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All about UPSC exams!

Over the years public service has been a favourite carrer choice of many people. Apart from engineering and medical careers, public services are a big draw for many students. Campus Fever looks at UPSC and all other things related to it.

How did the UPSC come into being?

Indianisation of the superior Civil Services became one of the major demands of the political movement compelling the British Indian Government to consider setting up of a Public Service Commission for recruitment to its services in the territory. The first Public Service Commission was set up on October 1st, 1926. However, its limited advisory functions failed to satisfy the people’s aspirations and the continued stress on this aspect by the leaders of our freedom movement resulted in the setting up of the Federal Public Service Commission.

The Constituent Assembly, after independence, saw the need for giving a secure and autonomous status to Public Service Commissions both at Federal and Provincial levels for ensuring unbiased recruitment to Civil Services as also for protection of service interests. With the promulgation of the new Constitution for independent India on 26th January, 1950, the Federal Public Service Commission was accorded a constitutional status as an autonomous entity and given the title – Union Public Service Commission

What is it?

All India Services

All India Service was created for maintaining the unity, integrity and stability of the nation after independence. It includes the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), the Indian Police Service (IPS) and the Indian Forest Service (IFS- created in 1966). The recruitment to all the three services is made by the UPSC (Union Public Service Commission) these officers are recruited and trained by the central government and their services are placed under various State cadres. Indian Administrative Service is controlled by the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions.

UPSC

Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) is the recruitment and selection body for higher echelons of personal for government service in the country. It selects candidates for civil services, combined medical services, NDA, engineering, Indian foreign services and central police forces.

The latest news

UPSC will be introducing online registrations of applications for various exams and recruitments in the coming year.

UPSC, which conducts examinations for recruitment to various government services will be introducing a System for Online Application Procedure (SOAP) 2010 for all exams and recruitments.

Career expectations:

A highly competitive and challenging area, it involves a variety of jobs in different departments. Compared to private sector jobs this profession has job security. The prestige and power that comes along with these top-notch jobs is a definite reason for anybody to join this profession.The salary,allowances and facilities like healthcare, housing, conveyance etc. also make it a lucrative profession.

Civil service, the backbone of the Indian government machinery constitutes all the departments which runs the State administration. A highly competitive and challenging area, it involves a variety of jobs in different departments. Compared to private sector jobs this profession has job security. The prestige and power that comes along with these top-notch jobs is a definite reason for anybody to join this profession.The salary,allowances and facilities like healthcare, housing, conveyance etc. also make it a lucrative profession. Entry into the IAS, IPS and the Central Services, Group A and Group B is through the All India Combined Competitive Examination for the Civil Services conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) in different centers spread all over the country.

However, recruitment to the Indian Forest Service is through a different procedure. Entry into the State Civil Services is through a competitive examination conducted by every state public service commission. Anyone thinking of taking up civil service, should have an idea how difficult it is to get in as lakhs of candidates apply for the 400 to 500 vacancies that may arise. So once you decide to appear in civil service exam, one should be prepared to slog endlessly.

What to keep in mind?

When it comes to such careers, most of the candidates do it under the pressure of parents and relative, experts say. However, this later leads to unwilling performance or worse, unwilling service if they later get selected. "The first step towards your success is to choose your goal honestly. One shouldn't choose Civil Services as your goal simply because your father or mother has a dream or there is a pressure from your social circle. It should come from your heart. This exam is not like IIT-JEE or any other Engineering/Medical/University Entrance Examination. It demands at least one and half-year full time preparation with solid determination, which is possible only if the desire for Civil Services, is burning your heart incessantly." says one expert.

What to ignore?

Many of the students have presumptions that one should have come from a reputed Institute like IISc or any IIT to succeed in Civil Services. But the fact is that you need not have come from a reputed Institute. You need not to have a splendid academic background. You need not to have great scores in SSC or Intermediate. You need not have come from a rich family. You only need to have a dream to become an IAS officer and the rest will follow.

How to prepare?

As far as preparations are concerned, one can find leading guide books by various known authors in majority of the book stores. For better reference, you might like to have a look at the list prescribed by the Unnion Public Service Cimmision.

CampusFever has below compiled a list of books which can prove very handy for your preparations.

A word of advice:

Choosing an optional subject is another very crucial step of taking the exam successfully. One should not be in a hurry to decide about the optional. Before choosing optional subjects, a candidate can pick 5-6 random subjects [UPSC offers 23 subjects for preliminary exam] of your interest. The best method to find a right subject for you is going through NCERT books available on all subjects you has choosed randomly. It will assist you to reach at a final conclusion after careful assessment of your interest in a particular subject. One should remember that choosing optional subjects for CSE is a matter of your personal choice rather than advice from others. Choice of an optional subject depends upon your caliber, requirement of subject (Visionary, Numerical, and Theoretical), comfort level with the subject and availability of its study material in the market.

Another important and at times, misleading aspect of UPSC exams is the talk about 'scoring and non scoring subjects'. Please note that there is no subject that can be said to be scoring or non- scoring. UPSC is maintaining utmost balance between the subjects. It has brought all the optional subjects onto the same platform as far as scoring is concerned. Some of popular subjects like Pubic Administration, Psychology and Geography are choosed by aspirants due to following reasons-

• Availability of study material

• Availability of Guidance

The concept of scoring/non-scoring has nothing to do with it. Same subject can be scoring as well as non-scoring for two different aspirants. How good you will score in a particular subject is based upon your knowledge of subject matter and you interest to gain knowledge about subject matter? Scoring and non-scoring subjects is nothing more than a myth prevails among CS aspirants.

So to all the people who want to serve the country and make it a better place, UPSC exams is where you should be headed. Your decision now will affect the lives of many more in the future. Go for it!