Optional confusion (details given): Agriculture or Philosophy

asavthama

Confusion is whether I should choose Agri or Philo.

Educational background: PG in Biotech

Agriculture:
many topics overlap with UG/PG course & syllabus looks rather easy..technical subject suits my writing style
but No Coaching..unavailability of quality material and no good test series available (I think test series is must for upsc), little guidance from seniors, seems like nobody no one even qualified for interview in 2015

philosophy: new topic & have to start from scratch...but comparatively short syllabus, ample guidance, study material and test series available

Any tips, suggestion from seniors...plz

masalabond

take Agro-Philosophy
and become like Subhash Palekar= the Krishi ka Rishi !

asavthama

take Agro-Philosophy
and become like Subhash Palekar= the Krishi ka Rishi !

Hahaha...unfortunately upsc aisa option ni deti. my studies hv been hampered for last 1 week in this tension of choosing the right optional. I request seniors to plz give some advise.

SachinSharma

@asavthama I have philosophy as an optional don't know about agriculture. Agriculture would suit you better try to find aome other serious candidate as agriculture optional that would help you in answer writing and if you see the syllabus you would find questions in mains are more or less around the topic mentioned so you can do it without professional help.

asavthama

@asavthama I have philosophy as an optional don't know about agriculture. Agriculture would suit you better try to find aome other serious candidate as agriculture optional that would help you in answer writing and if you see the syllabus you would find questions in mains are more or less around the topic mentioned so you can do it without professional help.

That's the problem...literally no strategy, book list or seniors,who scored well, in Agriculture..available on FI or anywhere on Internet... Also no coaching or test series in Agriculture (evolution k reviews bahut ache ni h)...

I want to take agri..but reasons mentioned above can't be ignored...btw how would u rate Philosophy for a fresher ??

KP1891

http://sathishsofaar.blogspot.in/2015/03/ifos-civil-services-dilemma-dissolved.html?m=1

http://mrunal.org/2013/05/toppers-interview-anoop-shetty-air-140-cse-2012-kannada-litt-agriculture-no-coaching.html

asavthama

http://sathishsofaar.blogspot.in/2015/03/ifos-civil-services-dilemma-dissolved.html?m=1

http://mrunal.org/2013/05/toppers-interview-anoop-shetty-air-140-cse-2012-kannada-litt-agriculture-no-coaching.html

Thanks for the links..I've read them already. U'll be surprised to know that book list given (alongwith comments) are same in both..former copied from the latter.

Anyhow is there anyone who scrored +230 in Agriculture in CSE 2015 or 2014....I tried in various threads..didn't find anyone

chuck

@asavthama

My suggestion: Take agriculture ...the constraints you have mentioned can be construed as positives also:
* no coaching, no guidance, no material, etc: everyone would be at ground zero - no undue advantage to anyone who has time & resources/money to stay & take coaching in Delhi;
* less number of candidates: thus you dont have to be exceptional to score well (like in Geography, & to a lesser extent in philosophy) ...you just have to be "the one eyed man in the land of the blind".

Other advantages of Agriculture:
* almost 60-70% of the questions are repeated; So, if you have internalized last 10-15 years' papers, then more than half of your work is done.
* Out of the remaining questions, most are easy, factual & direct.
* Only 1 or 2 will be bouncers; but then you will also have the choice of not attempting them.
* your technical background would give you an edge in Paper-2 (P-1 is very general; overlaps with some topics of GS P3)


Agriculture 2013 2014
Top100 2 0
Top500 3 2
Total 7 7
Average 230 276
Highest 252 316


Agriculture 2014
Rank O1 O2 Total Name
267 130 117 247 Abhijit Awadhiya
460 129 168 297 Zendage Hanumant Kondiba
667 164 152 316 Dhivya Ruth J
726 150 117 267 R Ramkumar
746 132 155 287 Shreenatha N
818 143 130 273 Krishna Moorthy K
971 116 128 244 Karthikeyan D

Although I dont have data on 2015 (UPSC has not released yet) ...still "seems like nobody no one even qualified for interview in 2015" is definitely not the case

Another point: "test series is must" ...NO it is not, if you are sincere enough to write answers on your own.

PS: I have no knowledge of Philosophy; & Agriculture is my 2nd optional in IFoS ...but I cant guide you, coz I have not prepared it much

rkr06

@chuck bhai my optional is agri for upsc CS..paper 2 is so tough for non agri student..this subject needs rattafication And confusing...if u r not good pls donot take.

asavthama

@rkr06 bro u confused me again...how u did in Agri in 2015...?? Is there any whatsapp/telegram group ??

SachinSharma

@asavthama I have philosophy as an optional don't know about agriculture. Agriculture would suit you better try to find aome other serious candidate as agriculture optional that would help you in answer writing and if you see the syllabus you would find questions in mains are more or less around the topic mentioned so you can do it without professional help.

That's the problem...literally no strategy, book list or seniors,who scored well, in Agriculture..available on FI or anywhere on Internet... Also no coaching or test series in Agriculture (evolution k reviews bahut ache ni h)...

I want to take agri..but reasons mentioned above can't be ignored...btw how would u rate Philosophy for a fresher ??

Its upto you some people can't prepare alone if youre one of those then you can take philosophy. Philosophy would need some answer writing practice for paper 1 specially as people who have prepared alone without writing answers haven't got marks in paper 1. Coaching almost all are ok, i did at mitras . Can be done without coaching just join some test series after finishing the syllabus.