Prelims 2020 - Preparing Repeatedly Asked Questions
There are many favourite topics of UPSC CSE paper setters. These questions come every year, yet are not found in an easy to do manner in most books. I want to take 20 such high yielding topics and do 1 per day. I am hoping this will help me do 4-5 extra questions in the exam.
Let us do it together. We can make a list today and start doing them from tomorrow.
Main List
- Wildlife Sanctuaries, National Parks, Biosphere Reserves(Finished on Sep 6) - Use ForumIAS material (link for BR|link for NP & WLS) or create tables yourself(Link for Govt Database)
- Ramsar - Wetlands, Marine protected areas, Elephant Reserves and Tiger Reserves(Finished on Sep 7) - No compilation that I know of, make tables of imp areas only (link for Wetlands|link for Tiger Reserves | Link for Govt Database)
- Jainism and Buddhism + Sufi and Bhakti tradition(Finished on Sep 8 & 9) Use your previous notes and consolidate for quick revision (Link for Bhakti & Sufi tradition)
- Rivers - Origin, Tributaries, Deltas, Dams and Termination (+ Lakes - Ramsar/Montreux if time permits)Finished on Sep 10
- Pollutants Finished on Sep 11
- Indexes and authorities that release themFinished on Sep 12Forum IAS links -1,2,3,4|Shankar IAS Link
- Biodiversity (Species etc)Finished on Sep 13
- Tribes of IndiaFinished on Sep 13
- Schedules/Important Articles of the Constitution Finished on Sep 14
- Seas and water bodies in the world + countries surrounding them Finished on Sep 14
- Gandhian movementsFinished on Sep 15
- 1940-47 in Indian IndependenceFinished on Sep 16
- Trends in Indian economy (+ Nationalization of various sectors + Land reforms)Finished on Sep 17
- Acts and conventions in Environment + National Environment Bodies Finished on Sep 18
- International groupings that India is a part of + imp ones where India is not a member Finished on Sep 19
- Biotechnology Finished on Sep 19
- Wireless Communication + Diseases in news Finished on Sep 20
- WTO, UN, IMF and other important bodies Finished on Sep 20
- Control Groupings : MTCR, Australian Group, NSG, Wassenar and Associated topics like IAEA,NPT To do - Sep 21
- India's defence - Military exercises, weapons, fighter planes, submarines, stealth frigates, aircraft carriers + Satellite Missions/Space Missions To do - Sep 21
- Places in news + Conflict Zones + GI tags To do - Sep 22
- One liner type questions asking a particular pact or agreement signed between India and another country To do - Sep 22
- Finance Commission To do - Sep 22
Other Important Topics - No need of notes/Do from the book
- Parliament
- Fundamental Rights, DPSP and Fundamental Duties
- HC/SC
- Historical background of Indian Constitution
- Preamble
- Folk paintings, dance and music
Smaller topics which do not require much retention:
- Current account and Capital Account convertibility
- National Income - GDP, GVA, GNP etc etc.
Please comment below and then I will add them to the list.
@AzadHindFauz Brilliant man! I’m from the North East, and although I somewhat used these semantics subconsciously, I could have never put it to words the way you did!Someone’s surely on his way to becoming a really empathic civil servant with his ears firmly on the ground :)
Thank you for validating. I always wanted to know this from a North-Eastern friend whether it was 'workable'.
thepolicydreamer,JackRyan
Scribbled basics of all Bhakti and Sufi saints by referring this table. This to my mind is 'the' source which UPSC is referring all the time while setting the papers. For example- last time they asked on Sheikh Ahmad Shirandi and Nimbarka, Kabir, which is given here.
While writing this, I had following variables in my mind- timeline, i.e, who is contemporary of whom, weather they were Shaivaite or Vaishnavite, if they founded any further sect (samprada), major literary works if any, and region of their influence.
Please bear with my handwriting, and some of the spelling mistakes, especially while using hindi words, which I have used for easy remembering. 
Bhakti_Sufi_NCERT.pdf
This is the table used as reference- (page 167, Theme 2, New NCERT, at the end of the chapter)
https://medium.com/@grabcse/some-important-mnemonics-for-upsc-cse-74acc3602069
Some helpful mnemonics.
@Neyawn @root @Patrick_jane Sir,any of you will you please tell me how can i improve my skill to arrive to the correct answer after eliminating the 2, i,e in the 2nd round when I attempt the questions of 50;50 sure wale, its chance of being wrong are 60% and even more than that and most of most times it happens that i end up choosing wrong answer which reduce my marks drastically to 60-75. 
even during today's simulator.. its shattering my confidence level and not able to comprehend what to do with it, even i tried hard to find if they are from certain topic but NO!! theres nothing as such, if those gets on track I can do wonders in it but stuck in this situation, kindly guide me in this regard. It'll be immense help .
https://medium.com/@grabcse/some-important-mnemonics-for-upsc-cse-74acc3602069
Some helpful mnemonics.
States with Bicameral Legislature, J&K no more from 2019
Simpler way isUMBTAK - UMB+TAK = Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Bihar, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka
@Neyawn @root @Patrick_jane Sir,any of you will you please tell me how can i improve my skill to arrive to the correct answer after eliminating the 2, i,e in the 2nd round when I attempt the questions of 50;50 sure wale, its chance of being wrong are 60% and even more than that and most of most times it happens that i end up choosing wrong answer which reduce my marks drastically to 60-75.
First thing is that everyone (may be almost) goes through your phase.
1)it is through practicing tests we develop the habit of elimination, where success of the outcome depends mostly on our pre existing knowledge and little bit of luck.
2)for making ur elimination outcome better,u need to know the game better, it can be achieved by analyzing the past year papers thoroughly.
But now we have less time to do ourselves in analyzing n finding tricks.
Its btr to use pre existing sources where this process has been explained in detailed.
So my suggestion is watch the videos of below playlists.
The videos were made by a topper, he explained in detailed,the process of tackling the upsc paper.it will help.
But remember this will help only to enhance pre score but not sole source for clearing pre.
Prachi13,
https://medium.com/@grabcse/some-important-mnemonics-for-upsc-cse-74acc3602069
Some helpful mnemonics.
Some moreMnemonics.pdfMnemonics.pdf
Dora-the_Explorer,Sankoza
I have a query. It's less about repeatedly asked questions and more about repeatedly framed options.
What is your line of thinking in multi-statement questions when you see options.
For example, if 3 statements are given. You do not know much about statement 3. And then you look at the options.
Option B/C/D have Statement 3 as correct. So are you more inclined to think it's correct?
In short, has anyone noticed patterns in option framing that could help in final day?
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