DETAILED UPSC Preparation Strategy: Chandra Mohan

Garg, Rank – 25, UPSC Civil Services Exam – 2015

www.insightsonindia.com/2016/05/22/toppers-strategy-chandra-mohan-garg-rank-25-upsc-civil-services-exam-2015/

INSIGHTS May 22, 2016

My UPSC Preparation Strategy

Chandra Mohan Garg

Rank – 25, CSE – 2015

I feel privileged today to share my two cents on civil services preparation. Before I begin let
me clearly state that there is no magic wand to clear civil services. Also there is no
correlation of intelligence and high aptitude with chances of selection in civil services. Most
of the people who crack it are no indifferent (at one point of time even they were a part of
the herd and felt the same uncertainty of clearing up this exam).But yes something worked
for them, that made them successful.

I would like to list down some of the most important components which you will find
common in preparation of all successful candidates. We can call them as Basic Pillars of
UPSC Preparation

1. A timetable and strategy: Nothing is possible without proper planning, a daily

timetable and short/long term goals setting. So plan and timetable is the first pillar.
2. A strong foundation and conceptual clarity: it is important to ensure whatever we
read, we understand it thoroughly. UPSC questions are very much applied, they need
analysis and that can come only when we are crystal clear with our concepts of
subject matter.
3. Consolidation and revision: The syllabus is like a vast ocean, it is important to keep
consolidating and revising it time and again.So make notes and continuosly revise
every now and then.
4. Evaluation of Preparation: At every point of time you should know where your
preparation stand, that is possible through self-evaluation and evaluation through
tests.
5. Consistency: Nothing happens without it. People who show consistency are sure
shot to be rewarded, provided they work smartly
6. Discussions and Answer writing: Discussions are very important, they will help in
clearing your doubts & better understanding of subject matter. Similarly Answer
writing has a very important role, knowledge without ability to express and articulate
is futile. It is important to develop the ability to deliver in 8 minutes.
7. Being Optimistic: This is the last but the most important one. UPSC is a time taking
process, full of obstacles and failures. How to cope up with them, keeping yourself
motivated is the biggest key to success.
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I will discuss each of the above point in detail sometime later. Also I shall take up
discussion on soft aspects like right time to start preparation, should job be left, need of a
backup, how do I decide why civil services etc. Clarity on all this is must before giving a full-
fledged effort for preparation.

Now let us discuss how to prepare for civil services.

Pre –Preparation Mode

The initial two-three months are very confusing. People are generally not able to
understand what to read, how to make notes, which newspaper to refer and other plethora
of questions coming to their minds. What most people end up doing is they join a coaching
thinking it to be a solution to all problems , others blindly start following some senior who
himself is misdirected. This is a very crucial stage and I feel most of the people lose their
momentum here because of a faulty start and they find very difficult to realign later.

So starting has to be steady and sober. I think it is important to give at least two months to
yourself to get yourself in UPSC mode. Start reading newspapers and noting them down,
basic NCERT’s of economics, Polity & other basic ones, some good blogs/book etc. This
will not only help in giving you a foundation but also help in taking informed decisions
related to preparation (estimation of time you will need, need of coaching, should job be
continued, optional choice etc.). This will act as a trial and error time where you can learn
how to make notes, how to read books, learn from others etc. So this will make things
smooth in your preparation be it self or through coaching.

I shall discuss in detail how to go about in pre-preparation mode

Preparation Mode

When you start your preparation, have a clear cut idea about your study plan. Which
books/material to read, which subjects to cover up, how to divide time between (GS,
current affairs and optional), what will be the daily targets, short and long term goals.

Time Required for Preparation: Since every one of us have different grasping power so
please do not go by others set timeline. Take your own time for civil services preparation.
Ideally 12-15 months is at least required for preparation mode.

