[Official] ForumIAS SFG 2021 - Level 1 Details and Important Updates
Important Update : LIVE Session for SFG 2021 - Level 1 General Discussion and Way Forward - 19th January 2021 at 4:00 PM. (Click Here)
To check the instructions on how to write SFG 2021 - Test 1 :
Important Dates:
Date of Entrance Test 2 - 3rd January 2021 (10:00 AM to 11:00 AM)
End Date Registration for Entrance Test 2 – 2nd January 2021 | 5 PM
Please click on the link for instructions regarding attempting the Entrance test.
Result of Entrance Test 2 –4th January 2021
Commencement Date of SFG Level 1 – 7th January 2021
Syllabus of SFG Entrance Test - Candidates can expect 30 questions equally distributed across History, Polity, Economy, Environment and Geography. Further 15 questions will from Current Affairs of October, November and December months and 5 questions from CSAT.
SFG Level 1 Calendar: https://go.forumias.com/sfg21-calender
SFG – How it works
- Select Focus Group (SFG) is a small group of students who are selected by ForumIAS every year for coaching them to clear the UPSC Prelims Examination. Every single candidate selected and retained consistently in the group with Top ranks has cleared the Prelims examination in the past.
- 100 Students will be selected for the Select Focus Group, through the SFG Entrance Test, who will be required to report at 7 AM every day 6 days a week to write an hour-long test based on a pre-planned syllabus, followed by a discussion on the same.
- Candidates who are unable to make it to the SFG, will be maintained in a Reserve List, who can also write the tests. Candidates who couldn't clear the cutoff and are unable to make it into both SFG and RLG can register for the 2nd Entrance Test
- Tests are conducted daily and results are provided within 8 hours of test with Name and Rank list for candidates and parents to evaluate their daily performance. On the basis of rankles, about 50% of bottom performing students from SFG are migrated to the reserve list on a weekly basis, and an equal number of students from reserve list (RLG) are moved into SFG.
- The decision of the management in this regard is final and not subject to dispute. Please note that this migration is done not keeping in mind the overall merit list but moving away bottom 50% from SFG and picking up an equal number of people from RLG.
- Thus those who may be getting more than RLG students, but are bottom 50 in SFG will be moved to RLG.
- Every month, the bottom 20% or so non-performing students are eliminated from the program to maintain the quality of competition.
- All candidates writing the CSE 2021 are eligible to apply for the entrance test.
This year we introduce some changes as to how we conduct the SFG exam. Please note that changes that we bring are always in response to the examination pattern, the student feedback and our own learning with respect to how to best enable a serious candidate to clear the exam
Covid 19 Update:Keeping in mind the Covid situation, SFG – 1 entrance Test and the SFG program will be conducted in the online mode only for the year 2021. SFG – Level 2 may be conducted offline as per government guidelines and this decision will be taken at a later date.
This year SFG will be conducted in two levels as below:
SFG Level 1 (Foundation)
The SFG Level 1 is for beginners, freshers, first-timers, or simply those who have not cleared the Prelims examination ever before. The objective of the SFG Level 1 Program is three things
- Students know the basic books and basic concepts back and forth
- Students complete coverage of the syllabus through self-study
- Students are thorough with previous years papers
- Students develop the discipline and time management skills that are needed to clear the exam
The SFG Level 1 Tests will have book based / text-based / notes-based tests. By the end of SFG Level 1, you can expect that your coverage of the syllabus is complete, and you have done previous years questions well.
SFG Level 2 (Advanced)
SFG Level 2 is for people who have completed the reading and revision of the basic books and are now ready to take on the exam. The objective of the SFG Level 2 is as below
- Developing problem-solving skills for solving analytical, conceptual and thought based questions.
- Developing skills to solve questions based on the application of the reading that they have done for Level 1
- Mastering the art of handling questions from unknown areas and applying concepts from their wider reading which is relevant for the Civil Services Prelims Examination.
- Developing time management skills, and being through with the syllabus
- Providing a reliable, time-bound framework for revision just before the examination.
Current Affairs:
SFG Level 1 will provide coverage of current affairs from January 2020 to November 2020.
SFG Level 2 will have complete current affairs relevant for the Prelims examination 2021 integrated into the course.
CSAT:
CSAT tests will be integrated with SFG Level 2. There will be no CSAT tests in SFG level 1.
Application Procedure
- Admission to the SFG and RLG are based on the rank of the candidate in the merit list of the SFG Entrance Test. Students can apply for the program by registering for the Entrance Test by paying a fee of Rs. 500+ GST. Candidates can register by visitinghttp://academy.forumias.com
- The candidate must appear for the entrance test on the designated date and time, subsequent to which he/she will be admitted to the Select Group or the Reserve List.
- The candidate must pay the monthly fee as per the group he/she is allocated.
Note: Admissions to the SFG / RLG Group will only be on the basis of merit position of the candidate in the entrance test. Entrance Test will be held on 23rd December 2020. Candidates must register for the SFG Entrance Test by visiting the website http://academy.forumias.com before12 PM, December 22nd.
No admission will be granted to the candidate without appearing for the Entrance Test.
Fee Structure and Details:
- The course duration is of about two months and fees is charged on a monthly basis. Fees for the full duration of the program cannot be paid at one go.
For students selected in SFG- Rs. 1300 + GST (18%) per month. For Payment,Click Here.
For students selected in RLG- Rs. 1900 + GST (18%) per month. For Payment,Click Here.
- Fees are to be paid once the candidate is selected for the program. A fee of Rs. 118 is to be paid additionally for the I-Card by all students.
Wishing you Success,
Always
ForumIAS Academy
Q 9. Laws have been passed to implement many of the Fundamental rights. So does this not make statement 1 incorrect?
