CIVIL SERVICES EXAMINATION-2019
HOW TO CRACK IAS PRELIMS EXAM
Given its immense popularity among the educated, talented and hardworking youth of the country, civil service examination is bound to be the most bitterly contested exam one can find in India.
Civil services command respect, prestige and status like no other job can offer. Besides, it provides job security and attractive perks to provide a comfortable lifestyle. But more than all these factors, it is the nature of the job to be performed in civil services that motivate many to aspire for it.
Apart from offering challenges and diversity, civil services offer some of the most socially relevant jobs which lend meaning and justification to life. Unlike the private sector jobs, where one is doing mostly socially irrelevant jobs or, even at times socially harmful jobs, civil services offer satisfying jobs in sectors such as policing, education, health, welfare etc. This is why many candidates try hard to get into civil services rather than pursuing a career in the private sector.
As is well known, it is a three-stage examination comprising prelims, mains and interview. At all the three levels of the contest (i.e., preliminary, mains and the personality test), there are challenges. But it is at the first stage of the exam. i.e. the preliminary exam, that is found to be most challenging. Although prelims is purported to be just a qualifying test to allow a candidate to appear in the main examination, the reality is that it is both scary and intimidating.
It is scary because out of a total of 4-5 lakh aspirants appearing, only 15,000 candidates have a chance to get selected at this level. Thus it actually translates into not a qualifying exam but an elimination process and even the most talented among the aspirants run the risk of getting eliminated in the prelims level itself. If one gets eliminated, he/she has to wait for one full year to get another chance to qualify and appear in the mains.
It is intimidating because there is so much to study for the exam ranging from the traditional areas like history, culture, geography, environment and ecology, polity, science and technology to current and contemporary issues.
Whereas the mains exam seeks a conceptual understanding of the issues, prelims seek both conceptual understanding and factual knowledge which broadens its scope. Viewed in this perspective, prelims preparation is a true test of one’s nerves, tenacity, persistence, and perseverance.
