The Wise Dust (Akash Srivastava, IFS)

#Alternative Career opportunity for CSE PT appeared candidates: Smartstaff is hiring in thier Growth Team.

Journey begins as Indian Foreign Service..🇮🇳

Similarly, Adani group is also providing career opportunities for UPSC CSE Interview appeared candidates.

#Alternatives India Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO) is doing recruitments based on UPSC CSE 2023 Marks for the post of Deputy Manager.

#scholarship Stipend for students from Tamil Nadu who have cleared prelims 2025: KingMaker's IAS Academy -Thiru. Muthuramu Memorial Stipend Programme:

To be eligible for the stipend, students must fulfil the following criteria: 1. Performance based Stipend Programme 2. Aspirants must have taken at least 4 out of the 15 MSLP tests 3. A minimum average score of 30% is required to avail stipend.

Last date to register for Test cum Stipend Programme : 30.06.2025 (Monday) Registration form : https://forms.gle/yHrPdFf9Qiuhrt6U6

#Scholarship For Girls clearing Prelims 2025 & wanted to stay in Delhi: Samkalp is providing affordable accommodation, air-conditioned library, and mess facilities to girls who have cleared UPSC CSE Prlims 2025. Location of hostel: Dheerpur. For more information, contact Madhu Mam: 9811341607 Edit 1: It is no completely free, but it is at affordable price and scholarships will provided to students based on situation basis.

Message from Samkalp:

Hello Dear Students, 🌟 Congratulations to all who’ve cleared the UPSC Prelims! Your hard work has paid off — now it’s time to level up for the Mains. To support your next leap, Samkalp brings you its Mains Guidance Program — a focused, strategic, and value-driven platform to help you ace the UPSC Mains. 🔑 Key Highlights: ✅ 1-on-1 Mentorship – Personalised support from experienced mentors ✅ Complete Coverage – GS (Mains), Essay, Optional, Current Affairs – all in one place ✅ Optional-Specific Support – Tailored guidance for PSIR, Sociology, Anthropology, Chemistry & Commerce ✅ Answer Writing Practice – Weekly sessions with detailed feedback ✅ Motivation & Strategy – Learn from Selected candidates of 2024 and subject experts ✅ Samkalp Values – Ethics, integrity & nation-first mindset at the core For more information you can fill below mentioned Google form https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdHYabEEo0VR8qBJXGXtEoH_qxOJaGC5hbUy75F5Ig3O0iirg/viewform?usp=header 📞 For more information, contact: 9811279643, 9911335542 📍 Let this program be your guide. 📌 Stay consistent. Stay connected. Stay committed. – Team Samkalp

I have created separate group for PSIR optional. Aspirants can join it here: https://t.me/PSIR_demystified

#Mains Post 4 Essay - Basic Tips for those who writing✍️ for first time: • 2 essays in 3 hours ( ~25 pages total) • 15 min in structuring each essay (30min) •GOOD WRITING matters here a lot

Legible, clear & polished writings are rewarded.

Practise easy to understand writing with adequate spacing b/w words. • Grammatical correctness required

Frequent & multiple mistakes reduces the impact of good essay.

• Topic selection: based on your own strength ( & no other criteria). • Create framework for both essays in starting itself, before writing. If you create framework for second essay after writing first essay, you may be exhausted. • No need to draw diagrams. • Broader & creative interpretation of topics.

For example topic "the hand that rocks the cradle rules the world" should not be limited to mother or women but can also be related to issues like Earth, Nation, Environment etc.

• Stick to the topic: keep mentioning the keywords of topic as frequently as possible in the essay. • Ask as many questions possible: and try to answer them. (follow: Thesis - Anti Thesis - Synthesis). • You can use quotes, poem lines, idioms etc from your vernacular Language but write those in roman alphabets and explain it in English. • Use keywords for smooth transition from one dimensions to next.

Connective Language: Employ phrases like "on the other hand" to compare different points in a single sentence. Use words and phrases to signal connections and shifts between ideas. Examples include "however," "in addition," "on the other hand," "similarly," "in contrast," "as a result," "therefore," "consequently," and "thus". 

• Conclusion: end on positive & futuristic note, mention some famous personality quotes if possible! Will share more detailed explanation later.

SAI AD weightage (20%) for sports. This post is about recruitments by SAI based on 2023 UPSC CSE marks (for interview appeared candidates). For final selection: 60% weightage is given to total marks (Mains+PT), 20% to SAI interview, 20% to sports achievement (as mentioned in image) [mostly sports achievement are ZERO for everyone eligible].

#Mains Post 3 How to assess whether your syllabus is complete or not? • First, get official UPSC Syllabus for Mains printed for each subject (Not paper wise but subject wise). • Stick it to front page of your notes. • Make sure you have enough content for each topic/keywords mentioned in the syllabus. • Go through PYQs: analyse whether by those notes you can write answer or not. • If feel inadequate for quality answer, then do value addition by your own (use online articles, coaching websites etc.) • Keep updating your notes with recent data, facts etc from newspaper/CA magazine.

#Mains Post 2 Mains Answer writing: Tips for those who's writing for the first time: GS & Optional: Need to write 50 pages in 3 hours • 3.5 min per page: • To read Qs • To arrange your thoughts • To Structure your answers • To write the answer

Things to keep in Mind: • 10 marks questions: 150 words in 2 pages • 15 marks questions: 200 words in 3 pages • 20 marks questions: 250 words in 4 pages • Means: one page should have approximate 70-80 words • Each line on average should contains 5 words on an average • Total lines needed: 16-18 • Diagram, flowcharts reduced the words required

Need to do to reduce the time: • Multiple time quick revisions (short notes will be useful here) • Extensive practise of answer writing • Comprehensive analysis of PYQs • Have your own collection of intro, conclusion, facts, data as well as of diagrams.

Both above answer keys are almost similar except differences over 3 questions: 1) Coal Gasification

Toppers key consider Nitroglycerine cannot be created by syn gas (Coal Gasification) whereas Samkalp considered it can be (All of above).

 2) Countries with Time zone more than 4:

Samkalp consider NewZealand have less than 4 time zones where toppers key consider NZ have 5 time zone.

3) Cement industry-carbon emission

Toppers key consider statement (b) mixing of clay & limestone not a carbon intensive process whereas Samkalp considered it also required huge energy (hence put answer A).