UP and Bihar India's top two IAS churners

Uttar Pradesh may still be reigning supreme as far as recruitment to the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) is concerned, but Bihar has emerged a not- so-surprising second, leaving civil services nurseries such as Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh far behind.

The latest personnel ministry figures for 4,443 IAS officers show that while 671 (15 per cent) of them are domiciled in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar contributes 419 (9.4 per cent) officers to the service.

Most of these bureaucrats are working outside their home states, and that is expected under the recruitment rules of the IAS, an all- India service.

Although the figures include names of state service officers promoted to the IAS towards the end of their tenure, the data convincingly shows that bureaucracy continues to be a major draw for the youth from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. The total number of IAS officers in the country is more than 5,500.

Tamil Nadu ranks third with 290 officers, 129 less than Bihar, while Andhra Pradesh occupies the fourth slot with 269, followed by Delhi ( 233), Rajasthan (233), Punjab (228), Maharashtra (222), Haryana (158) and Madhya Pradesh (152).

" While Uttar Pradesh has always been on top, the swell in numbers from Bihar is mainly because of the absence of other career options in the state. In the underdeveloped Bihar, government service has always enjoyed a premium," a senior IAS officer from Bihar said.

" Bureaucracy, just as other top- notch competitive exams such as IIT- JEE, is an easy and legitimate way to gain social mobility and recognition in Bihar, a state which still carries remnants of its feudal past. Tamil Nadu has seen a rapid expansion of the private sector while youth in businessoriented Gujarat prefer nongovernment options quite early in their life," he added.

The observation is not off the mark because only 76 IAS officers are domiciled in a state such as Gujarat while ' tiny' Kerala has contributed By Ashish Sinha in New Delhi UP and India's top IAS churners 143 bureaucrats to the pack and the Left Front- ruled West Bengal accounts for only 117.

The Bengal youth used to opt for civil services in good numbers before Independence and the years immediately after, but the numbers have diminished over the years.

Besides the Hindi heartland, the sheen of the civil services has grown in other north Indian states as well. The number of IAS officers domiciled in agrarian states of Punjab and Haryana is 228 and 158. While a relatively larger Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh account for only 150 and 152 officers respectively.

Delhi is another interesting case. The number of IAS officers domiciled in the national capital is an impressive 233.

" This is expected because parents of a large number of aspiring civil servants are based in Delhi. Most of them are already in government service. Delhi also happens to be the education hub of the north," an official posted with the Union Public Service Commission said.

Experts say that 27 per cent reservation for the other backward classes ( OBCs), which was implemented in the early 1990s, has also made a qualitative difference to the recruitment trend. For instance, the number of OBC entrants to the civil services has been going up in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.

The benefit of reservation for the scheduled tribes ( STs) is more remarkable in Rajasthan, which has seen a good number of Meenas joining the IAS. Candidates from the North- East have also made good use of the ST quota. Manipur, Meghalaya and Nagaland have contributed more than 20 officers.

TOP 5 Civil service Topper IAS 2014

World Ranks of India in 2015 (Category wise)

1.GLOBAL PEACE INDEX------------------------------143

2.CHOICE OF F.D.I--------------------------------------143

3.EASE OF DOING BUSINESS ------------------------142

4.ENVIRONMENTAL PERFORMANCE INDEX -----155

5.WORLD PRESS FREEDOM INDEX ----------------136

6.ECONOMIC FREEDOM INDEX – -------------------128

7.HUMAN DEVELOPMENT INDEX --------------------135

8.GENDER INEQUALITY INDEX –-------------------- 129

9.GENDER GAP INDEX ----------------------------------114

10.WOMENS REPRESENTATION IN PARLIAMENT -111

11.WORLD PROSPERITY INDEX –--------------------- 106

12.SOCIAL PROGRESSIVE INDEX ----------------------101

13.HUMAN CAPITAL INDEX-----------------------------– 100

14.GLOBAL INFORMATION INDEX (WEF) ----------– 89

15.CORRUPTION PERCEPTION INDEX ---------------85

8 Facts You Have To Know About The Indian Constitution

1. The Indian Constitution is the longest in the world. 

It has 444 articles, 12 schedules and 94 amendments. On the other hand, the American constitution is the shortest.

