- Prologue
- My Question: Model Answerpapers
- My Question on removal of optionals
- My Question on CSAT answerkeys
- My Question: CSE 2011 Cutoffs at each stage
- Scanned copy of RTI reply
Prologue
Earlier, some people had sent me scanned images of RTI replies related to CSAT 2011 cutoffs but some readers had said they were fake letters. I had some doubts myself about the authenticity of those anonymous RTIs, So on 26th June 2012, I (Mrunal) myself had filed an RTI to UPSC asking a bunch of questions and they’ve sent the reply today (July-25-2012) so here it goes. [And the Original letter of UPSC has been posted at the bottom of this article]
To,
CPIO-Joint Director (Examination),
UPSC, New Delhi
Sub: Application under RTI 2005, about Civil Service Examination (CSE)
My Question: Model Answerpapers
Does UPSC provide model answer-papers to the examiners for CSE (Mains) examination? If “yes”, then provide model answer-papers given to the examiners for the following subjects, in CSE (Mains) 2010 and CSE (Mains) 2011.
i. General Studies Paper I and II (English Medium)
ii. Public Administration Paper I and II (English Medium)
iii. Essay (English Medium and Hindi Medium)
UPSC replied
No. [we donot provide model answersheets to examiners for Mains Exam!]
Mrunal comments
but I still believe that atleast GS (Mains) Model answersheet exists, otherwise how can xyz professor who is checking your GS mains papers, know the correct answer of all 2 markers by himself, when even we’ve hard time finding their answers at home after the exam?
So, UPSC must be giving him some sort of booklet containing the correct answers for GS Mains questions- atleast for the 2 markers and yearbook question. Certainly every professor can’t be knowing all the Government schemes by heart! I’m going to file an Appeal against this RTI reply, to Joint Secretary of UPSC.
My Question on removal of optionals
2. Is UPSC going to remove optional subjects from Civil Service (Mains) Examination 2013? If the answer is “No”, then in which year will UPSC remove optional subjects from the Civil Service (Mains) examination?
UPSC replied
You are informed that the RTI Act, 2005 neither envisage nor it is possible for the
PIO to predict the future course of action of the Public Authority. However, it is informed that a committee to review the existing structure of Civil Services (Main) Examination and suggest necessary changes has been constituted, under the chairmanship of Prof. Arun S. Nigavekar, Ex-Chairman, UGC and Committee is yet to submit its report.
Mrunal comments: ya, I knew you wouldn’t give an exact answer to this question, but didn’t hurt asking!
Question on CSAT answerkeys
3. Provide the official answer keys for CSAT 2011 and CSAT 2012 for following papers
i. General Studies (Paper I)
ii. Aptitude (Paper II)
UPSC replied
The answer keys of Paper-I and Paper-II in respect of Civil Services (Pre.) Exam.,
2012 cannot be provided as, the process is not yet complete and section 8(1)(j) is invoked. However, the Answer Keys of all four sets of CS(P) Exam., 2011 are enclosed.
Mrunal comments: but the envelope that I received contains no such answerkey of CSAT 2011.
That means another appeal against the PIO.
My Question: CSE 2011 Cutoffs at each stage
Provide the category wise cut-off marks for CSE 2011 for all three stages viz.
i. CSAT (Preliminary exam)
ii. Mains Exam
iii. Personal Interview
UPSC replied
The requisite information is an under :
| Marks of last guy selected in CSAT-2011.
