Note: My book, Fundamentals of Essay and Answer Writing is out now! It’s a comprehensive guide that helps you write better Essays and Answers in the UPSC Mains Exam. You can get the book here.
Novelist Stephen King put it beautifully when he said, “I write to find out what I think.”
Writing is a window to your thought process. What you write on paper will tell the reader how you think, how you argue and the way you substantiate your viewpoint. This is why for most competitive examinations and academic entrance tests, essay is mandatory.
In the Civil Services Exam too, we have a paper worth 250 marks, equivalent to a General Studies paper. Despite its importance, essay paper often does not get the attention it deserves from aspirants. First timers think they will write an excellent essay in the final exam itself, whereas experienced aspirants believe that since they had already studied a ton for GS, it will alone be enough to write a good essay. This is a fatal miscalculation.
I was one of those who made these errors in the past, and it is not a coincidence that I scored only 100 in CSE 2015. But in 2017, I devoted adequate time to this paper. I collected useful quotes, prepared notes and even made rough essay drafts for frequently asked topics. All this effort in essay paper helped me score 155.
What follows is an elaborate post on how you should tackle the Essay paper. I’ve organised the content as follows:
- What UPSC says about the essay paper
- How and from where to prepare?
- Improving language and expression
- On subheadings and rough drafts
- What you must avoid
- How to write a powerful introduction?
- Developing the content of an Essay
- Substantiating your arguments
- How to conclude an Essay
- My notes, quote collection and sample essays
What UPSC says about the essay paper
“Candidates may be required to write essays on multiple topics. They will be expected to keep closely to the subject of the essay, to arrange their ideas in an orderly fashion, and to write concisely. Credit will be given for effective and exact expression.”
Essay distinguishes itself from GS in the sense that in GS, marks will be awarded purely for content. But in essay, examiners will pay special attention to not just the content, but also the language, coherence and the way you organise your write-up.
So you must take adequate care to arrange your ideas properly and not commit any fundamental spelling or grammatical errors.
How and from where to prepare?
Most of the content you write in Essay will come from your GS preparation. Apart from this, the following sources will help:
- Reading non-fiction helps you develop a matured thought process. Apart from imparting knowledge, they will also let you come across good figures of speech, art of argumentation, powerful rhetoric and unique content etc. For example, in an essay on Artificial Intelligence, I took arguments from Yuval Harari’s Homo Deus to argue that AI is an imminent threat to humanity. Or if you read Why Nations Fail, a book replete with examples, you will understand the importance of innovation, political and economic freedoms in propelling a nation forward. So my suggestion is, apart from UPSC related material, develop the hobby of reading non-fiction books. I do not mean to suggest that you should start reading one non-fiction book per topic to get good scores in Essay, but reading them occasionally in your free time will benefit you in the long run.
- Referring to specific magazines: For certain topics, you can refer to specific issues of Yojana/EPW/Economic Survey etc. Example: for an essay on tribal issues or public health, you can go through specific issues of these magazines for getting the latest statistics (IMR, MMR, malnutrition levels etc) and also about the positives and criticisms of govt schemes in that sector.
- Collecting good stories/anecdotes and quotes: Anecdotes, quotes and real life stories you see in newspapers and books which can be used in essay should be noted down. In most of my essays, I used to start with a relevant story or an anecdote that has the essay topic as its underlying theme. Apart from these, I also used a couple of quotes of eminent persons.
- List of quotes, anecdotes I collected are available in the link at the end of this article.
Improving language and expression
Language in essay must be simple and clear with as little jargon as possible. If you want to use complex definitional terms such as, say, ‘Constitutionalism’ or ‘Sanskritisation’ please define it in sentence just before you use it. Examiner will also understand clearly what you want to convey. Clear writing is clear thinking. And that is what any reader looks for.
Keep your sentences short and powerful. Long, winding sentences makes it difficult to read and understand. If you tack on one clause after another through conjunctions, what you get is a bad sentence sprawl.
