How to tackle CSAT? Is coaching inevitable? by Alok Singh

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My good friend Alok Singh from IOforum has wrote this, I’m only copy pasting:

How to tackle new pattern of civil services examination

As all of us know that CSE is undergoing a transition phase in which not only whole PT process to be changed but also nature of questions in main
examination have changed significantly.I started my preparation from 2009 and that was the year when UPSC started to experimenting with main pattern.
With my experience of writing 2009 main, 2010 PT and 2010 main I want to share these changes as I observed. I am no expert on CSE but want to share my
experience and hope that it would help. My aim of this post is to analyze proposed changes in CSE.

Whats 'new' in this new pattern?

First of all we should know whats exactly new in this pattern and how it is different from previous pattern.Optionals in PT have been done away with .
So apart from GS paper a CSAT paper to be common for all. Also relative weightage of GS have been increased to 50 % as compared to 33% earlier. As GS
paper is known to all so this would be deciding factor for clearing PT 2011. As despite the claims of being CSAT ' expert' by many coaching classes no
one knows more about CSAT than UPSC made public. So even if CSAT paper happens to be very easy cut off for that paper will be very low as aspirants
would not attempt any question they are not 100% sure.So here ' new' thing is increased importance of GS for clearing PT 2011. And GS is now changed. You can not score good marks in GS PT by just mugging facts without understanding the fundamentals of the concepts. Gone are the days
when 60 days classes by a coaching institute for prelims was sufficient .Current affairs and development issues are now gaining importance. A serious
study of at least one newspaper is now must.

CSAT is a new addition in PT and this is causing maximum anxiety among aspirants. Basic syllabus made available by UPSC suggest that it would be like
any other aptitude test for management and banking entrance examination . But final shape of paper could only be known when UPSC come up with model
question papers.It is advisable that aspirants should not panic about CSAT and start with basic numeracy and reasoning books. Those not comfortable
with English grammar can also start reading basic grammar books. As stated earlier cut off for CSAT is bound to low and score in GS would be deciding
factor so more emphasis should be given on basics of GS.

Coaching classes and preparation for CSE

With new pattern of CSE in offing , many 'experts' of CSAT have emerged overnight. It is irony that UPSC is changing pattern on pretext of reducing
grip of coaching classes on CSE but this is only going to help coaching classes. Here are some reasons why coaching classes would continue to attract a
significant numbers of aspirants in years to come.

1. 
   
   opaque nature of functioning of UPSC is the biggest reason for dominance of coaching classes as they claim of having 'insider' knowledge of
   UPSC.
   
   
2. 
   Nature and pattern of examination is so lengthy that it is very difficult to manage 2 optional subjects , GS, Essay and interview phase on one's
   own.
   
3. 
   In this examination stakes are so high. People put their career on holds for at least 2 years and make this as a question of life and death . So
   they can not take any chances and try to attend as many coaching classes as possible in hope to be befitted by them.
   
4. 
   Advertisement blitzkrieg and unethical claims by coaching classes. Coaching classes never tell what course a successful candidate attended. If one even attended a mock interview they will claim full credit for success of candidate.
   

Coaching classes are not indispensable for cracking CSE
. But if one has resources in terms of time and money should go for coaching classes.But aim of coaching classes should be to extract maximum value for
money . Coaching classes attending should not be the sole purpose for this. One should prepare to win not just for sake of preparation due to pressure
from family and friends.Always have a critical mind on the matter taught in class. If a teacher tells that one can safely skip some topics and still
manage to attempt all 5 questions in main examination never fall for that.
Whole syllabus must be covered .

I would write about what approach should be followed for preparation of CSE in next posts. I’ve started my blog, and this article can be accessed at http://aloksingh705.blogspot.com/

About the author:

Alok Singh, B.Tech from IT-BHU, preparing for Civil Services Examination for last 1.5 years and has appeared in CS( Main) examination in 2009 and 2010.