2. It took nearly 3 years to draft the Indian Constitution.

The Constituent Assembly had 284 members, out of which 15 were women. The Drafting Committee submitted the draft, after which they took three more years to complete it. 

3. The Constitution of India was handwritten and calligraphed both in English and Hindi.  

It wasn't typed or printed. The original copies are kept safely inside helium-filled cases in the library of the Parliament of India. 

4. The Indian Constitution is called the bag of borrowings. 

The Indian Constitution has taken various features from other constitutions. The concepts of liberty, equality and fraternity were taken from the French Constitution. The idea of 5 year plans was taken from the USSR and the concept of socio-economic rights was taken from Ireland. Most importantly, the law on which the Supreme Court works was taken from Japan. There are many other concepts that have been borrowed from other countries. 

5. The Indian Constitution came into force on January 26, 1950. 

284 members of the Constituent Assembly signed the handwritten documents on January 24, 1950. Two days after, on 26th January, India celebrated its first Republic Day. 

6. Our Republic day is celebrated for 3 days. 

Beating the retreat marks the end of the celebration on January 29. 

7.  The national emblem of India was adopted on January 26, 1950. 

The national emblem of India is an adapted version of the Sarnath Lion of Ashoka. 

8. B.R. Ambedkar had a major role to play in the formulation of the Indian Constitution. 

Ambedkar was the chief architect of our constitution. It is because of him that our constitution covers a wide range of civil liberties including the freedom of religion and the abolition of untouchability. 

UPSC Civil Services Exam 2013 Topper (Rank 1) Gaurav Agrawal’s Marks

Gaurav Agrawal from Rajastan topped UPSC Civil Services Exam 2013. Gaurav did his graduation from IIT and post graduation from IIM. He got IPS in his first chance before securing All India Rank 1 this year. We have already shared Gaurav Agrawal’s UPSC interview transcript. In this post, we shall analyze how should one score to become an All India Topper and clear IAS! This post also examines the subjective nature in the present pattern of UPSC exam, especially the interview/personality test.

How well should you score to clear IAS with AIR 1?

As you all might be aware, there cannot be any generalizations. We have already done an analysis on UPSC mains marks cut-offs and have shown that the competition is getting tougher and the mains exam is becoming low scoring. Let’s have a quick look at AIR 1, Gaurav Agrawal’s total marks, which is 975/2025. This comes around 48.15 percentage, around 3 percent less than last year topper Haritha V. Kumar’s total. The decrease in percentage can be attributed to the reduction in number of optional papers and increase in general studies papers, with tight valuation. But the point here is : You just need around 48% marks to become All India Topper! And to clear IAS which has around 180 seats this year including reservation, the percentage needed is again less! However, things are not that easy! Let’s see.

Gaurav Agrawal’s UPSC Civil Services Preliminary Exam Marks

• General Studies Paper 1 (GS): 121.34 / 200
• General Studies Paper 2 (CSAT): 182.50 / 200
• Total: 304 / 400

PS : Marks of UPSC Preliminary Exam is not counted for final ranking. For 2013, the cut-off mark for general category was 241, OBC – 222, SC -207, ST-201, PH1 -199, PH2 – 184 and PH3 – 163.

It can be seen that Gaurav was way above the cut-off, even for Prelims. A high score in CSAT, can naturally be attributed to his IIT+IIM brain, but the score of 120+ in GS shows his command over the general studies paper too.

A good command over GS paper even at the time of Prelims would naturally give an edge to the candidate for Mains, as he/she already know many of the general studies topics. And a 300+ score for Prelims is just awesome! 

Motivational quote from the topper for those who start late:

If you are confident enough in paper 2 (CSAT) , prelims specific preparation can be done in last 1-2 months itself.

Gaurav Agrawal’s UPSC Civil Services Mains Exam Marks

Thanks to Gaurav for sharing his detailed marks-break up.

