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UPSC IAS IPS Strategy

Intro
Five Part article series on How to approach UPSC Civil Service IAS/IPS Exam: Prelims, Mains and Interview
Books
Tips on Notes-making, Standard reference books, Yojana Kurukshetra etc. Explained here
Prelim-Mains-Interview
Detailed Strategy for General Studies, science-tech, yearbook, economy, history, polity, IR-Diplomacy with booklist, free study material given here.
Doubts
Basic doubts regarding Coaching, Working professional, time Management and Non-English medium
Backup
Some guidelines for adopting career backup plans incase you can't make it to UPSC

SSC CGL

GK / GA
How to approach General Awareness for Tier-I, explained here with free study material download.
Maths
How to approach Maths, Quantitative Aptitude, Trigonometry, Geometry for Tier I and II? To-the-point strategy n tips given here +free study material
Reasoning
General Intelligence and Logical reasoninig for Tier I of SSC-CGL exam: booklist, tips shared here.
English
How to tackle vocabulary, grammar and comprehension for Tier I and II.

SBI PO

GA/Computer/Marketing
strategy booklist for approaching General Awareness, Computer, Marketing, Current Affairs in SBI PO 2013, includes free material as well!
Reasoning (High)
strategy booklist for approaching Higher Level Reasoning in SBI PO 2013
English (Descriptive)
strategy, free studymaterial, essay list for the SBI PO English MCQ and Descriptive paper!

Others

CAT (IIM)
Ragtag strategy on get 90+ percentile in CAT-prometric test.
LIC AAO
Strategy for the upcoming LIC Assistant Administrative officers' exam with free studymaterial, jobprofile.
CSIR
Studyplan + Free study material for CSIR combined Administrative services (CASE) exam
State PSC
How to approach RAS, MPSC etc explained here
CAPF
How to become an Assistant Commandant in BSF, CISF, CRPF: strategy, booklist, free studymaterial provided here.
RBI
RBI Grade "B" Officer studyplan, strategy, booklist and free download material is provided here.
SSC (FCI)
Food Corporation Grade III exam
SPIPA
For getting admission in SPIPA, Ahmedabad, which provides free coaching for IAS exam.(Gujarat Only)
ACIO
Assistant Central Intelligence Officer recruitment: booklist, strategy

UPSC tips

India Yearbook
how to efficiently utilize INDIA Yearbook for UPSC prelims, mains, interview= explained in this 6 part series article.
5 Levels
Explains five types of players in UPSC competition and why daydreamers fail in this exam.
100 Days
Why you can't succeed with vague strategies in UPSC Prelims, explained here.
Newspaper?
How to read The Hindu/Indianexpress quickly and efficiently in less than one hour for Current Affairs?, explained here.
Art of Aptitude?
3 Cardinal Rules on How to approach Aptitude section in any competitive exam.
Quotes
Motivational and inspirational quotes for competitive exams.
Essay Tips
How *not* to write an Essay in UPSC Mains exam, explained here
IR
How to prepare India World + International relations (IR) topic, explained + free download material
Stat
Approach to Statistics and Graphs portion of General Studies Mains Paper II+free study material
R.T.I
How to file R.T.I application to UPSC? explained here

Analysis

CSAT'12
Analysis of the GS-Prelims paper and how it broke the backs of Coaching classes.
GSM-12
Analysis of the General Studies (Mains) Paper I and II of 2012 and how they (again) broke the backs of Coaching classes.

Edu Tech

Auto NoteMaker
Mrunal's Autonotemaker for quickly taking notes out of PDF files and Webarticles (Win XP only)
Hindu Reader
How to use Google Reader to efficiently read The Hindu online, for Free!.
OneNote
Learn to use Microsoft Onenote software to organized your notes on computer, quickly and efficiently!
Archive
Monthly Archive Index page of everything I've published so far. (In the old articles, ignore advice written before Jan 2012, because UPSC trend has changed a lot.)

[Studyplan] India 2013 Yearbook: Approach to Culture, Tourism, Youth, Sports, Misc.GK (Part 6 of 6)

  1. Background
  2. GK from Chapter 32
  3. GK:Awards
  4. Organizations: Culture, Youth, Sports
  5. Policies: Youth n Sports
  6. Schemes: Culture, Tourism, Youth, Sport

Background

  • Basic GK about India’s polity and geography given on chapter 1, 2 and 3.
  • GK related to environment, geography, culture etc. is scattered around in the Chapter 30: States and union territories.

    Click To Continue reading [Studyplan] India 2013 Yearbook: Approach to Culture, Tourism, Youth, Sports, Misc.GK (Part 6 of 6)

    • [Studyplan] India 2013 Yearbook: Approach to Science-Tech, Public Health, Agro (Part 5 of 6)

    1. Background
    2. MCQ/2m
    3. Organizations
    4. Policies / laws
    5. Schemes
    6. Topics/Overview

    Background

    1. How to approach Science-Tech (S&T) and Public Health for general studies (prelims, mains) has been explained in separate article. (Click me)
    2. For specific articles various topics of [S&T] you can visit http://www.mrunal.org/snt
    3. Following list contains the essential topics to be studied from

      Click To Continue reading [Studyplan] India 2013 Yearbook: Approach to Science-Tech, Public Health, Agro (Part 5 of 6)

    [Studyplan] India 2013 Yearbook: Approach to Rights issue, education, welfare, poverty removal schemes (part 4 of 6)

    1. Polity, Rights issue, Education, welfare
    2. Organizations
    3. MCQ/2m
    4. Policies
    5. Laws
    6. Schemes
    7. Other Topics/overview

    Polity, Rights issue, Education, welfare

    1. For the “core” polity topics + Constitution, your first weapon of choice should be Indian Polity by M.Laxmikanth.
    2. The basic GK on Polity is given on chapter 1, 2 and 3 of India Yearbook.