Example of a bad sentence sprawl:
At the end of World War 2, on the one hand, while capitalism was successfully championed by the nations in North America and Europe, on the other hand, it was USSR that put Communism at the forefront due to which there was an ideological clash between the the two superpowers which had led to proxy wars in various parts of the globe, a nuclear arms race and a rapid deterioration of the security of the world.
By the time readers finish reading it, they will lose their breath and the point of the sentence. So I had a simple rule: If you run out of your breath while reading a sentence, then probably you will have to break it into two.
Rewriting the aforementioned example after breaking it into two (which makes it much easier to read and comprehend):
After World War 2, while the North American and European nations championed capitalism, USSR put communism at the forefront. This ideological clash between the superpowers led to several proxy wars, a nuclear arms race and a rapid deterioration of world security.
Vocabulary
There is no need to memorise complex words for writing a good essay. But an occasional use of a powerful word, or a good phrase definitely gives your write-up an edge.
Also, I believe that learning numerous words by rote will not make them stick in your brain for long. The best way to build your vocabulary is by reading non-fiction and English newspapers. While reading these, if you come across a good turn of phrase, or a word that you don’t recognise, please note it down in a book, find its meaning and understand the context in which the word was used. This helps in long term memory. Having a dictionary app on your phone also helps.
Building vocabulary is a slow process, but with consistency, anyone can become better at using an expansive set of words.
Subheadings & Rough Drafts
We can be a little innovative in our subheadings. Instead of bland subheadings such as ‘Benefits of Nuclear Energy’ we can use “Nuclear Energy: Promise or Peril?’ Similarly, for the essay on Social Media, instead of writing ‘Advantages and Disadvantages of Social Media’, I wrote “Social Media: A Double Edged Sword”
You can find my collection of a few such subheadings in the link to my notes, given at the end of the article.
I also prepared a rough draft for a few essay topics (link given at the end). You may need to modify the structure as per the demand of the question.
What you must avoid in Essay
- Do not focus excessively only on one point, or one dimension (such as the historical or political aspect) Your essay needs to be expansive and multi-dimensional.
- During preparation, we read a lot and it’s understandable that we feel strongly about certain topics. And since essay offers freedom to write, it’s very easy to get carried away with such a topic. But make sure that you write what is asked, not what you know or feel like. No mann ki baat. Always stick to the subject of the topic. It helps to read the question in the midst of your essay to ensure that you are not steering away from the topic.
- If you are not comfortable writing about abstract philosophical topics (I am terrible at writing them), avoid such questions. Your choice of topic has no bearing on the marks and that is why, selecting an unpopular topic just for the sake of it is unwise. Also, if there’s a technical term in the question, be doubly sure that you understand it correctly. For instance, in 2014, there was a question on ‘standard tests’, which is a technical term. I misunderstood it and wrote a generic essay. I got 112.
- When you take a final stand on an issue, it’s best to avoid extreme or highly unpopular opinions. We are free to have any opinion in the privacy of our minds, but in UPSC essay why take that risk? For instance, in an essay on Capital Punishment, in the main body content, you should present a case for both abolition and retention. But when you take a stance, it’s best to be an abolitionist.
- No ranting. You might be a great fan of Karl Marx, but if there’s a question on Capitalism, do not rant or rail against it 🙂 You must present both the positives and negatives of Capitalism and end the essay on a balanced note.
- Do not dedicate disproportionate amount of time for the first essay and scamper through the second. Both carry equal marks, so please invest equal time.
How to transition smoothly from one para to the next
This can be done in three ways.
Through a link sentence at the end of a para:
Here, at the end of a para, you write a sentence that signals to the examiner what’s coming next. For example, let’s say you have just written a para about the threat posed by Artificial Intelligence (AI) to jobs. At the end of that para you can write a link sentence— “Further, we must be mindful of the fact that Artificial Intelligence poses a major challenge not just economically, but also ethically.” And in the next para, you can write about the ethical issues concerning AI.
Through a question:
Instead of a link sentence, you can also add a question at the end of a para so that examiner’s attention is helplessly carried to the next. To take the similar example as above, the question can be something like— “Thus we have examined the threat posed by AI to our economy, but what about the challenges brought by AI to our ethics and morals?” And in the next para, you can write about the ethical issues concerning AI.
