Current Affairs from 2009-2011

CURRENT AFFAIRS 2011

• 1st January, 2011 to 31st January, 2011
• 1st February, 2011 to 28th February, 2011
• 1st March, 2011 to 31st March, 2011

CURRENT AFFAIRS 2010

1st January, 2010 to 15th January, 2010 15th January, 2010 to 15th February, 2010 15th February, 2010 to 28th February, 2010 March, 2010 to May, 2010 1st June, 2010 to 30th June, 2010 1st July, 2010 to 31st July, 2010 1st August, 2010 to 31st August, 2010 1st October, 2010 to 31st October, 2010 1st September, 2010 to 30th September, 2010 1st November, 2010 to 30th November, 2010 1st December, 2010 to 31st December, 2010 CURRENT AFFAIRS 2009 1st January, 2009 to 31st January, 2009 1st February, 2009 to 15th February, 2009 16th February, 2009 to 28th February, 2009 1st March, 2009 to 15th March, 2009 May 2009 June 2009 July 2009 July 15th - 31st 2009 AUG 1st - 15th 2009 16th Aug, 2009 to 15th Sep, 2009 16th Sep, 2009 to 30th Sep, 2009 1st Oct, 2009 to 31st Oct, 2009 1st Nov, 2009 to 15th Nov, 2009 15th Nov, 2009 to 30th Nov, 2009 1st Dec, 2009 to 31st DEC, 2009

UPSC exam Indian Civil Services IAS Strategy:- Indian History

If the prelim’s is to be compared with one day match, mains could be described as test match. The temperament and technique to play it is different then prelims.

Prelim is mainly factual study, many times without knowing how or why. On the other hand main’s is analytical study, knowing the essence of the story.

With introduction of 30 marks questions instade of 60 marks, you are suppose to know the essence of many more stories.

As it is rightly said that history is not a study of facts, but interpretation of facts. Facts are just raw material with which interpretation is done. Answers in the main’s are about your interpretation of History. Here you have to balance different view points. For that purpose you have to know different view points. At least three main currents i.e. leftist, centrist and rightist.

The angle of focus on history has constantly changed. From Political to Cultural to Economic. Now the subaltern approach is in vogue.

How much scoring history is?

History is most popular option is U.P.S.C. examination for obvious reasons. It has synergy with General studies. 50 marks questions of modern India get covered in optional history (As per mains 2009). It is also useful in writing essay. Since at least one socio-cultural issue comes as a topic, historic vision gives depth to the arguments. (for e.g. .‘ Globlisation’ vs. ‘ Nationalism’ in mains 2009)

History complements with any combination of optional but goes best with political science.

Second best combination is Public Administration.

Percentile method is not applied in the mains. History is directly compared with other subjects.

History is highly subjective subject. Suppose the question was given ‘Evaluate the Gandhi’, then all candidates will write different answers. Who of them is right & who is wrong? No one. It depends on how arguments are pushed. This makes the subject safe. Generally it is not possible that you don’t know anything about the answer. Ultimately you fetch some minimum marks in each question. That way no body goes below 200 in history.

But going by same logic history also does not give very high marks. There is nothing called perfect answer. Because of this phenomenon marks do not go above 380. But then to get into IAS one need to get 55-60% marks in the subject and that makes this subject an attractive proposition.

We can refer to the data of those written mains 2009. This is the larges sample group of 9026 (excludes only those handful who are chosen for interview). We can observe that History is third most popular optional taken (2777), just after Public Administration (3067) and Geography (3190)

But if we the average marks secured by the candidates then History (242) is better then Public Administration (232) and Geography (221)

History is the scientific subject and can be studied scientifically. It is as scientific as physics or mathematics, only since it is from humanities side, things are open ended.

For those who are having History as first optional in prelim, - Be cautious, don’t overestimate your knowledge of History. Prepare separately for mains. For those who are having History as second optional, - Be cautious, you have to compete with candidates who are having history as a first optional in prelims.

For prelim’s tracking syllabus may not be a fruitful exercise, but for mains it is. The vast syllabus cannot be covered without the pointers. What is interesting is that syllabus of mains is clearly defined and examiners remain stick to it. (For e.g. in 2009 mains question asked word to word from lines of syllabus, Foreign accounts: Greek, Chinese (60) Coinage of the Guptas (30) “Indian Feudalism”(20), Muhammad Tughluq: agrarian measures(20), theory of Sulh-i-kul(20), Mughal Population(20), Kalhan’s Rajtarangini(30) Akbar :Court patronage of art and technology (30)) 

The compulsory map question should be solved first and prepared first. Twenty sites are given & you have to mark the fifteen sites on the given map and describe its importance in four lines. Two marks for marking site and two for description. Sites given are of specific importance in history (for e.g. Kuchai, Utnar, Daojali Hading in mains 2009)

By daily practice this question can turned into scoring one.

They give blank map with only India’s international boundaries.(As in 2009 mains) It is safer to make blocks and practice. Sites from Ancient and medieval India are asked. Spectrum has published the book about Ancient Indian places. Ensemble has come out with ‘History Through Maps’, a well researched and royally presented work.

