UPSC 2013 General
Studies: Prelims + Mains for Civil Service IAS IPS Exam
UPSC 2013 Part 02 (Mains)
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Before
(upto 2012)
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After
(2013)
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Paper
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Marks
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Paper
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Marks
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Compulsory
language papers |
Regional
language paper.
Marks not counted in merit. |
300
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Removed
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0
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English
Paper. But marks
not counted in final merit list. |
300
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Kept
but its marks
counted in final merit list. |
100
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Essay
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Yes
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200
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Yes
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200
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General
Studies
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2
papers
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600
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4
papers (new topics included)
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1000
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First
optional
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2
papers
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600
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2
papers
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500
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Second
optional
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2
papers
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600
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Removed
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0
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Interview
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Yes
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300
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Yes
but marks reduced
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275
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Total
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2900
Merit from 2300. |
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2075
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1. We can pick up
literature optional ONLY if we’ve done graduation in it. (Excellent step)
2. We can write
mains exam in regional language (Gujarati, Marathi, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu
etc….) ONLY if you have done graduation in that medium. Otherwise, we’ll have
to write mains in Hindi / English. (Only in English means it would have sound better)
3. Even if we’ve
done graduation in a regional language (Gujarati, Tamil…) but less than 25
candidates decide to write mains in that regional language, then UPSC will
order you to write mains in Hindi / English. (Unable to digest this step)
What is removed from general studies?
1. Statistics and
data interpretation topic removed from General Studies (Mains).
2. Public Health,
Health education and ethical concerns regarding health-care, medical research
and pharmaceuticals topic removed. (It is no longer explicitly mentioned under
syllabus, although doesn’t prevent UPSC from asking this under GS3!)
#1: History and Culture
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1.
Indian culture will cover the salient aspects of
Art Forms, Literature and Architecture from ancient to modern times.
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Same as usual. NIOS, IGNOU tourism studies, Spectrum book on
Culture.
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2.
Modern Indian history from about the middle of the
eighteenth century until the present- significant events, personalities,
issues
3.
The Freedom Struggle – its various stages and
important contributors /contributions from different parts of the country.
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Same as usual. Bipin Chandra +/- Spectrum +/- GS Manual.
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#2: History of World
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1.
Events from 18th century such as industrial
revolution, world wars, redrawing of national boundaries,
2.
Colonization, decolonization,
3.
Political philosophies like communism, capitalism,
socialism etc.- their forms and effect on the society.
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1.
NCERT.
2.
Selective reading of IGNOU BA History.
3.
IGNOU MA history
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#3: Socio stuff
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1.
Post-independence consolidation and reorganization
within the country.
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1.
Starting point is IGNOU
MSO 003 India democracy and Development.
2.
Then there is Decent material scattered in IGNOU Sociology, political science
and Public Administration (BA, MA).
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2.
Salient features of Indian Society, Diversity of
India.
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3.
Role of women and women’s organization, population
and associated issues, poverty and developmental issues, urbanization, their
problems and their remedies.
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4.
Effects of globalization on Indian society
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5.
Social empowerment, communalism, regionalism &
secularism.
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#4: Geography
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General Studies
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Before change
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2013
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Preliminary exam
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Geography = Physical + World +
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Same
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Mains
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Geography = only Indian Geography.
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Now Geography = Physical + World +
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Now,
Let’s check the syllabus of geography (general studies)
Physical Geography
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Topics
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Comment
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1.
Salient features of world’s physical geography.
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Starting point is NCERTS + GS Manual.
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2.
Important Geophysical phenomena such as
earthquakes, Tsunami, Volcanic activity, cyclone etc.,
3.
Geographical features and their location.
4.
Changes in critical geographical features
(including water-bodies and ice-caps) and in flora and fauna and the effects
of such changes.
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Starting point is NCERTS + GS Manual + NIOS biodiversity +
selective reading of IGNOU Disaster Management.+ Majid/Spectrum
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India
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Distribution of key natural resources across the world
(including
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1.
NCERTs,
2.
GS Manual.
3.
Majid Hussain/ Spectrum
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factors responsible for the location of primary, secondary, and
tertiary sector industries in various parts of the world (including
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GS2: Polity, Yearbook, IR
#1: Polity + rights issue
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Basic Constitution
1. Indian
Constitution- historical underpinnings, evolution, features, amendments,
significant provisions basic structure.
2. Functions and
responsibilities of the
3. Comparison of
the Indian constitutional scheme with that of other countries
4. Parliament and
State Legislatures – structure, functioning, conduct of business, powers
& privileges and issues arising out of these.
5. Structure,
organization and functioning of the Executive and the Judiciary
6. Appointment to
various Constitutional posts, powers, functions and responsibilities of
various Constitutional Bodies.
7. Statutory,
regulatory and various quasi-judicial bodies
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Advanced topics
1.
issues and challenges pertaining to the federal
structure,
2.
Devolution of powers + finances up to local levels
and challenges therein.
