How To Prepare For UPSC 2021 – Free PDF Download

 UPSC Civil Services Exam

• Why government job?
• Why Civil Services?
• Why IAS? Why IPS?
• Ask yourself these questions.
• Write down your answer or reason on a paper.
• Now you are ready to begin the preparation

Exam Pattern

1. Preliminary stage (Objective Type)

• Paper I – General Studies  (200 marks) Duration : Two hours
• Paper II –  CSAT (200 marks) Duration : Two hours

• Paper-II will be a qualifying paper
• Minimum qualifying marks are 33%.

2. Mains (Written and Interview)

• Written/Subjective
• 7 + 2 =  9 Papers

Qualifying Papers –  (25%)

• Paper A: (One Indian Language) – 300 Marks
• Paper B: English – 300 Marks

Interview  – 275 marks

 

Tentative schedule of CSE 2021*

1. Preliminary exam –  June/July 2021
2. Mains exam –   September/October 2021
3. Interview –   January/February 2022
   

   Your dream comes true sometime in April 2022!

• Preparation  Approach according to your profile

1. In School (11^th/12^th class)
2. College going student
3. Just Graduated
4. Working Aspirant
5. Experienced player (1/2/3 attempts)

• Is 1 year enough to prepare and crack CSE?

The Beginning

• Do a little research on your own about booklist, pattern and rigors of the exam.
• Watch toppers’ interviews on StudyIQ.
• Figure out your place of preparation for next 18 months at least (till mains/Interview)
• Make a conducive environment for studying
• Get the books/resources and let the fun begin!

Optional Selection

• Anthropology? Sociology? History? Public Adm.? Literature?
• Factors to be taken into consideration –

1. Background /graduation
2. Interest
3. Availability of material nearby  you/online
4. Guidance by seniors in that subject
5. Select an Optional within 2 months of reading GS OR at least 10 months before prelims

SYLLABUS

Paper I – (200 marks) Duration : Two hours

• Current events of national and international importance.
• History of India and Indian National Movement.
• Indian and World Geography – Physical, Social, Economic Geography of India and the World.
•  Indian Polity and Governance-Constitution, Political System, Panchayati Raj, Public Policy, Rights Issues, etc.
• Economic and Social Development-Sustainable Development, Poverty, Inclusion, Demographics, Social Sector Initiatives, etc.
• General issues on Environmental ecology, Bio-diversity and Climate Change – that do not require subject specialization.

General Science

•  Paper II- (200 marks) Duration : Two hours

• Comprehension
• Interpersonal skills including communication skills
• Logical reasoning and analytical ability
• Decision making and problem solving
• General mental ability
• Basic numeracy (numbers and their relations, orders of magnitude, etc.) (Class X level),
• Data interpretation (charts, graphs, tables, data sufficiency etc.  – Class X level)
•       Books – TMH , RS Agarwal, Arihant

For Current Affairs

• Current events of national and international importance.
• THE HINDU
• Yojana magazine
• India Year Book**
• Any one monthly current affairs magazines/videos
• UPSC IQ  – Monthly magazine by StudyIQ
• Newspaper – One of the most crucial aspect of preparation

English medium

• The Hindu – vast coverage of international news
• The Indian Express – in depth coverage of national issues

Hindi medium

• Navbharat times
• Dainik Bhaskar

1. Vocabulary
2. Current affairs
3. Structuring essays – Editorials

BOOKLIST for PRELIMS 

History

• History of India and Indian National Movement.
• Old NCERT for Ancient class 11
• NCERT 11,12 (New)
• Class 6-8 NCERTS  for Medieval(Themes of World History)
• TN board books 6-12 class
• Spectrum – A brief history of Modern India
• Bipin Chandra’s India’s Struggle for Independence

Geography
Indian and World Geography -Physical, Social, Economic Geography of India and the World.

• NCERT 6-10 – all world geography topics
• NCERT – 11,12
• G C Leong – Physical Geography
• Geography of India by Majid Husssain
• Oxford Atlas – While reading news –> make/add to notes
• Maps

Polity
Indian Polity and Governance-

• NCERT 11,12
• Laxmikanth – Indian Polity

Economy
Economic and Social Development — Sustainable Development, Poverty, lnclusion, Demographics, Social Sector initiatives, etc.

