Essay and ethics: repurpose your content
A LOT OF YOUR ETHICS CONTENT CAN BE REPURPOSED FOR ESSAY TOO, so be very alert and mindful about how your ethics notes and content can be used for essay
Brainstorm this actively- especially my 2024 mains community members.
2025 STUDENTS
You can even ALIGN your ethics and essay preparation
(For eg. I used to write my ethics examples and have another column on how I would use it for essay too)
#essay #upscmains
A LOT OF YOUR ETHICS CONTENT CAN BE REPURPOSED FOR ESSAY TOO, so be very alert and mindful about how your ethics notes and content can be used for essay
Brainstorm this actively- especially my 2024 mains community members.
2025 STUDENTS
You can even ALIGN your ethics and essay preparation
(For eg. I used to write my ethics examples and have another column on how I would use it for essay too)
#essay #upscmains
Diagram: Permafrost timebomb- content Enrichment
Can take a quick note of this diagram and add it to your notes.
This could come handy in GS 1 as well as GS 3.
2024 mains students: do not worry at all if this isn't your notes- it's not a common topic. Just make a quick note- and whatever you do- no fomo at all, I myself didn't know this diagram for quite sometime.
2025 students: add it to your GS 1 notes and practice it.
PYQ relation: Permafrost has been an important theme
#GS1 #GS3 #upscmains #contentenrichment
Can take a quick note of this diagram and add it to your notes.
This could come handy in GS 1 as well as GS 3.
2024 mains students: do not worry at all if this isn't your notes- it's not a common topic. Just make a quick note- and whatever you do- no fomo at all, I myself didn't know this diagram for quite sometime.
2025 students: add it to your GS 1 notes and practice it.
PYQ relation: Permafrost has been an important theme
#GS1 #GS3 #upscmains #contentenrichment
Essay Anecdote: content enrichment
Do read V Kamakoti sir's anecdote from his article in 2023
1. How will you use the quote by Dr. Abdul Kalam Ji he mentions? How will you use V Kamakoti's own anecdote?
2. Is there another GS paper you can quote this in? For which sub-topic?
#essay #mains #upscmains #contentenrichment
Do read V Kamakoti sir's anecdote from his article in 2023
1. How will you use the quote by Dr. Abdul Kalam Ji he mentions? How will you use V Kamakoti's own anecdote?
2. Is there another GS paper you can quote this in? For which sub-topic?
#essay #mains #upscmains #contentenrichment
FAQ: which pen did you use for mains
My answer to you is: use the one you are most comfortable with.
But how will you know which one you are most comfortable with?
To know which one is your weapon of choice in this battle: you have to practice with different weapons.
2025 students: practice with different pens and then choose the one you feel most comfortable with.
Don't forget you have to use your pen for a total of 3x9 = 27 hours in the mains exam week
It HAS TO BE THE ONE you feel most comfortable with
See below on how I finally decided and the FOMO I faced too
My answer to you is: use the one you are most comfortable with.
But how will you know which one you are most comfortable with?
To know which one is your weapon of choice in this battle: you have to practice with different weapons.
2025 students: practice with different pens and then choose the one you feel most comfortable with.
Don't forget you have to use your pen for a total of 3x9 = 27 hours in the mains exam week
It HAS TO BE THE ONE you feel most comfortable with
See below on how I finally decided and the FOMO I faced too
So I tried multiple full length tests with all of the recommended pens shown in the red circle
Do you know which one I felt most at home with?
The humble Linc Ocean.
You know why?
It's been the pen I've been using since I was in school (possibly since 7th standard!)
I felt like my muscle memory remembered this pen
Only because I had been using it since school!
1. It was slim and light
2. It tired me out lesser
3. I felt like my handwriting looked more beautiful (also possibly because my mind knew that writing for decades since school!)
