# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
UPSC Preparation

Compounding your efforts will make you more successful than others. Self-assessment helps in clearing UPSC with flying colors.

Self-assessment is meant to increase the self-responsibility and self-regulation of learners in learning. Self-study, research, and analysis are the fuel to drive the cycle of self-assessment.

If you are an aspiring candidate of UPSC who is studying day and night to clear UPSC Prelims 2022, you may come across such questions-
What are your strengths and weaknesses while preparing for UPSC?
Where do you need additional emphasis?
On which questions are you spending more than usual time?
You can easily answer such types of questions by assessing yourself. UPSC 2022 Preparation dictates that candidates have to self-assess and set milestones. Study our article on why self-assessment is required for UPSC preparation.

How Self-assessment Helps You To clear UPSC?

To clear the most prestigious UPSC Exam subject knowledge is not enough. Time management, handling pressure, different types of questions with ease are also important or play an equal role to clear the UPSC exam 2022 with flying colors. Self-assessment plays a key role to analyse all these listed factors so that you can polish your problem-solving skills efficiently to give an edge to your performance. In short, analyzing or evaluating your preparedness from time to time will provide you a room to prepare for UPSC 2022 by a systematic and targeted approach to maximize your potential.

By evaluating yourself, you give yourself the keys to improvise your learning and build high expectations to improve your performance in mock tests and exams, primarily through the internalization of criteria and the standards of performance.

How Is The Significant Part Of UPSC CSE Exam Preparation Is Self-assessment?

Self-assessment is a significant part of UPSC Exam 2022 Preparation that will give your preparation an edge to leave no stone unturned.
Self-assessment will not only figure out your strengths/weaknesses but also gives you an idea on how to improve your performance and hence can build a strong grip over the relevant information of your vast UPSC 2022 Syllabus.
Self-assessment plays a key role in UPSC Preparation in the following manner:

1. It will help you to know in which topic you are good and which areas need your attention.

2. Identifies the loopholes, if any, in your preparation.

3. Helps you to identify your mistakes so that you will not repeat them further else such mistakes may stop you from clearing UPSC.

4. You will come to know whether you are achieving a targetted goal or you have to work more to achieve it.

5. With this, you are able to know whether you are on a right track or not.

6. This will help you to speed up your preparation and also will enable you to evaluate your problem-solving skill.

In short, spend a considerable amount of time jotting down all your mistakes or where you lack in your UPSC Prelims 2022 or UPSC Mains 2022 Preparation so that you channel your energy in the right direction to improvise your learning while preparing for UPSC.
Related Article: Importance of Self-assessment Significance Of Test-Based Preparation For UPSC 2022
Self-assessment helps aspiring candidates to prepare for UPSC CSE 2022 in an appropriate and effective manner. Basically, it scales the level of preparation by taking mock tests.
It is important as through self-assessment candidates get aware of their preparation, their skills and abilities to solve any questions, their interests, and many more.
It helps in boosting the self-confidence of the aspirants of UPSC. It helps them to keep your progress in check that will be helpful to retain the needed information in your memory.
As no one pushes you, it's your desire to be an IAS officer, so you have to push yourself. For this purpose, it is essential to be aware of your UPSC Preparation that will enable you to be on a right track after removing all the hurdles that might block your way to success.

How Examarly helps in Self-assessment

UPSC is highly competitive and compounding your efforts will make you more successful than others. UPSC preparation needs to be well-planned, so plan with help from Examarly. Examarly believes in the philosophy of analyzing your preparation and then making necessary changes in your strategy of preparation accordingly to ensure success. It takes your self-assessment test and accordingly provides you your own customized micro study plan that will give an edge to your UPSC Preparation.

Examarly is an intensive training regimen for the best performance in the UPSC Exam. Let's study and analyze together to get prepared for UPSC CSE 2022.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Why Self-assessment Is Required For UPSC 2022 Preparation

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
UPSC Preparation Compounding your efforts will make you more successful than others. Self-assessment helps in clearing UPSC with flying colors. Self-assessment is meant to increase the self-responsibility and self-regulation of learners in learning. Self-study, research, and analysis are the fuel to drive the cycle of self-assessment.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
UPSC Preparation

Hey! Even if you are one of those students who face problems in remembering the top most important points from your textbooks, you can use mnemonics.

UPSC Mnemonics For Easy Preparation

What are mnemonics?

A mnemonic (pronounced as ni-mo-nik), also known as a memory aid, is an effective tool that helps us to remember any idea, a pattern of letters, any number, complex definitions, or any sort of association. There are different ways to construct a mnemonic. It all depends on your creativity and usefulness. It includes rhymes, poems, songs, native language, any gibberish language or can be anything that is easy to remember.

Use Of Mnemonics For UPSC Exam

The examination requires memorization of facts and figures and that needs a Mind map. Mnemonics is a very useful tool to create a perfect mind map. It is a very effective way of structuring facts, information, or any figure for retention purposes. Mnemonics enable us to see the overall structure in one go, and we can make associations between pieces of information.

Mnemonics For UPSC CSE

Mnemonic is an effective memorizing tool to help Civil services aspirants to retain large amounts of information in a creative way. It is a fact that UPSC CSE requires a strong memory and a very good retention power to recall certain facts and figures. A human being could easily design and assemble a machine but the truth is that a Human in itself is not a machine. Therefore, it is not easy to remember and mug up everything an aspirant learns during the preparation for any examination. UPSC CSE syllabus in itself is as vast as a sea. That's why creativity is needed to remember such a large pool of facts, dates, figures, and various information which will definitely help you in the IAS exam especially in UPSC PRELIMS as it demands an objective approach and has MCQs as questions.

Here, we are going to present you some important and useful mnemonics which are popularly used among UPSC aspirants and will prove to be an effective tool for your UPSC Civil services examination.

Here are some easy and useful mnemonics for IAS exam preparation :
1. Countries Surrounding The Black Sea
Mnemonic: BURGR

B- Bulgaria

U- Ukraine

R- Russia

G- Georgia

R- Romania

T- Turkey
2. Countries Around The Caspian Sea
Mnemonic: TRAIK

T- Turkmenistan

R- Russia

A- Azerbaijan

I- Iran

K- Kazakhstan
3. Horn Of African Countries
Mnemonic: SEED

S- Somalia

E- Ethiopia

E- Eritrea

D- Djibouti
4. Missiles Under Integrated Program
Mnemonic: PATNA

P- Prithvi

A- Agni

T- Trishul

N- Nag

A- Akash
5. Kings Of Ancient India Who Practiced Buddhism
Mnemonic: BAPU KA HATH

B- Bimbisara

A- Ashoka

P- Prasanjeet

U- Udaysen

KA- Kanishka

HATH- Harshavardhana
6. SAARC Countries
Mnemonic: MBBS PAIN

M- Maldives

B- Bangla

B- Bhutan

S- Sri Lanka

P- Pakistan

A- Afghan

I- India

N- Nepal
7. 12 Schedules Of The Indian Constitution
Mnemonic: TEARS OF OLD PM

1. T- Territories

2. E- Emoluments

3. A- Affirmations

4. R- Rajya Sabha

5. S- Scheduled Areas

6. O- Other Areas (North-Eastern areas)

7. F- Federal Structures

8. O- Official language

9. L- Land Reforms

10. D- Defection Laws

11. P- Panchayat

12. M- Municipalities

8. WRITS
Mnemonic: CPM HEADQUARTERS

'C' for Certiorari

'P' for Prohibition

'M' for Mandamus

'H' for Habeas Corpus

'Q' for Quo Warranto
9. States Having Bicameral System
Mnemonics: JAMBUK-T

J - Jammu & Kashmir

A - Andhra Pradesh

M - Maharashtra

B - Bihar

U - Uttar Pradesh

K - Karnataka

T - Telangana
10. Great Lakes Of North America
Mnemonic: HOMES

H - L.Huron

O - L.Ontario

M - L.Michigan

E - L.Erie

S - L.Superior
11. Countries Bordering Arctic Sea
Mnemonic: Green Fish Went To Norway By Car

G - Greenland

F - Finland

I - Iceland

S - Sweden

N - Norway

C - Canada

A - Alaska

R - Russia

You can construct more such interesting mnemonics by themselves by associating certain complex facts and figures with some creative words, songs, gibberish terms, or any other native language terms or words which they could easily remember.

The trick is to connect it to something that you can easily remember, maybe the name of a friend or your favorite fruit. It is all a matter of organizing and creativity. MNEMONICS is one of the most helpful tools while preparing for UPSC. It makes revision as well as retention hassle-free.

Ease your preparation, revision, and retention for UPSC with Examarly.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
UPSC Preparation Hey! Even if you are one of those students who face problems in remembering the top most important points from your textbooks, you can use mnemonics. A mnemonic (pronounced as ni-mo-nik), also known as a memory aid, is an effective tool that helps us to remember any idea, a pattern of letters, any number, complex definitions, or any sort of association.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
UPSC Analysis

How To Analyse UPSC Prelims Mock-Tests

Analyzing UPSC Prelims Mock-Tests doesn't mean checking out your score and aiming for better in the successive Mock-Tests. By analysis, we mean, which section needs your focus, where you have eaten much time(in guessing or decoding the question ), or in which section you have to screw up a bit so that you are able to attempt actual UPSC Prelims with more accuracy.
The point of attempting and analyzing UPSC Prelims Mock-Tests is to make the most of your UPSC Preparation and get better with each successive test to perform best.

Mock-Tests

Mock-Tests are a source of preparation. These are the imitation of actual exams to scale out the actual potential of the candidates. Such test series of UPSC Prelims are the mirror image of your current level of preparation and not the mirror of your actual UPSC Exam.
Mock-tests will give you an idea of your preparation. It will help you to evaluate:

1. Are you able to apply what you have studied so far?

2. Is there any specific subject or topic where your attention is required?

3. Are you accurate enough in answering questions?

4. Are you able to eliminate the incorrect options by the elimination method?

5. Are you able to avoid mistakes that you have committed in previous simulate tests?

How To Evaluate?

Evaluating the UPSC Prelims Mock-Tests in the right manner is important to make the most of it. For evaluation of mock-test, follow the procedure listed below:

1. First of all, solve the mock tests of 100 questions in one sitting. Then start evaluating which will take another 1.5 to 2 hours approximately.

2. While attempting the mock-tests, mark those questions where you are confused between 2 or 3 options and you have solved it by an elimination technique along with intelligent guesswork. At the end of the paper check whether your method(of marking such answers) works to lead to positive marks or not.
By evaluating such questions, you will learn whether you are able to land on the correct choice or not via the elimination method. Evaluation will increase your accuracy also.

3. Go through the solution of those questions which you are unable to attempt as it is out of your knowledge. Keep this solution in the revision book so that you can revise this while revising your syllabus of UPSC.

4. Give special attention to those questions which you have marked wrong. Identify why you have marked an incorrect answer. Maybe you have misread(the question or options), are unable to think in an appropriate direction, are unable to put your knowledge, or have made guesswork(either pure guesswork or intelligent guesswork). Try to identify and learn to avoid such mistakes in the actual UPSC Prelims.

5. Also see the mistakes you have committed while solving UPSC Prelims mock-tests are factual based, conceptual based or you are unable to strike the options to choose the correct one.

Importance Of Evaluation of UPSC Prelims Mock-Tests

Analyzing is equally important as giving mock tests because analyzing your performance creates a real difference. Analyzing UPSC Prelims Mock-Tests:

a. Helps you to identify your weak areas so that you can work upon that respective section to convert it into strength.
b. Enable you to know whether you are accurate enough in making choices or not(i.e. how efficient you are in striking the wrong option by putting your knowledge or doing guesswork )
c. Helps you to know in which section you are lacking: in the conceptual part or in the factual part or in both.
d. Identifies your loopholes(if any ) in your preparation.

Mock-Tests will surely not forecast whether you are able to clear UPSC Prelims or not but improves the consistency of your performance in a diverse set of questions of different streams and portrays a complete idea of where you stand with respect to your UPSC Preparation. Such mock tests are more about strategy than merely giving. So attempting and analyzing will enable you to know what strategy works for you and observe how you perform in multiple mock tests with the change in the strategy. Hence, it will improve the level of your accuracy in making choices and ultimately improve your score.

Related Article: 5 Effectual Cue To Avoid Negative Marking In UPSC Prelims 2022

With Examarly, you are able to give multiple mock tests, quizzes, and chapter-based tests also. It not only provides the tests series but also evaluates or analyzes your performance in each test and provides you your own personalized strategy on the basis of your performance in such tests.

Hold Examarly's hand and free yourself from the UPSC Exam anxiety.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
UPSC Analysis Analyzing UPSC Prelims Mock-Tests doesn't mean checking out your score and aiming for better in the successive Mock-Tests.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
UPSC Preparation

How To make Notes For UPSC? Handwritten Notes vs Digital Notes

Note-taking is one of the important exercises of learning and studying. Note-taking helps in compressing the relevant information of a wide portion of the syllabus of UPSC thus making it easier to remember or recall or retain the relevant information. This not only helps in retaining but also serves the purpose of producing study material that is very useful to revise during exam time.

This article will help you to decide which methodology of taking notes will help you.

Handwritten Notes For UPSC Preparation

One of the old-school methods of taking notes for UPSC Preparation is by using pen and paper. This modality of taking notes is the most accessible way and is cheaper than the notes penned down digitally.

Pros Of Handwritten Notes

Numerous benefits of handwritten notes for UPSC are there. Some of which are listed below:

1. Highly retentive: Researchers research that pen and paper notes are better than digital notes to retain the relevant information for the long run. The former method helps you to maintain the focus without being on an automated method while typing makes it easier to retain the information.

2. Focus: It will also create a study atmosphere around you which will help you to maintain your focus towards studying and thus prevent you from distraction/to get distracted. This may not be achieved while making notes on a digital device as we use it for other purposes such as for our entertainment to pass our time. Thus it is habitual that when you go for an old-school method of taking notes you will switch to focus mode and your brain and body will react in a way of grabbing information and helps you to concentrate more which leads to better engagement with the preparation of UPSC and hence will be fruitful.

3. Flexible and cheaper: Notebooks are cheaper than digital devices and are flexible as you can write anywhere.

4. Strainless: Not only for the preparation of UPSC but also you also need your notes to revise many times. For many people often the light of the computer screen causes strain to their eyes. This makes the old technique of taking notes a stainless method that will keep your eyes healthy state and will not prevent you from studying.

Cons of Handwritten Notes For UPSC Preparation

If there are countless benefits then it has countless demerits also to rely completely on pen and paper notes. Some of which are discussed below:

1. Handwritten notes in studies for UPSC are easy to lose if you are someone who is not highly organized. In no time, notes can be messy, if you put a lot of information without ordering and keep on editing.

2. Handwritten notes in studies for UPSC need more space than digitally taken. You will keep on adding one after that until there is no room to store it in your cupboard. After your cupboard is full, then where to keep others is a matter of concern.

3. Accessible- Paper notes are so many that you can't carry them physically all the time or cannot easily share them among friends. You have to carry one or two in your hands for revision while going to studies for UPSC in groups outside your house.

Digital Notes For UPSC Preparation

Digital notes in the preparation of UPSC are an easy way to pen down the relevant information from the books or other study materials and consolidate them in one place for later reference. Being advanced in nature, this modality leads to the least amount of relevant and needed information to be retained in your memory. Hence you will be required to study later to build a strong grip.

Instead of keeping dozens of notes that are not only hard to store but also move around, digitalize them that you rarely used in studies for UPSC (but you may still need it sometimes).

Pros Of Digital Notes In Preparation Of UPSC

Though digital notes have many plus points, some of them are mentioned below:

1. Editing is Easy: Easier to take notes digitally as you can keep adding on some more left-out relevant points. You can edit anytime without creating a mess which makes it hard to study in the future.

2. Easier to organize: You can include infographics, pie charts, or bar graphs easily. This will help you to keep your notes organized, neat, and clean, and can compress a wide syllabus of UPSC into microform using graphics. This will also be beneficial for revision as you can revise quickly these micro notes rather than the piles of books or handwritten notes.

3. Organisation is customizable: Sorting is easier as you can create limitless folders and files according to your purpose. Each file and folder can be renamed which will help you to sort them or can be searched instantly and easily. Also, it will not fill up the physical space.

4. Portable: A dozen physical notebooks are not only hard to store but also difficult to carry around whereas you can take e-notes anywhere with yourself.

5. Sharing is easier: No scanning or copying is required in the case of digital notes. Such notes can be easily shared among your friends and at the same time you still retain the original notes, unlike paper notes, and hence does not affect your studies for UPSC.

6. Backup: One cannot make an effort to lose notes especially when the UPSC exam is approaching. You can easily have a backup of your notes if you have it in digital format. As paper notes can wear or tear off with time or may get lost which is not the case in digital versions especially when you have a backup.

Cons for Digital Notes For UPSC Preparation

1. Low Retention: Unlike paper notes, making notes digitally will have low retention. As in the pen and paper method, we used to brainstorm the content which helps us to keep it in our memory for longer which is not the case in making digital versions. Also most of the time we used to copy or paste the content which will not engage our brain to think differently.

2. Distraction: We will easily get distracted while making notes digitally via pop-up notifications or get engaged in other entertaining activities. Thus unable to focus on your studies for UPSC.

3. Has a battery life: If it gets discharged or has electricity problems then it may prevent you from studying your notes for UPSC preparation.

4. Strain: A computer screen may cause strain to your eyes that may resist you from UPSC Preparation. As making notes, or frequent revision will be required to face the screen for a long time which may cause irritation to your eyes that leads to a headache and hence prevent you from studying.

Since both have a fair chance of demerits in the world of study and taking notes, it's better to balance the two with the right tactic. Instead of ditching one method to opt for another to make notes.

Related Article: How To Prepare For UPSC Without Coaching?

