💥UPSC 2027,2028 Mentorship (April Batch) + Access XFactor Notes & Microthemes PDF

Search results for: “”

  • Starting in 1 Hour, Registration Closing Soon|| How to Tackle Static Questions based on Current Affairs in Prelims 2022? || Free Live Webinar by Prelims Topper & UPSC Mentor Santosh Sir who Scored 145+ six times|| Limited Slots, Register Now

    Starting in 1 Hour, Registration Closing Soon|| How to Tackle Static Questions based on Current Affairs in Prelims 2022? || Free Live Webinar by Prelims Topper & UPSC Mentor Santosh Sir who Scored 145+ six times|| Limited Slots, Register Now

    Many experts would like to say that the weightage of Current affairs in prelims has declined since 2018. The truth is far from true. Current Affairs has been revived and is now included in questions from static syllabus topics. This approach has given rise to questions with more analytical dimensions that are thought oriented. 

    You might be reading a question and trying to remember it from a book, when it’s actually from the newspaper! Certain Current affairs questions of the 2021 Prelims have surprised us as well. Let’s try to understand this better with an example:

    Consider the following statements regarding Pacific ‘Ring of Fire’.

    1. The Pacific ‘Ring of Fire’ or the Circum-Pacific Belt, is an area along the Pacific Ocean that is characterised by active volcanoes.
    2. About 90 per cent of the world’s earthquakes occur here.
    3. It traces from New Zealand clockwise in an almost circular arc and extends upto western coast of North America.

    This question is from the topic, ‘World Geography’. Also it was in the news this week.

    Free Open to All Webinar to Tackle Current Affairs Questions From Static Topics

    Here’s an exercise for all UPSC 2022 aspirants. Take a look at your syllabus, select a topic. Do you know atleast ten current affairs news related to this topic from the last one year?

    If not, then it’s never too late. You still have 4.5 months left. So take the first big step by registering for this free live webinar by Prelims veteran Santosh sir.

    Santosh sir has cleared prelims 6/6 times and scored 145+ in all of them. In his Smash Prelims 2020 program, 15 out of 25 students cleared the exam to write Mains 2021.

    This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is 50f70a4d-c239-44a5-b49b-9b93617a378f-461x1024.jpg
    This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is IMG-20211029-WA0019-461x1024.jpg
    This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is IMG-20211029-WA0018-461x1024.jpg
    This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is IMG-20211029-WA0016-461x1024.jpg

    Key Takeaways of Free Live Webinar by Santosh Sir — 

    1. How to tackle static questions based on current affairs with accuracy? Elimination Techniques for Prelims that can be used.

    2. Learn 360 degree approach to current affairs. How can you read daily compilation, PIB, newspapers, Yojana and Kurushetra all in 1.5 hours?

    3. Keywords approach to reading newspapers. How to make shorthand notes based on this?

    4. Learn to interlink Static and Current affairs topics. Should reading for current affairs and a chapter in the static book happen at the same time?

    5. How to handle the surprise questions from current affairs? The surprise questions from 2021 prelims exams.

    6. Current affairs trend analysis. What are the topics where most of the current affairs questions come from?

    Webinar Details

    Current affairs is not merely about knowing, but it has become a game of linking and interlinking. Don’t miss the chance to get value addition inputs to score better in the examination! This webinar is absolutely free. All aspirants are welcome to attend.

    Date – 24 January 2022 (Monday)

    Time – 7:00 P.M.

    Limited slots are available. Please register immediately.

  • Free Live Webinar @ 7 PM, Registrations Closing in 3 Hrs||How to Tackle Static Questions based on Current Affairs in Prelims 2022? || Free Live Webinar by Prelims Topper & UPSC Mentor Santosh Sir who Scored 145+ six times|| Limited Slots, Register Now

    Free Live Webinar @ 7 PM, Registrations Closing in 3 Hrs||How to Tackle Static Questions based on Current Affairs in Prelims 2022? || Free Live Webinar by Prelims Topper & UPSC Mentor Santosh Sir who Scored 145+ six times|| Limited Slots, Register Now

    Many experts would like to say that the weightage of Current affairs in prelims has declined since 2018. The truth is far from true. Current Affairs has been revived and is now included in questions from static syllabus topics. This approach has given rise to questions with more analytical dimensions that are thought oriented. 

    You might be reading a question and trying to remember it from a book, when it’s actually from the newspaper! Certain Current affairs questions of the 2021 Prelims have surprised us as well. Let’s try to understand this better with an example:

    Consider the following statements regarding Pacific ‘Ring of Fire’.

