRY:<br />Arrive 20-30 minutes early. Prepare a route map and arrive well in time. This will give you enough time to relax<br />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.<br />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.<br />Take a final, deep breath before entering the boardroom.<br />Do not forget to knock at the door before entering, as it indicates basic courtesy.<br />On entering the room, greet all the members cordially and do not sit down on the seat without being asked to.<br />If there is a lady member in the interview board, greet her first.<br />Be conscious of your body language when you are seated.<br />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.<br />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.<br />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.<br />Remember that interview is a two-way process.<br />Be cool. Be yourself during the Interview.<br />Your aim should be to make the board members feel comfortable in your presence.<br />Be truthful, transparent and Predictable.<br />The object of the interview is to assess the suitability of the aspirant/candidate for a career in public service.<br />Most of the questions posed in the Personality Test are opinion-based.<br />Don’t expect any expression on the faces of board members, even if your answer is very good. During Interview<br />In a personality test, what is of importance is how you say what you say. It is the style of presentation that matters.<br />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.<br />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.<br />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.<br />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.<br />Your replies should be crisp and to the point. Do not beat around the bush.<br />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:<br />The board members are usually very senior and learned people, so give utmost respect to the board.<br />Don’t go by any stories/rumours spread by others. Avoid unnecessary details.<br />Don’t ask the previous candidate about his/her interview.<br />The board has no biases towards anyone.<br />Never make any sweeping statements/generalized descriptions.<br />Accept your mistakes boldly.<br />Speak honestly, truthfully and modestly.<br />Do not give a hasty reply.<br />Answer in an orderly and logical fashion and always maintain eye contact with the Board members while answering.<br />Be polite and courteous.<br />Don’t try to be too argumentative.<br />Be consistent in your views. Don’t change your views just because the Board differs in its opinion from your opinion.<br />Never make an attempt to present a made-up appearance or politically correct answers.<br />If you are taking an extreme view, you should also be able to justify the same.<br />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.<br />Avoid chewing gums and other munching items as it gives a negative and a careless image.<br />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.<br />Don’t criticize any government policies or even individuals.<br />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.<br />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.<br />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.<br />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.<br />Form your views on a subjects in a logical and rational manner supported by data whenever necessary.<br />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.<br />Assume that all questions are asked with a good reason and answer them accordingly.<br />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<div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
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This will also make your task easy at the Mains examination.</p><p><br />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.</p><p><br />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. </p><p><br />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. </p><p><br />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. </p><p><br />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. </p><p><br />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.<br />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”.<br />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.<br />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.<br />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.<br />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. </p><p><br />Write it legibly as it will simplify the evaluator’s task and he can read the answers easily.<br />Highlight/underline the important points, which you feel, are important.<br />If the write up is in essay form, write in paragraphs. A new point should start with a new paragraph. </p><p><br />If the question needs answer in point form, give it a bullet format.<br />Keep sufficient space between two lines. </p><p><br />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. </p><p><br />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”.<br />Give space and divide it by a dividing line between two questions.<br />One should target 1200-1250/2000 marks in the Mains. The main cut off also varies from year to year</p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
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The selection of subjects should be done most carefully, if it goes wrong, everything will go wrong.<br />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.<br />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.<br />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:<br />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.<br />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.<br />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.<br />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.<br />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.<br />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.<br />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<br />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.<br />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.<br />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.<br />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.<br />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.<br />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.<br />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:<br />Read your school textbooks thoroughly. This is the building block of your general knowledge base.<br />Read one national newspaper regularly.<br />Watch one TV news regularly.<br />Follow discussions/debates on one TV channel regularly.<br />Read one national news magazine.<br />If possible, read one competitive examination magazine also.<br />Discuss news items with family members and friends that will confidence and different points of view.<br />Be alert to learn new things.<br />Keep an open mind to learn what is happening around you.<br />At college stage:<br />If you decide to make civil services a career at college stage, try to follow these things:<br />Learn your subject thoroughly.<br />Read NCERT books very carefully as they are little encyclopedias and also comprehend them carefully.<br />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.<br />Read one national newspaper and a magazine thoroughly.<br />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.<br />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.<br />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.<br />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".<br />Discuss things/news items with your friends and family members that will give confidence of taking a stand against any issue.<br />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.<br />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.<br />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.<br />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.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
