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Do [Music] Hello, hi everyone. I am Dr. Palan Mishra and I secured All India Rank 9 this year in UPSC examination. Talking about myself, I come from a medical background and I have done my BDS, Bachelor of Dental Surgery. So, this video is generally presented in December 2017-2018. I was preparing for UPSC and pursuing BDS. So, I don't want to talk about myself. I want to talk about how to do preparation. What is the approach and where most of the people get stuck. Well, being of all, I think I should start by talking about myself. I come from a medical background and in my preparation, I was in the preparation without any knowledge about the same. I just knew that coaching for IAS is in Karol Bagh and students become IAS from there. So, like, by jumping into Karol Bagh, Rajendra Nagar, Shyam. So, first of all, the most important thing is to ask yourself, why do you want to join IAS? If you don't have a clear answer, then this question will come to you again and again. So, why do you want to do it? Because it is your dream. Think about yourself. Then, when the exam is over, then think about it, not before. Once you decide, you decide. So, this is a self-point.
Next is, how much are you ready for criticism? See, everyone comes to the exam at a different level. Everyone's journey is different. So, don't compare yourself with anyone else. And don't think that someone is coming after graduation in humanities subjects and you are from science. So, you might have to prepare a lot more. Many times, we see topics and their videos, and they say they cleared the exam in 3 months. It happened with me too. I also watched many videos that in 3 months, we can do it. So, it's not like that. It becomes very demotivating.
So, the first thing to start preparation is to be honest and set realistic goals for yourself. See, if you have been studying throughout your graduation, there are many students who have a guide. That's very good. So, if you enter at a level where you have been studying continuously for 3 years, then maybe you can focus for 3 months and clear it. But if you feel that no, I am not ready for that, then the schedule. Welcome to my study, General Studies with Lookman IAS, for building a comprehensive knowledge through understanding and an apt perspective, which are essential ingredients of UPSC for getting a top rank in Civil Services Examination. GS Paper 2 and 4 will be taken by IS Ansari and other papers will be covered by me. No difficulties. So, Lookman IAS becomes an obvious choice. Green faculty. 1000 Lakshmi Kant for Geography, Ecology and Environment. Professor Mustafa Hussain for Art and Culture. Dr. Zia for History and Abhijit Jha for Society. It is a pre-cum-mains batch with an integrated guidance program, which consists of Prelims, Mains, and Interview. Recorded features, live classes, objective as offline classes. Classes are highly interactive in nature. You don't think your queries will be addressed and there will be a discussion of notes. In the last 10 years, contact Studio for more information.
It happens that maximum students who come, they give their first attempt and those who come without guidance, they give their first attempt in a hurry. They have an approach without understanding the exam. And this is not one. I think it's possible for students like this. So, there's nothing to worry about. The only thing is, how to understand this exam. I have tried many times to understand the exam, but how? Without it. So, you must have seen in many places, people say, "You begin by reading this syllabus." No, the entire issue arises when it's not my syllabus. Thank you. You can go to my guide. And I thought, because of this, because of the travels, like, what is this? I read it for two days. And I couldn't understand anything naturally. Such a long line. So, I think, right at the beginning, if you don't have any guide, it's difficult to understand. So, what is the solution? The solution is, you take a notebook. And like the syllabus, History, Society. First, start from a macro level and then go to a micro level. You will understand quickly. In two days, you have made notes. For example, United States, Society. Not in society. You can download the broad outline of the society. For example, in society, you have written health, education, etc. List a few areas. Slowly, take out the points that come to your mind. Discuss about these current issues. Understand it. That yes, I have understood this, and this is in my mind. This is the first day. You can do this. You can use it. You can understand it.
So, now, coming to the Prelims. So, for Prelims, I think it's a test because I got a very good rank in the first attempt. So, I had not prepared at all. But in the second time, I had read 3-4 inspiring books. 2019, Environment. And still, Prelims didn't happen. And so, this was very demotivating for me. And my morale went down. And I started thinking that...
So, I think good days are like, divided into three separate parts. First, to clear Prelims. Why not Mains? Scientists for the book stall. They are not understanding the book. They are reading the internet also. And officer's spectrum for History and Laxmikant for Polity. Doing nothing, nothing extraordinary. And it's something like you should. Don't start thinking of doing things. It happens, we feel that if we take this material, we will become the best. So, don't do that. Keep your preparation basic. So, first, we will mark the basic ones and understand them well.
