Write A Brief Essay ( 2 Pages, 500 Words) Discussing At Least Two Different Language: Fill & Download for Free

Here are 7 steps to writing your best work, regardless of context, as well as some keys to effective essay writing:Have a strong opening sentence to the essay, sometimes called a “hook.” This is a great overview of types of essay hooks, but remember, stay true to your own voice and tone (more on this later). In the case of a scholarship essay, you may want to come out of the gates strong with a snapshot of where you see yourself in 10 years, after getting the education of your dreams: “Diving deep into the mysterious reaches of the ocean daily may not be everyone’s central goal in life, but I can’t wait to search for and protect endangered aquatic life for a living.”Using one of the best writing services like EssayPRO.Stick to the tried-and-true introduction, body, and conclusion structure. Even if the essay prompt seems relatively loose, you’ll want your essay to have a clear beginning, middle, and end.Start new paragraphs for new ideas. It’s MUCH better to have more short paragraphs than whopping paragraphs that are hard to read!Make sure to wrap up your essay neatly and don’t just dead-end it. You can round it out, for example, with a declaration of why you wish to pursue your desired academic path: “Ultimately, I want to be a strong role model for other young women who may have been afraid to use their voices.” You may not have time for a whole conclusion paragraph, but a quick “bow” on the end is nice.Familiarize yourself with the prompt… and stick to it!Read the prompt several times and be totally clear about what it’s asking. Many scholarship essays have similar themes, such as how greater financial freedom will impact your life. If the prompt doesn’t seem to have a question in it (e.g. “Reflect on the state of the environment and your role in helping it”) then we highly recommend that you re-frame the prompt as a question. So for example, ask yourself: “What is the overall state of the world’s natural environment and how am I directly impacting it?”And it may sound obvious, but do NOT deviate from the prompt. Your ability to address a highly specific topic is part of what’s being assessed. It can be easy for your thoughts to meander, but stick directly to the prompt.Choose a topic that you genuinely enjoyYou’ll want to stick to the prompt, but in some cases, you may have some freedom to choose the topic, or at least the central focus. Write about a subject, event, or value that means something to you. You’ll produce better work and come across more authentically if you care about what you’re writing. This goes a long way in improving your scholarship essay without creating more hard work for yourself.Here’s what we mean. Let’s say a prompt asks you to describe a time that you were proud of yourself. Several instances may come to mind. Maybe it was when you dove off the high diving board the first time, and maybe it was when you returned a wallet you found with $100 in it. Don’t choose which instance you think the essay readers want to hear; choose the one that feels most resonant to you. It may sound cheesy, but when you write earnestly from the heart, your writing will be much stronger.Do a little researchWho is the company or organization giving the scholarship? Read up a bit about them on their website’s home page. Get familiar with their mission and their motivation for giving this scholarship. When you’re better informed about the readers, you’re better able to tailor your essay to them.Many scholarship providers also feature previous scholarship winners on their website, often with the essay (or an excerpt from it) that won. Read these essays to get a sense of what went over well!Know the word/character limitMost scholarship essay prompts will provide a word or character limit for your essay. If you’re not used to being mindful of these parameters, it can be hard to gauge what “250 words” actually looks like. As a rule of thumb, 250 words is equivalent to one typed page, double-spaced. (And therefore 500 words = 2 typed, double-spaced pages, and so on).We suggest that you take an essay of yours (or any piece of written work, really) and run a word/character count on it so that you can get a feel for various lengths. Microsoft Word and Google both have functions to do this, but you can also use a letter counter like this one. Once you know the word or character length, stick to it! You may be disqualified for going over. And while you don’t necessarily have to write an essay that hits the limit, it’s a good rule of thumb to come as close as possible.(Oh, by the way, the above paragraph is 160 words and 858 characters).Leave yourself enough timeLike any written assignment, you’ll want to leave yourself enough time to think about the prompt, plan, draft, and revise. A well-planned essay has a much higher chance of winning than one you crank out last minute.We recommend giving yourself at least 2 weeks before the deadline of an essay to brainstorm, draft, and revise your essay. Ideally, you should leave a couple of days between each of these stages of the essay writing process to avoid burnout. You’ll have a much better chance of catching simple errors and places for improvement if you attack your essay with fresh eyes (instead of editing it right after you read it).Brainstorm and planWe can’t stress this one enough. The entire essay writing process will go much more smoothly if you have a road map for where you’re going. The very first step is to get some organic ideas circulating so that you end up choosing an essay focus that makes the most sense for you. Here are some awesome essay brainstorming techniques.After you have a clear sense of your essay’s focus, you can begin to outline. Some students like to skip the outline, but it actually makes the drafting process much faster! We like these resources for how to create a basic essay outline and how to work through the outlining process.Depending on the length and depth of the scholarship essay, you can even just lay out the details you’ll want to include in your introduction, body, and conclusion. It can be as simple as that, but you don’t want to skip the planning process.Appeal to ethos, pathos, and logosUh, what-os? If you haven’t learned about ethos, pathos, and logos yet, let’s give you a quick primer. Ethos, pathos, and logos are modes of persuading your reader, in other words, techniques to make your work more powerful and convincing.This is a great overview of ethos, pathos, and logos, but in short, here’s what each refers to:Ethos = how you establish your own credibility, reliability, or authority on the subject matter (hint: you’ll be relying largely on personal experience in your scholarship essay).For example, you might discuss how your experience working a part-time job has influenced your thoughts on minimum wage laws.Pathos = how you use emotional appeal (including creativity, imagination, etc.) to tell your story or make your case.For example, you might paint a picture of all of the wildlife lost in massive brush fires.Logos = how you use logic or ration to convey your point.For example, you may use statistics to convey how reliant modern society is on their cell phones.Here’s a graphic that breaks down ethos, pathos, and logos clearly.Basically, in the ideal essay, you’ll use all three types of support to make your essay as earnest and persuasive as possible.Be honestYour life and experiences are interesting and important! You do not need to embellish or make up details to try to seem more deserving of the scholarship money. Nothing is more powerful than your authenticity. And trust us, it’s much easier for readers to spot baloney in an essay than you may think.Here’s a simple example. If you’re a tutor, you may be inclined to say something a bit dramatic, like, “over the last 4 years, I’ve had the privilege of helping shape thousands of lives.”Hmmm…have you really tutored thousands of students? Likely not—you’re busy! We get it. It’s easy to embellish.Instead, you could say something to the effect of: “After 4 years of tutoring nearly 150 individuals in math and science, I feel my own math and science skills have improved substantially.”Trust us—your unexaggerated accomplishments are impressive!Show, don’t tellThis is the cardinal rule for writing. Try to paint a vivid picture for your reader instead of just explaining everything. For example, don’t just say that you’re stressed out by juggling work and college. Illustrate what that stress looks like in your life. (Ar you pulling all-nighters and pounding coffee? Doing homework on your breaks at work?) Create a picture, and provide specific, believable examples.Here’s an example of something you might find in a scholarship essay that asks you to discuss a challenge you’ve faced:Instead of saying “I tore my ACL playing ice hockey,” you can be more vivid.Try something like: “It was like an anvil had smashed down on my knee. In searing pain, I laid on the ice as the crowd fell silent. Something was very wrong.”Notice how we immediately FEEL the impact of the injury in the later example!Here are some tips for “showing not telling,” and an overview of the best literary devices to make your writing pop!Be specific and conciseWhile we encourage you to be evocative in your language, we also want to stress that you should get to the point. Typically, the simplest, most direct word choices and images are the most effective. Avoid generalizations in favor of specific examples, and likewise, avoid ornate, flowery language in favor of more succinct sentences.Let’s demonstrate. This sentiment feels overly general and wordy:“I love nature because nature is beautiful. Honestly, I can’t think of a single thing I don’t like to do out in nature. Really, it’s my favorite place to be and any activity that involves being outside is just good for my soul.”This rewrite expresses the same idea in a much more succinct and specific way:“Whether I’m hiking, wading in the ocean, or planting seasonal flowers in the garden, I am rejuvenated by being in nature.”Use exclamation points sparinglyWe all know that exclamation marks indicate excitement! Right?!Truthfully, we love exclamation points! And while winning scholarship money to pay for college IS very exciting, too many exclamation marks can be overkill.So as a rule of thumb, don’t use more than a couple of exclamation marks throughout your scholarship essay, and make sure they’re tonally appropriate to the prompt. We’ve seen some pretty creative scholarship essay prompts in our day (like one that asks to share a funny story or joke). In this case, you can use exclamation marks more freely.Many people falsely believe that an exclamation mark will make a sentence more powerful. But the truth is, empowering statements pack a punch without one.For example, “I’m looking forward to becoming a lawyer as a means of creating a more just and egalitarian world” is a powerful statement. You don’t need to throw an exclamation point on the end to make it more resonant.Emphasize Your ResilienceScholarship prompts will often ask you about a hardship you’ve overcome. We love this type of question because it gives the reader a chance to understand a student’s resilience and ability to problem solve, which is huge on a scholarship essay.The mistake many students make on this question is to write 100% about the hardships they’ve faced without acknowledging or discussing how they overcame them. Essay readers are not simply looking for the hardest story when selecting a winner, but rather a complete narrative that includes how the student has worked to overcome the challenge.In addition, we recommend focusing on a central event or experience — which tends to read as more powerful, especially when faced with a word or character limit. You may have faced several hardships in your life, but your essay will be more focused if you choose one that you’ve overcome.Be professional… but also be yourselfWhile you’ll want to avoid swearing and overly colloquial or conversational language, you DO want to be yourself, which means writing in your own voice and tone. So long as you keep it professional, readers want you to sound like YOU. You don’t have to write a stuffy essay for it to be good! Keep it clean and clear, but also keep it real!Here’s a great piece on the difference between voice and tone, and how you can use yours to stand out.Sell yourself… but also be humbleIs this the definition of a humble brag? Maybe. Your scholarship essay is a great place to share your accomplishments, but don’t just list all of your best qualities and accomplishments as a rationale for why you deserve the scholarship money. It’s important to strike a fine balance.For example, the following sounds a bit like a brag “pile on:”“As a straight-A student who is always the first to get the answers in my classes, is the captain of my debate team, and is a proud proud volunteer at the homeless shelter who knows she is doing her part to help the world, I truly believe I deserve this scholarship.”Instead, you can simply say something like, “The discipline I bring to my academics and volunteer work reflects how hard I intend to work in college, and I would be grateful for the financial assistance to attend.”Be brief with your “thank you”Your character, dedication, and integrity should come through naturally in your writing. You don’t need to add a long-winded “Thank you for reading this essay” paragraph at the end of your essay.Most scholarship essays are fairly short, so avoid bloating your essay with gratitude and praise for the opportunity. Use your character and words allotments to answer the prompt thoroughly instead!If you have space, a brief thank you is thoughtful and appropriate but you’ll want to be as succinct as possible. For example, at the very end of your essay, you can simply say something like, “Thank you for this opportunity and for taking the time to read this essay.” Bam. Polite but to the point.Take a walk around the block and then reviseThe author Robert Graves said, “There’s no such this as good writing, only good rewriting,” and it’s true; nothing comes