3.
Separation of powers between various organs dispute
redressal mechanisms and institutions.
4.
Pressure groups and formal/informal associations
and their role in the Polity.
5.
Representation of People’s Act: Salient features
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Starting point is (again) IGNOU.
Then again lot of good stuff scattered around in IGNOU Public Administration,
Political science and sociology. Also newspapers, columns, net digging from
current affairs point of view (e.g. Pressure groups –> Lokpal)
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Rights issue
1.
Vulnerable sections: protections, Betterment:
mechanisms, laws, institutions and Bodies.
2.
Vulnerable Sections: Welfare schemes.
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Yearbook, Welfare schemes
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1.
Ministries and Departments of the Government;
2.
Government policies for development in various
sections.
3.
Social Sector development: Health, Education, Human
Resources.
4.
Poverty and hunger: Issues relating to
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Basic functions and overview of policies given in
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Public Administration related
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1.
Governance: Important aspects of
2.
Development processes and the development industry
3.
the role of NGOs, SHGs, various groups and associations,
donors, charities, institutional and other stakeholders
4.
Transparency & accountability and institutional
and other measures.
5.
e-governance- applications, models, successes,
limitations, and potential;
6.
Citizens charters
7.
Role of civil services in a democracy.
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IR / Diplomacy
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1.
2.
Bilateral, regional and global groupings and
agreements involving
3.
Effect of policies and politics of developed and
developing countries on
4.
Indian diaspora.
5.
Important International institutions, agencies and
fora- their structure, mandate.
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Approach remains same as earlier.
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GS3: Economy, Environment, S&T, Agro, Disaster and
Security
For a paper worth 250 marks, UPSC has
packed way too many topics here!
#1: Economy
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1.
Indian Economy and issues relating to planning,
mobilization of resources, growth, development and employment.
2.
Inclusive growth and issues arising from it.
3.
Government Budgeting.
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XII FYP plan PDF
files. Basic of budgeting is explained in Laxmikanth, Ramesh Singh etc. But
hardly any direct-static questions come in mains. So this is mostly yearbook,
IGNOU (Economics) newspaper and current affairs.
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4.
Effects of liberalization on the economy.
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Basic given in NCERT Class 11
economics. More can be found in
1. IGNOU BA
Economics.
2. IGNOU MA
Economics
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5.
Changes in industrial policy and their effects on
industrial growth.
6.
Infrastructure: Energy, Ports, Roads, Airports,
Railways etc.
7.
Investment models
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Basic given in India Yearbook. Then IGNOU (Economics BA, MA)
selective reading, Newspaper columns, XII FYP
pdfs for more fodder points.
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#2: SnT + Environment
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1.
Science and Technology- developments and their
applications and effects in everyday life
2.
Achievements of Indians in science &
technology;
3.
Indigenization of technology and developing new
technology.
4.
Awareness in the fields of IT, Space, Computers,
robotics, nano-technology, bio-technology and issues relating to intellectual
property rights.
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1.
Starting point is India Yearbook.
2.
Then The Hindu’s Sci-tech portion, net digging and
3.
+/- Spectrum’s book on Science Tech.
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5.
Conservation, environmental pollution and
degradation, environmental impact assessment
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1.
NIOS, IGNOU material on Environment-Biodiversity.
2.
3.
Official site of MoEF
4.
Newspaper columns, Yojana, Kurukshetra.
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#2: Agro
Now
this is a new topic introduced in 2013.
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1.
Major crops cropping patterns in various parts of
the country,
2.
Irrigation: different types of irrigation and
irrigation systems storage,
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NCERT geography, GS Manual+ Majid Hussain/Spectrum etc.
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3.
e-technology in the aid of farmers
4.
Farm subsidies: Issues related to direct and
indirect farm subsidies
5.
minimum support prices;
6.
Public Distribution System- objectives,
functioning, limitations, revamping; issues of buffer stocks and food
security;
7.
Technology missions;
8.
Land reforms in
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9.
transport and marketing of agricultural produce and
issues and related constraints;
10. Animal rearing:
economics of
11. Food processing
and related industries in
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Disaster
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1. Disaster and
disaster management.
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Selective reading IGNOU
MPA 018
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Security
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1. Various Security forces and agencies and their mandate
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This is given in India Yearbook.
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2. basics of cyber security
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Also given in
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For
the remaining topics:
1. Linkages between
development and spread of extremism.
2. Role of external
state and non-state actors in creating challenges to internal security.
3. Challenges to
internal security through communication networks,
4. role of media and
social networking sites in internal security challenges,
5. money-laundering
and its prevention
6. border areas:
Security challenges and their management
7. linkages of
organized crime with terrorism
^mostly
newspaper and net digging
GS4: Ethics
Probity in Governance:
1.
Concept of public service;
2.
Philosophical basis of governance and probity;
3.
Information sharing and transparency in government,
4.
Right to Information,
5.