Signalling the shift at the start of next paragraph:
Here you can simply add a word or two at the beginning of a para that signals a shift in your subtopic. For example in an essay on Globalisation, let’s say you have just written a para about its historical evolution and impact. You can start the next para with something like— “Politically too, globalisation has had a tremendous impact……” This way examiner immediately knows what to expect.
These steps will ensure that the transition between paragraphs is not abrupt.
How to write a good Introduction to your Essay?
Essay introduction can be:
a fictitious incident or story (where you introduce a character);
a real life anecdote;
a quote; or
a simple definition of the words in the question (not recommended in Essay)
In GS, definitional approach is a great way to introduce your answers. But in essay, they are rather stale, lacking in any human element. I always believe that a good way to start your essay is to have that touch of humanity and warmth in your introduction.
In my Mains exam, this was my introduction to the essay ‘Destiny of a nation is shaped in its classroom’
“The year was 1945. Towards the end of a gruesome world war, the world powers decided to carve up the Korean peninsula along the 38th parallel.
“Before partition, North and South Korea might have been homogeneous in every respect, but after the division, they steered onto different paths. While schools in the North chose to ‘educate’ their children in the worship of a cult leader, ideological indoctrination and servility, its southern counterpart focused on liberal education, innovation and economic growth.
“Today, almost seven decades later, the difference in the fates of these people and the trajectories of both these nations cannot be more stark. One is known for gross violation of human rights, while the other a champion of liberal democracy. One is known for gut-wrenching poverty, while the other unbridled prosperity.
“This only proves the age old adage that the destiny of a nation is indeed shaped in its classrooms.”
Similarly, for the Social Media essay, my introduction sought to bring to the fore the paradox of Social Media. I wrote on how social media was leveraged to crowdsource help and rescue during Chennai floods in 2015. At the same time, I mentioned how it was used nefariously in 2012 to cause mass exodus of northeast people from Bangalore. And taking cue from this introduction, in the main body, I discussed about the inherent selfishness and altruism associated with social media.
These real life stories, anecdotes and incidents are everywhere in our books and newspapers. So when you come across them, note down and ponder as to how you can use them in your essay.
Developing the Main Content from the Topic
This is like spinning the web from a thread. Depending on the topic, you can choose among the following options that fits best.
- Temporal: Past, present and future
- Sectoral: Media, Science & Tech, Business, Sports, Religion, Politics, Administration etc
- Walks of Life: Individual, Family, Professional workplace, Society, Community, National, Global
- Problem & Solution: Concept (historical evolution+status), benefits, problems, solutions
- Standard: Social, Political, Economical, Administrative, International, Environmental, Historical, Scientific, Security/Defence, Legal
Example: for a topic like “Has Globalisation delivered on its promise?” I find the problem & solution method an apt way to develop your narrative. So choose as per the question.
Substantiating your arguments
In the main body of the essay, each para must have an argument or an idea and a reasoning to back that argument. You can substantiate it through a real-life example, a statistic, an authentic committee or organisational report etc.
For example, if you are arguing that Capital punishment is an expensive form of justice, you should be able to given an example or a statistic or Law Commission’s opinion as to how the subjects of death penalty are overwhelmingly from poor communities.
Statistics, examples, expert opinions and constitutional provisions are crucial and they make your arguments authoritative.
Concluding an Essay
Conclusion needs to be on a futuristic, optimistic note. You need to summarise the complete essay in 3-4 sentences, after which you can write your vision for future.
You can source some useful terms from the speeches of PM Modi. Phrases like Sabka saath sabka vikas, Reform-Perform-Transform, Building A New India etc can come handy. Rhetoric, lofty expressions, constitutional ideals, Sanskrit slokas and quotes are a good way to conclude your essay.
But suppose in your introduction, if you had written about a fictitious character, then it’s always advisable to end your write-up with a reference to that character. It gives a sense of completeness to the essay.
