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  • In news: India-Bhutan Relations

    After over two years of the COVID-19-induced lockdown, Bhutan will open its doors to tourists on September 23 with a new expensive policy for Indians and other foreign tourists.

    India-Bhutan Relations: A backgrounder

    • India and Bhutan have had long-standing diplomatic, economic and cultural relations
    • Bhutan and India relations are governed by a friendship treaty that was renegotiated only in 2007, subjecting the Himalayan nation’s security needs to supervision.
    • Treaty of Friendship in 2007, which brought into the India-Bhutan relationship “an element of equality.”
    • The Treaty provides for perpetual peace and friendship, free trade and commerce, and equal justice to each other’s citizens.

    What is the Treaty of Friendship?

    • On August 8, 1949, Bhutan and India signed the Treaty of Friendship, calling for peace between the two nations and non-interference in each other’s internal affairs.
    • India re-negotiated the 1949 treaty with Bhutan and signed a new treaty of friendship in 2007.
    • The new treaty replaced the provision requiring Bhutan to take India’s guidance on foreign policy with broader sovereignty and not require Bhutan to obtain India’s permission over arms imports.
    • Under the 2007 India-Bhutan Friendship Treaty, the two sides have agreed to “cooperate closely with each other on issues relating to their national interests.”
    • Neither Government shall allow the use of its territory for activities harmful to the national security and interest of the other

    Various facets of ties

    (1) Commercial Relations

    • India is Bhutan’s largest trading partner.
    • India and Bhutan have signed an Agreement on Trade, Commerce and Transit on in 2016, which provides for a free trade regime between the two countries.
    • Tourism is another point of convergence.

    (2) Energy Cooperation

    • A scheme titled “Comprehensive Scheme for Establishment of Hydro-meteorological and Flood Forecasting Network on rivers Common to India and Bhutan” is in operation.
    • The network consists of 32 Hydro-meteorological/ meteorological stations located in Bhutan and being maintained by the Royal Government of Bhutan with funding from India.
    • The data received from these stations are utilized in India for formulating flood forecasts.

    Significance of Bhutan to India

    • Buffer to China: Bhutan is a buffer state between India and China. Bhutan shares a 470 km long border with China.
    • Vital connectivity through chicken’s neck: The Chumbi Valley is situated at the tri-junction of Bhutan, India and China and is 500 km away from the “Chicken’s neck” in North Bengal.
    • Security in North-East: Bhutan has in the past cooperated with India and helped to flush out militant groups in NE.
    • Chinese inroad in Bhutan: China is interested in establishing formal ties with Thimphu, where it does not yet have a diplomatic mission.

    China factor in ties: China predates on small neighbours

    • Bhutan is strategically important for both India and China. Chinese territorial claims in western Bhutan are close to the Siliguri Corridor.
    • Beijing is reportedly insisting on Bhutan establishing trade and diplomatic relations as a quid pro quo for a border settlement.
    • Bhutan is currently India’s only neighbour who has stayed away from joining China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), but that may change if India can’t make itself an attractive ally and neighbour.

    Why does India need Bhutan?

    • Bhutan has always been India’s most trusted ally in South Asia and has often put India’s security at the forefront.
    • Come to think of it, in December 2003, Bhutan’s fourth king personally led the army to throw out Indian militants living in Bhutan’s jungles.
    • Bhutan was also the only South Asian country besides India not to attend China’s Belt and Road Initiative forum in May 2017.
    • In other words, land-locked Bhutan has held its end of the bargain.

    Various cooperation developments

    • Maitri Initiative: Bhutan is the first country to receive the Covishield vaccines under India’s Vaccine Maitri Initiative.
    • Financial connectivity: It has touched new heights through the launch of the RuPay card and the BHIM app.
    • Start-Up ecosystem: Both nations successfully linked up the Start-Up systems of our two countries via structured workshops; through the National Knowledge Network & the Druk-REN connection.
    • E-Library project: It has opened up new vistas of education and knowledge sharing between two countries.