In paper II world history is to be targeted. On modern India now so much research is available that there is no end of interpretation. Comparatively world history is straight and neutral. There are controversies in France about how the fall of Napoleon took place, but there are no such controversies in India. As it is, if world history questions are difficult you can jump to modern India in the last moment but reverse is not true.

IGNOU books are useful for mains too. Publication Division has published a book on Ancient India. Each of its 16 article’s is like long answer of mains.

The most recommended one are the three books on Society, culture and State of Ancient and Medieval India by National Book Trust (NBT)

For world History good work is done by Jain & Mathur. Their book for world History mains is excellent. It has covered our syllabus topic wise, but it is also true that it is not edited properly. Recently a book is published by Krishna Reddy by the name ‘Modern World’ overcomes this issue. It has avoided the bulkiness and is updated with recent changes in syllabus. World History by L.Mukherjee is lucid and will make answers readable. It can be used as complementary with Jain & Mathur or Krishna Reddy.

If you analyze the past papers you will be surprised to find that most of the questions are repeated from the last ten year papers. So that’s the hint. Here some analysis of past papers from 2001 onwards.

Study for mains cannot be general like prelims. Reading generally will not do. One has to focus on relevant areas. Guesswork has to be done to what will come and what will not. Nothing likes that if the notes are prepared in question-answer format. If you get ready with say 150-200 questions with outline of answers then you can stuck a jackpot. Chronicle Publication has published the book in such format and will prove useful for reference.

It may sound absurd, but NCERT books on History, both old and new versions are highly useful in writing the mains answers. They present the clue about direction and the structure of the answer.

It is very common to say that one has to do writing practice. I repeat it is necessary. Candidates dream that as soon as study is over they will give tests. That’s ideal, seldom has this happened. Studies may never get over. Just make a timetable of tests, follow it strictly, and get it checked from competent authority and discuss them out. Handwriting, speed, fluency and structure of answer play a main role in marks.

One should give full attention to the direction of the question like Discuss, Explain, Evaluate, Describe, Compare etc. Each of them connotes different meaning. 

Where ever possible the answer should be substantiated with tables, diagrams and flowcharts.

The sudden twist in the story

In last Mains (2009) UPSC surprised (or shocked) the candidates by changing the question format. Instade of 60 marks question, they divided it into two questions of 30 marks. This was not done only in History but in all other optional’s. Its like test match suddenly turned into 20-20.

With this examiner were able to cover far more syllabus, they are able ask the questions on such areas on which its not possible to ask questions in 60 marks pattern (for e.g. use of gold coins by commoners in Gupta period)

Earlier hardly three questions are asked on Ancient, Medieval, Modern and World each. That means luck played important role. If you have luckily touched a particular part which came then on the top. Those who otherwise studied harder but not studied a part that came in the paper, then you are gone. 

This is balanced now, with much more areas asked, covering the range of syllabus has become important.

There is one more twist. Since the old format is divided into two questions. It bought the catch-22 situation for the candidates. Suppose you know the (a) answer of question 4 and (b) answer of question (5), no use, you have to answer either 4 or 5.

Many found themselves helpless and lost the battle in the exam hall itself. Actually every mains UPSC will surely keep throwing new surprises, keep changing the pattern of questions ask so that nobody should take disadvantage of it.

So those who accepted the changes with open heart survived. Those, who were not able to and remain rigid.

Not to forget that the biggest test scorer in the world Sachin Tendulkar has won the Orange Cap for the best batsman in the 20-20 format.

UPSC Indian Civil Services online free model exam

UPSC-Indian-Civil-Services-online-free-model-exam

It is great opportunity for the Civil Services aspirants to get test themselves on a free online exam modules throughwww.careerquizonline.com

One can test their knowledge in popular subjects. This will not only for the Civil Services but also other State Civil Services exam.

UPSC- Civil Services-upsc-exams/upsc-exam-india-civil-services-ias-general-queries

What is the pattern of civil services Examination?
The civil services examination consists of three stages-prelims, mains and interview. The preliminary test consists of two objective tests of two hours duration each. One paper of General Studies of 150 marks and one optional of 300 marks to be chosen from the list given. The main exam has nine papers of conventional essay type of 300 marks each except essay which is of 200 marks- two of G.S, two each of two optionals, one essay and two language papers, one English and one Indian language. The language papers are only of qualifying nature. The interview is of 300 marks and the final merit list is made from total of mains and interview marks, i.e. out of 2300.
Is there any minimum cutoff for General Studies (G.S.)?
It's a difficult question to answer as the marking pattern of the UPSC is a closely guarded secret and there are different theories about the same. A score of 85+ in GS can however be considered a safe score for this purpose.
Can I prepare from my home or should I come to some big center like Delhi for my preparation?
Most of the candidates who do qualify finally are based in a few selected places like Delhi, Hyderabad , Allahabad etc .Delhi seems to be the best place to prepare for the examination due to various factors such as
1. The presence of a large number of candidates provides a rich civil services examination culture.
2.In recent past the examination has become highly information based specially the GS papers. Delhi provides a rich base for such information.
3. Large numbers of good coaching institutes are present in Delhi.