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For the first time, none from India's elite metros feature in the top ten.<br />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.<br />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.<br />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.<br />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.<br />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.<br />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.<br />'Besides the Civil Services, I had no option'<br />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.<br />"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."<br />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.<br />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.<br /><br />His father sold his last plot of land for his son's dream<br />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.<br />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.<br />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.<br />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.<br />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.<br /><br />Courier boys found his house with difficulty; now the fruitwallah will tell you where the 'IAS' house is'<br />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.<br />"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.<br />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.<br />"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."<br />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.<br />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.<br />"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.<br />'My character will be put to the test, then I want to see what a real man I am'<br />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.<br />"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."<br />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.<br />"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."<br />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.<br />"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."<br />Courtesy: Rediff.com</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
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ThornburyPhysical Geography - Made Simple, Rupa PublisherPhysical Geography in Diagrams by BunnettPhysical Geography by Savindra SinghGeomorphology by Savindra Singh<br />2.Climatology :Climatology by D.S.LalGeneral Climatology by CritchfieldPhysical Geography - Made Simple, Rupa PublisherPhysical Geography by Strahler & Strahler<br />3.Oceanography :Oceanography by Sharma & Vatal, NCERTPhysical Geography by Savindra Singh<br />4.Biogeography :Physical Geography - Made Simple, Rupa PublisherPhysical GEography by Strahler & Strahler<br />SECTION -B : HUMAN GEOGRAPHY<br />1.Perspectives in Human Geography :Evolution of Geographic Thought by Majid Husain<br />2.Economic Geography :Economic Geography by Hertshorn & AlexanderEconomic and Social Geography - Made Simple by Rupa PublisherAgricultural Geography by Masjid Husain<br />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<br />4.Regional Planning:Regional Planning - by Chand & Puri<br />5.Environmental Geography: Environmental Geography by Savindra SinghEnvironmental Awareness by R.C.ChandnaEnvironmental Geography by Saxena<br />6.Models, Theories and Laws in Human Geography :Economic and Social Geography - Made Simple, Rupa PublisherPolitical Geography by R.D.Dixit<br />MAP QUESTIONS - Any School level atlas and the maps given in the above mentioned books.<br /><br />PAPER - II : GEOGRAPHY OF INDIA<br />Section A<br />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<br />2.ResourcesEconomical Geography - A Study of Resources by Guha and Chattoraj (NCERT books)<br />3.AgricultureAgriculture Geography by Majid HusainIndian Economy by Dutt and SundaramIndia Year Book, published by Ministry of Information and BroadcastingHindu's Survey on Agriculture.<br />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<br />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<br />Section B:<br />1.Cultural Setting :Human Geography by Majid HusainGeography of Population by R.C.ChandnaNCERT Books<br />2.Settlements :Human Geography by Majid HusainUrbanization and Urban Systems in India by Ramachandran<br />3.Regional Development and Planning Regional Planning and Development by Chand and PuriIndia Year BookIndian Economy by Dutt and Sundaram<br />4.Political AspectsModern Political Geography of India by B.L. Sukhwal.<br />5.Contemporary Issues :Environmental Geography by Savinder SinghIndia disasters - ReportEnvironmental Awareness by R.C.ChandnaEnvironmental Geography by Saxena<br />Map Questions for paper II : Any School level Atlas & the maps in the above mentioned books.<br />NOTE : Current Articles on various syllabus topics in different magazines and newspapers will be quite useful for Paper - II.<br />PAPER - II : GEOGRAPHY OF INDIA<br />Section A<br />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<br />2.ResourcesEconomical Geography - A Study of Resources by Guha and Chattoraj (NCERT books)<br />3.AgricultureAgriculture Geography by Majid HusainIndian Economy by Dutt and SundaramIndia Year Book, published by Ministry of Information and BroadcastingHindu's Survey on Agriculture.<br />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<br />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<br />Section B:<br />1.Cultural Setting :Human Geography by Majid HusainGeography of Population by R.C.ChandnaNCERT Books<br />2.Settlements :Human Geography by Majid HusainUrbanization and Urban Systems in India by Ramachandran<br />3.Regional Development and Planning Regional Planning and Development by Chand and PuriIndia Year BookIndian Economy by Dutt and Sundaram<br />4.Political AspectsModern Political Geography of India by B.L. Sukhwal.<br />5.Contemporary Issues :Environmental Geography by Savinder SinghIndia disasters - ReportEnvironmental Awareness by R.C.ChandnaEnvironmental Geography by Saxena<br />Map Questions for paper II : Any School level Atlas & the maps in the above mentioned books.<br />NOTE : Current Articles on various syllabus topics in different magazines and newspapers will be quite useful for Paper - II.<br />GEOGRAPHY (PRELIMINARY)<br />1.Cartography Topic :Laboratory Techniques and Fieldwork (NCERT)Fundamentals in Cartography by R.P. Mishra and A.Ramesh.Cartography by R.L.Singh<br />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<br />School level AtlasPhysical Geography by Goh Cheng LeongHuman & Economic Geography by Leong & Morgan<div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
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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.<br />Paper 1<br />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.<br />Paper 2<br />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.<br />Book List<br />Basic Reading<br />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.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
