Statistics and GMA for Civil services

How many of you have competitive-exam ARITHMOPHOBIA (fear of numbers)?

-Are you that person who chose pure science group only to avoid maths?

-Do you feel like bashing the person who invented calculus?

-Do you shudder like you have committed a sin on seeing sin, cos and tan?

-Do you shiver at the sight of General Mental Ability problems?

-Do you hate the alphabet 'x' just because it comes in algebra?

-And are you finally that person who hates civil service exam for its GMA section?

Yes. Then this blog is definitely dedicated to you, my friend. Why are you afraid of numbers? Or of logical puzzles? If you say you hate solving puzzles or detest even the thought of problem-solving, then how can the country believe in your ability and award you with one of the most coveted services in India? You have to take the initiative to fall in love with numbers and to live with numbers.


Life is in itself a complex puzzle. We live a life that unfolds mysteriously before our eyes.

# Can you predict the character of a stranger you meet on the road? He is an 'x'. An unknown. Algebra!

# How large is your living room? Area!

# How huge is your water tank? Capacity!

# How fast can you drive on a traffic free road? Time and distance!

# You eat a family pack ice-cream in one hour. You share it with a friend and it is gone in forty minutes. Time and work!

# More friends mean less time to finish the family-pack. Inverse proportion!

# How will you share it equally? Fractions!

# Your marks in exams. Profit in business. Percentages!

# You love someone. What are the chances that he/she loves you back? Probability!

# Find your place on an atlas and express it latitude-longitude-wise. Graphs!

# All mothers are affectionate to their babies. This needs no proof, yet true. Axiom!

# How long can you live on earth? Approximation theory!

# On an average, what is your monthly electricity bill? List it out for the past one year. Statistics!

So can you hate life now, since it incorporates so many mathematical concepts? No. You can't. Mathematics was not thrown from the sky. It is no alien flying saucer. It is not gifted only to a few. It belongs to everyone. And is present in everyone's life. That we do not comprehend this fact creates problems.

Only a person who solves problem knows the joy of it. Take a question from your GMA section. Do not look at its answer. Solve it and then go to answers page. The moment you see that your answer and the given answer are the same, you will feel that joy. For some it may last a bit longer, but there cannot be anyone who does not enjoy that little success. Keep thinking and I'll get back to you with tips on easy-puzzle-solving...

Books suggested for UPSC Tamil Literature

The list contains books that I have read (and also those that I was suggested to read but could not due to lack of time and availability of books). The list is not exhaustive. Prepare notes and keep them fora handy reference
ALL THE BEST !!

Tamil mozhi varalaru – Su. Sakthivel
Mozhi nool – Mu. Varadarasanar
Mozhi varalaru – Mu. Varadarasanar
Tamil ilakkiya varalaru – Mu. Varadarasanar
Tamil ilakkiya varalaru – Thamizannal
Tamil ilakkiya varalaru – Madhu Sa. Vimalanandam
Oppilakkiya kotpaadu – Ka.Na.Kailasapathy
Naatupura iyal aaivu – Su.Sakthivel
Ulaga sevviyal mozhigalin varisaiyil tamil – V.C. Kulandaisamy
Valluvar padaikkum vaiyathu sorkkam – V.C. Kulandaisamy
Tamil mozhiyum varalarum – Devira
Tamil thiranaaivum panpaadum – Devira
Tamizhar valartha azhagu kalaigal – Mayilai seeni Vengadasamy
Ithazhiyal – Su. Sakthivel
Tholkappiar kanda samudaayam – Dr. Natesan
Idhazhiyal kalai – Dr. Ma.Pa. Gurusamy
Ilakkiya Marabu – Mu. Varadarasanar
Sanga ilakkiyam: ilakkiya valamum vaazhviyal aramum – Dr. R. Chandrasekaran
Tamilaga naatupuraviyal – Dr. Sargunavathy
Silappathigara thiranaaivu – Dr. Ma.Po.Sivagnanam
Silappathigara urai – Gna. Maanickavasagan
Kurunthogai – Puliyoor Kesikan urai
Thirukkural – Parimelazhagar urai
Kumbakaruna vadhai padalam – Dr. Durai Rasaram Urai
Vanakkam valluva – Erode Tamilanban
Thiruppavai – C.Subramanian
Kambar kaatum kumbakarnan – Arunagiri
Thiruvasagam – A.Sa. Gnanasambandan
Notes for second paper topics by –Devira, Sarala Rajagopalan
Mozhi iyal – R. Srinivasan
Tamil ilakkiya varalaru – C. Balasubramanian
Tamil ilakkiya varalaru – Muthamizh chelvan
Puthiya nokkil tamil ilakkiya varalaru – Tamilanban
Tamilzhar nagarigamum panpaadum – Thatchinamoorthy
Tamizhar varalarum panpaadum – K.K. Pillai
Tamil kaadhal – V. Subamanickam
Thambiyar iruvar – A.Sa. Gnanasambandan
Silambo silambu – Arasan Santhuvanar
Silappathigara tamizhagam – Sami Sidhambaranar

