How to Crack Civil Service Exam - Latest tweak

The UPSC Civil Services Examination is the most prestigious and perhaps the most rigorously conducted examination in the country. The scheme of this examination has been revised recently, first for the preliminary examination and now for the main examination with an objective of giving a level playfield to all candidates. It was felt by many that under the old scheme, candidates opting for science and technology subjects had chances of scoring higher marks than those opting for humanities and social sciences.
The commission first did away with the optional subjects in the preliminary examination in 2011 and introduced two papers of general studies to remove this bias. That change in the preliminary examination scheme remains unchanged.

LATEST CHANGES

Now, according to the latest change, the candidates in the main examination will have to appear in essay and language papers (like earlier) and in four papers of general studies (earlier two) and two papers of an optional subject (earlier four papers in two subjects). This change has reduced the importance of optional subjects while the importance of general studies has increased . The aim of this is also to reduce the undue advantage that a candidate could have due to the 'so called' highly scoring subjects being taken as optional papers . In the new scheme, the main examination and personality test will have a total of 2075 marks — essay 200 marks; comprehension 100 marks; general studies 1000 marks; papers in optional subject marks 500 marks; and personality test 275 marks. The general studies, thus, has about 50% weighting and optional subject about 25%.
Scoring well in the general studies papers is now imperative to finally qualify and get a high rank in this examination. The syllabus of the four general studies papers indicates that the commission expects a civil services aspirant to be a widely-read person and studying by rote and memorising facts as was the case with optional subjects to some extent will not be sufficient.  

HOW TO PREPARE

A broad reading of history, geography , culture, resources of India and world, administrative structure of the country, development policies, international relations, environment, ecology, biodiversity and latest technology is necessary for this examination. One should have empirical knowledge about the Indian system, economic activities , the life of people and the problems being faced in different parts of the country. However, the level of knowledge required in most of these areas is not that is expected from a specialist, but from a well-informed and educated person. One should read the basic texts such as NCERT books for students up to class XII.
More important than factual information would be understanding and the capability to inter-relate the knowledge. One should be a regular reader of newspapers and magazines that deal with latest development in the field of technology and development planning. An aspirant to these services is expected to be aware of the problems being faced in different parts of the country and action being taken and that can possibly be taken to resolve these issues. One should develop an analytical aptitude. Reading or listening to views of people/experts on various issues and making an unbiased logical opinion is required to score well in general studies papers. This also helps one to develop skills at essay writing. As far as the optional papers are concerned, a broad reading of the subject selected is necessary to score well in the optional paper.

NEW TREND

Although some candidates with degrees in sciences and engineering have always been appearing in civil services examinations , their number has shown a rising trend during the last few years. It is primarily a result of the churning that has taken place in the employment area due to changing world economic conditions. It is often said that candidates opting for science and engineering subjects score better and many of them qualify this examination. However whether it is only due to the scoring nature of their subjects or due to some other factors has been debatable.

ANALYTICAL SKILLS

For scoring well in general studies papers, one will have to be conversant with the history and culture of the country, geography of the country and the world, international economics and political relations, developments in the field of technology and the implications thereof in diverse fields ranging from agriculture and animal husbandry to industry. One should be aware of the environmental issues, environmental impact assessment, the concepts and means of attaining sustainable development and natural hazards. One is also expected to have understanding of ethics, which implicitly requires an understanding of social issues and legal implications. Mere information is not sufficient. One should have analytical skills and be able to take a position on controversial issues. More than academic reading, it needs a mature outlook.