    Irritants in ties

    • India has not invested in significantly in Bhutan and other smaller neighbours that modicum of trust which is critical in building genuine goodwill.
    • This means not only increasing people-to-people contact but also being sensitive to Bhutan’s desire for a wider engagement beyond India’s borders. This means respecting Bhutan as an equal, sovereign nation-state.

    Conclusion

    • The Indo-Bhutan friendship is built on shared values and aspirations, trust and mutual respect.
    • Bhutan’s foreign policy framework holds the relationship with India as being integral to its national interest.
    • The Indian approach to Bhutan has necessarily to be tailored while being sensitive to the growing Bhutanese aspirations of being considered equal.

     

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  • What are External Commercial Borrowings (ECBs)?

    The Reserve Bank of India has relaxed norms for companies raising external commercial borrowings (ECBs), as part of a set of measures to stem the slide in the rupee.

    What are ECBs taken by Indian companies?

    • ECBs are commercial loans that eligible resident entities can raise from outside India, i.e. from a recognized non-resident entity.
    • ECBs can be buyer’s credit, supplier’s credit, foreign currency convertible bonds, foreign currency exchangeable bonds, loans etc.
    • ECBs can be raised via the automatic route where cases are examined by the Authorized Category Dealer, or the approval route where borrowers are mandated to forward their request to RBI through their authorized dealers.
    • Borrowers must follow norms on minimum maturity period, maximum all-in-cost ceiling, end-uses etc.

    What is the relaxation offered by the RBI?

    • RBI earlier had raised borrowing limit under the automatic route from $750 million or its equivalent per financial year to $1.5 bn up till up to 31 December, 2022.

    Why such move?

    • The objective was to increase the supply of foreign exchange reserves.
    • This in turn would thereby prevent the fast depreciation of the rupee witnessed over the last few months.

    What clarity do foreign lenders want from RBI?

    • Lenders want to know whether the investment grade needs to be rated by domestic or international agencies.
    • If it is only by global agencies, it would limit the number of potential borrowers.
    • This is because companies which might be rated high domestically might not necessarily have made the investment grade when rated by international agencies.

    Why do Indian firms go for ECBs?

    • Low cost: ECBs give companies the benefit of borrowing abroad at lower interest rates.
    • Long term repayment: They are also an avenue to borrow a large volume of funds for a relatively long period of time.
    • Surpassing exchange fluctuation: Also, borrowing in foreign currencies enables companies to pay for their machinery import etc., thereby nullifying the impact of varying exchange rate.
    • Long term profitability: ECBs can help diversify the investor base and funds available at lower cost, helping improve profitability of companies.
    • Better credit ratings: ECB interest rates are also a function of their ratings in the international market.

    What are the risks for firms raising ECBs?

    • Though companies get attracted to ECBs due to lower interest rates, the comfort level of the borrower depends on how stable the rate of exchange is.
    • Depreciation of the rupee will raise debt servicing burden as compared to what has been worked out at the time of availing of the ECB facility.
    • Thus, the companies might need to incur hedging costs (amount equal to the aggregate costs, fees, and expenses) to cover the exchange rate risk.

     

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  • Key terminologies in news: Yield Inversion, Soft-Landing and Reverse Currency Wars

    This article provides a quick summary of what has been happening in the global economy. These are few key terms that one is likely to hear repeatedly in the coming days and weeks:

    1. Yield Inversion
    2. Soft-landing and
    3. Reverse Currency War

    Here’s a quick look at what they mean and why they are significant at present.

    (1) Bond Yield Inversion

    What is Bond Yeild?

    • Bonds are essentially an instrument through which governments (and also corporations) raise money from people.
    • Typically government bond yields are a good way to understand the risk-free interest rate in that economy.
    • This 2019 piece provides an introduction to government bonds and explains how yields are calculated.

    What is Yield Curve?

    • The yield curve is the graphical representation of yields from bonds (with an equal credit rating) over different time horizons.
    • In other words, if one was to take the US government bonds of different tenures and plot them according to the yields they provide, one would get the yield curve.

    The chart below provides a sense of the different types of yield curves one could have.

    How to see this?