How many hours should one study for the preparation?
With the right preparation material any thing between 7 to 8 hours of quality study is sufficient. Regularity in the preparation is most important. The essence being that it is not only important to study hard but also to study smart.

What strategy should I follow? Should I focus more on my optionals to get good rank?
Please don't fall in this trap especially during your mains. During the prelims it pays to divide more time to your optional due to the following reasons.
The high weightage of the optionals (300 marks) compared to the GS, which is of 150 marks.
The exhaustive nature of the GS syllabus as compared to the well-defined syllabus of the optional.• During mains one should devote equal time to both the optionals as well as GS.

Does the choice of medium of language matter?
The only areas where the choice of your medium would matter would be in the case of availability of reading materials. Many of the optional might not have relevant study material and many times the candidates spend a lot of time translating the texts from English. In terms of marks one should not consider any form of bias positive or negative for choosing the medium

On what topics should one concentrate while preparing for essay?
The essay is a test of ones world view and orientation in life besides ones ability to express things in clear perspective. One should not cram /mugup topics for the essay but try to develop a holistice view about isssues in life and ones surrounding as a educated and socially conscious youth of India would.
Where can I get the UPSC syllabus?
Syllabus is issued by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) every year. It is normally published in the UPSC website and the same is published in the Employment News also. It is normally available in the market.
Where will I get the UPSC application?
It is available in the designated post offices through out India. The list of post offices are given in the website as well notification issued by UPSC in Employment News.
When will be the notification issued?
Normally it is issued in the month of November every year. There will be more than 30 days for filling up the application.
Is it necessary to take the subject studied at the college level to be taken as an optional?
Not necessary. Candidate is free to take any optional in the given list.

Can a person opt for one optional in the prelims and another one in the mains? Yes.

What is the medium of writing the main exam?
One can write the main exam in any one of the Indian Languages in the 8th Schedule of the constitution. But the question paper will be either in English or Hindi only.
What is the medium of Interview if a person appears the exam with regional language?
If a person writes his/her exam in the regional language he/she can appear in the interview with the same language. There is an option available to appear in English also. But it is not vice versa if a person appears in the exam in English medium.

Is there any negative marking in the exam?
"YES" "THERE WILL BE PENALTY (NEGATIVE MARKING) FOR WRONG ANSWERS MARKED BY A CANDIDATE IN THE OBJECTIVE TYPE QUESTION" (I) There are four alternatives for the answers to every question. For each question for which a wrong answer has been given by the candidate, one third (0.33) of the marks assigned to that question will be deducted as penalty. (ii) If a candidate gives more than one answer, it will be treated as a wrong answer even if one of the given answers happens to be correct and there will be same penalty as above for that question. (iii) If a question is left blank i.e. no answer is given by the candidate, there will be no penalty for that question.

When are UPSE exams for IAS held?

The Civil Services Prelims Exam is conducted in the month of May. The main exam may be around October-November of the same Year. The main exam will be in the next year April. The scheme and pattern of the exam is available in the Book. The Notification advertisement for the exam will be issued by the UPSC in the month of November. Please check the Employment News and other leading National dailies. This Exam is conducted once in a year. Once you miss the opportunity, you have to wait for one more year. I want to know the date of CS . The date of Examination ( Preliminary)is the third Sunday of May every year. The main exam is in the month of October-November of the same year. The Interview is in the month of April, corresponging next year. For the authentic details, please go through the notification issued by the UPSC. Normally, it comes in the month of November. The same will be published by the Employment News and leading newspapers. There is no separate exam for IAS and IPS. It is the combined Civil Services Examination conducted by UPSC for IAS, IPS, IFS. IRS, ICCES, IAAS, I RTS,IRAS, IRPS,ICAS,IDAS and some more services. The names of the services are also available in the model notification in some online sources.

I am doing my Mechanical Engineering in Tomsk Polytechnic University in Tomsk, Russia. I have another three years to complete my course. I am very eager to take up UPSC exam. Is the degree I get from here valid to take up the examination? And please let me know the best way to approach this examination in my present situation. I will not be coming to India for another two years and where will I get the study material. Please suggest some effective methods of preparing for the exam.

First of all, you have find out from UGC authorities, whether the degree you get from abroad is valid in India or not. As per the UPSC's notification, any degree should be UGC recognized degree. That's all. As far as your preparation is concerned, first select the optional interesting to you. Then start the preparation for general studies and one optional. You can get some online sources as study material also. Good study material is concerned; you can get it from Delhi. Delhi is a hub centre for civil services exams.

Till what rank one will get IPS?

