The Civil Services Examination is conducted by Union Public
Services Commission (UPSC) for recruitment to various Civil Services, including
Indian Administrative Services (IAS), Indian Foreign Services (IFS), Indian
Police Services (IPS), among others. The Indian Civil Servants serve as the
backbone of the administration that runs the country. India is a country with
the most diverse culture in the world, and the UPSC demands officers who
understand this diversity and are sensitive to the various social needs.
It is a position that awards power and commands respect, but
with it comes great responsibility. The examination process is structured in
such a way that it handpicks those candidates who can apply their knowledge and
understanding in carrying out these responsibilities in the most effective way.
The Preliminary Examination
Prelims Paper-I
Prelims Paper I tests your General Awareness and how
connected you are with the latest happenings around the world. Questions are
usually related to:
History of India and Indian National Movement; Current
events of National and international importance; Indian and World Geography -
Physical, Social, Economic Geography of India and the World; Economic and
Social Development — Sustainable development, Poverty, Inclusion, Demographics,
Social Sector initiatives; General issues on Environmental Ecology,
Bio-diversity and Climate Change; Indian Polity and Governance — Constitution,
Political system, Panchayati raj, Public policy, Rights issues and General
Science.
It is natural for a student to be overwhelmed by the
syllabus of General Studies paper-I. But, it has to be noted that the UPSC is
moving away from checking the rote capability of the students and instead has
started checking the analytical skills of the student. For example: 2011 saw a
wave of protests with many following Gandhian ideologies of Satyagraha. The
2012 Civil Services paper tried to test the candidates’ understanding of this
issue and their opinion on the same by posing the quesiton: “How are Gandhian
Ideals like Satyagraha, Swadhinata and Swaraj relevant to contemporary Indian
Democracy?”
Prelims Paper-II
Prelims Paper II designed to test your skills in
comprehension, interpersonal skills, communication, logical reasoning,
analytical ability, decision making, problem solving, basic numeracy & data
interpretation. Broadly, around half the questions in the last two years, were
from Reading Comprehension and Verbal Ability. A good percentage of the
remaining questions test Logical Reasoning, Basic Calculation, Quantitative
Aptitude and Decision Making. Remember that an aptitude paper always tests your
inherent common sense. Thus, performing well in this section is not contingent
on the number of arcane formulae a student memorises, but on the application of
the logic underlying each concept.
The Main Examination
Once you have cleared the Prelims, you become eligible for
the ‘Mains’, which is a true test of your in-depth knowledge and writing
skills. It consists of nine papers, two qualifying and seven ranking in nature.
Out of the seven ranking papers, four papers are from two optional subjects
that have to be selected from a pack of 26 subjects. There are proposals to do
away with these two optional subjects but it has not been confirmed yet.
Candidates who pass the qualifying papers are screened
according to marks and selected candidates are called for an interview. The
Interview for the Civil Services is aimed at assessing whether a candidate is
suitable to be a competent administrator or not. It is not an assessment of the
specialised or general knowledge that has already been tested in the Prelims
and Mains, but the mental ability of the candidate which is judged by the
clarity of expression, appreciation of different points of view, balance of judgment
and leadership qualities.
The general tip passed on through civil service success
stories revolves around in-depth knowledge. Though there has been some paradigm
shift in terms of scoring in Prelims, thanks to the aptitude section, the trend
still continues with a traditional preparation for the general studies in
Prelims done hand in hand with the Mains along with its optional. It therefore
becomes easier to focus on the wide array of topics ranging from History to
Geography to Economic and Social Development, Polity and Governance with
current events and general science. This wide array clubbed with the
comprehension, reasoning, mental ability for numeracy and the English language
makes for a daunting task.
The exam has never been about remembering all topics but
understanding concepts, and this has to be done smartly and swiftly.
Schedule for Preliminary Examination/Main Exam
The schedule for Preliminary Examination shows no surprise
but, Main Examination 2013 is slated to commence from 8th November 2013 which
shows a delay of approx one month comparing this year which starts October 5,
2012.
Civil Services (Preliminary)
Examination 2013
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DATE OF NOTIFICATION
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02.02.2013
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LAST DATE FOR RECEIPT OF APPLICATIONS
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04.03.2013
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DATE OF EXAMINATION
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19.05.2013
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Civil Services (Main) Examination 2013
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DATE OF COMMENCEMENT OF EXAMINATION
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08.11.2013
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