One of the best online platforms for UPSC CSE preparation, Examarly provides all the materials that you need to leverage in order to successfully pass the UPSC exam. Its videos, notes, and books provide you with all the relevant information according to the syllabus of UPSC, while its daily quizzes will help you brush up on what you've just learned and also have many more tools required in the preparation of UPSC.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Notes For UPSC Preparation? Handwritten vs Digital

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
UPSC Preparation Note-taking is one of the important exercises of learning and studying. Note-taking helps in compressing the relevant information of a wide portion of the syllabus of UPSC thus making it easier to remember or recall or retain the relevant information.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
UPSC Prelims Tips

Subject Wise Strategy For UPSC Prelims 2022

UPSC exams are considered to be quite tough, but if you are well prepared with your preparation strategy for UPSC Prelims 2022, then you can prepare for this examination in the best possible way. This article will help you to prepare subject-wise for UPSC Prelims 2022 effectively.

The Prelims consist of two papers, Paper-I and Paper-II. Paper I is general studies that test your knowledge of current affairs, history, polity, geography, economy, and general science. The second paper is for the aptitude test which tests your problem-solving skills in maths and reasoning.

UPSC Prelims 2022 Syllabus Of GS Paper I

* 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

UPSC Prelims 2022 Syllabus of CSAT

* 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)
Read: Strategy Tips For UPSC Prelims 2022 CSAT Preparation

How To Prepare For Any Subject For UPSC Prelims 2022

1. Read the UPSC Syllabus carefully of the particular subject to learn about what to cover in that subject and are able to filter out the irrelevant topics. Hence help you to maintain your focus on UPSC Preparation.
2. Examine previous years' papers: This will enable you to understand the level of the question and the type of questions asked in UPSC Prelims.
3. Start your UPSC Prelims 2022 Preparation with NCERT of the subject that you have to cover. In this way, you are able to develop a strong understanding of the key concepts of that particular subject.
4. Next raise your level of preparation for UPSC Prelims 2022 by covering that particular subject from its standard books. Keep the study resources limited as the quality of study matters not the number (quantity) of books.

Subject Wise UPSC Prelims Preparation Tips

Follow the subjectwise preparation tips discussed below to ace your UPSC Prelims 2022:

1. Science And Technology: Being abstract in nature, this subject follows no set pattern. Mostly, the questions that are asked in this section are analytical in nature. Clear your basic concepts from the NCERT books of science. Your focus should be on the recent development in the field of science and technology. So cover the current affairs of science and technology from the newspapers.

2. Economics: Generally conceptual-based questions are asked in UPSC Prelims. So you are required to have basic concepts. Read NCERT for this subject to clear basic concepts and raise your level of understanding from the standard books. Cover the current affairs regarding the economic section from the newspapers. Know more about the preparation strategy of economics for UPSC Prelims 2022 from the linked article.

Read: A How-To Guide For Studying Economics For UPSC CSE

3. Environment and Ecology: There is a significant overlap of the UPSC syllabus 2022 of Environment and Ecology with Geography, Science and technology, and current affairs. Hence covering its syllabus properly will give an edge to these stated subjects as well.
Make your basic knowledge clear and cover the current issues from newspapers.
Wildlife, sanctuaries, national parks, their locations, endangered species in India and their habitat, and various international conventions on climate change, etc. are important that need your attention.

4. Polity: While preparing for Polity, your focus should be on the topics such as the Constitution, Panchayati Raj, the federation structure of India, the election process, etc. Also, Fundamental Rights and Duties, Directive Principles on State Policy, President, and Parliament are important that need your attention under the constitution section.
The best thing about this subject is that the questions are more or less direct in nature and can easily be answered if you study properly.

Read: A How-To Guide To Help You Prepare Indian Polity For UPSC CSE 2022

5. Geography: World Geography can be covered by map reading as basically the questions used to be on current development. A thorough understanding of Indian Geography is required as the questions from Indian Geography are more than World Geography. Have proper knowledge of physical India as well as have the knowledge of the location. This will be beneficial to the candidates in the topics of economics and human aspects of Indian Geography. Know more about the preparation strategy of Geography from the linked article.

5. History: Factual-based questions are generally asked from Ancient and Medieval History whereas questions from Modern History are conceptually based.
The questions under Indian History are mostly asked from Modern History, particularly between 1857 and 1947 period. Such as the 1857 uprising revolt, social reform movements, the National movement under the Congress, etc.
Study this subject thoroughly as it is one of the most important subjects of UPSC Prelims as a lot of questions are asked from this field. Know more about the preparation strategy of History from the linked article.

6. Art And Culture: This section has gained the popularity in UPSC Exam with time and hence become important in UPSC Prelims. While covering this section, give your attention to dance forms, paintings, architecture, folk cultures, etc.
To prepare for this subject well, go through the previous year's paper as this will help you to know the type of questions asked. Also, cover the current affairs related to art and culture which were in news. This way you will be able to prepare it well.

7. Current Affairs: It is one of the core sections of the UPSC Prelims as it is covered in every section/unit of the UPSC Prelims. Questions regarding international relations, social justice, economics, science and technology, defence, security issues, government initiatives, etc are asked in UPSC Prelims.
Prepare it from the daily newspapers like "The Hindu" or "Indian Express" to stay up to date about the current events happening across the globe. Spend one or one and a half-hour daily on this section. Besides daily newspapers, cover it from weekly news gist or from monthly magazines. These weekly or monthly magazines will serve as a revision tool that will help you to revise the current affairs and will help you to learn about that news that you might have skipped before.
It is considered tough to be covered as it does not have a specific syllabus and it is now what is the news or why it was. Candidates must know how to correlate these current issues with the UPSC Syllabus 2022. So make proper notes of the current affairs as this will save enough time in revising it.

Remember, try to cover everything mentioned in the UPSC Prelims 2022 Syllabus and give equal importance to every aspect of the syllabus as no one knows what comes in the exam.

You need to understand that at times, even if you feel you have covered enough of the syllabus, you still may not gain marks in a particular subject. The reason is that a candidate who reads the Question Paper critically and knows exactly how to plan his/her time will not only save time but get better marks rather than going by the books alone. Thus, the most common way is to successfully identify your weakest areas and then focus on those with more study hours. Make your self-study plan or Examarly can make it for you.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Subject Wise Preparation Strategy For UPSC Prelims 2022

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
UPSC Prelims Tips UPSC exams are considered to be quite tough, but if you are well prepared with your preparation strategy for UPSC Prelims 2022, then you can prepare for this examination in the best possible way. This article will help you to prepare subject-wise for UPSC Prelims 2022 effectively.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
UPSC Preparation

Revision Strategy For UPSC Preparation

Being one of the arduous exams, revision along with the preparation for UPSC needs to be done thoroughly. The revision will help you to attain the knowledge and enable you to recall any information whenever required. This will aid you in interconnecting the linked topics so that you can answer the dynamic types of questions properly.

The revision strategy for UPSC Preparation comes in 3 easy steps which are listed below.

Revision Strategy For UPSC Preparation

Integrated revision schedule

Revision carries equal weightage as preparation while preparing for the UPSC exam. Studying is not helpful unless and until it is equipped with revision as revision shows the portion you have studied is in your memory or not and helps you to have a strong grip over the subjects.
How To Do It?
1. Include revision for the UPSC exam preparation into a daily routine.
2. Daily keep half an hour minimum to revise what you have studied yesterday.
3. Utilise a maximum of 3 hours to revise the whole week's studies on Sunday which will ensure you that how much you have said stay in your mind or not. In short, boost your memory which will help you to perform well in UPSC Exam.
4. Split your revision plan for UPSC exam preparation into small chunks. It will be useful to identify or recognize the efficient way to revise and save your time.
5. Also solve as many mock papers as you can on weekends to be capable yourself enough to solve the actual paper with ease. Also, solve the CSAT papers as it is qualifying in nature.

Revision Plan After The Completion Of Around 75% Syllabus

Since it is liable with almost everyone that as we proceed ahead in our studies, we forget the oldest chapter/units. This may create a problem if we are unable to balance between the old units and new units. For this follow the revision plan for UPSC preparation listed below:
1. Divide your study hours into 2 equal halves.
2. Keep your first half hours for the new units to be covered and the second half for the revision of previous units.
Now the question that strikes your mind is where to start your revision for UPSC. So the answer is simple.
Start your revision from important portions then turn to the weaker section and later switch over to the remaining portion of the UPSC Syllabus. Commencing your revision with important areas will not only build confidence but also make your grip stronger than before. Solving the questions related to these portions will affirm that you are good in this portion of the UPSC syllabus and you might not face any resistance and are able to solve such questions easily. Now next comes the weaker portion of the UPSC Syllabus. Revise it from your notes, mind maps, or take help from a mentor to get well versed in these areas and try to solve the questions related to this section to know whether you are able to solve them now or need to work upon more. Then switch over the remaining portion of the UPSC Syllabus to revise effectively.

Note: You can start your revision from where you want as well. Choose the revision strategy for UPSC according to your capability of gaining knowledge.

This way your revision will be on track with your UPSC Preparation.

3rd Phase Of Last Month's Revision Strategy For UPSC Preparation

Refrain yourself from picking up new topics from the UPSC Syllabus at the last moment. Utilize these 30 days wisely to make your effort count in UPSC 2022 Exam. These days are crucial from an exam point of view, hence spend it in revising the UPSC syllabus and solving sample papers, previous years' papers, quizzes of both paper 1 and paper 2 of UPSC Prelims. This will help you to solve the paper of UPSC 2022 Prelims effectively and will increase your accuracy in opting for the right options from the four given alternatives.

Related Article: How To Prepare For UPSC In 3 Months
For effective preparation and revision, consider Examarly. From quizzes to doubts, personalized plans for UPSC preparation to revision schedules, and many more study resources are available that will help you to ace your UPSC 2022 Preparation.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Revision Strategy For UPSC Preparation| 3 Best Revision Tips

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
UPSC Preparation Being one of the arduous exams, revision along with the preparation for UPSC needs to be done thoroughly. The revision will help you to attain the knowledge and enable you to recall any information whenever required. This will aid you in interconnecting the linked topics so that you can answer the dynamic types of questions properly.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Weekly Current Affairs For UPSC: (26 March - 1 April) 2022

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Current affairs for UPSC have been compiled in a weekly digest to help you keep up with last week’s events from 26th March 2022 to 1st April 2022

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Weekly Current Affairs For UPSC: (19 March - 25 March) 2022

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Current Affairs Current affairs are one of the essential components of UPSC Preparation that cannot be avoided. Keeping this in mind, we have put together a weekly digest of current affairs for UPSC that will keep you updated about the current happenings that occurred in the past week from 19th March to 25th March.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
UPPCS

UPPSC 2022 Notification Is Out

Uttar Pradesh Public Service Commission has released the UPPSC 2022 notification on their official website to apply for the various government post. UPPSC 2022 online application form has begun from 16 th March 2022 to 16 th April 2022 for 250 vacancies on different government posts.

Interested and eligible candidates can fill out the online application form of UPSC 2022 after going to the UPSC 2022 notification properly, where everything is mentioned from eligibility criteria to exam fees, syllabus to exam pattern, exam calendar to vacancies for different posts.

Note: The last date of fees payment is 12 th April 2022 and the last date to apply is 16 th April 2022.

1. Released UPPSC Notification: 16 th March 2022

2. Released Online Application Form of UPPSC 2022: 16 th March 2022

3. Last Date Of Fees Payment: 12 th April 2022

4. Last Date Of Online Application Form of UPPSC 2022: 16 th April 2022

5. Scheduled Date Of UPPSC Prelims: 12 th July 2022

6. Scheduled Date Of UPPSC Mains: 27 th September 2022

Have difficulty in preparing for UPPSC? Or Are you in a dilemma of what to prepare? How to prepare? Then keep your stress aside as Examarly is here to help you in your UPPSC Preparation with ease. Being a self-study platform is equipped with all the needed features that are required for hassle-free UPPSC Preparation.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
UPPCS Uttar Pradesh Public Service Commission has released the UPPSC 2022 notification on their official website to apply for the various government post. UPPSC 2022 online application form has begun from 16 th March 2022 to 16 th April 2022 for 250 vacancies on different government posts.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
UPSC Preparation

How To Prepare For UPSC In 3 Months

Competition is growing and staying ahead of your peers is the demand of time which needs your smart planning for fruitful preparation for UPSC.

This article will walk you over the strategy on how to prepare for UPSC in 3 months.

How To Prepare For UPSC Prelims In 3 Months

As the UPSC Exam is divided into three phases, your strategy is also divided into several phases that are listed below for effective preparation for UPSC.

1st Phase: Basic Points Before Commencing Preparation For UPSC

1. Know the course planner: Reading the syllabus will decode the content/topics covered in it. It gives you an idea of what is covered and what is not covered in the UPSC syllabus. Besides this, acknowledging the syllabus of IAS will let you know whether you have to prepare the topics of the syllabus in-depth or if basic knowledge is required. It gives you a comprehensive overview that answers the question 'what' and 'how much' - to cover.

In short, the syllabus is a roadmap that directs you on the right path for succeeding in the UPSC Exam.

2. Study of Previous Years Question Papers: Analyzing the previous year's papers helps you to comprehend the trend. There are several other reasons besides the trend of the types of question that reason out why to study previous year's papers:

a. Idea of Exam Pattern: Being an important aspect, gives you ideas related to the preparation you have to do.

b. Makes you clear whether questions are repeated or not in UPSC Exam and if repeated then how many in number.

c. Portrays the difficulty: Being an authentic source, examining previous year's papers will aid you to understand the difficulty level of the questions asked in the paper. It also gives you a clear picture of

* Whether questions are direct or indirect

* Whether the asked questions are dynamic or static in nature

* Whether the questions require your basic or in-depth knowledge.

d. Understand subject weightage: Examining the previous papers of UPSC will make you understand the weightage of different subjects, units, or topics. Subject weightage knowledge will help you to frame your strategy for preparation for UPSC and will let you know how much time you should devote to each section of the UPSC syllabus.

Besides the knowledge of the subject framework and the mindset of the question setters, knowledge of the requirement of the post you have applied for will help you in the preparation for UPSC effectively with the right strategy in the right direction.

2nd Phase Of How To Prepare For UPSC: Framing the strategy

1. Map out the definite strategy: Chalk the strategy that best fits you and prepare a study schedule according to your capacity. While structuring your strategy keep the following points in your mind:

1. Weightage that its subject carries.

2. Which section or unit of the syllabus is more or less important.

3. Which portion requires your more or less focus.

4. Which portion has maximum or minimum content covered in the syllabus?

5. Which portion is easier for you to cover and hardly takes any time to complete and which is difficult for you to cover. In short, with which section of the syllabus you are familiar with.

The first phase of preparation for UPSC will help you to figure out the answer to such questions and hence will guide you to structure your strategy and plan out the studies schedule accordingly.

While framing the study schedule, allocate the time to each subject, current affairs, and keep some time of the weekends reserved for revision and practice. Divide the sections of the syllabus into smaller sections so that you can easily cover instead of rote learning.

Points To Remember

1. Instead of cramming one subject at a time, go for multiple subjects and try to achieve the target set in each subject. Otherwise, you may lag behind in the race due to the vast UPSC syllabus.

2. Cover current affairs daily to stay updated about the current happenings of national and international importance. Otherwise, it will get piled up and will be difficult for you to cover all at once.

3. Make a schedule in such a way that you can complete the entire UPSC syllabus in two or two and a half months and utilize the remaining time for practice and revision.

4. After solving previous years' papers and mock papers on the weekends, analyze them to understand your mistakes and your weak areas of the syllabus.

5. Split the weak portion into further smaller blocks and cover it in the upcoming week.

Note: Maintain the cycle of study, revision, and practice.

6. Reserve some time on the weekends to revise the section you have covered that week.

3rd Phase Of How To Prepare For UPSC: Preparation For UPSC

1. Prepare Seriously: Follow the defined study schedule wisely to prepare for UPSC consistently.

a. For basic concepts go through the NCERT books.

b. After NCERT, increase your preparation level by referring to standard books of the respective subject. Like Politics can be covered by Laxmikanth. Visit the linked article for the booklist.

c. Cover the current affairs daily from the Hindu or Indian Express Newspaper. Also, consider a monthly magazine for current affairs. Being comprehensive and sometimes crisper in nature provides you a good revision tool. This will help you to revise the whole thing of that particular month. Also helps you to recall if anything escapes from your memory. And will get extra information sometimes which you have not covered the entire month.

d. Leave no doubts uncleared: Rather than piling up the doubts, clear it up. The more uncleared concepts you have, the more are hurdles in your path to success. Clearance of the doubts will boost your confidence and inspire you to stay ahead in your preparation.

2. Revision and Practice: Preparation for UPSC is incomplete without its essential elements- revision and practice. Synchronize the two to your studies to win the race of UPSC. Revision helps you to be thorough on the subject by gauging the strength of the knowledge on the respective subject. The more you get your hands on revision, the better you aim for higher marks.

Practicing papers will provide you a comprehensive revision of what you studied. By attempting the tests/ sample papers or previous years' papers, you will be able to make the right choice among the four alternatives. Thus this element of the study will help you in refining the question-solving skill and hence help you to solve the actual paper properly.

Still worried about 'how to prepare for UPSC in desired time frame', consider Examarly - Study smarter, not harder. It helps you stay focused and achieve the milestones you aim for. This platform is based upon the philosophy of doing preparation for UPSC at a faster rate without affecting the quality. It provides 100% free UPSC prelim exam-oriented notes and video lectures.

Want to study for Civil services exams in a stress-free manner? Start your journey today with Examarly.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
UPSC Preparation Competition is growing and staying ahead of your peers is the demand of time which needs your smart planning for fruitful preparation for UPSC. This article will walk you over the strategy on how to prepare for UPSC in 3 months.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
How To Fill Out UPPSC 2022 Online Application Form?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Are you ready for the UPPSC 2022 Online Form Registration? This article will help you step-by-step to fill out the UPPSC 2022 online application.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Current Affairs

Weekly Current Affairs For UPSC 2022: 12th March - 18th March

It is important to keep up with the news to excel in UPSC competitive exams. We bring you the latest happenings so that you can prepare better for UPSC Exam. Here's a weekly roundup of news from around the world.