out perfect the first time. So revise, revise, revise!In the revision process, we’re HUGE fans of taking breaks. Walk away from your work to clear your mind and then come back to it. You’ll see your essay with fresh eyes which will help you take it to the next level.If you feel comfortable doing so, it’s also a good idea to hand off your work to someone else for feedback. Choose a trusted teacher, peer, or friend, and be open to their suggestions for improvement.Proof your scholarship essay!And finally… PROOF your work! Make sure it is absolutely spic and span. Spelling errors, grammar mistakes, and typos are the fastest way to have your scholarship essay dismissed by the readers! On the other hand, having a pristine essay substantially increases your chances of being selected.Need your work instantly proofed and improved? You’re in luck! We’ve got you covered with Scholly Editor, an AI-powered proofer that provides immediate feedback and suggestions on word choice, grammar, sentence structure, voice and much more!Happy essay writing, and good luck!What to Leave Out of Your Scholarship EssayNow that you have a sense of how to attack your scholarship essay, let’s take a look at what to leave out of it.Keep in mind that these rules aren’t written in stone, of course, but they’re guidelines that will help you write the most unique and compelling scholarship essay possible.Okay, so here’s what you’ll typically want to avoid…Inspirational quotesWho doesn’t love an inspirational quote?! We sure do. Whether you find them scrolling Instagram or keep them tacked up above your desk, a great quote can be super empowering. But when it comes to scholarship essays, it’s better to leave them out.DON’T drop in famous quotes, many of which are overused. For example: “Mahatma Gandhi said to ‘be the change you wish to see in the world’ which is why I’m applying for this scholarship. I want to go to college so I can become a nurse and change the world.”Here’s the thing: wanting to be a nurse is incredibly admirable in its own right! It doesn’t have to be attached to anyone else’s sweeping statements about life or humanity. This essay is about you, so famous quotes are just a distraction.DO include meaningful advice or wisdom you’ve received directly from the important people in your life. This is much more personal and will provide a unique account of who you are and what you’re all about.For example: “My mother, a registered nurse for 20 years, has always encouraged me to help care for others as a means of making the world a better place. This is why I’m planning to follow in her footsteps and go to nursing school.”Overly general phrases and platitudesThe name of the game for winning scholarships is standing out from the mix. This means you don’t want to say the exact same thing as hundreds of other applicants.Platitudes are super common, overly simplified statements that people use all the time. For example, “Good things come to those who wait.” These are okay phrases to say, but refrain from using them in your scholarship essays to avoid sounding like everyone else.DON’T discuss the scholarship opportunity in platitudes like, “It would mean the world to me to win this money” or “Winning this scholarship would be life-changing.” These statements may be true, but they don’t really tell us much about you.DO illustrate specifically how things will change if you win the scholarship money. For example, “This scholarship money would enable me to have only one part-time job instead of two, providing me more time to focus on my classes.”Cliche stories or themesMany scholarship essay prompts ask you to discuss how winning a scholarship would impact you, and this is where cliches often creep in.Cliches are phrases, stories, or themes that are overused to the point that they lose their power and meaning. And they’ll definitely weaken your scholarship essay.The most common example of a cliche theme in scholarship essays is the “Cinderella” or “underdog” storyline (think: Cinderella getting her glass slipper, only the scholarship is the glass slipper). Many cliches involve a person who, with a little help, turns it all around and prevails.In real life we LOVE a Cinderella story as much as anyone, but you can imagine why this type of story ends up in scholarship essays a lot!DON’T simply share a story about yourself that paint you as a down-on-your-luck student who could have it all if ONLY you won this scholarship money. Here’s what this might look like: “I’ve never really won anything in life: no contests, giveaways, or competitions. But if I win this scholarship and save money on college, I’ll be able to buy a house, travel the world, and become the youngest Supreme Court Justice in American history.”Don’t get us wrong, we’re all about dreaming BIG! But when it comes to scholarship essays, we want to help you to avoid falling into cliche narratives that dampen the power of your story and hurt your chances of winning.DO be realistic and specific when talking about yourself, your background, and your aspirations. Focus on one primary goal that you’ll be better able to attain if you win the scholarship money. For example: “As a Spanish double major, I would love the opportunity to study abroad in Madrid to immerse myself in the culture and become fluent in Spanish. Winning this scholarship money would help fund my semester overseas.”ProfanityHere’s another one that probably seems WAY obvious. You’d never swear in a scholarship essay, right? But you may be surprised at how many people do!DON’T use any profanity or curse words, even if they’re common turn of phrases that we hear all the time on TV and in the real world.For example, try not to say things like: “I’ve worked my ass off for 18 years and now I am ready to apply myself even further in this rigorous pre-med program.”Will you actually offend anyone with that kind of conversational tone? Probably not. But it’s better to be safe than sorry, and we know you can be more creative than that!DO stress your excitement, perseverance, and preparedness for this next chapter without the curse words. You can always use a thesaurus to look up new and exciting ways to say things or use imagery to paint a picture of your experiences.For example: “College has been a marathon and at times I’ve worried I may not cross the finish line. But now that I’ve graduated, I know what I’m capable of and I’m thrilled to be starting graduate school.”“Text speak”We realize that texting is the way of the world and we’re all pretty accustomed to abbreviating words and using acronyms daily (smdh and lol-ing about how common this language is now). But keep your text speak in your group chats and out of your scholarship essays.Your scholarship essay is a great place to showcase your eloquence and professionalism, so (unless directed otherwise), write as you would for a teacher or a boss.DON’T use statements like, “College should be free for everyone IMO, but because it’s not, I need this scholarship 2 help fund my education.” It looks hilarious taken out of context, right? This kind of thing is super common and distracting for the reader.DO remove any and all text speak in favor of your own unique voice and tone. You can still use mild humor and even talk like you, but keep it academic and professional.“Hot takes” of the dayUnless the essay prompt explicitly asks you to address a currently trending, controversial topic and take a stance on it, don’t. These essays are about you.Based on the prompt and your personal experiences, perhaps you’ll discuss a “hot topic,” but don’t do so just to make your essay stand out. You’ll risk alienating your reader(s).We definitely encourage you to be yourself, and to be open and honest about your life experiences, but “hot takes” are better left for Twitter than used in scholarship essays.DON’T treat your scholarship essay like a platform to tackle a trending Twitter topic. A thoughtful essay reads 100 times better than your stance on a popular topic of the moment.DO take firm stances on causes that you believe in and articulate how winning this scholarship will help you advocate for them. For example, you can certainly discuss your commitment to advocating for gender equality or against wage inequality.To be clear: we’re NOT suggesting that you sanitize your beliefs or your writing, or dampen your beliefs to cater to specific readers. Standing behind a cause you can convincingly argue for is the mark of critical thinker.The key is to be mindful of the prompt and to avoid unnecessary detours or tangents that tread into hot take territory unrelated to the prompt.Emojis, photos, and funky fontsWe love emojis too, but they shouldn’t make their way into your scholarship essay (and yes, we’ve seen it happen plenty of times). Unless for any reason you’re asked to creatively use an emoji in your response, just resist the urge.The same goes for photos, fun fonts, or anything that isn’t straightforward typeface. Unless, again, you’re given the green light.DON’T turn your scholarship essay into an art project. It may seem like a good idea, but keep it professional. More importantly, you want your essay to be as easy to read as possible, without overwhelming the readers.DO stick to the standard: Times New Roman font, size 12 if you’re attaching your essay as a Google or Word document. If you’re pasting your essay into the text box on a website, this will format your content automatically.And of course, follow all formatting directions to a tee when it comes to things like single vs double spacing, margins, headers/footers, etc.Extreme declarationsIt’s almost always a good idea to avoid extreme, either-or perspectives, and this is definitely true when it comes to scholarship essays. An extreme declaration involves only seeing one side of a situation (and often the negative side) and presenting it as fact.DON’T make fatalistic declarations about the future and take unnecessarily strong stances on topics.For example: “If I don’t get this scholarship I won’t go to college and I’ll never get a good job to support myself.”Or, “The education system in the United States is entirely broken and there’s no way to turn it around.”See how both of these statements can give the reader a feeling that the writer is not seeing the full picture?DO replace extreme declarations with hopeful and open-minded approaches to the future. This is not to say that you can’t take a firm and realistic stance on a topic, but try to reflect a generally optimistic and proactive mindset.For example, if the prompt asks you about an issue facing the world today, you may say something like: “While there has undeniably been immense damage done to the planet, I’m excited to pursue a degree in environmental science as a means of taking action to reverse these toxic effects of climate change.”Much more dynamic and compelling, right?Put-downs of other applicantsSpeaking ill of anyone or saying why others are less deserving of scholarship money isn’t a good look. You can absolutely articulate why you’re deserving without putting anyone else down!DON’T speak unkindly about anyone, especially hypothetical applicants who you see yourself as more deserving than. This may be well-intentioned, but it’s sure to come across as distasteful no matter how well it’s written.DO “stay in your own lane,” as they say, and don’t let the essay wander to focus on and nitpick others. Feel free to provide compelling reasons for why you’re a great candidate to receive scholarship money without bringing others into it!Your autobiographyAs discussed, most scholarship essays have pretty tight word or character limits, so you won’t have a lot of room to tell your whole life story. When talking about yourself, it can be easy to get on a roll and include more details than necessary, but try to stay focused.DON’T write a complete autobiography of your life. It can be easy to believe that going beyond the stated word limit will come across as working harder or putting in more of an effort. In reality, essay readers actually put a lot of weight into your ability to follow directions. So while your autobiography may be incredible, it’s unlikely you’ll be able to do it justice in 500 words or less (or whatever the requirement is).DO choose and focus on a central incident, challenge, personality trait, hobby, or aspiration. For example, discuss only your love of animals, your passion for modern dance, your memory of the day your younger sister was born, etc.

