Paper 1
Paper 2
Category: Ranker Webinars
-
Break for Daily AWE Program in the month of October
Daily Answer Writing Enhancement Program is taking a break for a month.
It is actually a break for all of you aspirants!! Taking breaks helps you stay focused over long periods of time. Breaks can help you retain information in memory (important for studying or writing answers etc.) Taking short breaks every now and then help you re-focus on your big-picture goals.
Therefore, we want you to work upon the strengths while improving upon the weakness in the given break. Revise your static portions of the syllabus of all GS papers so that when we reconvene in November, you are better prepared in your pursuit for your name in the final list of selected candidates on the UPSC website.
See you folks in November. Till then be Citius, Altius, Fortius!!
-
Detailed Analysis of UPSC Mains GS 1 Paper and Strategy for 2020 Mains Exam
In this video, Sajal sir has analyzed the toughness level of GS 1 paper of the 2019 mains exam. Along with this, he will identify the high priority areas from which UPSC has been repeatedly asking questions. He will also share the strategy for 2020 mains exam.
Click here to enroll for the Prime Prelims TS 2020
————–
Click here to enroll for the Prelims Advanced Test Series 2020
————–
Click here to enroll for the Samachar Manthan Yearly 2019-20
————–
Click here to enroll for the Mains Essential Program 2020
————–
Click here to Join our Foundation 2020 course
————–
Click here to enroll for the Ultimate Assessment Program 2020 -
Get ready for upcoming August Current Affairs Prelims Test on 28th September- sample questions highlighting our methodology
Click here to enroll for the Prime Prelims TS
Dear students,
31st May 2020 is the D-day for all civil service aspirants.
“Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the ax.”
This quote by Abraham Lincoln sums up how one should prepare for that day. So before entering the battlefield alone should have enough practice. Our Prime Prelims Test series which shall enrich you to acquaint yourself with the pattern of CSE-2020, assess your abilities, rectify your mistakes and make you confident to appear on the examination day.
Our Prime Prelims Test Series follows the same approach as that adopted by UPSC. Our team of experts is quite enriched with the UPSC pattern and focal point of the questions and hence creates more chances for the aspirants to crack civil service examination by appearing our Test Series.
The key philosophy of our prelims TS is Evidence-based question making: The 3600 questions you face in our mocks have their relevance established in UPSC’s trend analysis. We focus on themes that are important as per UPSC so that we maximize your chances of questions overlap with the actual UPSC Prelims.
Nothing speaks more than the facts itself rather than a mere jargon. Here is a list of 5 sample questions from the upcoming test which will help you in identifying the standards and approach we follow. (you can skip this if you want to attempt these directly in the test).
Noone but only you can assess how it will help you in being the top percentile of aspirants. You have to practice ruthlessly and civils Daily provides you with a platform to hone your skills.
Q.1) Regarding the Mars solar conjunction, consider the following statements:
1. During Mars solar conjunction, Mars and Earth will be on opposite sides of the Sun.
2. It occurs every two years.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
a. 1 only
b. 2 only
c. Both of them
d. Neither of them
Q.2) Which of the following have been declared as renewable energy sources in India?
1. Ocean energy projects
2. Solar projects
3. Wind power projects
4. Large hydropower projects
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
a. 1 and 2 only
b. 3 and 4 only
c. 1, 2 and 3 only
d. All of them
Q.3) The power to increase the number of Judges in the Supreme Court of India is vested in:
a. President of India
b. Chief Justice of India
c. Prime Minister
d. Parliament
Q.4) Which of the following countries are the members of MEKONG GANGA COOPERATION (MGC)?
1. Cambodia
2. Vietnam
3. Laos
4. Bangladesh
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
a. 1 and 4 only
b. 1 and 2 only
c. 3 and 4 only
d. 1, 2 and 3 only
Q.5) Concerning “Know India Programme”, consider the following statements:
1. Its objective is to make Indian origin youth aware about India, its cultural heritage, art and to familiarize them with various aspects of contemporary India.
2. Under this Scheme, preference is given to PIOs from Girmitiya countries.
3. It is implemented by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs.
Which of the above-given statements is/are correct?
a. 1 and 3 only
b. 1 and 2 only
c. 2 and 3 only
d. All of them
-
25th September 2019 | Daily Answer Writing Enhancement
ANNOUNCEMENT – There is a change in format. Students will now have to post answers on the questions page separately by clicking on the links given below. We plan to track progress for each of the GS papers and to achieve the same, this modification becomes important. Students who are unable to post answers, please email hello@civilsdaily.com. You will receive a resolution for sure.
