PSIR - Strategy, resources & discussion
Hi peeps. Let’s do this!
1. Previous papers from 2009 (both papers are in the same PDF):here2. Topic-wise PYQs: here
3. Look for PDFs of books here: b-ok.cc, http://libgen.rs/, archive.org
4. Model answers from SR:here
5. OnlyIAS notes, if you need extra matter for a few topics:here
6. SR notes, typed:politicsforindia.com
Hey everyone,
Has anyone enrolled for PSIR advance (Chaubey), if yes then how would you compare it to the crash course at Shubhra's? Also, how's the TS at GSScore?
Thanks. Hope you're all doing alright. Stay safe you lot. :)
Would like to add a bit about SR crash course, it’s good but it is very lengthy with each lecture running into a hefty 180 minutes more often than not, so it’s time intensive nature makes it quite a deterrent. The lectures themselves are pretty decent. Evaluation is terrible, its almost like they really don’t read your answers and give you comments that they feel like. Solutions are ok, there is some amount of value addition to them instead of what is available in her standard material
I found this in the OnlyIAS notes-
Mahatma Gandhi wrote,
“Socialism and communism of the West are based on certain conceptions which are fundamentally different from ours. One such conception is their belief in the essential selfishness of human nature.”
Now, this is a bad understanding of socialism/marxism- they hold universal egoism to be a bourgeois concept. Gandhi famously read zero theory. He first picked up Das Kapital when he was 75. Which brings me to my question-
Would you write a quote by an illustrious person if you know that they have no clue what they're talking about?
If the question were about Gandhi's views on socialism, or India and socialism, I would still write it - even if it's a bad understanding, if Gandhi reached it and wrote about it, it's bound to become somewhat popular at least and merits mention for that reason. I wouldn't say it's bad in the exam though - might not go down well with the examiner :p If there is time and space, I would say something like "In spite of socialism holding universal egoism to be a bourgeois concept, Gandhi believed that..."
But otherwise on a question just about socialism where there's so many other people to quote I would avoid it.
KropotkinSchmopotkin,brownianMotion
@whatonly @AzadHindFauz or anyone else did you make block diagrams or flowcharts or anyother such things in ur answers??
It has always been just paragraphs for me, but Insights has recently come out with a TS with 3D strategy- Demand, Dimensions, Diagrams, so i don't know what to think...
Exactly one of my test copies evaluator gave me feedback to draw diagrams for value addition. When I spoke to him he said even Andrew Heywood and OP Gauba has diagrams why you shouldn't :p
SR TS lost credibility in my eyes. I had joined the TS that they launched like a while back for 2021 Mains and I didn't like it. In the 1st exam the topics covered were Plato, Aristotle and Machiavelli and yet one of the question was about the Indus Water Treaty. I mean there was only a total of 8 questions so it wouldn't have been that hard to just double or triple check the questions are from the proper topic at the least. It just made me feel like they're not being diligent in their efforts. I could be completely wrong and they are indeed very diligent and this was just a random mistake.
Also, I wanna point out that I didn't think their questions and model answers were bad at all. In fact, I think they're good to help us figure out a structure/framework for our answers and how to kind of connect a relatively vague question to something concrete in the syllabus.
@whatonly @AzadHindFauz or anyone else did you make block diagrams or flowcharts or anyother such things in ur answers??
It has always been just paragraphs for me, but Insights has recently come out with a TS with 3D strategy- Demand, Dimensions, Diagrams, so i don't know what to think...
Exactly one of my test copies evaluator gave me feedback to draw diagrams for value addition. When I spoke to him he said even Andrew Heywood and OP Gauba has diagrams why you shouldn't :p
But personally the examples are somewhat flawed given that a textbook and an answer serve different purposes. But I suppose that if a diagram adds value to your answer and you do have the space and time, it wouldn’t hurt to add them
I think Shubhra Ma'am herself clarified in the video discussion that the idea behind putting IR/random questions was to keep an element of surprise in the question paper. In her POV, real paper will always have these things. So, they are trying to prepare us which sounded reasonable.SR TS lost credibility in my eyes. I had joined the TS that they launched like a while back for 2021 Mains and I didn't like it. In the 1st exam the topics covered were Plato, Aristotle and Machiavelli and yet one of the question was about the Indus Water Treaty. I mean there was only a total of 8 questions so it wouldn't have been that hard to just double or triple check the questions are from the proper topic at the least. It just made me feel like they're not being diligent in their efforts. I could be completely wrong and they are indeed very diligent and this was just a random mistake.
Also, I wanna point out that I didn't think their questions and model answers were bad at all. In fact, I think they're good to help us figure out a structure/framework for our answers and how to kind of connect a relatively vague question to something concrete in the syllabus.
Hey everyone,
Has anyone enrolled for PSIR advance (Chaubey), if yes then how would you compare it to the crash course at Shubhra's? Also, how's the TS at GSScore?