It is not hard but it is hard to crack because we think that it is hard.I’m not an UPSC topper, i’m not an IAS/IPS/IFS. I’m also getting prepared for this exam like all of you but i find it is easy to crack because i have taken up some steps by which i find it is easy to myself and now whatever i’m going to share with all of you ,i hope, will help you to move for this exam in an easy way.To a maximum number of candidates why is it felt as the toughest one?Ans - Because the syllabus is very vast in nature and how we will cover the entire syllabus in a smart way?For that…………..At first, try to know the syllabus and exam pattern properly.PRELIMINARY EXAMINATION ( this has two parts)Preliminary examination is of objective types and here marks will not be counted for final merit list. Passing marks are needed to sit for mains examinations.Phase i ( 200 marks )Current affairs ( 60–70% questions come here)History of IndiaGeography of the world (Physical, Social, Economic)Indian Polity and Governance-ConstitutionEconomic and Social DevelopmentGeneral Issues (Environmental Ecology, Bio-Diversity, Climate change etcs.)General SciencePhase ii / CSAT ( 200 marks )Comprehension Skill (English) ( 60–70% questions come here)Interpersonal SkillsLogical Reasoning and Analytical AbilityDecision making and problem solvingGeneral mental abilityBasic NumeracyData InterpretationMain examination syllabusI. Any Indian Language (300 marks)II. English (300 marks)These two papers just need to qualify which is compulsory and marks obtained will not be considered or counted.Questions in mains examinations are of descriptive types and here in every paper you have to face twenty questions.Essay paper ( 250 marks )Here, you are required to write an essay on a specific topic within word limits.General studies paper 1 ( 250 marks )Indian heritage/ culture, World history and geographyGeneral studies paper ii ( 250 marks )Governance, constitution, polity, social justice and international relationshipsGeneral studies paper iii ( 250 marks )Technology, Economic development, Bio-diversity, Environment, security and disaster managementGeneral studies paper iv ( 250 marks )Ethics, integrity and aptitudeOptional paperOptional paper is divided into two partsPaper i ( 250 marks )Paper ii ( 250 marks )Interview ( for 275 marks )What the commission actually demands from us ?UPSC needs information from us and for that we have to be informative. We should know the proper background/history with proper facts and figures for whatever we are following.Analytical power is also very important because not only we have to gather information but also we must have the capability to analyse the current scenario of our country and of our world with the application of what we know in a proper way. In short to say theoretical knowledge must be applied to analyse the current scenario in such a way that whether those theoretical parts are applicable for the current pattern of our country and of our world or not to solve the present problems or to make a better way for those.Now the question is how ?Phrase i ( preliminary examination)Current affairs - For current affairs you must follow the HINDU news paper regularly and try to make notes from the HINDU as well as you have to follow YOJANA / KURUKSHETRA magazine and here you can follow any one of these two but you should follow thoroughly for whatever you follow. If possible try to follow a popular news channel regularly and whatever you follow for current affairs from news papers, you should note down those regularly and if you regularly invest 1 - 1.30 hours for current affairs, it is enough for you and especially for some burning topics you should always focus on the background or the real cause of those burning news topics as well as try to know the influence of those burning issues on our present scenario in our society and in our country as well.For the more you may follow the monthly current affairs of VISION IAS and INSIGHT IAS, IAS today.in as well as you may follow Press Information Bureau, PRS | Home ( these two are very good as well as helpful too) and the websites of various ministries of our central government too.How to proceed for reading newspapers and how to make notes from newspapers …………………………….First of all, i want to say that before going to follow any newspaper for UPSC exam, you should keep three things in your mind -Which newspaper you should follow.What you should follow from newspapers and how you should follow.How you will make notes from newspapers.so, now how to start……………………At first, pick the right one which is apt for UPSC exam because if you don’t follow the right one, you will face lots of difficulties. That’s why i will like to suggest you to follow the HINDU or the Indian Express but where the maximum number of candidates follow the HINDU, i’ll like to suggest you to follow the HINDU otherwise you can follow the Indian Express. Both the newspapers are equally good in quality so you can pick up any news paper between these two mentioned above.Next important part is what to follow and how to followHow to follow any news from newspapersBefore going to follow any news from newspapers, you should keep two things in your mind and those are…………………….Background of any newsInfluence or effects of that news in the present scenario of our country.Here, i am drawing an example with these two rules…………..recently, “Demonetisation” has happened in our country and due to this incident rs. 500 and rs. 1000 have been changed widely in our entire county. So when you will read this news, you should follow two ways to have a clear picture on demonetisation.Background/cause of demonetisation - Recent demonetisation of rs.500 and rs.1000 notes is taken to control black money, counterfiet currency and corruption with the help of SWISS Bank officials.For this our central govt. have set up a SIT to deal with investigations on individuals of tax evasion and income tax declaration scheme.Influence/effects of demonetisation -( Positive Sides of demonetisation )It mobilised tax revenue of nearly rs. 65,000 cr.It has helped our govt. to cut tax rates and interest rates respectively to encourage investments while being on track to attain the fiscal deficit and growth targets.Demonitisation has boosted cashless transactions with some prominent features like no service tax on cashless transaction below rs. 2000, announced monthly jackpots for people using cashless transactions in govt. services, reducing self assessment tax from 8% to 6% with annual turnover of less than 2 cr, providing cash banks ranging from 0.25% to 0.75% on various transactions like fuel, stamp papers, govt. registrations etc, and other incentivesDue to demonetisation terror activism also became slow down due to lack of money in the present scenarioOur govt. have mobilised tax revenue of nearly rs. 65,000 cr.( Negative sides of demonetisation )In the financial year, 2015–16 our GDP was 7.6% but due to demonetisation it has came down by 0.5% to 1.5%India’s tax to GDP ratio is quite slow at 16.6% in comparison with other countries’ economicsSmall and medium size enterprises got negatively affected due to less cash in the market for continuing transaction or buying or selling. The labour wages in this sector are largely paid in cash and wages have been adversely affected by the demonetisation move. Unemployment has also been reported owing to decline in demand of SME goods as the purchasing power of the consumers has contracted in the short term. Other sectors within the SME space like restaurants and transport operators have also been negatively impacted since economic activity has declined and also due to the fact that there is high tendency in this segment to accept payments through cash only.Agriculture in our country has also widely affected due to demonetisation. This is one sector where all transactions are in cash and, given the values involved, involve the higher denomination notes. The withdrawal of the old currency notes has put pressure on the mandis; farmers are having problems in selling their produce as both the parties have to agree on the mode of payment. Also since there is acute shortage of Rs 500 denomination notes presently, change for the high denomination Rs 2000 notes is not readily available with the vegetable and fruit vendors. This is also taking the buyers away from these vendors to big retail markets thus impacting the livelihood of the unorganised sector.Employed sectors have also adversely affected due to demonetisation. We all know that manufacturing sector which accounts for the highest employment of skilled and semi-skilled labourers, is witnessing slowdown in production; not only less jobs are being created but lay-offs are also taking place at a higher rate.SO, this is the way you should follow in reading any news from newspapers as well as in making notes too. ( background - proper facts and figures with positive sides and negative sides too )Now the most important part is what to read and what not to readFor Prelims you should follow important govt. schemes, policies, important events, organisations, scientific and other developmentsFor MAINS you should follow development in areas in all gs papers, analysis of issues ( you have to analyse important issues with positive sides and negative sides along with proper background), schemes and policies of govt in details, and other important facts and figures. Here one thing you should keep in your mind that you have to deeply analyse those which you followed for prelims. In mains you should not only know the news but also you should deeply analyse the news with proper reasons.Now i have divided all the pages of the HINDU as i personally follow this news paper otherwise if you follow the Indian Express, you will also find the similarity i’m going to share with you.Front page - Read thoroughly and try to find issues related with latest developments.City/ State based - focus on important decisions and latest policy developments and skip any local newsNation related news - here you have to find those news which are related with the latest schemes, policies, decisions of our govt. But here you should mostly read those related with your gs papers.Editorial news ( vvi ) - you have to thoroughly follow the editorial news as here there are important news with proper analysis and important opinions by some experts. Don’t leave any line or any portion untouched because here every line or every portion is very important. So here you should have an average idea with clear conceptions and if possible try to mark important opinions too.International news - Here you should follow the news which highlights our country’s relation with other countries.Business - It is very important for prelims as well as in gs paper 3 in mains too. Here you should follow events, organisations, economic developments, economic policies but you should skip company or PSU related newsSports - There is no importance in following this area but if you find some development issues in any sports field, you can keep that in mind.So, in short to say, when you will follow the newspaper for UPSC exam, you should keep three things in your mind and those are - important govt. policies/schemes, india’s relation with other countries or india’s position to the eye of the world, development related issues and if you follow the previous years’ question papers, you will find that 95% question covered these three areas for the maximum time. So you should pay an eagle eye on these three areas with proper analysis.And one more important part is that don’t follow current affairs from prelims perspective rather than try to follow the newspaper from mains perspective because in main not only you have to know what is the news but also you have to know why is the news and how the impact of the news is on our current scenario. So if you follow current affairs from mains perspective, current affairs for prelims will automatically be covered well.And if you find any problem with any news article, you can surely take the help of internet. You can follow WIKIPEDIA, INVESTOPEDIA, BUSINESS STANDARDS etc.Prelims gs papers - For this section just try to follow the books of NCERT thoroughly as well as try to follow the books of Arihant Macbook publication. The books of Arihant publication are also very good. Here in these books everything is described in point wise as well as in concise and notes format. As well as with these books try to keep some more books too and those are - Indian polity by M. LAXMIKANTH, Indian Economy by Ramesh Singh, Indian history by V.K.Agnihotri /Krishna Reddy , for geography of Spectrum Publication and for general science you can follow the objective general science of Arihant Publication/ Lucent’s general science as well you can try for the books of Pratijogita Darpan too. I think, these books are enough. But pay your main focus on NCERT books.CSATHere maximum questions are passage oriented and this portion is a matter of pratice. So the more you will practice, the more benefits you will have here. you can follow the prelims gs paper ii of Tata magrow hill publication as well as you should practice by following previous years’ question papers.For math you can follow R.S.Agarwal / quantitive aptitude by Dinesh Khattar of Pearson publication, M. Tyra ( for short tricks ) and for practice you can follow the math practice set of Kiran publication for SSC CGL ( here in this book of Kiran Publication you will have different types questions in every chapter )For reasoning, R.S.Agarwal / reasoning book of B.S.sijwali and Indu Sijwali of Arihant Publication. ( CSAT is a matter of practice. So, the more you will practice , the more you will have your accuracy here. )For solving passage oriented questionsAt first, go through the passage thoroughly. Don’t skip any line or any portion.Underline the important or relevant words or line or portions.Try to find out the proper reasoning for what you have asked that means when you have got a general idea of the passage, look at the questions. Each question is to be answered separately. Sentences from the original passage should not be transferred to your answer directly. Comprehension test is not merely a test of your intelligent understanding of the passage but also a test of your capacity to express your ideas in clear, correct and idiomatic language ( though questions are objective types, yet it is also very important ).Try to find out what is important and what is not and you can do this only after reading the passage very carefully. What is not important should be left out.Every passage is very important for every question. So try to know the inner meaning of every passage separately.Always try to answer to question with the basis of the inner meaning but don’t try to answer on the basis of outer face of the passage.Try to link up every passage with its meaning.Most importantly it’s a matter of practice so the more you will practice, the more you will have accuracy in this portion.Try to follow a dictionary regularly for at least two pages in every day.ESSAY WRITINGTHE STEP BY STEP PROCESS FOR WRITING AN ESSAYThe first step in writing an essay is to be sure that you should have clearly understood what the essay topic exactly means or demands from you. Suppose, you are asked to write an essay on " a cricket match you have recently enjoyed" but "the game of cricket" is completely different and if you write on the latter subject, you are on the wrong track.Then thinking over the prescribed essay topic you should set some ideas or points according to the demands of your essay topic. As for an example i'm taking the above mentioned topic that is - A CRICKET MATCH YOU HAVE RECENTLY ENJOYED and for that you should think of how did you reach the stadium?, how much you were excited for that cricket match?, how much the persons or your friends with whom you went to enjoy the match were excited?,how was the stadium?,how was the reaction or excitement within the spectators for that match?,how did the match begin?,which team won the toss?, how was the players' performance?, who played well in that match?, how was your reaction or excitement with your favourite player? and how your favourite player performed in that match?centering round the star players how was the spectators' reaction?,how much satisfied you were in watching that match?,how did that match end?,how was the reaction of the winning team?, how was the presenting ceremony?,who came there as chief guests? etc......... these points you should set in your mind before writing.The next important part is to arrange your ideas or points and here you should set which point will come first, which will be second,which will come in third position........... this way you should logically set points and if you do so,your points or ideas will surely come in the correct order.Now you have to develop every point into separate paragraphs. Here you should be aware of the fact that is every paragraph should deal with only one particular point or idea as in one your one particular paragraph if you put the reaction of the spectators, in that particular one you should explain only the reaction of the spectators and nothing else and when you will go to the next paragraph, the reaction of the spectators should not be there rather than something new points should be in the next paragraph and there you have to develop that particular point only. This way you have to proceed.Don't use the same point or same idea again and again.The final step is revision and it's also essential.