My Notes
Readers should keep in mind that these notes are written rather haphazardly (I mean who makes notes thinking that in future, they might have to make them public :D) They are fragmented in certain parts and illegible at others, so you may not be able to comprehend them completely. But nevertheless, I hope you take home something useful.
Link to handwritten notes:
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1jmVMGOzAk2d9B5Y0HQ9XpVF5Mh2IXGku
Quote collection:
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1jk71jLao60hHwJoTuGYaIDgJWccxa5Xn
List of Topics one needs to prepare:
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1q0W0PeH-80EKt6ucJTFOVPUlmXvCIzd-
Sample Essay:
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1jqfUi1FXdG0icBdJpdQvwH1wlAizCMvo
Note: My book, Fundamentals of Essay and Answer Writing is out now! It’s a comprehensive guide that helps you write better Essays and Answers in the UPSC Mains Exam. You can get the book here.
Anudeep sir anthropology optional lene ka reason,benefit nd books nd materials k liye bta dijiye….as yu told that yr batch mate helps yu for preparing optional than can she provide the material in Hindi…
Hi Sir! Could you please post Anthropology strategy and booklist on this blog ?
Yes, will do.
Thanks Sir !
Hello Anudeep!
I have an offer for you. If you are interested to write an essay book on UPSC main exam. Then please call me @ 9937089856.
Can hepatitis b person rejected for ias
Thanks sir.. I was waiting for this..
Great article !!
Waiting for Mains and Anthro strategy.
Its like a printed ruled note sir… You have a beautiful heart with beautiful hand writing 🙂
Thank you.
Sir i want to ask a question can you share me your ideas about language preferences ..hindi or English…which are best
Can you suggest some non fiction books which you think One should read ?? Plzz suggest
Thank you so much sir . I got what I was finding since year .
Thanks a ton sir,
Another very useful post.
Hope you make good use of it, Yogesh 🙂
Sir I am presently pursuing my btech , and I want to start my preparation for upsc. Iam in confusion which optional subject to choose and what gives the best score at last.. please suggest me
am not able to download from the links they are getting errorout
Superb article.!! Thanks sir..
Thanks!
How did you prepare your GAS paper 1-4 in 2017
Thanks alot sir. That is too much effort that you put in for all of us..
Great article sir.
Extremely helpful! Thanks a lot Sir..
Thanks.
U proved ur humbleness once again☺
Thank you.
Sir I have read your blog and it has motivated me to prepare again for civil services. I have given 3 mains(2015, 2016,2017) before but have not qualified either.i have not given prelims this year. 2019 would be my last attempt(6th and final one) I have scored below average in gs and essay in all my mains. In 2017 my gs score is 376 and essay is 110. I have been living in Delhi since my preparation. In my successive mains I have joined nearly all coaching institute for mains test series LOOKMAN, VISION, FORUMIAS etc but to no avail. I am poor in Essay and Gs 4 esp. I have applied for IASBABA mains program but i am confused about whether it would help me or not. If you have any idea about insights or IASBABA. Please inform me on dimpleknankani@gmail.com
Sir please guide as to whar shoush be my strategy.
Regards
Hi dimple90,
During my preparation, I did not join any programme from IASBABA, so I do not have much idea about it.
Irrespective of where you join, after you write a test, have a look at answer books of candidates who are scoring well. Take a printout, and analyse what is lacking in your answers, and then work on them. That is how you should consistently keep improving.
Namastey Respected Sir🙏
Thank you so much sir for all the informations.
I’m your big fan sir.
I want to be an IAS .
I want to improve my english , what should I do ?
I can understand english very well but don’t speak fluently 😔.
You are my mentor sir .
Thank you sir your hlping nature shows ur personality how humble u are thnx once agin sir it hlps alot
Sir pleasplreply
Nice post anna thank you anna
Thank you.
Thank you very much bro…
Please write the same for GS 1 to 4 . That will be really helpful..
Thank u so much sir . Plz share ur optional anthropology strategy
I’ve uploaded them. Please find those articles under the ‘Optional’ tab.
Prelims ki all in one book unda sir ??
