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  • Why do Indians go abroad for medical studies?

    • According to estimates from Ukraine, reported in the media, around 18,000 Indian students are in Ukraine (before Operation Ganga).
    • Most of them are pursuing medicine.
    • This war has turned the spotlight on something that has been the trend for about three decades now.

    Preferred countries for medical degree

    • For about three decades now, Indian students have been heading out to Russia, China, Ukraine, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, and Philippines to pursue a medical degree.

    Hype of becoming a Doctor

    • Prestige: The desire to study medicine still holds a lot of value in the Indian community (the other is becoming an IAS officer).
    • Shortages of Doctor: In many rural areas, people still look at doctors as god’s incarnate.
    • Rarity of opportunity: The lack of equal opportunities exacerbated by the caste factor in the Indian context, has a great deal of impact on the prestige still associated with being a doctor.
    • Social upliftment ladder: For years, certain communities were denied the opportunities, and finally they do have a chance at achieving significant educational status.

    Why go abroad?

    • No language barrier: The medium of education for these students is English, a language they are comfortable with.
    • Affordability: The amount spent on living and the medical degree are far more affordable than paying for an MBBS seat in private medical colleges in India.
    • Aesthetics and foreign culture: People are willing to leave their home to study far away in much colder places and with completely alien cultures and food habits.
    • Practice and OPD exposure: It broadens students’ mind and thinking, expose them to a whole range of experiences, and their approach to issues and crises is likely to be far better.

    Doesn’t India have enough colleges?

    (a) More aspirants than seats

    • There are certainly far more MBBS aspirants than there are MBBS seats in India.
    • In NEET 2021, as per a National Testing Agency press release, 16.1 lakh students registered for the exam, 15.4 lakh students appeared for the test, and 8.7 lakh students qualified.
    • As per data from the National Medical Commission (NMC), in 2021-22, there were 596 medical colleges in the country with a total of 88,120 MBBS seats.
    • While the skew is in favour of Government colleges, it is not greatly so, with the number of private medical institutions nearly neck-to-neck with the state-run ones.

    (b) Fees structure

    • That means over 50% of the total seats are available at affordable fees in Government colleges.
    • Add the 50% seats in the private sector that the NMC has mandated must charge only the government college fees.
    • In fully private colleges, the full course fees range from several lakhs to crores.

    (c) Uneven distribution of colleges

    • These colleges are also not distributed evenly across the country, with States such as Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala having many more colleges.

    What about costs?

    • The cost factor on both sides of an MBBS degree is significant.
    • The costs of an MBBS degree in a Government college tot up to a few lakhs of rupees for the full course, but in a private medical college, it can go up to ₹1 crore for the five-year course.
    • In case it is a management seat, capitation fees can inflate the cost by several lakhs again.
    • Whereas, an MBBS course at any foreign medical university in the east and Eastern Europe costs far less (upto ₹30lakh-₹40 lakh).

    Way forward

    • While PM Modi emphasised that more private medical colleges must be set up in the country to aid more people to take up MBBS, medical education experts have called for pause on the aspect.
    • If the aim is to make medicine more accessible to students of the country, the path ahead is not in the private sector, but in the public sector, with the Central and State governments’ involvement.
    • Starting private medical colleges by reducing the strict standards set for establishing institutes may not actually be the solution to this problem, if we think this is a concern.

    Conclusion

    • Creating more medical colleges will be beneficial for the country, if access and availability can be ensured.
    • This will not be possible by resorting to private enterprise only.
    • The State and Central governments can start more medical colleges, as recommended by NITI Aayog, by utilising district headquarters hospitals, and expanding the infrastructure.
    • This way, students from the lower and middle socio-economic rung, who are otherwise not able to access medical seats, will also benefit.

     

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  • Highlights of the Democracy Report 2022

    A Sweden-based institute has said that India is no longer an ‘electoral democracy’, classifying the country as an ‘electoral autocracy’ instead.

    About the report

    • The study, titled ‘Democracy Report 2022: Autocratisation Changing Nature?’ states that more than twice as many countries are undergoing Autocratisation as are witnessing democratization.
    • The conceptual scheme takes into account not only the electoral dimension (free and fair elections) but also the liberal principle that democracy must protect “individual and minority rights”.
    • The V-Dem report classifies countries into four regime types based on their score in the Liberal Democratic Index (LDI):
    1. Liberal Democracy
    2. Electoral Democracy
    3. Electoral Autocracy and
    4. Closed Autocracy

    What is the report’s methodology?

    • Since key features of democracy, such as, judicial independence, are not directly measurable, and to rule out distortions due to subjective judgments, V-Dem uses aggregate expert judgments.
    • It gathers data from a pool of over 3,700 experts worldwide who provide judgments on different concepts and cases.
    • Leveraging the diverse opinions, the V-Dem’s measurement model algorithmically.

    The Liberal Democratic Index (LDI)

    • The LDI captures both liberal and electoral aspects of a democracy based on 71 indicators that make up the:
    1. Liberal Component Index (LCI): It measures aspects such as protection of individual liberties and legislative constraints on the executive.
    2. Electoral Democracy Index (EDI): It considers indicators that guarantee free and fair elections such as freedom of expression and freedom of association.
    • In addition, the LDI also uses:
    1. Egalitarian Component Index (to what extent different social groups are equal)
    2. Participatory Component Index (health of citizen groups, civil society organisations) and
    3. Deliberative Component Index (whether political decisions are taken through public reasoning focused on common good or through emotional appeals, solidarity attachments, coercion)

    Highlights of the report

    • The democratic gains of the post-Cold War period are eroding rapidly in the last few years.
    • Autocratisation is spreading rapidly, with a record of 33 countries autocratising.
    • The level of democracy enjoyed by the average global citizen in 2021 is down to 1989 levels.
    • While Sweden topped the LDI index, other Scandinavian countries such as Denmark and Norway, along with Costa Rica and New Zealand make up the top five in liberal democracy rankings.

