Mains 2021: Doubt and strategy discussion thread

Asif sir left forum,he is with shankar ias now

how to improve ans writing skills,how to prepare the content for it ?

i already completed the syllabus(for pre),i read the basic books for pre,but i wont be able to write the ans as the approach for reading pre and mains is different for ex if there is a MCQ related to events of dada bhai naroji i can eliminate wrong option and reach the ans but for me its very difficult to write 100-150 words on Dada bhai,so i guess is a lack of content....how to improve that ?

content kaise improve kare Vision vam se,secure  compilation se test series padke..mains ke lie book padne se muze itna fayda nhi lagta

also plz tell me the approaches to read the same content for pre and for mains(basically mains me likhna padta hai toh sab yaad karna padega nd pre me ankhon ke saamne ans hota hai)

and one last thing plz explain how to dobrainstormingon ca topics and other topics 

@AzadHindFauz @Sherkhan1428 @SergioRamos @Patootie @iskool @Naadan_Parinda 

and also other plz throw some light on this 

In the words of Ramdev Baba, "Karne se hoga" :P

First of all join any Test series. (In the market there are a lot of conspiracy theorists, who will say not to join any test series. And then they'll themselves provide sub-standard material. Choose what suits you.)

Approach to write Tests:

When you see a question, think about what you would've written with your current knowledge base (this is what you'd have written in actual exam). Then refer to your original sources. After reading about the topic, write the answers based on your own understanding.

Get your answers checked by someone. And analyse the feedback given to you.

How to brainstorm on any topic:

For this, UPSC syllabus can be the best guide. On any issue, brainstorm in the way topics are mentioned in the mains syllabus.

E.g, if there is any cultural and historical aspect to the topic. Then the social, Geographical, political, governance, economy etc. [Memorise the syllabus]

P.S- I'm not an experienced aspirant here. Others may help you better. But I guess you got the idea. Karne se hoga.

• Raillifesaid

  how to improve ans writing skills,how to prepare the content for it ?

  i already completed the syllabus(for pre),i read the basic books for pre,but i wont be able to write the ans as the approach for reading pre and mains is different for ex if there is a MCQ related to events of dada bhai naroji i can eliminate wrong option and reach the ans but for me its very difficult to write 100-150 words on Dada bhai,so i guess is a lack of content....how to improve that ?

  content kaise improve kare Vision vam se,secure  compilation se test series padke..mains ke lie book padne se muze itna fayda nhi lagta

  also plz tell me the approaches to read the same content for pre and for mains(basically mains me likhna padta hai toh sab yaad karna padega nd pre me ankhon ke saamne ans hota hai)

  and one last thing plz explain how to dobrainstormingon ca topics and other topics 

  @AzadHindFauz @Sherkhan1428 @SergioRamos @Patootie @iskool @Naadan_Parinda 

  and also other plz throw some light on this 

  
  

See, firstly we have to get rid of this notion that GS answers need to be brilliant. It is a wild goose chase. For this, I would suggest you download topper copies and spend a day or two with them. You will see how basic those answers are. The key is that they are able to write to the point and basic answers for most of the questions. This will remove your fear of content. Trust me when I say this, barring 1-2 topics, most of the GS topics are there in NCERT and questions are picked from there only(mostly). Just look and you will be amazed. So do not chase materials. 
Secondly, as@NadanParinda  said, karne se hoga.
For momentum building, write some answers to the NCERT questions at the back of every chapter. NCERT questions will help in Revision+Practise. When these two are done, go to IASBABA's TLP page and see how others are writing. 
These exercises will help you remove your fear and also sharpen your hand so that when you join any Mains test series, you are not a blank slate. I believe 2-3 weeks of the above activities should be done before going for any test series.


                                                                                                                                                And do not be too hard on yourself mate. You can write 150 words on Dadabhai. It is the confidence you need. You very well know his economic critique, his role in INC and building the idea of India during the moderate phase, his reforms for the Parsi community and his role in taking Indian cause to the British house fo commons. These points are more than enough and you know all of these. Just proper stitching is needed and that is where practice comes in.
And, there is a doc on Page 1 here of mains PYQ previous 40 years. It will help you calm your nerves regarding your preparation. Regarding CA, the PYQ will help there too. 
You will do well. We all will do well. We will come out of this, stronger! :)

You can re-do the sources you referred for prelims emphasising- What, Why, How. 

That's how I revise my sources. Although I've made notes now, but I still do it if I need to read the books. 

What- becomes your introduction. 

Why and How- The body. 

Make quick short notes + club them with your factual prelims notes (they will help substantiate your arguments.) 

Even if you remember the prelims notes, you'll be able to write a decent answer. What really matters in mains is backing up your arguments with valid data/facts.