    • Under normal circumstances, any economy would have an upward sloping yield curve.
    • That is to say, as one lends for a longer duration — or as one buys bonds of longer tenure — one gets higher yields. This makes sense.
    • If one is parting with money for a longer duration, the return should be higher.
    • Moreover, a longer tenure also implies that there is a greater risk of failure.
    • An inversion of the yield curve essentially suggests that investors expect future growth to be weak.

    Inversion of bond yield

    • However, there are times when this bond yield curve becomes inverted.
    • For instance, bonds with a tenure of 2 years end up paying out higher yields (returns/ interest rate) than bonds with a 10 year tenure.
    • Such an inversion of the yield curve essentially suggests that investors expect future growth to be weak.

    Here’s how to make sense of this?

    • When investors feel buoyant about the economy they pull the money out from long-term bonds and put it in short-term riskier assets such as stock markets.
    • In the bond market, the prices of long-term bonds fall, and their yield (effective interest rate) rises.
    • This happens because bond prices and bond yields are inversely related.
    • However, when investors suspect that the economy is heading for trouble, they pull out money from short-term risky assets (such as stock markets) and put them in long-term bonds.
    • This causes the prices of the long-term bonds to rise and their yields to fall.

    Why use inversion curve?

    • Over the years, inversion of the bond yield curve has become a strong predictor of recessions. Of course, for it to be taken seriously, such an inversion has to last for several months.
    • Over the past few weeks, such inversion is happening repeatedly in the US, suggesting to many that a recession is in the offing.
    • In the current instance, the US Fed (their central bank) has been raising short-term interest rates, which further bumps up the short-end of the yield curve while dampening economic activity.

    (2)  Soft-Landing

    • The process of monetary tightening that the US is currently unveiling involves not just reducing the money supply but also increasing the cost of money (that is, the interest rate).
    • US is doing this to contain soaring inflation.
    • Ideally, the US Fed or any central bank doing this would like to bring about monetary tightening in such a manner that slows down the economy but doesn’t lead to a recession.
    • When a central bank is successful in slowing down the economy without bringing about a recession, it is called a soft-landing — that is, no one gets hurt.
    • But when the actions of the central bank bring about a recession, it is called hard-landing.

    (3) Reverse Currency War

    • A flip side of the US Fed’s action of aggressively raising interest rates is that more and more investors are rushing to invest money in the US.
    • This, in turn, has made the dollar become stronger than all the other currencies. That’s because the dollar is more in demand than yen, euro, yuan etc.
    • On the face of it, this should make all other countries happier because a relative weakness of their local currency against the dollar makes their exports more competitive.
    • For instance, a Chinese or an Indian exporter gets a massive boost.
    • In fact, in the past the US has often accused other countries of manipulating their currency (and keeping its weaker against the dollar) just to enjoy a trade surplus against the US.
    • This used to be called the currency war.

    What explains this reverse currency war unfolding at the moment?

    • The important thing to understand is that a stronger dollar has had a key benefit — importing cheaper crude oil.
    • A currency which is losing value to the dollar, on the other hand, finds that it is getting costlier to import crude oil and other commodities that are often traded in dollars.
    • But raising the interest rate is not without its own risks.
    • Just like in the US, higher interest rates will decrease the chances of a soft-landing for any other economy.

     

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  • How is the Vice-President of India elected?

    A major political party has declared that West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar would be the candidate for the post of Vice-President.

    About Vice President of India

    • The VP is the deputy to the head of state of the Republic of India, the President of India.
    • His/her office is the second-highest constitutional office after the president and ranks second in the order of precedence and first in the line of succession to the presidency.
    • The vice president is also a member of the Parliament as the ex officio Chairman of the Rajya Sabha.

    Qualifications

    • As in the case of the president, to be qualified to be elected as vice president, a person must:
    1. Be a citizen of India
    2. Be at least 35 years of age
    3. Not hold any office of profit
    • Unlike in the case of the president, where a person must be qualified for election as a member of the Lok Sabha, the vice president must be qualified for election as a member of the Rajya Sabha.
    • This difference is because the vice president is to act as the ex officio Chairman of the Rajya Sabha.

