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Learn from your failures in Prelims 2021 | Free webinar by Sajal sir
Failing to qualify Prelims does not mean that you give up! There have been top rankers in the history of UPSC who failed to qualify Prelims multiple times but learned from each mistake and kept improving themselves. Pranav Vijayvargiya (AIR Rank 65) 2020 is the biggest example of this. He failed consecutively in 2 prelims but he kept himself motivated and finally got (AIR Rank 65) under the guidance of Sajal sir.
Fear of failure keeps you from learning and this is not the time to lose hope! It may be a tough situation but there’s still a lot you can learn from it.
Sajal Sir has helped over 400 aspirants secure ranks in the last 6 years. He has helped 30 students secure ranks in the top 100 in UPSC 2020. He knows about success but he also knows how success is built from lessons of failure. He knows how bad the situation may become if you don’t qualify for Prelims but he also knows how to use that learning to crack the exam. And that’s the secret he will share with you in an absolutely free webinar.
What will you learn in the webinar?
- How to keep yourself motivated in this exam process whose gestation period is very high.
2. How to cope up with failures in this exam cycle
3. How to maintain consistency during preparation
3. How to re-start preparation again for the 2022 exam
4. Which mistakes to avoid in your next attempt
5. Blueprint of your preparation plan. When to start preparation for prelims again.
6. How to utilize these next 4 months before you start preparing for prelims again.
7. What to study, From where to study, and how to study.
8. Smart study-related practical strategies which work on the ground.
9. 4-2-4 Model of Preparation
10. Open 1-1 Q&A session with Sajal sir
Join Sajal sir for the free webinar and take the first step towards cracking the exam in the upcoming attempt!
Date: 16/10/21
Time: 7 p.m.
About Sajal Sir
He is the founder and Core Faculty at CD. An economics Post-Graduate, He had scored the highest marks in GS Mains in the 2017 UPSC exam, and under his guidance, more than 80 students cracked the UPSC exam in 2020.
This is what Pranav Vijayvergiya (AIR 65) had to say about his experience of studying under the guidance of Sajal Sir:
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[Yojana Archive] SHG-led Women Empowerment
UPSC 2022 countdown has begun! Get your personal guidance plan now! (Click here)
September 2021: Nari Shakti - The Government of India has drawn several policy measures to achieve “gender equality” and “gender empowerment”.
- One of such measures is the promotion and economic activation of Self-Help groups (SHGs).
What are SHGs?
- Voluntary associations: SHGs are voluntary associations of economically poor, usually drawn from the same socio-economic background.
- Community action: They often resolve to come together for a common purpose of solving their issues and problems through self-help and community action.
SHG-led Women Empowerment: A timeline
- ‘Grameen Bank’ model: In 1984, for the first time, the concept of social mobilisation and business development through organising of SHGs was introduced based on Prof. Yunus’s ‘Grameen Bank’ model.
- NABARD intervention: Initially, the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD), along with NGOs designed and developed the promotional ecosystem, including the SHGs-Bank linkage programme.
- RBI recognition: In the year 1990, the RBI recognised SHGs as an alternate credit flow model.
Thus, SHGs were accepted as group-based clients of banks for both deposit and credit linkages, collateral-free lending, and lending to groups without specification of purpose/ project.
Various committees related
[A] Prof. S. R. Hashim (1997) committee
- It reviewed the poverty alleviation and employment generation programmes of the Ministry of Rural Development.
- It recommended shifting focus from an individual beneficiary approach to a group-based business development approach.
- Hence, Integrated Rural Development Programme (lRDP) and its associated schemes were merged.
- A new scheme called ‘Swamjayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojana’ (SGSY) was launched to provide self-employment to below the poverty line households through the formation of SHGs.
[B] Prof. R. Radhakrishna (2009) Committee
- It reviewed the performance of SGSY and suggested changes in its design from a ‘top-down poverty alleviation’ approach to a ‘community-managed livelihood’ approach.
- Emphasis was given to linking SHG members to social welfare programs.
- SGSY was restructured into National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM) to provide sharper focus on poverty alleviation.
- Now, the NRLM has been renamed as Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana — National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM).
