@vvvikas0078212In that case if someone attempt all 19 questions good then he will get 150 marks. But in geography optional to be particular we've seen marks have reached even 165 in paper 1 and 173 in paper 2. So good answers definitely get 70% marks in optional, average get 40-50% and below average answers 20-30%.
@Bubba_gumprather than telling about the number of questions, we should tell the total marks which are well attempted (name of scholars, maps/diagrams, addressing all parts of question, introduction and conclusion), average attempted (some aspects missing from above criteria) and below average answers ( like nrr, tombolos, phreatic eruption).
In my case :
Paper 1
140 marks well attempted
70 marks average attempted
40 marks below average
Paper 2
155 marks Well attempted
65 marks average attempted
30 marks below average
@Bubba_gumpiam comparing performance with 2017 in which the paper 1 was tough and I left 50 marks blank in both papers still managed to get 268(127+141). Final marks may surprise but this is my honest estimation without being biased in favour of my performance.
@al_biruni30 marks in paper 1( left pseudovolncanic, micro carbon sink, low energy coast all 3 blank ...plus biological desert namesake). 20 marks in paper 2( 2017 monsoon, hill transport subsidy).
@vvvikas0078212I found both equally tough
Pseudovolncanic vs phreatic
Low energy coast vs tombolos
Micro carbon sink vs nrr
Haggerstrand Time geography vs Hartshorne boundaries
@al_birunibhai if paper comes tough then marks are more if attempted well..more scaling.
In 2017 marks even reached 165 in paper 1 which was comparatively tougher than paper 2.
In 2018 paper 2 was tougher and maximum reached upto 173.
@Bubba_gumpI'm not qualified enough to suggest anything to you brother.
@vvvikas0078212what about himalayan aspects question? Did you attempt it?
@vvvikas0078212counting it as well attempted or average?
@vvvikas0078212I also tried to make it holistic
- Insurgency
- Thwarted invasions
- Military bases especially air force fighter bases
- Water sharing issues brahmaputra, indus, teesta
- Diffusion of races mongoloid from East and aryan from west
Rest not so specific ones, counting it as average and thus 50% marks.
@vvvikas0078212hahah, same here bro, all 3 major age groups and related percentage, age structure and sex pyramid, share of workforce in sectors and also demographic dividend and government initiatives.
@Bubba_gumpPossible if similar question from test series or 500+ appears in mains. Like de-industrialisation, hdi, aged population, IT growth, migration among others.
@Bubba_gumpMapping of the map question has to be a dot with a circle around it, so yes some approximation is allowed. I've been told that map location is marked liberally.
For the maps that we draw in our answers, flow patterns and regions should be well presented along with labelling.
@Bubba_gumpsimilar to 2017, the difference is that I've completed both the papers. Rest it's upto the examiner whether he finds the content relevant or not.
Best wishes to you brother!!
@Bubba_gumpshabbir sir notes for both environment and biogeography along with using 500+ notes of himanshu sir and gs and current affairs material.
@Bubba_gump2017 paper was similar, negligible weightage of perspectives in paper 1 and paper 2 was more of gs type.
Now the time to analyse our performance is long gone, engage yourself into something productive/interesting because firstly it'll reduce anxiety and secondly base for post result preparation would be built whether it's prelims centric knowledge of a topic or interview centric opinion formation on an issue.
1(b) Used groundwater provinces, North India agricultural practices related depletion, South India peninsula poor recharge potential and aquifer collapse, coastal region saltwater seepage from ocean due to reverse hydrostatic pressure. Quality depletion in bengal(arsenic) and nalconda(flouride).
1(c) Yin jet stream theory, kooteshwaran Tibetan plateau theory, El nino and Indian ocean dipole, related diagrams.
1(d) Used agroclimatic planning in drought prone regions, watershed initiatives, role of ICAR in drought resistant seeds etc.
2(a) Both agroclimatic zones of Randhawa and agroecological regions of nbsslup and correlated with diagram.
2(b) Used growth pole reference, and strategies for removing regional imbalances.
2(c) Defined watershed concept with diagram, then 4E strategy in watershed development.
4(a) Used cultural races specific to himalayan region, role of topography etc. Missed rimland theory here.
4(c) Census data of all 3 age categories, age pyramid, dependancy ratio. Demographic dividend, data and government initiatives.
5(a) Dividied West flowing rivers into northern himalayan, central ephemeral and Southern with diagram.
5(b) principles of wildlife conservation like coarse and filter approach, contagious zone principle and local level participation.
5(c) Von thunen distance decay in land rent, Concentric zonation model, post modernism and multiple nuclei model, 3 congested diagrams.
5(d) Defined footloose industries then used forward and backward linkages, role in agriculture with examples.
5(e) Diagram of corrie lake and how its responsible for glof, global warming, earthquake and neglect of land use zonation leading to settlements in river flood prone area.
7(a) Empowered action group and non EAG states relation in migration and migration flow map. All 3 sectors comparison between in migrating and out migrating states. BGREI and growth poles in backward regions. Missed migration core theories as well as core periphery mention in answer.