    Roles and responsibilities

    • When a bill is introduced in the Rajya Sabha, the vice president decides whether it is a money bill or not.
    • If he is of the opinion that a bill introduced in the Rajya Sabha is a money bill, he shall refer it to the Speaker of the Lok Sabha.
    • The vice president also acts as the chancellor of the central universities of India.

    Election procedure

    • Article 66 of the Constitution of India states the manner of election of the vice president.
    • The vice president is elected indirectly by members of an electoral college consisting of the members of both Houses of Parliament and NOT the members of state legislative assembly.
    • The election is held as per the system of proportional representation using single transferable votes.
    • The voting is conducted by Election Commission of India via secret ballot.
    • The Electoral College for the poll will comprise 233 Rajya Sabha members, 12 nominated Rajya Sabha members and 543 Lok Sabha members.
    • The Lok Sabha Secretary-General would be appointed the Returning Officer.
    • Political parties CANNOT issue any whip to their MPs in the matter of voting in the Vice-Presidential election.

    Removal

    • The Constitution states that the vice president can be removed by a resolution of the Rajya Sabha passed by an Effective majority (majority of all the then members) and agreed by the Lok Sabha with a simple majority( Article 67(b)).
    • But no such resolution may be moved unless at least 14 days’ notice in advance has been given.
    • Notably, the Constitution does not list grounds for removal.
    • No Vice President has ever faced removal or the deputy chairman in the Rajya Sabha cannot be challenged in any court of law per Article 122.

     

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  • GST Slab Changes

    Customers will have to pay a 5% Goods and Services Tax (GST) on pre-packed, labelled food items such as atta, paneer and curd, besides hospital rooms with rents above ₹5,000.

    What is GST?

    • GST launched in India on 1 July 2017 is a comprehensive indirect tax for the entire country.
    • It is charged at the time of supply and depends on the destination of consumption.
    • For instance, if a good is manufactured in state A but consumed in state B, then the revenue generated through GST collection is credited to the state of consumption (state B) and not to the state of production (state A).
    • GST, being a consumption-based tax, resulted in loss of revenue for manufacturing-heavy states.

    What are GST Slabs?

    • In India, almost 500+ services and over 1300 products fall under the 4 major GST slabs.
    • There are five broad tax rates of zero, 5%, 12%, 18% and 28%, plus a cess levied over and above the 28% on some ‘sin’ goods.
    • The GST Council periodically revises the items under each slab rate to adjust them according to industry demands and market trends.
    • The updated structure ensures that the essential items fall under lower tax brackets, while luxury products and services entail higher GST rates.
    • The 28% rate is levied on demerit goods such as tobacco products, automobiles, and aerated drinks, along with an additional GST compensation cess.

    Why rationalize GST slabs?

    • From businesses’ viewpoint, there are just too many tax rate slabs, compounded by aberrations in the duty structure through their supply chains with some inputs taxed more than the final product.
    • These are far too many rates and do not necessarily constitute a Good and Simple Tax.
    • Multiple rate changes since the introduction of the GST regime in July 2017 have brought the effective GST rate to 11.6% from the original revenue-neutral rate of 15.5%.
    • Merging the 12% and 18% GST rates into any tax rate lower than 18% may result in revenue loss.

     

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  • Anayoottu Ritual of Kerala

    Anayoottu, an annual ritual at the Sree Vadakkunnathan Temple, Thrissur was recently held.

    Why in news?

    • There is a history behind this annual ritual at the temple.
    • Kerala’s elephant pooram was selected, along with other cultural forms of the country, for display at the opening ceremony of the Asian Games held in Delhi in 1982.
    • Elephants were transported all throughout the country to New Delhi.

    What is Anayoottu?

    • The Aanayoottu (gaja pooja/ feeding of elephants) is a festival held in the precincts of the Vadakkunnathan temple in City of Thrissur, in Kerala.
    • The festival falls on the first day of the month of Karkkidakam (timed against the Malayalam calendar), which coincides with the month of July.
    • It involves a number of unadorned elephants being positioned amid a multitude of people for being worshipped and fed.
    • Crowds throng the temple to feed the elephants.

