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  • *IMP: UPSC Civils Services Prelims 2019 Paper 1 – Questions (pdf format)

    *UPDATE 1 – We are compiling the solutions. Out of the 50 questions that we’ve gone through, 30 were very close to what we had asked in our Test Series and approximately 45 were from the same theme. We will present this in our upcoming post so you can judge for yourself.


     

    Dear students,

    The paper for the exam held just now is out. Please check it out. The answers marked are of the candidate and they are not the correct answer.

    We will be publishing the key + controversial questions along with expected cut-offs soon. Last year our cutoff predictions were the closest among competitors.

    Please pen down the questions you found controversial, general feelings about the paper and how you have handled it.

    UPSC CSE 2019 Paper 1

     


     

    Previous year cutoffs are as follows. Last year our cutoff was very accurately predicted by us to be between 93-98. We plan to provide a 3-digit range this time.

    Category

    2018

    2017

    2016

    2015

    General

    98.00

    105.34

    116

    107.34

    OBC

    96.66

    102.66

    110.66

    106

    SC

    84.00

    88.66

    99.34

    94

    ST

    83.34

    88.66

    96

    91.34

    PwBD – 1

    73.34

    85.34

    75.34

    90.66

    PwBD – 2

    53.34

    61.34

    72.66

    76.66

    PwBD- 3

    40

    40

    40

    40

  • Bucks4Bugs: An initiative to reward our sincere test takers

    Bucks4Bugs: An initiative to reward our sincere test takers

    Click here to enroll for the Prelims Prime TS

    Dear Students,

    Hope you are having a good (moderately tough) time attempting the mocks. We admire the efforts you guys put at maintaining the virtuous cycle of learning and assessments. Nothing comes close to that level of sincerity.

    While yours is truly the herculean task of being at the top of your game all the time, there’s a lot that goes under the hood at our end as well. There are many steps involved in topic selection, question creation, selection, review, upload. And then we hold a mock-drill at our end to ensure integrity at all stages.

    Despite multiple checks at each level, some questions with minor errors creep in. Regardless, we boast of an error percentage of 0.5%. That’s about 10 times better than the industry standard.

    Impressive but not satisfactory. We want to push the boundaries further to ensure our programs are as perfect as they can be.

    Recognizing the role of our most sincere students in achieving our aim is very crucial. Hence, we have come up with our own Bucks4Bugs Programme.

    Find a bug; Earn a buck.

    If you are the first one to comment on a question and your comment is accepted leading to changes, you will win the following amount –

    1. Fundamental Error.

    Requires the question or the options to be rephrased – Rs. 200

    2. Incorrect option selected as correct answer – Rs. 100

    3. Explanation Improvement – Rs. 100

    Once you clock in Rs. 1000, you will have the option of getting it transferred to your paytm account. Amounts below that have the option of being redeemed against any of our programs.

    4. Grammatical Errors – Rs. 50

    We believe such a system will encourage students to appear for tests on time and be rigorous with revisions. It immensely benefits us as errors and issues are reported in a systematic manner and that too very quickly.

    Click here to enroll for the Prelims Prime TS

  • Last minute tips on how to Maximise your scores in Prelims

    This lecture is meant to help students relax and overcome anxious thoughts.

    Please note down the tips and make sure to practice them.

     

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ph59h_BZrzE

     

    We at Civilsdaily are committed to helping you in the process of figuring out your learning personalities and creating the best time table and suggesting most relevant strategies for your IAS Prep. Please take 5 minutes to fill up this Samanvaya Form. We will arrange a mentor call for you once this is done.

  • AIR 350, AIR 358, AIR 361 – Thanking emails from all !

    Nothing beats the feeling of receiving emails from our students. They will be sharing their strategy and notes very soon. If you have any specific question, please mention them in the comments and those will be specifically answered.

    AIR 361 Abhaysinha Deshmukh

    AIR 350 – Nabal Kumar Jain 

     

    AIR 358 – Surabhi Agarwal

     

    We at Civilsdaily are committed to helping you in the process of figuring out your learning personalities and creating the best time table and suggesting most relevant strategies for your IAS Prep. Please take 5 minutes to fill up this Samanvaya Form. We will arrange a mentor call for you once this is done.