DAY-NRLM & Women Empowerment
DAY- RLM has a twin objective
- Organising rural poor women into SHGs; and
- Constantly nurturing and assisting them to take up economic activities.
- It aims to reduce poverty by enabling poor households to access gainful self-employment and skilled wage employment opportunities, through building strong grassroots institutions for the poor.
- The programme aims to ensure that at least one-woman member from each rural poor household (about 9 crores) is brought into women SHGs.
Principles of SHG movement: The Dashasutras
The SHG movement follows five principles or ‘Panchasutra’ viz:
- Regular Meetings
- Regular Savings
- Regular Inter-Loaning
- Timely Repayment of Loans and
- Up-to-date books of Accounts
In addition, five additional principles now followed by SHGs are
- Health, Nutrition and Sanitation
- Education
- Active involvement in Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs)
- Access to Entitlements and Schemes and
- Creating Opportunities for Sustainable Livelihoods.
These taken together are called – ‘Dashasutras’ under DAY-NRLM.
Women Entrepreneurship and Economic Progress
- There are mainly three central aspects of entrepreneurship:
- Uncertainty and risk
- Managerial competence and
- Creative opportunism or innovation
- Hence, promotion of entrepreneurship through SGs would require empowerment of millions of SHGs.
- If women SHGs are empowered they can ensure job opportunity by effectively utilising available resources into profitable products as per the local need and the acceptability of consumers.
DAY-NRLM & Empowering Process
The nucleus of DAY-NRLM has been built around a basic human nature of the feeling of self-worth and self-help. Following four pillars of the scheme ensure the empowerment process in DAY-NRLM:
(1) Social Mobilisation, Formation and Promotion Of Sustainable Institutions Of Poor:
- These community-based organisations adhere to core principles of democratic governance and financial accountability.
- It participates effectively in local governance and development, mediate livelihood concerns and social issues affecting the poor members, facilitates access of the poor to entitlements and public services.
(2) Pillar of Financial Inclusion:
- Here focus is laid on both demand and supply-side interventions.
- Demand-side interventions ensure the promotion of effective book-keeping: provision of capital support to SHGs; creating a culture of prompt repayments of loans etc.
- Supply-side interventions confirm the formation of sub-committees of State-level Bankers Committee in all states; bankers’ sensitisation on concept, practices, etc.
(3) Livelihood:
- The focus is on strengthening existing and new income sources, promotion of opportunities. The scheme empowered women SHGs to take up non-farm livelihoods activities too.
- Start-Up Village Entrepreneurship Programme (SVEP) promoted rural start-ups in the non-farm sector.
(4) Social Inclusion and Convergence:
- Platforms established by SHGs are leveraged for better implementation of multiple public welfare schemes/programmes.
Issue & Challenges
The SHG movement traversed from the “thrift and saving” in the 1980s to the “livelihood” based economic empowerment method. Despite such progress, it is suffering from many challenges, as discussed below:
- Universal social mobilization: Identification and inclusion of the poor remains a challenge. There is need to develop community resource persons for participatory identification of poor.
- Training, Capacity Building & Skill Upgradation: There is lack of appropriate training plans, quality training and availability of expert training institutions.
- Universal Financial Inclusion: Lack of uniform financial management systems at all tiers of SHGs has impacted the growth in bank accounts, improvement in financial literacy, and absorption capacity of community members.
- Multiple & Diversified Livelihoods: There is lack of progressive leadership for inclusiveness of small-sized enterprises at the federal level. Market/ forward linkages, is largely missing.
- Support Structure at the Community: Creation of business environment, enhancement of skills, and identification of value chains with proper clustering across the state along with positioning competent human resources in the SHGs ecosystem are required.
- Schematic Convergence: Field level schematic convergence is the need of the hour to bring synergies directly or indirectly with the institutions of poor.
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Issues with Free power
Context
With elections around the corner in many States, political parties are competing with one another in promising free power.
Problems with free power
- Supported by state subsidy, electricity tariff to agriculture is low in most States – often less than ₹1/unit – and is free in some States such as Punjab, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.
- There is inefficient use of electricity and water, neglect of service quality by the distribution companies leading to frequent outages and motor burn outs, and high subsidy burden on the State governments.
