We at Insights IAS have been guiding students with varied backgrounds and preparation levels since 2011. And with these many years of experience in dealing with issues of students, we feel it is important for any aspirant to have a very clear idea about the examination that they are preparing for. You need to take a firm decision on preparing for the UPSC exam after having analysed the avenues & prospects of a civil servant, recruitment procedure, competition level, the demand of the examination and the level of commitment required for an aspirant.
The UPSC examination needs you to know what should not be done, identify the Myths along with what should be done.
In this article, we have tried to cover all basic questions that would arise in the minds of a beginner.
What is Civil Service?
Civil service refers to the body of government officials who are employed in civil occupations that are neither political nor judicial. They are entrusted with the administration of the country and mandated to carry out the policy of the government of the day. A well-functioning civil service helps to foster good policymaking, effective service delivery, accountability and responsibility in utilizing public resources which are the characteristics of good governance. The civil service is expected to give continuity and change to the administration no matter the political scenario and turmoil affecting the country.
The importance of the Civil Service to governance stems from the following:
- Service presence throughout the country and its strong binding character
- The administrative and managerial capacity of the services
- Effective coordination between institutions of governance
- Leadership at different levels of administration.
- Service delivery at the cutting-edge level
What is Civil Service Examination?
Civil Service Examination popularly known as IAS examination is a competitive examination in India conducted by UPSC for recruitment to various Civil Services of the Government of India.
What is UPSC?
The Union Public Service Commission, commonly abbreviated as UPSC, is India’s premier central recruiting agency. It is responsible for appointments to and examinations for All India services and group A & group B of Central services.
What are the different Exams Conducted by UPSC?
The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) is the central agency of the government which is responsible for conducting examinations for recruiting officers and staff into various services of the central government. It conducts the Civil Services Exam every year along with various other important exams.
What are the prospects of being a civil servant?
The Civil Service is made up of a large number of different departments, which implement government policies and deliver services to the public.
Civil Service administrators may have direct dealings with individuals and have the chance to make a real difference to people’s lives, or may conduct research, compile reports and work on policy documents.
The career prospects in civil services are many. A candidate who clears UPSC or the state level civil services examination and has completed his/her training is commissioned as an officer.
For instance, In Central Services, the first posting is usually as a Diplomatic attaché/ Undersecretary/ Probationary IPS officer, depending on the branch chosen. In state civil services, it is referred to as Deputy Collector/Deputy Superintendent of Police/ Taxes Commissioner etc.
A Civil Servant will have the power to move and bring a systemic change in society.
On a personal front Civil Service offers job security. Special facilities include subsidized accommodation, telephone and transport facilities, medical benefits, leave travel concession, etc. Post-retirement, they get very good social welfare facilities.
However, Last but not least; one derives a great deal of satisfaction and feels privileged to make the lives of people better.
What are the Different Services under the Civil Services Examination?
There are about 19 services that come under the Civil Services Exam conducted by UPSC every year:
- Indian Administrative Service
- Indian Foreign Service
- Indian Police Service
- Indian Audit and Accounts Service, Group ‘A’
- Indian Civil Accounts Service, Group ‘A’
- Indian Corporate Law Service, Group ‘A’
- Indian Defence Accounts Service, Group ‘A’
- Indian Defence Estates Service, Group ‘A’
- Indian Information Service, Junior Grade Group ‘A’
- Indian Postal Service, Group ‘A’
- Indian P&T Accounts and Finance Service, Group ‘A’
- Indian Railway Protection Force Service, Group ‘A’
- Indian Revenue Service (Customs & Indirect Taxes) Group ‘A’
- Indian Revenue Service (Income Tax) Group ‘A’
- Indian Trade Service, Group ‘A’ (Grade III)
- Armed Forces Headquarters Civil Service, Group ‘B’ (Section Officer’s Grade)
- Delhi, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep, Daman & Diu and Dadra & Nagar Haveli Civil Service (DANICS), Group ‘B’
- Delhi, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep, Daman & Diu and Dadra & Nagar Haveli Police Service (DANIPS), Group ‘B’
- Pondicherry Civil Service (PONDICS), Group ‘B’
What is the minimum qualification to appear for CSE?
The candidate must hold a degree of any of Universities incorporated by an Act of the Central or State Legislature in India or other educational institutions established by an Act of Parliament or declared to be deemed as a University Under Section-3 of the University Grants Commission Act, 1956, or possess an equivalent qualification.
However, many aspirants like to take up Humanities in school as well as in college, since the pattern of the exam is based on subjects such as Indian Polity, Constitution, Geography, World News, History, etc. You can choose any degree and any subject of your choice, the only thing that matters is your interest in it, and alternate career options that you can build out of that subject and degree.
What is the pattern for UPSC Exam?
The pattern of the UPSC exam is officially divided into two stages called Preliminary and Main Examination while in practice, it is a three-stage exam. As per the IAS exam pattern, candidates who clear the Prelims are eligible for Mains and candidates who clear the Main reach the interview stage. The three stages of the IAS exam are Prelims, Mains and Personality Test.
Preliminary Exam: It has two papers of objective type and carries a maximum of 400 marks. General Ability Test (GAT) and the Civil Service Aptitude Test (CSAT). This will test the analytical skills of the candidates. All questions are objective in nature.
Mains Exam: There are two types of Papers – Qualifying Papers and Papers that will be counted for Merit. The former will consist of two language exams, one of the candidate’s choice and the other of English. The latter will consist of 9 papers including 7 merit and 2 qualifying language papers. The main exam will comprise both essay writing and objective type questions. The sum total of all papers and the score secured in the interview round will be used for the ranking of candidates.
