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Mains 2021: Doubt and strategy discussion thread

I don't know what to say, really. Prelims is over. The discussion as regards the authenticity of answer keys is the most futile discussion. So, I am creating this thread as a necessary and much-needed diversion. Three months to the biggest battle of our professional lives begins now. All comes down to how we heal and grow from now on, and either, we heal or we're gonna crumble. Day by day. 

We're in a toxic environment right now, fellas. Believe me. And, we can stay here, get the s**t kicked out of us, or we can fight our way back into the light. Mains is the road ahead for everyone of us notwithstanding our current predicament. So, let's continue to fight and not let our guard down.

Yours faithfully
AzadHindFauz


Civil Services (Main) Examination, 2020 is to be conducted on 8,9,10,16,17 January, 2021.

Resources-
1.Topic wise questions compilation from PYQs- https://forumias.sgp1.digitaloceanspaces.com/community/comments/PYQ4951601966911.pdf

2.Previous years' question papers collection- Essay, GS I, GS II, GS III, GS IV, PSIR

3.New emerging technologies fodder- https://intelligence.weforum.org/topics


5. This is awebsite by CSE 2019 selected candidates. Contains a lot of info ontest series/answer writingand alsohasGS notes.Must go through! => http://demystifycse.in/   

6. World history notes of Shreyans Kumat Rank 4, UPSC CSE 2018: https://drive.google.com/file/d/153rNAe4nHkTVolSnM7ZCwIrVfCNr-652/view  

7. Download Anudeep Sir's hand made notes from here. From GS 1 to GS 4, everything: https://anudeepdurishetty.in/how-to-conquer-gs-in-upsc-mains-explained/

8.Ethics keywords' definition table:https://forumias.sgp1.digitaloceanspaces.com/community/comments/EthicsDefinitionTable33715989392954061602608482.pdf

This will keep you going-
jack_Sparrow,Deepak802and112 otherslike this
457.8k views

872 comments

Deleted
@Juggernaut This post is the best thing I read today. I concer with each word of this post. Even I tried to brought this same earlier - interpreting questions was all time difficult. I wrote wrong/non-applicable/absurd answers in almost every GS paper. Previous was my first attempt with low confidence level. 

I want to add here - Robust answer writing is indispensable. Plus reading basic/classical books too is important. I ignored the basic books last year and struggled in recalling details of the even the basic questions. Time management was again a great issue. Average time devoted for last 5-6 questions was 3-4 minutes, of which most I knew very well. 

So summarising -

  1. No or Wrong interpretation of questions. 
  2. No or very less practise of Answer Writing especially in Ethics and all GS.
  3. Written wrong answers to wrong interpretation in each paper.
  4. More conceptual questions and less open ended questions created problem.
  5. Even I am bad at generic questions (poverty, population wale questions)
  6. Time management issue = still struggling with this
  7. Last minute change in answer writing principles to write more answers in exam. Lacked proper intro-conclusions in many questions. Also wrote absurd statement in many answers.
  8. Non realization of importance of simplicity in answers. Plus more points = more marks
  9. Not reading basic economic or governance or security book properly. Last time read was for prelims.
  10. Too much focus on collecting and making notes. Intact I had almost all toppers notes with proper indentation in my Evernote. But no access in mind. 
  11. Not holistic understanding but reading in silos (like prelims) 
  12. Had left 50-60 marks in anthropology due to time management issue.

My marks = 133,83, 70, 64, 103, 118, 125. (Anthropology)

Had I got 25-30 more marks in each paper of GS, would have got around 100 rank (if performed decently in interview too)

:(

sonder,GaryVeeand11 otherslike this
6k views
can anybody share solutions of previous year mains questions 
5.4k views
@Interloperr I thought he gives one-page short notes for revision purpose. Are you talking about having short notes for static portion?


4.7k views
Anyone here, who's taking Dipin Sir's classes? I saw his first post pre lecture and I feel like he was jumping from topic to topic. Is there a specific way to see his lectures? To make the most out of it? 
4.6k views

Yes, Dipin sir does give the comprehensive one page notes but those notes cover the dynamic themes in the news. Now, when you analyse the PYP, UPSC tend to ask majority of the ques (directly & indirectly) from the topics given in the syllabus. 

While addressing such ques, if you substantiate your point with the content made available by Dipin sir, then it do add value to your ans & will at-most fetch you 1/2 to 1 mark more per ques but it is like indulging in dessert before a meal. Again to use it efficiently requires lots of practice & decoding of the syllabus, so that you can connect the dots.

To ans your ques, by static I mean decoding of the syllabus. It’s not about plain reading of Laxmikant but reading it in the context of syllabus & making notes out of it which cater the demand of the syllabus.


Osho,D7and7 otherslike this
5.6k views

Hey Guys! Few days ago, Someone shared a Forumias file of syllabus which had subtopics listed along with it. I did save it and can't find it now. If someone has it and can share, it would be very helpful. 