- Inflated consumption estimates: Since nearly three-fourth of the agriculture connections in the country are unmetered, consumption estimates are often inflated by distribution companies to increase subsidy demand and project low distribution losses.
- Any metering effort faces resistance as it is perceived as the first step towards levying charges.
- Opting-out schemes are being made but do not seem to have uptake.
- Difficulty in implementing DBT: Free power provision along with issues of metering make implementation of Direct Benefit Transfer difficult.
- All this leaves farmers, distribution companies and State governments frustrated.
- Subsidy burden on Governments: Due to free power in Delhi, the total state subsidy amounts to 11% of the total expenses.
- In Tamil Nadu, where free power is available to households, half of the total subsidy is earmarked for this.
- If there is further increase in number and consumption limits of free power, the subsidy burden on State governments will substantially increase.
- Low adoption of solar power: Roof-top solar and energy efficiency are good environment-friendly options for homes but providing free power to well-off households will discourage them from taking these up.
Way forward
- Free or low-tariff power is at best a short-term relief, which should be provided to those who desperately need it.
- Give fixed rebate: A fixed rebate of up to ₹200/month for residential consumers can be provided in the electricity bill.
- As the rebate is delinked from consumption, distribution companies won’t have an incentive to inflate consumption.
- Rebate for adopting energy-efficient appliances: There can be additional rebates for adopting energy-efficient appliances like refrigerators, combined with State-level bulk procurement programmes to reduce the cost.
- Addressing mutual mistrust: The atmosphere of mutual mistrust between small consumers and distribution companies has to change.
- There should be quick resolution of arrears and one-time offers for settlements.
Conclusion
There is a need to question the wisdom of broad-brush promises such as free power, which cannot be sustained in the long run.
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The sanctions cloud over India-U.S. ties
Context
The delivery of the S-400 Triumf air defence systems from Russia is expected according to schedule. In response, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman hoped that both the U.S. and India could resolve the issue.
Background of the CAATSA
- The Countering America’s Adversaries through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) was passed when the U.S. sought to discourage trade in the defence and intelligence sectors of Russia.
- The Act mandates the President to impose at least five of the 12 sanctions on persons engaged in a “significant transaction” with Russian defence and intelligence sectors.
- These sanctions include suspending export licence, banning American equity/debt investments in entities, prohibiting loans from U.S. financial institutions and opposing loans from international finance institutions.
- The Act also built in a safety valve in the form of a presidential waiver.
- The “modified waiver authority” allows the President to waive sanctions in certain circumstances.
- There are a few more provisions including one that allows for sanctions waivers for 180 days, provided the administration certifies that the country in question is scaling back its ties with Russia.
Implications of CAATSA sanctions against India and scope for waiver
- Impact on bilateral relationship: Sanctions have the tremendous potential of pulling down the upward trajectory of the bilateral relationship between the U.S. and India, which now spans 50 sectors, especially in the field of defence.
- India turned sullen over the manner in which the U.S. negotiated the exit deal with the Taliban.
- Quad engagement: Yet, on the strategic plane, India remained on course by agreeing to the upgrading of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue and sharing the same vision as the U.S. on the Indo-Pacific construct.
- The U.S.’s apprehension is that bringing India under a sanctions regime could push New Delhi towards its traditional military hardware supplier, Russia.
- The U.S. Sanctions can stir up the latent belief in India that Washington cannot be relied upon as a partner.
- While the administration will have to do the heavy lifting, the role of Indian-Americans should be significant just as they rallied around to support the Civil Nuclear Deal in the face of stiff resistance from Democrats opposed to nuclear proliferation.
- Decrease in imports from Russia: India’s import of arms decreased by 33% between 2011-15 and 2016-20 and Russia was the most affected supplier, according to a report by the Stockholm-based defence think-tank SIPRI.
- In recent years, though, there have been some big deals worth $15 billion including S400, Ka-226-T utility helicopters, BrahMos missiles and production of AK-203 assault rifles.
- Increase in defence import from US: On the other hand, over the past decade, government-to-government deals with the U.S. touched $20 billion and deals worth nearly $10 billion are under negotiation.