1. Essay: 135 / 250
2. GS 1: 85 / 250
3. GS 2: 63 / 250
4. GS 3: 88 / 250
5. GS 4: 102 / 250
6. Economics 1: 134 / 250
7. Economics 2: 162 / 250

• Total GS: 338 / 1000 (33.8%)
• Total Economics Optional : 296 / 500  (59.2%)
• Mains (written) total = 769 / 1750 (43.94%)

PS : Mains cut-off for general category was 564, and Gaurav had scored 205 marks above that minimum qualifying mark. 

Gaurav Agrawal’s UPSC Civil Services Mains Exam Marks

• Interview (Dr. Kilemsungla board): 206 / 275
• Total: 975 / 2025
• Rank 1.

PS : After interview, Gaurav was 200 marks above the last recommended candidate in general category. (517th candidate)

All India Topper’s Mark for Mains and Interview : An Analysis

As per our analysis, there are three crucial areas which determines a mains qualified candidate his/her final rank, after the changed pattern.

1. Essay Paper (250 marks).
2. Optional Paper (500 marks).
3. Interview (275 marks.)

You might be surprised why we didn’t include General Studies Paper in this list. Of-course, General Studies is also a factor, but in 2013, it was not a very crucial element, as there was no very big difference in the mark range even when the total General Studies weigtage was out of 1000 marks. Reason : GS1, GS2 and G3 papers had 25 questions each while GS4 had 14 questions. So the 1000 marks were divided among 89 main questions and 20+ sub questions. That will reduce the subjective elements and variations to a great extent. Analyze this break-up, in contrast to a single essay question worth 250 marks!

Subjectivity in the Essay Paper

Gaurav Agrawal scored 135 in essay paper, which is a very high score for essay this year. Yes, there are candidates who scored, 145 for essay, but the difference between the 145 and 135 is not that really big. But those who got only 50 or 60 mark in essay, are lagging behind the topper by near 80+ marks soon after the first paper itself! This is not a small difference to neglect. A single essay worth 250 marks can always lead to mark variations like this. Unless the next year essay paper contains 2-3 essays, the volatility of essay marks will remain.

Subjectivity in the Optional Paper

Gaurav Scored 296 marks in economics optional which is exceptional! Here also, there might be other candidates who scored higher for other optionals, but 296/500 is never a mean achievement. Gaurav said that it was his optional marks which secured him the first rank. We would only partly agree. He performed really well across sections  .

But again, who much is the marks range in optional paper? If Gaurav’s total was 296/500, there are also candidates who made it to the final list with less than 180/500 as optional paper mark. That means a big difference of 120+ marks is possible for optionals.

PS : The wide variation of marks between optional papers is well known. This has nothing to do with number of questions in each paper, but is often associated with the scaling process for equating marks between different optional papers. There are also unfortunate candidates with such low marks 3-11 in certain optional papers, after writing for 3 hour each (who of-course didn’t qualify) probably due to the scaling process for that optional paper!

Subjectivity in the UPSC Interview/Personality Test

Now let’s see how a candidate’s life and years of preparation can be drastically ruined in half an hour. For 2013 interview, there were as high marks as 210+ and low marks as 90 also. This means 120+ marks difference was possible in 30 minutes, which as per our analysis is the most life changing one. Even if you were 120+ marks above mains cut-off (mains = the stage which checks your knowledge and analytical abilities, with a weightage of 1750 marks ), a very low mark like 90 or less in the UPSC interview/personality test can spoil your chances.

PS : There are many instances of candidates securing very low marks like 90 or 100 one year crossing 200+ when he attends the UPSC board next year. It can be the reverse also. There are many who wonder how the personality of a candidate rise or fall so much in one year. This just point outs the subjectivity in a 30 minute interview. There are many who wonder if the personality of candidate can be judged at all in 30 minutes.

Gaurav scored 206 for interview, which is again very high marks. His GS score of 338/1000, though not exceptional, corresponds to around 85 marks per each paper out of 250, which is well above the average.

