Civil Services Mains 2020 Results: In or Out ? Way ahead, gratitude and Pain
The Civils Mains result has been declared. This thread is for sharing your grief , joy , mixed feelings - absolutely anything and everything.
Always.
You know why? Because these are the people you will see in the coming lists.
in hindsight, getting rid of old forum to make room for fresh people and fresh ideas was worth it. We don’t want many people. We just want relevant people.
And I can tell you that toppers will be born just because of the right kind of environment.
I am no knight. Do not call me Sir|Philosophy behind ForumIAS
What's wrong with forum dialog box for typing. When you change the line after pressing 4-5 enter keys, it recognise that as one single line break. While, using single enter press isn't even recognised. Text is continued in the same line.
I am no knight. Do not call me Sir|Philosophy behind ForumIAS
@Ajatshatru @Villanelle @Jammu @nerdfighter @D503 @DeekshitaP @hashtag2020 @Rewl1 @dalpha @whatonly
All from PSIR??//
Main reh gaya. Main bhi hu. :D
@thesleepyhead andthe O.G@AzadHindFauz ..Done:)
Tumlog toh gang bana liye ho yaar. I am jealous.
On a serious note, a big thank you for keeping your discussions and thread alive. I must confess I silently visit your thread more than this thread and I bet I am not the only one doing this.
The minute details may vary but the broader approach to all the optionals is same. So your discussions are helping other guys also.
Don’t be jealous :) everyone will be invited to our 500-comment party soon
About essays, how do we use a quote other than English? I mean, English essay mei Devnagari ya Urdu script toh use nai kar sakte? I am still to come across an answer sheet having quotes other than English though. Any inputs, gentle fellas? :pUse kar lo Ghalib ko, no issue : )
Bracket mein English translation likh do, meaning explain kar do, it would look wonderful, I have seen in many : )
Even I have the similar doubt, for example if I want to write Kabir doha, do i write it in English alphabets or devnagari script? I know we are supposed to write the english translation in bracket.
But can we write the specific doha in devnagri script. ?Yes, I’ve seen it very often in Mock Essays, GS IV. Like Sarve Bhavantu Sukhina (in Devanagri) is favourite conclusion for many in many.
But I have never seen Doha, etc written in English script, I feel that would look very bad to read.
But there is still a chance that the examiner may not be able to read Devanagari na? There’s no way to rule that possibility out since it’s English medium. If it’s written in English it will be better in that case. Why take the risk.
Just to give my two cents on the Mugging Up vs Re-Reading debate going on here
I sincerely feel that if one manages to mug up substantial portions of the Optional and the four GS papers topicwise notes with value additions wherever required, one really stands a great chance of increasing the number of questions where relevant, succint and exact answers are written. This would help in cutting down the number of questions where Man ki Baat/Less than average Improvised answers are written. And howsoever simple it might sounds, this would improve selection chances manyfold.
@RfAd2021 Agree 👌
Bas wo portion ko consciously limit rkhna chahie wrna you don't even know and you start mugging up everything
Villanelle,Jammu
Not only in essay.I did this this in all gs papers and even optional.0 answers written.
Even in pre I wrote 0 pre tests.
I had decided f**k all coachings,all toppers advises as they led to my downfall in last attempt.
I decided I would write whatever I feel in whatever way I feel in the exam in all the 7 papers and even in pre.
Thanks to rishab pant and his coach.
Dekho kya hota hai.
Bhai, for all the good suggestions that you have given, I feel compelled to point out some problematic ones as well. I do this not to discredit your hard work or even your strategy, as you said, we don't know yet. You might end up with a single digit rank or even outside the merit list. Although, probability is in favor of the latter for each interview appearing candidate :) But I really wish that you achieve the former :) Your hard work of making hand written notes, mugging them and going through these long committee reports must've helped in scoring big in mains.
I am doing this for other aspirants who are reading this thread. 2k views and hardly 30 contributors, so in the interest of this silent audience. The claim is not really accurate of writing 0 test, 0 essays, 0 answers. I understand that perhaps you are referring to not writing any test series. But, but, we have to be very careful with our words. You already have experience of one mains. Mains 2019. Which I am sure you must have analyzed and learnt from your past mistakes. This is important to highlight.
