Prelims: sources

                                  Dr. Rehana Bashir

                                  UPSC CSE 2018 , AIR -187

                                  Optional- Medical Science

                                  Hobby- painting and sketching                                                                                     

  

                      I took the decision to prepare for civil services during my internship. Since I had studied well during my medical college days, I knew that my optional subject was already ready. I only needed to revise it. Therefore my major focus was on general studies and c-sat.

Since we, as medical students, are not in touch with general studies (not when one is already preparing for civil services during college days ), everything we study feels new and tough.

PRELIMS PREPARATION

I started with Arihant Gk book. It has concise topics covering history, polity, economics, geography, environment, science and technology, current affairs. It helped me with the transition to other standard books and I tried to complete it as quickly as possible.

After this, I turned towards standard books.

History- 

•                Spectrum -modern India
•                Arihant magbook
•                Clearias free material on Internet
•                Gs score prelims free material on Internet

Polity- 

•                Laxmikanth compilations 
•                Gs score prelims free material on Internet and  notes available in market
•                Arihant magbook

Environment-  

•                 Vision Ias free material on Internet
•                 Clearias free material on Internet
•                 FTC environment book
•                 Gs score prelims notes

Art and Culture - 

•                 Nitin Singhania pdf free on Internet
•                 Ncert gist
•                 CCRT

Geography-  

•                 Magbook
•                 Clearias free material
•                 GC.Leong book

                 
Science and Technology -

•                  Vision Ias current affairs monthly
•                  Gs score prelims material

                                     
Current affairs - 

•                    Vision Ias monthly
•                     PT 365,Vision Ias
•                     Ias parliament
•                     Gist of Yojana and Kurukshetra available on Internet

Economics- 

•                    Vision ias monthly current affairs
•                     Gist of economy

• Budget highlights by Visionias
• Economic survey gist by Visionias
• Government schemes by Ias parliament free on Internet
• Reports and Indices by Ias parliament and Gs score free on Internet
• Institutions and organisations by Ias parliament.
• Maps- frequent practice, oxford map book, google.

                       
My major focus was on doing as many tests as I can. These free tests are available free on various websites.
C-SAT- I practised few questions everyday. My focus was more on comprehensions, logical reasoning and analytical ability, data interpretation ,decision making and problem solving and general mental ability.
Book- CSAT by Arihant.

What I did not do and I think that I should have done -

Visiting various ministries' websites, reading various government schemes in detail, checking various logos, keeping myself updated regarding the most recent initiatives in the environmental field, reading Ncerts thoroughly and making notes.

I'll write about mains preparation in the next post