If UPSC is Mahabharat, let’s become Arjun of it

Hitting the fish’s eye, and winning over the Mains hurdle.

Where is the fish’s eye?- an exact understanding of what’s been asked and answering to the point and not beating around the bush!

Where do you miss the war of the Mains Exam?

• • Not getting the essence of the question.
  • Getting confused with the directives used in the question
  • Whether to write in points or in paragraph
  • How to structure the answer in the best possible way
  • Diagram- where, how, and why?
  • Making yourself presentable even in your absence
  • Intro and Conclusion- how to gain mastery in this

These are the most probable questions which almost every UPSC aspirant has in her/his mind, especially regarding the Mains paper. And believe me, it’s not so easy! But then, it’s not impossible also 🙂

Then what NEXT? How to break this Chakravyuha!!!

Not much… we only need some faith in yourself and Civilsdaily and a lot of practice.

“An ounce of practice is worth more than tons of Reading”

How Civils Daily Mains essential Program is going to solve your dilemmas???

1. Evidence-based question Framing- keeping in mind the wheel of UPSC

Question Formulation

Q). How is the Law Commission of India Constituted and what are its mandates? Analyze the role of the Law Commission in legal reforms in India. (CIVILS DAILY)

Why this question?

A similar question has been asked by UPSC in 2018 regarding Finance Commission i.e. “How is the Finance Commission of India constituted? What do you know about the terms of reference of the recently constituted Finance Commission? Discuss.”

• Question Formulation

Our questions will now specifically state the following

• Whether they are straightforward or thought-provoking/analytical.
• Whether they have subparts.
• Why this question – similar previous year questions, the importance of the theme, etc.

CD Innovation – Rather than the regular uninspiring questions, we have gone the extra mile and crafted unique, intellectually-stimulating questions. These will reward analytical ability and critical thinking.

Example:

(Q.) Intra-party democracy is indispensable for substantive democracy in India. Comment 

2. Structured answers with holistic explanation

Model Answers

• • For ‘thought-provoking/analytical’ type of questions, we’ll provide the best way to approach them.
  • Alternate introductions
  • Sub-headings and categorization to enhance readability and answer structure.
  • OTB – Out of the box points for additional marks- with colour coding

(a.) Use of Question appropriate subheadings- to bring clarity in your thoughts

Sample from our test series:

Q.) What do you understand by price deficiency payment? Can it be a solution to end farmers’ woes in India? Critically Examine. (10 marks)

• • What is Price Deficiency Payment system?
  • Woes of Farmers
  • How can PDP Solve these woes
  • Challenges in front of PDP
  • Balanced Other reforms needed along with PDP to end the farmer’s woes

(b.) Continuous flow- so as to bring newness and avoid fragmentation

Taking a cue from the same Question we used in the second part:

How Farmers Will Be Benefited By PDPS:

MSP – The MSP system has many flaws in execution which include:

• • limited geographical coverage.

Better Cropping Pattern: The PDP system may be more effective than MSPs at ensuring that cropping patterns in India respond to consumer needs.

• • The price deficiency system may incentivize farmers to diversify beyond the conventional cereals.

Bypassing the need of storage facilities: 

• • It will help curb food grain losses due to lack of adequate storage,

(c) Use of multiple Dimensions- PESTEL Approach

• • P- Political
  • E- Economy
  • S- Social 
  • T- Technology
  • E- Environment
  • L- Legal/ case laws

Example

(Q.) Recently Article 370 has been repealed by the Parliament. Critically discuss the implications of Abrogating Article 370, 35A For The People In Jammu & Kashmir? 

Implications

• • Political
  • Administrative
  • Economic
  • Social 
  • Security

(d.) Use of relevant diagrams and figures

(Q.) What is the importance of Green Finance? So far, how has India performed in terms of Green Finance? 

 (e.) Colour coding

RED COLOUR TEXT– THESE POINTS ARE NON-NEGOTIABLE. ABSENCE OF THESE MEANS THAT YOU WILL GET BELOW AVERAGE MARKS

GREEN COLOUR TEXT: THESE ARE VALUE ADDED/INNOVATIVE POINTS, WHICH MAY FETCH YOU MORE MARKS IF USED.

Example of Green colour point:

(Q.) Despite its environmental costs, coal is expected to retain its important position in India’s energy mix. 

In this answer majority of candidates will mention how coal is abundant in India, how Renewable energy infrastructure is not yet developed enough to meet our energy needs.

However, a Green colour point here will be

How the people of Chota Nagpur region are dependent on coal and their job opportunities will take a hit if we stop using coal. This could further worsen the Naxalite problem in that region. You have added an internal security angle in a geography Question. This is what we mean by an innovative point.

Example of a red color point

Importance of Green Finance

• • Ecology savior: The environmental benefits include, for example, reductions in air, water and land pollution, reductions in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, improved energy efficiency while utilizing existing natural resources, as well as mitigation of and adaptation to climate change and their co-benefits.
  • Green finance involves the effective management of environmental risks across the financial system.

(f.) Different styles of answering so as to reduce monotonicity

• • Read the Question carefully and in your mind, divide the Question into sub-parts and all of these sub-parts need to be addressed in a structured way.

3 ways(types) to start your introduction:

• • 1 st way is the Context: A question asked on lateral entry.
    • you can write little context to it like recently the govt has introduced lateral entry for the post of Joint secretary. You can always start with the context
  • 2nd-way definition based: A question asked on do you think competitive federalism is working in India? 
    • In this defining what is competitive federalism in the introduction part and after defining you can come to the main body that is it working or not and the solution. You can start by defining the concept.
  • 3rd way is the Background based/Historical background: There is a question on all India judicial services.
    • you can start with its background that it was first recommended by law commission 1950s and after that other commissions had recommended this. So you can start with the history of the topic.

3. Experts to evaluate your weaknesses- who have already written Interviews and scored outstanding marks in GS papers

Answer-copy evaluation in the industry has become stagnant. The focus is restricted to superficial, memory-based lapses rather than on analytical excellence and cross-domain inter-linkages.

Our stress will be on the following –

• • 1. Superior introduction and conclusion.
    2. Usage of subject-specific vocabulary.
    3. Question comprehension: Answer alignment, Question Directive, Breaking down of the Questions into parts.
    4. Articulation proficiency.
    5. Substantiating evidence like Government and International Reports and Indices.
    6. Prominent and contemporary examples.
    7. Presentation: Use of Flowcharts, Tables, Graphs, Data, etc

4. Habitat chat group- in touch with mentors

But why to chat?

• • Because a single mentor cannot give a 360-degree view for all subjects
  • Subject wise division of group
  • Current Affairs based discussion- to provide you the idea of upcoming Questions
  • Inter-linkages of Paper 1, 2,3 and 4
  • Resolving Preparation related queries
  • Group learning

CD Habitat is where everything comes together learning, doubt clearing, notes, references, mentors, and a focussed community. You’re going to learn and discuss like never before. How will your queries be resolved? The moment you have a query, you post it in the group.

5. Video discussion after every test – to give a humanistic touch to your queries and bringing a new at every point

Together we can and together we will. We are here to become Guru Dronacharya. You must be ready to become ARJUN- The Warrior.

This is what our students have to say..

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