Question 1)
Question 2)
Question 3)
For India, climate action is not just a necessity, but an emergency. Discuss. (250 Words)
Question 4)
Reviews will be provided in a week for. (In the order of submission- First come first serve basis). In case the answer is submitted late the review period may get extended to two weeks.
*In case your answer is not reviewed in a week, reply to your answer saying *NOT CHECKED*. If Parth Sir’s tag is available then tag him.
For the philosophy of AWE and payment, check here: Click2Join
-
24th September 2019 | Daily Answer Writing Enhancement
ANNOUNCEMENT – There is a change in format. Students will now have to post answers on the questions page separately by clicking on the links given below. We plan to track progress for each of the GS papers and to achieve the same, this modification becomes important. Students who are unable to post answers, please email hello@civilsdaily.com. You will receive a resolution for sure.
Question 1)
Question 2)
Discuss the challenges to the effectiveness of the Paris Climate agreement? (250 Words)
Question 3)
Question 4)
Reviews will be provided in a week for. (In the order of submission- First come first serve basis). In case the answer is submitted late the review period may get extended to two weeks.
*In case your answer is not reviewed in a week, reply to your answer saying *NOT CHECKED*. If Parth Sir’s tag is available then tag him.
For the philosophy of AWE and payment, check here: Click2Join
-
Civilsdaily’s Faculty’s article published in Indian express. A must-read for Civil Services Aspirants.
Join Economic Survey and Budget 2019 | Advanced Program Click here
Join Demystifying Economics- Core & Current Affairs Buildup Lecture Series 2020 Click here
2020 – Mains Essentials Program . Click here to enrol now!
Prime Prelims TS 2020 Barch 3 Time Table
Click here to Enroll for the Samachar Manthan Yearly 2019-2020
Economics is one of the primary Pillars of UPSC preparation. It has substantial weightage in Prelims and also in GS 3rd paper of mains. To ensure that students build a strong foundation and a strong hold over the subject, we at Civilsdaily, have the best and most trusted faculty, Himanshu Arora Sir.
Credentials of Himanshu Sir-
- MPhil Economics (JNU)
- Works at Prime Minister Economic Advisory Council
- Writes regularly in various famous Indian and international weeklies like Millenium post and Huffington Post.
- Worked as Assistant Professor in Delhi University.
Here is the article by Himanshu Sir that was published today in Financial express
https://www.financialexpress.com/opinion/big-bank-theory-psu-banks-merger-must-be-followed-by-good-governance/1714342/
Big Bank Theory: PSU banks merger must be followed by good governance
By Himanshu Arora
The government has unveiled a mega plan to merge 10 public sector banks (PSBs) into four, thereby reducing the number of state-owned banks from 18 to 12.
Under the consolidation process, the Oriental Bank of Commerce and the United Bank of India will be merged in the Punjab National Bank; the Syndicate Bank with the Canara bank; the Andhra Bank and the Corporation Bank with the Union Bank of India; and the Allahabad Bank with the Indian Bank. The aim is to create next-generation financial institutions with stronger balance sheets and bigger lending appetite.
The proposal to merge poorly-managed banks with well-governed ones has been recommended by numerous committees since the 1990s. A committee under the chairmanship of M Narasimhan recommended the number of PSBs be reduced and 3-4 large banks should be developed as international banks. The report envisaged a three-tier system with 3-4 large banks at the top, 8-10 banks having nationwide presence catering to the needs of industrial and infrastructural sectors, and a large number of regional rural and local banks focusing on agriculture and rural sector.
Experts believe that reducing the number of state-owned banks will improve the collective performance of the banking system. It will bring economies of scale through optimal use of capital and resources, and ensure higher technical efficiency with higher profitability. The additional resources can be used in hiring domain experts and enhancing manpower, the absence of which is partly responsible for the NPA crisis. The logic being that bigger and well-managed banks are better equipped to respond to the lobg-term finance needs of industrial and infrastructure sectors. Further, PSBs—under stress due to NPAs—would find themselves adequately capitalised. This is expected to aid the banking sector in restart the lending exercise to the productive sectors.
The next logical step should be to find the right experts who can steer this consolidation—a move that requires a slew of reforms. Governance of PSBs has been a major challenge from the time these banks were nationalised. The Narasimhan committee recommended that banking boards be empowered and adopt a professional corporate strategy.