    What does the report say about India?

    • India is one of the top ten ‘autocratisers’ in the world says the report.
    • The report classifies India as an autocracy (‘electoral autocracy’) rather than a democracy, ranking it 93rd on the liberal democracy index, out of 179 countries.
    • The report notes that India is part of a broader global trend of an anti-plural political party driving a country’s Autocratisation.
    • Ranked 93rd in the LDI, India figures in the “bottom 50%” of countries.
    • It has slipped further down in the Electoral Democracy Index, to 100, and even lower in the Deliberative Component Index, at 102.
    • In South Asia, India is ranked below Sri Lanka (88), Nepal (71), and Bhutan (65) and above Pakistan (117) in the LDI.

    Concerns raised by the report

    • (Communal) Polarisation: The report also points out that “toxic levels of polarisation contribute to electoral victories of anti-pluralist leaders and the empowerment of their autocratic agendas”.
    • Rise of political hate speeches: The report states that measures of polarisation of society, political polarisation, and political parties’ use of hate speech tend to systematically rise together to extreme levels.
    • Misinformation as a policy tool: The report identified “misinformation” as a key tool deployed by autocratising governments to sharpen polarisation and shape domestic and international opinion.
    • Repression of civil society and censorship of media: These were other favored tools of autocratising regimes.
    • Declining autonomy of Election bodies: The report also found that decisive autonomy for the electoral management body (EMB) deteriorated in 25 countries.

    Note: The west uses every nook and corner to bully India in all walks of life. This report is an evidence. It ranks India as more autocratic than Pakistan (where democracy is a namesake joke). Credibility of such reports are definitely questionable. But we as an aspirant have to take cognisance of such reports (but not very seriously).

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  • FATF retains Pakistan on its terror funding ‘Grey List’

    The global money laundering and terrorist financing watchdog Financial Action Task Force (FATF) has retained Pakistan on its terrorism financing “grey list”.

    What is the FATF?

    • FATF is an intergovernmental organization founded in 1989 on the initiative of the G7 to develop policies to combat money laundering.
    • The FATF Secretariat is housed at the OECD headquarters in Paris.
    • It holds three Plenary meetings in the course of each of its 12-month rotating presidencies.
    • As of 2019, FATF consisted of 37 member jurisdictions.

    India and FATF

    • India became an Observer at FATF in 2006. Since then, it had been working towards full-fledged membership.
    • On June 25, 2010, India was taken in as the 34th country member of FATF.
    • The EAG (Eurasian Group) is a regional body comprising nine countries: India, Russia, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Belarus.

    What is the role of FATF?

    • Watchdog on terror financing: The rise of the global economy and international trade has given rise to financial crimes such as money laundering.
    • Recommendation against financial crimes: The FATF makes recommendations for combating financial crime, reviews members’ policies and procedures, and seeks to increase acceptance of anti-money laundering regulations across the globe.

    What is the Black List and the Grey List?

    • Black List: The blacklist, now called the “Call for action” was the common shorthand description for the FATF list of “Non-Cooperative Countries or Territories” (NCCTs).
    • Grey List: Countries that are considered safe haven for supporting terror funding and money laundering are put in the FATF grey list. This inclusion serves as a warning to the country that it may enter the blacklist.

    Consequences of being in the FATF black list:

    • Economic sanctions from IMF, World Bank, ADB
    • Problem in getting loans from IMF, World Bank, ADB and other countries
    • Trade sanctions: Reduction in international trade
    • International boycott

    Pakistan and FATF

    • Pakistan, which continues to remain on the “grey list” of FATF, had earlier been given the deadline till June to ensure compliance with the 27-point action plan against terror funding networks.
    • It has been under the FATF’s scanner since June 2018, when it was put on the Grey List for terror financing and money laundering risks.
    • FATF and its partners such as the Asia Pacific Group (APG) are reviewing Pakistan’s processes, systems, and weaknesses on the basis of a standard matrix for anti-money laundering (AML) and combating the financing of terrorism (CFT) regime.

     

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  • Tiger Density in India

    Preliminary findings of a study by the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) suggest that the density of tigers in the Sunderbans may have reached the carrying capacity of the mangrove forests, leading to frequent dispersals and a surge in human-wildlife conflict.

    Tiger Density of India

    • In the Terai and Shivalik hills habitat — think Corbett tiger reserve, for example — 10-16 tigers can survive in 100 sq km.
    • This slides to 7-11 tigers per 100 sq km in the reserves of north-central Western Ghats such as Bandipur, and to 6-10 tigers per 100 sq km in the dry deciduous forests, such as Kanha, of central India.
    • The correlation between prey availability and tiger density is fairly established.
    • There is even a simple linear regression explaining the relationship in the 2018 All-India Tiger report that put the carrying capacity in the Sunderbans “at around 4 tigers” per 100 sq km.
    • A joint Indo-Bangla study in 2015 pegged the tiger density at 2.85 per 100 sq km after surveying eight blocks spanning 2,913 sq km across the international borders in the Sunderbans.

    Conflict: cause or effect

    • The consequence, as classical theories go, is frequent dispersal of tigers leading to higher levels of human-wildlife conflict in the reserve peripheries.
    • Physical (space) and biological (forest productivity) factors have an obvious influence on a reserve’s carrying capacity of tigers.
    • What also plays a crucial role is how the dispersal of wildlife is tolerated by people — from the locals who live around them to policymakers who decide management strategies.
    • More so when different land uses overlap and a good number of people depend on forest resources for livelihood.

