Cracking the UPSC

The Civil Services Examination is one of the toughest papers to crack, but with a thought-out strategy and efficient time management, it is possible to sail through the examination. The preliminary test for the PUSC was scheduled for June 18^th. Here are some tips for each of the subjects that UPSC aspirants can prepare for:

Art & Culture

This subject has been of quite importance for both the main and prelims in the past years
Emphasis is laid on folk culture, martial arts and dance forms
For thorough preparations and extra study, refer to the NCERT textbook titled Introduction to Indian Arts for Class XI
Also search for research material on the CCRT website and NIOS book on art & culture

History

The focus in recent examinations has been on medieval and ancient times
For example, questions on the Southern Kingdoms of ancient India, the Indus Valley Civilization, and Jainism, Buddhism and the Mughal Era of the medieval times have featured in many papers
NCERT History textbooks are the best fall back option for this subject
Students are advised to draw comparative notes for efficient revision

Geography

Focus has been on Indian Geography, with only understanding of the world map being sufficient for answering questions on World Geography
It is always good to have knowledge of recent news, such as the Syrian war and the South China Sea conflict
Understanding the Indian map is also of utmost importance, as at least one question in the paper is related to this knowledge
For best references, do consult NCERT textbooks for standard VIII to XII; Certificate Physical and Human Geography is also a very good book

Polity

Pay special attention to chapters on the Indian Constitution, with particular focus on the citizens’ Fundamental Rights and Duties, Directive Principles on State Policy, the Indian President, and the Parliament
Students can refer to books written by Subhash Kashyap and PM Bakshi for understanding conventional polity
As always, students are advised to stay up to date on recent news to relate the current issues in Constitutional Provisions
Your best guide would be the daily newspaper, especially for getting information on the schemes and policies that have been launched by the government in the past year

Economy

Students are mostly tested on their understanding of basics, knowledge of current events and international organizations
A strong understanding on the XI and XII NCERT books on economy would be an advantage
Updating yourself on news informs by RBI and understanding of recent government initiatives is a must
To improve your own understanding, link the basic economic concepts with latest news articles

Environment

Since 2003, when Civil Services and Forest Sciences examinations were merged, this subject has becomes very important
Questions on this subject are varied; students can prepare on national parks & wildlife sanctuaries, international conventions on climate change, Indian species that are endangered and their habitats, and Ecology and environment
Do refer to NCERT textbooks on Environmental Education for Class IX and X

Science & Technology

Do not ignore this subject in favour of Polity and Economics
Consult NCERT books on Biology, Physics and Chemistry for Standards XI and XII to get a basic understanding of the subject
Do also keep yourself updated on events on Science and Technology
By reading up on NASA and ISRO, India’s achievements in space advancement, and Nobel prizes, students will prepare yourself well

Current Affairs

In the past couple of years, questions on current affairs have become fairly common, especially if there has been recent news on the above subjects
Make sure to update yourself with the latest news, and to read the newspaper every day, not restricting yourself to only one paper
Do take down revision notes from the newspapers of any article which seems interesting

All the best!