The next thing is that you will start doubting. Don't think that you don't know what you have come across. You have found a very good topic in History. You are having some problem in Geography. Just note it down. For that, I used to even make online notes. But you can do anything. So, once the static portion is in your hand, you will feel very confident. And I can say that in Prelims, actually, everything is related to the static part. Even current affairs are more or less related to this topic somewhere. So, focus completely on the static part, 100%.
The next part is of current affairs. Talking about current affairs, it is really very difficult and very challenging. So, you must have heard many times that people read newspapers, make notes. So, this is very important. And coaching notes cannot supplement the material. But newspaper reading is very important. And I think that in my 2019 attempt, I think I treated the newspaper like after a day, sometimes I didn't read it for two days. Because I didn't understand the newspaper in the first place.
So, pick up the newspaper first. Start with the online newspaper. And every day, whatever important point I find, don't go overboard with note-making. Your time is in your hands. And you should not spend your time writing, writing, writing, making notes. You should spend time understanding. So, whatever important point you found, just write one line about it. Or what I used to do, I used to take screenshots on the laptop of that area and highlight it in a PDF. So, I have it. So, I have it. And the screenshot can come back to it later.
Now, why is newspaper reading important for Prelims? Because many times, we spend time on the newspaper, and we remember things, events. For example, if I talk about it, I will remember that India's visit to the US happened. So, if I am reading the newspaper, then it will be somewhere in my subconscious mind. And if I see a question in Prelims, it will strike me immediately that yes, this is correct. Then, when you repost the material, the information is lost. And we all have a limited capacity. No matter how much we claim to be superhuman, it's not like that. So, our brain will work within a limited framework. And if we give it information overload, then it will become a memorization task. And we won't be able to apply it. So, reading a little bit every day, understanding the news, appreciating it, discussing it. Keep a touch with current affairs in any way. Because that touch is important to clear Prelims.
Now, the third part of Prelims is that MCQs. So, very nice MCQs. So, I think the best practice is to solve questions from the website of the coaching. Because they will definitely repeat. So, by not doing it, you get a little idea of the question. What is the question saying? And you should make a habit of solving some questions. So, I think, you can download the previous year's questions from any website. And solve them.
So, I think solving MCQs is important. And after some time, when you try to understand how to solve them, MCQs. You will start doing first-level mock tests. And then, previous years, and previous year papers. So, I cannot stress enough how important it is. There are many websites where they have compiled subject-wise previous year questions. You can start doing them. You can download PDFs and solve papers. At least two or three times. Don't think that if you see it once, it's done, and you won't repeat it. In UPSC, anything can come. Unpredictable. But you can look at previous year questions as a template. And contemplate. If there are five questions, then you can crack them. For example, in Environment questions, I think there are many that repeat. The templates are there. For example, where are the animals found? Which is critically endangered? Which species are found where? So, all these things.
So, these are the tips and tricks for Prelims. If we talk about the upcoming Prelims, in the next 3 days, what should you do? So, first of all, you should not take any stress. So, the time is coming for everyone. It's coming for you too. Believe in yourself that you have studied. And you will be able to solve the questions. It often feels like we haven't studied anything. Nothing is coming. A very demotivating feeling comes. A week before, a day before, it's very prominent. And trust me, even before Prelims, I was freaking out. Like, why, why will I clear Prelims? What will happen to me? With this attitude, things will be difficult.
In the last 15 days, what can you do? So, one thing you can do is revise your static portion. Because the static portion is something that will not change. So, you can have command over the static part. You don't need to get frustrated much. And once you revise it, for example, History, you can revise. Geography, I think you must revise. NCERTs are very important because they are scoring. And also, there are matching questions, which you can easily do if you have marked them well. So, I think these are the areas where you should focus extremely. In the last 10 days, you can also look at previous year questions, practice them. But I think in the last 10 days, doing any mock test from coaching is not advisable. Because if you get low marks, you might get demotivated. And that's not good. You should not put yourself in a position of self-destruction. Here, you should motivate yourself. Stay motivated. And see what works for you. Maintain calmness. And it will be done.