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Dhoot.<br />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”.<br />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.<br />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.<br />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.<br />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.<br />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.<br />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.<br />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.<br />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.<br /><br />Courtesy: The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India. (ASSOCHAM) web: <a href="http://www.assocham.org/" target="_blank">http://www.assocham.org</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
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The Preliminary Exam is an objective type test. One can appear in the Main Examination only after passing the Preliminary Exam. The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) holds the Preliminary Examination in May/June and the Main Examination is held in October/November. The notification for the Preliminary Examination is published in December every year. The exam is held in many cities in India and one can opt for a centre near one's place so that unnecessary travel is avoided. The number of vacancies are 600-700 every year. Reservation is made for candidates belonging to the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes.Age: The candidate must be between 21 and 30 years of age as on August 1 every year for the exam. Relaxations to the age limit are available for 5 years for candidates belonging to the scheduled castes or those who were domiciled in J & K from January 1, 1980 to December 31, 1989. A relaxation of 3 years in the case of Defence Services Personnel disabled in operations; upto 8 years for Scheduled Caste candidate who is also a defence personnel, disabled in operations; upto 5 years in case of ex-servicemen including Commissioned Officers who have rendered at least five years Military Service as on August 1 of that year; upto 10 years in the case of ex-servicemen including Commissioned Officers who belong to the Scheduled Castes and who have rendered at least five years Military Service. The date of birth acceptable is the one entered in the Matriculation or School Leaving Certificate. No other documents with respect to age are acceptable.Educational Qualifications: The candidate must hold a degree of any of the Universities incorporated by an act of legislature in India or educational institutions established by an Act of Parliament. A degree from deemed universities under Section 3 of the University Grants Commission Act, 1956 is also eligible. Candidates having professionals and technical qualifications recognised by the government are also eligible. Candidates having an MBBS degree but have not completed their internship will be provisionally admitted to the Main Examination provided that they submit a certificate of their Institute that they have passed the final professional medical examination. Those who have appeared in the final year but do not have the result can also apply but they would have to produce proof of passing the exam with their application for the Main Exam.Attempts: A candidate is permitted 4 attempts at the examination. There is no restriction on the number of attempts for scheduled caste candidates but Other Backward Classes have seven attempts. If a person appears in the Preliminary Exam or even appears in one paper, it is counted as an attempt. One should make up one's mind before applying and taking an attempt and only a serious attempt should be made.Fee: The fee for the exam is Rs 50, to be paid through Central Recruitment Fee stamps available at post offices. The post office must cancel the stamps so that the impression of the cancellation stamp partially overflows on the application form. Instruments such as postal orders, drafts and such are not accepted and candidates should only send the fee through the Recruitment Fee stamps. Candidates belonging to the scheduled castes and physically handicapped persons are not required to pay any fee.How to Apply: Applications should be made in the prescribed format (the form is available from all leading post offices) and sent to: Under Secretary (CSP), Union Public Service Commission, Dholpur House, New Delhi-110 011. A registration number is given as a token of receipt of the application. If a candidate does not receive an acknowledgement within 45 days, he is advised to contact the UPSC. Admission certificates and Roll Nos. are sent and if they are not received one month before the exam, the candidate should contact the UPSC. Communications to the UPSC should contain name of examination, registration no., name and postal address as given in the application.Plan of the Preliminary Examination: The Preliminary Exam consists of two papers of objective type having maximum marks of 450, as follows:<br />Paper I<br />General Studies<br />150 marks<br />Paper II<br />One subject to be selected from below<br />300 marks<br />Total<br />450 marks<br />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.Plan of the Main Examination: The Main Exam consists of a written exam and an interview test. The written exam has 9 papers of conventional essay type. Marks obtained in the Main Exam will determine whether a candidate is called for the interview. The interview carries 300 marks and the number of candidates called is about twice the number of vacancies. Interview calls are sent on the basis of minimum marks fixed by the UPSC at its discretion. Marks obtained in the Main Exam plus interview determines the final ranking. Candidates are allotted various services keeping in view their ranks in the examination and preferences expressed by them. The written examination consists of the following papers:<br />Paper I<br />One of the languages to be selected from the Eighth<br />300 marks<br />Schedule of the Constitution<br />Paper II<br />English<br />300 marks<br />Paper III<br />Essay<br />200 marks<br />Paper IV & V<br />General Studies<br />300 marks each<br />Paper VI-IX<br />Any two subjects from list of optional subjects.<br />300 marks<br />Each subject has two papers.<br />Interview<br />300 marks<br />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,20Medical Science, Philosophy, Physics, Political Science and International Relations, Psychology, Public Administration, Sociology, Statistics, Zoology. Each paper is of 3 hours duration.The following combinations not allowed are:<br />Political Science & International Relations and Public AdministrationCommerce and ManagementAnthropology and SociologyMaths and StatisticsAgriculture and Animal Husbandry and Veterinary ScienceManagement and Public AdministrationAnimal Husbandry & Veterinary Science and Medical ScienceAny two branches of engineering.Literature of any of the following languages: Arabic, Assamese, Bengali, Chinese, English, French, German, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Kashmiri, Konkani, Marathi, Malayalam, Manipuri, Nepali, Oriya, Pali, Persian, Punjabi, Russian, Sanskrit, Sindhi, Tamil, Telegu, Urdu.<br />Interview: The object of the interview is to assess the suitability of the candidate for a career in public service. It is an assessment of not only the intellectual qualities but also social traits and interest in current affairs. Some of the qualities judged are: mental alertness, critical powers of assimilation, logical exposition, balance of judgement, variety and depth of interest, social cohesion, leadership and above all, intellectual and moral integrity. To succeed in the interview, candidates should take an intelligent interest not only in areas of their subjects, but also in what is happening around them, both within and outside their country. They should be aware of modern currents of thought and in new discoveries which should arouse the curiosity of well educated youth. That is why it is most important to read magazines and newspapers, watch television programmes on current affairs and also discuss the issues with friends or parents on a regular basis.