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GK about India

01  The first multipurpose project in India is  Damodar Valley 
02  The place in North East India which receives the highest annual rainfall is  Chirrapunji 
03  The largest Indian river flowing into the Arabian Sea is  Narmada 
04  Indian broadcasting was nationalised in  1930 
05  The Indian forests are divided into how many regions  Eight 
06  The place where Indian Standard time coinsides with local time is  Allahabad 
07  The industry for which Vishakapatnam is famous for is  Ship Building 
08  The state which is the largest producer of iron ore in India is  Karnataka 
09  The longest railway platform in India measuring 836.63 mts. is located at  Kharagpur 
10  The Indian state which is largest exporter of cashewnut is  Kerala 
11  The main occupation of Indians is  Agriculture 
12  Nagarjuna Sagar dam is built across the River  Krishna 
13  Madras state was renamed as Tamilnadu in the year  1969 
14  The main industry of Assam is  Tea Industry 
15  The Indian state which has maximum number of districts is  Uttar pradesh 
16  The length of Indian coastline is  7500 kms 
17  The longest day in India is  21st June 
18  The biggest museum in india is  Indian Museum,Calcutta 
19  The source of river Indus is  Mount Kailash,Tibet 
20  Kodaikanal, a famous holiday resort is located in  Tamilnadu 
21  Bangalore city is also called the  Garden city 
22  The only place in India where rock salt is found is in  Mandi,Himachal Pradesh 
23  The Gandhi Sagar dam is constructed across the river  Chambal 
24  The river that passes through the Thar desert is  Sindhu 
25  Nagoor,a place in Tamilnadu,is famous for  Famous muslim shrine 
26  The Hindustan Ship Yard is located at  Vishakapatnam 
27  The Indian state that tops in the production of cocoa is  Kerala 
28  The first major steel plant established in India was  Tata Iron & Steel Co,Jamshedpur 
29  Crude oil is found in south Gujarat at  Ankleshwar 
30  The first oil well drilled in India was at  Naharpong in Assam 
31  Calcutta is situated on the banks of river  Hoogli 
32  The largest opium growing state in India is  Uttar Pradesh 
33  Hindustan Antibiotics Ltd,India's largest manufacturer of penicillin is located at  Pimpri 
34  The former name of Arunachal Pradesh was  NEFA 
35  Khajuraho temples are located at  Chattarput,M.P. 
36  The Indian freedom fighter who turned into a famous spiritualist was  Aurobindo Ghosh 
37  The king who installed a `Chain of Justice' outside his place was  Jehangir 
38  The name of the mines in Rajasthas from where we get zinc is  Zawar 
39  Singereni in Andhra Pradesh is famous for  Coal Mines 
40  Amaravathi is located on the bank of river  Krishna 
41  Agra was founded in the year  1506 
42  Ajmer was founded by  Raja Ajay Dev Chauhan 
43  The only Indian state where we find nickel ore is  Orissa 
44  The Udaygiri caves were built by  Karavelu 
45  The strength of Lok Sabha is  545 members 
46  The National Museum of Natural History is located at  New Delhi 
47  The Indian Prime Minister who nationalised the banks was  Mrs.Indira Gandhi 
48  The birth date of Jawaharlal Nehru is  14th November 1889 
49  The Environment protection Act came into effect in  1986 
50  The capital city founded on the bank of river Gomathi is  Lucknow 
51  The president of the Indian National congress at its first session held in 1885 was  Womesh Chandra Banerji 
52  Bhaskara-II was a famous  Mathematician 
53  The Bhopal Gas leak incident occured in  December 1984 
54  The city that is called the city of golden Temple is  Amritsar 
55  Traveller Hawkins visited India in the year  1608 AD 
56  Mahadevi Varma won the Jnanpith for her book titled  Yama 
57  The headquarters of Oil and Natural Gas Commission is located at  Dehradun 
58  Satyartha Prakash'was written by  Swami Dayananda Saraswati 
59  Emperor Akbar's Revenue Minister was  Todarmal 
60  The elder brother of famous sitarist Ravishankar is  Uday Shankar,dancer 
61  The first batsman to score a century in each of his first three tests is  Mohammed Azharuddin 
62  The 10th Vice-President of India is  Krishan Kant 
63  The first Chief of Indian Navy was  R.D.Katari 
64  The longest road in India is the  Grand Trunk Road 
65  The first modern college in India is the  Fort William college,Calcutta 
66  The first purely Indian bank is the  Punjab National Bank 
67  Lalit Kala Academy of India is situated at  New Delhi 
68  The first Indian to win Oscar Award is  Bhanu Athaiya 
69  Goa was liberated in the year  1961 
70  Sharda Act was enacted to prevent  Child Marriage 
71  National Science day is celebrated on  28th February 
72  Jamnalal Bajaj Awards are given for  Constructive work 
73  Rabindranath Tagore give up his knighthood because of the tragic incident of  Jallianwala Bagh massacre 