Normally, after the final result is cleared, successful candidates are allotted the service based on their rank and their preference given in the mains application. Most of the students opt for IAS as a first choice, few may opt IFS or IPS also as a first choice. For example, if a person has given preference of IPS as a first choice, And he/she tops in the civil services, he/ she will be given IPS only not IAS. Normally one has to come (General Category) in the top 100 in the list, there is a good chance of getting IPS.

What is the selection procedure for Preliminary exam? Is there same procedure for all optional subjects. Is there any negative marking?

In Preliminary, 300 marks are awarded for optional subject and 150 marks for General studies. There are about 23 optionals are there in preliminary. The questions of all these subjects may vary in its easiness / toughness to the aspirant. One optional may be very easy same time other may be very tough. So, how to measure the talent of these two subjects? So UPSC scales the scores of the optionals. The process is called normalisation / standardization. ie. One subject (Normally highest number of students appeared) taken as a standard paper. Marks of other optionals may go up or go down accordingly. In this process every subject has become normal. Equal treatment is being given. Then General studies marks are added with it. Then final ranking is fixed. So, one need not worry about the standard of question paper. One should top in his own subject. So that selection in the prelims becomes easy. There is no negative marking in the Civil services exam.

UPSC: Indian Civil Services:FAQ on Eligibility Issues

want to know about the applications deadlines, cost of applications for UPSC exams. Do I need to buy different applications for different posts? I want to know about the optional subjects that should be taken by me because I have graduated in electronics and communications engineering .
The cost of the application is only Rs 20. This is available in the designated post offices through out India (List is available in the site). There is only one application form for all the services listed in the civil services ie, IAS , IPS, IFS (Foreign ) and other Central Services. As your degree subject is not available in the listed subjects, you can follow the other engineering and computer faculties. Last date of receipt of the applications always mentioned in the notification issued by the UPSC. It is expected to be issued very soon. The notification is normally published in the Employment News (detailed) and other leading newspapers.

I have long-sight problem. Am I eligible for IPS. If I am not can I take laser treatment for eyes.

No. You have to get the treatment first. Nowadays the laser treatment is available in the leading hospitals. First go through it , it will be helpful for you in the future also. But you have to consult the doctor properly in this regard. Some other services have this vision requirement.

Is there any physical requirement for IPS because I suffer from short-sightedness eye defect?

Those with colour blindness are not allowed. Long sight - 6/6 is the best and 6/12 worst. And 6/9 and 6/9 is also allowed. For Short Distance better eye J.I and worst eye is J II. For more details you can consult an ophthalmologist

Please tell me that how many seats are there in IAS and IPS respectively.

The number of vacancies of IAS and IPS varies from year to year. In the year 2009 Mains exam, there were about 100 plus IAS and 100 plus IPS seats. It depends upon the requirements submitted by the various State Governments to the Department of Personal and Training, Government of India and also requirement by the Central Government itself.

I had done my graduation last year but my result was not good in two subjects I have to give papers again. Am I eligible for this examination?

You have to complete degree because you have to give your degree certificate during the main exam

A person belonging to SC (female) is appearing for CSE. She will mention "SC" in the prelim exam application form. By that Mains exam if that person gets married to an OBC person, then what to mention in the Main exam application form? In prelims application form it will be SC and in the Mains exam application form should that person mention SC or OBC? How to handle these types of conflicts.

If he/she is a SC candidate the category remains the same In this case she can retain the SC category and may shift to the OBC category. The shifting of category is allowed only in the case of girl. If it is a male candidate, he can not change his category. We feel above is correct even then you may get some expert opinion on this issue one more thing is that once a person gets nod for SC category in the prelims he/she remains SC through out the exam because the category reservation is carried forward.

Can a student who has done his graduation in correspondence from a recognized university take CSE? Yes. They can take Civil services?

As per UPSC's eligibility criteria one should have a degree, which should be recognized by the UGC. There is no discrimination in the Civil services between regular and correspondence course.

I have done my BE and am presently with the Navy. Other than the SC/SC/OBC age relaxations, are there any specific age relaxations for defence personnel as well? Or is it 30yrs only?

Services Personels get 5 Year relaxation in all categories as ex-service person. If you read the model notification you will get an idea. Are there any quotas for the defence personnel appearing for the UPSC exams? There is no quota for defence persons in UPSC exams. But they are given relaxation in the ex-service man category in maximum age limit.

I m doing B.TECH 2nd year. I m handicapped having polio in right leg. Can I give IAS test?

Yes. You can go for civil services exam. Normally, Students with little handicap used to get IAS. Some years there is some reservation also for handicap students. For Example, in 2006 there are few seats (IAS) reserved for handicaped students. The Reservation also given in rotation basis from one service to another. Normally Physically Challenged persons are not allowed in few technical services like IPS , IRTS. For other services, you are very much eligible. If you read the model notification you will get an answer for your question.

I am studying B. Tech final year in ECE branch, my exams will be in April, am I eligible to write the exam?

You are eligible if you fulfilled the age criteria. But you have to submit your degree certificate/ provisional certificate before the main examination if you clear preliminary. The photocopy of a certificate has to attach with the main application. It is in the month of August. So, you have to get your provisional/ course completion certificate before main application.