Out of 400 marks |
Marks of last guy selected for Interview
Out of 200 marks |
Total marks of last guy selected in Final merit list of CSE-2011
Out of 2300 marks |
|
| General | 198 | 842 | 1090 |
| OBC | 175 | 822 | 1059 |
| SC | 165 | 807 | 1023 |
| ST | 161 | 798 | 1009 |
| PH-1 | 135 | 767 | 1008 |
| PH-2 | 124 | 767 | 1047 |
| PH-3 | 096 | 663 | 0911 |
Mrunal: and finally, here is the scanned copy of UPSC’s letter. See the following image
Scanned copy of RTI reply
UPSC Reply to RTI filled by Mrunal.org
HI MRUNAL YOU HAVE DONE TREMENDOUS WORK
Mrunal,
Nice info. However, Pls change the phrase “Marks of last guy selected for Interview Out of 200 marks” to “Marks of last guy selected for Interview Out of 2000 marks”
Hi Mrunal
your articles are helpful and insightful.. you diagnose the pressing concerns of upsc aspirants really well and i commend you for taking the pains that you do for all of us.. thanks a lot.
just a query.. if the cut off for merit list for the general category was 1090.. what are the chances of someone who got 1082 to make it in the reserve list.. and what service are they likely to get? also, is a reserve list declared every year? and is it declared only about a year after the declaration of result?
thanks and regards
I know you do not play the ‘lets project the cut off for this year’ game. But the cut offs last year were as high as 198….this is a little scary for me because my projected score for Prellims 2012 is much lesser than that. This is really demoralizing me and I am not able to concentrate on my preparation for the mains. do you think that the cut offs can be this high this year as well Mrunal? even if you do not want to talk about the cut offs..it would be comforting and motivating to hear anything at all from you on this subject.
Hello guys
This is a digression from the point in focus- when are the prelims results expected?
Any clue?
In worst case- by 15th August 2012.
i heard they should be out in the coming week.
i heard they will be out in this week itself. they said like some 75 days deadline or smthng… but better we all must have our focus on oct5th regardless of this rumours i thnk…
sir kya hume RTI se toppers ki answer books ki photo copy mil sakti hai ?
Mrunal, i really appreciate your tremendous contribution for UPSC exams aspirants….keep rocking!!
regards,
Asst. Comdt, CRPF
Really appreciate ur job, its for the first time i hv come across cut off for each separate category, kudos to you..
hello sir
is it matter that the question booklet series u get in upsc exam is to be same.as i got “A”series in first session and in the second session i get “B” series.civil services exam-2012
sir pls tell me that my OMR sheet has been checked or not.thogh upsc has decleared the pt result 2012 civil services.if not than is there any way to improve it.
sir m waiting ur reply eagerly.
thax.
from this ur’s RTI rply shall i believe changing optional subjct in main will not take place coming 2013 CSE ? bcoz the comitte for changing pattern yet subit report, aftr that it ll take some long process [,i.e. analysing by upsc,PM ascent , etc] may i crct sir plz rply.
tnx 4 ur rti effort sir.
Mrunal, please leave a reply to this query. I scored 209(84+125) and still could not get through the preliminaries. what went wrong, if a general category cutoff is 198?? Nonetheless, I am filing RTI but a candidates confidence starts to dwindle by such baffling scenarios.
What do you suggest
Thanks
neha u mean its ur 2011 score or 2012?
There could have been an error on your part in filling the OMR. May be you skipped one row and got a couple of questions marked incorrectly. Am just thinking of a possibility. You must go ahead with the RTI.
i too had same case with different set of question paper in csat 2012.can there be a mistake in checking?plz answer
Hi mrunal
Can i ask upsc for cut-off in each subject through RTI act ????
if yes please tell me the procedure
you mean cut off in each optional subject of mains examination. Yes you can.
209(atleast, after minusing the decision making answers) is my 2012 preliminaries score. Today evening, I called in the vajiram,they answered the same that gen. category cutoff is 200 this year.
since the result.. I am breezing through the various blogs n sites as to get even a bit of info. about aspirants suffering the agony as mine.
A whole year is lost.
if u strong in ur stand [ i mean ur marks 200+] then u can file ‘writ mandamus’ against upsc for reveal ur answr sheet as soon as possible.at same time u quickly file rti to upsc to reveal cutoff, it will support ur legal claim..
thankyou anand for your concerned advice
hello mrinul
CSP 2012 was my last attempt.evaluation based on various keys 206-215. but not cleared i have already filed rti. but acc. to various blogs i came to know that the required info. will be provided by upsc only next year after final result.but various court orders of hc, cic and supreme court have directed upsc to show omr sheets (shipra sud case). shd i proceed to the court to get the information before mains or shd i wait for rti. wat do u suggest
Sorry to hear about that.