    Why tiger corridors are not a solution?

    • But though vital for genes to travel and avoid a population bottleneck, wildlife corridors may not be the one-stop solution for conflict.
    • First, not all dispersing tigers will chance upon corridors simply because many will find territories of other tigers between them and such openings.
    • Even the lucky few that may take those routes are likely to wander to the forest edges along the way.
    • Worse, the corridors may not lead to viable forests in reserves such as Sunderbans, bounded by the sea and villages.

    Way ahead

    • Artificially boosting the prey base in a reserve is often an intuitive solution but it can be counter-productive.
    • To harness the umbrella effect of tigers for biodiversity conservation, it is more beneficial to increase areas occupied by tigers.
    • For many, the prescription is to create safe connectivity among forests and allow tigers to disperse safely to new areas.

    Try this PYQ from CSP 2020:

    Q.Among the following Tiger Reserves, which one has the largest area under “Critical Tiger Habitat” ?

    (a) Corbett

    (b) Ranthambore

    (c) Nagarjunasagar- Srisailam

    (d) Sunderbans

     

    Post your answers here.

     

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  • Ex Vayu Shakti 2022

    The Indian Air Force (IAF) has decided to postpone its firepower demonstration, Ex Vayu Shakti, scheduled in the Pokhran ranges in Rajasthan.

    Exercise Vayu Shakti

    • It is conducted once in three years which is participated by fighters, helicopters, force enablers and support systems.
    • The aim of the exercise is to detect and identify targets and neutralise them in day, dusk and night capability demonstrations.
    • The Indian Air Force showcases repower capability of indigenously developed aircrafts and its missile arsenal in this exercise.
    • Fighter aircraft including Jaguar, Rafale, Sukhoi-30, MIG-29, light combat aircraft Tejas, MIG-21 Bison, Hawk 32, M200 participates in the exercise.

    Also read

    Various Defence Exercises in News

     

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  • [Sansad TV] Perspective: Cost of Free Power

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    Context

    • Ongoing assembly elections in five states have seen a flurry of promises from political parties.
    • The prominent one amongst these is the promise of free or subsidised power for farmers and domestic consumers.

    Also read:

    [Sansad TV] Mudda Aapla: Culture of Freebies

    The Lure of Free Electricity

    • Free or subsidized power to farmers (sometimes accompanied to the farm loan waiver) is present in election manifestos of each political parties during elections.
    • According to a report:
      1. Free power to farmers accounts for 70% of total subsidies.
      2. Free power to the Scheduled Caste, backward caste and BPL families contribute 14%.
      3. Subsidized power to industrial consumers constitutes 16% of total subsidies. 

    Why free electricity is an issue?

    • Cost bared by the States: The entire cost of electricity that includes the cost of production, the purchase price of power, the cost of distribution and collection is bound by the state government.
    • Burden on exchequer: Due to free power in Delhi, the total state subsidy amounts to 11% of the total expenses.
    • States incapacity to pay back: The State governments have to reimburse the Discoms, but given the financial state of the governments, they either defer the payments or delay the payments.
    • DISCOM failure due to poor finances: As the Discoms suffer from financial shortage their ability to provide service is affected, especially in rural and far-flung areas.
    • Shortage and outages: This is a key reason for the limited electrification of the industrial and commercial sectors.

    Necessity check

    • Unaffordability: Providing subsidised low tariffs for small consumers is necessary, considering the rising costs of the electricity supply.
    • Relief in distress: Free or low-tariff power is at best a short-term relief, which should be provided to those who desperately need it.

    Long term impact

    Free power distorts demand, discourages efficient use and resource management.

    • Impact on power generation: This makes Discoms unable to pay the generators who are dependent on these finances for the procurement of coal.
    • Financial burden on end-customers: It leads to industrial and commercial consumers paying cross-subsidy in terms of higher power tariffs to compensate for the under-recoveries of Discoms.
    • Burden on Banks: Banks are also affected as power generators can’t pay the interest due to which the costs of borrowing also increases.
    • Tariff Issues: The high tariff also makes the states and the country uncompetitive against the other countries in the global market.
    • Ignorance to critical issues: The financial implications are immense, undermining a state’s ability to provide critical services such as health, education and basic infrastructure.

    Consequences of free power

    The free/subsidized power supply is provided for improving the financial condition of farmers. However, this has led to certain dysfunctions:

    • Overuse of Power and Wastage
    • Wastage of water through overt irrigation
    • Land degradation due to Water Logging
    • Such cultivation often leads to Crop Failure

    Giving free power imposes intergenerational costs in terms of exacerbating water scarcity and deterioration of air quality.

    Policy alternatives: PM-KUSUM

    • Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthan Mahabhiyan (PM-KUSUM) is an Indian central government-sponsored scheme led by MNRE.
    • The PM-KUSUM scheme helps Indian farmers in installing solar pumps as well as solar power plants in India.
    • Under KUSUM yojana, you will have to bear only 10% of the total cost. The remaining 30% will be provided by the central government and 30% by the state government as solar pump subsidies.
    • In that way, you’ll receive a total 60% subsidy on your solar water pump. The remaining 30% will be financed.

