How To Choose Optional in CSE

How to choose optional

Around 8 lakhs candidates applied for UPSC CSE (prelims) this year,2019 and out of them 11,845 has been selected for mains exam. And around 1000-2000 candidates will get a chance to appear in the personal interview. This is quite clear that this is one of the toughest Examination in the world. So high preparation and scoring a good mark is must. For a high score in Civil Service Examination (CSE), the proper and perfect choosing of optional subject is very much important, which is quite difficult and confusing many times. For better rank, one must have to score 300+ in the optional subject. So he/she has to be careful in selecting the optional subject. Hope this discussion will help you in certain aspects related to the optional subject.

Up-to 2013, there were two optional subjects in CSE, but now you have to choose only one subject as your optional. In Indian Forest service, still 2 optional subjects are required. Some state civil service examination, no optional subject is needed, some have one optional subject and some state asks optional subject in prelims too. So while you are selecting your optional subject, you have to extra take care of, if you are appearing state civil service examination too. Same optional subject in state civil service as well as in UPSC CSE will be quite helpful.

You have 25 subjects+ Literature for optional selection in CSE-  

1.    Agriculture

2.    Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Science

3.    Anthropology

4.    Botany

5.    Chemistry

6.    Civil Engineering

7.    Commerce and Accountancy

8.    Economics

9.    Electrical Engineering

10.Geography

11.Geology

12.History

13.Law

14.Management

15.Mathematics

16.Mechanical Engineering

17.Medical Science

18.Philosophy

19.Physics

20.Political science and International relation (PSIR)

21.Psychology

22.Public administration

23.Sociology

24.Statistics

25.Zoology

26.Literature: (Assamese, Bengali, Bodo, Dogri, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Kashmiri, Konkani, Maithili, Malayalam, Manipuri, Marathi, Nepali, Oriya, Punjabi, Sanskrit, Santhali, Sindhi, Tamil, Telugu, Urdu, English)

In Forest Service examination, you have to select two out of 14 subjects (Agriculture, Agricultural Engineering, Animal Husbandry & Veterinary science, Botany, Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Forestry, Geology, Mathematics, Mechanical Engineering, Physics, Statistics, Zoology). Some combination like Mathematics & Statistics, Agriculture & Forestry, Chemistry & Chemical Engineering etc are not allowed in selection at a time. One has to take care of that too.

Formats of optional paper

Optional subject comprises of paper 1 and paper 2. Topics of questions for both the papers are different. Like for sociology, paper 1 mostly deals with the western thinkers while paper 2 deals with Indian society and impacts. So you must have the knowledge over western as well as Indian society. In case of literature optional, one must know the history of that literature, prose- poetry and prominent writers.

For both the paper 1 and paper 2, it gives you 3 hours for 250 marks. Both the question papers have 8 questions each. Out of 8, you have to answer for 5 questions. Each Paper is divided into section A and section B. Both the sections contain 4 questions each (Q1,2,3,4 & Q5,6,7,8). From both the section first question is compulsory and from the remaining three questions from each section, you have to write the answer for minimum one.

Objectives for choosing optional

While selecting the optional subject, certain aspects should be taken care of. The subject selection must not base on your interest only, but on objectives too.

The subjects with shortest syllabus (like Law, anthropology, sociology etc.) and proper resources should be short-listed first. Shortest syllabus with certainty in answer is also keep in mind while selecting the subjects. For example, humanity subjects take 2-3 moths for the completion of syllabus and maths takes about 5 months. But while answering, maths answer can ensure you the mark, while humanity can’t all the time. So along with the syllabus, you must know about the answer certainty rate, that maths may take more time, but answers are fixed, which may not be possible in case of humanity subjects.

The availability of resources in any format like note and coaching, are also have to keep in mind. The subject with proper study material and enough test paper series definitely helpful to you. Like one may get difficulty in finding out resources for Botany, but can have easily for Sociology, Maths. The subjects with proper study material and notes are always be in your one of the top priorities.

Median mark is also be noted down while short-listing for optional subjects. Like Law has around 290 and sociology has 300+. So Sociology is a better option for you. Hence the median mark must be kept in mind, not the highest mark. The probability of getting highest mark is low, but median mark is more. So look only median mark of each subject, short-listed by you.

Previous year question papers must be taken into account. Look both the paper 1 and paper 2, and see how much effort you have to give to complete the syllabus and any real-life experience with the questions. Like who have real experience with court, law, for them Law as an optional subject would be better rather than for a science or engineering background student.

One of the most important factors is Overlap. Overlapping means the syllabus common to optional subject as well as for other question papers, mostly general studies (GS) and essay. If you select subjects like sociology, anthropology etc from humanity it may helpful to you is GS and essay. Some subjects from humanity like Law may helpful in GS, but may not help you in essay. If you select Engineering subjects (Electrical, Mechanical and civil) and pure science (Physics, Chemistry etc), then it will not be worthy if you are looking for any help in GS and essay. Sometimes optional subjects become quite helpful in GS and essay, so one should take care of it too. Political Science & International Strategy and Sociology have highest overlapping, but one should know that although overlapping helps you, but it is not everything. You should consider this factor in optional selection, but not as a prime prior factor.