Thanks :)

4.3k views
@Interloperr thanks for explaining it well. I will keep this in mind. Thank you! :) 


4.4k views
Can you please share resource for Disaster Management GS-3? From where should it be covered?
4.3k views

UPSC_Syllabus_Mains_21102019.pdf Would going by strategy of covering such Micro-topics/Subtopic as mentioned in file attached be a good strategy? Specially for static ones as I have been missing some important portions of some topics which I considered done? Will it lead me to studying too many topics with low ROI is my fear, want to clarify that. 

Please guide. 

4.1k views
how much relevant is the IAShub QEP classes by MK yadav ? Any review for that in comparison to Forum CA. ?
4.4k views
Have anyone of you joined the Triumph IAS, Vikas Ranjan essay test series? How's it? How's the evaluation and feedback of their test series?
D7,
4.4k views
@yummy He covers certain themes in QEP. It's not a current affairs program per se. 
Gives decent background of the theme along with flowcharts/diagrams etc. But doesn't replace CA altogether. Last year he had a different program for CA called INA (Intensive News Analysis) for mains specifically. Not sure if they are coming up with something similar this year. 


4.2k views

thepolicydreamersaid

UPSC_Syllabus_Mains_21102019.pdf Would going by strategy of covering such Micro-topics/Subtopic as mentioned in file attached be a good strategy? Specially for static ones as I have been missing some important portions of some topics which I considered done? Will it lead me to studying too many topics with low ROI is my fear, want to clarify that. 

Please guide. 

This looks like an overkill to me


Charlie,Mariposa27
4k views
@HarveySpectre Mrunal said ignou MA material is good! Haven’t gone through it myself though 


4.2k views

appyfizzsaid

TheNotorioussaid

On a completely sarcastic cum lighter note without any intention of hurting anyone’s sentiment/feeling;

I personally feel that our beloved Baniya Community is done with wholesaling, retailing, actual trading and entrepreneurial activities. Their new business seems to be to crack this goddam UPSC exam that too with a rank under 100.

Really amazed to see so many toppers from this community in recent years. 

So u r pointing out tht they r doing upsc zihad😆😆.....btw sharmas are not in baniya community....

Not at all i wanted to point out such a thing. Infact i don’t even know tbh what upsc jihaad is all about.

I just wanted to present my observation in a sarcastic manner to point out the shift of the above mentioned community from private domain(business) to public domain(civil services).

My observation was drawn out of the fact that 3 out of 5 scorecards  that @Admgenalanezh shared belonged to this community. Similarly, if one looks  at 2019 CSE final selection list, out of top 150, around 30-33 people belong to this specific community(Jains, Guptas, Bansals, Mittals and likewise).

And yes, Sharmas are not from Baniya community but i personally know one Sharma family doing some mouth watering business. If you will ever visit Lajpat nagar-4 side in New Delhi, do taste Sharma ji ke choley bathurey(early morning till noon). Hell lota tasty!!!! :p

appyfizz,
4k views

appyfizzsaid

appyfizzsaid

TheNotorioussaid

On a completely sarcastic cum lighter note without any intention of hurting anyone’s sentiment/feeling;

I personally feel that our beloved Baniya Community is done with wholesaling, retailing, actual trading and entrepreneurial activities. Their new business seems to be to crack this goddam UPSC exam that too with a rank under 100.

Really amazed to see so many toppers from this community in recent years. 

So u r pointing out tht they r doing upsc zihad😆😆.....btw sharmas are not in baniya community....

"On a completely sarcastic cum lighter note without any intention of hurting anyone’s sentiment/feeling; "

my intention is also same......

Cut- pasting a section of my comment/post without giving due credit!

copyright maaru kya? 

Bwahaha!!! 

3.9k views
@Sankoza thank you for replying :) has anyone completed this topic? Your insight will be really helpful.
Topic- disaster management


3.9k views
Deleted
Can anyone suggest a framework to conclude answers in GS1 especially questions of history and geography which aren't issue based? I always struggle to end such answers.
3.7k views
Bhai log i am facing a technical issue.Vision ke advance batch ki class karte samay , my data gets exhausted in no time .kal raat ko i was going thru a class recording of about 3 hrs 30 minutes , mera 10 GB data chala gaya .Maine video quality bhi adjust ki but still.Any suggestions please
4.5k views

TheNotorioussaid

appyfizzsaid

appyfizzsaid

TheNotorioussaid

On a completely sarcastic cum lighter note without any intention of hurting anyone’s sentiment/feeling;

I personally feel that our beloved Baniya Community is done with wholesaling, retailing, actual trading and entrepreneurial activities. Their new business seems to be to crack this goddam UPSC exam that too with a rank under 100.

Really amazed to see so many toppers from this community in recent years. 

So u r pointing out tht they r doing upsc zihad😆😆.....btw sharmas are not in baniya community....

"On a completely sarcastic cum lighter note without any intention of hurting anyone’s sentiment/feeling; "

my intention is also same......

Cut- pasting a section of my comment/post without giving due credit!

copyright maaru kya? 

Bwahaha!!! 

arey na sir g upsc ne brbaad kr dia h fine dne k liye kucch b nh h...even fiance se milne k b pese nh h gft dne k liye bhi big billion days ka wait krna pdta h....😁😁


TheNotorious,Hitman2021
3.8k views
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