No. Please check my blog post on Prelims booklist.
Sir,I am CS aspirant. Do we have to study the syllabus of prelims and mains at the same time and is maths important in the prelims.
Can i meet you sir
Thankyou for your valuable efforts for aspirants like us….its a relief.
Thanks and best wishes.
You are superb sir…an intellectually combined source of knowledge and experience.
Thank you.
Tq sir can u show essay paper I mean which wrote in test series
it’s a nice article…will help a lot….
Really helpful article that i ever read!!!! simply admiring!!!!
Thank you. I am glad you found it helpful.
Hii Anna,coming to the point of essay ..is there any sentence limit for introduction like GS
Doing a great job.. standing up like a beacon of light to the aspirants.. Tough I am not a competitor for anyone.. I follow to guide my students..
Thank you for your kind words.
Great,Sir! The theory of everything pertaining to essay writing is captured in a commendable writing style.I guess it is time for me to learn another art of writing-reframe sentences to reform and transform sentences to perform🤔…Best wishes and keep going.Good Day😎
Thank you.
Really helpful sir, Plz make a note on remaining papers also. including reference books.
Yes, I will.
thankyou anna
Congratulations dear, you proved yourself as a hero of this journey, prove yourself as a hero in beaurocratic journey . India needs honest beaurocrates
Yes, thank you.
Sir, please tell us about your anthropology optional strategy. It would be of great help.
It’s updated. Please check the “Optional” tab on this site.
You are just inspiration to me sir, i really want to be like you sir.
sir.. great article.. can you please share your anthropology answer sheets.. it would be really helpful..
I did not take any test series for Anthropology. So I’m afraid I don’t have any answer books with me. You can refer to Sachin Gupta’s (AIR-3) articles on insightsonindia.com He uploaded his answer books.
How to prepare for ethics paper sir?
very informative article..
thanks Sir..
simplicity is the ultimate sophistication ………
NOW i can see………
thanks a lot sir …..
Thank you sir! The article is really helpful. India is really proud to have such a humble officers like you.
Please do the same for GS1 to 4 as well. Would be really helpful. Thank you sir. ☺️
Sure, I will.
Sir I am really inspired by your journey.You are Simplicity at its best.
Sir I am unable to subscribe …..whenever I am entering my email it’s always showing invalid
Sir thank you for giving this unique opportunity to sharing something with you..when you have changed your optional subject from PA to anthropology, how much did you take to complete the entire syllabus?? And in general without having any prior base on the subject, would you advise someone to opt another optional?
I took around 6 months to complete the syllabus. But you must keep in mind that this time duration varies from person to person. So even if you take more time to finish the syllabus, always focus on getting conceptual clarity first. Ultimately, that’s what determines whether you get good marks.
Tq veryyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy much
You’re the motivater for all cs students
This kind of detailed explanation is vulnerable. Million tons of Thanks sir.
Please give some tips for GS answer writing also, if possible
Thank you. A detailed post on GS answer writing will be updated soon.
popular demand on answer writing awaits your response.
thansyou ……sir we waiting for gs answer writing
Dear Sirr do u had practice answer writing daily
Respected Sir, please suggest me some good reference books for political science and IR optional… Sir I am asked to many success candidate but no one reply back… Please sir reply me, it means a lot for me…
I’m sharing this article written by my batchmate Naveen Chandra: https://thefairbias.quora.com/Optional-Strategy-Political-Science-and-International-Relations
Hope this helps. All the best.
Thank You so much sir…
Hello sir !
I am preparing for upsc 2020 but i am too confused for current affairs how to cover it so many materials are available, which is right material ? Plz help me !
Thanks a lot Sir😊
First of all my heartly congratulations to you sir… Really it’s a great article and good message to all…Definitely it will help full to all civil services aspirants sir..Thanks a lot sir…once again Congratulations sir…keep smiling 😊
indeed helpful sir. thanku so much sir
Sir,Can u pls share your mains booklist
Thank you
well ready to eat… i was searching for such material…. thank you sir G
How much the marks depends upon the handwriting and what are the scoring to be alloted depending upon the handwriting.