So, for others who are reading this, guys, it is not advisable to venture unprepared into mains examination. You don't compulsorily need to write any xyz coaching test series ofcourse :) But one must be well versed with UPSC PYQs and better get your answers verified by someone experienced. Just to know that you are on the right track.
Also, I want to highlight what Rishabh Pant said recently in a post match - "With experience I have learnt that there is nothing called as play your natural game. One needs to play according to the situation."
Practice is important to know how to react in different situations. Also Sunny might have done his struggles to reach the right sources, but following a test series can help a beginner in course correction in terms of targeting one's energy especially when there is abundance of coaching material, toppers, their strategies, their material, their notes, every year.
Nevertheless, his advices are really valuable. Originality is rewarded big time (experienced this myself) ; revision should be one's utmost priority ; some things you have to mug up, no alternative to this exists ; Intro and conclusion if prepared in advance for broader topics will help in saving crucial appox 15 mins in each paper.
Cheers@SunnyParashar just wanted to give a clearer picture of what I understood that you wanted to convey.
Can you please elaborate upon Originality part?
TLDR : My little experience of 2019 mains tells me this.
Originality in thoughts is appreciated. This practically means:
1)In Content- Showing your own thought. Drawing your own "reasoned" conclusions. Making sense of this world. Having that clarity in your head about issues of national and universal importance. One gets scope to do this more in Essay, ethics and optional, but also in GS papers sometimes.
How to do this? Read, think, understand more. Become a critical thinker. Not for every topic one can be so thorough. But choose your areas. BTW, this is no brainer right? Optional is our area. Develop expertise in it. It certainly helps if UPSC provides a topic from your domain. Philosophical topics closely resemble ethics, so ethics imho has become the most rewarding subject in UPSC CSE exam. 250+125 (one essay)+Interview( a big percentage of 275) marks at stake.
2)In Structure- Choosing a way in which one is best able to present their thoughts in the limited space. Diagram, flowchart, map, bullets, para, black, blue, italics, brackets, underline all are merely tools to be used in achieving the above said objective. Once this is realized, one becomes automatically original. We need to address the question. In doing so, do it in the best way possible under the given time and space constraints.
Well, this does not mean one shouldn't practice some innovative ideas of course.
Invoking Rishabh Pant again, one does not simply hit Jimmy Anderson for a six above Wicketkeeper's head in a test match without having done it in the nets.
The larger point is, don't copy AIR-x. Know the rules of the game, take cues from successful people, DIY and find your sweet spot.
Anecdote :
2019 Mains.
Essay paper. My optional is PSIR. Luckily, found a topic close to my area - biased media a real threat to Indian democracy. Wrote my heart out why is this so true. Originality in content and structure.
Talked about what do I understand by democracy. One of the meaning - A life of dignity to each individual. Then how biased media is a threat? Look at what they did to people by labelling as "Tukde-tukde gang". Wrote names. Kanhaiya then fought 2019 LS elections by taking an oath on Indian Constitution and media already declared their verdict as traitors, seditious etc.
Another example, 2019 LS elections held as if it is presidential form of democracy (Taking a dig at our PM | People suggested me to refrain from doing anything of this sort, there is a conspiracy theory going around that UPSC has been infiltrated :P However in that moment I just did it). We are a parliamentary form of democracy. Biased media is a real threat imho. But took more than 1hr 45min.
Now, is the catch, 0 prior experience of writing a philosophical essay. Completely fumbled. The topic did not make sense to me. Wisdom finds truth. The piece was largely a desperate attempt to fill the pages. However, could not even do it. 2 pages left, sheet got snatched. No conclusion. just ended the essay by scribbling that ultimate wisdom and ultimate truth is human dignity.
Score : 131. What does this mean? Originality of the 2nd essay was rewarded. This is the only plausible explanation I can draw out of it. Originality here does not refer to not practicing essays before but in my thoughts regarding the section-B topic.
Optional - IR Paper.