I am doing BBA final year through correspondence, am I eligible to write the Exam

Yes. You are very much eligible. You have to have a degree before the exams.

Am I eligible for certain relaxation in the upper age limit as my father is a central govt. employee

No. There is no such relaxation available in the government. I was born in Tamil Nadu now I am in Gujarat, Where can I apply You can apply from anywhere. In the main application, you have to mention about your preference for the cadre allotment in case of All India Services like IAS and IPS

Can we write any of civil services exam after intermediate?

`No. You have to have a Graduate degree, you can not go for Civil services directly before completing your degree. I am poor in General knowledge/ General studies. The General knowledge/ General studies is nothing but whatever one had studied in the schooling. The questions are in applied nature some years back the questions were more direct and factual. The Competitive world driven this model to be more of an application oriented. So, you have to read NCERT books to improve your basic knowledge one should understand the basic concept of then only you can answer the, applied nature questions. Economiccs related questions may be difficult to you. If you go through the NCERT books, it will be help.

What goes on after the interview is over? How are the services and cadres allotted?.

Anybody get into his service and cadre of his choice according to rank? Or the cadre is allotted randomly. After the Interview is over. The board discuses your performance and award marks. This mark is added with your written marks. Then final ranking is given based on the total marks taken by students. The services are allocated/ allotted based on the final ranking and the preferences given by the students during main examination. For example, if a person gives his top preference as IPS in the main application he/ she will be allotted IPS even he/ she tops in the final ranking. So one has to be very careful in filling up the main application. Cadre allotment is applicable only in the case of IAS and IPS. Cadre is allotted based on the rank and availability of seats/ vacancies in a particular state. Number of vacancies and reservation also included in the allotment. One has to fill his/ her Cadre choice also in the main application. So student's preference is also taken into consideration for cadre allotment. There are occasions successful student with top rank also doesn't get his home cadre/ cadre of his/ her choice because of "No vacancy" Position. So there are many factors involved in getting the Cadre of one's choice.

Can anyone choose different languages for mains & interview as for example mains in English & interview in Hindi?

No. one can take Hindi/ Indian languages as a medium for mains and appear in Interview in English/ the language written in mains. But a person can write main paper in English and cannot appear in interview in Indian language. He should appear in the interview in English only.

Is it possible to appear for Public Administration with Hindi medium along with Electrical Engineering in mains exam which is only in English.

No. All the papers should be written in the same Language only.

For the written exam can I give first optional subject i.e. civil engg in English and second optional subject i.e. History in Marathi ?

No. You can write in one medium only if you are selecting any Indian language as a medium. You have to write all the papers that is General Studies, Essay and the optionals in the same language. But you have choice at the interview stage. You can give it in English, or in the language, you have written the main exam. The same is not applicable to the students, who write their exam in English medium. In the interview board they have to answer in English only.

I am a Maths graduate. I want to appear in CSE can I write the exam in my mother tongue (Tamil).

Yes - at the Mains stage only. But the questions will be in English and Hindi only. You have to translate the Question and answer. Candidates can write the main exam in any Indian language as specified in the VIII schedule of the Constitution. The preliminary questions are multiple choice. If you have any more specific questions to ask, you are most welcome. The eligibility criterion and duration for the IFS exams. There is no separate exam for IFS ( Indian Foreign Service). It is through common civil services exam only, conducted by the UPSC every year go through the scheme, model notification in our Book. It will clear all your doubts.

I want to write CSE main examination in Telugu.

There is no problem in writing in Telugu medium. But the questions will be in English or Hindi only. You have to translate the question and answer the question. Normally 15% of students appear in Telugu medium among Telugu knowing students. As you have not mentioned about your optional, we are not in a position to give more detail in this regard.

What is the height requirement for IPS?

165cm

What is the age limit for Civils to write the exam?

General 30 OBC-- 33 SC/ST 35 The cut-off date for calculating the age is August 1 on the year of exams.

Can the candidates who have undergone LASER surgery for the removal of spectacles appear for civil services exam?

I am an M.tech graduate born on 1st February'1981. Will I be eligible for May 2011 exam.

Could you please explain the Age calculation procedure.

NO. You might have completed 30 years on 31st January 2010 itself. One should be less than 30 years and more than 21 years as on 1st August of the year of exam. i.e. the year of exam (attempt) you have asked is 2010, that time you would have completed 30 years and 6 months also. So 1st of August of the year of exam is the cut off date.

My date of birth is 27-11-1988 and I am doing 2nd year B.Tech from IITK. Now I do not know when I can give exam? I mean in which year You can write in the 2010 attempt only though you will be completing 21 years in the month of Nov.26, 2009

you will be eligible to write the exam in the next attempt ie.2010 I am working in abroad (UAE), when exam time should I come in India or can I write here in Indian embassy or any examination centre? You can only apply from abroad. For the Exams, you have to come to India.