Suggested books for Botany

The list contains books that I have read (and also those that I was suggested to read but could not due to lack of time and availability of books). The list is not exhaustive. Prepare notes and keep them fora handy reference
ALL THE BEST !!

A text book of botany – Singh, Pandey, Jain
Systematic botany – R.K.Gupta
Algae – B.R. Vashista
Fungi – P.D.Sharma
Cell biology – P.S. Verma, V.K.Agarwal
Genetics - P.S. Verma, V.K.Agarwal
Molecular biology - P.S. Verma, V.K.Agarwal
Microbiology – K.P. Powar
Microbiology – Pelczar
Microbiology – Prescott
Genetics – B.D.Singh
Cytology – Esau
Plant anatomy - B.P. Pandey
Cytology, genetics and molecular biology – P.K.Gupta
Elements of biotechnology – P.K. Gupta
Outlines of biotechnology – Emkay publishers
Biotechnology – Dubey
Plant physiology – V.K.Jain
Plant physiology – P.S. Gill
Physiology and biochemistry – Salisbury, Ross
Physiology and biochemistry – Fritz, Noggle
Plant diversity and systematics – verma, singh, agarwal
Ancillary botany – Rao, Narayanasamy
Taxonomy and morphology – R.C.Dutta
Plant pathology – R.S.Singh
Plant pathology – Mehrotra
Plant pathology – Bilgrami
Plant pathology - B.P. Pandey
ICAR Handbook of agriculture
Plant breeding – B.D. Singh
Embryology – Bhojwani, Bhatnagar
Economic Botany – B.P. Pandey
Economic botany – S.L. Kochar
Economic botany – Sudhir Pradhan (1995)
A text book of Pharmacognosy – Kokate, Purohit, Gokhale
Ecology – V.B. Rastogi
Plant ecology – Shukla, Chandel
Environmental biology and toxicology – P.D. Sharma
Biodiversity conservation – P.C.Trivedi, K.C.Sharma (2003)
Evolution – T.K.Ranganathan
Plant-related articles from Yojana, Kurukshetra and other forestry related government schemes, bills, acts and laws.
IAS Botany material available online as pdf files
Competition refresher’s botany material
Brilliant tutorials botany material
Biology Special issue of civil service chronicle and Competition wizard
Botany material of TataMcGraw Hill GS Manual, Pearson, Spectrum
CSIR-NET – Life sciences material
Botany for pre-medical entrance exam
Plant quiz books
Previous year question papers (Q.Bank)

UPSC Tamil Literature - Areas to concentrate

Freshers are please noted to refer to UPSC Tamil syllabus side-by-side to make use of this blog better.

http://upscportal.com/civilservices/syllabus/part-b-main-examination-syllabus-tamil