<br /><a name="Anchor-6296"></a>A success plan for preliminary examinationOne important thing that candidates should keep in mind is that since the time between the Main Exam and the declaration of result of the Preliminary Exam is very less, it is advisable to begin preparations of the Main Exam along with the Preliminary Exam.<br />The General Studies paper covers the following areas:<br />General Science; Current events of national and international importance; History of India; World Geography; Indian Polity and Economy; Indian National Movement; General Mental Ability.<br />For this section, it is important to be updated in all fields. For History, Economy, Polity, etc, it is advisable to read Class 11 and 12 books published by the NCERT. Some books on the freedom struggle are published by the National Book Trust. For general knowledge and objective-type questions, refer to General Knowledge Refresher by O.P. Khanna. For General Mental Ability and current affairs, it is advisable to read The Competition Master regularly.<br />One question that is often asked by students is about the subjects that they should take up. Since some subjects are scoring, students wish to opt for them. But one thing that must be kept in mind is one's aptitude. If one has studied a subject since school and one is comfortable in it, chances of doing well in it are greater rather than taking up an unrelated subject which one may never have studied. Generally speaking, do not choose an entirely new subject in which you will have to work very hard. If the optional is prepared well for the preliminary and the same subject is also planned to be opted as one of the optionals, it is very useful and saves a lot of labour.<br />Once you have decided to appear in the Civil Services Exam, preparations should start early. A look at past papers helps get an idea about the kind of questions that are asked. Over the years, The Competition Master has published solved papers which can be referred to. It may be advisable to join a coaching institute so that one keeps in touch with other students and discuss issues with them. It is important, however, to select a good institute. However, one can be successful by self-study also.<br /><a name="Anchor-Prepare-48213"></a>Prepare WellBefore initiating the preparations, a few things must be noted by the candidates. The choice of optional subject for Paper-II has to be done very carefully. The candidates must plan ahead of time with eyes on the main examination and choose the optional which he/she intends taking up in the Mains. The preparations done for the preliminaries would assist the candidates in getting good grasp of the subject and the effort put in would not go waste after the prelims. Secondly, optional subject carries more number of maximum marks as compared to the General Studies Paper. Hence, its importance cannot be undermined. A candidate doing well in the optional paper is expected to fare well in the examination. Moreover, the optional subject for Paper-II should usually be the subject in which the candidate has either attained proficiency/higher academic qualification or in which the candidate feels at home. Another consideration is the performance of candidates in the said subject in the recent past. There are several20subjects like History, Psychology, Sociology, Public Administration etc in which even the candidates not having special or additional educational qualifications have been doing reasonably well, while the subjects like Mathematics, Physics, and Engineering are considered to offer tougher questions and the candidates with exceptionally good preparation only may expect to do well. But this observation may not be taken as the universal truth. Moreover, the aptitude and proficiency of a particular candidate in a given subject also plays an important role in arriving at a decision.<br />Availability and access to good and prescribed books is yet another consideration and often the candidates are also guided by this factor, particularly in smaller towns. Books for preliminary examination are available in plenty in common subjects but in case of specialised optionals like Mathematics, Engineering, Agriculture etc, one has to look carefully for good books which cover all parts of the syllabus.<br />Preparations for Paper-II also need specific planning. It would be wrong to confine the studies only to the multiple choice objective type questions. Unless a detailed study of the subject is carried out, it would be difficult to answer the questions on the subject properly. The aim, must, therefore, be to clearly understand the basics of the subject by covering each and every aspect of the syllabus. This provides a candidate with adequate self-confidence and knowledge to answer the questions correctly. It is better to consult various books on different aspects, as it is very rare that one single book covers the entire syllabus with total efficiency. After going through all parts of the syllabus in detail and getting hold of the basic concepts, it is desirable to have sufficient practice in solving multiple choice objective type questions. A good book on objective type multiple choice questions or a good question bank on the subject concerned may assist the candidates a great deal. Such practice, on the one hand, would perfect the art of answering the questions correctly and rapidly, and on the other would enable the candidates in understanding the questions asked in various forms. It is normally observed that at times even simple questions are asked in such a complex manner that it becomes difficult to understand the question correctly.<br />It is not difficult to find out a candidate who had, during the past couple of years, appeared in the prelims with the same subject. It is always better to discuss the subject, its intricacies, pattern of questions and the books to be studied. In addition, it is also not difficult to identify the candidate offering the same optional subject for Paper-II within the same town/city. It is always fruitful to have detailed discussions on various parts of the syllabus, books to be consulted for the basics, multiple choice question books or question banks and other related issues. Finally, the practice of correctly marking the answer sheet by using minimum possible time will go a long way in helping you succeed.<br /><a name="Anchor-General-37516"></a>General StudiesWhile the Optional (Paper-I) subject is very important, the candidates also need to do well in Paper-I. This paper has a maximum of 150 marks but in a competition like this where even a single mark matters a lot, these marks play a decisive role. Most candidates do well in Paper II since the subject chosen is of their interest and knowledge. As such the importance of Paper I is immense. Paper-I determines the top honours and a candidate doing well in this paper as well, can hope to find his/her name in the list of candidates qualifying for the main examination. As there is no choice of subject for Paper-I and all the candidates are required to solve the same questions, this paper assumes enormous importance as anyone spoiling this paper cannot have any chance of qualifying the examination.