    1. The Pacific ‘Ring of Fire’ or the Circum-Pacific Belt, is an area along the Pacific Ocean that is characterised by active volcanoes.
    2. About 90 per cent of the world’s earthquakes occur here.
    3. It traces from New Zealand clockwise in an almost circular arc and extends upto western coast of North America.

    This question is from the topic, ‘World Geography’. Also it was in the news this week.

    Free Open to All Webinar to Tackle Current Affairs Questions From Static Topics

    Here’s an exercise for all UPSC 2022 aspirants. Take a look at your syllabus, select a topic. Do you know atleast ten current affairs news related to this topic from the last one year?

    If not, then it’s never too late. You still have 4.5 months left. So take the first big step by registering for this free live webinar by Prelims veteran Santosh sir.

    Santosh sir has cleared prelims 6/6 times and scored 145+ in all of them. In his Smash Prelims 2020 program, 15 out of 25 students cleared the exam to write Mains 2021.

    This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is 50f70a4d-c239-44a5-b49b-9b93617a378f-461x1024.jpg
    This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is IMG-20211029-WA0019-461x1024.jpg
    This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is IMG-20211029-WA0018-461x1024.jpg
    This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is IMG-20211029-WA0016-461x1024.jpg

    Key Takeaways of Free Live Webinar by Santosh Sir — 

    1. How to tackle static questions based on current affairs with accuracy? Elimination Techniques for Prelims that can be used.

    2. Learn 360 degree approach to current affairs. How can you read daily compilation, PIB, newspapers, Yojana and Kurushetra all in 1.5 hours?

    3. Keywords approach to reading newspapers. How to make shorthand notes based on this?

    4. Learn to interlink Static and Current affairs topics. Should reading for current affairs and a chapter in the static book happen at the same time?

    5. How to handle the surprise questions from current affairs? The surprise questions from 2021 prelims exams.

    6. Current affairs trend analysis. What are the topics where most of the current affairs questions come from?

    Webinar Details

    Current affairs is not merely about knowing, but it has become a game of linking and interlinking. Don’t miss the chance to get value addition inputs to score better in the examination! This webinar is absolutely free. All aspirants are welcome to attend.

    Date – 24 January 2022 (Monday)

    Time – 7:00 P.M.

    Limited slots are available. Please register immediately.

  • 24th January 2022| Daily Answer Writing Enhancement(AWE)

    Topics for Today’s questions:

    GS-1    Indian culture will cover the salient aspects of art forms, literature and architecture from ancient to modern times.

    GS-2    Parliament and State legislatures—structure, functioning, conduct of business, powers & privileges and issues arising out of these.

    GS-3    Various Security forces and agencies and their mandate; Security challenges and their management in border areas – linkages of organized crime with terrorism.

    GS-4    Aptitude and foundational values for Civil Service, integrity, impartiality and non-partisanship, objectivity, dedication to public service, empathy, tolerance and compassion towards the weaker sections

    Question 1)

     

    Q.1 Evaluate the nature Of the Bhakti literature and its contribution to Indian culture. (10 Marks)

     

    Question 2)

    Q.2 What are the various loopholes in anti-defection provisions that are being exploited frequently? Suggest the way forward.

    Question 3)

    Q.3 What are the various security agencies guarding India’s border? Is India in need of a single security agency adequately equipped, suitably armed and trained in the advanced military to guard our borders? (15 Marks)

    Question 4)  

    Q.4 Besides domain knowledge, a public official needs innovativeness and creativity of a high order as well, while resolving ethical dilemmas. Discuss with suitable examples. (10 Marks)

     

    HOW TO ATTEMPT ANSWERS IN DAILY ANSWER WRITING ENHANCEMENT(AWE)?

    1. Daily 4 questions from General studies 1, 2, 3, and 4 will be provided to you.

    2. A Mentor’s Comment will be available for all answers. This can be used as a guidance tool but we encourage you to write original answers.

    3. You can write your answer on an A4 sheet and scan/click pictures of the same.

    4.  Upload the scanned answer in the comment section of the same question.

    5. Along with the scanned answer, please share your Razor payment ID, so that paid members are given priority.

    6. If you upload the answer on the same day like the answer of 11th  October is uploaded on 11th October then your answer will be checked within 72 hours. Also, reviews will be in the order of submission- First come first serve basis

    7. If you are writing answers late, for example, 11th October is uploaded on 13th October, then these answers will be evaluated as per the mentor’s schedule.