12th March

Shutdown this misguided energy policy

Category: Environment

Context: During a military fight, a fire broke out near the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station in Ukraine (Europe's largest).
Key Points:
1. On December 15, 2021, the Indian government informed Parliament that it plans to build 10 indigenously designed reactors and had granted in-principle approval for the purchase of 28 imported reactors including 24 to be imported from France, the United States, and Russia. This policy seems misguided because nuclear power is neither an economical source of electricity nor a viable route to meeting India's climate goals.

2. Nuclear power plants are expensive. A recent example of this is the V.C. Summer nuclear project in South Carolina, which has suffered major cost overruns.

3. Renewable energy technology, on the other hand, have gotten more affordable. Lazard, a Wall Street firm, calculated that the cost of electricity from solar photovoltaics and wind turbines in the United States fell by 90 % and 72 %, respectively, between 2009 - 21. The International Energy Agency declared solar energy the "new king of electricity" in 2020.

4. Nuclear power plants produced 17.5 % of the world's electricity in1996; by2020, this percentage had dropped to roughly 10%.

5. Following the 2011 Fukushima disaster, India's nuclear ambitions were drastically curbed. In 2008, then chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission Anil Kakodkar predicted that India would have 650GW of installed nuclear capacity by 2050; his successor Srikumar Banerjee predicted in 2010 that this capacity would reach 35GW by 2020. Today, the installed capacity is only 6.78GW.

6. Nuclear power is not the right choice to "adapt" to climate change. It is also not the appropriate choice for mitigating India's carbon emissions since it cannot be deployed at the necessary scale. Resources spent on nuclear plants can yield quicker results if they are redirected to renewables.

Russia offers more oil to India

Category: International Relations

Context: Russia, besieged by Western sanctions, is eager to finalize energy deals with India.
Key Points
1. The United States announced a complete ban on the import of all Russian petroleum and petroleum products from March 8. The decision led to a sharp spike in oil prices, crossing $139 per barrel at one point, and the prices remain over $100 per barrel, causing concern among economists about inflation.

2. Meanwhile, Russia, which has lost around 7,00,000 barrels of oil per day in US imports and may see a fall in European current intakes of 4.5 million barrels per day over time, will be left with unsold stocks if new buyers are not found. In 2020, Russia produced approximately 12% of the world's oil and approximately 16% of the world's natural gas.
Industrial production grows 1.3% in January
Category: Economy

1. According to National Statistical Office data, India's industrial output increased by 1.3% in January2022, rising marginally from a revised growth rate of 0.7 % in 2021, but it was still just 0.7% higher than pre-pandemic levels.

2. Manufacturing output increased by 1.1%, mining output increased by 2.8%, and power generation increased by 0.9% year on year.

3. Consumer durables production fell 3.3% in January, compared to a 0.1% drop the previous year, for the fifth month in a row.

4. Manufacturing and mining output increased mostly due to base effects, as the two sectors' output fell by 0.9% and 2.4%, respectively, in January2021, while the total index of industrial production (IIP) fell by 0.6%.

5. Growth in primary goods output dropped in January to 1.6 % from 2.7 % in 2021, while infrastructure and construction items increased at the fastest rate in three months, at 5.4 %, compared to just 2.05 %.

6. The NSO also raised its estimate for industrial output growth in October 2021 to 4.16 % from 4.01% previously.

7. "Relative to the pre-COVID level of January 2020, the index of industrial production displayed a mild 0.7% rise, with a lower output of consumer durables and non-durables as well as capital goods imposing a drag," said ICRA chief economist Aditi Nayar.

8. However, the pickup in growth of infrastructure/construction goods is promising after the contraction in construction Gross Value Added (GVA) in the economy in the third quarter of 2021-22," she added.

India, Canada to reboot trade agreement talks

Category: International Trade

India and Canada agreed to resume talks for a comprehensive economic partnership agreement (CEPA).
Key Points:
1. In the midst of the deadly COVID-19 pandemic, talks between Canada and CEPA were put on hold. They were due to resume when the Canadian elections were over in September 2021.

2. CEPA negotiations will be formally reopened, and the two countries will examine an interim deal or Early Progress Trade Agreement (EPTA) that might be concluded early as a transitional step.

3. India wants access to the Canadian market for its sweet corn, baby corn, and bananas, while Ottawa wants to export cherries and lumber to India.

4. The EPTA shall include 'high-level commitments in goods, services, rules of origin, sanitary and phytosanitary measures, technical barriers to trade, and dispute settlement, and may also cover any other areas mutually agreed upon.'

5. "Furthermore, Canada and India agreed to promote and protect bilateral investment, including through the intensification of negotiations toward a Bilateral Investment Agreement, while considering options to achieve this goal alongside CEPA."

_________________________________________________________

13th March

Geneva Conventions and the Russia-Ukraine war

Category: International Relations
Geneva Conventions:
1. A set of principles describing norms for combatant behaviour during a war is known as the Geneva Conventions.

2. The Geneva Conventions are a set of four treaties, codified in1949, and three subsequent protocols that define generally accepted ethical and legal international rules for the humanitarian treatment of individuals affected by war.

3. The Geneva Convention focuses on the treatment of non-combatants and prisoners of war and prohibits specific types of weapons.

4. The Geneva Conventions have been ratified by 196 countries, including all United Nations member states. The three Protocols have been approved by 174, 169, and 79 states, respectively.
The Four Geneva Conventions
1. The First Geneva Convention protects wounded and sick soldiers during times of war and extends to medical and religious personnel, medical units, and medical transport.

2. The Second Geneva Convention provides protection for wounded, sick, and shipwrecked military personnel at sea during the war. This convention also applies to hospital ships and medical transfers by sea, with special commentary on their personnel's treatment and protection.

3. The Third Geneva Convention applies to prisoners of war and includes a wide range of general protections such as humane treatment, maintenance, and equality among prisoners, conditions of captivity, interrogation and evacuation of prisoners, transit camps, food, clothing, medicines, hygiene, and the right of prisoners to religious, intellectual, and physical activities.

4. Civilians, including those in occupied territory, are protected under the Fourth Geneva Convention.

Kerala tops in maternal, child health

Category: Social justice
Key Points:
1. Kerala has once again risen to the top of maternal and child health, with the lowest Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) in the country of 30 (per one lakh live births).

2. Kerala's MMR has reduced by 12 points, according to the latest Sample Registration System (SRS) special report on maternal mortality in India (2017-19) released by the office of the Registrar General of India. The most recent SRS bulletin (2015-17) put the state's MMR at 42. (later adjusting it to 43).

3. Kerala is much ahead of the national MMR of 103. Maharashtra, whose MMR fell from 55 to 38, is another state that has achieved considerable advances.

Children more unlikely to produce antibodies

Category: Science and technology

Context: A small study with 108 individuals - 57 children and 51 adults - observed that, as compared to adults, a greater proportion of children did not generate antibodies in response to SARS-CoV-2 infection (seroconversion).
Key Points:
1. The 108 volunteers were all asymptomatic or experienced just minor symptoms. Because both adults and children had equivalent virus loads, the lack of antibodies in children is very pronounced.

2. Using three serological assays, the team lead by Paul V. Licciardi of the Royal Children's Hospital discovered that only 20 of 54 infected children produced antibodies, compared to 32 of 42 adults.

3. Adults had a mean cycle threshold (Ct) of24.1, whereas children had a value of 28.5.

4. The lower the Ct value, the higher the viral load. However, when the Ct value was less than26, both adults- 10 of 11 (90.9 percent)- and children - 12 of 15 (80 percent) generated antibodies, according to the study.

5. One possible reason for why 34 children did not acquire antibodies despite being infected is that children have a "stronger and faster reaction" to infection than adults. That would imply that children are able to eliminate the virus so quickly that their immune systems are not stimulated to develop antibodies against it.

6. It is unclear whether these children would be protected against reinfection in the absence of antibodies.

7. Children may be able to eliminate the virus without even making antibodies because, unlike adults, they have a more powerful innate and/or mucosal immune response to the virus.

What causes the interrupted sleep of the elderly?

Category: Science & Technology

Context: The total number of hours of sleep, as well as the quality of that sleep, decreases with age in adults.
Key Points:
1. Sleep deprivation is more common in the elderly. A prolonged decrease in the quality and quantity of sleep can result in poor mental and physical health, as well as a shorter lifespan.

2. Many studies have been conducted to determine what causes humans to sleep. The pineal gland secretes the hormone melatonin at night, which helps to regulate the sleep-wake cycle.

3. Our 'awake' state, on the other hand, is far more complex, as it involves practically the entire brain.

4. Degeneration of nerve cells in brain centers involved in the coordination of voluntary movements has been observed in elderly adults with sleep disorders.

5. The study focused on the hypothalamus, a structure in the center of the brain that is the size and shape of an almond. Results suggest that a region of this part of the brain--the lateral hypothalamus--plays an important role in wakefulness, feeding behaviour, learning, and sleep.

6. A swarm of nerve cells erupts from here, fanning out and projecting their nerve endings to all regions of the central nervous system connected with the state of arousal. These neurons send out chemical messages in the form of tiny proteins called hypocretins, which are also known as orexins.

7. Hypocretin is a hormone for wakefulness, activating motivation for seeking food or a mate, along with a response to cold, nausea, and pain.

8. Only about 20,000 of the 86 billion neurons in the human brain produce hypocretin, yet their influence is substantial.

9. Most of all, hypocretin is important for maintaining prolonged periods of wakefulness.

10. Injecting hypocretin directly into the cerebrospinal fluid (to ensure rapid delivery inside the brain) will keep you awake for several hours. When you sleep, the neurons that create hypocretin are no longer active.

In search of the first cosmic light

Category: Science & Technology
Key Points:
1. In India, a group of scientists is looking for "signal-free zones", hoping to set up communication networks where the majority of mobile phones are unable to get a signal.

2. Scientists at the Raman Research Institute (RRI), Bengaluru, have taken their radio telescope, SARAS, to Ladakh several times, as well as to a place called the Timbuktu Collective in Andhra Pradesh and to lakes in northern Karnataka. They hope to catch a trace of an extremely elusive sign from space-that of the birth of the first stars or what's called "the cosmic dawn."

3. Reverberations of the Big Bang, which created our universe 13.8 billion years ago, can still be found in a swath of radiation known as the cosmic microwave background (CMB).

4. Current cosmological models of the universe say that there is a point in this spectrum where the microwave radiation is a little weak, and this is because light from the first stars may have made hydrogen exceptionally opaque at specific radio frequencies.

5. Several groups from around the world are designing highly sensitive radio telescopes and locating them in remote sites such as the Australian desert, Antarctica, and the lunar orbit-if a proposal comes through.

6. The EDGES (Experiment to Detect the Global Epoch of Reionization Signature) telescope, in the Australian desert, recorded a strange signal, which the researchers say is evidence of the cosmic dawn.

7. However, the signal's shape didn't exactly match models of cosmic background radiation, published in 2018. Since then, some astronomers have questioned whether the EDGES experiment really detected the signal at all.

8. In response, RRI scientists have built a new radio telescope called SARAS-3. Unlike other radio telescopes, SARAS-3 can be deployed on the water - the layered uniformity of water would make it a great medium for sensitive measurements.

9. SARAS 3 did not detect any indication of the signal reported by the EDGES experiment after weeks of observations and months of statistical analysis by Saurabh Singh, the research scientist at the RRI.

_________________________________________________________

14th March

Chilika lake area to be off limits for motorboats

Category: Environment & Ecology
Key Points:
1. The Odisha government has recommended a ban on the movement of mechanized fishing boats in the Mangalajodi area of Chilika Lake, a popular stopover for migratory birds, in order to provide the winged visitors with an undisturbed ecology for six months each year.

2. Mangalajodi is recognized globally for its importance in bird conservation. Migratory birds flock there to roost.

3. However, there are no statutory norms or restrictions in place to protect the 8.3-sq.km marshes with emergent vegetation.

4. The meeting's proceedings submitted to the court said, "Fishermen may be allowed to use all the main channels leading to Mangalajodi, Sundarpur, Bhusundapur, and Kalupadaghata. There should be a ban on movement of mechanized boats in all sub-channels from October till March."

India relocates embassy in Ukraine to Poland

Category: National
Key Points:
1. With Russian forces intensifying their attacks on Ukrainian cities and closing in on the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, the government has decided to transfer its embassy, temporarily relocating all officials across the border to Poland.

2. The decision to leave Ukraine was made in response to Russian attacks on the western Ukrainian town of Lviv, near the Polish border, where the Indian embassy had set up a camp office in recent weeks to aid the movement of Indian students fleeing the nation.
Operation Ganga
1. The decision also follows the closure of "Operation Ganga," the government's evacuation effort to fly some 20,000 students and other Indian people out of four neighbouring countries, including Ukraine.

2. After being seen off on trains to Poland by the Indian Ambassador to Ukraine Partha Satpathy, the last large group of students from the besieged town of Sumy was flown back to India.

With the Indian mission in Ukraine closed, for the time being, the government will have to rely on local volunteer organizations and "contractors" if any more Indian citizens opt to depart.

Govt. drugstores to sell nutraceuticals

Category: Governance
Key Points
1. The Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP) Kendras, which already offer customers a product basket of 1,451 medicines and 240 surgical instruments, have now added nutraceuticals products to their offerings in order to provide accessible, standardized, and affordable generic medicines. These nutraceuticals products include protein powder and bars, malt-based food supplements, and immunity bars.

2. Currently, there are 8,675 PMBJP Kendras operating in districts across the country, with three IT-enabled warehouses in Gurugram, Chennai, and Guwahati, with another about to open in Surat.

3. The government has set a goal of increasing their number to 10,500 by the end of March2025, along with the completion of six warehouses.

4. In addition, 39 distributors have been appointed around the country to help with the distribution of pharmaceuticals to remote and rural areas, according to a Union Chemicals and Fertilizers Ministry official.

5. "Point-of-sale application for value-added services has been implemented by the Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Bureau of India (PMBI) to monitor end-to-end supply chain management system. All warehouses have SAP-based inventory management system and the demand forecasting is done through the said system so as to place orders as per the desired inventory levels," he added.

6. A medicine is priced under the PMBJP, which is being implemented by the Department of Pharmaceuticals, at a maximum of 50% of the average price of the top three brands of the said medicine. As a result, the costs of Jan Aushadhi medicines are at least 50% lower, and in some circumstances 80% to 90% lower, than the market price of branded medicines.

7. The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority, which is part of the Department of Pharmaceuticals in India, regulates the cost of all pharmaceuticals, whether branded or generic. While it fixes the ceiling price of scheduled medicines stipulated in the first schedule of the Drugs (Prices Control) Order, 2013, manufacturers are free to set the maximum retail price (MRP) of the drug in the case of non-scheduled medicines.

_________________________________________________________

15th March

Maternal mortality ratio declines by 10 points: Registrar General

Category: Social Justice

Context: According to a special report issued by the Registrar General of India, India's Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) has decreased by 10 points.
Overview
1. It has decreased from 113 in 2016-18 to 103 in 2017-19. (8.8 % decline).

2. The MMR in the country had gradually decreased from 130 in 2014-2016, 122 in2015-17, 113 in2016-18, and to 103 in 2017-19.

3. With this continued drop, India was on the verge of meeting the National Health Policy (NHP) target of 100/lakh live births by 2020 and was almost likely of meeting the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) target of 70/lakh live births by2030, according to the report.

4. The number of states that have met the SDG target has increased from five to seven, with Kerala(30), Maharashtra(38), Telangana(56), Tamil Nadu(58), Andhra Pradesh(58), Jharkhand(61), and Gujarat(70).

5. There are now nine states that have met the NHP's MMR objective, including the seven mentioned above, as well as Karnataka(83) and Haryana (96).

6. Uttarakhand(101), West Bengal(109), Punjab(114), Bihar(130), Odisha(136), and Rajasthan(141) have MMRs ranging from 100 to150, whereas Chhattisgarh(160), Madhya Pradesh(163), Uttar Pradesh(167), and Assam(205) have MMRs that exceed 150.

7. Encouraging progress has been reported by Uttar Pradesh, which has observed the greatest drop of 30 points, Rajasthan (23 points), Bihar (19 points), Punjab (15 points), and Odisha (14 points)

8. MMR has decreased by more than 15% in Kerala, Maharashtra, and Uttar Pradesh.

9. Jharkhand, Rajasthan, Bihar, Punjab, Telangana, and Andhra Pradesh have all seen a 10-15% drop.

10. Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Odisha, and Karnataka all had a 5-10% decrease.

11. West Bengal, Haryana, Uttarakhand, and Chhattisgarh have seen a rise in MMR, necessitating a rethinking of their approach and increased efforts to expedite MMR fall in order to meet the SDG objective.

Fragmenting world order, untied nations

Category: International Relations

Context: Apart from the devastating consequences for the Ukrainian nation, what should concern us is the impact of the Ukraine crisis on the global world order, which is fragmenting in every aspect of global interconnectedness- in terms of international cooperation, security, military use, economic order, and even cultural ties.
Key Points:
1. To begin with, the global order has disintegrated, and events in Ukraine have revealed the UN and the Security Council's full ineffectiveness.

2. In terms of refusing to seek an international mandate, Russia's activities in Ukraine may appear similar to the United States' war in Iraq in2003, Israel's bombing of Lebanon in2006, and the Saudi-strikes coalition's on Yemen in 2015.

3. Economic sanctions imposed by the United States, the United Kingdom, and the European Union (EU) also point to a fragmentation of the global financial order.

4. From the exclusion of Russia from SWIFT payments to the cancellation of Mastercard, Visa, American Express, and Paypal, to the sanctioning of specific Russian businesses and oligarchs and pressure on Western businesses operating in Russia (McDonald's, Coca-Cola, Pepsi, and etc), the arbitrary and unilateral nature of Western sanctions violates the international financial order established by the World Trade Organization (that replaced the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade or GATT).

5. For online transactions, Russian banks will now use the Chinese "UnionPay" system. Gradually, the world may witness the emergence of a "non-dollar" system that would operate banking, fintech, and credit systems separately of the "dollar world."

Source: The Hindu

Retail inflation climbs to 6.07%

Category: Economy
Key Points:
1. Retail inflation in India rose to an eight-month high of 6.07% in February, up from 6.01% in January, with rural India witnessing a steeper price rise of 6.38%. In reality, the inflation rate for urban consumers declined from 5.91% in January to 5.75% in February.