[Essay Points] Electoral Reforms

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From a comment by No-mist

 

There are some more electoral reforms needed in our nation. To decrease the cacophony :

 

1. Anybody who is not in top 2 in any election (LS, VS, Municipal, Gram Panchayat, etc) should be barred from contesting any election from anywhere in India for the next 3 years.

 

2. Any MP/MLA/Corporator who resigns (either verbally or in paper) should be immediately discharged from duty. Appearance on TV uttering the words "i am resigning" or equivalent should be considered valid resignation unless (s)he proves otherwise within 2 days. this will reduce the blackmailing tactics. And a resignee will be barred from contesting any election anywhere in India for 3 years.

 

3. Attendance in LS/RS/VS/Municipality should be 75% compulsory else the candidate should be invalid for next 3 elections or 8 years whichever is maximum. walkout from the parliament is considered equivalent to absence.

 

4. Anybody who wins confidence vote is eligible for a minimum of 2 years of validity. The govt can be sacked only by impeachment (or equivalently difficult process in case of VS) in this 2 year duration. And any such impeachment process must be initiated by the leader of opposition.

 

5. finally a suggestion from swaminomics - any litigation against a legislator must be heard on priority basis. And a convicted legislator must be punished twice the punishment for normal citizens.

[Solved Papers] GS mains paper-2 (2010) by Nethra K Putty

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Nethra K. Putty has published the solevd paper-2 for GS mains 2010 on her blog,

Do visit following page

http://gkxm.wordpress.com/mains-solved/g-s-mains-2010/

[Topicwise-Analysis] Public Administration Mains Paper 1 & 2 (201

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To download this in printer-friend MS-Word 2003 Format, CLICK ME

or this
http://ahb.me/RGY

In single article, I’ve done analysis of both paper 1 and 2 of Public Administration mains (2010), Thanks Nethra K. Putty for providing the question papers on her blog

Unfortunately, blogspot is not showing the table-borders in this article properly. So Sorry for the inconvenience in reading.

Paper-1

Overall Topicwise Breakup

Thinkers, theories etc	120
Development administration	80
Organizations	60
Accountability and control	60
Comparative Pub.Ad	20
Policy making	60
Personnel administration	100
Finance	20

Thinkers & Theories(प्रशासनिक चिंतक)

Mc gregor’s view, the managerial cosmology meaningfully addresses the understanding of manager & his role perceptions. Explain	20
The successful management leaders are found in likert’s system-4 approach to organizational leadership examine	20
The study of administration should start  from the base of management rather than the foundation of law explain	20
simon’s identifying decision-making as the core field of public administration appears logically acceptable but his positivist underpinning is problematic. Critically examine the statement .	40
new public management  is dead; long live digital era of governance	20

Development Administration

not merely governance but good governance is the key factor in achieving the UN millennium goals 2000	20
concept of development is multi-dimensional & ever-expanding explain	20
management has become the new icon of developmetalism	20
do you think that there is a sort of paradox between e-governance & good governance	20

Organizations

explain the impact of privatization on public administration with special reference to : ·       the issue of user fees ·       public-private partnership ·       outstanding technique

60

Accountability and control

basic principles underlying citizen’s charter with special reference to: 20×3 = 60 ·       its administrative philosophy ·       promoting public accountability ·       ensuring standards of public service.

60

Comparative Public Administration (तुलनात्मक प्रशासन)

prismatic model of riggs is equally applicable to developing as well as developed society. Comment

20

Policy Making (नीति निर्माण)

prismatic model of riggs is equally applicable to developing as well as developed society. Comment	20
p.a. can be portrayed as  wheel of relationship focused on the formulation & implementation of public policy. Explain	20
cost benefit analysis is a very unsatisfactory view of evaluating public policy	20

Personnel Administration (कार्मिक प्रशासन)

explain the peter principle in respect of promotion policy in a hierarchical organization	20
discuss in this connection (Peter Principle) the case dor & against promotion based on seniority	40
distinguish fully between the syndicate method, role playing method &  T-group training method in personnel management	40
discuss the principles of ensuring ethics in public service as recommended in the Nolan committee report 1994	20

Financial Administration (वित्तीय प्रशासन)

distinguish between PPBS & performance budget

20

Observations: Paper 1

·       You’ve to answer totally 5 questions out of 7 questions (5x 60 marks =300 Marks)

·       you know Q#1 and #5 are compulsory so no escape from that.