74  The Chief minister of a state who was awarded the Bharat Ratna was  M.G.Ramachandran 
75  Baba Amte's real name is  Muralidhar Devidas Amte 
76  Mihirsen,India's famous long distance swimmer,was by profession  An Advocate 
77  Dr.Pramod Karan Sethi is famous for the  Jaipur foot 
78  Rabindranath Tagore was born at  Jorasanko,Calcutta 
79  The name of the school started by Rabindranath Tagore was  Shanti Niketan 
80  Neyveli Thermal Power Station is located in  Tamil Nadu 
81  The earlier name of Assam was  Kamrup 
82  Sir C.V.Raman was born at  Thirunavannikaval 
83  The Indian Academy of Science was founded by  C.V.Raman 
84  The Indian Academy of Science is located at  Bangalore 
85  All India Institute of Medical Science is located at  New Delhi 
86  Atomic Energy Commission is located at  Mumbai 
87  Cement Research Institute of India is located at  Balabhgarh 
88  Space Applications Centre is located at  Ahmedabad 
89  Jog falls is located at  Jog,Karnataka 
90  Jawaharlal Nehru died in the year  1964 
91  Aurangzeb died in the year  1707 
92  Khan Abdul Gaffar Khan died in the year  Frontier Gandhi 
93  Rabindranath Tagore died in the year  1941 
94  Mahatma Gandhi died in the year  1948 
95  Zakir Hussein died in the year  1969 
96  Raja Ram Mohan Roy died in the year  1833 
97  India's second Prime Minister was  Gulzarilal Nanda 
98  The first Law Minister of Independent India was  Dr.B.R.Ambedkar 
99  Jawaharlal Nehru's biography "With No Regrets"was written by  Krishan Hathisingh 
100  India's first test tube baby was born in  June 1986 
101  The leader whose death was announced in the Lok Sabha before his actual death was  Jayaprakash Narayan 
102  The Gold mines located in Andhra Pradesh are  Ramagiri Gold Fields,Ananthapur district 
103  The Homeguards were organised in India in the year  1962 
104  Ankleshwar oil field is located in  Gujarat 
105  The Indian Prime Minister who wrote the book `Nature Cure'was  Morarji Desai 
106  Burma seperated from India in the year  1937 
107  `Sea Bird'project is located at  Karwar 
108  The name of the artificial harbour along the west coast India is  Kandla 
109  The first medical college was established in India at  Calcutta 
110  Jawaharlal Nehru's mother's name was  Swaroop Rani 
111  The pin code was introduced in India in the year  1972 
112  In his last years,Ambedkar converted to  Buddhism 
113  Gandhiji's mother's name was  Putli Bai 
114  Gandhiji was born on  2nd October 1869 
115  Khushwant Singh is a famous  Journalist 
116  The film actor who became the chiefminister of Andhra Pradesh was  N.T.Rama Rao 
117  Satyajit Ray was awarded the Bharat Ratna in the year  1992 
118 Central Research Institute is located at  Kasauli 
119 The movie Raja Harishchandra was released in the year  1913 
120 The first Indian Prime Minister to resign from office was  Morarji Desai 
121 The largest railway bridge in India is  Sone Bridge,Bihar 
122 The largest dome in India is the  Gol Gumbaz,Bijapur 
123 Air Force Day is celebrated on  October 8 
124 Indian Military Academy is located at  Dehradun 
125 The postal department was set up in India in the year  1854 
126 Army day is celebrated on  21st Century 
127 Navy day is celebrated on  4th December 
128 The national flower of India is  Lotus 
129 NABARD was established in the year  1982 
130 Koradi Thermal power Station is located at  Maharashtra 
131 PTI stands for  Press Trust of India 
132 Rail Coach Factory is located at  Kapurthala 
133 The construction of India was adopted on  26-11-1949 
134 The construction of India became effective on  26-1-1950 
135 `Mrinalini'was written by  Bankim chandra Chatterjee 
136 Bhagat Singh was hanged in the year  1931 
137 Sheik Abdulla was popularly known as  Sher-e-Kashmir 
138 Goa attained statehood on  30 May 1987 
139  Gujarat attained statehood on  1 May 1960 
140  Haryana attained statehood on  1 November 1966 
141  The capital of Haryana is  Chandigarh 
142  Panipat is popularly known as  Weaver City 
143  Dal lake is located in  Jammu and Kashmir 
144  Madhya Pradesh attained statehood on  November 1956 
145  The capital of Madhya Pradesh is  Bhopal 
146  Manipur attained statehood on  21st January 1972 
147  The capital of Manipur is  Imphal 
148  Meghalaya attained statehood on  21st January 1972 
149  The capital of Meghalaya is  Shillong 
150  Meghalaya state was carved out of  Assam 
151  Mizoram attained statehood on  20th February 1987 
152  The capital of Mizoram is  Aizawl 
153  Before attaining statehood,Mizoram was one of the districts of  Assam 
154  Nagaland attained statehood on  1 December 1963 
155  The capital of Nagaland is  Kohima 
156  Orissa was earlier known as  Kalinga 
157  The capital of Orissa is  Bhubaneshwar 
158  The main airport of Orissa is located at  Bhubaneshwar 