    Way forward

    • DBT: Eschewing free power is not anti-poor. Electricity-poor households can be supported through direct benefit transfers or prepaid meters.
    • Cap on usage:  The subsidies should be given for a limited number of units and be given in increasing slabs to avoid overconsumption and wastage.
    • Subsidization: Currently, the subsidies are also extended to the large cultivators who grow cash crops, vineyards, sugarcane and make huge profits.
    • Concessional tariffs: Fixing concessional tariffs (not below 50% of the discom’s average cost of supply) for consumers with monthly consumption below 50 kWh and connected load up to 1 kW.   
    • Extensive eligibility: Rather than giving the subsidy to the discoms, the expert group proposed the subsidy be paid as a direct benefit transfer to eligible consumers.
    • Feeder separation: Separation of agricultural meters from non-agricultural meters should be implemented throughout the country.

    Conclusion

    • India needs greater electrification of its economy. It must create the conditions that encourage this.
    • The reckless and indiscriminate promise of free power prevents that transition.

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  • Super-25: 90 days Strategic Study Plan for 25 Chosen Students Appearing in Prelims 2022 ||Aim Everyday for 100+ in Prelims with 2 Veteran UPSC Mentors Giving You 1-1 Guidance|| Popular Prelims Program with 70% Success Rate,Over 100 Tests, Weekly Value Added Notes, 1.5 years of Current Affairs Coverage through Live Classes

    talk to us before enrolling in super-25 prelims program
    click here for samples of prelims 2021 test paper, discussions & notes
    check here for the full timetable OF SMASH PRELIMS super 25

    Smash Prelims Super-25 Program is back after a thumping success in Prelims 2021. Out of 25 students Santosh sir has mentored, 15 have cleared prelims this time. Our students were kind enough to take time out of their hectic Mains preparation and let us know how Santosh sir’s mentorship benefitted them in the exams. We wish them all the very best for the upcoming Mains exam from 7th January onwards!

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    Why Your Focus for Next 3 Months Must be About Scoring Above Cut-Off Marks in UPSC-CSE Prelims? Isn’t the last 1 Month Enough for This?

    register here to enroll to Super-25 PROGRAM
    REGISTER HERE to get a call before enrolling in super-25 PRELIMS 2022 PROGRAM
    CHECK HERE FOR PRELIMS TIMETABLE -Super-25

    Every year, the competition for UPSC-CSE is increasing while vacancies are decreasing drastically. This year there are only 712 vacancies as against 2019 which had 927 vacancies. However, atleast 10 lakh students will attempt the prelims exam. This is why right now, it’s important to start having an Olympic Athlete mindset. You need to daily focus on scoring above the cut-off marks in your test series.

    Civilsdaily Student and 2019 UPSC-CSE AIR 8 Topper Abhishek Saraf had practiced nearly 6000+ MCQs under us to clear prelims!

    What makes prelims tough? It’s because the paper is unpredictable. If this year, science questions are a breeze then the next year you will have to answer advanced concept-based questions. Unlike Mains, Prelims has negative markings.

    Toppers like Pranav Vijayvergiya (AIR 65) and Swati Sharma (AIR 17) have found Prelims to be tougher than Mains. In fact, Pranav failed to clear Prelims thrice. But, in his fourth attempt he took Civilsdaily mentorship and cleared Prelims, Mains and Interview in one shot!

    Are you feeling low that you are unable to get the required cut-off marks in your test series. Worry not, for about 65% of the UPSC toppers have said that they scored below cut-off marks till December. But by June, they were able to boost their marks to get through the prelims hurdle. It’s time to be like them now.

    One has to be good at elimination methods to choose the right option amongst two similar ones. Our Smash Prelims Super-25 Program started as a pilot project last year with an aim to introduce step-wise improvement in our chosen 25 aspirants. Over a period of 2 months, Santhosh sir inculcated confidence in aspirants who were either newbies or gave too many attempts. This year, we achieved a remarkable 60% success ratio. Next year, we have set our eyes on 100%. Yes, we are ambitious and aspirational just like any other UPSC aspirant.

    How will Super-25 Program be structured?

    We have neither diluted the criteria for selecting aspirants nor the core strategy. Infact, this year Super-25 will be a more effective version of last year. 

    Four Pillars of Super- 25 Program

    1. It is mentorship led test series and value addition program over 90 days. 
    1. Two-Tier Mentorship: You will have one dedicated mentor during the entire journey, while Santosh Gupta sir will be strategic mentor. Santosh sir will take strategic mentoring calls twice in a week. It would ensure that you do not fall back at any cost and benefit from the experience of two mentors who have cleared the exam 6 times. We will ensure that you achieve not your weekly targets but the target of clearing prelims. 
    1. Number of tests: 60 practice tests (50 questions) + 40 Full length tests ( 12 Basic + 6 advanced + 10 Current affairs test + 8 FLTs+ 4 CSATs) . It means everyday you can give a test. With this, we will ensure that you revise your syllabus 3 times in three months at least. 
    1. Current affairs: Entire Current affairs of 1.5 years ( Jan 2021 – April 2022) will be covered by Core faculty, comprising of Santosh sir, Sajal sir, Sudhanshu sir, Birendra sir and Sukanya Ma’am. You will learn how to link current affairs with static topics on the go.
    1. Strategic Value Addition Sessions: They say that a woodcutter sharpens his axe for 8 hours to cut 1 tree. This is the most popular session aroun taken by Santosh Gupta sir to enrich your knowledge base and analytical ability. 

    Approach of Super-25

    1. Keyword approach to revise syllabus of 1 subject in 2-3 hours.

    2. Focus on FCE approach ( Factual, Conceptual and Elimination ) to enhance your score.

    3. Critical gap filling sessions and notes, learning to link static with current affairs and vice versa.

    4. Evidence based questions to ensure 360 degree testing.

    5. Weekly monitoring of targets by dedicated mentor and your strategic mentor Santosh Gupta.  

    How Super- 25 will help you

    1. Setting a clear strategy for the next 90 days to get 120+ score in Prelims.

    2. Revising the whole syllabus in an effective manner.

    2. Filling critical gaps in preparation.

    4. Practice tests to enhance your chances of qualifying prelims.

    5. Covering the entire current affairs from a prelims perspective.

    Who can be part of Super-25?