Could not recall content from SR Mam's notes in the exam hall. So started pouring down my own thoughts (IFS as 1st choice ; IR is my area). Repeatedly used 2 names (for the sake of doing it) in almost every question who must have been used by many to substantiate. HV Pant and CR Mohan. Could not answer 1 factual question ; 17th NAM summit. Was confused was the recent one 17th one or..?
Score to my surprise : 143. The only reason - originality in thoughts :)
GS Papers.
GS2 left 1 10-marker blank. 2 15-markers were filled namesake with some rhetorical content (Attorney-G), even wrong article number (not to be done ever). Score 97.
GS3 attempted 19.5 questions ; in the format prescribed by toppers, proper sub-headings, writing 5 points under each. Score 70.
Reason? - Lacked clarity in understanding. Copied topper's advice without substance. Artificial partitioning and points. But GS2 contains IR. Here, I was able to reflect my own understanding, displayed them in a logical flow.
About essays, how do we use a quote other than English? I mean, English essay mei Devnagari ya Urdu script toh use nai kar sakte? I am still to come across an answer sheet having quotes other than English though. Any inputs, gentle fellas? :pUse kar lo Ghalib ko, no issue : )
Bracket mein English translation likh do, meaning explain kar do, it would look wonderful, I have seen in many : )
Even I have the similar doubt, for example if I want to write Kabir doha, do i write it in English alphabets or devnagari script? I know we are supposed to write the english translation in bracket.
But can we write the specific doha in devnagri script. ?Yes, I’ve seen it very often in Mock Essays, GS IV. Like Sarve Bhavantu Sukhina (in Devanagri) is favourite conclusion for many in many.
But I have never seen Doha, etc written in English script, I feel that would look very bad to read.
But there is still a chance that the examiner may not be able to read Devanagari na? There’s no way to rule that possibility out since it’s English medium. If it’s written in English it will be better in that case. Why take the risk.
No. I was recommending this is good way to write ॐ सर्वे भवन्तु सुखिनः (Om, May All be Happy,).
This is personally not good way to write - Om Sarve Bhavantu Sukhinah.
What is your take ?
@Jammu Could you please throw some light as to how these keywords are meant to be utilised to enrich GS preparation/answer writing.
After multiple practise of using them, they will naturally come in flow in your writings. This Officer ‘Hardworking Human’ in his youtube channel has given many more and applicability aspects as well.
Like Social Media ke liye manufactured consent, echo chambers, twitter nationalism, self feeding industry should come naturally. Would look good as underlined.
Do you Guys think that a bad phase has started for psir and anthro as in 2019 results the highest marks in psir wasn't even 300 and in 2020 anthro had a comparatively difficult paper ?
Also feel free to add your analysis based upon the selection in mains 2020 .
I believe PSIR is doing well, if not great. It has great spillover effect on other GS subjects. Plus you would find many selections among top 40 from PSIR(2019)
This year, I have seen many of my PSIR friends getting call for PT, most of them have written Mains for 1st time.
Not only in essay.I did this this in all gs papers and even optional.0 answers written.
Even in pre I wrote 0 pre tests.
I had decided f**k all coachings,all toppers advises as they led to my downfall in last attempt.
I decided I would write whatever I feel in whatever way I feel in the exam in all the 7 papers and even in pre.
Thanks to rishab pant and his coach.
Dekho kya hota hai.
Bhai, for all the good suggestions that you have given, I feel compelled to point out some problematic ones as well. I do this not to discredit your hard work or even your strategy, as you said, we don't know yet. You might end up with a single digit rank or even outside the merit list. Although, probability is in favor of the latter for each interview appearing candidate :) But I really wish that you achieve the former :) Your hard work of making hand written notes, mugging them and going through these long committee reports must've helped in scoring big in mains.
I am doing this for other aspirants who are reading this thread. 2k views and hardly 30 contributors, so in the interest of this silent audience. The claim is not really accurate of writing 0 test, 0 essays, 0 answers. I understand that perhaps you are referring to not writing any test series. But, but, we have to be very careful with our words. You already had experience of one mains. Mains 2019. Which I am sure you must have analyzed and learnt from your past mistakes. This is important to highlight.