Conclusion :

To conclude our analysis on UPSC Civil Services mains+interview, it is worrysome to note that the high range of marks existing in a 20-30 minute subjective process like interview. The subjective nature also exists in the valuation of a single essay worth 250 marks. Again, scaling in optional papers has been a matter of debate by lot of unfortunate candidates for many years. UPSC had made some reforms in exam pattern and syllabus in last 2-3 years, but still there is definite scope for improvement in the whole exam process, and we strongly suggest reducing the ‘range of marks’ that can be awarded for interview and essay. The difference between top and bottom marks should be a maximum 50. Except under exceptional circumstances, this rule should not be violated. Either remove the optional paper completely or bring more transparency to the scaling process for optional paper. Many successful and unsuccessful candidates associate the ‘luck element’ with the subjective and impulsive nature of awarding marks. The selection of the top bureaucrats who steer the governance and future of India, can never be left to any luck element, but should always be on the basis of merit.

And for Gaurav Agrawal, a consistent high scoring in all papers of mains and interview fetched him the top slot. He might not be the topper in individual papers, but he remained consistently high across all papers with exceptional performance in Economics optional. We are happy that his hard-work is finally rewarded, in-spite of the uncertainties existing in the system and exam process. A truly deserving candidate who crossed all hurdles, after being a little short the first time. All the very best to him! 

Ms. Manisha Khatri, IAS Topper (35th Rank)

Ms. Manisha Khatri belongs to Sonepat, Haryana and holds an L.L.B.(Hons) degree along with a degree in B.Com. An alumnus of the prestigious Gujarat National Law University, she worked for some time as a Legal Manager in ICICI Bank in Mumbai. She preferred Law as her Optional subject in the Civil Services Main 'Examination and cracked the CSE in her very first attempt. By virtue of her immense interest in the subject and deep understanding, she was able to achieve the 35th Rank in the overall list of successful candidates in the Civil Services Examination 2013-14. She says that hard work with diligence and perseverance ultimately paid off and she succeeded in getting into the services which had been her dream since her childhood To her mind, it takes one only one year to prepare for this examination.

An avid reader of Current affairs Books since her school days, she gives the credit for shaping her knowledge in a better way to it. Current affairs Books also helped her keep tabs on all recent issues during her preparation for the Personality Test. To her mind, General Knowledge Today is also a very nice magazine, because it presents Current Affairs in a concise manner.

Here, we publish an exclusive interview which she gave to Competition Success Review.

Current affairs Books: Congratulations, Ms. Manisha Khatri for your 35th Rank in the Civil Services Examination 2013-14 ! What is the secret of your success in this examination ?

Ms. Manisha Khatri : Hard work with diligence and perseverance is the secret of my success.

Q. How much time do you think one requires for serious preparations for this examination ?

 A. Time is not an important factor, but the whole process till Mains requires one year.

Q. Which newspapers and journals have you been reading for the General Studies and other papers?

A. Apart from Competition Success 'Review, and General Knowledge Today, I read The Hindu, Yojana and Kurukshetra.

Q. Do you remember any remarkable incident of your life that motivated or prompted you to go for a career in the Civil Services ?

A. Being an IAS officer was my childhood dream. Throughout my career I had this idea in my mind.

Q. Competition Success Review, the largest selling youth magazine in English, has been extremely helpful because

A. Current affairs Books was very helpful in my preparation. It kept me abreast of Current Affairs in a concise manner.

Q. How did your parents, family and friends contribute to your success ?

A. My parents and family members always supported me in my efforts by providing continuous support.

Q. Had you not been selected in the Civil Services Examination, what would have been your reaction ? Which other service/career would you have gone in/opted for ?