    1. Only those who are struck in the range of 80-90 marks in last 2-3 attempts and are desperate to write mains.

    2. Those who have given prelims at least once.

    3. Those willing to give 100% or nothing less. 

    There are no secrets to success, it is a result of preparation, hard work and learning from failure. Are you willing to learn from failures? Let’s start together. 

    register here to clear your doubts before enrolling to Super-25 PROGRAM
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    Self Preparation with Mentorship: What do Civilsdaily Students think of Santosh Sir’s Mentorship for UPSC-CSE Prelims?

    Santhosh Sir, Core Civilsdaily Mentor. He has attended Interview Thrice & Cleared Prelims 6/6 times with above 145 marks.

    We asked Santosh sir’s students about their opinion on mentorship — if it was something that saved their time or wasted their time in studies and this is what they had to say:

    Kamini: “If I can say in one word, then Santosh sir’s mentorship is unique. Before I joined his program, I used to score 90 marks in Full Length Test Series. Santhosh sir had done in depth analysis of my test papers and suggested ways to reduce the negatives. Right now I am able to score 100+ in advanced test series of not only Civilsdaily but other institutes. He is always available to clear my doubts and solve my issues on call or phone. No issue is too big enough for Santosh sir. He has always told me after you finish a test series, read the same topics again and take another test series the same day to see if your marks improve. From Santosh sir’s polity and economic survey notes, we got questions in 2021 Prelims. I always feel its better to do self studies with mentorship than join coaching institutes and get spoon fed with information.”

    Read other testimonials of santosh sir’s mentorship

    Sweetie Raj: “I am a banking professional, living with a joint family. Attending coaching classes is out of question because I won’t have time to read the books myself. Santosh sir helps me self-study by providing me mentorship daily. I study daily from 9PM to 3AM. Santosh sir has been available for 1 hour strategy calls even during this time. No other teacher would have wanted me to succeed as much as he wants me to. I can understand concepts by myself and don’t need help in that. I want someone who pushes me to complete the target modules, checks if I did my mains answer writing for the day and analyses the previous year question papers with me. Because of Santosh sir, I understood that its just not enough reading one book but at the same time I dont have to waste time reading many books. He tells me the topic-wise sources to refer. Also he has designed a study plan for me that I can follow every week. Once, I told Santhosh sir I was missing test series discussion classes as it was conducted at 7PM. Immediately, he provided me recorded videos and kept the session at 8.30PM.”

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    check here for full super-25 prelims 2022 timetable

    Samples From Smash Super-25 Program

    Sample 1-on-1 Mentorship for Smash Prelims
    Sample 1-on-1 Test Discussion on Google Meet
    Sample Notes
    Sample Test Series
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    Sample classes on CSAT & Topic Wise Analysis
    https://youtu.be/OcGSeXe31ek
    Sample Notes & Handout Material
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    Click here to enroll in Super-25 PROGRAM

    Toppers’ Speak: How Civilsdaily Mentorship Helped Me Clear UPSC?

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DSwO38weHAA

    About Santosh Gupta Sir

    Santosh sir has scored above 140 twice in UPSC prelims and 120 plus in all 6 attempts. He has written all 6 mains and has appeared for Interviews 3 times. He has qualified UPSC EPFO and BPSC 56-59th also. As the Prelims coordinator at Civilsdaily, he has helped 15 out of 25 students clear the prelims examination this year.

    REGISTER HERE FOR DOUBTS REGARDING PRELIMS super-25 PROGRAM

  • Super-25: 90 days Strategic Study Plan for 25 Chosen Students Appearing in Prelims 2022 ||Aim Everyday for 100+ in Prelims with 2 Veteran UPSC Mentors Giving You 1-1 Guidance|| Popular Prelims Program with 70% Success Rate,Over 100 Tests, Weekly Value Added Notes, 1.5 years of Current Affairs Coverage through Live Classes

    talk to us before enrolling in super-25 prelims program
    click here for samples of prelims 2021 test paper, discussions & notes
    check here for the full timetable OF SMASH PRELIMS super 25

    Smash Prelims Super-25 Program is back after a thumping success in Prelims 2021. Out of 25 students Santosh sir has mentored, 15 have cleared prelims this time. Our students were kind enough to take time out of their hectic Mains preparation and let us know how Santosh sir’s mentorship benefitted them in the exams. We wish them all the very best for the upcoming Mains exam from 7th January onwards!

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    Why Your Focus for Next 3 Months Must be About Scoring Above Cut-Off Marks in UPSC-CSE Prelims? Isn’t the last 1 Month Enough for This?

    register here to enroll to Super-25 PROGRAM
    REGISTER HERE to get a call before enrolling in super-25 PRELIMS 2022 PROGRAM
    CHECK HERE FOR PRELIMS TIMETABLE -Super-25

    Every year, the competition for UPSC-CSE is increasing while vacancies are decreasing drastically. This year there are only 712 vacancies as against 2019 which had 927 vacancies. However, atleast 10 lakh students will attempt the prelims exam. This is why right now, it’s important to start having an Olympic Athlete mindset. You need to daily focus on scoring above the cut-off marks in your test series.

    Civilsdaily Student and 2019 UPSC-CSE AIR 8 Topper Abhishek Saraf had practiced nearly 6000+ MCQs under us to clear prelims!