Paper-1

Section-A
Part-1
· Fully fact based, remember the names of various languages in dravidian family with a brief note on specialty of each language.
· Sangam tamil and pallava tamil- prepare clear notes showing variations of both the periods.
· Grammar- be strong on the classification of noun, verb, tense and case markers; find creative examples rather than the ones that are usually given in guides.
· Borrowed words- find words that are easy to remember and restrict examples to less than five; do not interchange examples in an attempt to furnish many examples.
· Only short notes have so far been asked in this part
Part-2
· Make thorough analysis of tolkappiam, silambu and megalai ; their core ideas, need for development of ethical literature, sangam literary works and one catchy poetry from each book of ettuthogai and pathupaatu.
· Secular sangam literature is a favourite essay question for paper-setters.
Part-3
· Find catchy and easy-to-remember and explain poetry lines of nayanmars and alwars. Andal requires special attention.
· Nayaga-nayagi baavanai is a prime area.
· Sitrilakkiya vagaigal is another scoring area in short notes. Parani and kuravanji need more focus.
·Social factors in modern Tamil literature- deal novel, short story and new poetry separately. Be thorough in two among these three. Remember names of trendsetters.
· For impact of political ideologies on modern writing, take opinions on the same lines as given by faculty and search for interesting poetry and prose examples.

Section-B
Part-1
· Literary criticism and comparative literature are possible essay questions. Prepare after full comprehension. Names of scholars who introduced certain methods of criticism are to be remembered and used.
· For literary techniques, illustrate your answer with interesting examples. If they are from parts that are not covered in syllabus of second paper (quote pugaar kandam, arathupaal, inbathupaal, new poetry, haiku, poems of bharathiyar and dasan, namakkal kavignar and kavimani), it will impress on the mind of the evaluator that the candidate has a wide grasp of subject.
Part-2
· Have extensive reading on folklore and do not miss out a question from this area. It can be very creatively dealt with; a high scoring area. Quote examples from film songs to add charm to your answer, but do not overuse them.
· Translation- uses and list of translated works are usually covered exhaustively in guides.
· Journalism timeline- start with the pioneers and end your answer with latest new magazines (like puthiyathalaimurai), remember names of trendsetters.
Part-3
· Another area not to miss out is cultural fusion by Jainism and Buddhism. How these religions influenced on Tamil society, culture and literature needs concentration.
· Pallava, chola and nayaks arts, architecture- fact based, remember names of temples and literary works of their respective periods, do not overlap examples.
· Role of mass media- write in an innovative way, give your ideas rather than going by material. This would fetch you more marks.

Paper-2

· Understand the meaning of the poetry or prose, interpret in various ways, collect similar quotes (oppeedu) of other poets and authors; spot those areas usually asked in previous years and frame answers to it.
· You need not mug up the whole vazhakkurai kaathai (silambu), but important key lines that are easy to remember at least have to be quoted. Intersperse your answer with quotes; do not overuse them.
· You must have enough idea to write about individual poetry as well as the overall chapter of poetry (e.g. whole porunmozhikaanjithurai as well as pisiraandhaiyar’s song alone).
· Identify literary techniques used in the poetry (uvamai, nayam, ethugai-monai, uruvagam, padimam, kuriyeedu, etc). It helps both in descriptive answer as well as ilakkiya nayam paarattal-type of questions.
· Read chittirappavai full text at least twice, the first time to know the story and further to know the features of every character in the novel. Same applies to gurupeedam, yarukkum vetkamillai and muthupattan kathai. Usually the clash between idealistic and realistic views of authors will be asked. Find few positive points to appreciate even the villain character of the book. Similarly, find few negative points about the main hero character of the book.

ALL THE BEST

UPSC - Success with Tamil Literature

Tamil Literature:

· I have read a lot of Tamil novels and poems. Language has always been a relaxing subject. It does not put stress on the reader. Added to it, in a literary subject, we have the freedom to express our ideas. We can take sides on interpretive questions and substantiate it with facts. Though my Tamil handwriting is not too good, I do not usually get spelling mistakes. This gave me the confidence to select Tamil literature.

· I got advice on suggested reading from Dr. Iraianbu’s book and from Manidhaneyam faculty Dr. Sankara Saravanan. I started preparing for second optional, one week after Prelim exam got over. Books from Manidhaneyam library were very helpful.

· Classroom sessions of Manidhaneyam started mid June and were the sole source of my preparation. Tests were conducted regularly within prescribed syllabus. The classes and tests were extensive, in such a way that I never felt the pressure of writing the first Mains.

· I wrote down important, interesting and easy-to-remember lines of poetry and quotations separately and revise it often. I collected notes from library books, various scholar’s views on a topic (kurunthokai, purananuru, silambu, thirukkural).