2. Food prices continued to rise, with Consumer Food Price Index inflation jumping to 5.85% in February from 5.43% in January. This trend differed between rural and urban India, with the latter experiencing a minor decrease in food inflation, while rural food inflation increased by 0.7% points to 5.87 %.

3. The RBI forecasts 4.5 percent average retail inflation for the following year.

4. The Consumer Price Index (CPI) tracks retail inflation, which analyses price increases from the perspective of a retail buyer.

5. After two months of moderation, wholesale price inflation resurrected to 13.11% in February, remaining above the 10% mark for the eleventh month in a row, with fuel and power inflation rising significantly from January 2022 levels.

6. "Both petrol and diesel have witnessed an increase of over 50% which is a warning of how much retail inflation can also increase in case there is a full pass-through of global oil prices," said Mr. Sabnavis.

Merchandise exports rose 25%, imports surged 36% in February

Category: Economy
Key Points:
1. According to new data released by the Commerce Ministry, India exported merchandise valued at about 25% more in February than in the same period last year, while imports grew faster, by 36%, reaching $55.45 billion.

2. The trade deficit widened to $20.9 billion in February, up from the five-month low of $17.4 billion in January. The figure is expected to stay elevated in the months ahead amid high commodity and oil prices.

_________________________________________________________

16th March
Wearing hijab is not essential part of religion: Karnataka HC
Category: Polity & Governance
Key Points:
The Karnataka High Court upheld the ban on students wearing hijab (headscarf) at schools and colleges in the State. It was determined that wearing the headscarf is not an essential religious practice in Islam and hence is not protected by the right to freedom of religion established by Article 25 of the Constitution. The court ruled that it was a reasonable and legally valid restriction.

A three-judge bench comprising of Chief Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi, Justice Krishna S. Dixit, and Justice J.M. Khazi gave the decision, rejecting all petitions filed by nine Muslim women students from two government pre-university colleges in the Udupi district.

The court stated that if a hijab is permitted, the school uniform will no longer be a uniform.

The eclipse of sovereign equality

Category: International Relation
Key Points:
1. The Ukraine crisis has revealed the flaws of international law in general, as well as the hollowness of the principle of sovereign equality in particular.

2. Traditionally, international law was comprised of laws and concepts that governed nations' connections and dealings with one another.

3. Sovereign equality is juridical in nature, which means that all states are equal under international law, despite differences in military force, geographical and population size, levels of industrialization, and economic development.

4. Along with collective security, sovereign equality is a fundamental principle of the UN.

5. According to the UN Charter, the principal goal of the UN is to protect future generations from the scourge of war.

6. Non-aggression and peaceful resolution of issues among nations are based on the ideas of sovereign equality and collective security.

7. However, the Ukraine situation has shattered this hopes.

8. The UN Charter contains the doctrine of collective security in Article 39: "The Security Council shall determine the existence of any threat to the peace, breach of the peace, or act of aggression and shall make recommendations, or decide what measures shall be taken in accordance with Articles 41 and 42, to maintain or restore international peace and security."

Read more: The Hindu

High crude oil prices are unsustainable

Category: Economy
Key Points:
1. The Finance Ministry described the present levels of crude oil and commodities as 'unsustainable,'

2. According to Fitch Ratings (10.3 percent) and Moody's (8.4 percent), India's robust growth predictions for 2022-23 face a 'downside risk' if high crude oil prices persist 'well into the new fiscal year.'

3. The hostilities between Russia and Ukraine caused "huge instability in the global economy," with crude oil and other commodity prices skyrocketing and "escalating the cost of India's import basket."

4. Despite the fact that retail inflation had surpassed 6% in the previous two months, the average for 2021-22 was still 5.4 %, which was lower than 6.2 percent in 2020-21.

5. Because of the low base, wholesale inflation averaged 12.7 % between April and February and was expected to drop as the effect disappeared.

UN resolution focuses only on one religion: India

Category: International Relations
Key Points:
1. As the United Nations General Assembly approved a resolution designating March 15 as the International Day to Combat Islamophobia, India raised to worry about "one religion being elevated to the level of an international day."

2. In response to the resolution's adoption, India's permanent representative to the UN, Ambassador T S Tirumurti, stated in the UN General Assembly that India hopes the resolution "does not set a precedent" that will lead to multiple resolutions on phobias based on selective religions and divide the UN into religious camps.

3. "Hinduism has more than 1.2 billion followers, Buddhism more than 535 million, and Sikhism more than 30 million spread out around the world. It is time that we acknowledged the prevalence of religiophobia, rather than single out just one," he said.

4. The 193-member General Assembly approved a resolution, introduced by Pakistan's Ambassador Munir Akram under the agenda item Culture of peace, declaring March 15 as the International Day to Combat Islamophobia.

5. Following the adoption of the resolution, Mr. Tirumurti explained that while India condemned all acts of anti-Semitism, Christianophobia, and Islamophobia, such phobias were not restricted to Abrahamic religions only.

6. He cited the rise of anti-Hindu, anti-Buddhist, and anti-Sikh phobias.

_________________________________________________________

17th March

Treating values of individual freedom as trifles

Category: Polity, Social Issues
Key Points:
1. According to the Preamble, the state would ensure "fraternity assuring the dignity of the individual and the unity and integrity of the Nation."

2. B.R. Ambedkar, the principal architect of the Constitution, considered the principles included in these sentences as forming a triumvirate of ideals. He defined liberty, equality, and fraternity as life principles, calling them "a union of trinity."

3. If one is divorced from the other, democracy's entire purpose is undermined.
Reasoning for the High Court judgement
The decision is based on three basic conclusions:

1. The court concludes that wearing a hijab is not required for practising Islam, and thus the petitioners' right to freedom of religion is not violated.

2. It concludes that there is no substantive right to free expression and privacy that can be asserted within the confines of a classroom.

3. The Court noted that because the government directive does not explicitly prohibit the wearing of a headscarf and is otherwise neutral, there is no discrimination against Muslim female students, as asserted by the petitioners.

4. Article 25 of the Constitution guarantees to all persons not only an equal right to profess, practise and propagate religion but also a "freedom of conscience."

Clean energy must use the battery of a circular economy

Category: Environment and Ecology
Key Points:
1. The Finance Minister, Nirmala Sitharaman, emphasized the role of cleaner technology like solar energy and batteries in India's future economic growth in her Budget speech this year.

2. According to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), an intergovernmental organization that assists countries in their transition to a sustainable energy future, India's total installed solar power could generate up to 325 kilotonnes of garbage by 2030.

3. According to JMK Research and Analytics, the market for battery recycling will be worth around 23 Gigawatt hours (GWh) by 2030.

4. According to research conducted by the Council on Energy, Environment, and Water (CEEW), India would require about 5,630 GW of solar and 1,792 GW of wind energy to meet its net-zero target by 2070. A strong renewables waste management and recycling ecosystem could assist people and India in reducing environmental harm, ensuring energy security, and creating new jobs.

So, here are six strategies to help the Indian renewable energy industry foster a circular economy.

a. First, authorities should amend existing electronic waste management standards to include a variety of clean energy components.

b. Second, the dumping and burning of certain components should be prohibited.

c. Third, the renewable energy company should invest in recycling technology research and development.

d. Fourth, innovative waste management finance ways must be developed.

e. Fifth, there must be advancements in product design and quality.

f. Sixth, the Union and state governments should establish strict quality control criteria for components used in bids.

House panel flags issues plaguing MGNREGS

Category: Polity & Governance
Key Points:
1. Apart from insufficient funding, the MGNREGA(Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act) scheme is hampered by fake job cards, widespread corruption, late uploading of muster rolls, and large pending payments for wages and materials, according to a Parliamentary Standing Committee report submitted to the Lok Sabha today.

2. "Genuine labourers not getting their dues while money keeps changing hands due to collusion of unscrupulous elements surrounding the implementation of scheme at ground level is a bitter truth of the time," said the report.

3. According to the Committee, "rozgar sevak-s are in the habit of filling up kachha muster at the start and go to the Block once a week for online uploading of muster-rolls," as evidenced by study visits and observations.

4. It said that if the muster-roll is not updated and uploaded within the specified time frame, it will not be backdated, resulting in a payment loss.

5. The ground-level observations associated with Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Gramin exposed corruption.

Towards inclusive education

Category: Social Issues
Key Points:
1. Every handicapped person is guaranteed a wide range of rights and privileges under the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act of 2016.

2. Some changes are needed to the accessibility guidelines for higher education institutions and universities.

3. Persons with visual difficulties were unable to read the public notice that preceded the guidelines. This was due to the fact that the notice appeared to have been printed and scanned incorrectly. The document would have been fully accessible if it had been a digital document authenticated by the competent authority's digital signature.

4. The rules, on the other hand, ignore the fact that disabled students are ignored and marginalized at worst, or grudgingly welcomed at best in colleges.

5. The Equal Opportunity Cell/Enabling Unit should perform an annual or biannual assessment of the needs of people with various disabilities in order to create and then amend the institutional plan for including students with disabilities.

6. The administration will be better equipped to implement specific need-based interventions as a result of such an assessment.

United Nations votes are not black and white

Category: International Relations
Key Points:
1. The green, red, and yellow buttons on delegates' desks at the United Nations (UN) General Assembly and related conferences represent only some of the alternatives available for voting on resolutions.

2. It is possible to be 'present and not participating' or 'absent at the time of the vote.' This allows member states to tailor their positions to their specific needs.

3. Diplomats have often used these provisions to help other delegations by diverging slightly from instructions.

4. The UN's voting rules and procedures are intended to allow delegations to voice their national perspectives while also taking into account their essential national interests.

5. In India's case, votes in the Security Council, General Assembly, and Human Rights Council reflect the country's present national concerns in light of the situation in Ladakh, Afghanistan, growing ties between Russia and China, and its membership in the Quad.

6. Without naming or accusing anyone, India has stated that war is not a solution and that diplomacy should be the primary choice for avoiding war.

_________________________________________________________

18th March

Indian firms buy more oil from Russia, energy ties may deepen

Category: International Relations
Key Points:
1. Several big Western economies have continued to source Russian energy despite strong US sanctions against Moscow's authorities, and India is expected to deepen its energy cooperation with Russia.

2. An official confirmation in this regard came amid reports that Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd (HPCL) had purchased two million barrels of Russian crude oil after the Indian Oil Corporation (IOC), as Indian energy majors push ahead with attempts to secure a portion of Russian energy supply.

3. However, due to the constraints created by American sanctions, energy cooperation with Russia will necessitate some required financial changes.

4. Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Ltd (MRPL) has floated a tender for a million barrels of the same crude.

5. The fact that many countries have been forced to avoid Russian oil and gas has prompted India to place orders for Russian crude oil. This has provided a chance for some of the largest power importers, such as India, to obtain Russian crude at a reduced price from the market.

6. Indian refiners are putting out tenders to buy such inexpensive oil in order to take advantage of the chance.

India extends $1 bn credit to Sri Lanka

Category: International Relations
Key Points:
1. During the visit of Sri Lanka's Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa to New Delhi, an agreement to this effect was signed between the State Bank of India and the Government of Sri Lanka.

2. So far, India has provided Sri Lanka with $1.4 billion support in2022, through a $400 million RBI currency exchange, the deferral of a $0.5 billion loan, and another half a billion as a line of credit to help the country meet its vital fuel import needs.

3. Sri Lanka is in the midst of its worst financial crisis, having declared a state of emergency in August last year due to a crushing foreign exchange shortage. The country is still dealing with substantial fuel and gas shortages, as well as rising inflation in vital products and food.

4. Sri Lanka is expected to repay about $7 billion in foreign debt this year, despite a persistent scarcity of money needed to buy food, medicines, and other necessities. It has already sought China's assistance in restructuring its loans, which account for 10% of its overall foreign debt. The international money market accounts for a large portion of Sri Lanka's external borrowings.

In sanctions route, what the world must take note of

Category: International Relations
Key Points:
1. The US, Canada, and the European Union (EU) are using all available levers to impose punitive economic sanctions against Russia.

2. Article XXI of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) regulates nations' ability to implement trade sanctions, such as suspending MFN, on security concerns under the WTO regime.

3. Article XXI, the WTO's only provision governing trade and security ties, allows a member country to take actions "which it considers" necessary to preserve its vital security interests (ESI) in the event of "war" or another "emergency in international relations."

4. When a country is accused of violating its WTO obligations, it might use Article XXI as a defense.

5. Article XXI cannot be used to determine whether Russia has breached international peace and security agreements.

6. The legitimacy of a rule-based international order, which is already at a low ebb, will be shattered if every country begins to take the law into its own hands.

Source: The Hindu Newspaper

Note: You can attempt the daily quiz of current affairs on our app here.

Our daily quizzes of current affairs give you a chance to learn about what's happening in the world while reinforcing what you already know.

Examarly can help you stay ahead of the curve in current affairs and prepare effectively for the UPSC exams with our multiple, professionally-designed quizzes on current affairs. Besides current affairs for UPSC Preparation, Examarly provides a wide array of features to help you get ready for the UPSC Exam.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Weekly Current Affairs For UPSC :(12 March - 18 March) 2022

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Current Affairs It is important to keep up with the news to excel in UPSC competitive exams. We bring you the latest happenings so that you can prepare better for UPSC Exam. Here's a weekly roundup of news from around the world.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
UPSC Preparation

How To Prepare For UPSC Without Coaching

UPSC is one of the most popular and prestigious exams which is opted by many students. UPSC is divided into three-level groups which are prelims, mains, and interviews.

In order to appear to the next level of UPSC, an inspiring candidate has to clear the previous milestone. Each and every Aspiring candidate of UPSC cannot opt for coaching classes as coaching classes are generally expensive or are priced on a higher scale. Hence we have curated and presented the simple yet utilizable way to crack UPSC without coaching classes.

There are many candidates who are clueless regarding how they should plan and how they should approach to prepare for UPSC with ease. Though coaching is a common path of preparation for most of the candidates, preparing for UPSC without coaching can be a daunting task. So we are here to help you with one of the most inevitable queries: "how to clear UPSC without coaching" which rises among most of the students.

Guidelines To Prepare For UPSC Without Coaching

If you want to clear UPSC with good scores without coaching then you have to make a strong mindset for doing self-study. Strong willpower, focus to follow a daily schedule, and determination to achieve the daily targets are the elements of self-study.

In short, proper planning, determination, and the set target will help you to stay focused while preparing for UPSC to clear UPSC in the first attempt.

Tips are mentioned below on how to prepare for UPSC without coaching:
1. Follow a defined study plan
A common question that generally passes across the aspirant's mind is "how to make sure that significant progress is made daily in their preparation" or "how to track their preparation". The answer is simple and is hidden in your planning. If you will allocate a certain amount of time in your daily schedule so as to cover each subject of the syllabus then you will be able to know whether you are making significant progress or not.

The following pointers listed below will help you to understand how study plans are beneficial:

* It will let you know how much time or effort you are spending on a particular subject/topic of the UPSC syllabus and if there is a need for improvement or not.

* It helps the aspiring candidates to track: what they have covered till now, what they are going to cover now, and in upcoming days.

* Important for making fortuity as candidates may face issues bolt from the blue that probably could break their flow of UPSC preparation.

2. Concentrate on all subjects equally

You should concentrate on all subjects equally as you don't know which will come and which will not (or which topics covered more sections of the paper and which subject will cover the least part of the paper) due to the uncertain nature of UPSC. For example:

Polity: Being scoring in nature, try to understand the chapter instead of cramming and make notes which help you for revision. Questions in this section are more conceptual based and you can prepare Indian Polity from Laxmikanth.

Economics: For economics, candidates are required to have a basic understanding of the subject.

CSAT: Be consistent with practical and reasoning areas at a regular interval. Solve enough papers as it is qualifying in nature.

History: NCERT textbooks are helpful for the preparation of History. This will build your foundation strong and then switch to standard books for preparing art and culture, ancient and modern History. If you are good at memorizing and can retain it in your memory for a long then this subject will be fruitful as this will fetch more marks.

Geography: For Geography, go through NCERT, to make your base strong and then consider standard books to prepare. Prepare it with the help of maps as map-based questions used to come.

Current Affairs: Current affairs are important for UPSC as direct or indirect questions used to come in UPSC. It is important to cover it daily from the newspaper to keep yourself updated about the current events happening across the world. Make your grip firm in this domain either by covering it via newspaper or from the monthly magazines.

Note: Keep your source limited for preparation as quality overshadows quantity.

Read: UPSC Prelims Trend Analysis (2011-2021)
3. Prioritise scoring subject/topics
Think: What is the need to prioritize the subject?

No doubt the Syllabus of UPSC is vast but have you ever wondered what makes a Syllabus of UPSC difficult to cover? If you haven't then let me tell you that it is the complexity of the topics covered in the syllabus that makes it even more difficult for you to cover. In order to tackle the questions from a wide range of subjects/ topics candidates have to prioritize which subject will help them to get more marks. In short, you have to figure out which subjects will fetch more marks with less effort but that doesn't imply that you left the one that needs more effort but also fetches more marks. Hence to wrap up first to figure out which subject fetches more marks and then sort them in decreasing order. Secondly, sort those subjects that fetch more marks in increasing order of effort to study.
4. Practice on the nose:
Practicing subjects covered in UPSC attentively and full of energy so that you can muster is a must as this is the only way to make sure that your mind is not cluttered with confusion or doubt when handling or approaching different questions in the UPSC exam.

To wrap up: mock test previous year papers or sample papers need to be practiced frequently as it is the sure short way to scale the level of performance and to be included in the regular routine of an aspirant

Extra Tips To Boost Your Performance

1. Before commencing for UPSC Preparation, go through UPSC Syllabus carefully to understand what is to cover and what is to skip while preparing.

2. Next, go to previous years' papers to understand the exam and question pattern so that you can prepare for UPSC accordingly.

3. First cover NCERT for a strong base and then switch to standard books as a strong foundation is required to build the concepts strong.