Thanks. Hope you're all doing alright. Stay safe you lot. :)
I don't know how to compare it to the SR crash course since I haven't seen the latter. I, personally, didn't like the video lectures. Others here didn't like the SR lectures. Maybe lectures just aren't really useful once you've crossed a certain threshold in your preparation.
I liked the TS (apart from the inconsistent evaluation), the solutions given were better than those given in the SR crash course.
Thanks for your prompt response. I've done Shubhra's CC in my erstwhile attempt. The IR lectures are alright, help you develop a logical flow towards the current events. She doesn't do justice to 1B and other relatively high-value topics. The course is however designed in a haphazard manner.
Regarding Piyush Sir, it'd be kind you send/share with me 2 videos of PSIR Advance(preferably from different papers). Would help me decide I reckon.
Anyway as our optional all those aforementioned facts/factors are subjective. Thanks.
@whatonly Thanks a lot. Also I was wondering whether y'all have a small PSIR group for peer evaluation/discussion etc? There has been an 'otherisation of men' in PSIR peer review groups on TG.
There were some last year after prelims, don't know if there's one now. Could be nice to start early!
Also what do you mean? :o
Yeah if the folks herein are interested, we can form a group limited to peer review and conceptual clarity, if needed.
'OofMen' refers to the phenomenon wherein people(men) respond/review proactively if the questionnaire is of the opposite gender.
@whatonly Thanks a lot. Also I was wondering whether y'all have a small PSIR group for peer evaluation/discussion etc? There has been an 'otherisation of men' in PSIR peer review groups on TG.
There were some last year after prelims, don't know if there's one now. Could be nice to start early!
Also what do you mean? :o
Yeah if the folks herein are interested, we can form a group limited to peer review and conceptual clarity, if needed.
'OofMen' refers to the phenomenon wherein people(men) respond/review proactively if the questionnaire is of the opposite gender.
hmm.. sounds like incel theory, but okay..
Hey everyone,
Has anyone enrolled for PSIR advance (Chaubey), if yes then how would you compare it to the crash course at Shubhra's? Also, how's the TS at GSScore?
Thanks. Hope you're all doing alright. Stay safe you lot. :)
I don't know how to compare it to the SR crash course since I haven't seen the latter. I, personally, didn't like the video lectures. Others here didn't like the SR lectures. Maybe lectures just aren't really useful once you've crossed a certain threshold in your preparation.
I liked the TS (apart from the inconsistent evaluation), the solutions given were better than those given in the SR crash course.
Thanks for your prompt response. I've done Shubhra's CC in my erstwhile attempt. The IR lectures are alright, help you develop a logical flow towards the current events. She doesn't do justice to 1B and other relatively high-value topics. The course is however designed in a haphazard manner.
Regarding Piyush Sir, it'd be kind you send/share with me 2 videos of PSIR Advance(preferably from different papers). Would help me decide I reckon.
Anyway as our optional all those aforementioned facts/factors are subjective. Thanks.
The videos aren't online anymore, so I can't help you with that, sorry.
Really liked his last minute revision notes , link is at the end of article
Really liked his last minute revision notes , link is at the end of article
He has prepared book and scholars list for PSIR.. gone through GS notes.
Am I only one who get panic attacks after going through such notes how much these people studied like maniac?? I am like we will std books mains 365 and newspaper.. all done:(
Really liked his last minute revision notes , link is at the end of article
He has prepared book and scholars list for PSIR.. gone through GS notes.
Am I only one who get panic attacks after going through such notes how much these people studied like maniac?? I am like we will std books mains 365 and newspaper.. all done:(
Hi dost, I believe a trade off needs to be there. And it will vary for everyone.
Prepare only as much notes as you can revise after Prelims.
Honourable Officer cleared mains in 2018, then UPSC used to give 4 months after prelims. We will have less than 3 this time. Hence prepare notes accordingly. And the sources you mentioned, I believe are sufficient.
EiChan,whatonly
Really liked his last minute revision notes , link is at the end of article
He has prepared book and scholars list for PSIR.. gone through GS notes.
Am I only one who get panic attacks after going through such notes how much these people studied like maniac?? I am like we will std books mains 365 and newspaper.. all done:(
Hi dost, I believe a trade off needs to be there. And it will vary for everyone.
Prepare only as much notes as you can revise after Prelims.
Honourable Officer cleared mains in 2018, then UPSC used to give 4 months after prelims. We will have less than 3 this time. Hence prepare notes accordingly. And the sources you mentioned, I believe are sufficient.
Thanks.. yeah he might have prepared during gap.. and I have to remind myself each time 2nd line...notes which one can revise post prelims
whatonly,JammuShubhra Ranjan IAS Political Science Crash Course Notes- 2020 - (pankajcopiers.com)
Shubhra Ranjan IAS Political Science Crash Course Notes(Part- 2)- 2020 - (pankajcopiers.com)
By any chance does anyone have pdfs of above SR crash course 2020 handwritten notes. please DM. Thank you
Write your comment…