<br />General Studies paper consists of questions on Indian Polity and Economy, History of India including Indian National Movement, Indian and World Geography, Current Affairs of National and International Importance, General and day-to-day Science, Mental Ability and Basics of Statistics etc. Questions on planning, budgeting, developmental programmes, latest issues of political and constitutional importance, panchayati raj, electoral reforms, natural resources, culture, growth of nationalism, Committees, Commission etc can be expected almost every year. Emphasis normally are placed on the general aspects of the subject which every educated person aspiring to join the Civil Services as an officer, is expected to know.<br />The fact that this paper needs special and thorough preparations need not be over-emphasised. The aspiring candidates are expected to have keen interest in the General Studies and are supposed to have a good amount of interest in current affairs. All the preparation starting from a scratch cannot be completed in the short period of 4 to 5 months and the candidates must begin preparations early. Regular and detailed reading of a good national newspaper, a standard competition magazine and a basic book on general knowledge is the essential pre-requisite. Those readers who still have two to three years of time left for becoming eligible to go in for Civil Services Examination must begin preparations now. The candidates who do not have enough background in20the General Studies may have to put in harder effort to catch up with the others.<br />"General Knowledge Refresher" by O.P. Khanna and "The Competition Master" make a unique combination for this purpose. In addition, a good and basic book on Indian Constitution, latest plan document and budget/economic survey, basic books like NCERT books on Indian History and National Movement, World and Indian Geography and General Science are certain other books which can fruitfully supplement the efforts. A good backgrounder on major national and international events assists the fresh starters to understand the background of any social, economic or political event, enabling them to understand the details and developments in a better way. In addition, the candidates who have recently taken the examination may also be consulted.<br />The candidates must bear one thing in mind. Exhaustive study of each and every aspect of the General Studies is essential. It would be wrong to presume that any single book would suffice. Every book has its strong and weak parts. It is, therefore, left to the candidate to consult as many books as possible, so that every aspect is studied in the required detail. Another important point is efficient time planning. The time available with the candidates for preparations is limited and it has to be intelligently utilised. The candidates must not waste the time unnecessarily by going into lengthy details of one particular aspect, leaving other important aspects untouched. Moreover, it is better to draw up a formal time table so that no aspects of both the papers is left unprepared.<br />To conclude, proper selection of optional subject, availability and selection of proper books and magazines, meticulous time management, proper planning, hard work and will to succeed are some of the attributes which play vital role in making a candidate successful. One thing good about this examination is that the preparations made do not go waste and are properly utilised for the main examination. Hard work invariably is rewarded with the sweet taste of success.<br /><a name="Anchor-Success-23522"></a>Success Plan for MainsPreparations for the Civil Services Mains Exam should start along with those of Preliminary exam. This is because there is much common ground for study, and there is little time for the mains exam if one waits for the results of the Preliminaries. It is a long haul and preparations should be done with persistence, over nine months to an year.<br />Choice of subjectsOne of the first questions that has to be answered is the choice of subjects. Here the choice should not only be with regard to your interests but also with regard to the study material available. It has been found that even science and engineering students take up subjects like history, sociology, anthropology, grography, political science, psychology and public administration because there is a huge amount of study material available, which covers the entire syllabus. Even if your branch of study is different, it is advisable to keep in touch with one of these subjects which will help you when you start preparations. Start collecting books and readings once you have made your choice.<br />The next step is to make a time-bound study plan, which would include not only studying the subject but improvement of writing expression. This is done by writing down the answers to the questions asked in previous years' papers. Show these answers to someone you know, like a teacher in your college or university, parents or friends. The study should be done according to the syllabus and also in the same chronological order as given in the syllabus.<br />The following topics need coverage for General Studies:<br />i) Current AffiarsNational and Internationalii) Indian Polityiii) Indian Economyiv) Geography of Indiav) Science and Technologyvi) History of India and Freedom Movementvii) Study of thoughts of Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru and Rabindranath Tagoreviii) Statistics and General Mathematics Ability<br />To study current affairs, it is essential to read one national newspaper and The Competition Master. When you are studying the round up of national and international affairs, efforts should not be merely taking up the information but also to understand the issues involved. Go into the background of events. For example, the recent Lok Sabha elections threw up many issues. Get to know these issues and be clear about them so that you can answer questions on them.<br />Reading ListWith regard to other topics, the books published by the NCERT are the best source of study. Take up the text-books for classes IX, X, XI and XII. However, just reading these books will not serve the purpose. What is essential is that the person taking up self-study must pick up past question papers and write down the answers to questions asked therein. A practice in writing is what is required to attempt the paper. Many students make the mistake of studying for hours but have no practice in writing down the answers, which costs heavily during the exam. The skill required is that of organising the arguments and making a coherent answer from the diverse material. One more thing that must be kept in mind is that the answers must be a little different from others and must have some extra bit that is missed out by others. This is not difficult if one has understood the issue in depth.<br />One important aspect of the Civil Services Mains Exam is that the questions do not ask for mere information as a reply, but seek analysis backed with arguments from the candidates. Usually, one gets the impression that one knows everything but thoughts do not flow out naturally as one puts pen to paper. Hence, writing down the answers is an important aspect of the preparation. Another thing is that the candidate must carefully read the questions in order to make out what the examiner is asking. Having done that, it is important to organise one's thoughts before writing and the sequence of the answer should be from the most important/potent aspect to less important aspects.