Prelims has a fair number of questions from Geography and fair number of them are actually based upon the map reading by the candidates. Geography Mains Paper II has 10 map based entries carrying a weight of twenty marks (as in the last paper). So let us see how we can attempt Map Based Questions… Continue reading How to Tackle Map Based Questions in IAS Prelims and Mains?

Note – CD is experimenting with user generated content that can help initiate a discussion at large. Should you wish to write on our platform, read the footnote in the bottom. So… India is now intolerant? For millennia, India has faced several invasions from outside, many of them even massacred thousands. But, people of India adjusted… Continue reading Kicking the tolerance/ intolerance debate

It’s back! In a richer, more generous, more fiery, more flashy avatar. With more goodies for everyone. No, not James Bond. Pay Commission 007. And it has left the Indian Administrative Services shaken as well as stirred. Decadal corrections have come in, and how! “What took you so long, 007?” Even as the average salaries… Continue reading Pay Commission 007: Bond’s Spectre pales before India’s Spectre!

Hi friends, Most of my students have had this question “How to read the Hindu ? What notes to make ?” Yes,’ The Hindu ‘ is the preferred newspaper for IAS aspirants, because most of the questions are triggered from there . Before you learn how to read the newspaper, here are some points I… Continue reading Techniques for reading ‘The Hindu’

Here’s a sneak-peek of what’s to be expected next on The First Firangis series. The Anglo-Mysore wars And here’s how you can help Tell us what intrigued you about these 4 wars? Tell us if you wish to know about anything in particular – any trivia, any weird fact, a tact or diplomatic maneuver which made… Continue reading What’s next on The First Firangis?

The bureaucrat returns with an emphatic answer as to why should you JOIN civil services.   There are several benefits in the civil services, which you can’t get in any other profession. It is upto you to focus your attention to the positive side of the civil services or at the negative side. There are… Continue reading Why should you join Civil Services (IAS, IPS, IFS, IRS or like) in India?

Most people join IAS, IPS, IFS, IRS or other civil services in India without knowing the full facts. You already know why you should join civil services. Yet most of you may not be aware of the negative sides of the civil services, which you will realize soon after you join. It is only fair… Continue reading Why you should not join Civil Services (IAS, IPS, IFS, IRS or like) in India?

The word Bharath Darshan, becomes a motivating force for IAS aspirants. What happens during Bharath Darshan? Please read my experience.   It was first week of December 2004. Foundation Course got over at Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA), Mussoorie. Other than IAS, all other officer trainees (IFS,IPS,IRS,IRTS,IAAS etc) left to their respective… Continue reading Bharath Darshan – The dream which motivates IAS aspirants

Many IAS aspirants will always want to know how their dream job IAS would be. Let me narrate a real incident which will you give an idea, how a night of an IAS Officer could be. A small error (later realised a big blunder)  on my part made me to face a cliffhanger night. The following incident… Continue reading A Night in The Life of an IAS Officer

Here are the 5 questions for IAS Mains 2015 challenge for the week. We have given a bit of initiation into why we chose these questions so that you have some idea before you attempt them all!   We have come across several instances of global floral and faunal pattern undergoing re-distribution. Combining it with the… Continue reading IAS Mains 2015 & Beyond – Mini Quiz #4