4. Read newspapers daily to cover current affairs.

5. Never step back from practice and revision. As these are the important elements of UPSC Preparation.

6. For study material or notes, you can download them online. As everything is available online from study resources to practice resources.

You might feel stressed out when beginning without the help of coaching or any mentorship which is quite normal because UPSC is a hard nut to crack. But don't worry, if you plan to do self-study then go ahead with these preparation strategies to approach UPSC and leave no stone unturned. As there are many who have nailed the UPSC Exam without the help of coaching.

With Examarly, you can clear UPSC without coaching. Without coaching, you may be confused on which preparation strategy will work for you, what to study and what to skip, and many such types of questions. So leave these fret behind as your own mentor is here - Examarly. This platform will provide you with a blueprint of how to prepare for UPSC by giving you your own customized micro plan that suits your need and will guide you at each step of your preparation.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
How To Prepare For UPSC Without Coaching

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
UPSC Preparation UPSC is one of the most popular and prestigious exams which is opted by many students. UPSC is divided into three-level groups which are prelims, mains, and interviews. In order to appear to the next level of UPSC, an inspiring candidate has to clear the previous milestone.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
UPSC Preparation

Time Management Strategy For UPSC Exam

The student life is the best part of life. Though when we were in school we hated to have home-works but making friends for life made our school the most happening time. But when it comes to +2 we start getting worried about the future, career, choices of fields, and all such stuff.

We maturely try to find the best we can do. And after choosing colleges we are scared to choose the path where our whole future life is at the stake. Our guardians, successful siblings or cousins, or any other known- unknown person keep asking the same question" what will you do next?"

Rather than answering, we should show the results. Nowadays, we hear so many success stories here and there about people who became IAS, IPS, or cracked the UPSC exams. Let's talk about how people manage their life so deliberately that they can clear such tough examinations.

As we know for joining any civil service, we have to pass the UPSC exam first. Let's understand the UPSC exam from the bottom and the best time management tips for UPSC Preparation.

UPSC stands for Union Public Service Commission. UPSC Exams or UPSC Civil Service Examination is one of the examinations conducted by the Union Public Service Commission to recruit suitable candidates into civil services of India including IAS, IPS, IFS, and other allied services.
This examination is conducted in three phases namely
●UPSC Prelims,
●UPSC Main, and
●The personality Test or UPSC Interview.

Who is eligible for UPSC exams?
●Age limit: 21 to 32 years
●Educational Qualification for IAS: Graduation
●Nationality: Indian Citizen Only

The age relaxation also depends on the categories of caste. The number of attempts is also based on these categories

Things You Have To Understand For UPSC PreparationTo Crack The UPSC Exam

As we have heard, one has to work hard to crack the UPSC Exam. Every one wants to clear exams on the first attempt, unfortunately, it's not as easy as it looks. There are several things we need to understand about UPSC exams :
●The first thing is to focus on your school and college studies, as the knowledge you acquire in that time will be helpful in further civil services exams. Start the preparation for UPSC Exam at the end year of graduation.
●The second thing is to keep in mind that it will take 2-4 years to complete even if you crack in the first attempt it will take 2 years to reach the finish line.
●The next thing you have to realize is having ruthless determination towards the preparation for UPSC exams.
●Choose your optional subjects wisely, their marks count for better results. Don't follow the crowd, follow your strength. Your interest should be the only criteria behind choosing optional subjects.

What Should Be The Strategy Of Time Management For UPSC Preparation

We are going to share tips on time management to crack the UPSC exam. We will let you know the study pattern, how to prepare and when and what to start. Soon after completing graduation exams, start for UPSC Preparation. By way of the illustration let's start with June

●In your first four months (June to September) the first thing you should do is to cover your NCERT books, read and understand them thoroughly. You should take help from any kind of experts like Examarly- 2x faster UPSCPreparation for free because it's always better to have guidance.
●After the completion of NCERT books, go for your general subjects and optional
subjects simultaneously. Don't essentialize reading newspapers or writing. For weekends you can try answer writing, but don't focus much on these things in the first four months.
●Always consider previous years' papers and syllabus and keep solving them. It will help you to recognize the whole pattern easily.
●In the next three months, (October to December) the role of current affairs and
newspapers become important.
●After these three months, the next three months (say, January to March) are very
essential. You should focus on the paper called ethics. It will help you to give good scores further. And the other paper you have to focus on is the SA paper.

Till now you must have completed the first as well the second readings. Because revision is very important.

●After March the period of April to June should be solely dedicated to Prelims. You should go for a few test series. The test series will make you learn how to tackle the difficulties you could have in real exams. You will understand your strength of writing in the time given.
●For more deep guidance on the UPSC Exam pattern, syllabus, or anything related to the UPSC exam, visit the linked article.

Up to June, you will be ready for prelims, and as soon as you give your
prelims, don't think whether you will be passed or not, just start preparing for UPSC mains. Because one wasted day can be reason enough to fail in exams.

All you have to understand is the pattern, the syllabus, and the time management strategies. But above all this, you have to keep in your mind that FAILURES ARE LEARNER. If you fail once, twice, or thrice never lose hope because good things take time and practice makes one perfect.

Start your journey for UPSC Preparation with Examarly and get your personalized study planner to pro your UPSC preparation.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Time Management Strategy For UPSC Preparation

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
UPSC Preparation The student life is the best part of life. Though when we were in school we hated to have home-works but making friends for life made our school the most happening time. But when it comes to +2 we start getting worried about the future, career, choices of fields, and all such stuff.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Current Affairs

Weekly Current Affairs News Analysis (5th March 2022 - 11th March 2022)

Current affairs matter in the UPSC exams. In this weekly capsule of current affairs, we cover the news that may appear in the forthcoming UPSC exam. The best of our efforts, as always, go into making these posts informative and less time-consuming so that you have an easier time preparing for the upcoming exams. Here are our posts on current affairs:

5th March 2022

India abstains again in UN vote

Category: International Relations

1. At the UN Human Rights Council, India abstained from voting as the Council decided to set up an international commission of inquiry into Russia's actions in Ukraine.

2. The UN Human Rights Council decision, which will be accepted by the UN system, strongly condemned Russian aggression.

3. Of the 47 UN members on the council, India was among the 13 countries that abstained from voting, along with China, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Sudan, Uzbekistan, and Venezuela.

4. Thirty-two countries, representing nearly two-thirds of the Human Rights Council, voted for a resolution asking the president to appoint three new human rights experts.
About UNHRC
I. The United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) is an international organization that promotes and protects human rights around the world.

II. Its headquarters are in Geneva, Switzerland, and it was founded in 2006.

III. It has 47 members that are elected on a regional basis for three years.

New gin berry species discovered in T.N.

Category: Environment and Ecology

A team of Botanical Survey of India (BSI) scientists discovered a new gin berry species in Tamil Nadu's Kanyakumari Wildlife Sanctuary.
About the Species:
1. Glycosmis albicarpa is a species that is only found in southern Western Ghats.

2. This species is linked to the Orange family Rutaceae.

3. Many of these taxonomic groups' allied plants are used for medicinal and culinary purposes. The majority of closely related species of these plants are harvested from the wild, mostly for use as food and medicine in the surrounding area.

4. 'Gin aroma' is the unique characteristic of the berries of the Glycosmis species.

5. Glycosmis albicarpa yields a distinctive huge white fruit that has become renowned as eating fruit.

6. Like other Glycosmis species, it serves as a larval host plant for butterflies.

7. The species, a small evergreen tree, was discovered as undergrowth in the Panagudi forests section of the wildlife sanctuary's Tirunelveli semi-evergreen forests.
About Kanyakumari Wildlife Sanctuary
I. Kanyakumari Wildlife Sanctuary is a protected region in Tamil Nadu's Kanyakumari district that serves as a tiger habitat.

II. The Tamaraibarani and Pahruli rivers are two of the seven rivers that originate in this forest.

III. The area is a high-diversity wildlife corridor that is home to threatened species such as Indian bison, elephant, Indian rock python, lion-tailed macaque, mouse deer, Nilgiri tahr, and sambar deer, in addition to tigers.

IV. It is an endemic region because several new plants, amphibian, and insect species discovered here are found nowhere else.

Russia's war, the impracticality of violence

Category: Ethics

1. Russia has been isolated from the rest of the world as a result of its violent war in Ukraine.

2. The Russian invasion has brought the plight of innocent Ukrainian civilians who have become war victims to the fore, rather than Russia's own long-standing worries of western repression.
India and non-violence
I. India is a world leader in nonviolence.

II. The 'Father of the Nation,' Mahatma Gandhi, is a global icon of nonviolence.

III. Gandhiji advocated nonviolence not only as a moral philosophy in the pursuit of justice but also as a means of nonviolent resistance through which the weaker people, united for a righteous cause, may triumph over entrenched authorities.

IV. Leaders of the civil rights movement in the United States, uprisings against Communist regimes in Eastern Europe, and the anti-apartheid struggle in South Africa all adopted Gandhiji's methods.
More Points:
a) "Generations to come will scarce believe that such a one as this ever in flesh and blood walked upon this earth," said Albert Einstein on Mahatma Gandhi's 70th birthday.

b) India must set an example for the rest of the world by practicing what we preach and demonstrating a nonviolent road to justice for all.

Operation Ganga brings back over 3,700 Indians
Category:
1. After escaping Ukraine and reaching neighboring nations, around 3,700 Indians returned on 17 special flights.

2. 14 civilian flights operated by Indian airlines and three C-17 flights operated by the Indian Air Force returned 3,142 persons from Romania, Hungary, Slovakia, and Poland as part of the government's 'Operation Ganga.'

3. Over 2,200 Indians are expected to return on eleven special flights, including five from Budapest, two from Rzeszow, and four from Suceava.

4. According to a statement from the Ministry of Civil Aviation, 9,364 Indians have been evacuated so far. Seven C-17s have taken part in the mission, carrying 9.7 tonnes of relief supplies.

UNSC holds meet to discuss Zaporizhzhia fire

Category: International Relations

1. At an emergency meeting, members of the UNSC expressed concern about the possibility of a nuclear incident in Ukraine. The meeting was called hours after a training building at Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant caught fire as Russians moved in and took control of the facility.

2. No reactors have been damaged, according to the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

3. Several western countries, like the U.S. and the U.K, condemned Russia for threatening nuclear facilities, while others, such as India and China, expressed concern about the situation without condemning either party.

4. The US condemned Russia and demanded an end to the conflict.

_________________________________________________________

6th March 2022

Category: Defence

1. India has invited 46 friendly foreign countries to participate in the multinational naval exercise Milan in Visakhapatnam, set to begin on February25, 2022.

2. The harbor phase took place from February 25 to February28, while the sea phase took place from March 1 to March 4.

3. A total of 26 ships, one submarine, and 21 aircraft took part in the 11th edition's sea phase.

4. The sea phase began with a series of drills designed to improve interoperability amongst the participating Navies.

5. The first two days at sea included intricate anti-air warfare simulations, with US P-8A planes shepherding an Indian fighter aircraft strike on a formation of participating Navies' warships.

6. The exercise, which took place amid rising tensions between the West and Russia and the Ukraine crisis, saw warships of the Quad countries; France, Myanmar, South Korea, Vietnam, and others, practice drills.

7. During the helicopter operations, cross-deck landings were performed, and ships from the participating countries participated in a replenishment at sea exercise.

8. Rear Admiral Sanjay Bhalla, Flag Officer Commanding Eastern Fleet, presided over the concluding ceremony.

9. The exercise began in 1995 with four countries participating: Indonesia, Singapore, Sri Lanka, and Thailand. Since then, the number of participants and the complexity of the exercises have increased.

10. Previously, the exercise was held in Port Blair, but this edition was moved to Visakhapatnam since it has more infrastructure and sea space.
Theme:
a. The theme of all the 10 editions of Navy Milan exercise: "synergy across the seas."

b. Theme of the 11th edition of Navy Milan exercise: 'Camaraderie - Cohesion - Collaboration'.

Variants do not always evolve to become less virulent

Category: Science & Technology

a. The next variant will only become more transmissible if it becomes more capable of evading neutralizing antibodies, which would mean that a full vaccination (two doses) would be less effective in preventing breakthrough infections.

b. Although vaccinated people are less likely to suffer from severe diseases, doctors believe that it is T cells and B cells that help reduce the severity of the disease.

c. "The variants are a wild card. We still don't know everything about this virus, we still don't know everything about the variants and the future trajectory of that," Dr. Van Kherkhove added.

d. The virus was novel and, at first, none in the world had any immunity. But as millions were infected by the virus and millions were fully vaccinated, and as some people exhibited natural immunity and others had been partially vaccinated, the next variant of the virus has to necessarily exhibit higher immune escape to cause infection. This is the reason that the next variant will exhibit more immune escape than the Omicron variant.

_________________________________________________________

7th March 2022

In sanctions bite, Nord Stream 2 in the cross hairs

Category: International Relations

1. Nord Stream 2 is a network of natural gas pipelines that run underwater.

2. The energy pipeline will provide for a continuous flow of natural gas from Russia's Ust-Luga city to Germany's Lubmin city, bypassing transit through Ukraine and other countries.

3. It stretches over 1,225 kilometers and costs €11 billion to construct.

4. In comparison to transiting via many countries, Nord Stream 2 will be a faster and less expensive choice.

A safety net for students abroad

Category: International Relations
Overview
The war in Ukraine as well as the government's post-crisis evacuation program, have brought attention to the number of students who travel abroad.

1. After China, India is the second-largest source of international students.

2. The imbalance between India's supply of quality education and demand is one of the reasons for such a large number of students traveling overseas.

3. Sushma Swaraj refers to Indians living abroad as "Indian brand ambassadors."

4. The Prime Ministers of India and the United Kingdom referred to Indians in the United Kingdom as a "living bridge" between the two countries.

5. International students require a proactive safety net from the Indian government.

6. The highest attention should be given to international agreements that require host countries to safeguard the safety of students in times of crisis.

7. The safety of these learners should be negotiated into the trade and other agreements that India signs.

8. To protect the interests of students, a required student insurance scheme should be developed.

_________________________________________________________

8th March

'Sealed cover' jurisprudence is appalling
Category:
The appeal filed by MediaOne, whose license was refused to be renewed by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, was dismissed by a Division Bench of the Kerala High Court.
'Sealed Cover' Jurisprudence
a. 'Sealed Cover' is a practice in which Supreme Court and the sometimes lower court asks for or receives information from the government that is put into an envelope that only judges can open.

b. The doctrine of sealed cover is not defined by any specific law.

c. Rule 7 of Order XIII of the Supreme Court Rules and Section 123 of the Indian Evidence Act of 1872 give the Supreme Court the authority to employ it.

d. According to the regulation, if the Chief Justice or the court orders that particular material is kept under seal or that it is of a confidential nature, no party will be permitted access to the contents of such information unless the Chief Justice himself orders that the opposite party be allowed access.

e. It also points out that information can be kept confidential if its disclosure is not considered to be in the public interest.

Labour Ministry launches 'donate a pension' scheme

Category: Government policies

In2019, the Union Labour and Employment Ministry launched the "donate a pension" scheme.

1. Under the Pradhan Mantri Shram Yogi Maan-Dhan Scheme, it permits any citizen to pay the premium amount on behalf of an unorganized worker.

2. Workers in the unorganized sector between the ages of 18 and 40 who earn up to Rs.15,000 a month can join the system by paying a premium of between Rs. 55 and Rs. 200, depending on their age, which is matched by the government.

3. The "Donate a Pension" program allows citizens to "donate the premium contribution of their immediate support employees such as domestic workers, drivers, helpers, caregivers, and nurses."

Working women too, with a dream of good childcare

Category: Society

1. 'Gender equality today for a sustainable tomorrow' is the theme for International Women's Day 2022 (March 8).

2. Gender equality, on the other hand, is a long way off for India's female informal workforce. According to a 2018 research by the International Labour Organization (ILO), over 95 percent of working women in India are informal labourers who work in labor-intensive, low-paying, highly hazardous jobs/conditions with little social security.

3. "Women's informal work is central to the feminization of poverty," according to the bulletin of WHO.

Here are 3 ways to help women take up more productive jobs and improve their maternal and child health status:
Expansion of the ICDS
1. The fundamental goal of the ICDS's Anganwadi centers is to offer nutritional security for mothers and children, as well as a clean and safe environment and early childhood education, allowing women to re-enter work after childbirth.

2. The scheme has two major limitations:

· It does not cater to children under three years of age.

· It functions only for a few hours a day, making it inconvenient for working mothers to pick up children during work hours and avail of the government's take-home rations provided to pregnant women and households with younger children.

3. Efforts to resolve these challenges include:

a. Children's early intake: If Aanganwadi centers additionally cater to children under the age of three, the following benefits will be realized:

i. Allow women to devote time to paid jobs.

ii. Will contribute to the New Education Policy's goal of delivering high-quality early childhood education to children aged 0 to 6.

iii. Address the issue of working women's time constraints.

4. However, these expansions would also demand an expansion of the care worker infrastructure, particularly the Anganwadi worker and helper, who are already overburdened and underpaid.
Revitalise the crèche scheme
1. The National Creche Scheme aims to help working women but has suffered from funding issues. Inclusive workplaces with varied work hours and flexible working options could help overcome implementation gaps.

2. Public crèches can be function at worksite clusters such as near industrial areas, markets, dense low-income residential areas, and labour nakas.

3. This model has been tested in a few cities by the Self Employed Women's Association (SEWA).

4. Crèches that are closer to the workplace enable for timely breastfeeding and emergency care.

5. The funds raised from the construction cess might be utilised to support construction site creches.
Improving maternity benefits:
1. Until the National Food Security Act (NFSA), which mandates a monetary distribution of Rs. 6,000 to pregnant and lactating mothers, no maternal benefits were given to the informal women workers.

2. However, the Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY), which was introduced for this purpose, limits the benefit to the first childbirth and reduces the value to Rs. 5,000.

3. Tamil Nadu (Dr. Muthulakshmi Maternity Benefit Scheme), Rajasthan (Indira Gandhi Maternity Nutrition Scheme), Odisha (Mamta Scheme), Gujarat (Kasturba Poshan Sahay Yojana), and Chhattisgarh (Kaushalya Maternity Scheme) are such states that try to reduce the coverage gaps by incentivizing health-seeking behaviors.