  • Prime Prelims Test Series 2020 Time Table Released

    Click here to download pdf for better visibility Prime Prelims Time Table-2020-Final. 

    Enroll now by clicking here. 

    Dear students,

    As you are aware, UPSC has an exceptionally vast syllabus. And it is a very complex task to come up with a study-plan/time-time table that harmonizes every element and takes into consideration the return on investment on certain topics.

    We are hell-bent on simplifying things for you. Hence, we have come up with a plan that you will instantly connect with you and give you a vibe that yes you can do it!

    1. Integrated Approach

    Preparation for Prelims and Mains is harmonized. You study a subject, attempt prelims tests and then attempt mains tests for the same. This leads to a solid preparation.

    Many institutes our there will not able to present an integrated approach. They offer separate timetables for prelims and mains confusing the students further. That’s not the case with us!

    2. Simplified Approach

    Our Time-table is the easiest to remember and follow. All tests prelims, mains and Samachar Manthan will be held on the weekend.

    • Prelims Tests are held on the 1st and 3rd Saturday of every month.
    • CA Tests are held on the last Saturday of every month.

    Simple enough? We thought so.

    3. Priority-wise Coverage of subjects

    We are starting with the most important subjects from the exam perspective first. These are very predictable + have a very high return on investment. They need to be mastered if one has to have a shot at the exam. Polity, Modern History, and Economics. The lower priority ones follow.

    4. Logical Division of Topics

    Subjects have been divided into topics that logically fit together. Eg. for Polity we ask you to prepare in 2 parts – first, till Central Government and second, from State Government and beyond. This division is not ad-hoc and does not break the flow of your studies.

    5. Base and Advanced Sources

    We have divided the sources into 2 parts, Base Sources, and Advanced Sources. Base sources are those which you have to master. You should come to advanced sources only when you are thorough with the Base Sources.

    Click here to download pdf for better visibility Prime Prelims Time Table-2020-Final

    Enroll now by clicking here. 

    We at Civilsdaily are committed to helping you in the process of figuring out your learning personalities and creating the best time table and suggesting most relevant strategies for your IAS Prep. Please take 5 minutes to fill up this Samanvaya Form. We will arrange a mentor call for you once this is done.

     

  • SAMANVAYA: Students Preparing for UPSC 2020 > get awesome !

    SAMANVAYA: Students Preparing for UPSC 2020 > get awesome !

    Dear Students, 

    After numerous conversations with you all, we have started understanding your problems better and also standardizing solutions for the most generic problems that you might face. 

    These are being incorporated in our Samanvaya program. It is these practices that will make the program more effective.

    At the core of Samanvaya lies the fact that each one of you will have a unique journey while preparing for the exam. Some will get through on the first attempt without much effort while others will take both more time and more effort. We want to understand you better to help you optimize your journey so you can focus on the right things and not waste time on the wrong ones. We are asking you to tap into the valuable experiences of mentors who underwent the same grind and realize the pitfalls and understand the shortcuts to make it.

    Samanvaya program involves the following –

    1. Identifying your weaknesses

    Over 80% of students who claimed to have revised NCERTs were unable to answer basic questions. Many were not comfortable with at least 1 GS subject and Optional. Many struggled with ‘What went wrong’ after 2-3 years of hard work.

    Our mentors will help you assess your preparedness and suggest accurate strategies.

    2. Strategy and study plan discussions

    Over 90% of students couldn’t stick to a plan. Study plans and strategies are iterative in nature and we want to help you with that. Many are unable to perform in tests despite preparing hard. This could be due to a variety of factors – lack of adequate prep, jitters in the exam hall, inadequate revision, lack of practice of test series or just a bad day at work. Tell us what you think went wrong and we’ll figure out a way to get you over the line next time.

    3. Helping you understand the exam better

    Which books to read, different approaches, etc. Over 60% of students we talked to did not find NCERTs relevant and saw no point in being thorough with them.

    4. Lack of motivation

    We have all had those days when it’s been hard to motivate ourselves to hit the books and just study. It happens to the best of us sometimes and for some of us, it happens more frequently. And it is understandable, Civil Service preparation is a long and often lonely process. Every aspirant, from toppers to those who have quit have been overwhelmed by this process at some point in time. Working alone is monotonous and Help you keep motivated by ensuring you are actively and passively studying every day. Focused telegram groups to foster discussions.

