Hi All!
Some of you might remember me from the early forum days - I have appeared for the Mains before (old pattern) but got age-barred last year. Now thanks to the age relaxation, I was able to appear again, and got through the Prelims (to my surprise!). But I have been out of touch with UPSC for 2 years, and am a complete newbie to the new Mains pattern (I read the syllabus yesterday). Please advise on how to prepare for the Mains in 2 months starting from scratch. I think I am in control of my Optional (Pol Sci.) but am totally lost on the GS front.
Kindly help!!
Thanks!
Comments
This might help for starters : http://mrunal.org/2014/07/ias-topper-rank-1-gaurav-agrawal-ips-iit-iim-economics-optional.html
A quick plan for you.
1. Download the syllabus. Take a print out . Click here
http://forumias.com/discussion/1810/download-pdf-upsc-mains-2013-new-syllabus/p1
2. Mark on it various sources to cover the syllabus from. You will need to read books for Paper 1 -
Books are Spectrum/ Bipan Chandra - Post Independence , Arjun Dev (or get xerox copy from ORN), Subba Rao Book to see sample case studies, 2 NCERTs, For Current Affairs use Vision IAS or GK Today
3. In the word doc, just put some links for all each topic, and just read everything from Internet on those topics - at least one article on each topic.
4. Say Globalisation - think of questions, jot down points and read from internet
5. Whilst in office, download one question paper of Synergy, Vajiram, Vision (should be available on ForumIAS) and try to solve it, or read solution - finish one paper in 2 days at least.
I'll start with this for now. Please keep adding as appropriate
What I've done in the meanwhile is I have mapped last year's questions to various topics in the syllabus. Most of the questions are directly mappable to specific topics. For ex - Topic: Effect of Globalization on Indian society; Question: Effect of globalization on aged population.
I guess it it is even possible to anticipate a few questions and prepare them - given that this is only the 2nd year of the new pattern. Thoughts?
Paper 1
1)world history: http://mrunal.org/history
2)world geography: http://mrunal.org/geography and G C Leong's book.(ncerts too 11 and 12th)
3)modern history(1857 till independence): Spectrum Rajiv Ahir
4)indian geography: Majid hussain's book on Indian geography. However if u do Indian geography from Ncerts that will too suffice.
5)Art and Culture: There are several notes and one think you can do is visit this channel by Roman Saini (Rank 18 22 years age AIIMS pass out single attempt, he has some wonderful videos on art and culture as well as world history as well as art and culture plus a high yielding series on environment and ecology, watch those videos and you will feel it all captivating and educative..
Also you can visit my culture thread and according to Roman's advice in the above youtube you can read those materials.
Why I am stressing on Roman saini as he has in his first attempt secured high marks in all the gs papers except gs paper 2 which speaks for itself without referring various materials..here is his interview where he mentions the resources. No offence but I find his approach better than Gaurav Aggarwal's.
6)Post independence History(1947 onwards): Well, you can start with Ncert and Bipin chandra's india since independence can come in handy but since you have less time I would suggest you to go through it but only from selected chapters such as land reforms and other ones from some one who gave mains last year and secondly what u can do is : make summarised notes on important events after independence such as Panchseel, NAM and India-china and Green Revolution etc which you feel are really important and can come in the exam so that you do not have to go through the dreadful Bipin chandra again and again but repeated revisions from that notes u make will leverage your chances..
Paper 2
1)Indian constitution and allied parts: Read laxmikanth and keep revising small chunks daily uptil the exam.
2)Policies of ministries and schemes: If you want then there is a GKTODAY Compendium which was uploaded which had various schemes and policies which I can upload again also there is a Vajiram one which has it, you can go through that too. Any of them with daily reading of newspaper (The Hindu) will be fine.
3)Bills acts: I have this years Bills and committee reports from where questions may come which I am thinking of uploading. If you want then , will do surely. Just go through them and keep on revising them as they are not humongous.
4)Comparing the constitution: There are several e notes prepared by fellow aspirants, will upload. check on that. or will give a link to you on dropbox, kindly download from there.
5)International Relations esp India's with other countries: Well, Hindu's current affairs with an IR book will suffice. But a shortcut can be some e notes where you can go through and maybe you will find it helpful. If still you need further help, then go for David's Malone's Does the Elephant dance!