All I know is how to file RTI and how to file appeal if RTI is not replied properly.
I don’t have much idea on detailed legal matters, so better ask in orkut communities and or http://www.rtiindia.org
My dear friends, I am consistently reading all your blogs for quite a long time. but I am not happy the way you think things to happen for you, rather what you actually need is to make things for your favor. I am a civil servant .I need not to be explained how a general category candidate becomes panic when he exhausts his 4 chances. you know , for a general category student from a rural background when realizes the pattern of examination and the preparation needed therefore, he w’ld have lost all his chances in contrast to his friends who get 15 or 7 chances and even so lucky to pursue for civil services exam after serving in a job for 5 to 6 years. but for a general category candidate its just a distant dream. After graduating from an institution and having secured good marks he find himself at a dilemma whether he ll do a job to feed his needy family or to go for fulfilling his cherished dream ; that is to become an IAS Officer. At last his value, ,his humanity demands sacrifice and he joins an immediate job to carter his family putting his cherished dream aside. He is completely entangled with responsibility but he never forgets his dream. He cant join full time coaching, can’t devote whole time for study because he is the feeder of his family. He simultaneously study with whole heartedly awaking for nights after nights but in this process he only spends his mere 4 chances. He remains as a clerk for whole through the life. He repays for the discrimination his ancestors perpetuated in the society. Its not a story but it’s the reality that I have witnessed in my neighborhood. Even some of you might have seen such touchy incidents.
Now I ask UPSC, what it demands from the above candidate.
1- S’ ld he have left his family to starve and study to cherish his goal of becoming an IAS
2- The person from rural background s’ld not desire becoming IAS
The reality is that it seems our country never needs civil servants having a high degree of morality, sense of sacrifice rather what it needs, a mechanical voracious reader. I have a friend of mine having secured a rank in civil services examination within the 1st fifteen, but unfortunately no body becomes happy for his achievement even in his locality, people use to say he ‘ll emerge as the most egoist and corrupt administrator of India. In an another incident , a software professional came to Delhi for coaching after 6 years of service having earned more than 25 lax. He started preparation along with all type of refreshment available in Delhi . He was selected in his 7th attempt. He knows as a reserved category, he has 8 chances (when he arrives at Delhi in his 27th year.) and also relaxation in the marks . So he takes civil service preparation as a matter of study with fun. But for a general category student, appearing at civil services is just like a matter of life and death. Every moment he is living in a sense of panic either losing in the exam or losing the no. of attempts remain .
Is it the equality that is enshrined in our constitution? Equal protection of law never says “we have to sacrifice some to uplift some” In our constitution ,under article 15, there s’ld be equal opportunity for all and under 15(4) ,state can make special provision for advancement of socially and educationally backward section. And we understand the relaxation in marks for qualifying the exam even we also justify it but a huge discrimination in the allocation of no of attempts between various categories can not be justified. Either UPSC has to make all categories to have 4 chances (or age of 30 which one is earlier ) and relaxation in marks for backward classes or to make all categories to have 7 or unlimited chances (or an age of 35 which one is earlier). UPSC cannot suppress the general categories for the sake of reservation and then give relaxation for the reserved. It is not equal protection of law. If some one is born in a general category family, its not his mistake to be deprived off all the opportunities and he can not be made to pay . More over by increasing the no of attempts and age UPSC can provide an immense help to relieve the stress and panic level of many bright students .
Therefore I appeal you my dear friends to make a PIL Regarding this , it seems you ll get some relaxation in the form of 6attemts or the age of 32 which one is earlier and it is completely justified in comparison to 7 attempts or 33 yrs for OBC and 15 attempts or 35 years for SC/STs.
WISH YOU GOOGLUCK IN YOUR ENDEAVOUR TO SEEK JUSTICE.