    Samanvaya Code of Conduct

    • Be honest with your mentors about your preparation levels and stage.
    • Follow their advice and participate in tests and assignments that they set for you
    • Stay active in the telegram groups, ask doubts, don’t hold yourself back.
    • Don’t expect spoonfeeding. You have to drive the initiative.

    Click here to fill the form and get a kickstart. 

    Here’s the feedback that we got from some of our students:


    Click here to fill the form and get a kickstart. 

  • Motivation – Jishnu J Raju, AIR 132 – strategy for the last few days of prelims

    Motivation – Jishnu J Raju, AIR 132 – strategy for the last few days of prelims

    Jishnu has had an exceptional journey. His last minute tips are a gold mine. He has been a regular follower of Civilsdaily and has penned down these tips for aspirants. 

     

    Dear All

    Given that the prelims exam is due in a fortnight, one of the most frequent queries I am getting is how to go about the remaining days before the Prelims.

    So I thought I would place myself as a candidate writing this year’s prelims and write down what I would have down!

    I had taken prelims 5 times, and I didn’t fail a single time. I was a ‘good boy’ till maybe my 2nd attempt, wherein I would have made a plan for Prelims 2 months back and by now I would have somehow finished revising that at least once. But then I didn’t get a Rank in those attempts.

    After those 2 attempts, given my strong foundation, I didn’t care much to read those books again and again, but focused on Current Affairs and Test Series, a lot of them! So any veteran out there, who feel like he hasn’t done enough, don’t worry guys! If you had done well in the past, you would continue to do well. I wouldn’t dare to give any tips to them!

    My focus is on the first and second attempters, whom I believe, would have done one (or more) revisions and may be prepared a plan for the 14 odd days to come. Don’t worry. I don’t wish to alter that plan but would like to suggest some things which worked for me.

    For the Next 10 Days

    Don’t stop READING: follow your plan, but make sure you give a quick read of Modern India, Polity, Current Affairs, and Environment.

    Give more time to test series: do more tests and do it quickly. As in, finish a test and its review in one hour! Keep doing more and more tests.

    Go through some fact-based current affairs compilations: like GkToday quiz or Bankers’ Adda compilations. Leave questions like appointments, film/sports awards, etc, but study Summits, exam relevant awards, new discoveries (especially butterfly, bananas and the like!).

    Compilations for last 4-5 months should do.

    Last 4 days

    • Just revise the areas you might keep forgetting like the Part B of Spectrum covering many commissions, press, leaders, etc., National Parks and its specialties, the appendix of Lakshmikanth, etc.
    • Do Map work, especially the places in the news. The neighborhood (Myanmar, Pakistan), Middle East, etc.
    • Do some easy tests like first 7-8 tests of any test series or maybe retake some currents affairs test, so that your mind is conditioned to approach the actual prelims with a positive outlook rather than being doubtful.

    I imagine some of you might be down, without confidence. I also had such phases before prelims. Even when I scored 176 in prelims 2016, sitting before the actual question paper, I was a doubting Thomas. But just consider this: If you are one to weighed down by just an exam, how will you manage a district in its crisis. You are really better than what you imagine you are.

    Trust me, if you have been genuine with yourself, you would clear the prelims. Prelims is just a phase to weed out the non-serious candidates. You are definitely not one of them! All the Best.


     

    We at Civilsdaily are committed to helping you in the process of figuring out your learning personalities and creating the best time table and suggesting most relevant strategies for your IAS Prep. Please take 5 minutes to fill up this Samanvaya Form. We will arrange a mentor call for you once this is done.

     

  • Foundation 2020 – Study Plan & Time-Table Released

    Foundation 2020 – Study Plan & Time-Table Released

    Download PDF for better visibility – Foundation 2020 Master Time Table

    Note4Students

    • This post will be followed by Day-wise subject specific plans.
    • The topics given in the time-table are indicative. The list is not exhaustive. students are expected to refer to books for more detail.

    https://youtu.be/r4qG08aBbrs


    Dear students,

    As you are aware, UPSC has an exceptionally vast syllabus. And it is a very complex task to come up with a study-plan/time-time table that harmonizes every element and takes into consideration the return on investment on certain topics.