    Mythology behind

    • It is believed that offering poojas and delicious feed to the elephants is a way to satisfy Lord Ganesha—the god of wealth and of the fulfillment of wishes.
    • The Vadakkunnathan temple, which is considered to be one of the oldest Shiva temples in southern India, has hosted the Aanayottoo event for the past few years.

     

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  • Resolute | It’s a journey from Failure in Prelims to AIR 49 | Divyansh Singh, AIR 49, UPSC 2021 | Civilsdaily Mentorship Student | Consult with his mentor

    Divyansh Singh, AIR 49, UPSC 2021. Civilsdaily Mentorship Student

    Divyansh Singh was one of CD’s mentorship students under Sajal sir, Sukanya ma’am, and other mentors under the Smash Mains program. Divyansh was determined about improving himself. He improved his marks in GS-2 and GS-4 2021 in 2021 Mains.

    click:- book your slot with air 49, divyansh’s mentors and get his notes | free registration

    He filled A-to-Z Preparation Gaps under the Guidance of Sajal Sir

    • A-Awareness Gap
    • B-Behavioral gap
    • C- Confidence gap
    • D-Delivery Gap
    • E-Excessiveness/Exclusiveness Gap
    • F-Focus gap
    • G-Generic approach gap
    • H-Herd mentality gap
    • I-Introvert nature gap
    • J-Juggling multiple things
    • K-Knowledge gap
    • L- Learning Gap
    • M- Mentoring Gap
    • N- Narrative Gap
    • O-Objectivity gap
    • P-Practice gap
    • Q-Quantification gap
    • R-Revision gap
    • S-Smartwork gap
    • T-Testing gap
    • U- Understanding gap
    • V-Vanity issue gap
    • W- Wrong attitude gap
    • X-X-Factor gap
    • Y-Yardstick approach gap
    • Z-Zealous approach gap

    This was Divyansh’s 4th attempt and in the 2nd attempt in 2019, he secured 484, in the 3rd attempt his rank was 425. Divyansh’s optional was Chemistry. 

    In a candid interview with Siddharth Sir, Divyansh revealed how he improved his All India Rank to 49.

    Divyansh is an engineer by education. After graduation, he joined Microsoft. But soon he realized that UPSC is the right career for him. He started pursuing leaving his corporate job.

    In 2020, after joining Smash Mains Program, Divyansh Singh received the remedial studies he had been looking for for 3 years. He attributed his success to Sajal Sir and Sukanya Ma’am.

    • He said that Sajal Sir was like his best friend throughout his entire journey. He helped Divyansh to improve his marks in GS 2 and GS 4 efficiently.
    • In GS-2 he scored 119 and according to him, it wasn’t possible without Sajal Sir’s remedial mentorship.
    • In GS-4, Ethics paper, he scored 117. He said that Sukanya Ma’am’s 1-1 mentorship worked for him. in 2020, he scored only 86 in GS-4. But he improved by 31 marks in 2021. And thus he secured 49 All India Rank.
    • Program’s focus is on conceptual clarity, simplicity, relevance, and making interlinkages between current affairs and the basic/static part of the syllabus.
    • Awesome mentorship-hand holding support.
    • Sajal Sir’s guidance got him 10 times more likely to prepare for current affairs linking with the static part in a very short time. 
    • Next-level evaluation of answers helped him a lot to fetch more scores in all GS papers.
    •  CA Resource consolidation on Prelims and Mains’ Preparation.
    • An ecosystem for co-learning and active learning.
    • Many more…

    Before getting to CD’s Mentorship Program under Sajal Sir in 2020, he had been securing below ranks consistently. He said that he couldn’t figure out the necessary things which are highly required to work on.

    Divyansh has made us proud by securing AIR 49 in UPSC 2021 exam. It is yet another validation of CivilsDaily’s vision and approach to personalized mentorship.

    Anay has inspired us and we wish him all the best. He’s going to be an administrator of great integrity!

    Register for Divyansh’s mains answers copies and notes.