********Here one more important thing is the main body of your essay should have the proper link with your introduction and conclusion and whatever your conclusion is but that should be positive and in your conclusion you can even add your personal views too and one more important thing is your introduction too should be in such a way that whenever an examinerwill pay its eyes on your introduction, that introduction as if creats an interest within itself to read your presentation from starting to the end with proper interest. in short to say " YOUR INTRODUCTION AND CONCLUSION SHOULD BE INTERESTING AS WELL AS POSITIVE TOO.""Essay writing is an art. How you are starting,how you are explaining and even how you are finishing always make a great value in essay writing and if you want to be strong in these three, practice is the only key to be a master in essay writing and the more you will think of your essay topics,the more new ideas you will gain and this will help you to write an essay completely from different angle and if you do so perfectly, your essay can be classy for that prescribed topic and these are also key factors to present a particular topic within word limits perfectly according to the demands of your essay topic"Now when you will go for mains exam, you have to move very cautiously and for that you should know what to study and what not to study and after knowing this you have pay more focus on important areas.Compulsory language paperEssay – 100 marksReading comprehension – 60 marksPrécis writing – 60 marksTranslation:a) English to compulsory language chosen – 20 marksb) Compulsory language to English – 20 marksGrammar and basic language usage – 40 marksThe questions asked are of matriculation or equivalent standardsChoose your language wisely. It is recommended that you select the language that you learnt at school and have some grip overWrite and practice. If you have lost touch writing in the regional language after your schooling, writing practice is a must. You should be at ease writing and also must not forget common spellings and punctuationPracticing question papers also improves your speed.Practice translations.Work on your handwriting if you think it is not neat. Handwriting should be legible.Now how to move for language paperRead the question paper first thoroughly.Attempt the questions you are most sure of. If you are strong in grammar, finish off the grammar part quickly.If grammar is your weak point, attempt the comprehension passage first. This is generally easy since you can find the answers in the passage itself.In your essay, write in simple but effective language. Attempt the essay question last with at least 40 minutes to spare. Once you are done with the other sections, you will have enough ‘flow’ to write your essay. Also, you should not waste time writing an elaborate essay in the beginning.Avoid grammatical and spelling mistakes.Follow this rule when you do the translation question:If you are more comfortable in English than in the vernacular language, do the Indian language to English translation first. You will find this easier than the English to Indian language.If you are well-versed in the Indian language more compared to English, do the English to Indian language translation first.Compulsory English Language paperThis paper consists ofEssayComprehensionPrecis WritingAnd some grammatical questionsNow how to move for this portionFollow the basic grammar books like J.C.Nesfield or Wren Martin.Follow the common errors book by UPKAR publicationFor essay, precis and comprehension do practice regularly. These three parts are completely standing on your practice.General studies paper 1 ( Indian heritage/ culture, world history and geography )Maximum questions come from History, political philosophies, Indian society and GeographyIn Historical portion maximum question come from modern history. So, you have to pay an eagle eye on modern history. For modern history you can follow “History of modern india” by Bipan Chandra, “India’s struggle for independence” by Bipan Chandra, “India since independence” by Bipan Chandra, “ a brief history of modern india by Rajiv Ahir, “mastering modern world history” by Norman lowe, “History of the world” by Arun Dev as well as try to follow Indian history and culture by V.K.Agnihotri or Indian History by Krishna Reddy. These are enough for history section.In Indian art and culture maximum questions come from salient aspects of art forms and literature and architecture from ancient to modern times and for this section you can follow “India’s ancient past” by Ramesh sharma, “Facets of Indian culture” of Spectrum Publication, CCRT website is also very good, you can follow this too. Here in this part you must pay more focus on some portions and those are - Classical dances, important festivals, architecture of temples, themes of india’s ancient history, literature and music/musical instrumentsPolitical philosophy is also an important part and here the focus area is - communism, socialism and capitalism. Try to know the theories properly.Society of India - this part is also very important. Here the focus areas are - features of Indian society and diversity of India, role of women/women organisations/poverty and developmental issues/urbanization and their remedies, effects of globalization on Indian society, social empowerment/communalism/regional and secularism and for this area there is no need to follow any book. Try to follow daily news paper, websites of various departments, economical/political weekly ( follow business standard/ economics times on internet)Geography - Focus areas are - physical geography,natural resources,industrial sectors, natural disorders and for this section follow the basic NCERT books of 6–12 std, and indian and world geography of Spectrum Publication.As well as try to follow the previous years’ question papers and do practice answer writing as well.General studies paper ii ( governance, polity, constitution, social justice and international relationships )Try to follow Indian Polity by M. Laxmikanth thoroughly, follow daily newspaper as well. Try to follow the websites of various ministries for their annual reports. As well as try to follow M.Laxmikanth as well for international relationships.And follow previous years’ questions as well.General studies paper iii ( Technology, economic development, bio-diversity, environment, security and disaster management )In the entire main exams this gs paper iii is the most difficult one as well as it’s very vast as well. So you have to move very cautiously.Here are some steps to follow………….Try to enrich your base levelThis area is mostly related with current affairs. So try to follow the daily news paper as well as try to take the help of internet as well. (vvi ) current affairs are mostly related with economy and environment related.Try to focus on what to study and what not to studyTry to know economic budget, economic surveyHere your conception must be clear.Make notes mostly related with current affairs.This paper is diverse in nature. So your idea also must be diverse in nature as well as you have to relate whatever you are reading for this particular section with current affairs properly.Do practice answer writing regularlyHow to move for gs paper iii ( important areas)Indian economyQuestions are related with Economic growth and planningFocus areas are - Five year planning, NITI aayog, taxation policies, various govt. programs/schemes/policies, economic budget, inclusive growth and for this try to follow std. economic books, books of NCERT as well as try to follow Yojana/ kurukshetra magazine as well. Try to follow India yearbook and here one more important part is that whenever you will know the govt. policies/schemes, try to know its aim and how the policies/schemes will be implemented.Agriculture - corps and furmingFocus areas - Croping patterns, irrigation, AMPC model, E- tech areas and for this section try to follow basic NCERT books, std geo books of spectrum/Khullar/ Majid HussainAgriculture - Policy measuresFocus areas - Subsides, MSP, DBT, PDS reforms, FCI reforms, economics of animal rearing and for this section you have to follow eco survey on subsides and PDS, follow current affairs and take the help pf internet as wellFood processingFocus areas - what is food processing, backward and forward linkages, domestic/export markets, various govt. schemes. For this section you have to follow MOFPI websites, food processing reports as well as follow the reports of CCI/IBEF/ASSOCHAM etc. Here in this section internet has a big role.Land reformsFocus areas - historical perspective, recent changes,movements and for this section try to follow the basic NCERT books of History and Bipan Chandra. You can follow PIB news as well (vvi).LPG ReformsFocus areas - Effects of liberalization process, changes in industrial policy, induatrial growth and for this section you should follow economic survey and any std. book on economics and follow this area very well from that bookInfrastructure - Try to follow the newspaper and websites of ministry as wellInvestment models - Focus areas - Different models and strategies, need for PPP terms in India and for this section try to follow economic survey and try to know PPP terms very well as well as try to follow NCERT books and any std. economic book and follow the ministries websitesEnvironment and EcologyFollow current affairs as well as try to folow YAJONA/Kurukshetra magazine as well. Follow the official sites of ministries as well, you can follow India Yearbook. you can follow basic books too and for that Shankar IAS environment and ecology is very good as well as you can follow the book of Lexis Nexis publicationScience and technologyFollow current affairs, science reporter magazine and follow websites of ministriesDisaster managementFollow disaster management act, websites of ministriessecurity managementFollow the websites of ministries, ARC reports, institute of defence studies and analysis reports and you can follow some books of magraw hill publication/ Lexis Nexis or books of different publications.This paper is mostly based on internet and current affairs as well as you have to focus on this paper properly and mainly you have to know what to read and what not to read ( means important areas) and accordingly you have to move for this subject. Regular answer writing is also a necessary part.Try to follow previous years’ question papers.General studies paper iv ( Ethics and Integrity )This paper is to test the candidates’ attitude and approach to issues relating to integrity, probity in public life and his problem-solving approach to various issues and conflicts faced by him in dealing with society.You should always keep one thing in mind that ethics is not same as morals or what we read in moral science, but it is the ethics in the public administration, how does one treat, how does one solve the problems, your attitude towards women, refugee, migrants and etc. these are the qualities as public administrator a candidate should develop proactively.Important areas in Ethics to focusIf you follow the previous years’ question papers, the question papers are divided into two main parts as ……………● Part I – Theory● Part II – Case Studies.Ethics and Human Interface: Essence, determinants and consequences of Ethics in human actions; dimensions of ethics, ethics in private and public relationshipsThis section is all about the ethics how you inculcate it and how you deal with the society, how do you see whether the action is ethical or not and what are the principles that you follow to ensure that the action is ethical or not.Under ethics and human interface the questions maybe asked in the part I section based on the factors essence, determinants and consequences of ethics in human actions, dimensions of ethics, ethics in private and public relationships and these areas in focus will be covered under Part I.Human Values: Lesson from the lives and teachings of great leaders, reformers and administrators; role of family, society and educational institutions in inculcating valuesUnder this area in focus will be lessons from the lives and teachings of great leaders, reformers and administrators under this a candidate should concentrate on points like how do people acquire values and majority of people acquire values when they read about the personality of importance like freedom fighters.Under this area, the UPSC may give some statement of any great personalities and would ask to discuss it by applying it to the present context.For e.g. any of the Gandhi’s statement or saying would be given and asked to discuss with the context to the present environment.Here’s a glimpse how to answer these kinds of questions, the answer should be in 100 words.