My dear friends, I consistently reading all your blogs for quite a long time. but I am not happy the way you think things to happen for you, rather what you actually need is to make things for your favor. I am a civil servant .I need not to be explained how a general category candidate becomes panic when he exhausts his 4 chances. you know , for a general category student from a rural background when realizes the pattern of examination and the preparation needed therefore, he w’ld have lost all his chances in contrast to his friends who get 15 or 7 chances and even so lucky to pursue for civil services exam after serving in a job for 5 to 6 years. but for a general category candidate its just a distant dream. After graduating from an institution and having secured good marks he find himself at a dilemma whether he ll do a job to feed his needy family or to go for fulfilling his cherished dream ; that is to become an IAS Officer. At last his value, ,his humanity demands sacrifice and he joins an immediate job to carter his family putting his cherished dream aside. He is completely entangled with responsibility but he never forgets his dream. He cant join full time coaching, can’t devote whole time for study because he is the feeder of his family. He simultaneously study with whole heartedly awaking for nights after nights but in this process he only spends his mere 4 chances. He remains as a clerk for whole through the life. He repays for the discrimination his ancestors perpetuated in the society. Its not a story but it’s the reality that I have witnessed in my neighborhood. Even some of you might have seen such touchy incidents.
Now I ask UPSC, what it demands from the above candidate.
1- S’ ld he have left his family to starve and study to cherish his goal of becoming an IAS
2- The person from rural background s’ld not desire becoming IAS
The reality is that it seems our country never needs civil servants having a high degree of morality, sense of sacrifice rather what it needs, a mechanical voracious reader. I have a friend of mine having secured a rank in civil services examination within the 1st fifteen, but unfortunately no body becomes happy for his achievement even in his locality, people use to say he ‘ll emerge as the most egoist and corrupt administrator of India. In an another incident , a software professional came to Delhi for coaching after 6 years of service having earned more than 25 lax. He started preparation along with all type of refreshment available in Delhi . He was selected in his 7th attempt. He knows as a reserved category, he has 8 chances (when he arrives at Delhi in his 27th year.) and also relaxation in the marks . So he takes civil service preparation as a matter of study with fun. But for a general category student, appearing at civil services is just like a matter of life and death. Every moment he is living in a sense of panic either losing in the exam or losing the no. of attempts remain .
Is it the equality that is enshrined in our constitution? Equal protection of law never says “we have to sacrifice some to uplift some” In our constitution ,under article 15, there s’ld be equal opportunity for all and under 15(4) ,state can make special provision for advancement of socially and educationally backward section. And we understand the relaxation in marks for qualifying the exam even we also justify it but a huge discrimination in the allocation of no of attempts between various categories can not be justified. Either UPSC has to make all categories to have 4 chances (or age of 30 which one is earlier ) and relaxation in marks for backward classes or to make all categories to have 7 or unlimited chances (or an age of 35 which one is earlier). UPSC cannot suppress the general categories for the sake of reservation and then give relaxation for the reserved. It is not equal protection of law. If some one is born in a general category family, its not his mistake to be deprived off all the opportunities and he can not be made to pay . More over by increasing the no of attempts and age UPSC can provide an immense help to relieve the stress and panic level of many bright students .
Therefore I appeal you my dear friends to make a PIL Regarding this , it seems you ll get some relaxation in the form of 6attemts or the age of 32 which one is earlier and it is completely justified in comparison to 7 attempts or 33 yrs for OBC and 15 attempts or 35 years for SC/STs.
WISH YOU GOOGLUCK IN YOUR ENDEAVOUR TO SEEK JUSTICE.
Totally agreed with you. UPSC should understand pain of General category.
It seems that people are not at all concerned about this issue. A General category person earning just 3 lac a year is more in need than a reserved category person earning 30 lac a year. If this is the equality what we have in India, then i think there needs to be a change.
People are also even demanding reservation in promotion. That will add chilly to the wounds. Please come for this cause and prevent misuse of law and provide reservation based on monetary needs rather than caste based.