<br />If you do not have someone to show your answers, keep them away and after a gap of some time, read them again. You will discover many mistakes, which earlier you could not. Analyse the answers in order to improve them. This exercise of re-analysis of answers improves the ability to be precise. One of the important requirements of the Mains exam is that the answers should be crisp and to-the-point.<br />Optional subjectsWhile studying for the optional subjects, keep in mind that there is no scope for selective studies in the Civil Services Examination. The whole syllabus must be completely and thoroughly covered. Invariably, some candidates organise their studies in a manner that they study one subject thoroughly, with reduced emphasis on their second subject. It is imperative that equal stress be given to both the subjects you have chosen.<br />It is also important to remember that the level of questions asked is of the Masters level examination. The questions have an added spin in order to bring out the grasp of the candidate with regard to the basic concepts of the subject. Hence, if you choose subjects in which you do not have a basic grounding, it would be advisable to start from simple books. After getting the grasp of the basic concepts, start with higher level study material. Here again, reflections on basic concepts and their application in real life is important. For best preparation and a success plan, it is suggested that the candidate make a habit of beginning his study by writing answers to three questions each day, one each from General Studies and two from optional subjects. Questions should be chosen from previous years' papers and the answer writing should be preceded by study on the subject.<br />Most candidates do not have problems with regard to English and Hindi examinations and are able to qualify in them easily. However, it is important to have a good working knowledge of the two languages. In order to improve this skill, pick up a General Studies book and translate it into the language in which you are weak. For instance, if you are weak in Hindi, try translating important essays on current affairs into Hindi which will not only improve fluency but also the general knowledge. Another way is to write letters to friends in the language that one is weak in.<br /><a name="Anchor-Studying-21683"></a>Studying for General StudiesGiving a detailed description of the optional subjects is not feasible here but we give here some suggested readings for the General Studies paper. Students should remember that this list is not exhaustive and they should choose the books themselves based on recommendations of previous successful students, teachers and guides, etc. We are giving a list as a general requirement. NCERT, IGNOU booklets and National Book Trust (NBT) publications are quite helpful. For the Preliminary paper, study the following books:<br />History: NCERT books of class XI and XII, Freedom Struggle (published by National Book Trust)Geography: Class XII books of Geography (NCERT), a good atlas.Indian Polity: Introduction to the Indian Constitution.Indian Economy: NCERT and other books on Evolution of the Indian Economy.General Science: NCERT books on science, a science magazine or newspaper supplements on science.Current Events: A national newspaper, The Competition Master, newsmagazines.General Mental Ability: Do the Quantitative Aptitude published in The Competition Master, past test papers.<br />For the main examination, the study should be done in more detail. In addition to the above readings, the following are suggested as well:<br />History: India's Struggle for Independence, IGNOU publications on Modern India.Indian Culture: Art and culture portions of history books, India Yearbook (culture chapter), Encyclopaedia on Indian Culture, Gazetteer of India, books on culture published by Publications Division and National Book Trust.Current Affairs: A national newspaper, The Competition Master, current affairs programmes on Doordarshan, newsmagazines.Statistics: Class XI NCERT book on Statistics.Indian Polity: Introduction to the Constitution, Parliament.Indian Geography: NCERT books on Indian Geography.Indian Economy: NCERT and other books on Indian Economy, financial newspapers, The Competition Master carries regular analysis of the Indian Economy.Science: A science magazine, supplements in newspapers.<br />InterviewThe final stage is that of interview. There are cases where students clear the preliminary and the mains but fail at the last stage. The secret is to start for preparations for the interview along with the written test. Develop the habit of debating and discussing issues with friends or parents. Listen to the current affairs programmes and learn to organise thoughts the way the participants do. Develop interests and hobbies so that you are able to answer convincingly. Understand the current affairs and the issues behind the events. Remember that the interview is not a cross examination but a natural but purposeful conversation. It is an opportunity to reveal the mental qualities of a candidate.<br />The interview is not a test of specialised knowledge, as that has already been tested in written examination. The idea is to see the social traits of a person and his personality as suited to a career in the Civil Services. If a person gives the impression of being a bookworm, the chances of his selection are reduced. The candidate must exhibit an intelligent interest in events happening around him so that he appears to be a complete personality.<br />Finally, there is a very frequently asked question about whether a candidate should join a coaching centre and if so, which one. Coaching centres are helpful in the sense that they develop a discipline of attending regular classes. An instructor may be available who can give an opinion about the answers written by a candidate. At the same time, the candidate will meet like-minded people with whom he can develop the habit of debating and discussion. However, the coaching centre must be chosen with care: the instructor must be erudite enough to be able to guide students. If he is not well read, the chances of guiding others would be diminished.<br />It must also be remembered that preparation for the optional subjects must be done on one's own, as it is unlikely that any coaching centre would be able to do justice to all the subjects.<br /><a name="Anchor-State-46919"></a>State Civil ServicesYet another opening to the administrative services in Government is in the form of State Civil Services (SCS) also known as Provincial Civil Services (PCS).<br />Every State Public Service Commission carries out a competitive examination usually every year for recruitment to the State Civil Services. The categories of services to which candidates are selected through the SCS examination are as under:<br />(a) State Civil Services, Class-I (SCS)(b) State Police Service, Class-I (SPS).(c) Block Development Officer.(d) Tehsildar/Talukadar/Asstt. Collector.(e) Excise and Taxation Officer.(f) Distt. Employment Officer.(g) Distt. Treasury Officer.(h) Distt Welfare Officer.(i) Asstt Registrar Cooperative Societies.(j) Distt. Food and Supplies Controller/Officer.(k) Any other Class-I/Class-II service notified as per rules by the concerned State.