      3. Click To Continue reading [Studyplan] India 2013 Yearbook: Approach to Rights issue, education, welfare, poverty removal schemes (part 4 of 6)

    [Studyplan] India 2013 Yearbook: Approach to IR, Diplomacy, Diaspora, Communication, IT and Mass Comm (part 3 of 6)

    1. International relations (IR)/ Diplomacy / Diaspora
      1. India’s foreign relations
      2. India’s economic relations
      3. Diplomacy: Topics , Issues
      4. Diplomacy: MCQ/2m
      5. Organizations
      6. Policies
      7. Schemes
    2. Comm n IT: organizations
      1. Comm n IT: policies
      2. Comm n IT: Schemes
      3. Comm n IT: Topics/issues
      4. Comm n IT: laws
      5. Comm n IT: MCQ/2m

    International

    Click To Continue reading [Studyplan] India 2013 Yearbook: Approach to IR, Diplomacy, Diaspora, Communication, IT and Mass Comm (part 3 of 6)

    [Studyplan] India 2013 Yearbook: Approach to Economy, Finance, Industry, Commerce, Corporate Affairs (Part 2 of 6)

    1. Background
    2. Indexes/Surveys
    3. Economy: essential facts for MCQs/2m
    4. Economy: Organizations (National)
    5. Economy: Organizations (International)
    6. Economy: India and World
    7. Economy: Policy / reforms
    8. Economy: Schemes
    9. Economy: Laws
    10. Economy: Topics/Overview
    11. Banking and Insurance
    12. Insurance Schemes
    13. Disinvestment
    14. Economy: Funds

    Background

    1. How to approach Economy for general studies (prelims, mains) has been explained in separate article.

      Click To Continue reading [Studyplan] India 2013 Yearbook: Approach to Economy, Finance, Industry, Commerce, Corporate Affairs (Part 2 of 6)

    [Studyplan] India 2013 Yearbook: Introduction and approach to Environment and Biodiversity (EnB) (part 1 of 6)

    1. Utility in Prelims (CSAT)
    2. Utility in Mains
    3. Utility in Interview
    4. Limitations of yearbook
    5. General guidelines while using India Yearbook
      1. #1: Skipping sentences
      2. #2: Organizations
      3. #3: Schemes
    6. Yearbook Chapter Classification
    7. Environment and Biodiversity (EnB)
      1. EnB: organizations
      2. EnB: Important facts for MCQ/2m
      3. Laws/conventions/IR
      4. Environment : Policies
      5. EnB: Schemes
      6. EnB: Overview Topics

        7. Click To Continue reading [Studyplan] India 2013 Yearbook: Introduction and approach to Environment and Biodiversity (EnB) (part 1 of 6)

    [Yearbook] Cable Digitization, DAS vs DTH (Direct-to Home), Set-top Box, TRAI order

    1. What is the problem with 90s Cable TV system?
    2. TRAI: Cable digitalization
    3. Difference: DAS vs DTH?
    4. What is set top box (STB)?
    5. Why Jayalalitha is unhappy?
  • In the 90s era, the TV channels were sent in analog and unencrypted form. You local Cable operator would install a big white dish on his

    Click To Continue reading [Yearbook] Cable Digitization, DAS vs DTH (Direct-to Home), Set-top Box, TRAI order

    • [Yearbook] Handloom Mark, Handicraft Sector: Government schemes, problems, reforms

    i-handloom
    1. Handloom vs Handicraft?
    2. Why Handloom Mark?
    3. What is Handloom Mark?
    4. Social Security for Handloom n Handicraft?
    5. Mahatma Gandhi Bunkar Bima Yojana
    6. Health Insurance Scheme (HIS) for weavers
    7. Special schemes?
      1. Technology Upgradation Fund (TUF)
      2. Integrated Handlooms Development Scheme (IHDS)
      3. Mill Gate Price Scheme
      4. Babasaheb Ambedker Hastshilp Vikas Yojna (AHVY)
      5. Marketing Promotion Programme

      Click To Continue reading [Yearbook] Handloom Mark, Handicraft Sector: Government schemes, problems, reforms

    [Yearbook] Bio Control Agents, Rashtriya Sam Vikas Yojana, ICAR, Krishi Vigyan Kendra

    1. What is BioControl Agent?
    2. What is Krishi Vigyan Kendra
    3. What is What is ICAR?
    4. What is Rashtriya Sam Vikas Yojana
    5. Mock Questions

    What is BioControl Agent?

  • is a method of controlling pests, weeds and plant diseases using other living organisms (insect, parasite or pathogens).
  • They’re safer than artificial pesticides (soil-water pollution, impact

    Click To Continue reading [Yearbook] Bio Control Agents, Rashtriya Sam Vikas Yojana, ICAR, Krishi Vigyan Kendra

    • [Yearbook] CISF vs Airport Security Force (ASF)

    icon-UPSC weapons

    Topic particularly important for those appearing in CPF/CAPF interview.

    1. Why is CISF important?
    2. Background: CISF vs ASF
    3. Problem: Aviation Security Force (ASF)
    4. Arguments against creation of ASF
    5. Removal of CISF security Cover

    Why is CISF important?

    1. The scene of operations has shifted from rural and jungle areas to highly populated centres.

      2. Click To Continue reading [Yearbook] CISF vs Airport Security Force (ASF)

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