And one thing I want to add is that just have an idea of the range of questions you will attempt. And why. You should not go for many options. But I did this for myself. In my first attempt, I attempted around 70-75 questions. And that was not good. And in mock tests also, when I attempted 70-75 questions, it was not good. But if I attempted 90+, every time my score was good. And I also thought somewhere that attempting more questions might be favorable for me. How it works for me. If I do more. So, just have a slight idea in your mind. And apart from that, C-Sat preparation is also necessary. So, I think this is all from my side for Prelims.
Now, coming to the second phase of this exam. Mains exam is very, very important. Because the Mains exam will decide your rank. So, focusing on Mains is very, very important. And to focus on Mains, it is very important to read and understand well.
So, first, I started by saying that don't have a very mechanical approach for Mains. There are a lot of people who advocate that you start answer writing from the beginning. And you start making Mains notes from the beginning. But the Mains syllabus is so new that the notes you make will definitely not be of the best quality that we need for Mains. If you see the answers, you yourself won't understand what you are writing. And you will just stop writing answers from the website and think you are writing answers. But in Mains, you are just making notes and wasting your time. So, I have... But again, I started by mistake.
Divide your syllabus into four parts. Now, these are just for value addition. You can use notebooks. Or you can use them in hard copy form. Or online. So, these notebooks are for your value addition. And don't make separate notes for Prelims or Mains. These are for topics for which you have to add value. Or topics which are not present in books. What is in the book is sufficient. If it's written in the book, then take it. According to me, I found it time-consuming to make notes. So, I used to avoid making notes. I used to get tired. And then I would think, this is not working with me. Yes, I don't like to make notes. And whoever likes to make them, then you can definitely make them.
So, even if the notes are made, these four boxes should definitely be with you. 1, 2, 3, 4. Now, in 1, 2, 3, 4, you will divide the broad areas. For example, in History 1, Society comes. Now, you will write on this. Then, in it, you will write data. And most importantly, examples. Examples are also something that adds flavor to your answers. It shows that this person has understood the subject very well. And when it comes to examples, you will find them in your life. You will find them in the daily newspaper. For example, yesterday, I was watching news on social media. Domino's is not allowed to interact with questions. Wedding sari. And this point of news. I think it was from a former diplomat. So, this is a very small and very good piece of news. It might seem trivial, but it can be used as an example because New Zealand and South African society. And use these examples. It will have an effect. And you will write a line, "Example." And the examiner must have also seen that news because it became popular on social media. So, the examiner will think, "Oh, you have written what they have seen." So, he will give you marks. This is the importance of examples.
So, examples are very important. And along with that, you must have data. For example, in society, what is the level of health? What is the literacy rate? Basic, basic points. Then, in GS2, you will make notes of judgments. What did the Supreme Court say in a contempt case? This should be ready by 2019. And sometimes, Supreme Court judges say very good lines. For example, for federalism, there was a line that federalism is like a pearl necklace. So, the thread is the center. The pearls in it are the states. So, I noted it down immediately. But I don't know where it is. I used to use it. So, you should have all the judgments. Many judgments are very popular. But we forget to mention the judgments at the time of answer writing. There are many articles that are so important. You all know. Right to Equality. Everyone knows. But we forget. So, this is your network. Which will be your reference. You will look at it later. You will revise this notebook before your Mains exam. Because you have studied the static portion. You know Prelims. What is Mains? There are small points. You have to incorporate them in your answers. And they will come only when you read those small points the day before the exam, in the morning. And they will be fresh in your mind. Your articles will come. DPSPs. Your rights. Fundamental duties. All this is important. You can definitely write them in the introduction and conclusion. So, in the exam environment, Sustainable Development Goals. And I think I have used SDGs in at least three or four answers. So, just write these small points in your notebook. And memorize them completely.
The next data that you note down, for example, economic data. If you note it down, it will also help in Prelims. Because many questions come in Prelims. Like, in which state is which cereal produced? Or what is the growth rate? So, data for Mains. Then you already know the answers for Mains. And you can also use it for your interview. If someone asks you a question like, "How do you see the economy?" You can tell them, "Sir, it's this much GDP." And they will be impressed. That this person knows. So, with very little effort, you have beautified your answers very well.
