A Simple Strategy for IAS 2010

Preliminary examination is intended to eliminate non serious candidates and provide an

opportunity for the serious students to compete in the main examinations. Most of the aspirants
think that preliminary examination is a tough nut to crack [I do think so] and they feel that it is
the GS paper which makes their attempts miserable. It is a wrong perception. The truth is that GS
is easy to score when it is prepared smartly. [So work smart instead of hard]

Every year coaching institutes fail to provide students with right guidance regarding GS
(preliminary). Very few questions are asked from their material. Their model question papers are
crap. Even magazines do the same when they provide huge lists of expected questions;
unfortunately they are always excluded by the UPSC.

UPSC wants candidates laden with facts regarding current and past events related to India and
the world. It is amply evident from the past ten years question papers. Questions regarding
history, polity, geography are no more important from the viewpoint of their historical
perspective but with the present.

If you are serious enough to devote 3 hours every day for seven months before prelims you must
be able to clear prelims assuming you are good in your optionals.

I am giving you a strategy for cracking GS based on last 8 years question paper pattern. If you
are able to fallow this I assure you can score more than 80 with ease.

Analyzing the shifting pattern-

 Number of Questions asked from different sections

 Current Events – 40-45 questions (43 in 2009)
 Science & Technology – 30-35 questions (30 in 2009)
 Geography – 20-25 questions (23 in 2009)
 History – 15-18 questions (16 in 2009)
 Numerical Ability – 10-15 questions (12 in 2009)
 Government schemes, projects, committees – 5—8 questions (6 in 2009)
 Polity – 5-10 questions (8 in 2009)

- This clearly shows that focus is shifting more towards current events, science & technology and
geography. Those who are strong in any two of these sections can easily score more than 60 in
GS paper.

What to read for the above topic???

For current events you must thoroughly read The Hindu, Economic Times,
Frontline and any other competitive magazines. While you read these always try to focus more
on people, places and events (such as G-8 meeting, Climate
change summits etc.)
At the end of every month revise important national and international events by making very
short notes (one liner). Two months before prelims collect last 14 issues of competitive
magazines and note down all important events in single lines and read them repeatedly. For
places you must look at the atlas to store them in your long term memory. This will cost you only
two weeks but earn you assured 40 marks.

Additionally collect a diary of events released by the Hindu every January.

This will alone earn you around 6-10 marks for you!

Every time you read current events you should proud of your widening knowledge about the
world around you; this will help you in sustaining interest in newspapers and magazines.

In the science and technology section UPSC is more interested in Space and space missions,
nuclear energy, wildlife, human body, chemicals (currently debated), environmental issues (ex.
marine pollution) , Nobel prizes and inventions. You do not have to read heaps of books for this.
Read elementary science books first, watch Discovery, Nat Geo, and BBC whenever you watch
TV and be alert to science related news every day.

Geography has been given prominence in the last 5 years with more than 30 questions being
asked consistently. Geography of India alone carries around 25 questions.

To score maximum in this section focus should be more on

 Rivers, hydroelectric projects, lakes and dams (6 questions)

 Agriculture, irrigation, crop productions (3-4 questions)
 Wildlife sanctuaries, mountain ranges (4-5 questions)
 Mineral resources – new discoveries, place and their states (2-3 questions)
 Population, state boundaries, forest cover (4-5 questions)
 Census 2001, literacy, density, health indicators (3 questions)
 Power reactors-thermal, nuclear
 in world geography focus should be more on current events related place, straits, seas,
oceans and important cities- like those where G-8, G-20 meeting are held.

Two books you must read for this are; Geography of India by Khullar and Certificate course in
Human Geography by Goh Cheng Leong.

In history do not read ancient history if you have very less time (it is not in the syllabus too).
Thoroughly read the modern history (1700 A.D. To 1947 A.D.), out of 16 questions in 2009, 13
were from modern history and rest were from post 1947 events. Most of the questions were
related to important persons and their works. Therefore while you read history give importance
to the personalities and their contributions. There will be a compulsory question on Mughals,
Viceroys, Moderate freedom fighters, and books written at that time, a newspaper of that time
and important places of historical interest.

In Indian polity concentrate on judiciary, Directive Principles of State policies, Fundamental

rights and Legislature (state & union)
At any cost do not forget to read about important schemes of the Govt. of India (refer India year
book 2009 -don’t buy it, download it here for free!), PSUs, public institutes which have been
newly setup, defence related issues such as new missile, air power technologies, and most recent
economic indicators (refer www.epw.in).

If you want to realize your dream you must pass the prelims and here your optional plays a
crucial role. You must solve last 5 years question papers in your optionals not once or twice but
as many times as possible. This will definitely help you in getting more than 40-50 questions
correct at least by intelligent guesses.