Codes of Ethics,
6.
Codes of Conduct,
7.
Citizen’s Charters,
8.
Work culture,
9.
Quality of service delivery, Utilization of public
funds,
10. Challenges of
corruption.
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Ethics in Public Administration
1.
Status and problems;
2.
ethical concerns and dilemmas in government and
private institutions;
3.
laws, rules, regulations and conscience as sources
of ethical guidance;
4.
accountability and ethical governance;
strengthening of ethical and moral values in governance;
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For ^above topics, you’ll find content
scattered in around in
1. IGNOU MPA 011
2. IGNOU MPA 013
3. II ARC report
Remaining topics
1. Ethics and Human
Interface: Essence, determinants and consequences of Ethics in human actions;
dimensions of ethics; ethics in private and public relationships. Human
Values – lessons from the lives and teachings of great leaders, reformers and
administrators; role of family, society and educational institutions in
inculcating values
2. Attitude:
content, structure, function; its influence and relation with thought and
behaviour; moral and political attitudes; social influence and persuasion.
3. Aptitude and
foundational values for Civil Service , integrity, impartiality and
non-partisanship, objectivity, dedication to public service, empathy, tolerance
and compassion towards the weaker-sections.
4. Emotional
intelligence-concepts, and their utilities and application in administration
and governance.
5. Contributions of
moral thinkers and philosophers from India
6. Corporate
governance.
7. Ethical issues in
international relations and funding.
8. +Case studies
Personal Opinion
Father Wallace
was a renowned Gujarati author and Maths Professor in St.Xaviers’ College,
Ahmedabad. Once a TV reporter asked him, “Lot of
students in class 10 hate mathematics. So, what is your advice to them?” (Students are eagerly
watching tv as he will give some tips) But all he said was:
Friends all I’ve
to say is, whether you like it or not, you’ll have to study.
Same applies to
the pattern change, you can welcome it, we can condemn it, but as long we’re in
this competition business, we’ve to play by UPSC’s rules. Anyways for the
sake of timepass reading, here are my opinions.
Positive
- Most
of the General studies syllabus (mains) can be covered using IGNOU,
Yearbook, Yojana Kurukshetra, newspapers etc. So atleast the reform is not heavy on our pocket (in terms of having to buy
lot of new books / material).
- Thanks
to IGNOU’s material, self-study is easily possible.
Negative
- Reading
so many PDFs on computer screen =painful on eyes.
Uncertainty on medium
If we want to
write mains in regional language, we’ve to pray to God that
1. You yourself
clear the prelims
2. Atleast 24 other
people from your state clear the prelims.
3. Atleast 24 of
them have not done their graduation in Hindi /
English medium AND
they too are planning to write mains in regional language.
Thus UPSC has
created so much anxiety, uncertainty and tension among the regional medium
candidates. Or perhaps UPSC is deliberately playing this mindgame, to make
people pickup Hindi/English medium just to get out of that uncertainty.
Overlapping topics
- Each
mains paper has 3 hours duration so UPSC can take maximum two papers per
day. Now, suppose today is GS1+2, then tomorrow will be GS3+4.
- Here
comes to issue: we’ve to prepare similar topics again and again for two
days because of their overlapping nature. for example:
1. Social
empowerment in GS1, and next day Inclusive growth for GS3.
2. R.T.I,
citizen-charter etc. as [Polity] topics for GS2 and next day for Ethics under
GS4.
3. Role of civil
services in a democracy (under GS2) and next day almost similar thing for
Ethics under GS4.
So it feels as if
the topic-list is compiled in haste, and that Agro topic in GS3 (+including
supply chain Management!) sticks out like a sore thumb.
One Optional still kept
- Instead
of two, now we’ve to pick only one optional. Makes it difficult for senior
player to decide: which subject to keep and which one to drop (especially
when UPSC is yet to deliver mark sheets for Mains 2012).
- UPSC
should have removed both optional. That way, people have to spend less
money on books / coaching + more time sparred to pursue any career back plan/
other exams.
Faster results
- It
still takes 1 year to finish the exam. Very painful especially for those
who fail in mains and have to reappear in next prelims within 2-3 months.
- UPSC
should have converted prelims into a computer based MCQ test like IBPS/LIC
to hasten the result delivery.
The new pattern is something quite
interesting. Now it all depends on how the questions will be? If optional totally
scrapped means, it would be the best for all.
ç============================================è
REPEATED HARDWORKING & SELF-CONFIDENCE ALONE CAN GIVE SUCCESS
The new pattern is now available, though there is not much of a change but now I can say I am prepared well and m good at english too but am confused whetherr to take ias hindi or ias english…what exactly is the difference.
ReplyDeleteI hope General Awareness section is not that tough !!!
But what I m confident is about General studies…
i took online coaching for preparation of General Studies prelims and mains.
http://www.wiziq.com/course/7109-upsc-civil-services-general-studies-prelims-cum-mains-exam-preparation