    We are hell-bent on simplifying things for you. Hence, we have come up with a plan that you will instantly connect with you and give you a vibe that yes you can do it!

    1. Integrated Approach

    Preparation for Prelims and Mains is harmonized. You study a subject, attempt prelims tests and then attempt mains tests for the same. This leads to a solid preparation.

    Many institutes our there will not able to present an integrated approach. They offer separate timetables for prelims and mains confusing the students further. That’s not the case with us!

    2. Simplified Approach

    Our Time-table is the easiest to remember and follow. All tests prelims, mains and Samachar Manthan will be held on the weekend.

    • Prelims Tests are held on the 1st and 3rd Saturday of every month.
    • Monthly Current Affairs Tests are held on the last Saturday of every month.
    • Mains Tests are held on the 1st and 3rd Sunday of every month after the subject is complete.
    • Essay Tests are held on the 2nd Sunday of every month.

    3. Priority-wise Coverage of subjects

    We are starting with the most important subjects from the exam perspective first. These are very predictable + have a very high return on investment. They need to be mastered if one has to have a shot at the exam. Polity, Modern History, and Economics. The lower priority ones follow afterward.

    4. Logical Division of Topics

    Subjects have been divided into topics that logically fit together. Eg. for Polity we ask you to prepare in 2 parts – first, till Central Government and second, from State Government and beyond. This division is not ad-hoc and does not break the flow of your studies.

    5. Base and Advanced Sources

    We have divided the sources into 2 parts, Base Sources, and Advanced Sources. Base sources are those which you have to master. You should come to advanced sources only when you are thorough with the Base Sources.

    Download PDF for better visibility – Foundation 2020 Master Time Table

    We at Civilsdaily are committed to helping you in the process of figuring out your learning personalities and creating the best time table and suggesting most relevant strategies for your IAS Prep. Please take 5 minutes to fill up this Samanvaya Form. We will arrange a mentor call for you once this is done.

  • Topper Testimonial: Jishnu, AIR – 132 CSE 2018, Working Professional

    Topper Testimonial: Jishnu, AIR – 132 CSE 2018, Working Professional

    Jisnu has been a regular student at Civilsdaily. He’s used the stories feature to prepare comprehensive notes on various topics. 


    We have raised the bar high. Check out our foundation 2020 program.

    Foundation 2020: Take a Big Step Towards Comprehensive & Personalised Learning for IAS 2020

     

    Note from CD:

    We at Civilsdaily are committed to helping you in the process of figuring out your learning personalities and creating the best time table and suggesting most relevant strategies for your IAS Prep. Please take 5 minutes to fill up this Samanvaya Form. We will arrange a mentor call for you once this is done.

  • Sneak Peek – Questions from our FLTs and what you are missing out by not enrolling.

    Dear students,

    We take our Test Series very seriously. There is a rigorous process involved to decide what goes in and what doesn’t. If you have gone through our Nikaalo Prelims initiative, you would see so many questions that are almost impossible to come up from basic books. This is because we go to different lengths to get this done.

    Over 500 students who have cleared prelims before are now enrolled in our FLTs via this initiative. *IMP – Free enrolment in our Full-Length Tests for Prelims Qualified Students

    We wanted to present before you the questions we’ve prepared.

    1. Reverse Engineering of Current Events

    UPSC has the habit of asking current affairs oriented questions. We backtrace important questions which can be asked on those events.

    Consider the following statements regarding the National Gene Fund,

    1. It has been established by the Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights Authority.
    2. It receives the contribution from National and State Govt. only.

    Which of the statements given above is/are correct?


    With reference to the Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights Act, 2001, consider the following statements.

    1. It recognizes and protects the rights of both breeders as well as farmers in relation to the plant varieties.
    2. The Act facilitates the protection of only new plant varieties.

    Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

    Context-  PepsiCo, a US multinational company filed case against potato farmers in Gujarat, with regard to alleged infringement of its rights under Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights (PPVFR) Act 2001.