    What makes prelims tough? It’s because the paper is unpredictable. If this year, science questions are a breeze then the next year you will have to answer advanced concept-based questions. Unlike Mains, Prelims has negative markings.

    Toppers like Pranav Vijayvergiya (AIR 65) and Swati Sharma (AIR 17) have found Prelims to be tougher than Mains. In fact, Pranav failed to clear Prelims thrice. But, in his fourth attempt he took Civilsdaily mentorship and cleared Prelims, Mains and Interview in one shot!

    Are you feeling low that you are unable to get the required cut-off marks in your test series. Worry not, for about 65% of the UPSC toppers have said that they scored below cut-off marks till December. But by June, they were able to boost their marks to get through the prelims hurdle. It’s time to be like them now.

    One has to be good at elimination methods to choose the right option amongst two similar ones. Our Smash Prelims Super-25 Program started as a pilot project last year with an aim to introduce step-wise improvement in our chosen 25 aspirants. Over a period of 2 months, Santhosh sir inculcated confidence in aspirants who were either newbies or gave too many attempts. This year, we achieved a remarkable 60% success ratio. Next year, we have set our eyes on 100%. Yes, we are ambitious and aspirational just like any other UPSC aspirant.

    How will Super-25 Program be structured?

    We have neither diluted the criteria for selecting aspirants nor the core strategy. Infact, this year Super-25 will be a more effective version of last year. 

    Four Pillars of Super- 25 Program

    1. It is mentorship led test series and value addition program over 90 days. 
    1. Two-Tier Mentorship: You will have one dedicated mentor during the entire journey, while Santosh Gupta sir will be strategic mentor. Santosh sir will take strategic mentoring calls twice in a week. It would ensure that you do not fall back at any cost and benefit from the experience of two mentors who have cleared the exam 6 times. We will ensure that you achieve not your weekly targets but the target of clearing prelims. 
    1. Number of tests: 60 practice tests (50 questions) + 40 Full length tests ( 12 Basic + 6 advanced + 10 Current affairs test + 8 FLTs+ 4 CSATs) . It means everyday you can give a test. With this, we will ensure that you revise your syllabus 3 times in three months at least. 
    1. Current affairs: Entire Current affairs of 1.5 years ( Jan 2021 – April 2022) will be covered by Core faculty, comprising of Santosh sir, Sajal sir, Sudhanshu sir, Birendra sir and Sukanya Ma’am. You will learn how to link current affairs with static topics on the go.
    1. Strategic Value Addition Sessions: They say that a woodcutter sharpens his axe for 8 hours to cut 1 tree. This is the most popular session aroun taken by Santosh Gupta sir to enrich your knowledge base and analytical ability. 

    Approach of Super-25

    1. Keyword approach to revise syllabus of 1 subject in 2-3 hours.

    2. Focus on FCE approach ( Factual, Conceptual and Elimination ) to enhance your score.

    3. Critical gap filling sessions and notes, learning to link static with current affairs and vice versa.

    4. Evidence based questions to ensure 360 degree testing.

    5. Weekly monitoring of targets by dedicated mentor and your strategic mentor Santosh Gupta.  

    How Super- 25 will help you

    1. Setting a clear strategy for the next 90 days to get 120+ score in Prelims.

    2. Revising the whole syllabus in an effective manner.

    2. Filling critical gaps in preparation.

    4. Practice tests to enhance your chances of qualifying prelims.

    5. Covering the entire current affairs from a prelims perspective.

    Who can be part of Super-25?

    1. Only those who are struck in the range of 80-90 marks in last 2-3 attempts and are desperate to write mains.

    2. Those who have given prelims at least once.

    3. Those willing to give 100% or nothing less. 

    There are no secrets to success, it is a result of preparation, hard work and learning from failure. Are you willing to learn from failures? Let’s start together. 

    register here to clear your doubts before enrolling to Super-25 PROGRAM
    check here for super-25 prelims schedule

    Click here to enroll In Super-25 PROGRAM
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    Self Preparation with Mentorship: What do Civilsdaily Students think of Santosh Sir’s Mentorship for UPSC-CSE Prelims?

    Santhosh Sir, Core Civilsdaily Mentor. He has attended Interview Thrice & Cleared Prelims 6/6 times with above 145 marks.

    We asked Santosh sir’s students about their opinion on mentorship — if it was something that saved their time or wasted their time in studies and this is what they had to say:

    Kamini: “If I can say in one word, then Santosh sir’s mentorship is unique. Before I joined his program, I used to score 90 marks in Full Length Test Series. Santhosh sir had done in depth analysis of my test papers and suggested ways to reduce the negatives. Right now I am able to score 100+ in advanced test series of not only Civilsdaily but other institutes. He is always available to clear my doubts and solve my issues on call or phone. No issue is too big enough for Santosh sir. He has always told me after you finish a test series, read the same topics again and take another test series the same day to see if your marks improve. From Santosh sir’s polity and economic survey notes, we got questions in 2021 Prelims. I always feel its better to do self studies with mentorship than join coaching institutes and get spoon fed with information.”

    Read other testimonials of santosh sir’s mentorship

    Sweetie Raj: “I am a banking professional, living with a joint family. Attending coaching classes is out of question because I won’t have time to read the books myself. Santosh sir helps me self-study by providing me mentorship daily. I study daily from 9PM to 3AM. Santosh sir has been available for 1 hour strategy calls even during this time. No other teacher would have wanted me to succeed as much as he wants me to. I can understand concepts by myself and don’t need help in that. I want someone who pushes me to complete the target modules, checks if I did my mains answer writing for the day and analyses the previous year question papers with me. Because of Santosh sir, I understood that its just not enough reading one book but at the same time I dont have to waste time reading many books. He tells me the topic-wise sources to refer. Also he has designed a study plan for me that I can follow every week. Once, I told Santhosh sir I was missing test series discussion classes as it was conducted at 7PM. Immediately, he provided me recorded videos and kept the session at 8.30PM.”