<br />All the above services offer excellent avenues in the middle level administration. After putting in a certain number of years in the State service, the officers of SCS and SPS may expect to be nominated to the IAS and IPS respectively, with some antedate seniority. In the SCS, the officers get posted as Sub-Divisional Magistrates/Deputy Collectors, Land Acquisition Collectors, Additional District Magistrates, Municipal Administrators, Under/Deputy Joint Secretaries, Deputy/Joint /Additional Directors or Assistant Commissioners in the State administration. Similarly, SPS officers are appointed as Deputy/Additional Superintendents of Police. One major advantage these services has is that one may expect to remain within that particular States and gain valuable experience before getting nominated to the IAS/IPS. This enables these officers to excel in their higher postings. A candidate joining SCS/SPS at a favourable age may expect to reach the level of the Secretary or DIG Police. However, the promotional avenues vary from State to State. Moreover, these services have built-inhigher scales like senior and selection scale before getting into the IAS/IPS.<br />Most of the other posts enumerated above are class-II services and have their promotional avenues through the SCS class-I and the officers may subsequently get nominated to the IAS before retirement.<br />Most of the openings in the State Civil Services are executive in nature and the officers in these services are directly responsible for implementing all schemes, plans and programmes of the Government. The mental satisfaction of being at the centre-stage of implementing the Government policies is the hallmark of this career.<br />The ExaminationThe examination for State civil services is conducted by the State Public Service Commission concerned. The number of vacancies is dependent on the requisition by the Government which varies every year. The number of vacancies is also dependent on several other factors like promotions, retirements and expansion of cadre in a particular year in the concerned State.<br />(a) Eligibility: All graduates are eligible to take this examination. Minimum age required is 21 years but the upper age limit may range between 28 to 35 years, varying from State to State. The State Governments usually allow relaxation in upper age limit to the scheduled castes/scheduled Tribes, Ex-Servicemen, physically handicapped and the employees of the State Government. Some vacancies are reserved for various other categories which differ from State to State.The examination is conducted as an all-India competition but during the interview it is desirable for the candidates to know the language, culture, customs etc of the concerned State. The number of vacancies being limited, the examination offers a tough competition to the aspirants and only the candidates with thorough preparations may expect to be successful.(b) Scheme of Examination: The pattern of this examination is similar to the civil services examination conducted by the UPSC. Most of the bigger States follow the practice of holding a preliminary examination to short-list the candidates. Preliminary examination is almost on the lines of preliminary examination for the civil services examination conducted by the UPSC, with the exception that a few questions may be asked about the custom, traditions, planning and problems of the State concerned. The smaller States with relatively lesser number of vacancies and lesser candidates may skip the preliminary examination. The Centres for examination are determined by the concerned public service commission considering the geographical area of the State and the number of candidates taking the examination.Preliminary examination is followed by the main examination (Smaller States usually go in for main examination straightaway). Most of the States have adopted the syllabi and pattern of the Civil Services examination. The only difference usually is that the language papers i.e. English and regional language papers are full-fledged papers and marks obtained in these subjects are also included for preparing the final merit list. Moreover, in the General Studies paper some questions on socio-economic conditions, planning, customs, culture etc of the particular State may also appear.The details regarding optional subject for preliminary and main examination are given in the instructions for the examination given alongwith the application form. The readers may refer to the Career's feature in November 1992 issue of 'The Competition Master' in which details of compulsory subjects for Civil Services examination are given. The candidates may also refer to the question-papers of the previous few years which will normally clarify the trend of the questions.(c) Personal Interview: Main examination is followed by personal interview. In proportion to the number of vacancies, the candidates are called to appear before an interview board. The competition being very keen, the interview conducted by the State public service commissions assumes significance. The purpose of the interview is to judge the suitability of the candidates for the State civil services. On the basis of the marks obtained in the main examination as well as the interview, a final merit list is prepared and the candidates are declared successful on the basis of their rank and choice of service after providing for reservations.<br />How to PrepareSince the pattern, subjects and syllabi of the State civil service examination and the civil service examination conducted by the UPSC are almost same, it is recommended that the candidates must appear for both these examinations simultaneously. Only minor changes in the preparations would be required. The State public service commissions usually try to ensure that the dates of examination do not clash with those of the civil services examination.<br />There are several academies/institutions which offer guidance and coaching facilities to the interested candidates. While it is advisable to get some guidance, the candidates must be very selective while choosing an academy for this purpose. Formalised coaching suffers from one big drawbacksame standards are fixed by the academy for all candidates and no attention is paid to the existing level of preparedness of a particular candidate. Hence, self-study has the advantage of proper planning for the distribution of time among various subjects as per one's level of preparation in each subject. For preparing, the books on optional as well as compulsory subjects must be chosen with great caution. It is recommended that the successful candidates of the previous years should be contacted and details about the books for optionals are obtained from them. The candidates must also see for themselves that the prescribed syllabus is also covered by the books they wish to consult. Even while choosing optionals one should be careful and the subjects already read should be preferred. If a new subject is required to be chosen as optional, subjects like Sociology, Psychology, Anthropology, History, and Public Administration are the ones which can easily be prepared without any previous background. Of course the final selection would depend on one's aptitude for a particular subject.<br />Special attention needs to be paid to the compulsories, particularly General Studies and English. For General Studies special preparations are required particularly for making preparations for the "State-specific" questions as no readymade material is normally available. Special efforts are required to procure and compile this part of General Studies. For rest of the contents, a standard General Knowledge Refresher, supplemented by the year book published by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, regular study of "The Competition Master" (including previous issues for at least one-year), a good national as well as regional newspaper, Economic Survey, Plan Document, Economic Review/Survey of the State concerned etc are some of the essential aids. In addition, a good introductory book on Modern History and a good introductory book on Indian Constitution may also prove to be useful.<br />Once all the above material and standard books are arranged, the candidates must start preparing thoroughly. In-depth studies would not only help in the written examination, but will also add to the self-confidence of the candidate during the personal interview. Since there is no substitute to hard work and studies, a well-prepared candidate may find his/her name in the final merit list.<br />Additional InformationFurther information about the subjects, syllabus, centres of examination etc are given in the advertisement and in the "instructions" for the candidates. In some States the examination is not conducted every year. In such States the candidates may have to remain prepared for longer durations and to grab the opportunity when it comes their way.<br />geovisit();<div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
