News & Notes

Ira Singhal (IAS Rank-1) Notes Making, Books-reading, News-Debates & Current Affairs

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• published: 13 Aug 2015
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Q. Please tell us something about notes making Ans. I've never made notes, I study 15 days before exam, there is no time left for making notes. But Mrunal is doing brilliant job at it. Infact in GS3, I wrote many answers directly from his website. and I genuinely regret not having studied it properly. I did it on night before the exam. I wish he was there in my first attempt, I would have studied every page of it. I've 95 score in GS3, and I think 117 is the highest score. So, that's mainly from his website, You don't need to go outside his notes. Q. You said you don't make notes but earlier you said you've read 35+ books for geography, so How did you manage to complete revision? Ans. There's a problem in notes making- Whatever perspective you gain out it, you'll just write that. But if you read same textbook thrice, you'll get three perspectives. If you make notes, you've taken 1 perspective, then only that you'll remember. For the first time, I read 35 books, then I found it which of them are useless. So next time, I only read limited books. As such I don't make notes, I don't do answer writing practice but in my first attmept, I had covered lot of ground, so It didnot take that much effort in this attempt. Last year, my friend gave me a note on a Government report. I read it, I didnot like it. Later on, I read full length report and realized, the note and the full report were entirely different from each other. I guess notes making works for most people, but it doesn't work for me. Q. How do you keep updated in current affairs? please see the resources mentioned in my blog http://irasinghal.blogspot.in/2015/07/booklist-for-mains-essay-no-book.html I did Vision coaching current affairs. I think they copy paste articles from The Hindu but since I was too lazy to read the Hindu everyday, this worked for me. I did the C.A. right from December of 2013. Last year I did not do current affairs at all, but that was a big mistake. Q. Do you watch TV / documentary / debates? Ans. Except football, I don't watch TV. Because I don't want to produce someone else's ideas. You may refer to AIR debates at night. But you won't be able to cover all topics through debates. I prefer to get news from online resource, because it helps in 'timepass' also. Q. Please tell strategy for General studies preparation for Mains? Ans. I don't have strategy because that takes lot of hard work, and once you've put hardwork you're emotionally attached to it. Then its very tough to let it go. You'll continue investing on it, even if its failing. I made an excel with all the topics, I read 3-4 sources for each topic, so I get general perspective for all topics, and you've to read government reports, and refer to ministry websites. In 2013, I read a lot of random things, this time I've focused on selected resources. Q. In GS mains paper-1, geography is becoming very tough. How should a non-Geography optional person should approach it? Ans. As such very few geography questions asked, but then again look at Art-Culture is also tough. You'll have to prepare either culture or geography in detail. Although this year, Geography was not factual, If you've some idea, you could write something. But at the same time, don't bluff. Last year (Mains-2013) IT Act section 66-A was asked, I mistook it for income tax act and wrote entirely bluff-answer. please don't do that. Let's respect the intelligence of the examiner. Venue: SPIPA, Ahmedabad, Date: 12 August 2015