· Usually the second paper will be an application of concepts in first paper. While preparing, do not restrict it to that paper alone. Find portions that are relevant to be used as quotes in the other paper (extensive reading on folk literature for first paper will help in muthupattan kadhai and malaiyaruvi ; deep reading of kurunthokai and purananuru, kudumba vilakku will help in citing examples for literary techniques like kuriyeedu, padimam and the like ; we can quote thiruvalluvar’s couplets for a question on almost any topic –kurunthokai, puram, silambu, kumbakarunan).

· Be open minded when you read any topic. Find where it overlaps with other topics and how it differs from a similar topic. Make notes from revision and keep them handy. Develop interest in the subject. Read Tamil for the sake of gaining knowledge and appreciating its literary excellence; do not associate it with the idea of marks or career.

UPSC Botany Strategy

· I chose botany because 5 chapters of syllabus out of 10 overlapped with my graduation papers. Extensive subject knowledge and making yourself strong in concepts help to clear botany preliminary exam. Selective and thorough reading help to clear Mains.

· Botany can be an ideal choice for graduates in botany, zoology, agriculture, biotechnology, life sciences, medicine, pharmacy, veterinary, forestry, dental, etc. These candidates have a fairly good idea of the subject and do not have the fear of scientific terminologies and botanical names of plants.

· Paper-1

1. short notes on prions, viruses, uses and diseases of bacteria, fungi, microbiology applications in pollution control; read three important diseases each caused by bacteria, fungi, nematodes and viruses; read all important diseases of rice, wheat, sugarcane and potato, along with symptoms and control measures. Mechanisms of defence in plants is an interesting question. Fungal toxins and plant quarantine usually are apt for short notes.

2. analysis of evolutionary trends in structure and reproduction of cryptogams. Make notes on similarities and differences among thallo, bryo and pteridophyta. Distribution of cryptogams may be a short note. Economic and ecological significance of algae and fungi are high scoring areas. Don’t miss out question on them.

3. general features of cycadofilicales, bennettitales and cordaitales are part of new syllabus and are possible questions in recent years. Ginkgoales and gnetales are favorites for type study. Fossils and palynology applications can be studied together. Prepare notes for each family under systematics. Make note of characteristic inflorescence type, placentation, fruit type, aestivation and characteristic example of each family. Practice floral diagrams. Give extra note to all five monocot families. Taxonomy types can be a short answer. Combine anatomy of C3 and C4 plants with C3-C4 mechanisms of physiology chapter (paper-2). Embryo development and endosperm are important topics. Practice diagrams.

4. plant introduction and theories of plant origin are important. Do not skip de Candolle’s theory. Score will improve if you specify points of contrast between de Candolle and Vavilov. Like statistics in general studies, full marks can be scored in plant resource (food, fibre, beverages, spices, oils, insecticides, perfumes). Ethnobotany and herbaria are probable short questions.

5. micropropagation and tissue culture are sure questions. Either the procedure or the applications is asked every year. Add flowcharts and figures to your answer.

· Paper-2

1. cell organelles, ECM, membrane transport and cell cycle are important for essay question. A single organelle can be asked for short notes. Structural variations, polytene, lampbrush and B chromosomes are main areas. Nuclear pore complex is a relatively new discovery and might be asked.

2. genetics needs more importance as it is asked both in short notes and as essay. All Mendel concepts and gene mapping, sex linked inheritance and genetic codes are important. Cytoplasmic male sterility is very very important. Evidences for various evolution theories are easy to remember and high scoring.

3. notes for plant breeding methods are not available easily. If you study other topics in this chapter, breeding methods can be comfortably skipped out. Mutation, DNA sequencing are main areas. All techniques – Southern blot, PCR, FISH, RFLP, RAPD are to be noted. Figures and flowcharts add marks. For questions on biostatistics, supplement answers with tables and graphs wherever needed.

4. the most important chapter is physiology. It is also believed by a lot as the most difficult area of all. Understand the concepts and prepare flowcharts for each metabolic cycle. Diagrammatic answers will be more presentable than running notes. Use black pen or pencil for drawing figures. Photosynthesis and respiration, C3-C4-CAM and photorespiration are must-read topics. Newer fields of study that can be asked by paper-setters are phloem transport, chemiosmotic theory, secondary metabolites, phytochrome and stress physiology.