7(b) Major 3 types of pollution, map of specific regions affected by particular type, comparison with south
7(c)Defined incentive based programmes, then explained roles of such programmes by exemplifying like mgnrega for employment and creation of durable assets, pmay for shelter and employment, skill development mission for better remuneration in quality jobs, health by pm ayush etc.
@vvvikas0078212I too wasn't aware of these but 500+ helped in this aspect, 1 question covered major wildlife principles, so just mentioned that in India these aren't followed.
@Scorpion888everyone gets good marks in paper 2 bro because we think anything above 140 is good. Difference comes when some topper gets 179 or 173 in paper 2 then these are exceptional marks. Baaki I've witnessed brijesh jyoti Upadhyay after 2017 mains and expected that he'll get really good marks but he got even less than me that year. So upsc is really unpredictable.
@Scorpion888Multiple approaches to write the same answer holistically.
@Scorpion888I don't know his medium but I think he was from English medium.
@Scorpion888but that effort goes in vain as other optionals like anthro get 300 with same level of efforts.
@132_SIDNot many attempts bro, just one... Score was also average 127+141
@vvvikas0078212+300
@vvvikas0078212I gave only 1 mains, so can't compare. But I expected 130, got 141. Scaling effect maybe.
@Arrah_Jilabut bhai concentric zonation model use hi isiliye Kiya kyunki it clearly establishes correlation between all these 3 aspects. CBD at the centre with highest vertical growth and highest land prices and zone 1 with light manufacturing units along with working class dwellings like slums and ghettos. The the reasons why it is so. I maybe wrong but I found the demand of the question directly linked to this particular theory. Then in the end post modern cities with gentrification and multiple nuclei development as one CBD can't fulfil demand of whole city when it expands. Thus slums also gets scattered.
@Arrah_JilaUsed this to give the answer a theoretical base and post modern cities with gentrification phenomenon along with multiple nuclei model to explain development of Indian cities along with diagram. Assuming 7 marks in this but now iam having serious doubts.
@vvvikas0078212In my opinion multiple nuclei model does explain this development of dharavi near banda kurla CBD which is secondary CBD also netaji Subhas Palace secondary CBD in Delhi and prembari pul slums. Though I didn't give these examples due to lack of space. Also slums moving towards city periphery due to gentrification and city beautification drive like bhalaswa slums in Delhi.
@Scorpion888exactly, the point is to use theory in this answer to substantiate it, whether it's bazar based model or Concentric zonation or port based model.
@Scorpion888sahi galat ka mains mein khel hi nhi hai bhai, khel yaha structure, diagram, theory IBC etc ka hai as per what toppers say. I also think so as content more or less remains same. I got 141 in 2017 optional paper 2 without using any theory or diagrams but because of decent content and structure. Now maybe I could've got more had I used diagrams and theories or maybe less, nobody knows.
What we know is that toppers with 165+ marks have everything in their answers... IBC, content, structure, diagrams, theories.
@HartshorneI don't like giving false hopes to people, but you for sure will clear it if something really bad doesn't happen.
@HartshorneI hope we all make it to the final list, if not this year, then some other year eventually.
@vvvikas0078212bhai, what was your score in 2016 mains? And what mistakes you did in optional/essay/gs/interview due to which you couldn't get selected?
@vvvikas00782122016 interview and 2017 mains paper wise score? This time scaling would be like 2017 in geo.
@HartshorneMumbai se thodi atmospheric instability transfer hojaye toh sahi rahega.
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@vvvikas0078212I too missed by 4 marks in 2017, now copies are checked I think, fate is sealed
@Hartshornemeandering STWJ ?
@vvvikas0078212I also hate Mumbai weather, very monotonous, asli diversity to Delhi ke weather mein hai, har cheez extreme except rains in which Mumbai triumphs.
@HartshorneDouble whammy
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@vvvikas0078212hahah, so going down all the way from sinkholes to stalactites and stalagmites
@tmblnd1325194I have experience of both 500+ and guidance test series. Joined 500+ in 2017, helped me immensely and got decent marks in geography. Joined only his test series in 2019, my friend joined 500+,content is almost same. So revising 500+ and then giving tests to evaluate our performance can be a good strategy.
@tmblnd1325194only savinder singh physical geography is more than enough. Shabbir sir's notes along with 500+ and rupa physical geography is a massive task in itself. Reading a whole book for some exceptional kind of questions is not an effective strategy.
@Hartshornebut 500+ classes consume 5 crucial hours, it takes only half the time to revise same old 500+ notes.
@tmblnd1325194pray to god that you clear the exam in this very attempt and get out of this vicious cycle, that's the bottom line. God forbid if you'd have to give next attempt then join only test series and keep revising old 500+ notes as content is almost same each year and it saves crucial time as well as money which you can use in gs test series.
@HartshorneI went through my roommate's 500+ notes this year, questions were verbatim, some exceptions were there but to cover those I don't think going for a 5 hour long class is useful as we've to balance both G.S and optional.