I am an NRI wanting to write the IAS exam. Is it possible for me to compete or is it necessary to stay in India for a particular period of time to be eligible to write the exam?

If you are an Indian National ( Read the eligibility conditions given in the notification), you can very well write the Exam. You can apply from the country wherever you reside. For the Examination, you have to come to India.

Is there any bribe required for CSE interview?

There are myths about civil services It is purely on the merit. The civil services main examination contains 2300 marks. Out by which 2000 marks are awarded in the written paper without seeing the student's face. The last phase of 300 marks is only at the interview stage. The board members are senior civil servants, professors, academicians and other experts from different field. The board contains five members headed by a chairman, who is the member of UPSC. The members / experts sit on the panel will test the persons Caliber, mentality, Suitability to the job. etc., the total personality of a person is tested by these experts by asking questions. The candidates ability to handle the questions, analytical capacity, decision making ability in a given situation, leadership quality.etc., are tested. So there is no doubt about the integrity of the board members.

My B.E 8th semester result will be declared in September last week. By that time IAS main's forms will have been filled up. Should I present any provisional document in place of marksheet while filling the main's form. I don't want to waste my first attempt due to this technical problem.

If you clear preliminary you have to submit the records / certificates with mains application without final results declaration out, it will be difficult for you to submit course completion or provisional certificate so you have to forego this year attempt.

Does a student of Delhi have any advantage over others . I have been told that discriminatory policies are followed.

You can prepare for the exam from any where in India. There is no such discrimination in Civil Services exam. Students of Delhi have an advantage of attending coaching classes. Most of the good coaching institutes are in Delhi only. A student, who joins for coaching has both advantages and disadvantages. Advantage Get to know more students in the same competition Can measure the ability in the tests Comparison possible Healthy competition among aspirants Practice makes perfection Disadvantage Very costly affair for a poor student All the students may follow similar style of a teacher Originality may loose How to make up One can go through the coaching classes but should use his / her own way of presentation. One more thing you should know is that out of total 2300 marks in the civil services, 2000 marks are evaluated without seeing any student's face

How does going to Delhi improves the chances of success in UPSC examination?

And would prepare for prelims from my hometown hamper or downgrade my chances? Preparing for civil services from home town will not hamper your success. There are number of Civil Servants who cleared civil services without even going to any coaching Institute. It depends on individual's capacity. One should get proper guidance and Standard books for the preparation. Coaching Institutes can only give some guidance like showing the way, it is the preparation by the candidate, which makes the difference. The Civil Services Exam is like running race. If you are preparing from your home town, you may not get to know about the real competition. The Coaching Institutes give little opportunity to know the competitive world. Coming to Delhi is also not a easy thing, because the expenditure per year will be around 75,000 - 1,00,000 rupees. How many Indian students can afford this cost? If you prepare from your hometown, only the book cost one has to bear. Real problem is getting good and standard books, which are available in Delhi. If a person can procure standard books, he/she can very well prepare from home. Here one can not evaluate himself/herself because there won't be any standard test one can conduct at home.

I am a first year MBBS student and I want to ask you that am I eligible for the IFS exam after completing my graduation in this field.

Yes.

Can we appear in CSE after marriage?

Yes.

Does smartness (physical appearance) matter in CSE? Do interview members count this?

It is not so. In reality, out of 2300 marks, 2000 mark is evaluated with out seeing anybody's face. The examination papers are evaluated by different professors/Lecturers. The Interview is only for 300 marks. The question asked is also to test a person's personality not beauty/smartness. This is to test individual's ability to answer a question, ability to handle a situation, decision making ability and more Physical appearance is something hereditary and it is also influenced by race, climate and other socio economic factors The UPSC members are well learned/qualified persons with a greater degree of integrity and neutrality. So, one's success is not decided by the Physical appearance. It is the personality, which we have mentioned above. So, face the exam with confidence and do hard work and extra hard work. That will bring success to you.

Do grammatical mistakes count in CSE?

If it is optional and scientific subject, there is no problem. If you are opting for some arts and social subject, grammar mistake may give wrong meaning The meaning should not change when you present your answer. Small mistakes will not be taken in to account. You should not make any mistake in the English paper. In the optional papers, Grammar is not taken that serious. Still mistakes should be avoided at this level of competition.

What is the age relaxation for central government servant. I am working with Defence Electronics Research Laboratory as Admin Assistant. Can I avail age relaxation?

There is no age relaxation for civil post holders in the Defence. It is there only for the defence personnel. So , you will not get any relaxation.

I am presently in Central Government service and also under bond obligation? Will there be any problem from UPSC due to this? Will they ask for an NoC?

