In the last 3 years, a lot of things have changed about UPSC-CSE preparation. Core books like NCERTs, Laxmikanth are a great starting point but they need to be substituted with your own notes that are precise and help you recall everything.

Every Topper has put in an extraordinary effort to streamline their notes. It was an obsession. It took them multiple iterations and failed attempts to finally get to a version that helped them cut down on the revision time and remove the dependency on the core books. 

Take the example of Council Acts that you start with. You need to understand

1. How the executive/legislature has been evolving with each act, and their powers. 
2. The new bodies being created BOC, COD, and their mandates.   
3. How were the Provinces being impacted?
4. Finally, the key features and points to note for each Act.  

Likewise for various other topics in Modern History.

Similarly, for various other topics under Polity

Get UPSC Polity Flash Notes Here

Here’s the list of all topics covered

The good news is that:

You don’t have to fail 2 attempts to develop this topper-level clarity.

Put your 3 hours/day in better use to enhance your knowledge than to struggle with how to capture information in your notes.

The age of highlighting, bookmarking, keywords and bulky digital notes is long gone. Your notes are either going to be your biggest asset or the most anxiety-inducing pile of garbage. 

I know what that stress and anxiety can do to your mental health. I have seen aspirants struggling with their notes and one-drive and multiple registers. The constant self-doubt is paralyzing. Trust me, you don’t want to be in that head space.