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</script></div>silverstreamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17525161851701196335noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2476852882208233391.post-70669430869220154232007-06-23T11:58:00.001+05:302007-06-23T12:05:23.984+05:30Civil services examinationThe Indian Civil Services Examination is a nation-wide competitive examination conducted by <a title="Union Public Service Commission" href="http://upsc.gov.in/">Union Public Service Commission</a> (UPSC) of India for the administrative services of the <a title="Government of India" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Government_of_India">Government of India</a><br />This is reputed to be among the toughest and the most competitive exam in the world.Candidates have to pass through a three phase process with the success rate being around 0.1% of the total applicants <a class="external text" title="http://www.upsc.gov.in" href="http://www.upsc.gov.in/" rel="nofollow">(UPSC Annual Reports)</a>. In 2006 around 400,000 candidates applied for fewer than 500 vacancies (of which 50% are reserved) and around 7,500 got through the first phase and appeared in the Mains exam <a class="external text" title="http://www.upsc.gov.in" href="http://www.upsc.gov.in/" rel="nofollow">(UPSC Annual Reports)</a>.<br />The <a title="Indian Civil Service" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_Civil_Service">Indian Civil Service</a>, as it was once called, is the backbone of the Indian government machinery & constitutes all the major departments which run the state & central administration. Today this service is better known by the various ministries and departments that it helps manage. A highly competitive and challenging area, it involves a variety of jobs in different departments. The service has a lot of prestige attached to it. The salary, allowances and facilities like healthcare, housing, conveyance etc. also make it a lucrative profession.<br />Civil Services Examination is conducted in 3 phases:-<br />Phase - I : Civil Services Exam (Preliminary) - Held in the month of May every year.<br />Phase - II : Civil Services Exam (Main)- held in October/November every year.<br />Phase - III: Interview - Held in April/May every year.<br />The Services recruited through Civil Services Examination:-<br />'All India Services'<br /><a title="Indian Administrative Service" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_Administrative_Service">Indian Administrative Service</a> (IAS)<br /><a title="Indian Police Service" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_Police_Service">Indian Police Service</a> (IPS)<br />Central Civil Services - Group "A"<br /><a title="Indian Foreign Service" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_Foreign_Service">Indian Foreign Service</a> (IFS)<br /><a title="Indian Revenue Service (IRS)" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_Revenue_Service_(IRS)">Indian Revenue Service (IRS)</a> - Income Tax<br /><a title="Indian Revenue Service (IRS)" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_Revenue_Service_(IRS)">Indian Revenue Service (IRS)</a> - Customes & Central Excise<br /><a title="Indian Audits & Accounts Service" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_Audits_&_Accounts_Service">Indian Audits & Accounts Service</a> (IA&AS)<br /><a title="Indian Post & Telecommunication Accounts and Finance Service" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_Post_&_Telecommunication_Accounts_and_Finance_Service">Indian Post & Telecommunication Accounts and Finance Service</a> (IP&TAFS)<br /><a title="Indian Railway Traffic Service" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_Railway_Traffic_Service">Indian Railway Traffic Service</a> (IRTS)<br /><a title="Indian Railway Accounts Service" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_Railway_Accounts_Service">Indian Railway Accounts Service</a> (IRAS)<br /><a title="Central Industrial Security Force" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_Industrial_Security_Force">Central Industrial Security Force</a> (CISF)<br /><a class="new" title="Indian Defence Accounts Service" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Indian_Defence_Accounts_Service&action=edit">Indian Defence Accounts Service</a> (IDAS)<br /><a class="new" title="Indian Defence Estate Service" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Indian_Defence_Estate_Service&action=edit">Indian Defence Estate Service</a> (IDES)<br /><a class="new" title="Indian Information Service" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Indian_Information_Service&action=edit">Indian Information Service</a> (IIS)<br /><a title="Indian Railway Personnel Service" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_Railway_Personnel_Service">Indian Railway Personnel Service</a> (IRPS)<br /><a class="new" title="Railways Protection Force" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Railways_Protection_Force&action=edit">Railways Protection Force</a> (RPF)<br />Central Civil Services - Group "B"<br /><a class="new" title="Union Territories Administrative Service" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Union_Territories_Administrative_Service&action=edit">Union Territories Administrative Service</a><br /><a class="new" title="Union Territorries Police Service" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Union_Territorries_Police_Service&action=edit">Union Territorries Police Service</a><br /><a class="new" title="Central Secretariat Service" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Central_Secretariat_Service&action=edit">Central Secretariat Service</a><br /><a class="new" title="Defence Secretariat Service" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Defence_Secretariat_Service&action=edit">Defence Secretariat Service</a><br /><a id="External_links" name="External_links"></a><br />Important sites:<br /><a class="external text" title="http://www.indiagurukul.com/" href="http://www.indiagurukul.com/" rel="nofollow">About UPSC & Indian Civil Services</a><br /><a class="external text" title="http://www.upsc.gov.in" href="http://www.upsc.gov.in/" rel="nofollow">The Official site of the UPSC</a><br /><a class="external text" title="http://www.lbsnaa.ernet.in/lbsnaa/index.jsp" href="http://www.lbsnaa.ernet.in/lbsnaa/index.jsp" rel="nofollow">Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration</a><br /><a class="external text" title="http://persmin.nic.in/dopt/index.html" href="http://persmin.nic.in/dopt/index.html" rel="nofollow">Department of Personnel and Training</a><br /><br />From wikipedia:The free Encyclopedia.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
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