4. The scheme of Tamil Nadu offers ₹18,000 in cash and kind for two live births.

5. In terms of both the NFSA standard and nutritional needs, as well as wage compensation, the cash transfer under PMMVY is insufficient.

6. Maternity benefits of at least six months' minimum salary for pregnant women and lactating mothers must be implemented universally and unconditionally.

7. Inflation-adjusted NFSA benchmarks (nearly Rs. 9,400 in2022) do not match the amount.

Reaping the potential of the female workforce

Category: Society

1. Digital and smartphone technology, as well as the rising demand for personal care for the sick, aged, and young, have produced numerous job opportunities, particularly for women.

2. Flexibility and freelance opportunities are available in the gig economy.

3. Health and personal care professionals have always been an important element of the economy, and during the pandemic, they proved to be the true front-line employees.

4. Women make up a significant portion of the personal and healthcare workforce.

5. The Covid-19 pandemic has raised the demand for personal and health care, resulting in job opportunities.

6. Higher education, skill training, and digital technology are the three major facilitators for India's female workforce to realize its full potential.
India's demographic dividend
1. India has the lowest female labour force participation rate among the BRICS countries, and it is also lower than several of its South Asian neighbours, such as Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.

2. The FLFP has decreased from 32% working or looking for work in 2005 to 21% in 2019. Increases in the FLFP are required not only to accomplish economic growth but also to promote inclusive growth and meet the Sustainable Development Goals.

3. In the year 2020, India's population would be the world's youngest, with a median age of around 29. The demographic dividend is largely made up of women and girls. However, due to a variety of economic and societal issues, individuals are sometimes unable to maintain employment or pursue new chances. This has posed a significant challenge to the Indian labour market and economy.

4. China, South Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, and other countries serve as excellent examples of how the demographic dividend may be utilized to boost economic growth.

Is a more humane society possible?

Category: Society

1. There are two paradigms that dominate social science when it comes to diverse ideas of social transformation. Firstly, the Marxian surplus theory is based on unequal positions in the society process. The second is Charles Darwin and Gregor Mendel's theory of evolution.

2. Both the generation of surplus and evolution processes, are autonomous, inevitable, and continual.

3. The notion of evolution was introduced into social sciences through biological evolution theories.

4. The social transformation is determined by the surplus's uses.

5. The idea behind evolutionary theories is that societies evolve from simple beginnings to more complex forms over time. The role of cultural patterns in controlling a society's stability was emphasized by Talcott Parsons' action theory.

6. When society grows more complicated, a process of differentiation takes occurs.

7. Another form of the theory of evolution and explanation of social change emerged from the University of Chicago in the early 20th century.

8. In1934, the conceptualization of the "self" as "I," the subject, and "me," the subject's object, was "prescient thinking."

9thMarch 2022

Bangladesh, India, Nepal to move ahead on MVA pact

Category: International Relations

1. Officials from India, Bangladesh, and Nepal met to discuss the sub-regional Bangladesh-Bhutan-India-Nepal (BBIN) grouping's Motor Vehicles Agreement (MVA).

2. In2015, at the BBIN transport ministers conference in Thimpu, Bhutan, the BBIN Motor Vehicles Agreement (MVA) was signed to enable the free flow of goods and persons between them.

3. The BBIN conference was the first in-person discussion of the MVA since the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak in February2020, and authorities finalized the wording of two separate protocols on passenger and cargo movement with an "enabling" agreement.

4. The original BBIN MVA was signed by all four countries in June2015, but after objections from Bhutanese lawmakers over sustainability and environmental concerns, the Bhutanese Parliament decided not to endorse the plan, and the Tobgay Tshering government agreed to allow the other three countries to proceed with the vehicular movement project (BIN-MVA) in 2017.

5. Despite multiple trials runs for passenger buses and cargo trucks along the Bangladesh-India-Nepal road route, progress on the seven-year-old project has been slow. The final protocols are still being held up by some agreements.

China's takeaways from the war

Category: International Relation

1. China abstained from the U.S.-sponsored United Nations Security Council (UNSC) Resolution condemning Russia for the invasion of Ukraine.

2. China's reasons behind abstaining from voting at the UNSC as well as its gains and expectations from the invasion are unique to its own situation.

3. When the last vote against Russian aggression in Crimea, as well as the legitimacy of the Crimean referendum, came up for a vote in the UNSC in2014, China abstained.

4. China hopes to avoid renewed criticism of being a selfish power by attempting to engage in the peace process.

5. The Chinese government has declined to label Russia's actions as an invasion.

6. China sees a trend in Ukraine's interaction with Europe and is concerned its repetition in Central Asia, where Russian and Chinese interests are aligned in preventing democratic intervention.

7. China's 'wolf warrior diplomacy' is also dwindling as it sees an opportunity to meditate and create a stake in the resolution process.

8. China would also be watching and learning from Russia's military and strategic moves in this invasion, with the possibility of a military solution to the Taiwan issue.

Revive tax increases, stub out tobacco product use

Category: Economy

1. According to scientific studies, more than 3,500 Indians die every single day as a result of the usage of tobacco.

2. It also comes at a high price: the country bears an annual economic burden of Rs. 1,77,340 crore, or more than 1% of India's GDP (GDP).

3. Despite not being a communicable disease like SARS-CoV-2, the tobacco epidemic, as defined by the World Health Organization, offers some clear solutions that can help lower the death toll.

4. According to research from several nations throughout the world, including India, a price rise encourages people to quit or reduce tobacco use while also discouraging non-users from taking up the habit.

5. Within the scientific community, there is widespread agreement that taxation is one of the most cost-effective ways to curb tobacco product demand.

6. The Union Budget 2022-23 provided a good opportunity for the Government of India to break the trend (of not enacting a large price hike for the longest time) and increase excise duties or NCCDs on tobacco products significantly.

7. The goal should be to stop tobacco goods from becoming more affordable in India, as well as to simplify tobacco taxation under the GST.

_________________________________________________________
Water management needs a hydro-social approach
Category: Environment

1. The Global Water System Project, which began in 2003 as a collaboration between the Earth System Science Partnership (ESSP) and the Global Environmental Change (GEC) program, encapsulates global concern over human-induced freshwater transformation and its impact on the earth system and society.

2. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) underlined the link between societal vulnerability and water system modifications in its fourth assessment report in 2007.

3. If current trends continue, the global gap between demand for and supply of freshwater is expected to widen to up to 40% by 2030.

4. The World Economic Forum prompted the formation of the 2030 Water Resource Group in 2008.

5. Since 2018, the World Bank has prompted the group's efforts, and these initiatives are helping to achieve the Sustainable Development Goal on water availability and sanitation for all by 2030 (SDG 6).

6. The latest UN World Water Development Report, titled 'Valuing Water,' published in2021, emphasizes effective water valuation by considering five interrelated perspectives: water sources; water infrastructure; water services; water as an input to production, and socio-economic development, and socio-cultural values of water.

A new vision for old age care

Category: Social Justice

Context: For India, a formal approach to homes for the elderly is an important policy and planning issue.

1. The percentage of senior people in India would rise by 326% by2050, with those aged 80 and up expected to rise by 700 %, making them the fastest-growing age group in India.

2. Homes for the elderly have sprung up as India gets more urbanized and families break up into smaller units.

3. The care of the elderly is overseen by a group of experts or non-profit organizations dedicated to geriatric services.

4. These residences are either paid for or provide free or subsidized services.

5. NGOs, religious or volunteer organizations with government funding or local benefactors typically run such homes.

6. They give their residents housing, timely care, and a sense of security. However, because these houses lack regulatory oversight, the quality of care varies

7. Homes for the elderly must be governed by policy to ensure that their facilities, buildings, and environments are accessible to the old and disabled.

Soaring energy prices could hurt growth, consumption, warns S&P

Category: Economy

1. According to S&P Global Ratings, the rise in energy costs caused by the Russia-Ukraine conflict might cause a 'terms-of-trade' shock for large net energy importers like India, resulting in a hit to the current account balances, domestic consumption, and investment.

2. Higher retail inflation will also put pressure on monetary policy, dampening economic development and stressing some bank borrowers in countries such as India.

3. Furthermore, if the conflict worsens or new sanctions are imposed, investor sentiment will be harmed, leading to capital outflows from developing markets and a drop in asset and currency values.

_________________________________________________________

Doval calls for maritime cooperation

Category: International Relations

1. The Colombo Security Conclave's fifth National Security Advisor-level talks were held in the Maldives.

2. In addition to calling for a "concrete roadmap" for cooperation, Mr. Doval stated that India is "committed to working in close cooperation with our maritime neighbours" to build capacity through training, equipment supply, upgrading coastal security installations, and information exchange in order to counter threats collectively.

3. India, Sri Lanka, the Maldives, and Mauritius met at the fifth conference to discuss methods to combat maritime issues. Apart from maritime security, the NSAs discussed counter-narcotics trafficking and transnational organized crime, as well as cyber security and emerging technologies.
Colombo Security Conclave
1. A regional security grouping is the Colombo Security Conclave.

2. It was founded in 2011 as a trilateral Indian Ocean maritime security organization comprised of India, Sri Lanka, and the Maldives.

3. Since then, the Colombo Security Conclave's membership and scope have expanded.

4. Mauritius was admitted as a new member for the fifth edition, and the scope of the conclave was enlarged to encompass humanitarian assistance and disaster relief.

Russia Ukraine talks yield no progress

Mr. Lavrov made no compromises, instead reaffirming Russia's demands that Ukraine disarm and adopt neutral status.

Russia Ukraine war brews a crisis for Kochi tea auctions

Category: International Relations

1. Tea auctions held by the Tea Trade Association of Cochin (TTAC) are struggling to find takers due to subdued export demand to Russia and other Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) countries in the midst of the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

2. Efforts to auction tea in all categories - CTC or orthodox (both leaf and dust)- have met with a lukewarm response, with nearly half of the tea on offer at the Kochi auctions finding no takers.

3. Despite the fact that the average price for the type had dropped to a recent low of Rs. 142 per kg, almost 41% of orthodox tea remained unsold at the current TTAC auction in Kochi.

4. This is the most common tea variety sent to Russia and the other CIS countries. In all categories, around 39% of the entire supply remained unsold.

5. The average price of tea in all categories fell to Rs. 133.13 per kg kg in the in the most recent auction, from Rs. 145.40 per kg in the previous auction. If there is no significant improvement in the global environment in the following weeks, the situation is unlikely to change.

6. Russia imports more than 20% of its total tea requirements from India, with the majority of the exports passing through the Cochin Port.

SC directs Centre to produce internal files on TV channel

Category: National

Context: The Supreme Court directed the Centre to submit the "relevant files" on which it had refused to renew the license of Kerala-based Media One TV channel on the grounds of "national security and public order."

1. The media company has challenged a Kerala High Court order upholding the government's decision not to renew the TV channel's license.

2. According to Mr. Dave, the government's conduct has affected the livelihoods of 350 journalists and raised seminal legal issues about the fundamental right to free speech and expression, as well as the necessity of an independent, free, and fair press guaranteed by the Constitution.

3. The company stated that license renewal, which is controlled by clauses 9 and 10 of the uplinking and downlinking rules, does not necessitate security clearance. Only new license applicants are required to obtain the required security clearance.

4. In addition, the company was not given the option to defend itself in the High Court against the initial data presented by the government.

Source: The Hindu Newspaper

Note: You can attempt the daily quiz of current affairs on our app here.

Our daily quizzes of current affairs can help you keep your ear to the ground for important upcoming events - and your fingers on the pulse of current developments.

If you are taking steps to prepare for the UPSC Exam, Examarly can help you in a variety of ways. We are here to show you the way.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Weekly Current Affairs For UPSC Capsule (5th March 2022 - 11th March 2022)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Current Affairs Current affairs matter in the UPSC exams. In this weekly capsule of current affairs, we cover the news that may appear in the forthcoming UPSC exam.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
International Relations For UPSC CSE- Details, Strategy, And Booklist

International Relations is an important topic for UPSC CSE. It includes foreign policies of states, their relations with each other, with international organizations, their foreign trade practices, issues of environmental security, international cooperation, dispute settlement mechanisms, economic sanctions, the increasing role of NGOs, the role of international courts, etc. It is a current affairs-based topic and standard questions are asked mainly in General studies paper-2 of worth 50-80 marks. Being a current affairs-based subject it is of high importance for UPSC civil services examination. International relations is a segment of GS paper-2, as the whole paper is based on Polity and Governance. You need to have a strong command over this subject as the questions are also asked in the Prelims section in the form of current affairs and it is very important to understand the " Current events of national and international importance ".

India and its neighborhood- relations.

Bilateral, regional, and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India's interests.

Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India's interests, Indian diaspora.

Important International institutions, agencies, and their structure, mandate.

Topic-Wise Syllabus Of International Relations For IAS Mains

Topic-wise syllabus of International relations for UPSC Mains is tabulated below:

5 Strategies To Prepare International Relations For UPSC Mains

IR is a section that is a mixture of both static and dynamic questions. However, most of the questions asked from the subject are based on current affairs and various political scenarios. Around 50-80 marks questions are asked every year. We will look into this in the trend section further. It is very important to keep track of the current International developments, trends, issues, and how various International events are affecting India.

Here are 5 strategies you can follow to prepare IR for UPSC Mains:
1. Mind-mapping the whole UPSC Syllabus ( 3R technique)
It is very important for an aspirant to follow the 3R technique to build a proper mind-map so that it will be easy for them to move on the right path. 3R techniques i.e Read, Recognize and React.

Reading and understanding the whole UPSC CSE syllabus is of utmost importance for an aspirant. It gives you the core idea and intention of the topics. After that, recognizing the similar topics which come both in Prelims and Mains, complex areas, easy areas and the areas which are favorite of UPSC should be done judiciously. Recognizing and understanding the structure will lead you to take the next step i.e React. Reacting or taking a step is something that will cover your entire syllabus ultimately. Without any action, there is no use in reading and recognizing the stuff.
2. Make concise notes
Unlike other subjects, there is no particular book to prepare for International relations. You can find books based on the topic but the real problem is that a lot of questions asked in the exam are from the dynamic area. Dynamic-area means that questions are not direct but come from the current affairs section. Therefore, referring to different sorts of books, newspapers, editorials, magazines, and websites of External affairs is the only solution. There are some prescribed books also available in the market that will definitely help you in solving the Prelims part and the static part for Mains answer writing. However, to prepare for the dynamic part, you have to research a lot.
3. Revise to retain
It is a fact that UPSC CSE Syllabus is as vast as the sea. Retaining everything is not possible. What is possible is a proper and dedicated revision. Remembering a lot of country matters and diplomatic decisions is not an amateur's job. You have to upgrade yourself day by day. Revision is the only way to do this. Keep revising your own short and large notes to retain every possible information that is necessary for Mains answer writing.
4. Practice answer writing to understand more
Mains answer writing needs practice as it demands an opinionated answer from the aspirant. Your answer must contain facts along with your personal opinions on the matter without being emotional. Opinions reflect your understanding of the matter and the more you understand, the more you become a deserving candidate. To sharpen your opinions and your answer writing skills it is very important to practice more and more. It's a common saying that "Practice makes a man perfect". Without practice, it will be a huge mess for you to write on paper at the time of the final examination.
5. Solve PYQs
The most important part is to prepare yourself for the expected questions. The only way to do this is by solving the previous year's questions. PYQs not just prepare you for the expected but for the unexpected also. It shows you the type of questions asked, most favored topics and the trend UPSC follows while asking questions.

Trend Analysis Of UPSC CSE International Relations

Marks worth of questions asked from International Relations in the various years in UPSC Mains:

Questions from non-neighbors and various International organizations are asked every year. In 2018, questions worth 25 marks were asked from the section non-neighbors, and 40 marks were awarded for questions from the section of International organizations. Next year in 2019, 50 marks were awarded for both sections.

International Relations Booklist For UPSC
Prelims

NCERT XII (Contemporary World Politics)

Current Affairs (News Analysis)

Mains

India's Foreign Policy Since Independence by V.P. Dutt

Pax Indica by Shashi Tharoor

Challenge and Strategy: Rethinking India's Foreign Policy - Rajeev Sikri

India's Foreign Policy: Coping with the Changing World - Muchkund Dubey

International Relations: Pushpesh Pant

You can build a strong command over this subject with the help of Examarly. As Prelims questions are basically based in the form of current affairs. This platform will help you to cover the current affairs properly by letting you know what to cover from "The Hindu" newspaper and "Indian Express" newspaper. Besides this, you will get the daily quiz to tests your knowledge on the grounds of current events.

Alternatively, strengthen your command over this subject by solving the quizzes and staying updated with current happenings across the nation with a single click. What are you waiting for? Make Examarly your mentor to ace your UPSC Preparation.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
International Relations For UPSC CSE- Preparation Analysis

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
International Relations is an important topic for UPSC CSE. It includes foreign policies of states, their relations with each other, with international organizations, their foreign trade practices, issues of environmental security, international cooperation, dispute settlement mechanisms, economic sanctions, the increasing role of NGOs, the role of international courts, etc.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Cramming for the UPSC 2022 Exam. Here is what you need to learn about UPSC Exam Format For UPSC CSE 2022.

UPSC Exam Pattern For UPSC 2022

Union Public Service Commission conducts a UPSC Exam once a year and also sets a UPSC Exam pattern. The format of the UPSC Exam has been the same since 2013. Being complex in nature, the cycle of the UPSC Exam lasts for almost a year till the final merit lists are out. Read this article further to have an idea about the UPSC Exam pattern of all the stages of UPSC 2022.

UPSC Exam Pattern For UPSC CSE 2022

UPSC Prelims, UPSC Mains, and Personality Tests are the three stages in which UPSC Exam is divided. According to the UPSC Exam Pattern, one can reach the next stage of UPSC after clearing the prior stage of UPSC. In short, you are eligible to sit for UPSC Mains after clearing UPSC Prelims and are eligible for Personality Tests after successfully clearing UPSC Mains.