So, for others who are reading this, guys, it is not advisable to venture unprepared into mains examination. You don't compulsorily need to write any xyz coaching test series ofcourse :) But one must be well versed with UPSC PYQs and better get your answers verified by someone experienced. Just to know that you are on the right track.
Also, I want to highlight what Rishabh Pant said recently in a post match - "With experience I have learnt that there is nothing called as play your natural game. One needs to play according to the situation."
Practice is important to know how to react in different situations. Also Sunny might have done his struggles to reach the right sources, but following a test series can help a beginner in course correction in terms of targeting one's energy especially when there is abundance of coaching material, toppers, their strategies, their material, their notes, every year.
Nevertheless, his advices are really valuable. Originality is rewarded big time (experienced this myself) ; revision should be one's utmost priority ; some things you have to mug up, no alternative to this exists ; Intro and conclusion if prepared in advance for broader topics will help in saving crucial appox 15 mins in each paper.
Cheers@SunnyParashar just wanted to give a clearer picture of what I understood that you wanted to convey.
I appreciate your understanding of the exam.
But I am still confident to stick to my approach till marksheet comes.
Here everybody is assuming(including@Neyawn ) that I won't be in 338 odd students in the final list.
I would be happy to prove everyone wrong.
I still reteirate my words that mugging and internalising is the most important part of the exam even if one directly write answers in paper without prior experience as making so many notes does amount to answer writing.
I have written 0 tests,0 essays and my writing style is same as that of 2019 mains.Only difference I did is writing intro and conclu.
People do advise to prepare ethics examples beforehand.I did'nt but still managed to put example in each question of part 1.
Agarwal jitendra murariral(this year rank 128) had scored 427 in 2018 and 435 in 2019 in GS without any prior experience of such things(known him,so followed him).
I guess doing everything different than everybody has its own downsides.
I would sound like a hollow vessel till now since I have no proof to back my claims.
Its better for me to leave this place and do everything different as I have been doing till now.
P.S- I was referring to rishab pant's coach advise of not following experts and get his bat swing back and not follow so called experts.
P.S- And I don't know why everyone has assumed I would perform poorly.I might do well also.Maybe,its understandable as if people start succeeding with this method i.e with 0 ans practise and 0 essay practise forumias and other coachings would have to shut shop.
P.S- I do hope to clear the exam as it would prove all the existing strategies wrong.
Time to leave this place for good.
Time to leave this place for good.
everytime you say this, you come back with more naive suggestions and opinions. "everyone is assuming i will not make it into the list", no sane person would think like this. if this is all that you have got from forum, better dont come back.
Not only in essay.I did this this in all gs papers and even optional.0 answers written.
Even in pre I wrote 0 pre tests.
I had decided f**k all coachings,all toppers advises as they led to my downfall in last attempt.
I decided I would write whatever I feel in whatever way I feel in the exam in all the 7 papers and even in pre.
Thanks to rishab pant and his coach.
Dekho kya hota hai.
Bhai, for all the good suggestions that you have given, I feel compelled to point out some problematic ones as well. I do this not to discredit your hard work or even your strategy, as you said, we don't know yet. You might end up with a single digit rank or even outside the merit list. Although, probability is in favor of the latter for each interview appearing candidate :) But I really wish that you achieve the former :) Your hard work of making hand written notes, mugging them and going through these long committee reports must've helped in scoring big in mains.
I am doing this for other aspirants who are reading this thread. 2k views and hardly 30 contributors, so in the interest of this silent audience. The claim is not really accurate of writing 0 test, 0 essays, 0 answers. I understand that perhaps you are referring to not writing any test series. But, but, we have to be very careful with our words. You already had experience of one mains. Mains 2019. Which I am sure you must have analyzed and learnt from your past mistakes. This is important to highlight.
So, for others who are reading this, guys, it is not advisable to venture unprepared into mains examination. You don't compulsorily need to write any xyz coaching test series ofcourse :) But one must be well versed with UPSC PYQs and better get your answers verified by someone experienced. Just to know that you are on the right track.
Also, I want to highlight what Rishabh Pant said recently in a post match - "With experience I have learnt that there is nothing called as play your natural game. One needs to play according to the situation."