Conclusion
The CAATSA test will determine the course of the India-U.S. strategic partnership. Whether the Biden administration sail through opposition within his party remains to be seen.
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Register & Join Live Webinar Now || Link Inside || Scoring 90+ in Prelims? Begin your Mains preparation strategically || Attend our FREE webinar & speak with our mentors in an open discussion post webinar
Dear aspirant,
Prelims is over and it’s time to gear up for Mains; and if you have scored 90+ in UPSC Prelims 2021, you should start your Mains preparation immediately!!!
In UPSC 2020, Civilsdaily helped 80+ students secure ranks in their exams and 30 students of Civilsdaily have secured ranks in the Top 100. The same team that helped aspirants become rankers last year is back again to help you also.
Sukanya ma’am (Mains Program Head) and Birendra sir (Mains Program Coordinator) will be speaking with students at a FREE webinar to discuss the strategies for your Mains.
These are what you’ll get in the webinar:
- When to start
practicing answers if you are appearing for Mains? - What to study and what not to study. Smart hacks to complete and revise your syllabus in minimum time.
- Debunking myths associated with answer writing.
- What are the best practices in
answer writing ? - Topper’s answer
discussed and analysed live (Why did they score high marks). - X-factor
required in your answers to score above 100 marks in GS. - Ideal strategy till Mains 2021.
- How to allocate your time between GS and Optional?
- Importance of Structure and Presentation in getting high marks in UPSC GS mains.
- Open Q&A session with Participants.
Date: 13/10/2021
Time: 07:00 p.m. onwards
If you have scored 90+ in Prelims this year, then this webinar is meant for you. Register now.
About Sukanya Ma’am:
Sukanya ma’am has firsthand experience of 4 mains and 2 interviews of UPSC. She has also appeared in the State PCS interview. Before she has worked as an officer in a public sector bank and now as a Mentor at Civilsdaily, she aims to guide future aspirants in finding success.
About Birendra Sir:
Birendra Sir has been part of Mentoring team at Civilsdaily for more than 2 years now. He has a rich experience of guiding 200+ students. Presently, he is working as Mains Coordinator at Civilsdaily.
- When to start
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Reforms-based and Results-linked, Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme: Ensuring sustainable turnaround in financial health of discoms
Context
In its budget 2021-22, the Union government had announced the launch of a “reforms-based and results-linked” scheme for the distribution sector.
Precarious financial condition of discoms
- Their overall debt burden, despite the implementation of the UDAY scheme, is estimated to increase to around Rs 6 lakh crore in the ongoing financial year.
- Moreover, their annual cash losses are estimated to be about Rs 45,000-50,000 crore (excluding UDAY grants and regulatory income).
- Due to highly subsidised nature of power tariffs towards agriculture and certain sections of residential consumers, the overall subsidy dependence is likely to be roughly Rs 1.30 lakh crore this year at the all-India level.
Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme
- In its budget 2021-22, the Union government had announced the launch of a “reforms-based and results-linked” scheme for the distribution sector.
- Subsequently, the Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme was notified in July with an overall outlay of Rs 3.03 lakh crore.
- Under the scheme, AT&C losses are sought to be brought down to 12-15 per cent by 2025-26, from 21-22 per cent currently.
- Operational efficiencies of discoms are to be improved through smart metering and upgradation of the distribution infrastructure, including the segregation of agriculture feeders and strengthening the system.
- The scheme has two parts — Part A with an outlay of Rs 3.02 lakh crore, pertains to the upgradation of the distribution infrastructure and metering related works.
- Part B, with an outlay of Rs 1,430 crore, is for training and capacity building, besides other enabling and support activities.
- Discoms and their state governments will have to sign a tripartite agreement with the central government in order to avail benefits under the scheme.
- Only those discoms that meet all the pre-qualifying criteria will be eligible for the release of funds.
- A loss-making discom will not be eligible unless it draws up plans to reduce its losses, approved by the state government and filed with the central government.
- As far as the agricultural sector is concerned, the use of solar power projects to supply electricity to these consumers through the agriculture feeder route is likely to result in savings.
- This is because of a combination of high tariff competitiveness offered by solar power, lower technical losses due to proximity to load centres, and the ability to meet demand during the day when sunlight is available.
