The Essay Paper, Mains, CSE often requires the candidates, specifically the IAS aspirants to look for the best of the resources to prepare for it.
Why should you be exceptionally considerate while opting for the resources to prepare for the Essay paper?
The Civil Services Examination conducted by UPSC is rightly considered the toughest of the tough Exams. Besides, the educated Indian youth considers the Civil Services as the most desirable of all the careers for various reasons. And to top it all, the majority of the candidates appearing for the CSE happen to be the IAS aspirants.
It makes the competition harder for the candidates who aim at joining no other cadre, but the IAS. No wonder, UPSC allows only the highest of the rank holders to join the Indian Administrative Services.
The Essay Paper carries 250 marks. If you score well, it may, and actually does make a considerable difference to your rank in the CSE results. With a good score in the Paper and as a result, your rank pushed considerably higher than the competition, you may very well be allowed by UPSC to join IAS.
And that explains why should you be exceptionally considerate while opting for the resources to prepare for the Essay Paper?
The Best of the Resources to Prepare for the Essay Paper
Most of the times, the candidates are not left with a significant clue on how to prepare for the Essay Paper. The preparation often seems to be a challenging one as there is no fixed syllabus for the Paper.
However, you may read on to find some of the best resources to prepare for the Paper:
1. Read good books:
Reading good books does improve the thought process. And that’s what that counts. Whatever you write while penning down an Essay in the Paper should be logically convincing.
You should be able to present your thoughts and ideas in an analytical manner. Besides you should be able to co-relate the topic you are writing on with whatever is concerned with the same in the rightly balanced perspective.
Thus, you should have both the thorough knowledge and a critical insight into the topic you are writing on. And reading good books provides you with both.
2.Read The Hindu:
Reading a good newspaper further adds to your insight into the subject. The Hindu enjoys an unparalleled reputation for the same, apart from many other factors. It holds true not only for the general readers, but specifically for the IAS aspirants.
And do not ignore to read the Editorial and the op-ed pages when you read The Hindu. It will help you deepen your insight into the Current Affairs and gain a balanced perspective.
3.Refer to the Magazines:
- Reading magazines would help you gain the knowledge of:
- various government policies,
- government schemes,
- economic surveys,
- latest statistics,
- public health,
- tribal issues, etc.
apart from various other topics and issues.
You may refer to the following magazines:
- Frontline,
- Kurukshetra,
- Yojana,
- Science Reporter,
- South Asia Politics, and
- Economic and Political Weekly etc.
Reading the magazines, apart from the books is a logical way to be well equipped with knowledge and critical insight of various topics, apart from the Current Affairs. Doing so may help you a great deal to score well in the Essay Paper.
4.Previous years’ question papers:
It’s preferable to work on various topics for Essay writing at least from the past 5 years CSE question papers. It would familiarize you with the usual topics UPSC wants the candidates to write on. Thus you might feel at ease as you may prepare accordingly.
5.Keep a collection of stories, quotes and anecdotes:
UPSC Preparation Articles :
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