Practice is important to know how to react in different situations. Also Sunny might have done his struggles to reach the right sources, but following a test series can help a beginner in course correction in terms of targeting one's energy especially when there is abundance of coaching material, toppers, their strategies, their material, their notes, every year.
Nevertheless, his advices are really valuable. Originality is rewarded big time (experienced this myself) ; revision should be one's utmost priority ; some things you have to mug up, no alternative to this exists ; Intro and conclusion if prepared in advance for broader topics will help in saving crucial appox 15 mins in each paper.
Cheers@SunnyParashar just wanted to give a clearer picture of what I understood that you wanted to convey.
I appreciate your understanding of the exam.
But I am still confident to stick to my approach till marksheet comes.
Here everybody is assuming(including@Neyawn ) that I won't be in 338 odd students in the final list.
I would be happy to prove everyone wrong.
I still reteirate my words that mugging and internalising is the most important part of the exam even if one directly write answers in paper without prior experience as making so many notes does amount to answer writing.
I have written 0 tests,0 essays and my writing style is same as that of 2019 mains.Only difference I did is writing intro and conclu.
People do advise to prepare ethics examples beforehand.I did'nt but still managed to put example in each question of part 1.
Agarwal jitendra murariral(this year rank 128) had scored 427 in 2018 and 435 in 2019 in GS without any prior experience of such things(known him,so followed him).
I guess doing everything different than everybody has its own downsides.
I would sound like a hollow vessel till now since I have no proof to back my claims.
Its better for me to leave this place and do everything different as I have been doing till now.
P.S- I was referring to rishab pant's coach advise of not following experts and get his bat swing back and not follow so called experts.
P.S- And I don't know why everyone has assumed I would perform poorly.I might do well also.Maybe,its understandable as if people start succeeding with this method i.e with 0 ans practise and 0 essay practise forumias and other coachings would have to shut shop.
P.S- I do hope to clear the exam as it would prove all the existing strategies wrong.
Time to leave this place for good.
Why so much negativity towards everything and everyone. Noone said you won't succeed they just pointed out the odds of it which is necessary at this point. No strategy is perfect and yours is particularly risky and while it worked for you, it wrecked havoc in my last attempt. Couldn't even complete my paper due to lack of answer writing and ended up writing too much content in some questions due to all the facts I mugged up and lost track of time.
I do agree coachings can be a cash grab at times but you can't rule out all the free content you get which makes your life so so much easier. I am pretty sure you didn't make notes of ARC from the actual reports.
Try to be a little calmer and kinder. It does wonders to you and everyone around.
I appreciate your understanding of the exam.
But I am still confident to stick to my approach till marksheet comes.
Here everybody is assuming(including@Neyawn ) that I won't be in 338 odd students in the final list.
I would be happy to prove everyone wrong.
I still reteirate my words that mugging and internalising is the most important part of the exam even if one directly write answers in paper without prior experience as making so many notes does amount to answer writing.
I have written 0 tests,0 essays and my writing style is same as that of 2019 mains.Only difference I did is writing intro and conclu.
People do advise to prepare ethics examples beforehand.I did'nt but still managed to put example in each question of part 1.
Agarwal jitendra murariral(this year rank 128) had scored 427 in 2018 and 435 in 2019 in GS without any prior experience of such things(known him,so followed him).
I guess doing everything different than everybody has its own downsides.
I would sound like a hollow vessel till now since I have no proof to back my claims.
Its better for me to leave this place and do everything different as I have been doing till now.
P.S- I was referring to rishab pant's coach advise of not following experts and get his bat swing back and not follow so called experts.
P.S- And I don't know why everyone has assumed I would perform poorly.I might do well also.Maybe,its understandable as if people start succeeding with this method i.e with 0 ans practise and 0 essay practise forumias and other coachings would have to shut shop.
P.S- I do hope to clear the exam as it would prove all the existing strategies wrong.
Time to leave this place for good.
.
Not only in essay.I did this this in all gs papers and even optional.0 answers written.
Even in pre I wrote 0 pre tests.