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    check here for full super-25 prelims 2022 timetable

    Samples From Smash Super-25 Program

    Sample 1-on-1 Mentorship for Smash Prelims
    Sample 1-on-1 Test Discussion on Google Meet
    Sample Notes
    Sample Test Series
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    Sample classes on CSAT & Topic Wise Analysis
    https://youtu.be/OcGSeXe31ek
    Sample Notes & Handout Material
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    click here for smash prelims super-25 sample handout notes
    click here to for doubts regarding smash prelims super-25
    Click here to enroll in Super-25 PROGRAM

    Toppers’ Speak: How Civilsdaily Mentorship Helped Me Clear UPSC?

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DSwO38weHAA

    About Santosh Gupta Sir

    Santosh sir has scored above 140 twice in UPSC prelims and 120 plus in all 6 attempts. He has written all 6 mains and has appeared for Interviews 3 times. He has qualified UPSC EPFO and BPSC 56-59th also. As the Prelims coordinator at Civilsdaily, he has helped 15 out of 25 students clear the prelims examination this year.

    REGISTER HERE FOR DOUBTS REGARDING PRELIMS super-25 PROGRAM

  • Starting Today @ 7PM, Registrations Closing in 3Hrs|| Target 2023: How to Balance Prelims and Mains Preparation In The Beginning Itself?|| How to Squeeze in Time for Mains if You are a UPSC 2022 Aspirant?|| Free Live Webinar by Civilsdaily Mains Guidance Head Sukanya Rana Ma’am|| Limited Slots Available, Register Now

    Starting Today @ 7PM, Registrations Closing in 3Hrs|| Target 2023: How to Balance Prelims and Mains Preparation In The Beginning Itself?|| How to Squeeze in Time for Mains if You are a UPSC 2022 Aspirant?|| Free Live Webinar by Civilsdaily Mains Guidance Head Sukanya Rana Ma’am|| Limited Slots Available, Register Now

    register for free live webinar by sukanya rana ma’am

    Many of you right now are planning to start prelims preparation from a clean slate. But as you pick a book and complete a chapter, you are bothered by a confusion — should I study for Mains or Prelims right now?

    Since, Prelims is the first exam of UPSC, logically it should be given the first preference. However, the marks you get in prelims are only qualifying by nature and will not be considered for your final ranking by default. At the same time, Prelims exam is known to have trickier questions than Mains or Interview. Hence one cannot postpone this preparation at a later stage.

    UPSC Mains on the other hand is conducted 3 months after Prelims results are announced. If you qualify the Mains exam in 2023, you cannot prepare the vast syllabus of 9 papers in just 3 months. Marks obtained in the Optional Subject rescues you if you happen to score low in other GS Papers or in the personality round. This is why you need to prepare for your Optional Subject from the first month itself.

    75% of UPSC Toppers in 2020 have attributed a Prelims-Mains integrated approach of study as the reason for their success

    The best solution would be to study for both Prelims and Mains at the outset. But the nagging question is — HOW?

    Open to All, Free Live Webinar by Sukanya Rana Ma’am on Prelims-Mains Preparation

    Adopting an integrated study approach for prelims and mains is easier said than done for aspirants who are studying without any coaching. Mains have extra topics for the same subject you study for prelims. Focus on current affairs sees a sea change when you shift from Prelims to Mains.

    register for free live webinar by sukanya rana ma’am

    This is why you need a veteran mentor to take you through every step of the preparation, while clearing your doubts. Sukanya Rana Ma’am will exactly do this coming Saturday in her free live webinar.

    Sukanya ma’am has the experience of 4 mains and 2 interviews in UPSC. She has also appeared in the State PCS interview. Before being a mentor at Civilsdaily, she worked as an officer in a public sector bank. Sukanya Rana Ma’am is passionate about guiding future officers in finding success.

    As an aspirant, she consistently scored 100+ marks in Ethics paper. Notably, in 2019 her marks were 140 in GS 4. Under her mentorship, many Smash Mains 2020 students were able to secure 110+ marks.

    Now, as a mentor she is garnering positive reviews from our Civilsdaily students. Students have always felt she helped them score above 100+ marks in Mains exams. Below are certain testimonials from them —

    What Will You Learn in This Free Live Webinar by Sukanya Rana Ma’am?

    1. What are the different approaches in Prelims and Mains Preparation? Start studying the priority focus topics of Prelims and Mains as a 2023 aspirant.

    2. How should UPSC 2022 aspirants focus on mains answer writing when prelims is just 90 days away? Managing time without feeling the stress.

    3. What should the timetable of UPSC 2023 aspirant look like? 3 different strategies for working professionals, college students and full timers.

    4. How many months should be dedicated to prelims? How much time should be given to the optional subjects?

    5. How to revise previous day’s topics and make time for new topics? Sukanya Ma’am answers from her personal experience.

    Webinar Details

    All aspirants are welcome to interact with Sukanya Ma’am and clear their doubts and get their preparation mistakes corrected in the Q&A session. This webinar is absolutely free and only requires prior registration.