As long as your handwriting is legible, it does not carry much importance in marking.
Sir plz plz
give me some tips about how to improve handwriting
U had joined forumias handwriting programme, i have heard this..
Thank you sir…
2007A8PS194P rocks!
Thank you, my fellow BITSian 🙂
Sir what was ur strategy for public administration? What were the mistakes u have done in PA ?
My public administration scores in all my four previous attempts were disastrous. Surely my strategy was not good. I am not really the right person to guide anyone on Pub Ad.
Sir, I just gone through your GS papers published in ForumIAS. Was it because of your writing speed you have given more pictorial representations or because it will give an edge ?
Pictorial representation along with good content will definitely give an edge to your answers.
Ok Sir. Thank you!!!
Hello sir,
Firstly hearty congratulations for ur great success…
I have given two attempts and still struggling at prelims stage itself. ..
I’m not confident about my answer writing..
July to next June how should be the plan…
Optional and ethics to be completed before prelims only.??
Please give a rough structure of year long time table sir…
Would it help on joining mains test series before prelims which starts in Aug 2018.
Please help me sir. .
Thank you
Prepare in the next 3-4 months seriously for Mains, as if you have cleared Prelims this time. Give adequate time for answer writing practice and revision. Join a test series too, if you can.
Once Mains gets over, start preparing for Prelims for next year. Practice question papers and consistently aim to score above 110.
Sir, could you kindly write about what an undergraduate student should start off with, in order to start preparing for this examination ?
Thank you and a hearty congratulations on your success. 🙂
1. Develop the hobby of reading newspapers, non fiction books and watching documentaries.Then start with standard books I mentioned in my Prelims blog post.
Could you please suggest some good documentaries to watch.. thanks
anna gs hand notes written unte pls upload cheyandi…..pls
dearest Anudeep,
i generally never comment anywhere but my friend you have given me such insights that i’ll be fool if i don’t pay my respect and gratitude to you.
so from the bottom of my heart
Thank you so much for your kindness and generosity.
ATB for all your future endeavours.
🙂
Thank you, brother.
hello sir, i have a doubt. sir in your essay notes almost every ending is with ‘coda’ or ‘character coda’ can you please decode what is this and how to use it as conclusion…?THANK YOU.
It merely means to end the essay with a reference to the character/story with which I started the essay. This gives a sense of wholeness to your write-up.
What an elaborative way. Thanks a ton sir
Thank you.
Thanks a lot sir . May God bless you with a blissful and healthy life!
Thank you.
I didn’t knew I was so ignorant until i read the beginning of your essay. I always began my essays like GS answers.I couldn’t be more wrong.
Yours is a great beginning which is certain to ‘bind’ the reader. I sure am going to use your suggestions in improving my essays.
Thank you taking out time to write this.
Thank you. I’m glad you found the write-up useful.
Thank you sir!
Congratulations sir. Heartily thanks for efforts.
All the best for your great journey sir. Thank you thanks a lot sir.
Sir please can you give the booklist for mains
See: https://anudeepdurishetty.in/how-to-conquer-gs-in-upsc-mains-explained/
Super sir, I thought getting rank in UPSC CSE is just little hard work only needed. But after reading all your post, I wake up from my dream. Keep post your thoughts and ideas sir, It makes me feel motivated.
Can you list some non-fiction books for UPSC related? Not only for exam related also to understand our nation in socially, economic point view, developments and culture variation etc.,
An Uncertain Glory – Amartya sen
Imagining India – Nandan Nilekani
India- Patrick French
India – John Keay
Why Growth Matters – Arvind Panagariya
The Difficulty of Being Good -Gurucharan Das
Ideas for India- Bibek Debroy
These are all good reads on India.
Sir, you have mentioned about concluding essays with sanskrit shlokas.
1) Would it be advisable to write shlokas in devanagiri script or english?
2) Can these shlokas be used in GS4 also?
Congratulations & Thanks for the write up.