The second thing I would say about the Mains exam is about answer writing. When to begin answer writing? This is my biggest question here in UPSC examination. And unless you have been reading answer writing from the first day, or in your college, during graduation, you have such guidance that helps you in answer writing. And if there is nothing like that, then you should start answer writing from day one. You will just get confused. Because you also know that this is not effective. You can write answers. So, start answer writing. Start with the static portion. Never jump straight away to current affairs for answer writing. Because current affairs are something that until you have command over them, you cannot write answers on current affairs. So, start answer writing with the static portion.
For example, if you like History, then in History, you have read. Let's say you have read the Indus Valley Civilization. So, write two answers on that topic. Go to sleep. So, that...
You have read that your device will be happening and your answers will be practiced. And I also did this. Even right now, before the interview, when why not admit, I am preparing further. So I am writing answers for history. So by doing this, history will be mastered by you, your studies will be done, and your answer writing practice will continue. By doing this, whatever subject you are studying, even if you study economics or political science, pick up two questions every day and write them down. Okay, this is what you have to do daily. So you start sleeping in the afternoon. I started this with the idea of backup and restore answers. And definitely, this is something that we leave in between. We spend four days writing answers, and on the fifth day, we say no, we don't have to write. But try to continue it. If possible, keep answer writing three days a week, two days a week. Do it on Saturday and Sunday. But don't let the questions and answers go down. Always keep your basics intact. Even after that, move on to current affairs. For example, you studied Polity, and in current affairs, some news came related to the Governor or the Anti-Defection Law. Then you will be able to write answers for current affairs. And in this way, your answer writing will continue in these two pages. Then, after you have finished current affairs, do composite answer writing. Take full tests. If your history is finished, take a full test of history, and whatever is finished, take full tests. But do not go down at all, proceed slowly. You will meet many people who have written answers, who have been writing three days a week. See, all this is very difficult, and you should not try to do spells that make you anxious. So, move forward, keep writing. And in the exam, one more important thing is the essay paper. For this, I will also talk freely and elaborately in another video. But I say that the essay paper is very important. I think it is the paper that might have saved me. But for essay writing, by heart, for specific questions, I am sure that the essay will be understood. So, in essays, I thought that your strengths should be further strengthened, and there you should say, "This is my stand, so I will definitely go for it."
So, in essays, there are some topics. For example, 5-10 topics. I have counted topics. Topics can be health, education, science and technology, social media. These are five topics that are relevant right now. So, make a framework for these topics. If such a question comes, you can write an introduction like this, you can write a good story, you can write a story. And here, the examples will come from what you have made in your notes. So, you should have material ready for essays. Basically, quotations should be ready. And I think just be prepared with this. It is like interview preparation, and I think interview preparation is something for which I have worked the hardest in this entire exam. First, because the interview is a very, very, very good part.
So, in interview preparation, first of all, when your main work is finished, then you start your preparation. When your mind is ready, then how is the preparation? So, I will divide it into two areas. One is your detailed application form, which you will fill, and the second is current affairs. I am not preparing for the essay. So, this detailed part of interview preparation is in recent times. And it was not well. And we have been living. Our whole life goes on, but we don't question ourselves. For example, if you have a medical background, if you are a graduate in history, then whatever your field is, connect that field and prepare that field very well. For this, your notes, note-making comes into play. And this is where I made notes for the interview. I made notes from websites online. So, start by preparing some questions for yourself. For example, if you have a college, then start by asking what is the name of the college? When was it established? What is its motto? Do you like that motto? What did you learn in your college? What extra-curricular activities did you do in your college? What benefit did you get from it? And how will it help you in your life and as an administrator? So, you have to create a complete picture. That is, start from the beginning. For example, myself, my first question in the interview was, "Okay, Bhopal, what is the meaning of your name?" And thankfully, since childhood, people have been asking me the meaning of my name. So, that was an area which I knew would definitely be asked first. So, here you have to have something. And activities. No question was asked about anything. I had to prepare very well for the mock interviews.