● Cover the first 25-30 words of your answer what the lines from the great personality means or stands for not literally but philosophically● Next, in 70-80 try to write about an incident relating to the saying which would have occurred in the society recentlyFor an e.g. if the question is about Gandhi’s saying on industrialization then a candidate approach should be towards the recent Make in India and should discuss more on cottage industries correlating the saying to the present context.What a candidate should always keep in mind while attempting to such answers are it is easy to answer these question in thinkers point of view, which UPSC does not want and what it looks for is how much the candidate has analyzed, utilized and applied it to the current context.How to answer to this sectionTo answer the questions in this part, you have to take different sayings of various great personalities and should make sure that the saying is not a common statement but which they could relate it to the present context and apply it.For an e.g. if it is about corruption, then should try to use it to the present situation and examples of scandals or scams which they would have read in the newspaper or witnessed in their life.It is recommended to aspirants to consider few books about 5-6 of great thinkers whom you admire, like or follow. Candidates can choose 3 books of Western Personalities like Socrates, Aristotle, and Plato and 2 books of Indian Origin like Gandhi, Ambedkar or anyone whom you like and get inspired. Here candidates, instead of memorizing their date of birth, the birthplace which is not of importance for this section one should give importance on what they preached in ethics.The next thing to focus in this area is role of family, society and educational institutions in inculcating values.From where do we acquire values?We acquire values in from our family, society, and education institutionAttitude: Content, Structure, function; its influence and relation with thought and behavior; moral and political attitudes; social influence and persuasionIn this area, the question may be asked either in Part 1 or Part 2 i.e. either in theory or case study.Let’s take an example: Narendra Modi government want to bring Swachch Bharat Abhiyan successfully. And, you are a district administrator in a particular district and in that district half of the villagers don’t use toilets and half of the villagers use toilets. What measures would you take to change the attitude of the people who are not using toilets?Attitude is a most important concept used by the media a lot so how would you change the attitude. There are three types called as ABC model and they are:● Affection● Cognitive● Behavioural basedAs a district collector, you would go through each model and make a case study on each model.In one of the previous year question paper, UPSC has asked the migration of village population to urban areas and why is this happening. And, this question was completely based on attitude.And, any candidate who would have approached and attempted the answer mentioning attitude would have definitely scored high.In this area, you should focus on Attitude: content, structure, function, its influence and relation with thought and behaviour for Part 2 of the question paper i.e. Case Study while the moral and political attitudes; social influence and persuasion would be for Part 1 of the Ethics Question Paper i.e. theory.Aptitude: Foundational values for civil service, integrity, impartiality and nonpartisanship, objectivity, dedication to public service, empathy, tolerance and compassion towards the weaker-sections.Here youshould use some ethical words in their answers and some of the words are:Integrity: Theory related question maybe asked on this in Part 1 of the question paper like what is integrity? Or Definition of integrity.Here, the UPSC may give five related words and ask to write for 50 words each carrying 5 marks.There may be case study based on this.These are the important list of words that a candidate should embed in their answer in order to enhance their answer and score high.● Integrity: not compromising on anything if someone offers your bribe will you compromise● Impartiality: Don’t show nepotism either for political parties or common man● Nonpartisanship: no biases for different political parties● Objectivity: be neutral● Dedication to public service● Empathy● Tolerance● Compassion towards weaker sectionThe first words mentioned are the universal administrative values, while the rest four as an administrator one should acquire especially in the developing country where there is inequality a lot.Hence, if you have observed, UPSC comes up with questions bringing in characters in the questions like 90 years old or a person who would have walked for 100km to reach your place.Candidates can refer the ‘Ethics in Governance’ to cover this area as it gives a clear definition of the last five words or concepts including Nolan Committee Recommendations.5. Emotional IntelligenceQuestions may be asked in both Part 1 and Part 2, for an e.g. questions like have undergone any emotional intelligence and how did you overcome it.Its definition, concepts and how would you apply them in administration.Here’s a scenario as an example, a thousand of protestors are protesting in front of a district administration office and as an administrator and you know the protest is for the wrong reason. How would you handle the situation?Here as an administrator, one has to follow the three procedures of Emotional Intelligence and they are:● Understand your emotions and control them● Understand others emotion and control them● Then, act according to solve the issue genuinely and effectively6. Contributions of moral thinkers and philosophers from India and the worldThis area again can be covered under the Human Values.7. Public or Civil Service Values and Ethics in Public AdministrationCandidates can refer ‘Ethics in Governance’The laws, rules, regulation and conscience as sources of ethical guidance; accountability and ethical governance; strengthening of ethical and moral values in governance candidates can refer IGNOU8. Ethical issues in international relations and funding corporate governanceQuestions may be asked Part 2 i.e. case studyInternational relations funding candidates can take the example of Nepal Earthquake video how funding aided or any current similar such scenariosCorporate governance: corporate social responsibility; ethics and governance are not only required in administration but also applicable in the corporate offices, as an administrator in corporate offices or private offices, in any situation how would you deal them. E.g.: in sexual harassment cases.9. Probity in Governance: Concept of public service; philosophical basis of governance and probity; information10. Sharing and transparency in government, Right to information, codes of ethics, codes of conductTo cover Areas 9 and 10, candidates can refer CCS, 1964 – The Central Civil Services (Conduct) Rules, 1964, which is of 300-400 pages.It is also observed that every year two questions are asked on the case study from this section as discussed in the beginning.11. Citizen’s Charters, Work Culture, Quality of Service delivery, utilization of public funds, challenges of corruptionUPSC may ask direct questions on Citizen’s CharterTo frame a Citizen’s Charter, hence candidate should be aware of how to frame a Citizen’s Charter and the rules and regulation that should be followed before framing a citizen charter.Source: Ethics in GovernanceThe questions on this area would be mostly on case study.Takeaway from this article on Ethics Syllabus● Many concepts are not yet explored by the UPSC; hence candidates should not ignore the untouched areas● Importance of conceptual clarity● Must know Code of Conducts● Citizen’s Charter, RTI● Probity in Governance Reports● Sources to refer: Ethics in Governance; IGNOU; Arora● Public Administration related case studies and its application● Prelims CSAT Paper and solve decision-making questionEthics, Integrity and Aptitude for Civil Services Examinationby G. Subba Rao and P.N. Roy ChowdhuryEthics - Integrity and Aptitudeby Santosh Ajmera and Nanda Kishore ReddyIAS Mains General Studies Paper 4 ETHICS INTEGRITY & APTITUDEby Arihant ExpertsHow to attempt the Case Study Questions of the Ethics GS Paper IV in the UPSC Main Exam● Write an outline of the scenario first● Write down the four options available to him● Next Step start the merits and demerits of all the optionsFor E.g. Corruption: Under merits, you could mention I’m against corruption and I will not accept bribe while under demerits you can mention you will lose monetary benefits● Finally, analyse the merits and demerits and come up with a solution.Follow the previous years’ question papers as well.Optional PaperThis paper is completely depending on your own interest. Here you can choose any subject according to your own interest. Whatever you choose, you must have interest in that one, or try to feel that subject or love that subject and most importantly before going to choose any subject as your optional one try to follow previous years' question papers as well as the syllabus of every optional subject and if you do so, you will know better that which subject will be better for you to take up as your optional one and most importantly choose any subject as per your own capacity too.Art of answer writing in mainsGive an introduction at firstexplain your introduction with proper facts and figuresand then the conclusionyour explanation must have a proper link between your introduction and your conclusion as wellThe more perspectives you will explain your answer from, the more chances you will have to carry higher marks and UPSC also demands this from us. As for an example, if you write a history question, try to explain or write that answer not only from historical perspective but also you should try to explain that one from the perspectives of geography, polity, sociology, economics etc but your perspectives by which you are explaining must have a proper link with what the question is demanding actually from you.Pay your focus on the quality within the proper word limitsYour answer must be divided into some paragraphsTry to highlight important quotes or important opinionsTry to use simple sentence and input simple words known to allDon't go beyond the question demands or question topicTry to answer to the point. Don't give anything extra.Your answer must be positive overall. You must be optimistic in answering to questionsDon't input your personal views as I want to say......... or according to me.............. (must not be)Try to answer in the indirect form as we should do................ or our country.............. (like this)If you want to criticise, your criticism must be constructive or logical tooIf you can make proper diagram or chart in your answer, it will be also helpful tooTry to avoid sticking off your answers or lines repeatedly.Focus on your handwriting too because it is also very importantOne of the most important parts is that if possible, try to answer from the perspective of current affairs too and if you can answer from this particular one also, your answer will obviously go to the rich quality but always remember that your answer must have a proper link with whatever you explain.Some more important strategiesBe serious and confident as well.Try to follow current affairs until you can’t have success in this exam because in our present UPSC exam pattern Current affairs has a very big as well as very important role too.Try to make notes personally.Try to do practice answer writing daily.Make a specific target for every day and try to fulfil that in any way.Try to spend a large number of time for your self study.Don’t rely only on your coaching materials.Try to focus on the quality but not on the quantity.Follow the previous years’ question papers.You should try to know everything in details for whatever you follow or read. Don’t leave any chapter untouched.Always try to have a clear idea on every fact and figure.Try to revise for ten times for whatever you personally follow. Revision is also a must.Highlight important areas.Focus on actual facts and figures.Try to know as well as try to answer to your questions from different perspectives. The more perspectives you will answer to your questions from, the more chances you will have to carry higher marks.Focus on your handwriting as well.I hope that all of these can help you a lot to move for this exam with a peaceful mind because i also personally follow all of these which i have mentioned above.And for any kind of improvement i heartily welcome all of your suggestions .Thank you.