Book-List

Prelims Book List (My Prelims Book List)

Polity – Laxmikanth

Modern History – Modern Spectrum , few chapters from Old NCERT class 12th (before
1857)

Medieval History – OLD NCERT

Ancient History- OLD NCERT CLASS 11th

Culture- Nitin Singhania + CCRT/NIOS selectively , Mrunal Videos can also be seen

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Environment – Shankar Ias, Old Biology Class 12 Ecology unit

Economics- Sriram Printed Notes + Macroeconomics Class 12 NCERT . Mrunal Videos are
also good .

Geography – Class 11th &12th NCERT, Class 6 to 10th NCERT selectively, Biomes
chapter from G C Leong. Mrunal Videos are also good.

Science- NCERT 6th to 10th (Mainly 9th&10th), Some selective chapters from 11th & 12th
as mentioned by Mrunal. Vajiram Yellow books of PCB are also fine

Current Affairs- Hindu + InsightsonIndia + Monthly Magazine

Other stuff – Budget+ Eco survey selectively + Indian Year Book Selectively(only if time
permits)

Test Series – InsightsonIndia papers for its questions . A question bank like Arihant might
also be of help

What if the basics are very weak. You can do the following:-

Read NCERTS 6th to 10th of subjects you feel you are very weak
Take help of online videos. Mrunal, Unacademy are good platforms.

General Studies Mains

GS Paper 1

Culture : Nitin Singhania Notes + Vajiram Notes

Modern History – Modern Spectrum/Shekhar Bandopadhyay , few chapters from Old

NCERT class 12th (before 1857)

Post Independent History – Vision Ias (selectively), Bipin Chandra India since
Independence(selectively).

World History – NCERT 9th &10th Old ones, Class 12th NCERT (all selectively) , Vision
IAS notes

Society – Ram Ahuja selectively can be seen, current affairs

Geography – NCERT 11th& 12th , GC Leong , Mrunal Videos, Vision reference for
resources part

GS Paper 2

Read one reference source for static part and compliment it with current affairs .

Polity: Laxmikanth thoroughly + Current Affairs

Public Admin related topics:Vision IAS + Current Affairs

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IR: Current Affairs. If need be Subhra Ranjan mam IR notes of Pol science are also good to
be selectively referred.

Insight secure Initiative is very helpful here. Look at paper 2 questions posted up and
read answers on topics you have little or no idea. Collate it in your notes.

GS Paper 3

Economy & Infrastructure : Prelims studied sources + Sanjeev Verma + Economic survey +
Budget + Current Affairs

Agriculture & related topics : Mrunal + Vision Ias + Current Affairs

Security – TMH book on security + Current Affairs

Environment & Science : Mainly current affair + whatever studied for prelims

Disaster Management : Summarise ARC on DM + Current Affairs

Here also make most of Insight secure Initiative + Newspaper + Vision Ias Magazines

GS Paper 4

It is not a technical subject , this subject requires very clear understanding of value aspect
and then its application in real life and contextual problem. So focus should be on general
understanding and answer writing.

Read one reference book say lexicon. Summarize and make your own notes for values,
concepts and relate it to examples. Eg attitude. what is attitude, attributes of attitude, how
to change attitude etc. Make simple points on all these and relate it to real life examples.(
how to change a bureaucrat attitude, society attitude etc). This year a question was based
on it only- changing attitude of villagers towards female education. How will you do it.

UPSC expects application of ethical knowledge in real life and this is how we need to do
it.Refer Insights secure for answer writing and reading others answer.

Key is read less, think more ( collect examples, reason and analyse etc) and then practice
how to write. Refer some test series if you want. GS score case studies solutions were
really good earlier. Don’t know now.

Use: Lexicon, InsightsonIndia articles + Secure Initiative , Some test papers with
solution on case studies( GS score solutions/Lukmaan), self analysis and note making.

