Mains 2019 Preparation and Discussion Thread

@kochikaamesaid inMains 2019 Preparation and Discussion Thread:

@DKT1 lakh log Nahin dete CivilS vaise. Nonetheless, UPSC is a very professional organization compared to the fucked up SPSCs.

Roughly 7 + 2 language Papers i.e. 9 Copies per student so for around 10000 students
a rough estimate of 1 lakh copies seems to be correct.

@kochikaamemy bad. Read it incorrectly

@atulji

Paper1 was fine. I did not knew about Olduvai Gorge. Apart examples in Polymorphism and content in Growth Studies wala questions were not that good. Else I wrote relevant answers.

Paper2 - Written all! But 3-4,10 markers are not of that high quality and last 2 15 markers, was not able to complete all 3 pages due to lack of time. (Around 2 pages completed)

I don't remember exact specific content but L2A test series helped a lot.

@kochikaame
Cool yar!
Vaise bhi forum me 90 percent logo ne mere comments ko misread hi kiya hai abhi tak aur mujhe virtually publicity seeker and feku declared kiya huaa hai

But still I believe cutoff will be below 40- 50 marks as compared to previous years, the reason being essay topics in second section were not easy. Topic dekhne me to easy lag rahe the but 8-9 pages ek flow me likhne me jyadatar logo ne problems face kiya. Other reasons are 1) difficult GS2 2) reduction in GS3 and 3) weird last case study 4) difficulty in optional papers even 5) increased vacancy ( if it is true )
Hoping best for all

@deceptrixis filling pages really important?

@mounikamouni24-h944Mostly not. What matters is addressing all parts of a question. There were 4 pages given in some GS 3 questions this year. It was a potential trap. I anyway had the content for only 3 pages. But yes, if you fill 1 page for a 15 marker, then you can't expect exceptional marks in that answer.

@DKTif we consider increase in vacancy only then it will not affect cut-off by 4-5 marks as near last ranks there are 5-6 students getting same marks. Secondly optional papers were not as tough as you are saying. Even in last year there were few bouncers in anthropology but many people managed to cross 300.

Thirdly, essay was bouncer last year too. So don't expect any reduction in marks in essay. Also students were prepapred to handle philosphical topics this year. So if marking pattern remains same as last year, there will be no reduction in average essay marks.

GS2 was tough. So it will reduce average score there. Same is the case with GS4. In GS3 last year too two questions were difficult: bose-einstein condensate and capital tax wala question. But people managed to cross 100. So there shall be no reduction in average marks in GS3.
GS1 paper was okay barring some 10 markers. So but last year too questions on Chaitanya was diifcult. So i am not expecting any reduction in average marks here.

So overall I can only say, if marking pattern is similar to last year, cut-off will decrease at-max by 10 marks.

@vvvikas0078212

GS3 - Cyberdome, IFS, Watershed, OGW and Expenditure Management was written not very well.

GS2 - Harmonious Construction, UNESCO, RPA was not written that well.

GS1 - Secularism Vs Culture not written well.

Ethics - Quotes wale theory questions not written well.

Ocean Current Vs Water Mass I think wrote okay. Although I don't remember it very well.

Ocean Currents - Kuroshio Currents example. Fishing, Phytoplanktons. Japan coastal communities. Linked to Tropical Cyclone to Jet Stream to Monsoon and its impact.

Water Mass - Specific Temperature & Rainfall ->Marine environment.

Linked Water Mass to Air Mass and then to tropical cyclones formation to effect on Marine & Coastal Environment

Compared Air Front to Water Fronts & it's effect in bringing rain.
Also Water Mass to Air Mass to Air Front (and its effect).

Given example of Sargasso sea, i think.

I think i linked to Tsunami & Indonesia too? Don't remember.

@MycroftHolmes12000 students

@deceptrixbut without world map having water mass and ocean currents along with specific examples of water mass like North Atlantic deep waters, Antarctic deep water, Mediterranean water mass etc, the answer may seem artificial. Especially the water mass part which is very specific and not a famous gs topic.

@hirockyrocks7101

Hi thanks for your reply. I appreciate your input. I did have drawn 2 separate maps for each subpart.
But question was -
"How do ocean currents and water masses differ in their impacts on marine life and coastal environment? Give suitable examples."

Here Relevancy comes in picture:

What is asked?

Compare impact of Ocean Current & Water Mass on marine & coastal environment/life. Also giving suitable examples of this linkage (and not Water Mass itself). You have to establish a link between Water Mass to Coastal Environment and compare with that of Ocean Current! That's it & nothing more.

What is not asked?

What are various water Mass and give examples?
How Ocean Current and Water Mass are formed?
What is difference between Ocean Current & Water Mass?

I did have given examples of both Ocean Current and Water Mass but linked it to question asked.
Thanks!

@zombieland
I respect your views and analysis
But my inner CONSCIENCE says cutoff wouldn't cross 740 for general this year ( I am saying bcz after mains I hv met many aspirants who wrote 2019 mains and everyone faced problem either in essay or GS2 Or GS3 or in Optional )
within 7 days picture will be more transparent.

@deceptrixarent these indirect linkages u r talkng off..by tgis approach one can link water mass with even el nino.. it required direct effects on marine food ecosystem ,coastal erosion,submergence of land,corals etc

@mounikamouni24-h944

Yes it is but content should be relevant.

Less pages but no relevance - No Marks
More pages but no relevance - Poor Marks
Less pages but relevant - Some Marks
More pages and relevant too - Good Marks

Thanks

@deceptrixif you've drawn maps, then it's good.

Coming to relevance, specific examples are needed to explain their impact on marine life and coastal environment of the region.

In addition to this, water masses initiate thermohaline circulation beneath water surface and have little relation with air masses which are formed on land also.

Still you'll get average marks at least in this answer.

@ranyo_asoka

How did you linked water mass to all of these? My question is this. If you can link it's perfectly fine.

@hirockyrocks7101

Let's keep the marks part for UPSC

Also see this - there is some match with my answer.

https://www.ias.network/upsc-ias-mains-2019-gs1-gs2-gs3-answers/

@ranyo_asoka

https://www.ias.network/upsc-ias-mains-2019-gs1-gs2-gs3-answers/

@deceptrixokay

@deceptrixIf you think this answeykey is credible, then fine for you. But water mass is studied in detail in oceanography topic of geography optional. The simple logic why air mass and water mass aren't much related is that most of the water masses form in Bottom or deep waters as uniform water properties are found there unlike the changing surface conditions.

All the very best