    Schedule your FREE mentorship session with Divyansh’s mentors.

    (CLICK) BOOK YOUR SLOT WITH AIR 49, DIVYANSH’S MENTORS, AND GET HIS NOTES | FREE REGISTRATION

    Anay was one of the 200 rankers from CivilsDaily’s mentorship programs.

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  • Civilsdaily provides top 5 info along with CSAT full form

    ‘CSAT’ stands for

    ‘Civil Services Aptitude Test’

    Guys, successful and unsuccessful people do not vary greatly in their abilities. They vary in their desires to reach their goal. Disrobe your failure. Civilsdaily senior mentors team are happy to fulfill your IAS dream. Talk to Us

    Table of contents

    Hi Guys

    Are you a staunch aspirant of UPSC IAS exam? if yes, you should keep in mind that Civilsdaily provides the best 1-1 mentorship program on UPSC CSE preparation. In 2021 merit list, 200+ selections are from our mentorship program.

    The Hindu has acknowledged the success rate of our mentorship program

    click:- register (free) to talk with a senior ias mentor and let us plan a workable strategy for your upsc preparation

    What is CSAT in UPSC?

    Civil Services Aptitude Test is a part of UPSC CSE prelims. There is no such paper in UPSC Mains. It is a qualifying paper. Candidates have to score 33% to clear the paper.

    • Total Number of questions: 80
    • Full marks: 200
    • Time: 2 hours

    Though it is qualifying in nature, it plays a crucial role in passing prelims.

    The objective of the CSAT  is to judge the aspirants on their reading, analytical & reasoning skills. 

    It proves a little challenging to many students because of its standard level.

    But, if you prepare it with a concrete strategy under the guidance of a senior IAS mentor, you can easily score 33%+. 

    CSAT Syllabus

    Reading ComprehensionComprehensionInterpersonal skillCommunication skill
    Quantitative AptitudeBasic NumeracyData Interpretation
    Logical ReasoningReasoning Analytical AbilityDecision makingProblem-solvingGeneral mental ability 

    Important Links:

    How to prepare for CSAT?

    To understand this, let’s analyze a table

    UPSC PrelimsComprehensionQuant.Logical ReasoningTotal No. Ques.
    202227351880
    202127361780
    202025401580
    201930262480
    201826312380

    Analyzing the above table we can conclude: 

    • Quantitative Aptitude has been gaining prominence over the years.
    • The number of logical reasoning is getting less.
    • The number of comprehensions is stable.

    How to deal with CSAT?

    As it’s a qualifying paper, too much time investing is not feasible.

    Prepare in any of these ways.

    • Make your quant. Strong enough. We already found that even if a student just attempts the quant section errorlessly, he/she can pass the paper easily.
    • Work on both Quantitative aptitude and Logical reasoning with the same focus if you feel a little weaker in maths. Because the reasoning questions are very easy and scoring.
    • Reading comprehension is one of the most difficult sections. If you are a master of English, you can invest time in it.

    Books and Study materials

    Online workshop on UPSC Prep Strategy

    You are doing previous question papers. And that’s appreciated. But, have you ever thought that all the aspirants are also doing the same? Then how our ‘Hall of Fame’ toppers distinguished themselves on the final merit list!

    To gain more accuracy, speed, and performance and To save time, money & energy, they used to attend Online workshops on IAS prep strategy with senior IAS mentors.

    click:- register (free) to talk with a senior ias mentor and let us plan a workable strategy for your upsc preparation

  • UPSC Previous Year Paper

    Hi Guys,

    The Hindu has acknowledged the success rate of our mentorship program

    click:- register (free) to get your personalized mentor | online workshop on ias prep strategy

    Table of content:

    What are UPSC Previous Year Paper?

    UPSC Previous year papers are those sets of questions that went before in time and order. Like all other exams, there are copies of UPSC-CSE PYQs exist. You can download PDFs of PYQs from the Civilsdaily. And analyze what types of questions are asked in Civil Service Examination.

    How many previous year papers are required?

    Previous year’s papers are the core and essence of the UPSC preparation. But, how many previous questions really play an important role!