- In addition, the delicencing initiative proposed by the central government can effect significant changes in the distribution segment, facilitating competition and placing emphasis on the quality and reliability of power supply and consumer services.
Issue of tariff determination
- A continuing area of concern affecting discom finances is the significant delay in the process of tariff determination in many states.
- As of now, only 19 out of 28 states have issued tariff orders for 2021-22, indicating sluggish progress.
- Further, there is upward pressure on the cost of power supply for distribution utilities, considering the dominant share (around 70 per cent) of coal in the fuel mix for energy generation, the strengthening of imported coal prices and the possibility of domestic coal price revisions by Coal India.
- As a consequence, a cost-reflective tariff determination process, coupled with the timely pass-through of power purchase costs, remains critical for the utilities.
Consider the question “Examine the factor that explains the continuing financial woes of state-owned discoms despite implementing several schemes. How Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme seeks to address the issue?”
Conclusion
On the whole, while the focus on improving the operational efficiency, and ensuring the financial sustainability of discoms is indeed welcome, timely implementation of the reforms is critical to achieving the milestones.
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How Civilsdaily Mentorship helped AIR 425, Divyansh Singh || Unherd Shorts || Civilsdaily Mentorship Program: Toppers Testimonials (Link Inside)
For One-on-One Mentorship from Civilsdaily IAS, fill this form:- https://bit.ly/3jV2zTS
Check out Divyansh’s excerpt on how he cleared UPSC 2020:-
A graduate in Computer Science from IIT, Divyansh as a student was always brilliant in studies. Yet the transition from a software developer in Microsoft to civil services was not easy for him. During work, he read NCERT books to get an understanding of the UPSC syllabus. Once he decided that this is what he wanted to do, Divyansh resigned and prepared full time. He believes that once a decision is taken it is final; you may change plans to achieve the goal but never change the goal itself.
He has cleared the exam in his second attempt. However, the point to be noted is that in both his attempts, he cleared the prelims in one shot. What was his go-to strategy in Prelims? Divyansh studied Current Affairs from Civilsdaily and solved atleast 35-40 papers before the exam. This gave him a powerful intuition to get the right answers from elimination techniques. He believes that solving question papers gives one a solid perspective of a topic.
His strategy for Mains was preparing 1-2 pages of notes on every topic from online sources. He topped it up by taking Smash Mains test series. He appreciates the feedback and inputs given by Sajal Sir after every test. This gave him a clear understanding of what to write and the points he had missed in an answer. After his selection for the interview round, he also enrolled in our Interview Guidance Program.
Heartiest congratulations to Divyansh Singh
AIR 425
UPSC Civil Services 2020 -
Only Limited Seats || Last 2 Hrs Left || Scoring 90+ in Prelims? Begin your Mains preparation strategically || Attend our FREE webinar & speak with our mentors in an open discussion post webinar
Dear aspirant,
Prelims is over and it’s time to gear up for Mains; and if you have scored 90+ in UPSC Prelims 2021, you should start your Mains preparation immediately!!!
In UPSC 2020, Civilsdaily helped 80+ students secure ranks in their exams and 30 students of Civilsdaily have secured ranks in the Top 100. The same team that helped aspirants become rankers last year is back again to help you also.
Sukanya ma’am (Mains Program Head) and Birendra sir (Mains Program Coordinator) will be speaking with students at a FREE webinar to discuss the strategies for your Mains.
These are what you’ll get in the webinar:
- When to start
practicing answers if you are appearing for Mains? - What to study and what not to study. Smart hacks to complete and revise your syllabus in minimum time.
- Debunking myths associated with answer writing.
- What are the best practices in
answer writing ? - Topper’s answer
discussed and analysed live (Why did they score high marks). - X-factor
required in your answers to score above 100 marks in GS. - Ideal strategy till Mains 2021.
- How to allocate your time between GS and Optional?
- Importance of Structure and Presentation in getting high marks in UPSC GS mains.
- Open Q&A session with Participants.
Date: 13/10/2021
Time: 07:00 p.m. onwards
If you have scored 90+ in Prelims this year, then this webinar is meant for you. Register now.
