Dear All,
I would like to share the extracts from my strategy from my preparation. My medium of study is Hindi :

PRELIM

General Studies : i) Current Affairs - I am having a daily for key events and keep cutting from news paper for national and international level events (like climate change, state re organization, food security, RTI, education) from frontline, The hindu. I hope will access around 75% questions from this section around 20 to 25.

ii) History & National movement : My favorite topic and my first option in prelim. I have read, bipin chandra and bl gover and prepared my short notes which are helpful for optional as well as GS. I hope will access around 80% questions from this section around 12 to 15.

iii) Indian Polity & constitution : My second favorite. I have read DD basu, PD special issue, NCERT books . I have access to all the questions. but 2-3 questions are asked every year in a tricky way. so now i am focussing on that. access to 10 to 12 questions

iv) Economy : PD special issue, yojana and Mishra puri. acess to 10 questions

V) questions from Sports, ISRO/space missions, books and misc. awards, famous persons - for which i would like to consolidation last one year Pratiyogita darpan (PD issues) to have acces, which i would like to do in feb.'09 or march'09 - 10-15 questions

Vi) Geography : here i am focussing on National Parks, heritage parks, minerals, agriculture, exports, river and valley projects, power/nuclear projects. traditional geo. like atmosphere is my weak point. so i am trying to strengthen the areas of self interest. only 12-15 questions i can access right now out of total 25-30 question from this section

vii) Mental ability & maths : I have access the questions from percentage, profit & loss, time & work, speed & distance. I have to focuss on DI & mental ability questions. 7-8 questions from 15-18 questions.

viii) Science & Technology : This is my weak point. i can hardly access 5-7 questions out of 25 question from this section.

Some questions are asked from general aspects but in tricky ways. i am analyzing thr prev. years papers to get my self .

Overall i evaluate my self as 35-40 questions can be answered by me in one go, second i can sort the question for which i can exactly find two answers this range is 45 to 50 questions including 10-15 tricky questions, so no i am try to improve on this. third thre remaining questions are not certain and it will depend upon paper and aware ness and my further preparation, improvement in strategy right now.

Option 1

History : Modern India & National movement : i am giving spl. focuss and weightage on this. this will help in GS & optional both. for mains exam. I will refer some help from ignou notes. (45-50 questions)

• Medival history - Satish chandra (30-35 questions)

• Ancient History - DN jha (25-30 questions)

So far Modern history and national movement, NCERT books have been read by me. The point is now what is relevant and what is not. i think, continuously reading unsolved papers will guide me.

Finally I think, i should take postal guidance from History and GS, which will guide me for PRE as well as mains. Writing ans in UPSC and the direction of preparation may also be guided by coaching. For GS I may opt for Dhyeya IAS material, once i made a call them, them helped regarding how to study and books selection. Seeking your views and guidance, this is the critical stage of preparation and contribute a lot.

Best Regards, Arpit