A. I was confident from start about getting into Civil Services. If I had failed, I would have again prepared.

Q. How do you visualise your success ?

A. I believe that my success has come with a lot of responsibility to manage societal problems and serve the public.

Q. What are your strong points which enabled you to achieve spectacular success in the Civil Services Examination ?

A. My strong points were my strength in my Optional subject and ability to retain the originality of what I study.

Q. What was your Optional at the Civil Services Examination ?

A. Law.

Q. How many attempts had you made earlier before you got selected ?

A. It was my first attempt.

Q. What was your criterion for the selection of the Optional subject?

A. I had graduated in Law from GNLU. Having studied Law for 5 years I had immense interest and clarity in this subject.

Q. How did you prepare for your compulsory papers?

A. Reading newspapers helped the most in General Studies papers.

Q. What is your impression about the Interview Board ?

A. Interview Board was very cordial and friendly. They made me feel very comfortable.

Q. Current affairs Books is the largest read youth magazine in English. How do you visualise the role of this magazine in moulding the careers of the youth ?

A. Current affairs Books has been my companion since my schooldays. It guided me to shape my knowledge of current affairs in a better way.

Q. How did Current affairs Books help you in your preparation for the interview ?

A. During interview preparation, it was made very easy by Current affairs Books to keep tabs on all recent issues and form my own opinion on these issues.

Q. How do you look upon the publication of Current affairs Books magazine in Hindi ? Do you think that the mindset and basic approach of English medium students are fundamentally different from those of the Hindi medium students ?

A. I believe that there is not much difference between Hindi and English medium students. I believe that it is hard work common to both which is responsible for their success.

Q. What is your opinion about Current affairs Books?

A. Current affairs Books is a very good magazine for students to read.

Q. Since when have you been reading Current affairs Books?

A, I have been reading Current affairs Books since my schooldays.

Q. Since when has Current affairs Books been coming to your home ?

A. Current affairs Books has been coming to my home for the last 10 years.

BIO DATA —

Name : Ms. Manisha Khatri

Educational Qualification :

B.Com, LLB (Hons.)

School : Hindu Vidya Peeth

University : Gujarat National Law University

Any Award, Gold Medals and Scholarship Won : 1st Prize in IPR Research Paper Gold Medal Competition; 2nd Prize in Essay Competition on Corruption.

Experience : 5 months : Legal Manager in ICICI Bank, Mumbai

Q. Did your father and/or mother also read Current affairs Books when they were of your age ? If so, who read and when ?

A. No.

Q. What is your opinion about General Knowledge Today ?

A. General Knowledge Today is also a very nice magazine to read Current Affairs in a concise way.

Q. What is your opinion about Current affairs Books Books ?

A. Current affairs Books books have been very helpful.

Q. What do you think is a better way of preparation between selective intensive study and wide extensive study ?

A. I believe that it has to be a balanced approach between selective intensive study and wide extensive study for getting good results.

Q. Is this pattern of the examination appropriate for selection ? Would you recommend any other improvement ?

A. Yes, the pattern is appropriate to test the aptitude of a candidate. The pattern is not based on the memory of students, but on their understanding

Q. Do you feel that there should be no restriction on the number of attempts?

A. I believe that attempts should be limited.

Q. We have been publishing essays every month under Current Issues and Current affairs Books Essay Contests and Current affairs Books Super Brain Youth Contest by adding eight more pages to encourage our readers not only to write better, but also to know what the top competitors could be writing. Besides, we offer tickets to and from Singapore, Current affairs Books Gold Medal & Trophy to the winners of the Current affairs Books Super Brain Youth Contest. Is this focus-oriented approach helpful for the IAS aspirants ?

A. Yes, this focus-oriented approach is very helpful to guide students.

Q. To what extent, you think, model test papers can be useful for the aspirants of the Civil Services ?

A. Model Test Papers are useful to stimulate the students in an exam- oriented environment.

Q. How do you think Current affairs Books could be more useful to the candidates appearing in the Civil Services and various other competitive examinations ?

A. Current affairs Books provides all information on Current Affairs in a concise way.

Q. Do you think that the UPSC needs to be more transparent in its examination and evaluation ?

A. I think the UPSC is already very transparent in examination and evaluation.

Q. What is your advice to the future aspirants ?

A. My advice to future aspirants is that they should focus hard on studies, as there is no substitute to hard work.

Current affairs Books : Thank you. We wishes you all the best in life.