So this boosted my confidence too
4. Is pen ka cost sirf Rs. 10 tha (just Rs. 10). As someone from the NGO sector, I think I felt lesser moral/ cognitive dissonance too that I wasn't using a pen that costed more than 100 Rs. (So that helped me stay more confident too)
So basic answer is: there is no right or wrong pen.
Whatever it is, WHICHEVER pen you choose for yourself- it will be right for YOU. Ensure that it feels good to your mind and body!
Do you know which one I felt most at home with?
The humble Linc Ocean.
You know why?
It's been the pen I've been using since I was in school (possibly since 7th standard!)
I felt like my muscle memory remembered this pen
Only because I had been using it since school!
1. It was slim and light
2. It tired me out lesser
3. I felt like my handwriting looked more beautiful (also possibly because my mind knew that writing for decades since school!)
So this boosted my confidence too
4. Is pen ka cost sirf Rs. 10 tha (just Rs. 10). As someone from the NGO sector, I think I felt lesser moral/ cognitive dissonance too that I wasn't using a pen that costed more than 100 Rs. (So that helped me stay more confident too)
So basic answer is: there is no right or wrong pen.
Whatever it is, WHICHEVER pen you choose for yourself- it will be right for YOU. Ensure that it feels good to your mind and body!
Chandarprabha Sharma AIR 289 UPSC CSE 2023
So I tried multiple full length tests with all of the recommended pens shown in the red circle Do you know which one I felt most at home with? The humble Linc Ocean. You know why? It's been the pen I've been using since I was in school (possibly since…
Contd from above:
The handwriting I felt most at home with. (Just sharing a sample)
And this happens- your handwriting can change based on whether you are using a pen of your comfort or not
The handwriting I felt most at home with. (Just sharing a sample)
And this happens- your handwriting can change based on whether you are using a pen of your comfort or not
I hope you have a support system like the one in this video, but if you don't, you must use the same comforting, constructive and kind self-talk with yourself, seen in this video. Exactly the way Olympic diver Andrea Spendolini Sirieix's father consoled her. Also see how she replies with assuring and affirmative self talk ✨
You may need to become your best ally in this journey.
https://www.instagram.com/stories/chandarprabhasharma/3436700573758152197?igsh=c3BiNWczMnJyMW53
You may need to become your best ally in this journey.
https://www.instagram.com/stories/chandarprabhasharma/3436700573758152197?igsh=c3BiNWczMnJyMW53
You will always wish you started younger...all of us feel this insecurity, so just wanted to let you know: you are doing great
Especially, for my fellow Veteran friends:
I KNOW what you feel, I had the same worries in my 6th (last attempt)
So just wanted to tell you, you are doing great.
Sab apne time se, acha hoga.
✨
Especially, for my fellow Veteran friends:
I KNOW what you feel, I had the same worries in my 6th (last attempt)
So just wanted to tell you, you are doing great.
Sab apne time se, acha hoga.
✨
My brother Dr. Surya Sharma and Bhabhi Dr. Nikita Singhal live very far away from me and we get to meet only once in 2-3 years.
Cousins also live far away so today began like an ordinary day (with all the hectic packing), and I had forgotten it is Rakshabandhan today!
When I got a breather and I thought I'll check if any of you sent any important queries, I saw our group full of incredibly warm and kind messages!
I didn't realise that even though Bhai and bhabhi are away, I indeed had another reason to celebrate Rakhi. Thank you for being that reason.
It feels great to be an elder sister for all of you, thank you for that honour. I hope to keep striving to fulfil the duties of an elder sister for all of you.
Happy Rakshabandhan!
Thank you for making my chaotic day so happy
😊✨🙏🇮🇳
Cousins also live far away so today began like an ordinary day (with all the hectic packing), and I had forgotten it is Rakshabandhan today!
When I got a breather and I thought I'll check if any of you sent any important queries, I saw our group full of incredibly warm and kind messages!
I didn't realise that even though Bhai and bhabhi are away, I indeed had another reason to celebrate Rakhi. Thank you for being that reason.
