Ramkrishna Saran (AIR-404, CSE-21) Agriculture Strategy

Ramkrishna Saran, an engineering graduate, has successfully navigated the UPSC Civil Services Examination (CSE) and the Indian Forest Service (IFoS) exams with agriculture as his optional subject. Having appeared in three CSE Mains and three IFoS Mains, Saran has honed his strategy for tackling the agriculture optional and has generously shared his insights with aspiring civil servants.

Saran's Approach to the Agriculture Optional

Saran's experience in the UPSC exams has led him to identify three crucial aspects of the agriculture optional that have contributed to his success:

Concise Note-making

Saran emphasizes the importance of creating short, crisp notes for every topic in the agriculture syllabus. This approach, he believes, enables easy revision in the final days leading up to the exam.

Repeated Revision

Consistent and thorough revision of the subject matter is a hallmark of Saran's strategy. He attributes his performance to the meticulous attention he pays to revisiting and reinforcing his understanding of the material.

Analysis of Previous Year Questions

Saran has meticulously analyzed the questions asked in previous UPSC exams to identify the areas from which the questions are repeatedly drawn. This strategic approach allows him to focus his preparation on the most important and frequently tested topics, such as male sterility and self-incompatibility.

Recommended Resources

While Saran did not read any textbooks cover-to-cover, he found Pallavi Sarkar's blog to be a valuable resource for curating the best sources for each topic in the agriculture syllabus. He particularly recommends Fundamentals of Agriculture by Arun Katyan as a good starting point for non-agriculture background students.

Coaching Considerations

Saran acknowledges the potential benefits of joining a coaching program, especially for non-agriculture students, as it can aid in the understanding of technical subject matter. However, he cautions aspirants to be selective in choosing their coaching institute, as the market does not offer many good options.

Answer Writing Practice

Saran emphasizes the importance of consistent answer writing practice, which he believes is essential for improving the quality and structure of responses and ultimately scoring well in the exam. He suggests the following approaches:

• Writing previous year's questions
• Seeking feedback from fellow agriculture optional aspirants
• Participating in test series offered by coaching institutes

Strategies for High Marks

Saran advises aspiring civil servants to incorporate the following elements in their answers to maximize their scores:

1. Standard Definitions: Providing clear and concise definitions of key terms and concepts.
2. Citing Scientists: Referencing the names of relevant scientists and their contributions.
3. Diagrams: Incorporating well-labeled diagrams to support and illustrate the concepts.
4. Specific Examples: Citing specific crops, their varieties, and other relevant examples to demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of the subject matter.

Examination Day Strategies

Lastly, Saran emphasizes the importance of completing all the questions in the examination hall. He stresses the need to maintain speed and practice answering questions within a time-bound manner to enhance speed and ensure that no questions are left unattempted, as this can significantly impact the overall score.

Ramkrishna Saran's comprehensive strategy for the agriculture optional, which includes meticulous note-making, repeated revision, strategic analysis of previous year questions, and a focus on answer writing quality, has proven to be a successful approach for him. His insights and recommendations can serve as a valuable guide for aspiring civil servants, particularly those from non-agriculture backgrounds, in their pursuit of success in the UPSC exams.