Top 5 things about UPSC IAS Exam 2015

Its less then 3 months to go for the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) - Civil Services exam 2015. Candidates aspiring to appear for IAS must know the 5 important things required for the civil services exam.

1. Eligibility

The eligibility criteria required for a candidate to be able to apply for UPSC IAS exam are:

• A citizen of India: The candidate applying for the IAS should be a citizen of India. Candidates from Nepal, Bhutan, Tibetan refugees and immigrants with Indian origin will have to submit a certificate of eligibility that has been issued by the Government of India, as an evidence of their eligibility.

• Age limit: 21 to 32 years; there is relaxation of the upper age limit for SC, ST, OBC, physically handicapped candidates as well as ex- servicemen.

• Bachelor's degree: Candidate must possess a degree from any of Indian universities or an equivalent qualification from any recognized university. Candidates who have appeared or intend to appear for the qualifying examination and are awaiting results are also eligible to appear for the preliminary examination.

2. Exam Pattern

The preliminary examination will consist of two objective type (multiple choice questions) paper. 

Paper I- General Studies (2 hours)

Paper II- Aptitude Test (2 hours)

The question papers (test booklets) will be available in both languages, English and Hindi. 

For both writing and marking answers in the OMR sheet (Answer sheet), candidates will have to use black ball pen only. Usage of pens with any other color would be prohibited. Use of pencil or ink pen would not be allowed. Blind candidates would be allowed an extra 20 minutes of time for each paper.

3. Exam Syllabus

Candidates preparing to appear for the UPSC IAS Preliminary Exam 2015 should remain acquainted with the syllabus for the preliminary exam. 

The IAS preliminary exam comprises of two papers; paper I and II. The time duration and syllabus for IAS Prelims are as follows:

Paper I - General Studies

Marks: 200

Duration: 2 hours

Topics

• Current events of national and international importance
• History of India and Indian National Movement
• Indian and World Geography - Physical, Social, Economic Geography of India and the World
• Indian Polity and Governance - Constitution, Political System, Panchayati Raj, Public Policy, Rights, Issues, etc.
• Economic and Social Development Sustainable Development, Poverty, Inclusion, Demographics, Social Sector initiatives, etc.
• General issues on Environmental Ecology, Bio-diversity and Climate Change - that do not require subject specialization
• General Science

Paper II - Civil Services Aptitude Test (CSAT)

Marks: 200 

Duration: 2 hours

Topics

• Comprehension
• Interpersonal skills including communication skills
• Logical reasoning and analytical ability
• Decision-making and problem-solving
• General mental ability
• Basic numeracy (numbers and their relations, orders of magnitude, etc. - Class X level)
• Data interpretation (charts, graphs, tables, data sufficiency etc. - Class X level)
• English language comprehension skills (Class X level)

4. IAS preliminary exam preparation tips

1. Revise two times before exam: Plan your studies carefully. Adequate time should be kept for revision. Both General Studies and Aptitude sections should be revised atleast twice, one week before the exam.

2. Focus on ecology, environment, art and culture:  A large number of questions come from ecology, environment and art & culture. These areas should be prepared in detail from the best available sources.

3. Solve mock test papers: Candidates should attend mock tests and solve previous year papers. This will increase the accuracy and speed significantly. It also helps in picking out the most appropriate option in the exam.

4. Get your basics clear: In the changed pattern, the stress is more on the concept clarity rather than simply mugging up the data. The prelims-2015 is still six months away; candidates must devote good time in understanding the basics.

5. Candidates from non-MBA and non-Engineering background should devote good time in preparing for CSAT paper as it has more weightage and becomes a game-changer for clearing preliminary round.  

Candidates from MBA and Engineering background should not be careless about CSAT paper as the CSAT paper is quite different in approach and content from the MBA exams.

5. Important Dates

Name of examination	Date of notification	Last date for receipt of applications	Date of commencement of exam	Duration of exam
Civil Services (Preliminary) Exam, 2015	16 May, 2015	June 12, 2015	23 August 2015	1 day