    8. We encourage you to write answers on the same day. However, if you are uploading an answer late then tag the mentor like @Staff so that the mentor is notified about your answer.

    *In case your answer is not reviewed, reply to your answer saying *NOT CHECKED*. 

    For the philosophy of AWE and payment: 

  • Budgeting for the education emergency

    Context

    Faced with an unprecedented education emergency, this is the time to substantially ramp up public spending on education and make it more effective.

    Low allocation for education

    • UNESCO’s 2030 framework for action suggests public education spending levels of between 4% and 6% of GDP and 15%-20% of public expenditure.
    • A recent World Bank study notes that India spent 14.1 % of its budget on education, compared to 18.5% in Vietnam and 20.6% in Indonesia, countries with similar levels of GDP.
    • But since India has a higher share of population under the age of 19 years than these countries, it should actually be allocating a greater share of the budget than these countries.
    • Public spending on education in most States in India was below that of other middle-income countries even before the pandemic.
    • Most major States spent in the range of 2.5% to 3.1% of State income on education, according to the Ministry of Education’s Analysis of Budgeted Expenditure on Education.
    • This compares with the 4.3% of GDP that lower-middle-income countries spent, as a group, between 2010-11 and 2018-19.
    •  In the 2021-22 Budget, the Central government’s allocation for the Education Department was slashed compared to the previous year, even though the size of the overall budget increased.
    • Of the major States and Delhi, eight either reduced or just about maintained their budget allocation for education departments in 2021-22 compared to 2020-21.

    Way forward

    • The vast majority of the 260 million children enrolled in preschool and school, especially in government schools, did not have meaningful structured learning opportunities during the 20 months of school closures.
    • Infusion of resources: The education system now needs not only an infusion of resources for multiple years, but also a strengthened focus on the needs of the poor and disadvantaged children.
    • What it is spent on and how effectively resources are used are important.
    • It is clear what additional resources are required for.
    • The needs include: back-to-school campaigns and re-enrolment drives; expanded nutrition programmes; reorganisation of the curriculum to help children learn language and mathematics in particular, and support their socio-emotional development, especially in early grades; additional learning materials; teacher training and ongoing support; additional education programmes and collection and analysis of data.
    • Focus on teacher training:  How does expenditure on technology compare with the amounts spent on teacher training, which represents just 0.15% of total estimated expenditure on elementary education?
    • Teachers are central to the quality of education, so why does India spend so little on teacher training?

    The opacity of education finance data in India

    • The opacity of education finance data makes it difficult to comprehend this.
    • For instance, the combined Central and State government spending on education was estimated to be 2.8% of GDP in 2018-19, according to the Economic Survey of 2020-21.
    • This figure had remained at the same level since 2014-15.
    • On the other hand, data from the Ministry of Education indicates that public spending on education had reached 4.3% of GDP in the same year, rising from 3.8% of GDP in 2011-12.
    • The difference in the figures is due to the inclusion of expenditure on education by departments other than the Education Department.
    •  Including expenditure on education by, for example, the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment (on Anganwadis, scholarships, etc.), the Ministry of Science and Technology (for higher education) is of course legitimate.
    • However, the composition of these expenditures is not readily available.

    Conclusion

    The questions for this Budget should be clear. How much additional funds are being allocated for different levels of education by the principal departments in 2021-22? Are the funds being spent on the specific measures required to address the education emergency facing the children?

    UPSC 2022 countdown has begun! Get your personal guidance plan now! (Click here)

     

  • A chance to support growth, fiscal consolidation

    Context

    The adverse effect of the third wave of COVID-19, which is mainly affecting the last quarter of 2021-22, may call for a further downward adjustment in the growth rate to about 9%.

    Growth in FY 2021-22

    •  As per the NSO’s advance estimates, at the end of 2021-22, the magnitude of GDP in real terms is estimated at INR₹147.5-lakh crore that is only a shade higher than INR₹145.7-lakh crore in 2019-20.
    • Thus, due to the three waves of COVID-19 that India has experienced, two years of real growth in economic activities have been wiped out. 
    • As per the advance estimates, the gross fixed capital formation (GFCF) relative to GDP at current prices stands at 29.6% in 2021-22.
    • Capacity utilisation in India continues to have considerable slack.
    • Private final consumption expenditure (PFCE) also shows a low growth of 6.9% in 2021-22.
    • Any pick-up in demand would continue to be constrained by low-income growth in sectors characterised by a high marginal propensity to consume (MPC) such as the trade, transport, et al. sector and the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise (MSME) sector more broadly.
    • It may thus be prudent to expect a real GDP growth in the range of 6%-7%.
    • Growth in 2022-23 would also continue to be constrained by supply-side bottlenecks and high prices of global crude and primary products.
    • Growth in 2022-23 would depend on the basic determinants such as the saving and investment rates in the economy.