    2. Application Based Question– We in all our test keep the focus on the application based questions in all segments.

    Floods caused due to an outburst of glacial lakes is known as Glacial Lakes Outburst Floods (GLOF). Consider the following factors in this regard:

    1. Unpredictable monsoon rainfall patterns.
    2. Slash and burn type of farming.
    3. Earthquake.
    4. Black Carbon

    Which of the factors given above can trigger glacial lakes outburst floods?

    Venus and Uranus undergo retrograde rotation. Which of the following may take place, if Earth also undergoes retrograde rotation?

    1. Addition of a day on the crossing of International Date Line from West to
    East.
    2. Change in direction of rotation of Tropical Cyclones.
    3. Reversal of geographical poles of Earth.

    Select the correct answer using the code
    given below.

     

    3. Few out of league questions which cannot be found in standard textbooks.

    With reference to Direct Seeded Rice system, consider the following statements:

    1. It uses less water than traditional transplanted paddy cultivation.
    2. It eliminates the need for weedicides.
    3. Its adoption results in increased greenhouse gas emissions.

    4. Evidence-based Question making

    We have done through analysis of last 6 years prelims papers. We have divided subjects into themes and sub-themes. Our tests include more questions from those themes from which UPSC is asking more questions and fewer questions from those themes which UPSC has ignored in the last 6 years. The Questions at CD are not framed according to the whims and fancies of the content writer. The question framer has to provide objective evidence to the supervisory team about the relevance of the question. He has to prove that similar questions were asked by UPSC in xyz year. The philosophy of our test series is to remain as much close to the UPSC prelims exam as possible both in terms of toughness and Format.

    5.Tikdam

    Tikdams = तिकड़म = Smart Hacks for IAS Prelims

    Tikdams are smart hacks which help you arrive at the right answer with just the basic knowledge. Tikdam Technique is an innovation by Dr. V(AIR 20) and has helped students gain additional marks. Our TS is the only TS that puts a conscious effort to build student’s risk-taking appetite. Our each and every test contains detailed explanation wrt to questions which can be solved using this technique. By perfecting this technique you can easily score 20-30 marks extra in your prelims exam.

    Q18. Consider the following pairs:

      Theatre form :       State

    1. Swang                 Haryana
    2. Bidesia                Tamil Nadu
    3. Nautanki              Uttar Pradesh

    Which of the pairs given above is/are correctly matched?

    Statement 2 is incorrect.

    Originally the theatre form from Haryana, Swang, was mainly music-based. Gradually, prose too played its role in the dialogues. The softness of emotions, accomplishment of rasa along with the development of character can be seen in this theatre form. The two important styles of Swang are from

    Rohtak and Haathras. In the style belonging to Rohtak, the language used is Haryanvi (Bangru) and in

    Haathras, it is Brajbhasha.

    Nautanki is usually associated with Uttar Pradesh. The most popular centres of this traditional theatre

    form are Kanpur, Lucknow and Haathras. The meters used in the verses are: Doha, Chaubola, Chhappai,

    Behar-e-tabeel. There was a time when only men acted in Nautanki but nowadays, women have also

    started taking part in the performances. Among those remembered with reverence is Gulab Bai of Kanpur.

    She gave a new dimension to this old theatre form.

    Bidesia:The folk theatre form of Bidesiya has originated in the 20th century and has been prevalent in the Bhojpuri-speaking regions of Bihar. Bidesiya is a dance version of Biraha songs and expresses the pain and despair of the women who are left behind by their men, away from home. The male dancers play the roles of female in the Bidesiya folk dance and for the purpose; they wear artificial long hair and dhoti. Despite the fact that many new modes of entertainment has come up, Bidesiya still has its charm amongst the people of Bihar.

    Tikdam:

    It’s tough to remember the name of all the folk theatre. However using some logic you can easily solve this question. Now closely observe statement 2.

    Bidesia.Does it look like a Tamil name? Of Course not. Bidesia sounds like a Bhojpuri name. Once you eliminate statement 2 using this logic, you will automatically arrive at the correct answer without knowing the other 2 statements. 

     


     

    Don’t miss out on the program. Get enrolled NOW!   

    Join the Endgame : Civilsdaily’s Prelims FLT Program 2019