UPSC Prelims 2022 Exam Pattern

UPSC Prelims 2022 Exam date is scheduled on 5th June 2022. Visit the link to get a complete roadmap for UPSC Prelims Preparation. (In short, you will get your personalized preparation strategy for UPSC Prelims 2022). The details related to the UPSC Prelims are tabulated below:

All About UPSC Prelims

1. UPSC Prelims comprises of two papers namely - GS-1 and GS-2 (i.e. CSAT) and are conducted on the same day.

2. Both the papers are objective in nature. This means a multiple-choice type of questions come in the first phase of UPSC.

3. CSAT is qualifying in nature. This means you have to score a minimum of 33% marks or 66 marks in the second paper of UPSC Prelims to be eligible for the first paper GS-1 to be checked.

4. Marks scored in the GS-1 paper are not considered in the final merit list. This mark is only for the cut-off in the first stage that gives you an entry to the second stage of UPSC.

5. Negative marks play a key role in both the UPSC Prelims Paper. For every wrong answer, 1/3rd of the marks assigned to that question are deducted as a penalty.

UPSC Mains 2022 Exam Pattern

Instead of scaling the level of information and memory of candidates, their intellectual traits and the depth of understanding of a variety of subjects are tested by UPSC in the second phase.

UPSC Mains is the second stage of the CSE and all the candidates who qualify Prelims can give Mains. UPSC Mains exam comprises of 9 papers that are subjective in nature. So here time management and writing speed matter a lot and to inculcate this skill, visit the link linked in the article. The details related to the UPSC Mains are tabulated below:

For UPSC Mains Paper VI & Paper VII, optional subjects have to be any one of the subjects that are listed below: Option For literature subjects are tabulated below:
All About UPSC Mains

1. UPSC Mains Exam is divided into 9 papers and is conducted over 5 to 7 days.

2. All 9 papers are descriptive where you have to write the answers in detail which makes this phase an exhaustive phase.

3. Nature of questions in General Studies paper (Paper II - Paper IV): Candidates will be asked to answer a series of questions, which are likely to have relevance for a career in Civil Services. The questions will be designed to test the candidates' knowledge of all relevant issues and their ability to analyze complex socio-economic situations. They must give relevant, meaningful, and succinct answers. Alternatively, questions are framed in such a manner to tests the candidates' general awareness with respect to a variety of subjects

4. For Paper A (Indian Language) - Candidates have to select an Indian language mentioned in the Eighth Schedule of the Indian Constitution. Paper A which consists of the Indian language is not compulsory for the candidates coming from the states of Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Manipur, Nagaland, Sikkim, and Mizoram.

Pattern Of Question: Indian Language: The format of the questions of Paper A is given below:

(a) comprehension of given passages.

(b) Precis Writing

(c) Usage and Vocabulary

(d) Short Essays

(e) Translation from English to the Indian Language and vice-versa

5. For Paper B (English Language) - Both Paper A and Paper B are qualifying in nature and their marks are not included in the merit lists. The qualifying marks for each of the papers are 25%.

Pattern Of Question: English Language: The format of the questions of Paper B is given below:

(a) Comprehension of given passages.

(b) Precis Writing

(c) Usage and Vocabulary

(d) Short Essays

Note: Both Paper A and Paper B are of Matriculation level or equivalent standard.

6. Paper I - This paper is divided into two sections and each of the sections has 4 topics. A candidate must choose one of the topics and write an essay on the chosen topic. So, in total, one must write two essays in 3 hours.

7. Marks scored in UPSC Mains are valuable as this plays a key role in the final merit declaration.
UPSC CSE 2022 Personality/Interview Test Pattern
The third stage of UPSC is Personality Tests. All the candidates are awarded out of 275 marks by the board taking interviews of the candidate. In the final stage of UPSC, the UPSC board takes an interview of candidates to test whether he/she is capable enough to carry out the responsibility of civil services or associated post. Some of the qualities that the board would look for are critical thinking, analytical ability, mental acuity, leadership ability, risk assessment skills, the balance of judgement, intellectual and moral integrity, etc. In short, this test is not about checking the knowledge of the candidate because the candidate has already proved it in the prelims and mains.
Points To Remember
1. All the papers of UPSC Mains can be answered in English or any other language listed in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution of India, except Paper A and Paper B. If a candidate has answered none of the papers in English, optional papers can be answered in English.

2. Candidates will be required to answer the English and Indian Language paper in English and the respective Indian Language (except where the translation is needed).

3. The UPSC Mains consists of 1750 marks and the UPSC Interview consists of 275 marks. The marks of both UPSC Mains and interview sum up together which makes the total of 2025 marks for the final merit.

3. It is required to score at least 25% marks in each paper of UPSC Mains for the final selection.

This article gives you a brief over the UPSC Exam pattern 2022. Keep following us to stay updated about the latest information regarding UPSC.

With Examarly, your preparation process for UPSC 2022 will be more efficient. Examarly will relieve you of a load of UPSC 2022 preparation. Instead, you'll be at ease because you'll not only be studying for the UPSC, but also you'll be able to take an assessment test and track your progress, which will help you to be crystal clear about your performance.

Try Examarly to set a benchmark and do your preparation of UPSC with ease.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Cramming for the UPSC 2022 Exam. Here is what you need to learn about UPSC Exam Format For UPSC CSE 2022. Union Public Service Commission conducts a UPSC Exam once a year and also sets a UPSC Exam pattern. The format of the UPSC Exam has been the same since 2013.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Significance Of Test-Based UPSC 2022 Preparation

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
There’s no better way to prepare for the UPSC CSE than using a test-based preparation strategy for UPSC CSE. Keep your skills sharp with the test-based approach. Read it further to learn the importance of test-based preparation for UPSC 2022.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Complete Analysis Of UPSC CSE Prelims 2021

The Union Public Service Commission conducted the Preliminary exam on 10th October 2021. The exam was scheduled to be held on 29 June but postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the Country. UPSC CSE prelims were conducted in 77 cities across India.

Expert's analysis of UPSC CSE PRELIMS says that the paper was as tough as the previous year and this time also factual questions dominated in the paper. Early analysis showed that over 20 questions were asked from the History section. The questions were majorly from the area of Modern History and Art & Culture. Economics contained the same number of questions while Polity asked 15-16 questions this time.

UPSC Prelims 2021: The Complete Paper Analysis And The Subject Wise Weightage

The weightage of all the subjects was nearly equal to last year. However, a lot more questions were asked from History, Polity, and the Environmental Sciences and Sports this time.

1. Covid-19 was majorly in the news last year. That's why a lot of questions were asked from the parasites and viruses also.

2. The major highlight of this year's paper was the Cricket questions. There were three questions from the sports including one of the cricket test series.

3. A lot of direct questions were asked from the NCERT POLITY ( class 11 and 12).
Constitutional Government, Constitutional status of India in 1950, Devi Lal, essential features that indicate India's federal character.

4. 20 questions were there from History in which the majority were asked from the area of Modern History and Art and Culture.

5. In the Environment section, the focus of questions was on basic understanding of concepts like phylum, symbiotic relationships, and so on. Continuing the trend the focus of the questions was also on the big organizations like UNEP and UNFCCC etc.

6. This year's CSAT paper was lengthy and had some advanced algebra, probability, sequence, and series questions.

Subject-Wise Weightage Of UPSC Prelims 2021 GS-1

Subject

Number Of Questions

Indian and World Geography

GS PAPER-1

History of India and Indian National Movement

GS PAPER 1

Indian Polity and Governance - Constitution, Panchayati Raj, Rights Issues, etc.

GS PAPER 2

Economic and Social Development - Sustainable Development, Inclusion, Social Sector Initiatives, etc.

GS PAPER- 1,2 & 3

Current Events of National and International Importance

GS PAPER- 1,2 & 3

General Issues on Environmental ecology, biodiversity, and climate change

GS PAPER- 1 & 3

Science & Technology

GS PAPER- 3

Expert Analysis Of UPSC Prelims 2021

" Almost one-third of the questions were tough. While the economy, modern history, and polity questions were doable if you have studied the standard sources, the majority of environment, science, and ancient and medieval History questions were tough as they were not from the standard sources and required both conceptual clarity and the application of intelligent guessing" explains Sajal Singh, Founder of CivilsDaily. (Quoted from India Today)

The morning shift paper of GS-1 had a variety of questions asked from the area of Cricket, Pandemic, and Indo-China ties.

" A most striking fact was that three questions were asked from sports for the first time in the last 20 years, " Sajal Singh, Founder of CivilsDaily. ( Quoted from India Today)

The expert analysis says that science and technology questions were inspired by the current affairs and research done in the past months.

" These questions checked the fundamental understanding of candidates in questions such as types of viruses, bacteria, recombinant vector vaccines, etc." Sajal Singh, Founder of CivilsDaily. ( Quoted from India Today)
" Aspirants are expected to be aware of not only current happenings but also their
background to be able to solve such questions, " he adds.

What Aspirants Said About The Prelims 2021?

The CSAT paper was conducted in the afternoon shift of the exam. The Civil Service Aptitude Test was qualifying in nature and demanded 33% marks to qualify for the next round. The test's score is not added to the final merit list but the candidates need to pass this section for sure.

Passage reading was a struggle
One of the UPSC CSE 2021 aspirants Shivam Kamara said " CSAT was okay for him as he is from an engineering background and it was easier to solve math and reasoning, however, passage reading consumed much of his time. " (Indian Express, 11th Oct 2021)

A tiff with the Environment Section
Another UPSC CSE aspirant Monika Dahiya struggled with the Environment section as she found it time-consuming.
" Environment, science, and tech questions took a lot of my time. Overall the paper was tough but easier than the last year," (Indian Express, 11th Oct 2021)

Found it easy to solve
Shailendra Kumar was attempting for the third time and he said " I am happy with my attempt. I found paper to be easier than last year." ( Indian Express, 11th Oct 2021)

Expected Cutoff Of UPSC Prelims 2021

After all these mixed reactions from the aspirants and the experts, we can assume that the Prelims 2021 paper was quite balanced and the cut-off is expected to rise slightly. However, it totally depends on the number of test-takers and the marks they scored. It may increase or decrease also. Expectations can do wonders sometimes.

UPSC CSE Prelims Last Year Cutoffs

2. Expert Opinion On This Year's Cutoff
Sajal Singh, founder of Civilsdaily expected this year's cutoff to rise this year.
"The number of seats has been reduced this year. Last year, it was 796. This year it is 712. So the number of candidates who will qualify for mains will decrease this year. Given the fact that the level of toughness was similar this year compared to last year, it means that there will be a slightly higher cut-off this year" ( Indian Express, 11th Oct 2021)
It was a balanced paper. There were a few unexpected questions but overall the
pattern was similar to previous years. The cut-off is expected to go a bit higher than the previous time.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The Complete Analysis Of UPSC CSE Prelims 2021

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The Union Public Service Commission conducted the Preliminary exam on 10th October 2021. The exam was scheduled to be held on 29 June but postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the Country. UPSC CSE prelims were conducted in 77 cities across India.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Best Current Affairs Magazine For UPSC

Current affairs play a crucial role in UPSC that makes the UPSC aspirants wonder which magazine to cover for effective preparation (to ace the preparation). Is one magazine sufficient or should we opt for more than one or two? If we are covering current affairs from the newspapers daily then why rely on magazines as well. In short, how magazines are helpful regarding current affairs. Such type of questions is common that UPSC aspirants face while preparing for UPSC as they don't want to lag behind in this race. This is the reason why many of the potential aspirants consider multiple sources but nothing works as they end up juggling among the resources. Hence to overcome your dilemma, confusion, or to resolve your query read ahead to know more about which magazine works for you and how to choose it.
This article addresses your problem and tries to resolve it effectively.

How are monthly magazines useful?

Monthly magazines are extra knowledge-boosting stuff that serves the purpose of revision as well. They are the summary of (whole month) current events of national and international importance. Monthly magazines provide a correlation between the current events of the whole month. Merely reading of current affairs is not fruitful unless you can inarticulate it into the answers properly. Different authors' views or opinions are all included in magazines that widen your opinion to score high in UPSC. For this you don't need several magazines, one or two are sufficient to give your preparation a wing to perform well in UPSC.

What's The Need Of A Monthly Magazine If We Are Covering Newspapers For Current Affairs Daily?

Newspapers contain too much news, some of which are irrelevant for UPSC. Some current news may escape from your mind with time for which you again have to skim through and is also not effective to go through the piles of newspapers for revision or during exam time. Instead, a monthly magazine overcomes a load of a bunch of newspapers by providing you all the relevant information of that particular month in one place. Also, it divided and organizes the current events section-wise which will be beneficial for UPSC aspirants. It gives your preparation an edge as you learn to approach any issues or current problems multidimensionally. In other words, it polishes your memory to think about any issues or problems with a multidisciplinary approach.

Monthly Magazine For Current Affairs

Yojana magazine: Available in 13 languages published by I & B Ministry, Government of India. This magazine focuses on socio-economic issues. Data and facts that are accepted by the Government are all covered in this magazine. It covers topics like federalism, budget, etc. This magazine is useful for GS Paper III and IV and also for essay papers as one or two essays can be seen in paper from this magazine.

Kurukshetra magazine: This magazine is published by the Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India. It focuses on rural development which is helpful in both UPSC Prelims and Mains. By reading this magazine you can understand the scheme issued by the Government. Besides this, it also serves as a forum where aspirants can have a serious discussion on the issues like rural development and agriculture.

Pratiyogita Darpan: Topics like Polity, Economy, History, Geography, the constitution of India, and current affairs are all covered in this magazine which is helpful for UPSC CSE and is published in both Hindi and English.

EPW - Economy, and Political Weekly magazine for current affairs revolves around social science. This magazine requires multiple readings as articles of this journal are quite technical in nature. Though it focuses on economic issues, it is a versatile publication covering political science, history, sociology, and environmental studies.

Down To Earth: This monthly magazine emphasizes the issues related to the environment and awareness as well. This is one of the magazines of current affairs which will help you to prepare the Geography optional paper of UPSC as well.

To decide which magazine you choose to cover current affairs, identify your level of preparation. If you have covered the syllabus, standard books and NCERT'S then go for either Yojana or Kurukshetra magazine. Don't rely on multiple sources. Keep it limited and choose wisely according to your requirements.

Are you facing trouble in searching "what to read" and "what not to read" in " The Hindu" newspapers and consuming much time in doing so? Consider Examarly then. This platform provides you what to read from "The Hindu" newspapers daily. In other words, it provides you with complete minutiae on what to read along with the page number of "The Hindu" newspaper.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
5 Best Current Affairs Magazine For UPSC

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Current affairs play a crucial role in UPSC that makes the UPSC aspirants wonder which magazine to cover for effective preparation (to ace the preparation). Is one magazine sufficient or should we opt for more than one or two? If we are covering current affairs from the newspapers daily then why rely on magazines as well.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
UPSC 2022 notification is out. Have a look before its’ too late. UPSC Notification 2022 gives the following information to the aspiring candidate

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
How To Apply For UPSC Exam 2022

The Civil Service Examination is a national examination conducted by the Union Public Service Commission to recruit potential candidates for joint civil service positions in the Indian government.

UPSC has released the notification on the 2nd of February 2022, from where you will not only learn about the eligibility criteria but also get to know other detailed information regarding UPSC (like exam pattern, syllabus, vacancies, exam center, and many more).

UPSC has started the registration process on its official website for UPSC CSE. The last date to complete the application process for UPSC CSE is the 22nd of February, 2022. This article will guide you step-by-step to fill out the online application form for UPSC 2022.

Note: Before, proceeding to fill out the application form for UPSC CSE, it is essential to know about the eligibility criteria before applying for UPSC CSE.

How To Apply For UPSC Exam 2022

To apply for UPSC Exam 2022, follow the steps mentioned below:

1. Go to the official website of UPSC:
https://www.upsconline.nic.in

2. Scroll down the page.

3. Click on the link mentioned on the website that reads 'Online Application for Various Examinations of UPSC'

4. A new page will open on your screen.

5. Click on the text: 'Part I Registration' texted against Civil Service Preliminary Examination 2022.

6. Go through the instructions and read them carefully.

7. Click on Yes

8. Enter the details and click on 'continue'. (In Part I registration, you have to fill out the basic details, like personal details, educational qualification, and address).

9. Your application page will be redirected to the payment gateway to pay the application fees.

10. After paying the application fees, click on continue/proceed.

11. Upload your photograph, signature, and photo identity card.

12. After successfully uploading the documents, click on continue/proceed.

13. Select the center of examination and then submit your application form.

14. Once your application form has been successfully submitted, download it, and take a printout of your UPSC Exam application form for future reference.

Note:

1. In the first part of registration, you have to provide the basic details and go through all the necessary instructions for image specifications, application fee payment, corrections in the application form (if required), etc.

2. Candidates can alternatively click on Part-II registration after completing Part I registration and can apply using their Registration ID and date of birth. Part II comprises three steps, namely - payment of examination fees (if applicable), uploading of a photograph and signature, and choosing an examination center.

Admit Card
The UPSC CSE Prelims Admit Card 2022 will be released 15 days before the Prelims Exam Date, which you can download from the official website of UPSC.

Points To Remember

Keep the following points in mind while filling up the application form.

1. Though the online application form is available in both English and Hindi, it can only be filled out in the English Language.

2. Once the online application form is submitted, changes are not allowed.

3. If you want to make some changes to an application form, you may submit a fresh application with prerequisite revision by the last date for receipt of the application, which is 22nd February 2022. Remember, all your earlier submitted applications will be cancelled and your latest one will be considered for processing.

4. The online application form is in two parts (Part I & Part II registration).

5. Please note that no changes are allowed on the application form in the specific details listed below once submitted:

a. Center of Examination

b. Optional Subjects

c. Medium of Examination

d. Compulsory Indian Language for UPSC CSE Mains

To prepare for UPSC, consider Examarly. Being a self-study platform, Examarly will help you at each aspect of your UPSC Prelims Preparation journey. It will not only provide you with your personalized micro plan but also track your progress at each step. Not only preparation will be effective in this platform, but also you can give daily tests that will strengthen your subjects and boosts your confidence.
With Examarly, your preparation for UPSC will be hassle-free.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The Civil Service Examination is a national examination conducted by the Union Public Service Commission to recruit potential candidates for joint civil service positions in the Indian government. UPSC has released the notification on the 2nd of February 2022, from where you will not only learn about the eligibility criteria but also get to know other detailed information regarding UPSC (like exam pattern, syllabus, vacancies, exam center, and many more).