    Suggestions

    • Extend GST compensation period: The GST compensation provision would also come to an end in June 2022.
    • This would cause a major revenue shock at least for some States such as Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Andhra Pradesh.
    • While this matter may be considered by the GST Council, the compensation arrangement should be extended by two years in some modified form.
    • With respect to non-tax receipts, the scope of the National Monetization Pipeline (NMP) may be extended to cover monetisation of government-owned land assets.
    • Disinvestment initiatives may have to be accelerated.
    • Expenditure prioritisation in 2022-23 should focus on reviving both consumption and investment demand.
    • Urban counterpart to MGNREGA: Since consumption demand remains weak, some fiscal support in the form of an urban counterpart to Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) may be considered.

    Focusing on fiscal consolidation

    • It would be appropriate now to consider a graduated return to fiscal consolidation while using fiscal policy to lay the base for faster growth in the years to come.
    • The Fifteenth Finance Commission had suggested a fiscal consolidation path where the Centre’s fiscal deficit was benchmarked at 5.5% of GDP for 2022-23.
    • In their pessimistic scenario, it was kept at 6% of GDP. 
    • It may be prudent to limit the reduction in fiscal deficit-GDP ratio to about 1% point of GDP in 2022-23.
    • This would imply a fiscal deficit in the range of 5.5%-6% of GDP.
    • From here on, a stepwise reduction of 0.5% points per year would enable a level of about 4% of GDP by 2025-26.
    • By this time, as suggested by the Fifteenth Finance Commission, a high-powered inter-governmental group should be constituted to re-examine the sustainability parameters of debt and fiscal deficit of the central and state governments.

    Conclusion

    Expenditure prioritisation in 2022-23 should focus on reviving both consumption and investment demand while aiming for the gradual return to the fiscal consolidation.

    UPSC 2022 countdown has begun! Get your personal guidance plan now! (Click here)

  • Registrations Closing Today @ 7PM|| How to Tackle Static Questions based on Current Affairs in Prelims 2022? || Free Live Webinar by Prelims Topper & UPSC Mentor Santosh Sir who Scored 145+ six times|| Limited Slots, Register Now

    Registrations Closing Today @ 7PM|| How to Tackle Static Questions based on Current Affairs in Prelims 2022? || Free Live Webinar by Prelims Topper & UPSC Mentor Santosh Sir who Scored 145+ six times|| Limited Slots, Register Now

    Many experts would like to say that the weightage of Current affairs in prelims has declined since 2018. The truth is far from true. Current Affairs has been revived and is now included in questions from static syllabus topics. This approach has given rise to questions with more analytical dimensions that are thought oriented. 

    You might be reading a question and trying to remember it from a book, when it’s actually from the newspaper! Certain Current affairs questions of the 2021 Prelims have surprised us as well. Let’s try to understand this better with an example:

    Consider the following statements regarding Pacific ‘Ring of Fire’.

    1. The Pacific ‘Ring of Fire’ or the Circum-Pacific Belt, is an area along the Pacific Ocean that is characterised by active volcanoes.
    2. About 90 per cent of the world’s earthquakes occur here.
    3. It traces from New Zealand clockwise in an almost circular arc and extends upto western coast of North America.

    This question is from the topic, ‘World Geography’. Also it was in the news this week.

    Free Open to All Webinar to Tackle Current Affairs Questions From Static Topics

    Here’s an exercise for all UPSC 2022 aspirants. Take a look at your syllabus, select a topic. Do you know atleast ten current affairs news related to this topic from the last one year?

    If not, then it’s never too late. You still have 4.5 months left. So take the first big step by registering for this free live webinar by Prelims veteran Santosh sir.

    Santosh sir has cleared prelims 6/6 times and scored 145+ in all of them. In his Smash Prelims 2020 program, 15 out of 25 students cleared the exam to write Mains 2021.

    This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is 50f70a4d-c239-44a5-b49b-9b93617a378f-461x1024.jpg
    This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is IMG-20211029-WA0019-461x1024.jpg
    This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is IMG-20211029-WA0018-461x1024.jpg
    This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is IMG-20211029-WA0016-461x1024.jpg

    Key Takeaways of Free Live Webinar by Santosh Sir — 

    1. How to tackle static questions based on current affairs with accuracy? Using pre-existing knowledge to find the right option.