The problems of PSBs are structural. The merged banks may fail if governance structures are not reformed. This must be addressed. Accordingly, post-merger, the focus should be on effective governance reforms. The roadmap has been provided by the PJ Nayak committee—legal changes to incorporate banks under the Companies Act and the repeal of bank nationalisation Acts, dissolution of government ownership, and setting up of a Bank Investment Company (BIC). The BIC will act as a safety valve and an institutional firewall between the government and bank managements. The process of appointments to top management needs to be professionalised initially through an interim Banks Board Bureau (BBB), and latter through the BIC. BBB was set up, with a mandate to recommend candidates for top-post in state-banks; effectiveness is debatable.
Another issue with the proposed merger is the possible creation of what is known as systematically important institutions, which are too big to fail. Indeed, the State Bank of India was categorised by RBI as a systemically important bank whose failure could trigger a situation of bank runs. If such large banks were to fail due to governance issues, it could impact the economy and bring down the whole financial sector. A similar situation was witnessed during the Global Financial Crisis following the collapse of Lehman Brothers in 2008, and no country can therefore afford the failure of a big bank. Historical evidence suggests that if such a situation were to arise, the sovereign will be forced to rescue such large banks. The sovereign guarantees at many times encourage reckless behaviour by banks and creates the problem of moral hazard. Therefore, governance reforms along with effective regulation are essential to curb such moral hazard behaviour. It would require RBI to identify systemically important financial institutions from the merged banks and subject them to higher capital requirements.
The proposed merger is a good starting point for reforming the Indian banking system, but must be followed by genuine governance reforms.
-
Why Grit Is More Important Than IQ When You’re Trying To Crack UPSC?
“Your Dreams are on the Other Side of Your Grit.”
If there is just one takeaway which we want you to remember long after you have closed this blog, it is these two equations:
Talent x Effort = Skill
Skill x Effort = Achievement
According to psychologist Angela Duckworth, the secret to outstanding achievement isn’t talent. Instead, it’s a special blend of persistence and passion that she calls “grit.”
Duckworth has spent years studying people, trying to understand what it is that makes high achievers so successful. And what she found surprised even her. It wasn’t IQ scores. It wasn’t even a degree from a top-ranking engineering or medical school that turned out to be the best predictor of success.
“It was this combination of passion and perseverance that made high achievers special,” Duckworth said. “In a word, they had grit.”
GRIT.
That’s all you need to focus as you fine tune your UPSC prep.
Being gritty, according to Duckworth, is the ability to persevere, and more! It’s about being unusually resilient and hardworking, so much so that you’re willing to continue on in the face of difficulties, obstacles and even failures. It’s about being constantly driven to improve.
<Add something which implies why talent alone/skill alone, don’t cut it>
Back to the two equations now which she uses to explain this concept:
• Talent x effort = skill
• Skill x effort = achievement
Talent is how quickly your skills improve when you invest effort. Achievement is what happens when you take your acquired skills and use them.
As you can see from the equations, effort counts twice. YOUR Perseverance at the face of difficulty Counts TWICE.
What’s the practical takeaway?
1. Sign up for the test series. Make a commitment that no matter what, you will face your scores and improve on them till you gain the mastery.
2. It means that it’s OK if you aren’t the smartest person in the room or the smartest person on the UPSC prep to begin with. Make sure that the 34 tests you give in the Prime Prelims Program, all point towards an increasing growth curve.
Our mentors will be with you at every step. We know this is not the most glamorous exercise and many of you will tend to avoid this. That’s where our specially designed courses come in.
That’s where we egg you to be a better version of yourself. Every week.
Why? Because grit will always trump talent. Or as Duckworth notes, “Our potential is one thing. What we do with it is quite another.”
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.
-
23rd September 2019 | Daily Answer Writing Enhancement
ANNOUNCEMENT – There is a change in format. Students will now have to post answers on the questions page separately by clicking on the links given below. We plan to track progress for each of the GS papers and to achieve the same, this modification becomes important. Students who are unable to post answers, please email hello@civilsdaily.com. You will receive a resolution for sure.
Question 1)
Question 2)
Discuss the relevance of the idea of a Parliamentary Budget Office for India. (250 Words)
Question 3)
Question 4)
Reviews will be provided in a week for. (In the order of submission- First come first serve basis). In case the answer is submitted late the review period may get extended to two weeks.
*In case your answer is not reviewed in a week, reply to your answer saying *NOT CHECKED*. If Parth Sir’s tag is available then tag him.
For the philosophy of AWE and payment, check here: Click2Join