Time is always valuable and while you are writing CSE, it is more valuable. So optional subjects should be selected which are less time consuming in covering the syllabus and in the exam hall too. You only have to score more, no matter what is your optional subject. Some optional subjects like Maths will take more time in solving the questions in the exam hall, while subjects like Sociology, History will take the benefit of it which are comparatively less time consuming. But the answer certainty rate is high in case of Maths rather than that of humanity subjects. In pure science subjects, the mark around which one expects after the examination and what he gets after result is quite acceptable, but in humanity subjects it may differ with large margin. It does not happen always, but rate is high. So the time with answer correction rate must be considered together.

If you are appearing IES (Indian Engineering service) and UPSC CSE at the same time, then you may go for Engineering subjects as your optional subjects. It will helpful for both the examination. If one has scored good in GATE and looking for civil service and IES, then he may look for engineering subjects. But the engineering subjects lack in overlapping, still more beneficial for you.

One who is appearing both the UPSC CSE and state civil service, the optional subject must choose carefully and keep the same subject optional for both the exam. If you choose different subject, you have to give more time on optional subjects. So go for one subject as optional for both the examination.

After CSE, for the Forest service examination one may get 1-2 months duration. So Forest service and Civil service aspirant must choose that optional subject, which he can revise atleast 2 times in that duration. One of the popular optional combination for Forest service is Forestry and Geology. It has enough resources and Forestry will help one in interview too.

One who is from commerce background, Commerce and Accountancy is a performable optional subject. Success rate is also good. But for this one need to give more effort. If you are not from top colleges and has not studied hard during degree, then re-evaluate it. It is a good optional for those, who have full knowledge over commerce and accountancy.

Many of us have mis-concept that taking a rare subject as optional increases the chance of getting selected, which is not true at all. Falling in such mis-leading concept, do not choose any subject as your optional on which you don’t have any knowledge and interest.

Before selecting the optional subject, take the syllabus and some study material of your short-listed subjects and try to answer the question paper. From this you will get some real experience of the subjects, your command over the subject. Then based on your effort required to complete the syllabus and your interest, select the best one as your optional subject. Because once you have chosen your optional subject you can’t back. After one attempt, it will really be difficult to change the optional subject. So try to choose the perfect one as your optional in your first attempt.

For reference

Video link https://youtu.be/xEWFdbWg8VM

Website  https://www.nextias.com

Blog https://blog.nextias.com

Arduino basic: part II

POWERING

Whenever you buy an Arduino, the blink programme is preinstalled. So when you plug-in the Arduino through USB cable ( or by power adapter, but USB preferable), the light of the Arduino( specified with L on the board) start blinking, if not blinking then check USB connection or the board. ( In some Arduino boards the instead of blinking the On LED gets on)

The LED L is connected internally with the digital pin 13 and the USB needed is type-A-to-type-B USB lead.

SOFTWARE INSTALLATION

To upload the sketch (that is what you want to do through the Arduino board in Arduino lang.), you need to download the Arduino IDE software to your computer.

Search www.arduino.cc and you will get the app or zip file in the download section. After installation you will get a page like this.

Arduino IDE

FIRST SKETCH

The blinking of the LED is just basic level sketch. When you open the Arduino IDE app then you will get an empty sketch (as shown above). The sketch you write inside the Setup() function that will run once and what you write inside the loop() function, it will run again and again.

You can have the bink sketch from the example. For this click on the FileàExampleàBasicàBlink

Then you have to select the type of board you are using. For this click on the ToolàBoardà(type of Board)

The select the port you are using by clicking ToolàPortà(port using)

Then click on the √ for compilation and click on this → for uploading the sketch to the Arduino board.

ANALYSIS OF 1^ST SKETCH

sketch

First of all define the LED_BULTIN pin with a digital pin ( we are using 13 because of inbuilt features of the board).

Then inside the pinMode(_,_); in the first part write the pin you are working with and in the second part write the mode, that is since here it is an LED we are using and it is an OUTPUT type, so we write OUTPUT there. If we are dealing with switch then we write INPUT there.

Inside the loop() function, in the digitalWrite(_,_);  we write in the 1^st part the pin and in the 2^nd part what we want, that is HIGH means supplying of 5V, light on and LOW means no power supply, light off.

And inside delay(_); we write the time for which we want delay the performance. Here 1000=1 second.

CONCLUSION

You can save the sketch and have it again by clicking Fileà Sketchbook

I think you get understand this part. If anything you find here is misleading or not clear, then surely ask me.

The next part with moderate level sketch will be uploaded here soon.