General Good books / sources for knowledge addition :-

1. India After Gandhi :- Must to understand India’s transformation

2. Imagining India :- Discusses well India’s issues and solutions to them
3. 12th 5yr Approach plan: Very helpful for paper 3
4. Economic Survey and Budget
5. RSTV discussions
6. Selective reference to Kurukshetra, Yojana, EPW

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How to Cover Syllabus

Syllabus can be divided into 3 parts

1. Pre cum Mains:

This is that part of Syllabus which is more or less common for prelims and mains. E.g.
Polity, World Geography etc. You will get to know just by seeing Syllabus which all parts
are common.

Prepare this part holistically for prelims and mains together i.e. understand the concept and
as well learn the factual part. For example if you are reading Laxmikant and topic is
Speaker, from prelims perspective you will focus on how speaker is elected, his powers,
which committees he heads etc. & from mains point of view you will focus on role of
speaker in effective functioning of parliament, how to ensure political impartiality of
speaker, UK vs India model for speaker etc.

If possible make some notes or put stickers in the book and summarise. Write some
answers for practice every now and then (get this evaluated by someone).

Pre cum mains section needs to be covered well in advance before prelims examination, so
that you can revise twice before prelims. Also you should practice at least one test series
for prelims.

I will discuss prelims and GS-1, 2, 3, 4 preparation paper strategy separately, where I can
talk about how to cover syllabus, book list, note making, how to link static and current
knowledge, how to consolidate and what to write in answers.

2. Mains topics Only

This refers to those part of syllabus which are not common with prelims. E.g.- GS Paper 4,
World History etc. Refer syllabus and you will get all of it.

One should read each and everything from this section and make some notes also before
prelims. So that after prelims you can join a test series and write test and evaluate and
revise only.

3. Optional

Choose optional on the basis of interest, time requirement, material availability, marks trend
etc. It is very important to cover the entire syllabus of optional before prelims. After prelims
it should only be revision, value addition and answer writing practice.

Other Important Components of Syllabus

1. Current Affairs

Current Affairs is very important for prelims and mains point of view. One needs to make
continuous notes because most of the questions asked in prelims and mains have a
correlation with contemporary developments taking place. Sources you need may include:-

1. A current Daily: to capture recent happenings, reading editorial, noting examples,

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 general awareness and facts. Hindu and Indian Express are good sources
2. Monthly Magazine: To get a consolidated source every month end. Vision, IAS Baba
or any other will do.
3. InsightsonIndia: Secure Initiative for Mains Value addition and Current events for
prelims majorly.

For prelims: Capture all events, organisation, initiatives, schemes & policy, scientific
developments, Institutions, people etc. in news

For Mains: Go through the syllabus thoroughly and make categories (Polity, IR, S&T etc.).
Capture any government initiatives, policies, latest development in any field, issue analysis,
editorial, case study, facts related to the syllabus.

2. Essay

Most of the people generally ignore essay preparation. I could increase 32 marks in my GS
altogether (375 to 407) after putting up lot of efforts. But not even 1/10 th of effort was
required to increase 28 marks in essay (121 to 149). So it is very important to prepare for
essay. Essay preparation does not require any coaching as fodder you will get from GS
preparation. What needs to be learnt is how to articulate that knowledge, how to create an
outline of essay and structure your ideas, how to give illustrations and include quotes, facts,
examples in essay. All this will come with practice and some homework.

I will write on this in detail later.

PRELIMS TIME (what to do)

Prelims has become highly competitive, keeping in mind that CSAT is out and cut-off is
going very high one needs to give a lot of attention to prelims .Now focus has to be on two
areas. One is what to prepare and Second how to solve the paper.

What to prepare:

Firstly focus on basic books and NCERT and cover them thoroughly. This is the most
conventional and safe area from where you can be sure that question will come and you will
be able to solve. Secondly read budget, economic survey and current events thoroughly.
This is another favourite area of UPSC now. Apart from this there are so many growing
resources for environment, culture, conventional subjects coming up. Read them selectively
on your discretion once you are done with above mentioned things.Most Important is
revision, revise at least thrice.Also do give tests they help in evaluation, course completion
and revision. If you don’t want to join take papers from the market. InsightsonIndia papers
are very nice.