Comments of MANU reg. reserved category is against the the Indian Constitution.
Everybody has right to freedom of expression and his comments are not, in any way, against the indian constitution……..You yourself are showing the difference between the quality of a general category student and others…..one can imagine what will happen when people like you joins civil services..
excellent views………..plz give here a link for ur blog…….we are with u on this issue…….if this type of discrimination with the general category candidate continues, the day is not far when we will be needing reservations…..
I’m also a sufferer.
I changed one answer by using an eraser and their was a scratch in the previous answer’s place. Could this be a cause of disqualification? I scored 240 + in 2012 paper and still didn’t clear. This is my 4th attempt and its agonizing as i weigh my options.
let the RTI reply come, only then you can find out whether the erased answer caused trouble.
I too changed my answer of the very first question in paper-ii by scratching it and I cleared, my marks 90+175 (my estimate as per non official answer keys).
hi neha, you may contact mr. r k sinha and mr imran farid and narrate them your case. this is apart from the applications to secretary which i hope you would have submitted already. and and rti
Even i had erased one answer..was sure of gettin thru but din?????
I also changed my answer not by eraser but by whitener provided by the examiners in both the papers. I expected 100-110 paper 1 and around 170 paper 2. I cleared.
Dear strive4justice,
I understand your agony and pains. but believe me, there are certain things in life that we have to accept and move on.do not be too harsh on yourself or to others/upsc. the good thing is that u already have a job in hand so no worries my dear. also there is not guarantee that if there was never reserved quota u would surely clear the exam. it s all about enjoying life which is much more than IAS/IPS etc……..IAS/IPS life is not as rosy as we think they are…..they have pros and cons and other bureaucratic issues …so cheers and be happy no matter what.
Dear khom, I m already in IPS. And my blog is for the thousands whose opportunities are supress first. U didnt understand my blog,i m not against reservation but I m certainly against the resriction on the no of attempts for general category. And u must appreciate the fact that if if the age limit and no of attempts are increased,it ll not hamper the opportunities of the reserved categories because their quotas are fixed. What otit will herald is the relief from stress and panic and generate more competition for general category. I do thonk u cherish this fact.
Dear khon, I m already in IPS. And my blog is for the thousands whose opportunities are supressed first. U didnt understand my blog,i m not against reservation but I m certainly against the resriction on the no of attempts for general category. And u must appreciate the fact that if if the age limit and no of attempts are increased,it ll not hamper the opportunities of the reserved categories because their quotas are fixed. What it will herald is the relief from stress and panic and generate more competition for general category. I do think u cherish this fact.
I agree with UPSC that there does not exist any model amswer sheet..the pattern is actually that one professor is selected for checking only one answer..so its easy to give each particular prof the requisite material 4 one answer..i learnt this method when i was in iit kanpur..it also reduces chances of biasedness as each answer will command different levels of attention from profs..:))
Mrunal,
Can I file the RTI to UPSC (reg prelims 2012 exam) now ? Or is there any time limit for the same?
hey mrunal, u are doing great job …thanks for all ur valuable inputs …
Dear Strive4justice,
You are right sir, I would like to apeal Mrunal sir that please file such a PIL which will increase numbers of attempts for general category.
well.all here . th ereality i have heard from a professor who happens to be one of the paper checkers of upsc is that there definetly is a small set of answers provided which acts as a base for evaluation.
well the most shocking thing this chemistry professor said was few years(just 1 or 2)he did evaluation of urdu papers, based on his little knowledge which he had during his school years.he says it s normal at commision office that professors of varied subjects check varied papers.
now dont think he was joking or i am.. this honestly is real stuff from a no nonsense serious professor.
also he said there is one head vigilator who keeps on making rounds checking whetehr all are using the reference model papers continously.
shocking to me tooo.. but
thanks for your input.
hi Mrunal,can u pl get any response whether upsc has done away with monster SCALING in the lone optional paper wef CSM 2013.