Tanisha Jetly, AIR-400 CSE-22 Botany Optional
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Tanisha Jetly, AIR-400 CSE-22 Botany Optional

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Hi All, This is the 14th Topper Journey & Strategy post from the Batch of 2023. Thanks to Tanisha Jetly who cracked CSE-22 with AIR-400, now we finally have Botany Optional Strategy on blog! Introduction My name is Tanisha Jetly and I secured AIR 400 in UPSC CSE 2022. I graduated from Daulat Ram College,

Tanisha Jetly's Journey to Cracking the UPSC CSE 2022 with AIR 400: A Botany Optional Strategy

Tanisha Jetly, a graduate from Daulat Ram College, Delhi University, with a Botany Honours degree, secured the impressive All India Rank (AIR) of 400 in the UPSC Civil Services Examination (CSE) 2022. Hers is the 14th Topper Journey & Strategy post from the Batch of 2023, providing valuable insights into her approach to the Botany optional subject.

Introduction

Tanisha's UPSC journey began in 2019 when she decided to take Botany as her optional subject. Despite being a Botany graduate, she did not feel the need to join any coaching or test series for her optional. However, her first attempt in 2020 was unsuccessful, as she could not clear the Mains examination. Undeterred, Tanisha persisted and made it to the Mains stage in her second attempt in 2021, but narrowly missed the cut at the Prelims level. It was in her third attempt, in 2022, that Tanisha finally achieved her goal of cracking the UPSC CSE and securing the remarkable AIR 400.

Time Allocation for Botany

Tanisha's strategy involved dedicating a significant amount of time to her optional subject. She allocated 3 hours daily to Botany, except for the four months leading up to the Prelims, when she shifted her complete focus to the Prelims preparation. After the Prelims, she increased her Botany preparation to 4.5 hours daily.

Phases of Preparation

Tanisha's Botany preparation followed a structured approach, with four distinct phases:

Phase 1: Syllabus and PYQ Review

In the first phase, Tanisha's focus was on thoroughly reviewing the Botany syllabus and the Previous Year Question (PYQ) papers. She referred to the past 15 years of question papers to gain a comprehensive understanding of the range of topics that needed to be covered.

Phase 2: Note-making

The second phase involved making precise, concise notes (2-3 pages) on each topic mentioned in the syllabus. Tanisha's aim was to cover the maximum possible syllabus before the Prelims examination.

Phase 3: Revision and Repetition

The third phase began after the Prelims and focused on revising the notes multiple times. Tanisha emphasized the importance of reading, learning, revising, and repeating this process to ensure better retention of the subject matter.

Phase 4: Practice and Self-evaluation

In the fourth phase, Tanisha shifted her focus to writing practice answers. She created her own set of questions and practiced answering them, which helped improve her answer-writing skills and retention of the subject.

Booklist and Other Resources

Tanisha relied on a comprehensive booklist and various online resources to prepare for the Botany papers.

Botany Paper 1

  1. Microbiology and Plant Pathology: A textbook of Botany by Singh Pande Jain, along with Internet resources.
  2. Cryptogams: Same Singh Pande Jain book, supplemented with Internet resources.
  3. Phanerogams: For Gymnosperms, she used the Singh Pande Jain book, and for Angiosperms, she referred to Plant Systematics by G. Singh (Gurucharan Singh). For Embryology, she used The Embryology of Angiosperms by Bhojwani and Bhatnagar.
  4. Plant Resource Development: She relied on Economic Botany by S.L. Kochhar and Internet resources.
  5. Morphogenesis: She directly used information from different websites.

Botany Paper 2

  1. Cell Biology: She gathered information from various websites.
  2. Genetics, Molecular Biology, and Evolution: She covered some topics from Genetics by P.K. Gupta, her graduation notes, and Internet resources.
  3. Plant Breeding, Biotechnology, and Biostatistics: She utilized Internet resources and her graduation notes.
  4. Physiology and Biochemistry: She referred to different Internet resources and her graduation notes.
  5. Ecology and Plant Geography: She used a basic environment book and Internet resources.

Tanisha emphasizes that there is no need to cover the books completely, and it is important to focus only on the topics mentioned in the UPSC syllabus. She also found several websites and online resources, such as Biology discussion, Study and score, and reliable YouTube videos, to be instrumental in her note-making for topics not adequately covered in the books.

Answer Writing Strategies

Tanisha's approach to writing Botany answers involved a structured format:

Introduction

The introduction should either start with a simple definition or present relevant facts and figures related to the topic.

Main Body

The main body of the answer should be written as per the demand of the question. Tanisha suggests using points or flow charts to present the information, and emphasizes the importance of drawing neat and clean diagrams and mentioning the names of scientists whenever possible.

Conclusion

Concluding Botany answers can be challenging, but Tanisha recommends summarizing the key points or highlighting the significance of the topic in 2-3 lines.

Tanisha has provided a sample practice answer on the types and internal structure of lichens, demonstrating her approach to answering Botany questions.

Conclusion

Tanisha's journey to UPSC success with AIR 400 is a testament to her dedication, strategic planning, and effective utilization of resources. Her Botany optional strategy, which involves a systematic approach to preparation, efficient use of study materials, and thoughtful answer-writing techniques, can serve as a valuable guide for aspirants aiming to excel in the UPSC Civil Services Examination.

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