About Sukanya Ma’am:
Sukanya ma’am has firsthand experience of 4 mains and 2 interviews of UPSC. She has also appeared in the State PCS interview. Before she has worked as an officer in a public sector bank and now as a Mentor at Civilsdaily, she aims to guide future aspirants in finding success.
About Birendra Sir:
Birendra Sir has been part of Mentoring team at Civilsdaily for more than 2 years now. He has a rich experience of guiding 200+ students. Presently, he is working as Mains Coordinator at Civilsdaily.
- When to start
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PSIR Optional UPSC 2023 Value Enhancement with Soham, IRS | Lectures, Tests, Notes, and 1-1 Mentorship | Starts on 3rd Nov
If there’s one-stop, single-source reading material for PSIR, it is CD’s PSIR Optional Program for UPSC 2023. It is a Value Enhancement Program
AIR 267, Soham (IRS) will be heading the PSIR program and he will be taking lectures and mentorship sessions. Soham has scored one of the highest marks in the Optional and has a great base in the PSIR subject.
A Brief Overview Of CD’s PSIR Program
- It is a 60 days program
- Value addition lectures and notes by Soham Mandhare, AIR 267, UPSC 2021 IRS
- Test series including 6 tests, Model answers
- Test discussion with Soham sir
- 1-1 Post-test evaluation mentorship call by senior PSIR optional mentor
At the end of each session, you will get a LIVE Doubt-Clearing session with our faculty to get all your doubts cleared. We are working hard to make the program more featureful, highlight the best answers, and show the competency levels of students. So what are you waiting for? Enroll & get the feel of a real exam.
Since optional constitutes 500/2025 towards the merit list, it is important to outperform in it to get into the service of your choice.
It is a little more than 7 months to go for UPSC-CSE 2023. So, Guys, this is high time to make sure that the foundation for your ‘Optional’ Answer writing skills is strong. Our ‘Political Science & International Strategy’ (PSIR) Program is a handy opportunity to sharpen your Answer writing skills.
We are launching an advanced 60 days PSIR Optional Program. Rest assured, we have got you covered with all the conceptual clarity on important topics. For maximum retention and greater recall value in the exam hall, CD’S Exam Prep program has curated an exclusive series to help you strengthen the basics for UPSC Optional answer writing.
Also, you will get a lot of pointers to polish your written and interview skills for UPSC-CSE 2023, 24.
Click here to JOIN the PSIR OPTIONAL PROGRAM.
Trends In PSIR Optional Paper
For concept/idea-based questions:
- For concept/idea-based questions:
- Who theorized it and what inspirations behind it if any
- Core points explaining the idea, include a diagram/flowchart (rare, only if it helps)
- Arguments for and against the idea, citing scholars
- Relevance in present times / critical analysis
For current affairs-based questions:
- A generic opening surrounding the event/news, a quote if I could remember one
- Core points explaining the situation
- Explain and against arguments, citing scholars
- Critical analysis / pragmatic opinion or solution, citing scholars if needed
WHAT THE PROGRAM INCLUDES:
Value addition Lectures by AIR 267, Soham + Test series + Evaluation of Questions + Doubt Clearing Session + 1-to-1 mentorship + Notes
- 60 days value addition program
- Value addition lectures and notes by Soham sir (over Zoom/Google meet)
- Mentorship-overall schedule preparation
- 6 test detailed evaluations within 48 hours of submission and One-on-One (on-call) discussion for each test
- Value addition material by Soham sir
- Access to Community administered by Soham sir and PSIR faculty
- Doubt sessions on-demand for conceptual clarity, interlinking aspects
- Strategy mentorship session with Soham sir (weekly)
- Focusing on answer writing analysis, model answers, and test discussion by Soham sir. Maintaining the flow of answers, use of keywords, use of scholars’ quotes, coverage of dimensions, etc
Course Fee:
Rs 10,000 + GST = Rs. 11,800Rs 8260 (Early bird offer)
ABOUT THE MENTOR:
Soham Mandhare Sir
Soham secured AIR 267 in UPSC 2021 exam. He scored more than 290 in his last two attempts in the PSIR optional.
What The Hindu mentioned about Civilsdaily Mentorship