It feels great to be an elder sister for all of you, thank you for that honour. I hope to keep striving to fulfil the duties of an elder sister for all of you.
Happy Rakshabandhan!
Thank you for making my chaotic day so happy
😊✨🙏🇮🇳
Chandarprabha Sharma AIR 289 UPSC CSE 2023
My brother Dr. Surya Sharma and Bhabhi Dr. Nikita Singhal live very far away from me and we get to meet only once in 2-3 years. Cousins also live far away so today began like an ordinary day (with all the hectic packing), and I had forgotten it is Rakshabandhan…
The way I see India's festival of Rakshabandhan is that all of us play a role of protecting (raksha) of something much more than our individualistic selves.
We protect our friends' happiness and wellbeing, our parents wellness, our neighbours' privacy and happiness. We also protect the wellness of a senior citizen who we may not know but needs our help. We protect our beautiful environment by making eco-conscious choices and even protect animals like stray dogs who don't have a voice to speak up for themselves...
And just like that the sphere of our protection (raksha) expands from ourselves to our families to our neighbourhood to our communities, to our nation, to the world and ultimately to our planet.
Even more special is that all of you are in an even more incredible position as youth of our country who is determined to become a public servant! You'll be protecting the rights of citizens, ensuring their welfare, standing up for those who are vulnerable. You'll be using your power to protect the collective good of our incredible nation and of humanity at large.
So this Rakshabandhan, let's renew our commitment to the goal of serving as a responsible citizen who stands in protection of everything that is worth fighting for, every good cause, every noble idea and every person/animal/nature that is unable to speak for itself.
All the very best, wishing you a very happy Rakshabandhan.
🙏🇮🇳✨😊
We protect our friends' happiness and wellbeing, our parents wellness, our neighbours' privacy and happiness. We also protect the wellness of a senior citizen who we may not know but needs our help. We protect our beautiful environment by making eco-conscious choices and even protect animals like stray dogs who don't have a voice to speak up for themselves...
And just like that the sphere of our protection (raksha) expands from ourselves to our families to our neighbourhood to our communities, to our nation, to the world and ultimately to our planet.
Even more special is that all of you are in an even more incredible position as youth of our country who is determined to become a public servant! You'll be protecting the rights of citizens, ensuring their welfare, standing up for those who are vulnerable. You'll be using your power to protect the collective good of our incredible nation and of humanity at large.
So this Rakshabandhan, let's renew our commitment to the goal of serving as a responsible citizen who stands in protection of everything that is worth fighting for, every good cause, every noble idea and every person/animal/nature that is unable to speak for itself.
All the very best, wishing you a very happy Rakshabandhan.
🙏🇮🇳✨😊
Chandarprabha Sharma AIR 289 UPSC CSE 2023
GS_3_diagrams_Chandarprabha_Sharma_AIR_289_UPSC_CSE_2023_watermark.pdf
My GS 3 diagrams file is attached above
✍2024 MAINS students: use the above file as reference for last minute revision.
Practice them and internalise how recently you will integrate them in your answers
✍2025 students:
see this file as reference for what types of diagrams you need to practice and record in your notes. Overtime these will then convert into a last minute revision file that will only have diagrams.
Types of diagrams that can usually be made for GS 3 :
A. Maps: eg. environment, defence, internal security
B. Graphs: economy, climate change, trade etc
C. Diagrams: Permafrost mechanism etc.
D. Equation based diagrams: DALY virtuous cycle (page 2 of file)
(I won't get the time to forward so feel free to forward the diagrams file on other communities/ groups where students might benefit)
All the best!
✍2024 MAINS students: use the above file as reference for last minute revision.
Practice them and internalise how recently you will integrate them in your answers
✍2025 students:
see this file as reference for what types of diagrams you need to practice and record in your notes. Overtime these will then convert into a last minute revision file that will only have diagrams.