·       Paper is divided into two sections (A and B) and you’ve to at least attempt one question from each.

Section-wise breakup (Paper-1)

Section	Question
A	1	Thinkers, Theory	Compulsory
	2	NPA + Herbert A. Simon
	3	Organizations (PPP)
	4	Accountability
B	5	D.A,CPA, Policy	Compulsory
	6	Personnel only!
	7	Mixed bag of Personnel, Finance, E-gov

1.    Thinkers and theories- the usual static stuff (after all what new can you ask from ‘history’!). But as NPA, NPM not given so much importance like they were given in 2009.

2.    Citizen’s carter, its getting so clichéd like Sas-Bahu serials. - there were questions last years too.

3.    The trend of asking a ‘big thinker’ for 40 marks is continued, last year it was Taylor so this year its Herbert A. Simon. May be it’ll be M.P.Follet or C.I. Barnard’s turn in 2011.

4.    Mcgregor and Likert are ‘small-time thinkers’ so they get only 20 marks worth question each as per their ‘aukaat’ (औकात) but it was in Compulsory Question #1.

5.    Thankfully no ‘quotes’ were asked (to show that UPSC now puts more emphasis on ‘understanding’ rather ‘cramming’ but then why was UPSC sleeping all these years!).

6.    In the early 90’s there was a trend: In GS paper they’d always ask about Tagore and his nationalist thoughts, like there was no one else to ask about. May be because all the GS History questions were set by same examiner for 3-4 years constantly. I’m seeing something similar here.

7.    Public Administration papers become more relevant to the contemporary issues: that’s why much weightage is given to Development administration, and personnel administration.

8.    No question from Tech. for Administrative improvement (That PERT, CPM stuff). There was question on E-governance but you’ve to prepare it even for Development administration, Essay and GS portion.

9.    CPA was for namesake only! But was in compulsory #5

10.                     Question from Financial administration asked only for namesake formality! I was expecting a lot from this, given the fiscal deficit, 3G auction and GST issues in current affairs and the general emphasis given to economy related topics both in GS mains and prelims. But may be coaching classes had put heavy emphasis on this, that’s why UPSC ignored it like Chandrayaan last year.

11.                     As usual the questions are designed in such a way that whole (boring) Public-Policy topic can be safely skipped: just the way coaching classes like it. But CSAT-2011 ‘syllabus has public-policy as a topic, so it might not be the same trend next year.

12.                     Thankfully no SHG (Self-Help group) questions. Material is hard to compile!

Coaching classes & Paper

1.    Most coaching class ‘sirs’, teach on the basic principle that certain topics in optional subjects, can be safely ignored (Public Policy and Development administration): may be because those sirs themselves don’t understand these topics well and material is hard to compile and they put heavy emphasis on Thinkers and Accountability part. Just like they do to History part in GS papers. I think someday UPSC going to run a bulldozer on that trend, like they did with History (GS) this year.