    2. Learn 360 degree approach to current affairs. How can you read daily compilation, PIB, newspapers, Yojana and Kurushetra all in 1.5 hours?

    3. Keywords approach to reading newspapers. How to make shorthand notes based on this?

    4. Learn to interlink Static and Current affairs topics. Should reading for current affairs and a chapter in the static book happen at the same time?

    5. How to handle the surprise questions from current affairs? The surprise questions from 2021 prelims exams.

    6. Current affairs trend analysis. What are the topics where most of the current affairs questions come from?

    Webinar Details

    Current affairs is not merely about knowing, but it has become a game of linking and interlinking. Don’t miss the chance to get value addition inputs to score better in the examination! This webinar is absolutely free. All aspirants are welcome to attend.

    Date – 24 January 2022 (Monday)

    Time – 7:00 P.M.

    Limited slots are available. Please register immediately.

  • A proposal for Indian Environmental Service

    The Supreme Court has asked the Government if it will create an Indian Environmental Service (IES) as recommended by a committee headed by former Cabinet secretary T.S.R Subramanian in 2014.

    Why is the IES debate back in the news?

    • The Supreme Court was responding to a petition whose counsel pointed out that the matters of environment required special expertise.
    • Currently, matters of environmental regulation rest on scientists of the Ministry of Environment and Forests as well as bureaucrats from the Indian Administrative Services (IAS).
    • The apex court expressed reluctance at getting into administrative matters of the Government but nevertheless asked the Centre if it expects to go about constituting such a mechanism.

    TSR Subramanian Committee Report on Environment

    • The Subramanian committee was set up in August 2014 to review the country’s green laws and the procedures followed by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC).
    • It suggested several amendments to align with the Government’s economic development agenda.
    • The report had suggested amendments to almost all green laws, including those relating to the environment, forest, wildlife and coastal zone clearances.
    • The committee suggested that another committee, with more expertise and time, be constituted to review the environmental laws.

    Key recommendations

    (a) Establishment of Environment Management Authorities

    • The report proposed an ‘Environmental Laws (Management) Act’ (ELMA), that envisioned full-time expert bodies to be constituted at the Central and State levels respectively:
    1. National Environmental Management Authority (NEMA)
    2. State Environmental Management Authority (SEMA)

    (b) Project clearances

    • These authorities evaluate project clearance (using technology and expertise), in a time bound manner, providing for single-window clearance.
    • It suggested a “fast track” procedure for “linear” projects (roads, railways and transmission lines), power and mining projects and for “projects of national importance.”
    • It also suggested an appellate mechanism against the decisions of NEMA/SEMA or MoEF&CC, in respect of project clearance, prescribing a three-month deadline to dispose appeals.

    (c) Expanding Environment Protection Act

    • The Air Act and the Water Act is to be subsumed within the EP Act.
    • The existing Central Pollution Control Board and the State PCBs, which monitor and regulate the conditions imposed on the industries to safeguard environment be integrated into NEMA and SEMA.

    (d) Evaluating Environmental Reconstruction Cost (ERC)

    • The report also recommends that an “ERC” should be assessed for each project on the basis of the damage caused by it to the environment and this should be added into the cost of the project.
    • This cost has to be recovered as a cess or duty from the project proponent during the life of the project.

    (e) Research and Development

    • It proposed the establishment of a National Environment Research institute “on the lines of the Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education”.
    • It would bring in the application of high-end technology in environment governance.

    (f) Establishment of Indian Environment Service (IES)

    • Finally, an Indian Environment Service should be established to recruit qualified and skilled human resource in the environment sector.

    How were the recommendations received?

    • The Centre never formally accepted this report and neither constituted a new committee as recommended by the Parliamentary Standing Committee.
    • The Parliamentary rejected the report on the grounds that it ended up diluting key aspects of environmental legislation designed to protect the environment.
    • However, many of these recommendations are implicitly making their way into the process of environmental regulation.

    Back2Basics: All Indi Services

    • The All India Services (AIS) comprises three civil services: the Indian Administrative Service, the Indian Police Service and the Indian Forest Service.
    • A unique feature of the AIS is that the members of these services are recruited by the centre (Union government in federal polity), but their services are placed under various State cadres.
    • They have the liability to serve both under the State and under the centre.
    • Officers of these three services comply to the All India Services Rules relating to pay, conduct, leave, various allowances etc.
    • The All India Services Act, 1951, provides for the creation of two more All India Services, namely, the Indian Engineering Service and the Indian Medical Service.