@Naadan_Parinda Blue ticks are really cool. How do people get it? :p

@root @Neyawn 

Whom to ask? :p

The base remains the same. However, the perspective and the method of deliberating over a topic change. Note making (short summaries , outline of questions, stats, quotes) become important. Others have given very wise suggestions as to how to go about the process. Let me throw some light on the content building part.

So There was a question in2010 from Modern History. 

Dalhousie’s predecessors had acted on the general principles of avoiding annexation, if these could be avoided. Dalhousie acted on the principles of annexation, if he could do so legitimately. His annexations were both of war and peace”. Analyse.

Notice the sheer number of sub parts asked in the question. But the beauty is whole content for this question will come from what you have studied in Prelims. But you will now have to bring the analytical part and not just the Factual part you have studied. I have made the following outline of the answer by deliberating over everything i read in Prelims and may be borrowing a couple of things from World History.

The key, therefore, is deliberating on lines of ,"kya puch raha hai, subparts kya hain, intro mein kya likhna hai, body kaise structure karni hai," etc etc. 

And remember to always read things in aquestion answer format. Themore the brain is conditionedto reading questions, the more you are prepared todeconstruct the mains questions which can have 2 or even 3 subparts. Practice and Deliberation.

For CA. I would say, instead of reading the newspaper daily, pick up issues and read 2-3 articles to answer 2-3 subparts. collect your points and memorize them. 

SO if RTI amendment is in news and you have a topic "transparency and accountability" in GS 2 : then expect a questions on lines of ,"How far do you think the Recent amendments to the RTI act could lead to dilution of the spirit with which it was enacted?"

The following is the content that i have with regards to this topic. I must now memorize this so well, that whatever the question around RTI be, i should be able to write a decent answer and get a 5/12 or a 4/10. GS is prep is all about that.

I hope this helps you get some insights as to how to go about the process. At the end of the day, we all are learning. What i know or how i go about things may not be Foolproof. What matters isCONVICTION . The spirit of , "apun yahicch karega, apun iss ko baar baar padhega, aur apun chinki papa Doctor Asthana ko dikha dega ki saala ussne kisse panga liya hai"

Cheers !

Frankly, I don't know. May be based on the number of followers, or number of posts, or number of likes & comments or how much is someone active/ regular on the platform etc. I was much active earlier on the platform, and I got this Blue tick then only. 

Cool. Then I guess I don't deserve it :/

Hello all the good people of Forum. Was away from Forum for a few weeks and fell ill post Prelims (one of the few ones I guess :P ). 
It seems like I would be getting a chance to write Mains this year but I am grossly unprepared for it. Have seen Neyawn's strategy videos and gone through this thread. The PYQ detailed analysis is probably still left and have only read few toppers' copies as of now. 

I need help regarding suggestions for classes - I have PSIR as optional, had taken Shubhra Mam's classes which got disrupted due to Corona so IR wasn't covered upto date, plus the coourse ended in May 2020, so the entire optional is still kind of new to me. Now, my doubt is whether I should go for her crash course and test series or should I rely on just mugging up my class notes and get the tests from the market. If anyone has attended her crash course and could provide an insight that would be great.

Lastly, I am in complete mess with regards to Current Affairs - wasn't consistent with newspapers or compilations and definitely not with notes, so I am in a fix here. I am planning to take ForumIAS Classes but am getting priced out in a way. Plus I have doubts regarding its overlap with what I have already studied from Mrunal Sirs' Notes. Like 50% of Current Affairs is just economy based and I feel Mrunal sir has covered it in required depth. So, anyone who has taken the classes, will they able to suggest what would be the way forward and how helpful can it be in my situation. Will more compilations need to be done post the classes? Also will new students get access to the 22 classes from before and how much time would it take to complete those classes?

Sorry for the long post and the long questions but really feeling lost here.

You also deserve one.

 Actually I was just speculating. I have no idea how it works. I think you also deserve it. 

I know it's hard to predict topics that UPSC might be interested in for mains exam but there are certain issues in news which may have a high probability of coming. I would request members to contribute the topics which they feel are important and various dimensions attached to those topics. A few issues I find important regarding current year are

- 50 years of NPT - has NPT been successful? should India join? what about CTBT? should India adhere to its NFU doctrine? - India's nuclear program - membership of NSG issue

- UN@75 - UNSC reforms - UN organizations and issues related to them like WHO - role of UN - retreat of multilateralism - relevancy of UN - etc.

- India's new space agency - IN-Space - SpaceX starlink project - role of private sector in space - their regulation - commercialization of space - space economy - space market - space warfare - outer space treaty - Indian space program, etc.

- Defection - Role of Speaker - Role of Governor - relevancy - reforms - role of judiciary in this

Regarding optional, it's better to skip crash course if you are not thorough with the syllabus. Ex- if you still get confused b/w c.realism, neo realism & neo-classical realism or why Gramsci was Hegelian in approach, it would be better to utilise time to cover basics & get more conceptual clarity. Crash course will only add to your burden. Join tests, if possible.