    Date: 5 th February (Saturday)

    Time: 7 P.M

    register here for free live webinar by sukanya rana ma’am

  • Missed Prelims Open Test? || Fret Not, You Can Retake The Test Again || Nikaalo Prelims Free Test Live Now- Roll Up Your Sleeves & Pull Up Your Socks! || All Participants Stand a Chance to Gain Free Guidance for Next 90 Days Revision Plan After Test|| Hurry Up & Enroll Now

    REGISTER HERE FOR NIKAALO PRELIMS OPEN TEST
    REGISTER HERE IF YOU WANT 1-1 MENTORSHIP AFTER THE OPEN PRELIMS TEST SERIES

    Before taking the prelims exam, it’s always better to try the mock tests of various institutes to evaluate your level of understanding and knowledge. Once you know the weak spots, you can spend the rest of the 90 days in revising them

    What Must a Quality Prelims Test Have?

    A quality mock test wiill highlight your shortcomings in all the areas.

    We at Civilsdaily understand the nuances of setting a paper. Through five cases explaining five questions, we’ll try to give you an idea about the varied difficulty level of prelims questions.

    These questions have been taken from the first test of Nikaalo Prelims All India Open Mock Test 2020 about Government Schemes and Policies.   

    REGISTER HERE FOR NIKAALO PRELIMS OPEN TEST
    REGISTER HERE IF YOU WANT 1-1 MENTORSHIP AFTER THE OPEN PRELIMS TEST SERIES

    (First test to go live on 4th March 2022 @ 9:30 a.m.)

    CASE 1 – The oldest trick in the book. 

    Deliberately changing names to confuse you. Be it schemes or concepts. UPSC is well known to flip names of similar-sounding schemes and concepts. Look at this question. 

    Ques. Which of the following are the result areas of  STRIVE

    1. Improved performance of ITI.
    2. Improved and Broadened Apprenticeship Training.
    3. India International Skill Centers 

    Select the  correct answer from the  codes given below:

    a. 1 and 2 only

    b. 2 and 3 only

    c. 1 and 3 only

    d. 1 only

    Correct answer- 1 and 2 only

    In the above question, STRIVE has been used for SANKALP.  Both of them were announced at the same time for boosting Skill India Mission. It is very easy to get confused mark a wrong answer.

    CASE 2: Misleading names

    A lot of times especially in match the following type of questions misleading names are used.

    Ques. Consider the following pairs:

       Schemes                          Objectives

    1. NIDHI: nurturing ideas and innovations into successful startups.
    2. SATYAM: rejuvenate research in yoga and meditation.
    3. MANAK: to help build a critical human resource pool for strengthening and increasing the research & development base.

    Which of the pairs given above are correctly matched?

    a. 1 and 2 only

    b. 2 and 3 only

    c. 1 and 2 only

    d. 1, 2 and 3

    Correct answer: 1, 2 and 3

    Misleading yet important names of initiatives under Ministry of Science and Technology have been used here. All pairs are correctly matched but it is very easy to get confused. 

    CASE 3: Are you rooted in society?

    UPSC has been playing with the expenditure figures and other such facts. It is done not only for the sole reason of checking your rote memory, but the ability to think in-depth about the issues faced by various sections. 

    Ques. With reference to ‘Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthaan Mahabhiyan (KUSUM) Scheme’, consider the following statements:

    1. The scheme provides for the installation of grid-connected solar power plants each of capacity up to 2 MW in the rural areas.
    2. The farmers will have to spend 50% of the total expenditure to acquire and install solar pumps.

    Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

    a. 1 only

    b. 2 only

    c. Both 1 and 2

    d. Neither 1 nor 2

    Correct answer: 1 only

    A very important scheme. The farmers have to tolerate only 10% of the total expenditure to acquire and install solar pumps. The Central Govt. will provide 60% cost while the remaining 30% will be taken care of by bank as credit. One must understand the inability of Indian farmers to spend 50% on solar pumps. This would have helped in eliminating options also.

    CASE 4: Going international.

    International collaboration and aid in our schemes and policies are relevant. If you ever read about them, know that the issue is of critical importance for the government and society.

    Ques. With reference to Atal Bhujal Yojana, consider the following statements:

    1. It is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme with funding pattern of 50:50 between Government of India and states.
    2. This scheme is approved by the World Bank.

    Which of the following statements given above is/are correct?

    a. 1 only

    b. 2 only

    c. Both 1 and 2

    d. Neither 1 nor 2

    Correct answer: 2 only

    Here the Government of India’s collaboration with World Bank makes it important. Half of the financial contribution is from the World Bank in this initiative.

    Students must not ignore the contribution of international institutions especially if it is of such overwhelming nature.

    CASE 5: Core of the core

    You should be able to remember the bare minimum. There is no other way in such questions. You either know them or you don’t.

    Ques. Which of the following are the components of the National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP)?

    1. National Family Benefit Scheme (NFBS) 
    2. Annapurna.
    3. Indira Gandhi National Widow Pension Scheme (IGNWPS)

    Select the correct answer from the codes given below:

    a. 1 and 3

    b. 2 and 3

    c. 3 only

    d. 1, 2, and 3

    Correct answer: 1, 2 and 3

    The National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP) which came into effect from 15th August 1995, represents a significant step towards the fulfilment of the Directive Principles in Article 41 of the Constitution.

    It is a very important scheme under Ministry of Rural Development. Students are supposed to do flagship schemes of various ministries.

    REGISTER HERE FOR NIKAALO PRELIMS OPEN TEST
    REGISTER HERE IF YOU WANT 1-1 MENTORSHIP AFTER THE OPEN PRELIMS TEST SERIES

    Get ready to challenge yourself on 4th March 2022. Register for the second edition of Nikaalo Prelims Open Mock Test now.

    After the exam, CD Mentors will discuss the solutions of the questions on the Nikaalo Prelims telegram group(click to join)

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