It is not tough but it is hard to crack because we think that it is hard.I’m not an UPSC topper, i’m not an IAS/IPS/IFS. I’m also getting prepared for this exam like all of you but i find it is easy to crack because i have taken up some steps by which i find it is easy to myself and now whatever i’m going to share with all of you ,i hope, will help you to move for this exam in an easy way.To a maximum number of candidates why is it felt as the toughest one?Ans - Because the syllabus is very vast in nature and how we will cover the entire syllabus in a smart way?For that…………..At first, try to know the syllabus and exam pattern properly.PRELIMINARY EXAMINATION ( this has two parts)Preliminary examination is of objective types and here marks will not be counted for final merit list. Passing marks are needed to sit for mains examinations.Phase i ( 200 marks )Current affairs ( 60–70% questions come here)History of IndiaGeography of the world (Physical, Social, Economic)Indian Polity and Governance-ConstitutionEconomic and Social DevelopmentGeneral Issues (Environmental Ecology, Bio-Diversity, Climate change etcs.)General SciencePhase ii / CSAT ( 200 marks )Comprehension Skill (English) ( 60–70% questions come here)Interpersonal SkillsLogical Reasoning and Analytical AbilityDecision making and problem solvingGeneral mental abilityBasic NumeracyData InterpretationMain examination syllabusI. Any Indian Language (300 marks)II. English (300 marks)These two papers just need to qualify which is compulsory and marks obtained will not be considered or counted.Questions in mains examinations are of descriptive types and here in every paper you have to face twenty questions.Essay paper ( 250 marks )Here, you are required to write an essay on a specific topic within word limits.General studies paper 1 ( 250 marks )Indian heritage/ culture, World history and geographyGeneral studies paper ii ( 250 marks )Governance, constitution, polity, social justice and international relationshipsGeneral studies paper iii ( 250 marks )Technology, Economic development, Bio-diversity, Environment, security and disaster managementGeneral studies paper iv ( 250 marks )Ethics, integrity and aptitudeOptional paperOptional paper is divided into two partsPaper i ( 250 marks )Paper ii ( 250 marks )Interview ( for 275 marks )What the commission actually demands from us ?UPSC needs information from us and for that we have to be informative. We should know the proper background/history with proper facts and figures for whatever we are following.Analytical power is also very important because not only we have to gather information but also we must have the capability to analyse the current scenario of our country and of our world with the application of what we know in a proper way. In short to say theoretical knowledge must be applied to analyse the current scenario in such a way that whether those theoretical parts are applicable for the current pattern of our country and of our world or not to solve the present problems or to make a better way for those.Now the question is how ?Phrase i ( preliminary examination)Current affairs - For current affairs you must follow the HINDU news paper regularly and try to make notes from the HINDU as well as you have to follow YOJANA / KURUKSHETRA magazine and here you can follow any one of these two but you should follow thoroughly for whatever you follow. If possible try to follow a popular news channel regularly and whatever you follow for current affairs from news papers, you should note down those regularly and if you regularly invest 1 - 1.30 hours for current affairs, it is enough for you and especially for some burning topics you should always focus on the background or the real cause of those burning news topics as well as try to know the influence of those burning issues on our present scenario in our society and in our country as well.For the more you may follow the monthly current affairs of VISION IAS and INSIGHT IAS, IAS today.in as well as you may follow Press Information Bureau, PRS | Home ( these two are very good as well as helpful too) and the websites of various ministries of our central government too.How to proceed for reading newspapers and how to make notes from newspapers …………………………….First of all, i want to say that before going to follow any newspaper for UPSC exam, you should keep three things in your mind -Which newspaper you should follow.What you should follow from newspapers and how you should follow.How you will make notes from newspapers.so, now how to start……………………At first, pick the right one which is apt for UPSC exam because if you don’t follow the right one, you will face lots of difficulties. That’s why i will like to suggest you to follow the HINDU or the Indian Express but where the maximum number of candidates follow the HINDU, i’ll like to suggest you to follow the HINDU otherwise you can follow the Indian Express. Both the newspapers are equally good in quality so you can pick up any news paper between these two mentioned above.Next important part is what to follow and how to followHow to follow any news from newspapersBefore going to follow any news from newspapers, you should keep two things in your mind and those are…………………….Background of any newsInfluence or effects of that news in the present scenario of our country.Here, i am drawing an example with these two rules…………..recently, “Demonetisation” has happened in our country and due to this incident rs. 500 and rs. 1000 have been changed widely in our entire county. So when you will read this news, you should follow two ways to have a clear picture on demonetisation.Background/cause of demonetisation - Recent demonetisation of rs.500 and rs.1000 notes is taken to control black money, counterfiet currency and corruption with the help of SWISS Bank officials.For this our central govt. have set up a SIT to deal with investigations on individuals of tax evasion and income tax declaration scheme.Influence/effects of demonetisation -( Positive Sides of demonetisation )It mobilised tax revenue of nearly rs. 65,000 cr.It has helped our govt. to cut tax rates and interest rates respectively to encourage investments while being on track to attain the fiscal deficit and growth targets.Demonitisation has boosted cashless transactions with some prominent features like no service tax on cashless transaction below rs. 2000, announced monthly jackpots for people using cashless transactions in govt. services, reducing self assessment tax from 8% to 6% with annual turnover of less than 2 cr, providing cash banks ranging from 0.25% to 0.75% on various transactions like fuel, stamp papers, govt. registrations etc, and other incentivesDue to demonetisation terror activism also became slow down due to lack of money in the present scenarioOur govt. have mobilised tax revenue of nearly rs. 65,000 cr.( Negative sides of demonetisation )In the financial year, 2015–16 our GDP was 7.6% but due to demonetisation it has came down by 0.5% to 1.5%India’s tax to GDP ratio is quite slow at 16.6% in comparison with other countries’ economicsSmall and medium size enterprises got negatively affected due to less cash in the market for continuing transaction or buying or selling. The labour wages in this sector are largely paid in cash and wages have been adversely affected by the demonetisation move. Unemployment has also been reported owing to decline in demand of SME goods as the purchasing power of the consumers has contracted in the short term. Other sectors within the SME space like restaurants and transport operators have also been negatively impacted since economic activity has declined and also due to the fact that there is high tendency in this segment to accept payments through cash only.Agriculture in our country has also widely affected due to demonetisation. This is one sector where all transactions are in cash and, given the values involved, involve the higher denomination notes. The withdrawal of the old currency notes has put pressure on the mandis; farmers are having problems in selling their produce as both the parties have to agree on the mode of payment. Also since there is acute shortage of Rs 500 denomination notes presently, change for the high denomination Rs 2000 notes is not readily available with the vegetable and fruit vendors. This is also taking the buyers away from these vendors to big retail markets thus impacting the livelihood of the unorganised sector.Employed sectors have also adversely affected due to demonetisation. We all know that manufacturing sector which accounts for the highest employment of skilled and semi-skilled labourers, is witnessing slowdown in production; not only less jobs are being created but lay-offs are also taking place at a higher rate.SO, this is the way you should follow in reading any news from newspapers as well as in making notes too. ( background - proper facts and figures with positive sides and negative sides too )Now the most important part is what to read and what not to readFor Prelims you should follow important govt. schemes, policies, important events, organisations, scientific and other developmentsFor MAINS you should follow development in areas in all gs papers, analysis of issues ( you have to analyse important issues with positive sides and negative sides along with proper background), schemes and policies of govt in details, and other important facts and figures. Here one thing you should keep in your mind that you have to deeply analyse those which you followed for prelims. In mains you should not only know the news but also you should deeply analyse the news with proper reasons.Now i have divided all the pages of the HINDU as i personally follow this news paper otherwise if you follow the Indian Express, you will also find the similarity i’m going to share with you.Front page - Read thoroughly and try to find issues related with latest developments.City/ State based - focus on important decisions and latest policy developments and skip any local newsNation related news - here you have to find those news which are related with the latest schemes, policies, decisions of our govt. But here you should mostly read those related with your gs papers.Editorial news ( vvi ) - you have to thoroughly follow the editorial news as here there are important news with proper analysis and important opinions by some experts. Don’t leave any line or any portion untouched because here every line or every portion is very important. So here you should have an average idea with clear conceptions and if possible try to mark important opinions too.International news - Here you should follow the news which highlights our country’s relation with other countries.Business - It is very important for prelims as well as in gs paper 3 in mains too. Here you should follow events, organisations, economic developments, economic policies but you should skip company or PSU related newsSports - There is no importance in following this area but if you find some development issues in any sports field, you can keep that in mind.So, in short to say, when you will follow the newspaper for UPSC exam, you should keep three things in your mind and those are - important govt. policies/schemes, india’s relation with other countries or india’s position to the eye of the world, development related issues and if you follow the previous years’ question papers, you will find that 95% question covered these three areas for the maximum time. So you should pay an eagle eye on these three areas with proper analysis.And one more important part is that don’t follow current affairs from prelims perspective rather than try to follow the newspaper from mains perspective because in main not only you have to know what is the news but also you have to know why is the news and how the impact of the news is on our current scenario. So if you follow current affairs from mains perspective, current affairs for prelims will automatically be covered well.And if you find any problem with any news article, you can surely take the help of internet. You can follow WIKIPEDIA, INVESTOPEDIA, BUSINESS STANDARDS etc.Prelims gs papers - For this section just try to follow the books of NCERT thoroughly as well as try to follow the books of Arihant Macbook publication. The books of Arihant publication are also very good. Here in these books everything is described in point wise as well as in concise and notes format. As well as with these books try to keep some more books too and those are - Indian polity by M. LAXMIKANTH, Indian Economy by Ramesh Singh, Indian history by V.K.Agnihotri /Krishna Reddy , for geography of Spectrum Publication and for general science you can follow the objective general science of Arihant Publication/ Lucent’s general science as well you can try for the books of Pratijogita Darpan too. I think, these books are enough. But pay your main focus on NCERT books.CSATHere maximum questions are passage oriented and this portion is a matter of pratice. So the more you will practice, the more benefits you will have here. you can follow the prelims gs paper ii of Tata magrow hill publication as well as you should practice by following previous years’ question papers.For math you can follow R.S.Agarwal / quantitive aptitude by Dinesh Khattar of Pearson publication, M. Tyra ( for short tricks ) and for practice you can follow the math practice set of Kiran publication for SSC CGL ( here in this book of Kiran Publication you will have different types questions in every chapter )For reasoning, R.S.Agarwal / reasoning book of B.S.sijwali and Indu Sijwali of Arihant Publication. ( CSAT is a matter of practice. So, the more you will practice , the more you will have your accuracy here. )For solving passage oriented questionsAt first, go through the passage thoroughly. Don’t skip any line or any portion.Underline the important or relevant words or line or portions.Try to find out the proper reasoning for what you have asked that means when you have got a general idea of the passage, look at the questions. Each question is to be answered separately. Sentences from the original passage should not be transferred to your answer directly. Comprehension test is not merely a test of your intelligent understanding of the passage but also a test of your capacity to express your ideas in clear, correct and idiomatic language ( though questions are objective types, yet it is also very important ).Try to find out what is important and what is not and you can do this only after reading the passage very carefully. What is not important should be left out.Every passage is very important for every question. So try to know the inner meaning of every passage separately.Always try to answer to question with the basis of the inner meaning but don’t try to answer on the basis of outer face of the passage.Try to link up every passage with its meaning.Most importantly it’s a matter of practice so the more you will practice, the more you will have accuracy in this portion.Try to follow a dictionary regularly for at least two pages in every day.ESSAY WRITINGTHE STEP BY STEP PROCESS FOR WRITING AN ESSAYThe first step in writing an essay is to be sure that you should have clearly understood what the essay topic exactly means or demands from you. Suppose, you are asked to write an essay on " a cricket match you have recently enjoyed" but "the game of cricket" is completely different and if you write on the latter subject, you are on the wrong track.Then thinking over the prescribed essay topic you should set some ideas or points according to the demands of your essay topic. As for an example i'm taking the above mentioned topic that is - A CRICKET MATCH YOU HAVE RECENTLY ENJOYED and for that you should think of how did you reach the stadium?, how much you were excited for that cricket match?, how much the persons or your friends with whom you went to enjoy the match were excited?,how was the stadium?,how was the reaction or excitement within the spectators for that match?,how did the match begin?,which team won the toss?, how was the players' performance?, who played well in that match?, how was your reaction or excitement with your favourite player? and how your favourite player performed in that match?centering round the star players how was the spectators' reaction?,how much satisfied you were in watching that match?,how did that match end?,how was the reaction of the winning team?, how was the presenting ceremony?,who came there as chief guests? etc......... these points you should set in your mind before writing.The next important part is to arrange your ideas or points and here you should set which point will come first, which will be second,which will come in third position........... this way you should logically set points and if you do so,your points or ideas will surely come in the correct order.Now you have to develop every point into separate paragraphs. Here you should be aware of the fact that is every paragraph should deal with only one particular point or idea as in one your one particular paragraph if you put the reaction of the spectators, in that particular one you should explain only the reaction of the spectators and nothing else and when you will go to the next paragraph, the reaction of the spectators should not be there rather than something new points should be in the next paragraph and there you have to develop that particular point only. This way you have to proceed.Don't use the same point or same idea again and again.The final step is revision and it's also essential.********Here one more important thing is the main body of your essay should have the proper link with your introduction and conclusion and whatever your conclusion is but that should be positive and in your conclusion you can even add your personal views too and one more important thing is your introduction too should be in such a way that whenever an examinerwill pay its eyes on your introduction, that introduction as if creats an interest within itself to read your presentation from starting to the end with proper interest. in short to say " YOUR INTRODUCTION AND CONCLUSION SHOULD BE INTERESTING AS WELL AS POSITIVE TOO.""Essay writing is an art. How you are starting,how you are explaining and even how you are finishing always make a great value in essay writing and if you want to be strong in these three, practice is the only key to be a master in essay writing and the more you will think of your essay topics,the more new ideas you will gain and this will help you to write an essay completely from different angle and if you do so perfectly, your essay can be classy for that prescribed topic and these are also key factors to present a particular topic within word limits perfectly according to the demands of your essay topic"Now when you will go for mains exam, you have to move very cautiously and for that you should know what to study and what not to study and after knowing this you have pay more focus on important areas.Compulsory language paperEssay – 100 marksReading comprehension – 60 marksPrécis writing – 60 marksTranslation:a) English to compulsory language chosen – 20 marksb) Compulsory language to English – 20 marksGrammar and basic language usage – 40 marksThe questions asked are of matriculation or equivalent standardsChoose your language wisely. It is recommended that you select the language that you learnt at school and have some grip overWrite and practice. If you have lost touch writing in the regional language after your schooling, writing practice is a must. You should be at ease writing and also must not forget common spellings and punctuationPracticing question papers also improves your speed.Practice translations.Work on your handwriting if you think it is not neat. Handwriting should be legible.Now how to move for language paperRead the question paper first thoroughly.Attempt the questions you are most sure of. If you are strong in grammar, finish off the grammar part quickly.If grammar is your weak point, attempt the comprehension passage first. This is generally easy since you can find the answers in the passage itself.In your essay, write in simple but effective language. Attempt the essay question last with at least 40 minutes to spare. Once you are done with the other sections, you will have enough ‘flow’ to write your essay. Also, you should not waste time writing an elaborate essay in the beginning.Avoid grammatical and spelling mistakes.Follow this rule when you do the translation question:If you are more comfortable in English than in the vernacular language, do the Indian language to English translation first. You will find this easier than the English to Indian language.If you are well-versed in the Indian language more compared to English, do the English to Indian language translation first.Compulsory English Language paperThis paper consists ofEssayComprehensionPrecis WritingAnd some grammatical questionsNow how to move for this portionFollow the basic grammar books like J.C.Nesfield or Wren Martin.Follow the common errors book by UPKAR publicationFor essay, precis and comprehension do practice regularly. These three parts are completely standing on your practice.General studies paper 1 ( Indian heritage/ culture, world history and geography )Maximum questions come from History, political philosophies, Indian society and GeographyIn Historical portion maximum question come from modern history. So, you have to pay an eagle eye on modern history. For modern history you can follow “History of modern india” by Bipan Chandra, “India’s struggle for independence” by Bipan Chandra, “India since independence” by Bipan Chandra, “ a brief history of modern india by Rajiv Ahir, “mastering modern world history” by Norman lowe, “History of the world” by Arun Dev as well as try to follow Indian history and culture by V.K.Agnihotri or Indian History by Krishna Reddy. These are enough for history section.In Indian art and culture maximum questions come from salient aspects of art forms and literature and architecture from ancient to modern times and for this section you can follow “India’s ancient past” by Ramesh sharma, “Facets of Indian culture” of Spectrum Publication, CCRT website is also very good, you can follow this too. Here in this part you must pay more focus on some portions and those are - Classical dances, important festivals, architecture of temples, themes of india’s ancient history, literature and music/musical instrumentsPolitical philosophy is also an important part and here the focus area is - communism, socialism and capitalism. Try to know the theories properly.Society of India - this part is also very important. Here the focus areas are - features of Indian society and diversity of India, role of women/women organisations/poverty and developmental issues/urbanization and their remedies, effects of globalization on Indian society, social empowerment/communalism/regional and secularism and for this area there is no need to follow any book. Try to follow daily news paper, websites of various departments, economical/political weekly ( follow business standard/ economics times on internet)Geography - Focus areas are - physical geography,natural resources,industrial sectors, natural disorders and for this section follow the basic NCERT books of 6–12 std, and indian and world geography of Spectrum Publication.As well as try to follow the previous years’ question papers and do practice answer writing as well.General studies paper ii ( governance, polity, constitution, social justice and international relationships )Try to follow Indian Polity by M. Laxmikanth thoroughly, follow daily newspaper as well. Try to follow the websites of various ministries for their annual reports. As well as try to follow M.Laxmikanth as well for international relationships.And follow previous years’ questions as well.General studies paper iii ( Technology, economic development, bio-diversity, environment, security and disaster management )In the entire main exams this gs paper iii is the most difficult one as well as it’s very vast as well. So you have to move very cautiously.Here are some steps to follow………….Try to enrich your base levelThis area is mostly related with current affairs. So try to follow the daily news paper as well as try to take the help of internet as well. (vvi ) current affairs are mostly related with economy and environment related.Try to focus on what to study and what not to studyTry to know economic budget, economic surveyHere your conception must be clear.Make notes mostly related with current affairs.This paper is diverse in nature. So your idea also must be diverse in nature as well as you have to relate whatever you are reading for this particular section with current affairs properly.Do practice answer writing regularlyHow to move for gs paper iii ( important areas)Indian economyQuestions are related with Economic growth and planningFocus areas are - Five year planning, NITI aayog, taxation policies, various govt. programs/schemes/policies, economic budget, inclusive growth and for this try to follow std. economic books, books of NCERT as well as try to follow Yojana/ kurukshetra magazine as well. Try to follow India yearbook and here one more important part is that whenever you will know the govt. policies/schemes, try to know its aim and how the policies/schemes will be implemented.Agriculture - corps and furmingFocus areas - Croping patterns, irrigation, AMPC model, E- tech areas and for this section try to follow basic NCERT books, std geo books of spectrum/Khullar/ Majid HussainAgriculture - Policy measuresFocus areas - Subsides, MSP, DBT, PDS reforms, FCI reforms, economics of animal rearing and for this section you have to follow eco survey on subsides and PDS, follow current affairs and take the help pf internet as wellFood processingFocus areas - what is food processing, backward and forward linkages, domestic/export markets, various govt. schemes. For this section you have to follow MOFPI websites, food processing reports as well as follow the reports of CCI/IBEF/ASSOCHAM etc. Here in this section internet has a big role.Land reformsFocus areas - historical perspective, recent changes,movements and for this section try to follow the basic NCERT books of History and Bipan Chandra. You can follow PIB news as well (vvi).LPG ReformsFocus areas - Effects of liberalization process, changes in industrial policy, induatrial growth and for this section you should follow economic survey and any std. book on economics and follow this area very well from that bookInfrastructure - Try to follow the newspaper and websites of ministry as wellInvestment models - Focus areas - Different models and strategies, need for PPP terms in India and for this section try to follow economic survey and try to know PPP terms very well as well as try to follow NCERT books and any std. economic book and follow the ministries websitesEnvironment and EcologyFollow current affairs as well as try to folow YAJONA/Kurukshetra magazine as well. Follow the official sites of ministries as well, you can follow India Yearbook. you can follow basic books too and for that Shankar IAS environment and ecology is very good as well as you can follow the book of Lexis Nexis publicationScience and technologyFollow current affairs, science reporter magazine and follow websites of ministriesDisaster managementFollow disaster management act, websites of ministriessecurity managementFollow the websites of ministries, ARC reports, institute of defence studies and analysis reports and you can follow some books of magraw hill publication/ Lexis Nexis or books of different publications.This paper is mostly based on internet and current affairs as well as you have to focus on this paper properly and mainly you have to know what to read and what not to read ( means important areas) and accordingly you have to move for this subject. Regular answer writing is also a necessary part.Try to follow previous years’ question papers.General studies paper iv ( Ethics and Integrity )This paper is to test the candidates’ attitude and approach to issues relating to integrity, probity in public life and his problem-solving approach to various issues and conflicts faced by him in dealing with society.You should always keep one thing in mind that ethics is not same as morals or what we read in moral science, but it is the ethics in the public administration, how does one treat, how does one solve the problems, your attitude towards women, refugee, migrants and etc. these are the qualities as public administrator a candidate should develop proactively.Important areas in Ethics to focusIf you follow the previous years’ question papers, the question papers are divided into two main parts as ……………● Part I – Theory● Part II – Case Studies.Ethics and Human Interface: Essence, determinants and consequences of Ethics in human actions; dimensions of ethics, ethics in private and public relationshipsThis section is all about the ethics how you inculcate it and how you deal with the society, how do you see whether the action is ethical or not and what are the principles that you follow to ensure that the action is ethical or not.Under ethics and human interface the questions maybe asked in the part I section based on the factors essence, determinants and consequences of ethics in human actions, dimensions of ethics, ethics in private and public relationships and these areas in focus will be covered under Part I.Human Values: Lesson from the lives and teachings of great leaders, reformers and administrators; role of family, society and educational institutions in inculcating valuesUnder this area in focus will be lessons from the lives and teachings of great leaders, reformers and administrators under this a candidate should concentrate on points like how do people acquire values and majority of people acquire values when they read about the personality of importance like freedom fighters.Under this area, the UPSC may give some statement of any great personalities and would ask to discuss it by applying it to the present context.For e.g. any of the Gandhi’s statement or saying would be given and asked to discuss with the context to the present environment.Here’s a glimpse how to answer these kinds of questions, the answer should be in 100 words.