I had decided f**k all coachings,all toppers advises as they led to my downfall in last attempt.
I decided I would write whatever I feel in whatever way I feel in the exam in all the 7 papers and even in pre.
Thanks to rishab pant and his coach.
Dekho kya hota hai.
Bhai, for all the good suggestions that you have given, I feel compelled to point out some problematic ones as well. I do this not to discredit your hard work or even your strategy, as you said, we don't know yet. You might end up with a single digit rank or even outside the merit list. Although, probability is in favor of the latter for each interview appearing candidate :) But I really wish that you achieve the former :) Your hard work of making hand written notes, mugging them and going through these long committee reports must've helped in scoring big in mains.
I am doing this for other aspirants who are reading this thread. 2k views and hardly 30 contributors, so in the interest of this silent audience. The claim is not really accurate of writing 0 test, 0 essays, 0 answers. I understand that perhaps you are referring to not writing any test series. But, but, we have to be very careful with our words. You already had experience of one mains. Mains 2019. Which I am sure you must have analyzed and learnt from your past mistakes. This is important to highlight.
So, for others who are reading this, guys, it is not advisable to venture unprepared into mains examination. You don't compulsorily need to write any xyz coaching test series ofcourse :) But one must be well versed with UPSC PYQs and better get your answers verified by someone experienced. Just to know that you are on the right track.
Also, I want to highlight what Rishabh Pant said recently in a post match - "With experience I have learnt that there is nothing called as play your natural game. One needs to play according to the situation."
Practice is important to know how to react in different situations. Also Sunny might have done his struggles to reach the right sources, but following a test series can help a beginner in course correction in terms of targeting one's energy especially when there is abundance of coaching material, toppers, their strategies, their material, their notes, every year.
Nevertheless, his advices are really valuable. Originality is rewarded big time (experienced this myself) ; revision should be one's utmost priority ; some things you have to mug up, no alternative to this exists ; Intro and conclusion if prepared in advance for broader topics will help in saving crucial appox 15 mins in each paper.
Cheers@SunnyParashar just wanted to give a clearer picture of what I understood that you wanted to convey.
I appreciate your understanding of the exam.
But I am still confident to stick to my approach till marksheet comes.
Here everybody is assuming(including@Neyawn ) that I won't be in 338 odd students in the final list.
I would be happy to prove everyone wrong.
I still reteirate my words that mugging and internalising is the most important part of the exam even if one directly write answers in paper without prior experience as making so many notes does amount to answer writing.
I have written 0 tests,0 essays and my writing style is same as that of 2019 mains.Only difference I did is writing intro and conclu.
People do advise to prepare ethics examples beforehand.I did'nt but still managed to put example in each question of part 1.
Agarwal jitendra murariral(this year rank 128) had scored 427 in 2018 and 435 in 2019 in GS without any prior experience of such things(known him,so followed him).
I guess doing everything different than everybody has its own downsides.
I would sound like a hollow vessel till now since I have no proof to back my claims.
Its better for me to leave this place and do everything different as I have been doing till now.
P.S- I was referring to rishab pant's coach advise of not following experts and get his bat swing back and not follow so called experts.
P.S- And I don't know why everyone has assumed I would perform poorly.I might do well also.Maybe,its understandable as if people start succeeding with this method i.e with 0 ans practise and 0 essay practise forumias and other coachings would have to shut shop.
P.S- I do hope to clear the exam as it would prove all the existing strategies wrong.
Time to leave this place for good.
My apologies if you felt that I think you won’t succeed. I don’t think so. Every year there are outliers who make it.
And even if anyone thinks so, on this platform or elsewhere no one has or should have the right to say so.
My point was that when you finally get a top rank, and give out your suggestions , lot of people will follow you, without your clarity and caliber.
You on the other hand will assume that everyone has the same clarity and caliber and will power as you. And while things may work for you, it may not work for the rest of us. And since when did this UPSC exam have “one best way” of cracking it ?
I am no knight. Do not call me Sir|Philosophy behind ForumIAS
TLDR : My little experience of 2019 mains tells me this.