To write civil services, there is no need have NoC from government. You have to inform that "You will be appearing for the civil services examination 2006 " to the head of the department. There is no age relaxation for Central Government servants in UPSC. What is the average age of selected candidates? This vary from year to year. As per the latest UPSC report, 32% students cleared IAS before 24 year old. UPSC classification is 21 - 24, 24-26, 26-28 and 28 above. Maximum number of candidates cleared in age of 24 - 26. The percentage of age group passed civil services also vary with community. The General candidate has lower age average. Maximum percentage cleared in General category is in 24 - 26 years. The OBC category is 26 - 28 years. SC / ST candidates is again 24 - 26 years. Does a "PG Diploma in Management" from an institute(Symbiosis) approved by DEC (Distance Education Council) meet the eligibility criteria for appearing at the UPSC - CSE.

I have pursued this course after Diploma in Engineering from SBTET AP and about 7 years experience with reputed firms in Electrical Engineering industry. What you had studied earlier also diploma & again you are going for PG diploma. It is again a diploma. It should be clarified with the Institute authorities. Normally Diploma students go for AMIE, that is considered as a degree.

I have done diploma in Mechanical Engg. and I am very much interested in appearing for IAS exams. As per the eligibility norms, I should have graduate degree to take up IAS exams and should be within 30 years. But, I don't have any graduate degree and now I am 28 years old (1977 born). Presently, I am working and I can resign my job to take up this exams. Please guide me through to achieve this dream.

As per the laid down rules, one should have a UGC recognized degree. Diploma is not considered as a degree. You can do AMIE, which is equivalent to Degree. If you can do some degree in one sitting/one year, do it. Don't quit the job, the Civil Services Exam is highly unpredictable one. I live in Canada and wish to come back to India to give the exam, is it possible for people like me to score well in the prelims as I am not at well informed about the Indian current affairs etc. Yes. You can very well write civil services. First go through the syllabus of different subjects. Select the optionals which are interesting to you. You can develop current Affairs by reading the Hindu newspaper online. After selecting the optional, you can get the books from India and read it there. There are magazines, which are specialized in civil services Exam that can be subscribed from India. So, if you have the will power, you can achieve any feet. Distance doesn't matter.

Is there any maximum percentage of marks in degree level to be eligible for the exam?

You have to have a degree only. Eligibility is UGC recognized degree. Degree marks doesn't have any significance in the civil services. But if you have good marks, it will be fine. What should be one's target (out of 2300) in CSE Mains examination in order to get the cadre of IAS. The cut off marks vary from year to year. There are many factors involved in the increase or decrease of cut off marks.

The civil services exam is like a race. The time of the same runner differs from one race to another. The civil services marks/ score are also like that. Even then we can give some cut off ie 1300/ 2300 - based on our experience. I have done my BA in Economics. Even after working hard, I got 41%, but I still need to and want to succeed in CSE. Always remember - failures are the stepping stones to success. You can write Civil services and succeed also. We have lots of examples like you. Don't worry about your past. Now think of future and work for success. People who have been failures have been successful in later stages. Civil services needs hard work, intelligent study, patience and few other qualities. If you are determined to face it, nobody can stop you from succeeding. So go ahead with your preparation. Regarding Optionals, Public Administration is fine. But you have to rethink about Economics as the first optional. First go through the detailed syllabus and previous years' question papers. That will give an evaluation about where do you stand? Accordingly you can go about preparing for the CSE. If you have more doubts, you are most welcome to clarify them. Whether it is imperative to revise every week, or for that matter everyday, or one should safely study the whole course before revising what has been studied. My optional is Geography. It depends from individual to individual. Every person has his/her talents in memorizing things. This can be decided only by the concerned person, as he/she is the right person to evaluate his/her ability. Once you have prepared your subject, you may review it mentally on a daily basis. Whatever one studied in a day can be revised in 5 - 10 minutes. Based on this study, you can decide how often you have to revise to retain the subject in your memory.

UPSC Exam Tips for General Studies

TIPS FOR SUCCESS IN CSE

With the number of vacancies dwindling each year and the competition getting tougher, with the number of aspirants increasing each year, one must consider all the pros and cons before jumping into the fray. One should preferably have an alternative job, which gives one the confidence and makes a wholehearted effort possible.

Selection of Subject:

The first and foremost thing to decide while aspiring for Civil Services is the judicious choice of subjects for the Preliminary and the Mains examinations. The selection of subjects should be done most carefully, if it goes wrong, everything will go wrong.

Normally students have the advantage of selecting one of the optionals, which they are familiar with, or have at least studied till graduate level. If you are not comfortable with the subject, you should not select the subject as an optional. Example: One who studied Medicine in his/her graduation may have to refer many books for one topic. On such occasions it is better to take a subject of one's interest.

The aspirants should opt for a subject of their interest - technical subjects like engineering, medicine, veterinary sciences. Students from science background may find it difficult to understanding economics and vice-versa. Agriculture or Veterinary Sciences will be opted by the students who have studied it at their college level. Hence, the competition is among the people who have opted for the same subject. One should top in his/her subject to succeed in the examination.

One should analyse the syllabus of previous years and the question papers. The comfort levels with the subject opted for and the past trends should be analysed. While going through the questions of previous years, one can judge himself/herself about the knowledge base and comfort level with the subject. After a detailed analysis one should decide the subject for the first optional. One can get some feedback/advice from seniors and fellow students who are well versed in the subject. To avoid confusion at advanced stages of the examination, one should have some consultation with experienced/senior colleagues. They can guide you better than any coaching class.