Personality Test: An interview of 275 Marks would be taken of the candidates qualified in Main Exam. This would include Psychometric Test, Assessment Test as well as a Personal Interview. Marks obtained in the test would be added in the calculation for the declaration of the final Merit list.
How many students appear in the examination and what is the competition?
What is the syllabus for UPSC Exam?
PRELIMS:
Syllabus for GS Paper (Prelims Paper I)
- Current events of national and international importance.
- History of India and Indian National Movement.
- Indian and World Geography-Physical, Social, Economic Geography of India and the World.
- Indian Polity and Governance – Constitution, Political System, Panchayati Raj, Public Policy, Rights Issues, etc.
- Economic and Social Development – Sustainable Development, Poverty, Inclusion, Demographics, Social Sector initiatives, etc.
- General issues on Environmental Ecology, Biodiversity and Climate Change – that do not require subject specialisation General Science
Syllabus for CSAT Paper (Prelims Paper II)
- Comprehension
- Interpersonal skills including communication skills
- Logical reasoning and analytical ability
- Decision-making and problem solving
- General mental ability
- Basic numeracy (numbers and their relations, orders of magnitude, etc.) (Class X level), Data interpretation (charts, graphs, tables, data sufficiency etc. – Class X level)
MAINS:
Qualifying Papers:
- Paper A: (One of the Indian Languages to be selected from the ones included in the 8th Schedule of the Constitution – 300 Marks)
- Paper – B English -300 Marks; This paper is of qualifying nature
Merit Papers:
- Paper-I Essay – 250 Marks; Can be written in the medium or language of the candidate’s choice
- Paper-II General Studies-I 250 Marks; (Indian Heritage and Culture, History and Geography of the World and Society)
- Paper-III General Studies-II 250 Marks (Governance, Constitution, Polity, Social Justice and International relations)
- Paper-IV General Studies-III 250 Marks (Economy, Development, Science and Technology, Bio-diversity, Environment, Security and Disaster Management)
- Paper-V General Studies-IV 250 Marks (Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude)
- Paper-VI Optional Subject – Paper 1 -250 Marks
- Paper-VII Optional Subject – Paper 2 -250 Marks
UPSC Exam Preparation – Where to Begin?
The Civil Services Examination (CSE) is considered to be the mother of all examinations. One may be worried about the vast syllabus and the paucity of time. However, remember, this exam is not only about knowledge. It is also about your ATTITUDE towards the exam and Emotional Quotient.
Your attitude should be an ambitious one guided by a clear strategy and rooted in humility. Confidence must be a constant companion. As you know confidence is proportional to incremental improvements.
The preparation phase is a journey – short /long which can mould our attitude towards life. One not only gets humongous knowledge but also gets only better in the process and nothing less in any way.
The success in this examination is for those who are determined and committed and for the one who believes in themselves.
Preparation for this examination can be done by
- Self-Study
- Taking Guidance / Coaching
For studying who can rely on Self-Study, Insights IAS is a reliable source as we have rolled out various free initiatives catering to students who study from any corner of the world with an internet connection.
Students who feel they would need a guide throughout / coaching will have to be cautious in choosing the institutions and ensure that the services offered are according to their needs.
What books to refer to?
Firstly, start your preparation With NCERTs, The NCERT textbooks from classes six to twelve play a very significant role in IAS exam preparation. Aspirants can get basic concepts and theories from NCERT textbooks.
This is a sample booklist for UPSC CSE. Your selection of books may vary depending on your preference. However here are the books widely recommended by toppers.
Attention!
Strong Fundamentals and wide knowledge are one part of your preparation. The actuality starts once you start applying the knowledge you have. Application of Knowledge comes in an array of Recollection of retained information, skills of analysis, skills of elimination (in prelims exam), proper presentation and structuring of mains answers.
All this gets developed with PRACTICE & REVISION.
Keep your sources/books minimal and revise them n number of times.
A detailed article on How to Read Books, How to Make Note, How to Start writing Answers etc will be covered in other articles.
You must constantly improve your abilities such as working hard under pressure, enduring the long process without draining your energy, staying disciplined and updated on a regular basis, self-control with respect to avoiding going for multiple strategies or sources, sticking to a plan, and ability to talk about any issue with precision and relevance etc.
These Should be Priorities for your UPSC Preparation:
- A timetable and strategy: Nothing is possible without proper planning, a daily timetable and short/long term goals set. So, plan and timetable is the first pillar.
- A strong foundation and conceptual clarity: it is important to ensure whatever we read, we understand it thoroughly. UPSC questions are very much applied, they need analysis and that can come only when we are crystal clear with our concepts of subject matter.
- Consolidation and revision: The syllabus is like a vast ocean, it is important to keep consolidating and revising it time and again. So make notes and continuously revise every now and then.
- Evaluation of Preparation: At every point of time, you should know where your preparation stands, which is possible through self-evaluation and evaluation through tests.
- Consistency: Nothing happens without it. People who show consistency are sure shot to be rewarded, provided they work smartly
- Discussions and Answer writing: Discussions are very important; they will help in clearing your doubts & better understanding of the subject matter. Similarly, Answer writing has a very important role, knowledge without the ability to express and articulate is futile. It is important to develop the ability to deliver in 8 minutes.
If you’re looking for the best coaching for UPSC exam, Insights IAS is the right IAS coaching centre. We’re an IAS academy with a reputation for teaching excellence & UPSC rank holders. Sign up for InsightsIAS’ INSTA courses today.
