UPSC CSE Topper by Vikas Dhayal

Fear has a large shadow, but it is small in itself

A one hour discussion on Internal Security for Mains-26 with Shri Ashok Kumar(IPS, 1989 Batch). Served as IG CRPF and BSF. Ex DGP of Uttarakhand. Issues of Internal Security in Brief for GS-3 by Ashok Kumar Ex DGP Uttarakhand https://youtu.be/E3UwrdghjlY

Nikhil Sharma(AIR 104, CSE’24) wanted to share his Botany Optional Notes through us. Nikhil had AIR 253rd in CSE 2023 as well. Scored 278 and 282 respectively in Botany Optional papers of 2024 and 23 respectively. On the link below are his notes for Paper-1&2👇🏽👇🏽👇🏽 https://1drv.ms/f/c/786bfde22304d599/IgDZsElh4KGwR7HWmkbBZxXEAWZNEp9vvJ6S_Mrr-hbfQxo?e=Q0Rn2C @csetopper

Serious Pro Tip for Mains Improvement in Mains marks primarily depends on following a boring, repetitive and very difficult routine. One needs to write as often as possible, ideally every day, during the period remaining before Mains, since it is reasonable to assume that everyone appearing for Mains has completed at least one reading of both GS and Optional by now. However, only writing doesn’t automatically result into better answers. There must be a systematic process of improving your notes, presentation, and knowledge base with every mock you write. In my experience the best possible way to do this is: 1. Maintain a Mains Improvement Notebook for each paper(GS, Optional and Essay). 2. For every answer you write, note down the theme of the question in the notebook. Identify useful points, keywords, data, diagrams, or presentation techniques that you missed, and summarise them in your notebook. 3. For instance, if you’re writing an answer on 16th Finance Commission. After writing the answer you should see the evaluation, model answer and most importantly the better copies out of your peers, write down if you found points which could be the following: (a) FC Balancing wheel of fiscal federalism. (b) Article 280 (c) Vertical devolution(41% continued) (d) Horizontal Devolution(New 10% weight of contribution to GDP included), Per capita GSDP Distance criteria includes inter state equity. (e) table showing all criteria and weightage. (f) towards compliance driven fiscal federalism (g) grants in aid- 9.5 LCr, Local body grant- 8LCr(4.4+3.6), Urbanisation Premium grants. Include in these Mains Improvement Notes anything that you believe could have helped you score one or two additional marks on that particular theme. Revise these notes before every sectional test, every FLT, and finally before the actual Mains examination. Since Mains questions are predictable, fine tuning of content and presentation is what helps in Mains improvement. Write daily, find improvements daily and don’t look for short cuts in the time left. Thank me later.

AIR 304, Law Optional, Graduate of Hindu college, DU, BA program, Law faculty LLB. Improved her Gs score by 24 marks. Was part of MIG-25 for all GS papers. Can check her MIG copies here