Preparation:

Preparation for General studies can be done hand in hand, along with the preparation for optional papers. Good mix of study hours for General Studies and the Optionals makes studies enjoyable and it becomes easy to sustain the momentum for longer hours, without boredom setting in and without losing interest and enthusiasm. The most important aspect for the preparation for GS (Prelims) is to identify the loopholes and plug them urgently. But remember one thing; never sacrifice the time of optional for General Studies. Because each question in optional carries 2.5 marks and in total it carries 300 marks. More importantly, input-output ratio in optional is much better than that in General Studies.

Always go in for a planned and systematic study. Work out your own study schedules in a manner suited to your style and stick to it.

One should read a leading daily regularly and also a magazine that will give an insight into the writing skills and observe how facts are presented clearly and succinctly. Also watch news & current affairs programmes on a good TV channel. The latest trend has been a shift towards the current issues; hence a thorough awareness of recent happenings is mandatory. In-depth knowledge of such events is most important, as the questions will test the knowledge of details of any given event/happening.

First one should cover the entire syllabus and then one month preceding the Mains, practice with the help of question papers of previous years. Sometimes students may end up studying topics, which are connected to the syllabus, but are practically irrelevant from your preparation point of view. For this, one should always keep a copy of the syllabus handy and keep referring to it time and again to reassess the direction of the preparation. One should also keep question papers of the previous years. Compare them and see what types of questions are repeated every year.

Try to attempt question papers of previous years and General studies papers. This will expose your weaknesses and give you an idea about the extent of your preparation, your knowledge base, your speed and accuracy.

General preparation can be broadly classified as long-term or short-term depending on the available time for preparation. Preparation for Mains examination should begin soon after the Prelims are over, without waiting for the result, as it involves wastage of time.

The generally accepted strategy for CSE is that one must have studied the entire syllabus for the Mains before the Prelims or at least before the result is out. After the Prelims results are announced, all three subjects - two optionals and General Studies should be divided equally in three quarters to revise the subjects. If the subject is not revised, it is as good as not read because preparation is a continuous process. One might have covered the syllabus long back, but memory detoriates with time

One should read/study daily 10-12 hours per day. Some people say that used to read 18-20 hours. However, don't go by the claims of other persons who say that have studied for more than 18 hours a day. It is humanly impossible. Each person knows one's own capacity, so one should prepare the timetable accordingly and follow the same for the whole period of preparation. The execution of the timetable is of crucial importance.

One should be dedicated and have faith in one's own capabilities and in the Almighty. Do not get depressed if you are unable to achieve the targets. Remember, it is your preparation; you are the one who will appear in the examination. You know yourself better than anyone else. Quality of hours put in is more important than quantity of hours. Your time and energies should be used in an efficient and effective manner.

During the entire period of the examination, take a light diet. One should maintain good health during the preparation and also maintain a hobby, which relaxes you during your preparation. Take adequate amount of sleep, as both - body and mind require it. It is always better to study when the body and mind are fresh. This helps in easy grasping of things as well as in retaining them.

To save time during revision, aspirants may mark/highlight important points during their first or second reading. The aim of the first reading is to reduce the study material to half by eliminating unnecessary points. The second reading is to make it more concise, so that you can revise the entire syllabus within two days before the examination.

Information from any source of relevance to your goal should be welcomed, as long as it is from a standard source. Discuss with your friends, talk to them and listen to their views. This will expand your knowledge base and also expose you to different views. (But while discussing be careful and don't waste time on unnecessary details). You should have a guided discussion. It is important to peak at the time of the examination. So, channelise your preparations in such a manner that you don't burn yourself out before the examination commences.

Those who still have two-three years of time left for becoming eligible to appear for Civil Services must begin the preparation for the examination in the right earnest - right now.

Once you decide that you wish to be a civil servant, as your career has to follow certain steps to be abreast with the latest trends and be ready in the first attempt itself.

If you are schooling:

1. Read your school textbooks thoroughly. This is the building block of your general knowledge base.

2. Read one national newspaper regularly.

3. Watch one TV news regularly.

4. Follow discussions/debates on one TV channel regularly.

5. Read one national news magazine.

6. If possible, read one competitive examination magazine also.

7. Discuss news items with family members and friends that will confidence and different points of view.

8. Be alert to learn new things.

9. Keep an open mind to learn what is happening around you.

At college stage:

1. If you decide to make civil services a career at college stage, try to follow these things:

2. Learn your subject thoroughly.

3. Read NCERT books very carefully as they are little encyclopedias and also comprehend them carefully.

4. 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.

5. Read one national newspaper and a magazine thoroughly.

6. 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.

7. 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.

8. 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.

9. 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".

10. Discuss things/news items with your friends and family members that will give confidence of taking a stand against any issue.

11. 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.

12. 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.

13. 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.

14. 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.