● Cover the first 25-30 words of your answer what the lines from the great personality means or stands for not literally but philosophically● Next, in 70-80 try to write about an incident relating to the saying which would have occurred in the society recentlyFor an e.g. if the question is about Gandhi’s saying on industrialization then a candidate approach should be towards the recent Make in India and should discuss more on cottage industries correlating the saying to the present context.What a candidate should always keep in mind while attempting to such answers are it is easy to answer these question in thinkers point of view, which UPSC does not want and what it looks for is how much the candidate has analyzed, utilized and applied it to the current context.How to answer to this sectionTo answer the questions in this part, you have to take different sayings of various great personalities and should make sure that the saying is not a common statement but which they could relate it to the present context and apply it.For an e.g. if it is about corruption, then should try to use it to the present situation and examples of scandals or scams which they would have read in the newspaper or witnessed in their life.It is recommended to aspirants to consider few books about 5-6 of great thinkers whom you admire, like or follow. Candidates can choose 3 books of Western Personalities like Socrates, Aristotle, and Plato and 2 books of Indian Origin like Gandhi, Ambedkar or anyone whom you like and get inspired. Here candidates, instead of memorizing their date of birth, the birthplace which is not of importance for this section one should give importance on what they preached in ethics.The next thing to focus in this area is role of family, society and educational institutions in inculcating values.From where do we acquire values?We acquire values in from our family, society, and education institutionAttitude: Content, Structure, function; its influence and relation with thought and behavior; moral and political attitudes; social influence and persuasionIn this area, the question may be asked either in Part 1 or Part 2 i.e. either in theory or case study.Let’s take an example: Narendra Modi government want to bring Swachch Bharat Abhiyan successfully. And, you are a district administrator in a particular district and in that district half of the villagers don’t use toilets and half of the villagers use toilets. What measures would you take to change the attitude of the people who are not using toilets?Attitude is a most important concept used by the media a lot so how would you change the attitude. There are three types called as ABC model and they are:● Affection● Cognitive● Behavioural basedAs a district collector, you would go through each model and make a case study on each model.In one of the previous year question paper, UPSC has asked the migration of village population to urban areas and why is this happening. And, this question was completely based on attitude.And, any candidate who would have approached and attempted the answer mentioning attitude would have definitely scored high.In this area, you should focus on Attitude: content, structure, function, its influence and relation with thought and behaviour for Part 2 of the question paper i.e. Case Study while the moral and political attitudes; social influence and persuasion would be for Part 1 of the Ethics Question Paper i.e. theory.Aptitude: Foundational values for civil service, integrity, impartiality and nonpartisanship, objectivity, dedication to public service, empathy, tolerance and compassion towards the weaker-sections.Here youshould use some ethical words in their answers and some of the words are:Integrity: Theory related question maybe asked on this in Part 1 of the question paper like what is integrity? Or Definition of integrity.Here, the UPSC may give five related words and ask to write for 50 words each carrying 5 marks.There may be case study based on this.These are the important list of words that a candidate should embed in their answer in order to enhance their answer and score high.● Integrity: not compromising on anything if someone offers your bribe will you compromise● Impartiality: Don’t show nepotism either for political parties or common man● Nonpartisanship: no biases for different political parties● Objectivity: be neutral● Dedication to public service● Empathy● Tolerance● Compassion towards weaker sectionThe first words mentioned are the universal administrative values, while the rest four as an administrator one should acquire especially in the developing country where there is inequality a lot.Hence, if you have observed, UPSC comes up with questions bringing in characters in the questions like 90 years old or a person who would have walked for 100km to reach your place.Candidates can refer the ‘Ethics in Governance’ to cover this area as it gives a clear definition of the last five words or concepts including Nolan Committee Recommendations.5. Emotional IntelligenceQuestions may be asked in both Part 1 and Part 2, for an e.g. questions like have undergone any emotional intelligence and how did you overcome it.Its definition, concepts and how would you apply them in administration.Here’s a scenario as an example, a thousand of protestors are protesting in front of a district administration office and as an administrator and you know the protest is for the wrong reason. How would you handle the situation?Here as an administrator, one has to follow the three procedures of Emotional Intelligence and they are:● Understand your emotions and control them● Understand others emotion and control them● Then, act according to solve the issue genuinely and effectively6. Contributions of moral thinkers and philosophers from India and the worldThis area again can be covered under the Human Values.7. Public or Civil Service Values and Ethics in Public AdministrationCandidates can refer ‘Ethics in Governance’The laws, rules, regulation and conscience as sources of ethical guidance; accountability and ethical governance; strengthening of ethical and moral values in governance candidates can refer IGNOU8. Ethical issues in international relations and funding corporate governanceQuestions may be asked Part 2 i.e. case studyInternational relations funding candidates can take the example of Nepal Earthquake video how funding aided or any current similar such scenariosCorporate governance: corporate social responsibility; ethics and governance are not only required in administration but also applicable in the corporate offices, as an administrator in corporate offices or private offices, in any situation how would you deal them. E.g.: in sexual harassment cases.9. Probity in Governance: Concept of public service; philosophical basis of governance and probity; information10. Sharing and transparency in government, Right to information, codes of ethics, codes of conductTo cover Areas 9 and 10, candidates can refer CCS, 1964 – The Central Civil Services (Conduct) Rules, 1964, which is of 300-400 pages.It is also observed that every year two questions are asked on the case study from this section as discussed in the beginning.11. Citizen’s Charters, Work Culture, Quality of Service delivery, utilization of public funds, challenges of corruptionUPSC may ask direct questions on Citizen’s CharterTo frame a Citizen’s Charter, hence candidate should be aware of how to frame a Citizen’s Charter and the rules and regulation that should be followed before framing a citizen charter.Source: Ethics in GovernanceThe questions on this area would be mostly on case study.Takeaway from this article on Ethics Syllabus● Many concepts are not yet explored by the UPSC; hence candidates should not ignore the untouched areas● Importance of conceptual clarity● Must know Code of Conducts● Citizen’s Charter, RTI● Probity in Governance Reports● Sources to refer: Ethics in Governance; IGNOU; Arora● Public Administration related case studies and its application● Prelims CSAT Paper and solve decision-making questionEthics, Integrity and Aptitude for Civil Services Examinationby G. Subba Rao and P.N. Roy ChowdhuryEthics - Integrity and Aptitudeby Santosh Ajmera and Nanda Kishore ReddyIAS Mains General Studies Paper 4 ETHICS INTEGRITY & APTITUDEby Arihant ExpertsHow to attempt the Case Study Questions of the Ethics GS Paper IV in the UPSC Main Exam● Write an outline of the scenario first● Write down the four options available to him● Next Step start the merits and demerits of all the optionsFor E.g. Corruption: Under merits, you could mention I’m against corruption and I will not accept bribe while under demerits you can mention you will lose monetary benefits● Finally, analyse the merits and demerits and come up with a solution.Follow the previous years’ question papers as well.Optional PaperThis paper is completely depending on your own interest. Here you can choose any subject according to your own interest. Whatever you choose, you must have interest in that one, or try to feel that subject or love that subject and most importantly before going to choose any subject as your optional one try to follow previous years' question papers as well as the syllabus of every optional subject and if you do so, you will know better that which subject will be better for you to take up as your optional one and most importantly choose any subject as per your own capacity too.Art of answer writing in mainsGive an introduction at firstexplain your introduction with proper facts and figuresand then the conclusionyour explanation must have a proper link between your introduction and your conclusion as wellThe more perspectives you will explain your answer from, the more chances you will have to carry higher marks and UPSC also demands this from us. As for an example, if you write a history question, try to explain or write that answer not only from historical perspective but also you should try to explain that one from the perspectives of geography, polity, sociology, economics etc but your perspectives by which you are explaining must have a proper link with what the question is demanding actually from you.Pay your focus on the quality within the proper word limitsYour answer must be divided into some paragraphsTry to highlight important quotes or important opinionsTry to use simple sentence and input simple words known to allDon't go beyond the question demands or question topicTry to answer to the point. Don't give anything extra.Your answer must be positive overall. You must be optimistic in answering to questionsDon't input your personal views as I want to say......... or according to me.............. (must not be)Try to answer in the indirect form as we should do................ or our country.............. (like this)If you want to criticise, your criticism must be constructive or logical tooIf you can make proper diagram or chart in your answer, it will be also helpful tooTry to avoid sticking off your answers or lines repeatedly.Focus on your handwriting too because it is also very importantOne of the most important parts is that if possible, try to answer from the perspective of current affairs too and if you can answer from this particular one also, your answer will obviously go to the rich quality but always remember that your answer must have a proper link with whatever you explain.Some more important strategiesBe serious and confident as well.Try to follow current affairs until you can’t have success in this exam because in our present UPSC exam pattern Current affairs has a very big as well as very important role too.Try to make notes personally.Try to do practice answer writing daily.Make a specific target for every day and try to fulfil that in any way.Try to spend a large number of time for your self study.Don’t rely only on your coaching materials.Try to focus on the quality but not on the quantity.Follow the previous years’ question papers.You should try to know everything in details for whatever you follow or read. Don’t leave any chapter untouched.Always try to have a clear idea on every fact and figure.Try to revise for ten times for whatever you personally follow. Revision is also a must.Highlight important areas.Focus on actual facts and figures.Try to know as well as try to answer to your questions from different perspectives. The more perspectives you will answer to your questions from, the more chances you will have to carry higher marks.Focus on your handwriting as well.Next important part is that here to know everything and to keep all of the facts and figures in mind are very difficult indeed. So, we should know what are important and what are less important and according to that we should move for this exam. No doubt,here hard work has a big role but smart strategy has a greater role than hard work. So always we should focus on the smart strategy and for every subject we should think at first what we have to avoid completely or how we have to move for every paper. There is no need to take up extra load. We should do those whatever are appropriate for this exam.I hope that all of these can help you a lot to move for this exam with a peaceful mind because i also personally follow all of these which i have mentioned above.And for any kind of improvement i heartily welcome all of your suggestions .Thank you.