So, your father's occupation, your mother's occupation, what you learned from your parents, all these aspects should be ready with you. You should have dates and notes for them. The interview demands depth. And you must have heard this many times, that this should have been done before. But many people say that there is no need to wear anything in the interview, just be yourself, and you know when to post. Interview preparation, I called a few people and got a response that you don't need to study anything. But this stage definitely tests you. But you should subscribe to this blog. And what you don't forget is that no one knows themselves 100%. I think we keep reading like this, that we miss out on information about our surroundings. For example, about the army, I realized that I had very little knowledge. I highlighted everything. So, I sat with my father, and we discussed the issues of women in the Indian Army. What do you mean? And my father said, "Army, tell me the rise. If you tell me all the grains." And I took it up and realized that it's something. But I don't know. If you know about the army, you should also know about the navy and the air force. And in many places, about women getting into it. And also about peacekeeping. So, it can become very wise. And this will give you a brainstorming session on which areas you should prepare well. You have to be in a continuous thinking mood. When you ventilate, then you can ask a lot of things. What is it? So, it was very, very, very thrilling. The interview was completely [music] and also very difficult questions. What is culture? What is linguistic tourism? So, these are questions that must be related to these. And in the interview, this is very important for you.
The third thing is current affairs. In the interview, you can understand current affairs. But in the interview, you need to understand them completely. So, whatever news is there, international relations, and so on. So, you should have information about everything. So that if you talk about anything, you can give your opinion, you can explain it to them. Your aim should be that by the end of the interview preparation, you become such a person that if someone asks you, "What is the issue?" you can explain it with great confidence. So, this was the preparation stage. Now comes the interview and the aspect of giving the interview. You need to know here what your stand is and what your strengths are, just like any other part of the exam. So, in strengths, it's not that you are afraid to speak in front of someone, or you are not good at convincing. Sometimes, people speak very fast. And I am also unhappy. I used to control myself. If I speak slowly, it will sound good, it will be understood better. I will be able to put up my points better. So, for this reason, I took online classes. So, look at yourself a little bit. And talk to people in front of the mirror. Talking in front of the mirror feels very awkward. Talking to yourself. Talking to friends. Talking to parents. Sometimes you will have to see where you are making mistakes and how much investment you need to make. So, identify the areas where you can improve. And then you will go for the interview day. Your call will come. Be completely calm. There is an atmosphere there, which is very mature and very cordial. In mock interviews, there is definitely an expectation. Some usual things are being done. In mock interviews, they ask you questions, and sometimes it becomes staggering. Sometimes it's not fair. My first mock interview was terrible. I felt like I was the worst candidate in the world. After that, my first mock interview. So, don't think that things are not working in your favor. You need to see. Whatever anyone says, you have to decide whether you want to speak or not.
After this, you will go for the interview. You should have a habit of wishing the board. Entering the room, saying "May I come in?" Sometimes you forget to wish the board. Which is okay, but it should also be kept in mind that wishing is important. If you are going to become a civil servant, then wish. Sit comfortably. And the most important thing is to answer calmly. The board expects you to talk. Sometimes what happens is that in my case, I was talking a lot. But because of the mock interviews, I made short sentences. So, I think it becomes a bit mechanical. So, avoid bringing mechanical behavior into your preparation. They want to talk to you there. They want to see your personality. If you become completely mechanical, you will speak short sentences, you will become silent after two lines, you will practice in a 30-second timer, and this might not work in your favor. Then they have taken away the opportunity to portray your personality and show how much knowledge I have and how well I can speak. So, they are giving you that opportunity. Sometimes, in the main interview, I spoke more. But because of the mock interviews, I stopped midway. Because I felt it was too much. They expect me to speak more. So, the exams are over. And I felt that I became a bit mechanical. I took the mock interviews too seriously. And here, in the interview, it's nothing like any question and answer. It's like a conversation. And you have to give your opinion. So, your answers should come with maturity. They should be understood answers. In which you have to express your opinion. You should have a very true opinion. The main thing is how you are presenting yourself. Is your personality such that you can present your extreme opinion calmly and justify it properly? So, this is very important. I think this has been presented. In the interview, don't go too much into my opinions. Sometimes in the voice of the movement, after a tribal stand, which was not divided. And when I came back, I said very, very cat. I said why. They didn't do that. Against the government, maybe. But it's not like that. They will give you a chance to justify your points.
So, I think this is in the interview with full confidence. And there is nothing. You know everything. You are prepared for your good deeds. Don't just go there and talk. Or practically do it.