Prelims gateway to Mains

The common syndrome among candidates and parents is-"It is difficult to succeed in Civils". It is a misconception based on senior's experience. Other opinion is- it is only for the children of elite and children of IAS and IPS officers. It may be true that the children of officers may attempt and succeed in due course, but there are persons like Revu Mutyalaraju, IAS 2006-07 batch topper and presently a District Collector, who reached his goal with determination with a normal family back ground.

Hard work and determination pays dividend in the long run . Srikar from Hyderabad secured 570th rank in the first attempt itself. His optional was Telugu. His father is a teacher at Bibi Nagar. So the misconception that it is difficult to get through in the first attempt also does not hold good. Candidates collect tons of material available, but fail to understand what UPSC expects from them. Without proper understanding there is no use in compiling and collecting information. He will not be able to read it and keep it in a proper method for digestion.

They worry more about the material which they have not collected. Take the advice of seniors, elders and faculty of different institutions. Constant reading is the mantra for success. Written and oral communication skills are to be developed over a period of time. The academic line which you have chosen might not have learnt the skills. It is not part of the syllabi or curriculum. You have to develop it on your own practice. Knowledge of the subject gives advantage in prelims. Effective written communication gives hold for mains and oral communication gives good rank after successful interview.

Time management

It is your own choice, but at least 10 to 12 hours of study helps in getting a rank. Rankers after their selection keep on telling that they have studied more number of hours. Then the question of how much time is to be allotted for General studies- 4 papers in mains? 50% of the time is to be allotted for General studies to gain a hold on the subjects. Getting good score in optional two papers helps in getting good rank. First of all read the syllabus of all the papers and assimilate the topics to further your studies. Follow your own methodology of memorization. But it should not be on the lines of bye-hearting in Intermediate level.

Standard books

To get good score, it is advised that they have to read standard books published by experts in eh field. Notes supplied by different institutions s part of their coaching helps the candidate. The faculty with their rich experience has supplied the material like honey collected by honey comb. Revision of the subject at regular intervals gives confidence.

Current affairs

Keep a watch on day to day happenings and make a note of it in a long note book under different sub-headings. It can be –economy, political, judiciary, parliamentary proceedings, constitutional amendments, international relations etc. While going through the news papers like Hindu, Hans India and others keep it in mind how a question can be framed on this issue. Several judgments pronounced by the Supreme Court are to be noted down with preference- Sabarimala issue, Talaq, and others. The supremacy of Supreme Court Collegiums was under lot of pressure.

Suggestions for effective reading

1. Make a habit of reading quickly -10 to 12 pages at a time

2. Don't get disheartened. There are candidates who secured rank in 6th attempt.

3. Remember that in the first attempt also people got good rank. Luck smiles.

4. Don't loose hopes after firs attempt failure

5. Relax, Relax and Relax

Journals to read

Besides several journals available in the market, the following journals and magazines along with dailies are to be read. Lot of libraries at District headquarters also are maintain separate wing for Competitive exam candidates. Two years back City Central Library has made special arrangements for open air reading with subject oriented books available for issue.

1. Manorama year book -2019 and "India 2019" of Publications division are yearly publications worth preserving and reading.

2. Yojana English and Telugu are monthly publications. Each month is dedicated to a particular topic and articles of experts are published

3. Old copies of Yojana can be preserved for ready reference. For example the December 2012 edition was with special articles on North east states- Nagaland. One can get a full view of Nagaland and its problems after reading the magazine. It includes agricultural development, the life style of north eastern people. Mary com the gem of North east, Future of Higher education, the festivals of Naga tribes, the inclusive growth of North East etc. The same English articles are translated into other language publications of Yojana.

4. Yearly supplements of Hindu on Science and Technology, and Economy are worth reading.

Personal Note book

It should contain different heads as follows according to your taste.

1. Current topics

2. Parliamentary proceedings of importance

3. International issues and Foreign policy

4. Science and Technology

5. National awards

6. Supreme Court judgments etc.

Radio listening

All India Radio broadcasts daily spotlight at 9.16 pm which covers topical issues. Experts participate in the programme and provide lot of information. Similarly current affairs programe broadcast from Delhi is worth preserving. Make a habit of listening.It helps you in effective preparation. Besides this cultivate the habit of writing your own views on a particular subject in your own style in the form of an essay or small paragraphs. It helps in having good written communication skills and good handwriting practice. In the mains examination hand-writing is more important. Legible and intelligible answers fetch good marks.