Also what you can do otherwise is go to Wikipedia, click on various institutions like WB,IMF,UN and its other agencies and also for key events like Panchsheel or NAM, like these and make short notes just copying keywords and facts..just revise them as its after all a 10 marker its all about range rather than depth now.
P.S. http://mrunal.org/diplomacy and http://mrunal.org/polity these are important too and informative less time consuming.
PAPER 3
1)Indian Economy: Ramesh Singh. This is the only book. Read and revise. If you needs conceptual clearing which I dont think you will be needing, yet you can go for NCERT 11 AND 12. Else skip it. Ramesh singh+ Economic Survey summary by Mrunal and Mrunal's Economy Articles are okay and just keep a tab on Hindu's eco section. Nothing new. arthapedia.in should be visited and revised.
2)Crops, Irrigation: NCERT 11 and 12 geography and also if you have India year book then there is a chapter on agriculture
3)Food processing: Mrunal's articles on food processing search and get going.
4)Land Reforms: Mrunal's Land Reforms articles very beautifully explained under http://mrunal.org/polity. Go and you shall find.
5)Science and Tech: Ncert 7-10 all books. Also after that this: http://mrunal.org/snt very very important.
and also keep a tab from now on hindu science and tech every thursday, that will be it.
4)Environment and other related things:http://mrunal.org/enb this will do. along with Hindu. and Ncerts for basic gyaan.
5)Security: for cyber security go through this website http://deity.gov.in/content/icert(just the basics and no Phd please at this stage). for internal security there is a IDSA book which can be referred I can upload but there are some random e notes in ms word form which in my estimation will be of better use if u go through small in size and giving the basics.I will upload if you choose so.
Paper 4
This paper there are lots of materials but basically you can do one thing that is @crazyphoton's (Gaurav aggarwal AIR 1 ethics notes) and revise them. He has good notes on this one. After that solve maximum number of case studies. This paper can really take you high or break your back anyway it pleases but usually the 1st one happens. Along with that if I may suggest, Vajiram Ethics material is there in booklet form, they release it so if you can get it you can revise from there too. If you want then I have uploaded them today in one of my ethics thread you can go through them. I wont suggest anything else as 50 days is left and you have so much to do. All the misc reading to be done after mains for the interview. You just dont need it.
Essay paper: Practice one per week at least. It has led the tables turning for aspirants as it is a highly undecided paper since last year's marks.
Hindi and English: Unique Publications and preferably one HiNDI Newspaper per day just one month before mains. Not a big task I hope it will do.
Bas. Now that's the biggest shortcut available for you at the moment. I had always viewed your posts earlier when you were associated with the forum and feel good to help you. I hope you qualify and make it this time after such a long tryst with destiny.
For all the materials I said I will upload are there in the below link in the discussions thread I had created long ago. So you have to do a little bit search and you will get it. Otherwise you can put up with a request or just ask any generous ForumIas member who will be happy to help you just like me.
Key pointers:
1)Be positive. Balance preparation with a sound mind.
2)less sources means more revision and more revision means more marks.
3)Keep 1 hour or even half an hour everyday for whatever you study preferably at the end of the day.
4)For current affairs for whatever you missed you can go through this: http://mrunal.org/current. This will help you for past current affairs for the remaining months or you can go through vajiram or chronicle's or even vision's which ever you find good enough but keep in mind it should cover imp things and also it should be short crisp succint as you have less time and you need to revise more and more.
5)I also have PSIR but since I havent given mains yet so cant say what can be genuine resources but if you do request me on that note, I can state for PSIR too. Anyway you yourself have stated you are in control of your optional. Just revise the basic books like O P Gauba and Ignou and others which you have read and re revise and keep on practice writing answers.
6)Finally dont give up. Nothing is impossible.
http://forumias.com/profile/discussions/3554/abhi8738
All the materials are here in some threads, you just need to find them and I know you will do.
Whatever material you need You can go through this
https://www.dropbox.com/home
Kindly spare me if there are some technical difficulties as I am not a tech savvy guy but still have the zeal to try all such stuff.
http://forumias.com/discussion/comment/170418#Comment_170418