     

    UPSC 2022 countdown has begun! Get your personal guidance plan now! (Click here)

  • Netaji’s relationship with Nehru, Gandhi and the Congress

    In public discourse, the popular imagination of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose is increasing all across the length and breadth of our country these days.

    Back in 2016, when there was ruckus over de-classification of some files associated with Netaji, a question too appeared in UPSC CSE Mains:

     

    Q. Highlight the differences in the approach of Subhash Chandra Bose and Mahatma Gandhi in the struggle for freedom.

     

    We can expect a repetition again considering the scale of ongoing debate around Netaji and the vitality of his INA leading to immediate withdrawal of British rulers from India.

    Also read:

    Celebration of Parakram Diwas

    Context

    The Bose-Gandhi rivalry is frequently understood as the biggest dichotomy of the Indian nationalist movement.

    Bose: A complex character of freedom movement

    • Bose was a complex character. His complexity comes alive when one realizes his disagreement with the Congress leadership, when Bose took over the Indian National Army (INA).
    • He constituted four regiments, three of which were named after Gandhi, Nehru and Maulana Azad.
    • He had profound respect for his colleagues.
    • In 1943, while Gandhi was in jail, Bose on the former’s birthday gave a moving address over the Azad Hind Radio where he referred to Gandhi as ‘father of the nation’.
    • This was probably the first time this epithet was used for Gandhi, and soon it became ubiquitous.

    Bose and his association with INC

    • Bose was a key member and a frontline leader of the Indian National Congress.
    • He plunged into the anti-colonial movement under Gandhi’s leadership in 1921 and rose to be the president of the Congress in 1938 and 39.
    • There were certain differences of opinion with the Gandhian high command in 1939, but he remained true to the Congress ideal of freedom.

    Joining the Indian National Congress

    • On July 16, 1921, Bose had returned to Bombay from London where he had gone on his father’s insistence to prepare for the Indian Civil Services examination.
    • Despite qualifying for the services he had refused to take up the opportunity.
    • Such was Bose’s zeal to join the freedom struggle that on the very afternoon he arrived in India he went to meet Gandhi at Mani Bhawan.

    Relations with the mainstream leaders

    (A) Bose vs. Gandhi

    • Bose wanted to know how the different aspects of the movement were going to culminate in the non-payment of taxes, the last stage of the campaign.
    • Secondly, he wanted to know how the non-payment of taxes would eventually force the British to leave and thirdly how Gandhi could promise Swaraj in one year.
    • On Gandhi’s advice Bose moved to Calcutta, where he worked closely with the lawyer and Congress leader C R Das.
    • As president of the Congress, his first disagreement with Gandhi happened in December 1938 when Bose was eager to form a coalition government in Bengal along with the Krishak Praja Party.
    • The following year, Bose was hopeful for re-election as Congress president. A second term was very rare and Gandhi was pretty much against the idea of re-electing Bose.
    • Bose found support from the younger and left leaning members of the Congress and also from the literary giant Rabindranath Tagore.
    • Tagore had personally written to Gandhi requesting a second term for Bose. However, Bose was aggrieved to know that Gandhi saw this as a ‘personal defeat’.

    (B) Bose vs. Nehru

    • Both leaders were of same age, similar political leanings and often finding themselves frustrated by Gandhi’s commitment to non-violence.
    • However, while Nehru was starry-eyed in his reverence for Gandhi, Bose though immensely respectful of Gandhi, found his political strategies to be ambiguous.
    • Bose and Nehru had been in prison at that time and both expressed disappointment and anger over unilateral withdrawal of non-cooperation movement over Chauri Chaura incident.
    • Both were left-leaning radical men, unswerving in their commitment to ‘purna swaraj’ and to the forming of a socialist state in independent India.
    • When Bose sought the support of the Nazi government in Germany, he found himself ideologically at the farthest end to Nehru’s views.

    (C) Bose vs. Patel

    • In response to Bose’s re-election, several members of the Congress Working Committee resigned including Vallabhbhai Patel and Rajendra Prasad.
    • Patel had an old rivalry with Bose, which was both personal and political.
    • Their relationship had deteriorated rapidly with the death of Patel’s elder brother Vithalbhai in 1933.
    • Bose had been very close to Vithalbhai and had nursed him during his last days.
    • In his will, Vithalbhai had left a substantial portion of his property to Bose.
    • Vallabhbhai had cast aspersions on the authenticity of the will and a long legal battle had followed culminating in the victory of Patel.