    After mentoring 5000+ IAS aspirants, the Civilsdaily senior IAS mentors team has made a list of essential previous question papers, an IAS aspirant must do.

    UPSC prelims

    GS-1GS-2 (CSAT)
    Past 10 years’ questions are needfulPast 5 years’ questions are needful

    UPSC Mains

    EssayPrevious 5 years
    GS – IPrevious 10 years
    GS – IIPrevious 10 years
    GS – IIIPrevious 3 years
    GS – IVPrevious 6 years
    Optional SubjectPrevious 12 years

    Importance of previous questions

    From toppers to Mentors, none can deny the significance of the previous year’s question papers. They are important from different angles. 

    • Every exam is unique in itself. So, the exam patterns also differ from one another. To know the Ques. pattern, the role of PYQs is undeniable.
    • They help us know the difficulty level of the questions. And in how much depth we should maintain while preparing the subjects.
    • Previous Years’ questions let us know those pet topics of the exams. 
    • To know the dynamic trends, PYQs are incomparable.
    • PYQs work as the pieces of equipment for a fence. You can have a grip on the entire syllabus following them.

    How to do them

    If you wish to start UPSC Preparation without coaching, make previous years’ question papers your mentor.

    Read and analyze the previous years’ question papers in the following ways so that it means a lot to you.

    Previous Years’ Question Papers (UPSC Prelims)

    • Previous 10 Years Question papers of GS-1
    • Previous 5 Years Question Papers of GS-2 (CSAT – A qualifying paper)

    Now, start investing 30 days to 45 days to analyze them fully and comprehensively. 

    • Take a note of the weightage of the topic and subject-wise questions.
    • Try to comprehend how UPSC connected current affairs with static.
    • In CSAT, start solving papers one by one from the second day.
    • Try to find out offbeat questions. And the way how UPSC designed such questions.
    • Every question has its unique demand. Identify them.
    • Take a note of whether the trend of a question from a particular chapter has been going towards an easier level or a more difficult level. 
    • Always do the pet chapters in 360 degrees.

    Supplementary materials

    It’s undeniable fact that UPSC preparation starts with previous question papers but gets velocity with essential books, Daily MCQs, Test Series, Daily answer writing, etc. 

    Supplementary for Prelims

    Supplementary for Mains

    All the question papers mentioned above are co-related. If you miss one, others may not help you.

    Online Workshop on UPSC previous question papers strategy

    You are doing previous question papers. And that’s appreciated. But, have you ever thought that all the aspirants are also doing the same? Then how our ‘Hall of Fame’ toppers distinguished themselves on the final merit list!

    To gain more accuracy, speed, and performance and To save time, money & energy, they used to attend Online workshops on IAS prep strategy with senior IAS mentors.

    click:- attend online workshop with senior ias mentors on upsc preparationstrategy

  • Full form of UPSC CSE

    ‘UPSC’ stands for

    ‘Union Public Service Commission’

    ‘CSE’ stands for

    ‘Civil Services Examination’
    click:- attend online workshop on upsc cse preparation with senior ias mentors (free)

    “Dedication, Smart work, Confidence, Consistency and Personalized Mentors’ Guidance are the 5 pillars of UPSC-CSE success.”– Civilsdaily.

    Table of Content:

    What is UPSC CSE?

    The civil services examination (CSE) is a National level competitive examination. The exam is conducted by the UPSC almost every year. 

    CSE is also widely known as the IAS exam. 

    CSE is for the recruitment of bureaucrats (Civil Servants/HIgher Govt. officials) for 3 services under the Government of India 

    • All India Services
    • Group A Services or Central Services
    • Group B services or State services

    Every year millions of Indian youths start preparing for the exam. But a handful of candidates can clear the exam because it is the toughest exam in the country and is unpredictable too.

    What services are there under UPSC CSE?