Types of diagrams that can usually be made for GS 3 :
A. Maps: eg. environment, defence, internal security
B. Graphs: economy, climate change, trade etc
C. Diagrams: Permafrost mechanism etc.
D. Equation based diagrams: DALY virtuous cycle (page 2 of file)
(I won't get the time to forward so feel free to forward the diagrams file on other communities/ groups where students might benefit)
All the best!
Chandarprabha Sharma AIR 289 UPSC CSE 2023
GS 1 diagrams Chandarprabha Sharma UPSC CSE 2023 AIR 289 (1).pdf
My GS 1 diagrams file is attached above
2024 students: use as Last Minute value addition. Can also make last minute revision Diagrams only notes. Ensure you practice actually making such diagrams in your answer- that is more important than simply reading someone else's notes
2025 students: use this file as reference and be alert to your reading material for such diagrams
Practice making these diagrams actively in your daily answer writing
Types of diagrams that can usually be made for GS 1 :
A. Maps: eg. Geography eg (disaster vulnerability maps etc., history (Ashoka pillars map, revolts maps)
B. Graphs: Society/population/ urban affairs
C. Diagrams: twin Cyclones, Fujiwhara effect etc.
(I won't get the time to forward so feel free to forward the diagrams file on other communities/ groups where students might benefit)
All the best!
2024 students: use as Last Minute value addition. Can also make last minute revision Diagrams only notes. Ensure you practice actually making such diagrams in your answer- that is more important than simply reading someone else's notes
2025 students: use this file as reference and be alert to your reading material for such diagrams
Practice making these diagrams actively in your daily answer writing
Types of diagrams that can usually be made for GS 1 :
A. Maps: eg. Geography eg (disaster vulnerability maps etc., history (Ashoka pillars map, revolts maps)
B. Graphs: Society/population/ urban affairs
C. Diagrams: twin Cyclones, Fujiwhara effect etc.
(I won't get the time to forward so feel free to forward the diagrams file on other communities/ groups where students might benefit)
All the best!
Kaunsa PYQ yaad aaya? 😊
Which PYQ did you recall seeing this cartoon by Green Humour?
(Many times Prelims PYQs will make you derive answers from your accumulated knowledge that you gain out of pure curiousity)
Stay hungry, stay foolish.
PS: i LOVE the last panel by Rohan Chakraborty (orangutans' eyes as mirrors for humanity)
Which PYQ did you recall seeing this cartoon by Green Humour?
(Many times Prelims PYQs will make you derive answers from your accumulated knowledge that you gain out of pure curiousity)
Stay hungry, stay foolish.
PS: i LOVE the last panel by Rohan Chakraborty (orangutans' eyes as mirrors for humanity)
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Good morning from Mussoorie 😊✨
Hope you are all well.
As you may know, my training (99th Foundation course) is on.
This is why I haven't posted in a while to focus on training.
In the meantime I hope my 2024 friends are feeling good about Mains 😊✨. You will do great!
I also hope my 2025 friends are working in integrated preparation and have their eyes on their plans.
I am seeking your go-ahead to shut our discussion group till the time I am able to reply to you better. I would open it for your one to one queries on a day whenever we have some better bandwidth, relatively.
The reason for this is so that you know that, for now, you don't have to be pulled into chat on the discussion group. You can focus on your prep without wasting much time on TG.
Same goes for me to focus on my training 😊🙏🇮🇳
I might post sometimes with my key learnings that I believe may help you too.
Mental health tools will always be something I will keep sharing tools our channel.
Praying for each of you, keep going! 😊✨
Hope you are all well.
As you may know, my training (99th Foundation course) is on.
This is why I haven't posted in a while to focus on training.
In the meantime I hope my 2024 friends are feeling good about Mains 😊✨. You will do great!
I also hope my 2025 friends are working in integrated preparation and have their eyes on their plans.