Paper 2

Overall

PSU	20
Rural	20
Urban	20
Planning	30
Evolution	50
Civil services	50
Reforms	60
Issues in Administration	60
Finance	70
Polity	100

Evolution of Indian Administration

rule of kings depend primarily on written orders….. “ why did kautilya favor codification of laws?	20
it is said that the british made a significant contribution towards modernizing the Indian administrative system on rational-legal basis. Justify the assessment with reference to the period from 1830-1865	30

Polity

does the emergence of an empowered group of ministers at the central level impair the doctrine of cabinet responsibility?	20
in an era of hung parliaments the power of the president expands, more so when the incumbent decides to be assertive. Comment on the statement with reference to the situation in India during the last two decades.	30
judges & courts have creatively reinterpreted this statutory authority & expanded their own power & enhanced their standing vis-à-vis the legislature & executive critically examine this assessment	30
public interest litigation (PIL) has undergone several changes since its inception in 1980s.	20

PSU

is it correct to state that one of the major reasons for the failure of many……public sector undertakings was due to departures from the original concept of autonomy?	20

Civil services

more developed an administrative system because the grater the likelihood that it would that it would have development effects.	15
thrust of development administration failed to energies the Indian bureaucracy	15
civil service neutrality is a fiction. How many thinking person can be neutral?	20

Administrative reforms (प्रशासनिक सुधार)

with reference to India , discuss the assertion that administrative reforms are multi-dimensional & need to be substantiated by reforms in other related areas of state action.	30
the 2nd Administrative Reforms Commission in its 10th report, observes that the common perception is that the incentive structure in government is too weak & inadequate to motivate better performance	30

Financial  Management

prevalence of multiple channels for transfer of resources from the center to the states is stated to have compounded the problems of federal fiscal arrangements. Discuss	30
states with record of good governance, it is argued by spokesperson of some states, lost their earlier share from the finance commissioner’s award.	20
optimism expressed by proponents of the financial responsibility & budget management act 2003, in ensuring fiscal discipline appears to be unwanted	20

Plans and Priorities

planning commission is an armchair advisor	15
planning commission should reinvent itself a systems reforms commission in the backdrop of changed global domestic scenario.	15

Rural Development              

non-government organizations play a catalytic role in enabling communities to define their own priorities.	20

Urban Local Government

Jawaharlal National Urban Renewal Mission (JNURM) is one of the biggest reforms-linked develop programmes taken upt by the government.	20

Significant issues in Indian Administration

it is argued that the Bhopal gas disaster & the response pattern to it reflect multiple vulnerabilities relating to system of corporate social responsibility, governance at local state & central levels, legal safeguards liabilities. Comment on this assessment. (you can put this in disaster  Management as well)	30
creation of new regulatory agencies in the wake of liberalization, overlapping jurisdiction & conflicts became the new trend. Is there need for the creation of a super-regulator/unified regulator?	30

Section wise Breakup (Paper-2)

Section	Question
A	1	Polity, PSU,Kautilya	Compulsory
	2	British Administration + Civil services today
	3	Reform + Finance
	4	Polity only (that too, only static part!)	Relief!
B	5	Mixed bag : Polity, Finance and Civil services	Compulsory
	6	Planning Commission + 2nd ARC
	7	Mixed bag: Rural, Urban and Financial
	8	Disaster + Administrative Adjudication

Conclusion : Paper-2

1.    No question on Law and Order (the whole Naxal issue ignored)

2.    Routine questions Panchayati Raj (73^rd and 74^th) are ignored

3.    Routine questions from PSU and planning Commission are asked.

4.    Static part from polity worth 100 marks

5.    Judicial activism and PIL: alone total 50 marks.

6.    Financial Management portion, (which was ignored in paper-1) gets good treatment here.

7.    State, central and district Administration: ignored.

8.    Overall, the paper was more issue and latest current affairs related

a.    Manmohan Singh’s comment on Judicial activism

b.    New CJI’s approach over PILs

c.    ‘Arm-chair advisor’ comment by Kamal Nath.

d.    Disaster  Management

e.    JNNRUM

9.    If you count above 5 current affairs topics: totally about 130+ Marks (=almost 50%) was from current affairs related questions. Rest paper from (relatively) static portion.

Earlier on this Blog

1.  [Topicwise analysis] GS mains paper 2 (2010)

2.  [Topicwise-Analysis] General Studies paper-1 (Mains) 2010

3.  [Question Paper] Essay Mains 2010