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
UPSC #upscpreparation #upscprelims

The UPSC is a natural step towards a secure future, but it can also be stressful and frustrating. With these strategies, you can leave the fret behind, leave a stress-free environment and be more efficient in preparing for UPSC.

Strategy For UPSC Preparation

UPSC Preparation, an enriching experience, requires your best practice to ensure your success. With the right UPSC Preparation strategy, one can clear UPSC Exam. Through the UPSC civil service examinations, one can become an IAS, IPS, or any other allied service officer.

This is a well-known fact that every aspirant works hard day and night for UPSC Preparation and writes the exam but only a few of them make it possible. So have you ever wondered about such a difference between the appearing aspirants and the qualifying candidates in UPSC?

Well, the reason behind is simple and that is the strategy they have made for UPSC preparation to conquer this toughest exam. Now the question arises which strategy one must follow for UPSC Preparation to clear the UPSC Exam. This article speaks itself and clears all your queries.

Strategy For UPSC Preparation

To achieve your targets, you need to have a strategy for UPSC preparation that is based on clear goals and has a clear route to follow. Here are some basic strategies listed below which must be followed to clear it.

1. Basic knowledge of the UPSC exam: UPSC Prelims(which is objective), mains(written), and interview(a personality test) are the three stages of the UPSC civil service examination. Before commencing your preparation you should be aware of the exam, i.e. you should know the syllabus of the exam, UPSC exam pattern, eligibility criteria, and the maximum time allowed to complete the paper. All this information you can get from the UPSC notification. This will help you to save time throughout your preparation journey. Besides this, you can also go through the previous year's paper to have an idea about the UPSC exam format.

2. Make your books and newspapers your friend: Go through the NCERT books, clear your concepts and prepare a quick revision handy note so that whenever you start revising you don't need to length the entire book again. Hence this saves a surplus amount of time. The second thing makes a habit of reading a newspaper and magazines as well. This will enable you to be updated about the current happening across the nation and world. Also, remember to make some short sticky notes for future preferences.
Besides covering NCERT, go through some standard books for UPSC preparation to prepare for UPSC effectively.

3. Weekly test and practice answer writing: So after going through the notes for a week make it a habit to give a short test every Saturday or Sunday (and also practice writing answers properly for UPSC mains). This will help you to know your weak areas so that you can polish up those areas to strengthen them.

4. Revision: Now after completing your syllabus two or one and a half months before your exams quickly revise your entire syllabus through these short quick revision notes. Revise, revise and revise to keep it in your memory. As revision is the key to unlocking the door of success in UPSC

5. Solve previous year as well as sample papers: Not forget to properly solve previous year as well as sample papers of UPSC. This will help you to gain sufficient marks in a paper-like CSAT in which 33% minimum marks are required to pass it. Give a full-length mock test so that you can understand where you are lacking. This will not only help you in lowering your anxiety but also help you to complete the UPSC Exam paper in a given time. It will also help you to face that pressure which one faces while giving an exam. Remember mock test is important both for prelims and mains respectively and will give an edge to your UPSC Preparation.

6. Be positive: It's normal to have anxiety or fear. But don't take any kind of worry. Stay positive, keep calm and have faith that you can do it while preparing for UPSC else your preparation will be affected.

Now for the subjectwise preparation for mains, you can consider Examarly which will provide you your own customized micro plan.

3 Useful Yet Simple Magical UPSC Preparation Tips For Making Your Weak Areas Your Strength

1. Analyze your weak portion: Only study won't help. You need to analyse your week areas via mock test and give more attention and time to that area. So that it won't resist you in clearing a most targeted UPSC exam.

2. How to make a grip on weak areas: A couple of times go through those portions upon which you are unable to hold the grip. But remember, do this with a fresh mind, so that there is a maximum possibility that you can slowly but steady gain the knowledge in that respective area.

3. Have some break: Not always indulge yourself in the study, especially when you are unable to grab any concept. Take some break to boost yourself and then continue with a fresh mind.

Every aspirant prepares day and night for this exam. Many of you do online or offline UPSC coaching. But in doing so sometimes you lack self-study for UPSC preparation which is also very important from the point of difficulty of the exam. So make sure you follow the preparation strategy for the self-study. Remember hard work pays off. And in the UPSC exam success is neither about hard work solely nor about the strategy only. It's a concoction of hard work, UPSC preparation strategy, and the time management skill that one needs to acquire in clearing the UPSC exam.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
UPSC #upscpreparation #upscprelims The UPSC is a natural step towards a secure future, but it can also be stressful and frustrating. With these strategies, you can leave the fret behind, leave a stress-free environment and be more efficient in preparing for UPSC. UPSC Preparation, an enriching experience, requires your best practice to ensure your success.

# data[].attributes.body
Read more....

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
7 Effortless Cue: How To Prepare UPSC Mathematics Optional Paper

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
This article will walk you through 7 effortless preparation tips for UPSC Mathematics optional paper to give your preparation an edge.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The Hindu Editorials For UPSC CSE

The Hindu editorials for UPSC CSE are considered to be an effective tool by the UPSC aspirants. With the CSE Mains exams around the corner, it is about time you catch up with your preparations. UPSC CSE is a very competitive exam that is a gateway to higher studies and a government job. The exam is a very stressful one and requires a lot of preparation and planning. One of the biggest components of the CSE exams is the General Studies section.

This section requires you to have a working knowledge of diverse subjects. To help you with this, Hindu editorials offer valuable insights into current affairs, history, economics, polity, society, culture, and international relations. This is one of the things that candidates should keep in mind. This blog will help you understand how to make the most of the Hindu editorials and Hindu editorials are the best way to make the most of them for CSE preparations.

What Are Editorials?

The dictionary defines an editorial as, A piece of writing that gives the author's opinion on a subject. They are opinions on a given topic, written in a strongly worded format, usually with several points. In media, Editorials are a type of news article where one or a few people express their opinion on a topic or a newsworthy topic. These editorials are usually published in a separate section of a newspaper or a website where they can be read by a larger audience.

Editorials are one of the most common types of content published by news networks and websites. Content such as this is also known as op-eds. These editorials usually come from a single author and express a clear opinion on a newsworthy topic. They are usually popular content types and can serve a variety of purposes.

Why Are Editorials Important?

Editorials give a more detailed or in-depth analysis of a topic or a current event. They are not as informal as a news piece, but not as formal as a research paper. Editorials serve as a medium of thought and opinion of a writer or a group of writers. Reading editorials will help you broaden your horizons and make you a more well-rounded person. This is because they make you see different viewpoints and insights that you may not be aware of. Here we will look at the different sides of the editorials and what we can learn from them.

The topic of the editorial can be anything from politics, to culture, to popular trends. As a reader, you may be interested in editorials for a variety of reasons, such as gaining insight into a societal issue, for the preparation of exams like UPSC CSE, or perhaps you are simply curious as to how an industry leader views a given topic.

The Hindu Editorials For UPSC CSE Preparation: Why And How You Should Read Them?

Editorials are important from the UPSC exam point of view as reading editorial not only provides you a lot of information for current affairs and GS papers but also shapes your perspective according to the need of prestigious examinations like UPSC CSE.

What does UPSC actually seek? A perspective and an opinion of course. You can use facts, figures, and information from the editorial part for the Prelims section but for the Mains section, you need a fresh, neutral, and opinionated perspective so that you can actually write a good answer. Keeping aside the examination purpose, it is a fact that every good learned citizen must have some serious and neutral opinions on the ongoing issues, Governance, defense, International relations, and on various topics. Reading a newspaper article like an editorial from any newspaper whether it is "The Hindu" or "The Indian Express", is very important to keep oneself informative and knowledgeable.

What makes "The Hindu Editorials" so important for the UPSC CSE is its coverage on almost every topic from Politics to Bollywood. Without being cheesy and exaggerative, it maintains the traditional style of news dissemination by following the 5 W's and H rule on the news writing front and by following the norms, standards, and structure on the news distribution front.

You can also go for 'The Indian Express' as it is also a very important and famous newspaper among the UPSC aspirants. Editorials and news articles of these newspapers cover most of the subjects in a neutral and well-structured way by not being biased which is important for the preparation of UPSC CSE Mains answer writing.

How Should You Read Them?

Read every article and editorial relevant to your UPSC CSE syllabus only without getting distracted. For that, you have to go through the entire syllabus first and align every topic with your reading and learnings to reap the most out of it.

Read it with the purpose of writing a well-written, structured, and unbiased opinionated answer for GS-papers, especially for GS- 2 and GS-3 papers.

Read actively on a daily basis and try to write every understanding and learning of yours on the paper. Keeping a note of your answers will help you in the longer run.

Read it without getting too much affectionate for a particular opinion. Try to understand the writer's perspective and do some research on that further. This will help you in shaping your perspective also.

What Is Relevant And Deserves Your Attention?

1. You can search for any judgment or ruling /remark by the Supreme Court or the High Court to understand the writer's opinion and find out the relevance in the syllabus of the judgments you note down.

2. The social issues or challenges are some of the important points that demand your attention as this will not only help you in the written examination but also in the interview. Identification of problems and issues in the editorials is necessary. Understanding the pros and cons of making notes of the recent incidents will be helpful. You can quote them to validate your point. E.g. -caste riots, moral policing, restriction on freedom of speech, etc.

3. Make notes on the issue being discussed in the Government by the departments/ministries. Also understanding the pros and cons of the issue is equally important. E.g. linking rivers, water conservation, etc.

4. The schemes, policies & initiatives by the government need to be identified. From a Prelims preparation point of view, this is very important. You should make notes on:

Objectives and Aims of the policies made by the Government.

Ministry and department under which it operates.

Key points of the policy.

Constitutional provisions related to the schemes and policies.

For the mains, you need to understand the issues related to the policy/scheme and should have a neutral opinion on it.

Sample Hindu Editorials

From Where Can You Get The Hindu Editorial PDFs?

Generally found in the physical format in the Editorial, OP-ED, or in the Opinion section of the newspaper. You can also subscribe to their monthly or yearly plan from their official website given below.
The Hindu e-paper The Hindu e-paper (Editorial)
Relatable Article: 9 Effortless Tips: How To Read "The Hindu" Newspaper For Current Affairs For UPSC 2022

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
UPSC CSE & The Hindu Editorials: Preparation done right

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The Hindu editorials for UPSC CSE are considered to be an effective tool by the UPSC aspirants. With the CSE Mains exams around the corner, it is about time you catch up with your preparations. UPSC CSE is a very competitive exam that is a gateway to higher studies and a government job.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
5 Effective Pointers To Boost Geography Preparation For UPSC Prelims & Mains

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Geography is similar to any other science subject which implies you must seek a question of ‘how and why’ of a given theory or concept. Hence being well prepared in Geography will uproot the cause of missing any Geography questions in UPSC Prelims and Mains

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
UPSC CSE Mains Essay Writing: A Complete Guide

An essay is a short or sometimes a long piece of writing that throws light on any specific topic related to any subject. Any short form of prose writing that discusses some matters, issues, expresses a point of view or wants us to believe a certain fact on any subject.

Essays can be broadly classified into two types- Formal essays and Informal essays. UPSC CSE Mains essay writing demands the formal one. The formal essay is quite authoritative in nature and tends to be less emotional. These are written with the help of facts and figures along with data, like statistics from a government report or any data from a major research paper that supports a writer's perspective on a given topic. Conversational form, the use of first-person references, and getting emotional with the audience are not allowed in a formal structure.

The points made need to be neutral supported by logical facts and not someone's biased personal opinions. A certain degree of straightforwardness should be there while writing a formal exam especially for an exam like UPSC CSE.

UPSC CSE Mains Essay Writing

1. The paper comes under the UPSC CSE Mains stage in which two essays have to be written within 3 hours within a 1000-1200 word limit.

2. Each carries 125 marks for a total of 250 marks.

3. The paper is divided into two sections, each carrying a choice of 4 essays. The aspirant has to choose only one from each section.

4. UPSC CSE Syllabus instructs clearly that aspirants are 'expected to keep their thoughts closely to the subject and arrange their ideas accordingly. It further states that a credit will be given for effective and coherent expression'.

Structure Of An Essay For UPSC Mains
The traditional way of UPSC CSE Mains essay writing is to break it into paragraphs with pointers. This technique is still working in structuring an informative and well-written essay for UPSC CSE Mains. A body paragraph is so important besides the introduction and conclusion part. Body paragraph contains important facts, figures, data, and information along with several quotes related to the given topic. Here are some points regarding the structuring of an essay in the form of Introduction, Body-paragraphs, and the conclusion that will help you for sure in writing a well-balanced answer.

Body paragraphs are perhaps the most important part of the essay that can be supportive, critical, or narrative. However, it is advised to be neutral in all forms and to not take any side or get emotional in writing a certain opinion.

Essays, along with facts also demand your opinion that should be written in a well-balanced way. The narrative part should be written by starting with an argument along with different facts. Further, a supportive paragraph is necessary containing positive facts/ideas. Talking of a critical paragraph, it is advised to place it in the last part. However, it depends on your will. You can also open with a critical part.

The introduction part is the most important of all. Your introduction creates a first impression on the examiner. Just like a movie or a story your essay should also have a good starting and a conclusion.

The conclusion part is also important as it can bring you some additional marks if done properly. Your conclusive statement reveals a lot about you as balancing everything after a lot of critical evaluation and facts is a form of art.

3 Steps To Write A Structured Essay
Just like the UPSC CSE your essay writing also needs planning. There are broadly three steps into writing a structured essay like defining what it is going to talk about i.e. the central idea, brainstorming, and making a blueprint of it. Mains essay writing demands a well-structured format from your side as it is one of the most prestigious examinations of India.

The Central Idea Is The Key

"Innovation is the key determinant of economic growth and social welfare". This is basically a thesis statement of an essay question of UPSC CSE Mains 2016. In this statement, the central idea is 'innovation'. Here, the aspirant is supposed to bring out a dimension of the innovation that directly or indirectly affects ' Economic growth and social welfare. Aspirants are supposed to write that statement of facts only which supports the central idea or those statements that supplement the overall idea.

Brainstorming For A Better Idea

Brainstorming is one of the most powerful tools. Brainstorming leads to developing new ideas quickly or listing those ideas that align with your knowledge of the given topic. There is no specific rule or technique for brainstorming, instead, you can jot down points on a paper that are necessary for your Mains essay writing.

Making a blueprint or outlining your essay means deciding what to write in the introduction, body, and conclusion parts. What and which idea to represent and in which section. Which quotes or saying is relevant to the given thesis. Before, the actual writing it is very important to see its entirety. It helps us to see the big picture. The blueprint also helps you in finding the right conclusion and after knowing the conclusion it becomes very easy to start your essay.
Essential Elements Of An Essay 1. The Super 3

Social element

Political element

Economical element

These three points should be considered while writing an essay. These three elements give a proper shape to an essay or any piece of the thesis. Writing a formal one always demands dimensions and these three dimensions will always support your arguments concerning various areas of society. It enhances the effectiveness and creates a proper report-like structure along with your narratives to form well-balanced and good writing in your Mains essay writing.
2. The Supportive 3

Constitutional

Legal

Technological

These three additional dimensions also enhance the quality of your piece. You can use various technological perspectives, constitutional facts, remedies, laws, and legal terms to support the thesis in your Mains essay writing.
3. Personal Comments And Opinions
Your opinions matter a lot. UPSC CSE Mains essay writing demands a subjective approach to writing. It is very important to express your personal opinion on the issue or the given statement. However, it should be kept in mind that your personal opinions should not be biased in nature. Biasness, emotions, and personal attachments have no place in formal writing. Neutral and well-balanced writing is always appreciated by the UPSC.
How To Write A Structured Essay For UPSC CSE Mains
Stick to the TIPCR formulae always and if you write with this structure, of course by filling in a good amount of content also, you are definitely going to score well in this paper.
T- Time Limit
Time management is very important for UPSC CSE MAINS essay writing. You get 3 hours to write two essays in the exam which means you have 1 hour 30 minutes for each essay. It's a fact that any aspirant needs 45 minutes to 1 hour to write one essay. Another 10 minutes is required for the revision of one essay. Before, all this you need at least 20-30 minutes to brainstorm, jot down some points, and make an outline. Dividing the time and sticking to it is the only key to unlocking the treasure of good marks.
I- Introduction
A good start of the introduction always arises the interest in the examiner. The examiner's judgment and how he/she is going to take your whole piece depends on your starting. If you start well, you end well. A good introduction can be a brief explanation of the given topic and you can make it effective by adding some quotes, a critical narrative, or your own narrative.
P- Paragraphs And Pointers
Paragraphs and pointers provide a smooth flow to your essay which not only looks like a structured essay but also feels like a more informative but less hectic to read a piece of writing. Paragraphs in small chunks or pointers like short paragraphs provide an establishment that leads towards a conclusion. Examiners are habitual to read something in an ordered way, especially in Mains essay writing section.
C- Conclusion
Finishing on a good or smooth note is as important as starting on a good note. A smooth and positive conclusion with a clear explanation will help you in scoring good marks. There should be a 'Cyclic-return' approach in your essay. The introduction should end with a question or discussion and in the conclusion, you can again come to that question to conclude it with a positive statement or anecdote. A good conclusive statement is very important for UPSC CSE Mains essay writing.
R- Revision
To revise or read your whole piece in the entirety is as important as writing it. Keep a check on grammatical mistakes, some missing points, or make sure your answer looks clean and tidy. These things can be done only when you revise your answer. Add/omit some words as per your demands but should not be overdone.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
UPSC CSE Mains Essay Writing: An A To Z Tool To Excel

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
An essay is a short or sometimes a long piece of writing that throws light on any specific topic related to any subject. Any short form of prose writing that discusses some matters, issues, expresses a point of view or wants us to believe a certain fact on any subject.