    As Congress president

    • In February 1938 Bose had taken over as president of the Congress and the next two years would be defining in creating his political profile as a Congressman and in drawing the rift with Gandhi and Nehru.
    • At the Haripura session of the Congress, Bose made his presidential address, which is known to be the lengthiest and most important speech he ever made to the party.
    • He made it clear that he stood for unqualified Swaraj.
    • However, it needs to be noted that nowhere in the speech did Bose suggest any criticism or deviation from Gandhi’s methods.

    Resignation from INC

    • On April 29, 1939 Bose resigned from his post as president of the Congress Party.
    • In a statement to the press, he mentioned the efforts he had made to find a common ground with Gandhi.
    • These having failed, he felt his presidency may be a sort of obstacle or handicap in the path of the Congress as it sought to reconcile its two wings.

    Life after leaving Congress

    (A) World War II

    • In September 1939 German tanks invaded Poland, marking the beginning of the Second World War.
    • The war was to have a most significant impact in the history of modern India.
    • Bose was a special invitee in the three-day meeting of the Congress Working Committee from September 9 to decide India’s position on the war.
    • For Bose, the war served as a golden opportunity for India to launch a civil disobedience movement in order to win independence.
    • For Bose the stance taken by the resolution to support British was completely unacceptable.
    • Nehru had nothing but hatred towards Fascism and Nazism and sought for some concessions from the British government to fight Mussolini and Hitler.

    (B) Escape to Germany

    • Bose organized mass protests in Calcutta for the removal of the Holwell monument that stood in Dalhousie Square as a memorial to those who died in the Black Hole of Calcutta.
    • He was arrested by the British government for the protests, but was released soon after he went into a seven-day hunger strike.
    • Bose’s arrest and the subsequent release set the scene for him to escape to Germany via Afghanistan and the Soviet Union.

    After Netaji’s demise ( rather disappearance)

    • It is also worth noting that at the end of the Second World War, Nehru put on his barrister’s gown and joined the defense team for the INA prisoners at the time of the Red Fort trials.
    • In the several speeches of Nehru after Bose’s death, the former referred to Netaji in the most affectionate way.
    • In August 1947, in his first speech from the ramparts of the Red Fort, Nehru mentioned only two people by name and were Gandhi and Bose. It was quite a warm reference.

     

    UPSC 2022 countdown has begun! Get your personal guidance plan now! (Click here)

  • 80% Success Rate for Smash Mains 2020 Students & 85% of UPSC 2021 Mains Questions Are From Smash Mains 2021 !!|| [50 seats left] 1-on-1 Mentorship provided by Sajal sir (GS Topper 2017)  to get 100 marks above cut off in Mains||  Smash Mains 2022 : New Batch || Invite only program  || Register here

    80% Success Rate for Smash Mains 2020 Students & 85% of UPSC 2021 Mains Questions Are From Smash Mains 2021 !!|| [50 seats left] 1-on-1 Mentorship provided by Sajal sir (GS Topper 2017) to get 100 marks above cut off in Mains|| Smash Mains 2022 : New Batch || Invite only program || Register here

    With over 80% enrolled students in 2020 attending UPSC interviews, Smash Mains 2022 is back. Also, what we have noticed is about 85% of questions in UPSC Mains paper are from Smash Test Series.

    As an aspirant if you have taken many test series, but are unable to score above 100 marks and want to improve your scores before Mains 2022, then this program is for you!

    If coaches of sportspersons have themselves been players, then shouldn’t mentors of UPSC aspirants have cleared UPSC Mains themselves?

    It’s about time you find a Rahul Dravid or a Pullela Gopichand to mentor your Upsc preparation. Just practising test series without knowing the ways to present an answer is not the way to clear Mains. An ideal test series program should have 1-on-1 mentorship and guidance by veterans who have themselves topped the exams!

    Instead of getting demotivated and comparing yourself to other students, get mentorship support like Kunal Aggrawal IRS did when he could only score 75/250 marks in Mains mock tests.

    Why UPSC toppers are convinced that Smash Mains helped them succeed?

    A serving IPS officer, who had written the Mains exam again in 2021 to aim for IAS posting, gave us his feedback of our Smash Mains Test Series

    Read other answers over here.

    How has Smash Mains helped 2021-2022 Aspirants in Preparing for UPSC?

    What do aspirants need in their UPSC preparation journey? They need a senior who will give them moral support and the required logistics to prepare for the tough exam in a simplified manner.