• NCERT 11,12
• Indian Economy – by Ramesh Singh (for reference)
• Sanjiv Verma’s – The Indian Economy (for basic understanding)
• Any good Coaching class notes**
• Latest Economic Survey Summary/Study IQ Videos

Environment
General issues on Environmental Ecology, Bio-diversity and Climate Change – that do not require subject specialization

• Biology NCERT 12 (Only Environment chapters)
• Shankar IAS
• DR Khullar
• Dr.Ravi Agrahari’s book

General Science

• NCERTs 6-10
• Science Reporter
• Book by Dr.Ravi Agrahari
• Stress will be on Current affairs

BOOKLIST for MAINS

**Books/sources mentioned in prelims booklist are not mentioned again

• GS 1- General Studies-I : Indian Heritage and Culture, History and Geography of the World and Society

• Nitin Singhania for Art  and  Culture
• CCRT website/news articles
• World History- Norman Lowe** / Study IQ world History series
• Post-Independence-
•      NCERT 12 (Politics In India after Independence);
•      9,10 (India and Contemporary World); India Since Independence

**If you have a lot of time then  –

• India after Gandhi by RC GUHA (Summary on my Telegram channel)
• Society – NCERT 12 (Indian Society)

• GS 2 – General Studies- II: Governance, Constitution, Polity, Social Justice and International relations

• Polity – DD Basu
• Governance book  by Laxmikanth
• Study IQ smart course for Governance
• Yojana magazine
• 2^nd ARC report (summary)
• IR – 12^TH  NCERT

(Contemporary world politics  + News analysis)

• GS 3 – General Studies-III: Technology, Economic Development, Bio diversity, Environment, Security and Disaster Management

• Science Reporter magazine
• News  about new developments in science, Nobel prize
• Data/rankings from various reports
• StudyIQ videos
• Disaster management – IGNOU notes
• Internal Security  –  Book by Ashok kumar

GS 4 – General Studies IV:

Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude

1. Lexicon by Chronicle
2. Book by G.Subba Rao
3. Case studies

Essay

Practice key topics beforehand like

• Social issues,
• Pollution,
• Women empowerment
• Energy related issues
• Digital India
• 4^th Industrial revolution

1. Optional paper 1
2. Optional paper 2
3. English  – Practice previous papers
4. Language – Practice previous papers

• Notes

Make your own notes always
Benefits of making Notes –

1. Concise – easy to carry
2. Easier to revise
3. Things you write down will stick in your memory better

Do not make notes of Current affairs*

• Practice

• Knowledge gained by reading is put to test in a limited period of time.
• So practice in a simulated environment – time / environment
• Join any test series (online/offline) – evaluate which topics are you weak in.
• Mains – answer writing – multiple platforms available (UPSCIQ)

Other Sources

• RSTV – Desh Deshantar/topic specific debates
• Down to earth magazine
• Livemint , BBC and AIR audio news
• PIB updates
• Study IQ videos for Current affairs/ Daily MCQ series
• Social media accounts of various Ministries,UN organizations for info on different reports/new policies

• 1 year Timetable

 Daily routine

• 2 hours for newspaper and Current affairs
• +
• 2 GS subjects for 3/4 hours each every day
• Or
•  1 GS subject for 7/8 hours each day

How to Avoid Burnout!

• Today, the human brain is exposed to tonnes of information – almost drowned in the digital stream of information.
• It is easy to feel as if the day is getting wasted doing too many things.
• Fix a time for digital devices

Maintain a schedule

1. SLEEP for 7 hours
2. Eat Healthy
3. Exercise for minimum 30 min everyday
4. MEDITATE

SACRIFICE

• For 1 year , AVOID UNNCECESSARY 

1. CALLS
2. TRIPS
3. FRIENDS
4. RELATIVES

• No perfect approach or perfect path to success

 
 
 

 

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