159  Rajasthan attained statehood in the year  1958 
160  The capital of Rajasthan is  Jaipur 
161  The capital of Sikkim is  Gangtok 
162  India's highest peak is the  Kanchenjunga 
163  Mount Abu, a famous hill station is located at  Rajasthan 
164  The main attraction of Mount Abu are the  Dilwara Jain Temples 
165  Hussain Sagar Lake is located at  Hyderabad 
166  The Samadhi of Gandhiji is known as  Rajghat 
167  The Samadhi of Gandhiji is located on the bank of river  Yamuna 
168  The largest state in India is  Madhya Pradesh 
169  The highest TV tower in India is located at  New Delhi 
170  The most literate state in India is  Kerala 
171  Golconda Fort is located near  Hyderabad 
172  Gateway of India is located at  Mumbai 
173  Buland Darwaza is located at  Fatehpur Sikri 
174  Badrinath is located at  Uttar Pradesh 
175  Elephanta Caves are located on an island near  Mumbai 
176  Ajanta caves are located near  Aurangabad 
177  Humayu's tomb is located at  New Delhi 
178  Jantar Mantar is located in  New Delhi 
179  Jantar Mantar is an  Observatory 
180  Jantar Mantar was constructed by  Maharaja Jai Singh II 
181  Mughal Gardens is located at  New Delhi 
182  Qutb-Minar is located at  New Delhi 
183  Rashtrapati Bhawan was built by  Edwin Lutyens 
184  The samadhi of Indira Gandhi is known as  Shakti Sthal 
185  The Tower of Victory is located at  Chittoor 
186  Victoria Memorial is located at  Calcutta 
187  The highest airfield of India is the  Chushul airfield,Ladakh 
188  The largest lake of India is the  Wular lake,Kashmir 
189  The largest Zoo of India is the  Zoological Garden,Calcutta 
190  The most populated state of India is  Uttar Pradesh 
191  Central Bureau of Investigation was formed in  1963 
192  BSF stands for  Border Security Force 
193  ITBP stands for  Indo-Tibetan Border Police 
194  The actual name of Mother Teresa was  Agnes Gonxha Bejaxhiu 
195  A programme launched by Chandrababu Naidu,Chief minister of Andhra Pradesh, to clean the city of Hyderabad was named  Janmabhoomi 
196  Vajpayee Government was sworn in for the second time on  19 march, 1998 
197  Miss World 1997 contest was held at  Seychelles 
198  The Miss World 1997 title was won by  Diana Hayden 
199  The Miss World 1996 Contest was held at  Bangalore 
200  Mother Teresa died on  5 September 1997 
201  Bill Gates visited India in  March 1997 
202  The Carnatic volalist who won the Bharat Ratna Award was  M.S.Subbulakshmi 
203  The first musician to get the Bharat Ratna  M.S.Subbulakshmi 
204  Kerala attained statehood on  1st November 1956 
205  Sahar airport is located at  Mumbai 
206  Dum Dum airport is located at  Calcutta 
207  The first ever railway train travelled from  Bombay-Thane 
208  The only Indian metro railway system is at  Calcutta 
209  Air India was formed in  1946 
210  Indian Airlines was formed in  1953 
211  Indira Gandhi airport is located at  Delhi 
212  Meenambakkam airport is located at  Chennai 
213  The Export-Import Bank of India is also known as  EXIM Bank 
214  The Navy Academy is located at  Cochin 
215  In 1983,Bharat Ratna was posthumously awarded to  Acharya Vinoba Bhave 
216  Mrs.Indira Gandhi was assassinated on  31-10-1984 
217  Mr.Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated on  21-5-1991 
218  The strength of Rajya Sabha is  250 
219  The supreme commander of Army,Navy and Airforce is the  President 
220  The Chairman of the Lok Sabha is the  Speaker 
221  Pong dam is located in  Punjab 
222  The fastest train in India is the  Shatabdi Express 
223  The oldest refinery in India is the  Digboi refinery 
224  The largest refinery of India is the  IOC Refinery at Koyah,Gujarat 
225  The Bhakra dam is built across the River  Sutlej 
226  The first General Elections were held in India in the year  1952 
227  The first engineering college established in India is the  Thompson college,Roorkee 
228  The first library established in India is the  William Carey library,Serampore 
229  The oldest english daily newspaper of India is  The Times of India 
230  The largest post office in India is the  GPO,Mumbai 
231  The largest prison in India is the  Tihar Central Jail,Delhi 
232  The first Indian state formed on linguistic basis after Independence was  Andhra Pradesh 
233  The largest cave temple in India is  Ellora 
234  The only diamond producing area in India is  Panna Diamond Belt,M.P. 
235  The biggest public sector bank in India is the  State Bank of India 
236  Reserve Bank of India was established in  1935 
237  The oldest tree in India is the  Monus Serrata at Joshimutt 
238  The first Education Minister of free India was  Maulana Abul Kalam Azad 
239  Who is known as the Father of Indian industry  Jamshedji Tata 
240  Gandhiji was assassinated by  Nathuram Godse 
241  VDIS was launched on  July 1, 1997