    You can clear the exam only with confidence and consistency. And to achieve both, you require a personalised mentor. Many aspirants feel just attending classes or tests is not beneficial for them. So we tweaked our program to include mentorship both in our tests series and classes. Aspirants feel they can reach out to us anytime with their concerns and we are available to sort them out.

    Message from Sajal Sir

    Dear Students,

    For some of you prelims has never been a challenge for you. You have been missing the mains cut-off with a small margin (repeatedly). This means that there are some fundamental issues with your approach. You might be aware or not about this. But just realization is not enough, you have to work on its execution as well. And bringing that to fruition will be possible through a guided process under a meticulously designed plan.

    Smash mains is a highly personalized and intensive handholding program for the crème-de-la-crème (veterans) amongst UPSC aspirants (the intake is 50 students).

    Note: The Entry is Restricted to those who have appeared in UPSC interview in the past 2 years or have missed the mains cut off by a whisker.

    The focus is on identifying and highlighting the issues with your preparation (information / analysis / utilization). According to your strength and weaknesses, a tailor-made strategy is developed. Under Sajal sir’s strict monitoring, incremental improvements are aimed every day, after every session.

    My marks in UPSC 2017 GS Mains paper were:

    • GS Paper 1 – 132
    • GS Paper 2 – 125
    • GS Paper 3 – 130

    Key Takeways About Smash Mains 2022

    Every 3rd Ranker in Top 100 is from Civilsdaily|| MAINS MANTHAN 2021 ||  Register Now – Civilsdaily

    Every 3rd Ranker in the Top 100 of UPSC 2020 is a Civilsdaily Student.

    Your mentor, Sajal Sir is himself the 2017 topper of GS Mains. He has appeared for interview many times.

    Over 400 students have emerged as toppers under Sajal Sir’s mentorship in the last 7 years.

    Sajal Sir will daily motivate you on our chat-based platform, Habitat and have weekly 1-on-1 discussions with you after every test.

    You don’t have to waste any more time finding the strategy (value added notes, test series or timetable ) for the next 3 months. You will get the guidance for it.

    You will gain access to Civildaily’s Samachar Manthan – For holistic and comprehensive coverage of Current Affairs.

    You will have exclusive membership to Smash Mains club in Habitat.

    One of our other Civilsdaily Student cleared the exams in 2020 to become an IPS Officer. He wrote the 2021 exam again as he aims for an IAS posting. This is what he said about our program

    If you are still not convinced then go through this video by UPSC 2020 AIR 425 topper Divyansh Singh who tells us how Sajal sir helped him develop 1-2 pages notes for every topic.

    Progression of Smash Mains 2022

    After completing the Mains Test series, you will have a one-to-one detailed and in-depth interaction with Sajal sir. Final refinements are done to every answer. Value addition material, as well as pointers, will be provided here. We will work with you to ensure you have enough material for value addition. Our focus will be on providing tips that add the missing X factor to your answers.

    Why is Smash 2022 the best way to prepare for mains?

    Individual attention and approachability are the USPs of this program. Listen to what our Smash Mains 2020 student and topper Pooja Gupta (AIR 42) says about the program.

    Not putting Penguins among the Fowls – You already know how to write an average answer (you’re missing it by a few marks actually). You want to know how to increase your score from 90 to 110-115. The approach followed by other institutes in their Test series is the same for a veteran and a complete newbie and here lies the problem. Without personalized one-to-one interaction with someone like Sajal sir (who has scored these awesome marks), it will be difficult for you to rectify these minute yet very important shortcomings.

    Evaluation is a strength of this program and we put it on a high priority. Sajal sir himself is involved in the process, unlike other institutes where evaluation is outsourced to those who themselves might not have appeared for mains (It’s bizarre). It shouldn’t be based on ‘model answers’ as there are 3-4 ways of approaching an answer. Only a seasoned player will be able to go beyond these model answers and be able to appreciate your approach (If it’s innovative) even if it differs from the model answers provided.

    Test copies get checked in a time-bound manner. The questions, answers and material provided are of the highest quality.

    Always on time and insightful discussions end with a reality check and motivation to perform better in the next test.

    Emphasis on execution and utilization of knowledge – Mains is not only about knowledge but the way you express the relevant knowledge in the most optimum manner.

    Sajal sir’s interventions are highly specific and not generalized. Sitting right in front of you he walks you through each and every question. Always there, he will not let you lose your focus.

    AIR 148 UPSC 2020 topper and our Civilsdaily student, Ponmani explains why answer writing with mentorship is necessary for Mains.

    We deliver what we promise.

    The Batch of Smash Mains Program will start soon.

More posts