    All India Services:

    • Indian Administrative Service 
    • Indian Foreign Service 
    • Indian Police Service 

    Group A Services or Central Services

    • Indian Audit and Accounts Service
    • Indian Civil Accounts Service 
    • Indian Corporate Law Service 
    • Indian Defence Accounts Service
    • Indian Defence Estates Service
    • Indian Information Service, Junior Grade
    • Indian Postal Service, Group
    • Indian P&T Accounts and Finance Service
    • Indian Railway Protection Force Service
    • Indian Revenue Service (Customs & Indirect Taxes)
    • Indian Revenue Service (Income Tax)
    • Indian Trade Service 

    Group B services or State services

    • Armed Forces Headquarters
    • Delhi, Andaman, and the Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep, Daman & Diu, and Dadra & Nagar Haveli Civil Service (DANICS)
    • Delhi, Andaman, and the Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep, Daman & Diu, and Dadra & Nagar Haveli Police Service (DANIPS).
    • Pondicherry Civil Service (PONDICS)

    UPSC-CSE Salary

    All the posts start in the level 10 pay matrix and the pay band is between Rs. 56,100 and Rs. 1,77,500.

    Eligibility:

    Nationality: 

    For the Indian Administrative Service, the Indian Foreign Service, and the Indian Police Service, a candidate must be a citizen of India. 

    (2) For other services, a candidate must be either:— 

    (a) a citizen of India or (b) a subject of Nepal 

    (c) a subject of Bhutan 

    (d) a Tibetan refugee who came over to India before 1st January 1962 intending to permanently settle in India 

    (e) a person of Indian origin who has migrated from Pakistan, Burma, Sri Lanka, East African countries of Kenya, Uganda, the United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia, Malawi, Zaire, Ethiopia, and Vietnam intending to permanently settle in India. Provided that a candidate belonging to categories (b), (c), (d) and (e) shall be a person in whose favour a certificate of eligibility has been issued by the Government of India. A candidate in whose case a certificate of eligibility is necessary may be admitted to the examination but the offer of appointment may be given only after the necessary eligibility certificate has been issued to him/her by the Government of India. 

    Minimum Educational Qualification: 

    A candidate must hold a Graduate degree from any of the Universities incorporated by an Act of the central or State Legislature in India or other educational institutions established by an Act of Parliament or declared to be deemed as a University under Section 3 of the University Grants Commission Act, 1956 or possess an equivalent qualification.

    Age: 

    (1) A candidate must have attained the age of 21 years and must not have attained the age of 32 years 

    (2) The upper age limit prescribed above will be relaxable: 

    (a) up to a maximum of five years if a candidate belongs to a Scheduled Caste or a Scheduled Tribe; 

    (b) up to a maximum of three years in the case of candidates belonging to Other Backward Classes who are eligible to avail of reservation applicable to such candidates; 

    (c) up to a maximum of three years in the case of Defence Services Personnel, disabled in operations during hostilities with any foreign country or in a disturbed area and released as a consequence thereof; 

    (d) up to a maximum of five years in the case of ex-servicemen including Commissioned Officers and Emergency Commissioned Officers (ECOs)/ Short Service Commissioned Officers (SSCOs) who have rendered at least five years of Military Service 

    (e) up to a maximum of five years in the case of ECOs/SSCOs who have completed an initial period of assignment of five years of Military Service 

    (f) up to a maximum of 10 years in the case of candidates belonging to Persons with Benchmark Disabilities (PwBD) categories viz. (i) blindness and low vision; (ii) deaf and hard of hearing; (iii) locomotor disability including cerebral palsy, leprosy cured, dwarfism, acid attack victims and muscular dystrophy; (iv) autism, intellectual disability, specific learning disability, and mental illness; (v) multiple disabilities from amongst person under clauses (i) to (iv) including deaf-blindness

    Number of Attempts: 

    Every candidate appearing at the examination, who is otherwise eligible, shall be permitted six (6) attempts at the CSE. However, relaxation in the number of attempts will be available to the SC/ST/OBC and PwBD category candidates who are otherwise eligible. The number of attempts available to such candidates as per relaxation is as under: 

    Fees: 

    Candidates (excepting Female/SC/ST/Persons with Benchmark Disability Candidates who are exempted from payment of fee) are required to pay a fee of Rs. 100/- (Rupees One Hundred only) 

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