Rank 1 CSE 2024 Shakti Dubey | Optional | Strategy For Political Science & International Relations
Summary
Highlights
Shakti Dubey discusses the crucial role of optional subjects in the UPSC Civil Services Examination and the factors to consider when choosing one. She shares her personal dilemma, having a background in Biochemistry, and her initial inclination towards Anthropology due to perceived overlap with her graduation subject, only to find a lack of interest.
After realizing her lack of interest in Anthropology, Shakti meticulously analyzed various optionals. She ultimately chose PSIR due to her inherent interest in Political Science, its significant overlap with General Studies Paper 2 and General Studies Paper 4, and its utility in essay writing. She also considered the easy availability of resources for PSIR.
Having decided to self-prepare for PSIR without a foundation course, Shakti outlines her resource strategy. She started with IGNOU MA materials, then utilized coaching materials from Vajiram & Ravi and Shubhra Ranjan IAS, and most notably, a template from Utkarsh Dwivedi's blog. She emphasized creating her own comprehensive notes by adding value from various sources.
Shakti discusses the importance of integrating current affairs into PSIR, especially for Paper 2 (Indian part). She mentions using Atish Mathur's Magna Carta series for case laws and Supreme Court judgments and Vivek Waghmare's notes for current dimensions in both Paper 1 and Paper 2. She highlights that current events make answers dynamic and relevant.
After a disappointing score of 230 in PSIR in her 2023 attempt, Shakti identified key areas for improvement. Her primary mistake was writing 'uni-dimensional' answers. For her 2024 attempt, she focused on developing 'multi-dimensional' answers by interlinking concepts from different parts of the syllabus and various thinkers, drawing inspiration from Utkarsh Dwivedi's answer copies.
Shakti emphasizes that PSIR answer writing differs from General Studies. Instead of bullet points, she recommends a paragraph-wise format to maintain a flow. She also advises mentioning relevant thinkers, their theories, contradictions, and improvisations. She created concise short notes with a framework (thinker, adjectives, theories, contradictions, closing remarks) for quick revision, especially during the Mains examination gap.
Shakti suggests completing the optional syllabus by November, followed by a dedicated revision month in December. From January until February, students can focus on challenging topics before shifting entirely to Prelims preparation. She concludes by reiterating that PSIR is a good optional due to its interest factor and overlap with General Studies, emphasizing consistency and a dynamic approach to current affairs.