✅Learnings from CSP 2021- PART 1
🅾️ Especially for 2022 students and freshers - This is going to be a bit lengthy- kindly bear with me - This is purely my opinion
🅾️The first dreaded question -What is the cut off?- I don't have the data but if speculation is to be done- anywhere between 90-95- purely a gut feeling based on anecdotal experiences. The cut off would most likely come down- considering the difficulty level of CSAT as well( it is not so easy either)
🔰For 2021 prelims was in no way EASY- NO SINGLE institution, working together or a teacher would be able to claim that it came from their "notes directly"- Does it mean they have cheated you? - NO - that is not what I had meant- Like I always say, every student has a different learning methodology- More than anything what this paper needs is your capability and ability to use your existing arsenal- combined with an ability to understand the purpose/intent behind the question- it requires comprehensive understanding of the basics surrounding the issues. Elimination of options is still the key to clear this exam ( sad but true) but that elimination requires in depth knowledge of the issue- The question is how deep one has to go? This is where one needs to slightly tweak their strategies
⚜️Thoughts on History :
-> Should you change your conventional sources?- For standard subjects like History- this paper is a nudge to reconsider your sources and move beyond just the spectrum Modern India Book- Issues with spectrum - the format of presentation requires you to reorient to historical timelines mentally- most aspirants are stuck in the chapterwise framework laid down in spectrum - for example- it would be difficulty for an aspirant to think spatially and temporally simultaneously- what does that mean? - Ex : When we think of Non cooperation movement- almost 99% of us are stuck around the UP Bihar, punjab area- How many of us would remember what happened in the south? what happened in AP, What happened in Princely states during that time?- Bottom line- Spectrum/ Bipan chandra etc have a INC oriented approach to modern History- That is NOT ENOUGH- 3-4 yrs of data is good enough to say this. many toppers might disagree- But i shall stick to this stance firmly.
So what sources should one read for History- Pick selectively from following sources
🅾️1) Sub altern history- i.e. History of the dalit movement
🅾️2) Class vs caste approach- i.e. labour issues
✅For the above two aspects- It is time for freshers to read Sumit sarkar- Selective chapters on labour, dalit movements
🅾️2) Different sections of the society- princely states and their contributions- Ishita banerjee/ sekhar bandopadhyay
🔰I am not asking you to read the entire book end to end- just pick the themes selectively so that you are aware of the issue- will update all the sources over a period of time. will update all the sources accordingly- remember the test series portion is not UPSC portion. UPDATE yourself OR PERSIH.
📍Bottom line
1) please start looking at history from chronological as well as temporal orientation- (ex : Gupta period doesn;t mean the period between 200-400 AD had guptas alone - a basic knowledge of Other kingdoms from wikipedia is enough)
📍BTW, do not ignore newspapers- please understand this exam is not just about memory- it might have worked for some toppers but reading just the materials without a context and background- will not help 90% of the students because : 1) Not everyone has a photographic memory and background to remember everything 2) UPSC doesn't expect you to remember random facts- even if it does- it is a relative game.
⚜️How newspaper could have helped - ACE 2 receptor, Mitochondrial diseases- 3 parent baby, RBI- section 7 issue,- Bollgard technologies from GM crops videos- again this is not to claim that they came from " this channel's notes" - Those who followed newspapers on this channel know what i am talking about.