5. definitely high-scoring questions will come from this chapter. Plant indicators, hydrosere, xerosere, IPR, IUCN and red data books, endangered plants and Environmental impact assessment. Most topics in this chapter are related to current affairs and preparation can be clubbed with G.S. paper

UPSC Success Strategy

· Think every stage in UPSC civil services exam as your immediate goal. Do not think of Mains preparation when you haven’t yet written your Prelims. Do not think of Interview preparation when you haven’t yet written your Mains. Take one step at a time and do it with full concentration.

· An objective-type question examination is never tough, as long as we are clear in our concepts and basics of various subjects, because both the question and answer are provided to us, we only have to choose the right answer. However, it is not so in Mains. Only the question is given. We have to find the answer, frame it in sentences within the prescribed word limits and write it fast in order to complete the paper on time.

· For prelims, speed tests are very important. Try to finish answering (finding answer and shading the OMR) within 3/4th of the allowed time. Since there is negative marking for prelims, it is important not to touch areas you are fully ignorant about.

· Read the question carefully (usually they ask- which is not false, and we forget to see the word NOT). Elimination strategy and logic can help answer a difficult question. For many questions on general mental ability (GMA), answers can be found by seeing the choices itself, instead of solving the full problem. GMA can be a success-determining factor because nearly 15-20 questions will be asked; we can also be sure of our answer at exam hall itself and that improves your spirits for ensuing questions.

· It is worthwhile watching TV news for a selected time period everyday (NDTV, TIMES NOW, HEADLINES TODAY along with one Tamilnews channel). During preparation for mains and interview, I resorted to listening News on AIR FM Gold and then watch news on some main issues alone.

· The radio channel airs world news at 8.30 p.m. in English, India news at 8.45 p.m. in Hindi and 9.00 p.m. in English. Following that is a news analysis where experts discuss burning topics. After that there are day-specific news items and talk shows for half an hour, both in Hindi and English.

· Newspapers- I suggest Hindu and Dinamani though Times of India and Dinamalar would give extra coverage. Take notes of issues and events separately. Keep cuttings of center-page articles by eminent personalities for future reference.

· Magazines – civil services chronicle, competition wizard, civil service times, competition success review

· India Year book of the year you are writing preliminary exam.

· Adequate rest is essential for active learning. I never compromised on my sleep time except 2-3 days before exam. I sleep for a minimum of 8 hours everyday.

· Everyday I studied for at least 6 hours. We have to learn something new each day and add it to our knowledge treasury (brain). The quality of study is more important than how long we study. Breaks of 15-20 minutes for every 2 hours of intense study can help relax the mind.

· For mains, it is important to write model tests. It helps improve speed, accuracy, presentation, word limit precision and confidence. I wrote model tests in G.S. and Tamil. Unfortunately, I could not write a single model test for Mains-Botany as I was too much engrossed in studying, but somehow managed to write satisfactorily.

· Giving answer in points is advisable for questions like – list out the advantages, what were the effects, causes, etc. Try to give subheadings to all questions except the 2 mark questions. Write legibly. Do not overwrite. Think a minute before writing so that you avoid repetition of facts that might irritate the evaluating person.

· In prel and main exam, we have a lot of time to think the answer, frame it suitably and present it neatly. In an interview this is not possible. The answers have to fired immediately. So to have an edge over other candidates, we must form opinions on important subjects, burning topics.

· Discuss a lot and come to conclusions that could be substantiated with reasons. A simple yes or no will not be sufficient to impress the interview panel. Enter into arguments with friends on issues by taking opposite sides. No one can conduct a better stress interview than our friends.

· Think at least two seconds before answering a question. The panel will be very cordial and would wait for up to five to ten seconds for your answer, provided the wait is worthy. · Otherwise it might reflect in their next question. Please do not take wild guesses immediately. Ask their permission to guess or inform them that you are not sure about that answer.

· It is not necessary to answer every question they ask correctly. There would be one question that would determine whether you enter into service or not. Grab that question and answer honestly. If you have no knowledge in some field, accepting ignorance is a welcome move.