Rijul (AIR-322, CSE-21) Prelims Mains Sociology Strategy

Rijul's Journey to the Indian Civil Services

Rijul, a young aspirant from Uttarakhand, has emerged as a shining star in the highly competitive Indian Civil Services Examination (CSE). With a remarkable achievement of clearing the CSE three out of five attempts, Rijul's journey is a testament to his unwavering determination, strategic planning, and a deep understanding of the exam's dynamics.

The Background

Born in Dehradun and raised in Bajpur, Uttarakhand, Rijul's educational journey began with his schooling in the same town. He later graduated in civil engineering from the Malviya National Institute of Technology, Jaipur, in 2016. Rijul's UPSC CSE journey spanned five attempts, with his third selection resulting in an impressive All India Rank (AIR) of 322 in 2021. Interestingly, Rijul's achievements extend beyond the UPSC CSE, as he was also selected in the CAPF AC in 2018, securing AIR-77.

The Motivation

Rijul firmly believes that motivation is the cornerstone of success in the UPSC CSE, a marathon that requires patience, perseverance, dedication, and a combination of hard and smart work. He emphasizes that motivation will keep an aspirant's head high when faced with setbacks, be it clearing the preliminary exam, missing the final list by a few marks, or any other challenge along the way.

For Rijul, his unwavering motivation has always been the desire to become an Indian Police Service (IPS) officer. The allure of the uniform, the power to reduce crime, maintain law and order, and provide justice to the people, has been the guiding light in his UPSC CSE journey, even through five attempts.

What to Do and Not to Do

Rijul's advice to aspiring civil servants is to avoid negativity from friends, relatives, or anyone else, and instead maintain a calm and self-confident demeanor. He suggests setting medium-term goals, such as weekly targets, and dispelling myths about the examination, such as the need to study for 13-15 hours or the guarantee of success from a particular coaching institute or optional subject.

Rijul also emphasizes the importance of taking time for oneself, developing hobbies, and engaging in physical activities like yoga or meditation. This, he believes, helps in improving one's personality and making effective use of free time. Additionally, he cautions against blindly following any particular topper's strategy, as each aspirant's background and approach may differ. Instead, Rijul recommends identifying the common elements among successful toppers and then determining the strategy that best suits one's own strengths and weaknesses.

Lastly, Rijul stresses the significance of proper sleep before each examination, be it the preliminary, main, or personality test. He suggests adjusting one's sleep cycle a month before the exam if one is a night owl, as this can boost productivity and allow for clear thinking.

The Filter: Preliminary Examination

Rijul's experience with the preliminary examination has been insightful, as he has witnessed it evolving from a selector to a filter in recent years. After initially failing to clear the first attempt and then scoring over 100 marks in subsequent attempts, Rijul shares his valuable tips:

1. Focus on a single source for the static portion of the syllabus and revise it extensively. Rijul, for instance, has revised the Lakshmikant handbook more than 100 times.
2. For current affairs, Rijul prepared notes from newspapers and supplemented them with the previous year's PT 365 and the current year's PT 365.
3. Avoid relying on multiple sources for current affairs and instead utilize a maximum of two sources.
4. Integrate the preparation for the preliminary and main examinations, dedicating the last three months solely to the preliminary exam.
5. Develop elimination techniques based on rational thinking and knowledge, rather than solely relying on eliminating extreme statements.
6. Practice mock tests extensively, aiming to improve speed, accuracy, and ideal attempts, rather than focusing solely on marks.
7. Solve previous year question papers (PYQs) of the UPSC CSE preliminary examination, especially in the 15 days leading up to the exam, to familiarize oneself with the exam's mindset.
8. Do not neglect the Civil Services Aptitude Test (CSAT), as it can be a crucial factor in determining one's success.

The Selector: Main Examination

Rijul emphasizes that the main examination provides an opportunity to secure a place in the coveted list of selected candidates. He shares the following strategies:

1. Practice, practice, and more practice is the key to excelling in the main examination.
2. Start with single questions, gradually improving the quality within the time limits, and then increase the number of questions attempted in a fixed time frame.
3. Focus on enhancing the quality of answers first, then work on improving the speed, and finally aim to add extra marks through the inclusion of constitutional amendment acts, Supreme Court judgments, reports, and relevant facts.
4. Maintain a consistent structure in answers: introduction, body, and conclusion, using a points format.
5. Prepare opening and concluding statements in advance, either from newspaper articles or topper's answers, to save time during the examination.
6. Strive to utilize the maximum number of points in each question and aim to fill each page during the main examination.
7. Approach the first few questions with utmost quality, as the first impression is often the last impression.
8. Number the figures, diagrams, and flowcharts to demonstrate the effort put into the answers.
9. Practice answering 10-mark questions in 3-4 minutes to be prepared for potential time crunches during the main examination.

The Game Changer: Optional Subject

Rijul's optional subject was Sociology, which he believes to be a game-changer. In his last two attempts, he focused on compacting the syllabus and making comprehensive notes. He extensively studied Nitin Sangwan's book, watched Sleepy Classes videos on YouTube, and referred to Haralambos' work, consolidating all the information in the Nitin Sangwan book itself.

Rijul's approach to Sociology includes:

• Extensively using the names of sociologists, their books, and their exact definitions in the answers.
• Preparing short notes exclusively on sociologists, their sayings, and definitions, and then incorporating them into the answers.
• Focusing on the syllabus keywords and exploring the sociological aspects of the topics, even if the questions appear to be General Studies-oriented.
• Balancing the use of sociological thinkers and concepts with facts, data, examples, and reports, especially in questions where sociological references may not be directly relevant.
• Utilizing diagrams from the recommended books, such as Nitin Sangwan and Haralambos, to enhance the answers.
• Solving previous year question papers to identify the frequently repeated questions and having them ready beforehand.
• Carefully selecting the questions that one can answer the best, rather than attempting all the questions.

Rijul emphasizes that Sociology has a relatively smaller syllabus compared to other optional subjects, and hence, revising it multiple times and mugging up the key points, thinkers, and their works can be highly beneficial.

The Rank Decider: Interview

Rijul acknowledges that the interview, the most subjective and variable part of the UPSC CSE process, is crucial in determining the final rank. While he has secured average performance in his interviews, he suggests that other toppers would be more suitable to guide aspiring candidates on this aspect of the examination.

Rijul's UPSC CSE journey is a testament to the power of motivation, strategic planning, and persistent hard work. He encourages fellow aspirants to never give up and keep moving forward, even in the face of setbacks, drawing inspiration from the words of Martin Luther King Jr.: "If you can't fly, run. If you can't run, walk. If you can't walk, crawl. But never stop moving forward."