Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) is body which every year conducts several exams to recruit personnel for Central Services. Same task is done at Maharashtra State-level by Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC).
For selecting IAS/IFS/IPS officers, UPSC every year conducts Civil Service Examination. Any aspirant for IAS/IFS/IPS needs to pass this exam for getting selected.
He examination is conducted in three stages– Preliminary, Mains and Personality Test. The Preliminary Examination consists of two papers of objective type (multiple-choice questions) carrying a maximum of 200 marks each. One paper is on General Studies and other is of Civil Services Aptitude Test (CSAT). The Question Papers (Test Booklets) are set in English & Hindi. Mains Exam is descriptive in nature and consists of 9 papers: Compulsory English, Compulsory Indian Language, Essay, General Studies I, General Studies II, General Studies III, and General Studies IV. Besides you need to choose one Optional subject on which you will have 2 papers. Personality Test of successful candidates will be conducted.
As per revised rules, any person from General category more than 21 and less than 32 years of age is eligible to appear for the above mentioned exam. The upper age limit is relaxed up to a maximum of five years for candidates belonging to SCs or STs Categories and up to a maximum of three years for candidates of OBC category among others.
As per revised rules, a candidate belonging to General category can take upto 6 attempts; those belonging to OBC can take up to 9 attempts. There is no limit on number of attempts available for candidates belonging to SC and ST communities. For more details visit the UPSC website: http://www.upsc.gov.in/
Optional subject should be such that you are comfortable with the subject. Following are some thumb-rules you may follow while selecting your optional:
- Look at your interests: Considering the comprehensive manner in which the study of subject is necessary, you must select only such subject that interests you.
- Refer to previous question papers (Available on http://www.upsc.gov.in)
- Look at your abilities: Though you may not be able to solve all the questions initially, select the subject you are most comfortable with as your optional.
Yes, you can either select the subject of your graduation (if it is available) or any other subject as your optional. The only criterion is that you should be comfortable with that subject.
Every year UPSC issues a notification before the Prelims of Exam. In that notification you can find the detailed syllabus. The notification for each year can be found on the UPSC’s website. www.upsc.gov.in
The Prelims exams are conducted in Hindi and English only. However, for Mains you can select any one of the 22 languages which includes English, Hindi as well as Marathi. In Personality Test you can select a language different from one selected for Mains. Thus, if you appear for Mains in English you can still appear for interview in one of the languages mentioned in the list.
In UPSC too you can appear in Marathi. Thus, there is no reason to let language be a hurdle for your aspirations. The only criterion is that you should be able to express yourself clearly in the language that you choose for yourself.
Study of newspapers along with other books is crucial for success in UPSC exams. You should read one good quality national newspaper everyday. The Hindu and The Indian Express are two good newspapers from which you can choose. Those appearing in Marathi should either read Loksatta or Maharashtra Times. But it is still advisable to read one national newspapers.
We have three courses at Chanakya Mandal Pariwar: Foundation Course, Preparatory Course and Comprehensive course.
It is a course that involves learning ways to be more confident and relevant in society. It includes learning various interpersonal skills, communication skills and other soft skills. For more course details CLICK HERE. Any person greater than 16 years of age who has either passed or is appearing in 10th standard can join the course. The duration of course is one year.
It is a course involving introduction to all the aspects of exam and to the subjects in the exam. For more course details CLICK HERE. Any person who has passed 12th standard or has completed Second year of Diploma can join this course. The duration of course is one year.
It involves detailed study of syllabus of UPSC Civil service examinations. For more course details CLICK HERE. Any person who has graduated or is in last year of graduation can join the course. The duration of course is one year.
As the syllabus for UPSC is very vast, it is advisable that candidate should begin studies at least one year before attempting the exam. It is better to start studies as early as possible.
Try to prepare an honest plan for your studies. However if regular studies of UPSC subjects is not possible and you are not appearing immediately for the exam, try at least to complete newspaper every day.
