Avinash Kumar, AIR-17 CSE-22, Philosophy (319 Marks) Strategy

Avinash Kumar, a rank 17 achiever in the UPSC Civil Services Examination 2022, has shared his journey and strategy for success with the philosophy optional subject. Despite the general perception that philosophy is not a high-scoring subject, Avinash managed to secure an impressive 319 marks, with 165 marks in paper-1 and 154 in paper-2, making it the 4th highest score out of 176 marksheets analyzed so far.

Avinash's Background and Motivation

Avinash began his UPSC preparation journey in July 2020, driven by two primary factors. Firstly, he was unsatisfied with his job at a power plant, going through a period of mental churning. Secondly, being a native of Bihar, he had a strong inclination towards the civil services. When it came to choosing his optional subject, Avinash quickly settled on philosophy, despite being unaware of its average performance in the exam. He found the syllabus manageable and saw it as an opportunity to systematically study philosophy, which he believes is fundamental to the destiny of a civilization.

Avinash views philosophy as an excellent subject for developing an enquiring mind, as it delves into the transcendental world beyond the physical realm. He emphasizes that philosophy is not just about intellectual gymnastics but also about living it in our lives, as the Hindi word "Darshana" suggests, which changes one's worldview.

Reasons to Choose Philosophy Optional

Avinash outlines several reasons why aspiring civil servants should consider philosophy as their optional subject:

1. Short Syllabus: The philosophy syllabus can be covered within 4 months, making it a manageable subject.
2. Minimal Effort in Answer Writing: After a certain point, Avinash found that he only needed to write 6 sectional tests to understand the demand of the paper and start writing reasonably good answers.
3. Quality Coaching Available: Avinash took online classes from Mahesh Sir (Enlite IAS), who provided a brilliant approach to the subject, keeping Avinash focused on the exam's scope.
4. Philosophical Wisdom: Studying philosophy can make one a wiser person, providing comfort and a unique perspective to navigate life's turbulence and uncertainty.
5. High-Scoring Potential: Avinash's impressive score of 319 marks in philosophy proves that it can be a high-scoring optional subject.

Avinash's Strategy and Approach

Avinash attributes his success in the philosophy optional to several key factors:

Conceptual Clarity

Avinash credits his philosophy mentor, Mahesh Sir, for instilling a strong conceptual clarity in him. Mahesh Sir's ability to simplify the core ideas of various philosophers was instrumental in Avinash's understanding of the subject.

Sufficient Practice of Expected Questions

Avinash focused on practicing the expected questions based on past year trends, which allowed him to write content-rich answers within the limited time and space provided in the exam.

Managing Time and Space

Avinash ensured that he distributed an equal amount of time for every question and completed the paper on time. He also carefully managed the limited space provided for each answer, writing concise yet informative responses.

Writing Content-Rich Answers

Avinash's approach to answering questions involved including references to other aspects of a philosopher's work, as well as incorporating critiques of the philosophy, even if not explicitly asked. He also aimed to conclude each answer with the importance of the philosophy or a comparison to Western or Indian philosophers.

Choosing the Right Questions

Avinash found the "Western Philosophy" section to be more factual, allowing him to write better answers from this section. Similarly, he found some topics in the "Philosophy of Religion" section to be more rewarding in terms of marks.

Sources and Advice for Philosophy Candidates

Avinash relied solely on the coaching class notes provided by Enlite IAS (Mahesh Sir) for both papers of the philosophy optional. He did not refer to any additional resources beyond these notes.

For aspiring philosophy optional candidates, Avinash emphasizes the importance of developing a strong conceptual clarity, understanding the interconnections between various aspects of a philosopher's work (such as epistemology and metaphysics). He also advises getting answers evaluated by mentors or experienced candidates to continuously improve.

Avinash concludes by shedding the myth that philosophy is a less-scoring subject, and he humbly believes that his remarkable score of 319 marks in philosophy breaks this perception.

Conclusion

Avinash's journey with the philosophy optional has not only led him to a remarkable success in the UPSC Civil Services Examination 2022 but has also transformed him into a wiser and better person. He firmly believes that Indian philosophy is the best in the world and that it is only a matter of time before India rises again, with the hope of being a witness to this resurgence.