Originality in thoughts is appreciated. This practically means:
1)In Content- Showing your own thought. Drawing your own "reasoned" conclusions. Making sense of this world. Having that clarity in your head about issues of national and universal importance. One gets scope to do this more in Essay, ethics and optional, but also in GS papers sometimes.
How to do this? Read, think, understand more. Become a critical thinker. Not for every topic one can be so thorough. But choose your areas. BTW, this is no brainer right? Optional is our area. Develop expertise in it. It certainly helps if UPSC provides a topic from your domain. Philosophical topics closely resemble ethics, so ethics imho has become the most rewarding subject in UPSC CSE exam. 250+125 (one essay)+Interview( a big percentage of 275) marks at stake.
2)In Structure- Choosing a way in which one is best able to present their thoughts in the limited space. Diagram, flowchart, map, bullets, para, black, blue, italics, brackets, underline all are merely tools to be used in achieving the above said objective. Once this is realized, one becomes automatically original. We need to address the question. In doing so, do it in the best way possible under the given time and space constraints.
Well, this does not mean one shouldn't practice some innovative ideas of course.
Invoking Rishabh Pant again, one does not simply hit Jimmy Anderson for a six above Wicketkeeper's head in a test match without having done it in the nets.
The larger point is, don't copy AIR-x. Know the rules of the game, take cues from successful people, DIY and find your sweet spot.
Anecdote :
2019 Mains.
Essay paper. My optional is PSIR. Luckily, found a topic close to my area - biased media a real threat to Indian democracy. Wrote my heart out why is this so true. Originality in content and structure.
Talked about what do I understand by democracy. One of the meaning - A life of dignity to each individual. Then how biased media is a threat? Look at what they did to people by labelling as "Tukde-tukde gang". Wrote names. Kanhaiya then fought 2019 LS elections by taking an oath on Indian Constitution and media already declared their verdict as traitors, seditious etc.
Another example, 2019 LS elections held as if it is presidential form of democracy (Taking a dig at our PM | People suggested me to refrain from doing anything of this sort, there is a conspiracy theory going around that UPSC has been infiltrated :P However in that moment I just did it). We are a parliamentary form of democracy. Biased media is a real threat imho. But took more than 1hr 45min.
Now, is the catch, 0 prior experience of writing a philosophical essay. Completely fumbled. The topic did not make sense to me. Wisdom finds truth. The piece was largely a desperate attempt to fill the pages. However, could not even do it. 2 pages left, sheet got snatched. No conclusion. just ended the essay by scribbling that ultimate wisdom and ultimate truth is human dignity.
Score : 131. What does this mean? Originality of the 2nd essay was rewarded. This is the only plausible explanation I can draw out of it. Originality here does not refer to not practicing essays before but in my thoughts regarding the section-B topic.
Optional - IR Paper.
Could not recall content from SR Mam's notes in the exam hall. So started pouring down my own thoughts (IFS as 1st choice ; IR is my area). Repeatedly used 2 names (for the sake of doing it) in almost every question who must have been used by many to substantiate. HV Pant and CR Mohan. Could not answer 1 factual question ; 17th NAM summit. Was confused was the recent one 17th one or..?
Score to my surprise : 143. The only reason - originality in thoughts :)
GS Papers.
GS2 left 1 10-marker blank. 2 15-markers were filled namesake with some rhetorical content (Attorney-G), even wrong article number (not to be done ever). Score 97.
GS3 attempted 19.5 questions ; in the format prescribed by toppers, proper sub-headings, writing 5 points under each. Score 70.
Reason? - Lacked clarity in understanding. Copied topper's advice without substance. Artificial partitioning and points. But GS2 contains IR. Here, I was able to reflect my own understanding, displayed them in a logical flow.
Thanks for your insights! Any blind following always dupes you, agreed.
Also, would you(or someone else too) recommend looking up for IDSA/ORF/PRS etc once in a week or so? This is in the context of your point to bring originality in content. One shouldn't diversify sources too much and must keep them simple but I was thinking to devote 2-3hours max weekly by exploring any good articles on these websites and just value add to my notes. Anyone who has written mains at least once can shed light on this aspect. Are you able to recollect such points?
Write your comment…