How to solve the paper:

The papers these days are very confusing due to multiple choices, making it difficult to
attempt questions with 100 percent surety. So at times we need to take calculated risks.
Paper need to be solved through 2 ways. One you know what is the answer, other you
know what can’t be the answer so indirectly leading you to the answer. Read the questions
and solve them in the question paper first. If you know the answer put a tick in the question
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paper, if you don’t know leave it, if you are 50-50 ( able to eliminate at least two options)
you can put a round or any other way you like to make it like a marked question. Now in
your answer sheet first fill only those questions you are 100 percent sure. Count such
number of questions. Based on your self-evaluation figure out if you need to take some
risk. If you think you have done ample questions and will easily clear so don’t take a risk. If
you feel your attempt is very less then take some calculated risk with questions you had put
as marked questions, choose those questions among them where you are able to eliminate
one more option or are more or less confident towards one of the two options left.

I am only sharing an approach using it is solely your discretion, don’t go by mine or anyone
else advice. Practice it in mocks and then take your own decision. Though best thing is to
ensure you take minimal risk, but such conditions are idealistic and we have to be prepared
for emergency situations.

PRE-MAINS TIME (what to do)

This is the time when all your notes/revision sources should be ready. No new reading in
this period except current affairs and some value additions. Now set a timeline for revision.
You can use a test series or even self-defined deadlines. This time 116 days are there so
plan accordingly.

Consolidation (75-80 days)

Tests will have a weekly/bi weekly plan and a part of syllabus is supposed to be covered.
First cover the left over parts of the topics if any left. Then revise everything. While revising
keep your static and current affairs notes /sources together and consolidate them.

For eg- you read speaker in Laxmikant, in current affairs you would have come across how
speaker misused anti-defection law in Bihar, how a bill was labelled as money bill to bypass
Rajya sabha etc. Likewise consolidate your knowledge of current and static parts for every
paper.

Most importantly focus on answer writing a lot. Not just writing but get evaluated through
test series, friends, seniors in services or Insight on India. Objective behind writing is
solely improve your articulation, structuring etc.

First and Second Revision ( 35-40 days)

It is important to remember basic ideas in the examination hall. Rather than reading new
things focus on strengthening what you have read. So two rounds of revision are much
needed. It sounds idealistic when we are not even able to cover the syllabus. But my focus
is on quality of coverage than quantity. And if you plan properly you can have quality along
with quantity.

Note Making

Whatever you read in Static and Current part keep consolidating topic wise. Anything new
add in your notes rather than reading again and again. Later these notes can be
consolidated and used for revision purpose. If you will not make notes you will not be able

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to catch hold of entire syllabus, keep forgetting things. So start making notes from day 1. In
course of time you will learn how to make, manage and revise them

What else is required?

I think three biggest facets of this preparation are Knowledge, articulation and positive
attitude. Nobody talks about this third facet which is the most important and critical aspect
of not just Upsc preparation but life in itself. I am focussing on this because I left my
preparation once thinking I am not capable of clearing UPSC and here I am with rank 25. It
happened only when I changed my outlook, had I not changed it, my capabilities would
never had come out. I could not have achieved this feat.

I am sharing a small link to an article I wrote sometime back. https://www.quora.com/What-

is-the-best-attitude-one-should-maintain-to-crack-civils-upsc

My Marks

Queries?

I know all of us are full of confusions and queries. So in case any one of you needs any
help you can reach out to me on a fb page I created this page to upload articles and videos
and answer all your queries. In case you need any help in answer review. You can post
here only.

Link is : https://www.facebook.com/CSE-Preparation-1713358785598474/

Also you can poke me on quora. https://www.quora.com/profile/Chandra-Mohan-Garg-1

I shall try to write a series of article or make some videos on each and every aspect related
to UPSC preparation. Please give me some time.

Best wishes to all of you. Hope we all do our best in our lives.

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