Nazia Parween (CSE-23 AIR-670) PSIR & FAQs

Title: Nazia Parween's Remarkable Journey to UPSC Success

Introduction

In the competitive landscape of the UPSC Civil Services Examination, Nazia Parween's story stands out as a testament to perseverance, resilience, and the power of learning from failures. Hailing from Giridih, Jharkhand, Nazia has secured an impressive All India Rank (AIR) of 670 in the UPSC CSE 2023, with Political Science and International Relations (PSIR) as her optional subject.

Overcoming Initial Setbacks

Nazia's journey to success was not without its challenges. She attempted the UPSC examination four times, facing setbacks at every stage. In 2020, she failed the prelims, and the following year, she encountered the same outcome. Undeterred, Nazia persevered, and in 2022, she made it to the interview stage but narrowly missed the cut-off. Finally, in 2023, her unwavering determination paid off, and she secured the remarkable rank of 670.

Identifying and Correcting Mistakes

Nazia's journey is a testament to the importance of self-reflection and the willingness to learn from one's mistakes. She acknowledges that she faced failures at every stage of the examination, but she took the time to identify the areas where she was lacking and made conscious efforts to address them.

Adapting Strategies for Prelims

In her initial attempts, Nazia had solved a large number of test series, but she found that she was unable to analyze or revise them effectively. This led to a lack of clarity in her understanding of the concepts and her ability to recall the necessary information. However, during her third attempt, Nazia adopted a different approach.

Focused Preparation and Thorough Revision

Pressed for time, Nazia decided to attempt only 10 full-length tests (FLTs) but approached them with meticulous attention to detail. She created a detailed table to track her performance, including the number of questions attempted, correct answers, incorrect answers, and negative marks. This strategy allowed her to identify her strengths and weaknesses, enabling her to make more informed decisions during the examination.

Nazia also adopted a strategic approach to attempting the questions, dividing her efforts into multiple rounds. In the first round, she focused on attempting the questions she was confident about, and only in the subsequent rounds did she venture into attempting questions that were more challenging. This methodical approach helped her safely qualify the prelims.

Mains Strategy: Mastering Answer Writing

Nazia faced another challenge in her UPSC journey: her initial attempts at writing answers for the Mains examination were subpar. She lacked the necessary skills in structuring her responses and struggled to complete the tests on time.

Seeking Guidance and Utilizing Resources

Fortunately, Nazia had the support of her friends, who provided invaluable assistance in helping her understand the key elements of a good answer. She also found the videos by Mudit Jain, a renowned UPSC expert, extremely helpful in learning the art of answer writing.

Developing a Systematic Approach

Nazia learned the importance of breaking down the questions into parts and integrating relevant current affairs into her answers. She studied the answer copies of toppers to understand the structure, use of keywords, and effective incorporation of diagrams and pointers.

PSIR Optional: Comprehensive Preparation

For her PSIR optional, Nazia relied on various sources, including Shubhra Ranjan's notes, Utkarsh Dwivedi's blog, and practice of previous year questions (PYQs). She also made an effort to incorporate recent examples, such as the situation of women in Afghanistan after the Taliban takeover, to demonstrate her understanding of current events.

Consistent Practice and Peer Feedback

Nazia emphasized the importance of practicing PYQs and test series, not just for the content but also for honing her answer-writing skills. She would compare her answers with those of her peers and top-scoring candidates to identify areas for improvement.

Notes-Making: Enhancing Recall and Revision

Nazia recognized the value of comprehensive notes for each topic in the UPSC syllabus. To make the process more manageable, she also prepared concise "notes of notes," especially for her optional subject, PSIR. This approach helped her better retain and recall the information during the examination.

Supportive Environment and Positive Mindset

Nazia acknowledges the crucial role played by her parents and friends in providing the emotional support and positivity she needed to overcome the self-doubts and anxieties that are inherent in the UPSC preparation journey. Their unwavering encouragement and belief in her abilities were instrumental in her success.

Conclusion

Nazia Parween's journey to UPSC success is a testament to the power of resilience, adaptability, and a relentless pursuit of knowledge. Her story serves as an inspiration to aspiring civil servants, demonstrating that with the right strategies, a growth mindset, and a supportive network, even the most daunting challenges can be overcome. Nazia's achievement is a testament to her unwavering determination and a testament to the transformative impact of perseverance in the face of adversity.