Q 9. Laws have been passed to implement many of the Fundamental rights. So does this not make statement 1 incorrect?
yes like abolition of untouchability(article 17)
@Thinker Is there anything existing , like the 'British constitution' ? Q. 47
Yes, it is. British Constitution is called unwritten because it is evolving in nature. The Laws framed by the British Parliament automatically get the status of the Constitution and hence there is not set of fixed-document to be called as Constitution. Hence the British Constitution is called an unwritten one despite having written documents.
Why the old books reference is mentioned in the calendar when new edition is available for the same books for eg. Laxmikant 6th edition is available still they have mentioned 5th edition, similarly TN board 11th book old edition mentioned as primary book reference.
The new editions are updated versions of the older ones without significant changes. Since the majority of candidates refer to the older edition the syllabus mentions the same. However you can solely refer to new editions too.
gaugau24,Q 45, second statement of preamble providing for economic equality should be correct
Hope this will be included in corrigendum
The Preamble of the Constitution provides for the Equality of Status and Opportunity. Now there are different connotations of this concept. But whenever a question is asked with reference to the constitution do not enter into interpretations and tick whatever that is mentioned in the constitution. Now as Preamble provides for the Equality of status and opportunity, the statement saying that preamble provides for economic equality is wrong.
The same was explained in the discussion lect. too.
in Q44 rule of law added through raj narain case and not through kesavnanada bharti case as given in explaination.... i guess
I will check it out. Please give me some time. If any mistake a corrigendum will be put in that regard by tomorrow.
Please check that ASTRA missile question, in the statement it was mentioned about it being radar, did i read it wrongly, or what was the case, also rule of law provided by which case, please check and clarify, there is doubt regarding preamble having economic equality implicit in its idea of equality of opportunity and status, so kindly verify that as well.@Thinker
For ASTRA MISSILE - It's a radar homing missile. The explanation could have been better here but the statement is not wrong.
For Rule of Law - I will check it out and if any mistake then a corrigendum will be put in that regard.
Economic Equality - I have already explained. Plz check the discussion thread.
Q 9. Laws have been passed to implement many of the Fundamental rights. So does this not make statement 1 incorrect?
yes like abolition of untouchability(article 17)
Please guys, you need to understand rights are given in Part III itself and no separate law is required for their implementation. All laws that are related to FR are framed to give punishment in case of violation of FR.
For eg - Art 17 clear mention - “Untouchability” is abolished and its practice in any form is forbidden. The enforcement of any disability arising out of “Untouchability” shall be an offence punishable in accordance with law.
Thus untouchability is abolished by the constitution itself and no separate law is required for its enforcement. What Untouchability Offences Act 1955 or Protection Civil Rights Act 1955 does is to give punishment in case of violation of Article 17.
Similarly you can corroborate with other articles of FR to understand it.
SabChangaSi,aa12Question no 9, Test 3 - All of the FR are not directly enforceable, some of them require a law to be enforced. Kindly check the answer. Question no 35, aren't the FD and legal duties corelative in nature ? Its too open ended a statement, please explain how did you arrive at the conclusion that they are not. Question number 38 - article 30 does not provide for reverse discrimination in favour of minorities is given as a correct statement in solution with explanation that it is to ensure equality, however that is what the reverse discrimination is, in order to ensure equality you give them something special, in this case right to establish and administer educational institutions to minorities. It is clearly limited to just the minorities, so how is it not a reverse discrimination, please explain.
Question 9 I have already explained.
Question 35 is a UPSC previous year question. I have also explained it in the discussion video.
Question 38 - again the statement itself is a verdict of SC. I have also explained it in the discussion videos.
Hi, my score in test 3 is 74 and my percentile is around 72. When I see the detailed analytics it shows that Top50% have a score of 88. How is that to be interpreted? cause technically with 72 percentile I am the part of Top 50%. I am not sure who to tag but@root @Neyawn @Thinker are the popular ones so please help out here.
Thinker,
@Thinker Article 35 lays down that only parliament has the power to make laws to give effect to certain specified fundamental right and it's not always with respect to punishment...There are two categories wrt FR...One is where they need not any law for their implementation but there are few FR which requires certain Laws for their implementation....For ex..1-Article-16(here the law is about prescribing residence as a condition for certain employment or appointments or appointment in a state or UT or local authority)2-Article-32(similarly here it's about empowering courts other than the SC and the HC to issue directions orders and writs of all kind for the enforcement of FR)3-Article-334-Article-34
Article 35 does not lay down the power of Parliament to give effect to any FR. What it states is the power of Parliament to give effect to certain provisions under Part III.
Art 16 - Prohibition of discrimination by State in matters of public employment is a FR and no separate law is needed for its enforcement. Under clause (3) of this Article, Parliament can make a law to provide for residence as a ground of discrimination. So Parliament is making law here to curtail FR granted by Art 16 by discriminating on the grounds of the residence.
Article 32 - Here Art 32 clause (1) is the FR and it states - The right to move the Supreme Court by appropriate proceedings for the enforcement of the rights conferred by this Part is guaranteed. The clause (3) states that Parliament can empower any other court apart from SC to issue writs. Again Parliament is not enforcing FR here but extending the scope of writ jurisdiction.
Article 33 - Again Parliament can curtail FR of members of Armed forces. No mention of enforcement of the FR here.
Article 34 - Parliament can indemnify the civil servants during the enforcement of Martial Law. Again no mention of the enforcement of the FR here.
Its a very basic understanding that if Parliamentary laws are required for the enforcement of the FR then why would Constitution call them enforceable and justiceable. I hope it's clear to you now.
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