I am seeking your go-ahead to shut our discussion group till the time I am able to reply to you better. I would open it for your one to one queries on a day whenever we have some better bandwidth, relatively.
The reason for this is so that you know that, for now, you don't have to be pulled into chat on the discussion group. You can focus on your prep without wasting much time on TG.
Same goes for me to focus on my training 😊🙏🇮🇳
I might post sometimes with my key learnings that I believe may help you too.
Mental health tools will always be something I will keep sharing tools our channel.
Praying for each of you, keep going! 😊✨
Mains 2024 Ethics
Do prepare a framework for a case study question on "Bulldozer justice" given the current importance of this issue.
Ethical principles like Audi Alteram Partem, due process, right to be heard, justice.
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/delhi-to-ratlam-flicker-of-hope-for-lives-razed-as-sc-questions-bulldozer-justice-9546974/
Do prepare a framework for a case study question on "Bulldozer justice" given the current importance of this issue.
Ethical principles like Audi Alteram Partem, due process, right to be heard, justice.
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/delhi-to-ratlam-flicker-of-hope-for-lives-razed-as-sc-questions-bulldozer-justice-9546974/
The Indian Express
Delhi to Ratlam: Flicker of hope for lives razed as SC questions bulldozer justice
The first of these pleas was filed by the Jamiat-Ulama-i-Hind on April 20, 2022, in the midst of a demolition drive following communal violence in Delhi’s Jahangirpuri.
Dear family,
Every year in mains there are 1-2 questions with terms you may have not heard. You are not the only one, these questions are hard for everybody.
Hope you aren't letting such questions bring you down.
Mains is not a sprint but a marathon, keep your eye on the target and just rest and recover to perform tomorrow.
Do well in GS 3 and GS 4. Remember to use graphs, data and diagrams and keywords for GS 3
For ethics, make sure you don't take too long for any question or any section. Start strong, start quick and don't fixate over any one question/ case study/ section. Finishing your paper is key here. Include the keywords, diagrams and thinkers in your ethics answers.
Apologies again for being missing here during such an important period for us. I've immersed myself in training and am striving to do justice to my duties here as a trainee.
Hopefully we'll connect soon
For now, wishing you all the best and praying for your resilience.
most importantly do not torture yourself with mains analyses or with losing sleep over any question- focus on the target lying ahead
Like I said for Prelims: you've sent your mains answers to the universe and the universe will take care of you.
You'll do great
Every year in mains there are 1-2 questions with terms you may have not heard. You are not the only one, these questions are hard for everybody.
Hope you aren't letting such questions bring you down.
Mains is not a sprint but a marathon, keep your eye on the target and just rest and recover to perform tomorrow.
Do well in GS 3 and GS 4. Remember to use graphs, data and diagrams and keywords for GS 3
For ethics, make sure you don't take too long for any question or any section. Start strong, start quick and don't fixate over any one question/ case study/ section. Finishing your paper is key here. Include the keywords, diagrams and thinkers in your ethics answers.
Apologies again for being missing here during such an important period for us. I've immersed myself in training and am striving to do justice to my duties here as a trainee.
Hopefully we'll connect soon
For now, wishing you all the best and praying for your resilience.
most importantly do not torture yourself with mains analyses or with losing sleep over any question- focus on the target lying ahead
Like I said for Prelims: you've sent your mains answers to the universe and the universe will take care of you.
You'll do great
"Remember how hard you studied for the exam, and keep that in mind throughout the tenure of your service. It shouldn't be just about getting the foot in the door and becoming complacent once in...Never forget your UPSC journey and let that be your internal motivation for working ten times harder in service"
Blessed and grateful to have interacted with Hon' PM yesterday on the eve of National Unity Day.
----
Keep going! Praying for each and every one of you ✨🙏🇮🇳
Blessed and grateful to have interacted with Hon' PM yesterday on the eve of National Unity Day.
----
Keep going! Praying for each and every one of you ✨🙏🇮🇳