1. English.
2. Yes.
This is Nice blog sir I am some Read but not understand in English medium I believe that you are grate author. Wish! Sir if given a Hindi paragraph so we are very happy .
I am sorry, I am not well versed inHindi.
Hi sir,
I am a great fan of you and even my role model. Because of you I get intense interest on upsc exam. And daily gets motivated on reading your success and the strategy you followed.
I tried to contact you sir, for getting help from you. Because I am preparing for UPSC. And I would like to have any of your personal contact because I have around 2 yrs to write the exam, and I aim to reach the first position with your guidance and motivation.
sir i am medical graduate which is the best optional other than anthropology.
Congratulation Sir, thanks for such brief and honest article.I request you to please share your GS-1,2,3,4 Mains Answer writing strategy in detail.
.
Thank you sir..
I gained a lot
Thank you so much sir. It is really very helpful.The elaboration of every small things that is required to write a good essay is here. Worth reading it. Even the comment section is useful. Again, thanks a lot.
Hi Anudeep,
Hearty congratulations…
Really inspired by your journey..
I am writing my mains this year and this is my first attempt. …I request you to upload your all your mains test copies which would really be helpful. Thanks in advance
Sir,
Your notes and sample essay are amazing. It is really helpful.Worth reading it. Thank you so much for sharing this.😊
Sir,
first of all congratulations for your stupendous achievement. i have a small doubt regarding thesis statement. many aspirants, even coaching institutes advice to write a thesis statement. even in one of your essays you had written thesis. but,in your essay notes you striked it off saying not needed. pls answer if you find time whether thesis is necessary or not?
I didn’t write it in my final exam. It’s not necessary if you have good coherence and flow in the main content.
Annaya ,
Can you help me out in deciding to join a coaching center or not?
Sir,
Heartiest congratulations ….it is very helpful …thanks a ton for the great efforts that you have provided to the aspirants like us…
I had never seen such a ranker who put his/her valuable time just to guide the aspirants, covering the things in detail.
The way you penned the essays, GS papers and gist u prepared for revision made me to rethink my preparation strategy.
Your handwritten notes depicts the efforts u put in this preparation and u deserves such rank
Kudos to your efforts and keep inspring us sir!
Thank you so much.
Sir, I lost June To August months because of health issues and I’m bit nervous about remaining 9 months. So I kindly request you to guide us on remaining time till 2 June 2019.
Sir will you please recommend from where i can get access to read non fiction books?
your greatness and sympathetic attitude towards students can be seen through sharing of your views in internet.thank you sir.
Sir, did you write your upsc mains gs2 paper in the same way as you wrote your gs paper 2 test at forum ias?
Yes.
Meeru 2014 essay lo chesina tappu ninna nenu chesocha. Customary morality ki edo rasocha 🙁
It’s okay man. We all make mistakes. Don’t fret over it much and start preparing for the interview.
congratulations Anudeep ias .your effort will bring us to change our society with greenary environment
I do like your farmens sir i want to be ias my name is anita yadav
good morning sir
anna can u help me in philosophy optional .??
I’m sorry, I have no idea.
hi , can answer the same
Sir when should i start preparing essay? should I complete gs first or start preparing along with gs?
Sir it’s a very very helpful notes
Thank you so much😊
Hi Anudeep Anna!
First of all congratulations to you….
I am pursuing BTech and to be completed with in 2years..
Can you please suggest how to start my preparation and fed up with reading first…?
It will be very helpful for aspirants like me if u suggest any strategies..
Thank you sir …..
Wow man this is how it is done “oddly” to be no.1 in the business!!
Thank You for navigating Sir😊🙏🙏
hlo sir mujhe essay ke liye thoda guidence de skte hai sir
Sir could you please tell me that is open degree candidate eligible for IAS
I do not know. Please check with UPSC.
Yaaa éligible… Exemple topper 3rd gopala krishna (AP)
Annayya is open degree candidate eligible for the IAS exam
Thanks a lot sir, its very useful.
Anudeep sir,
I am a huge fan and admirer of yours, sir, what is the best time to start for answer writing? i am totally dependent on self studies ..2019 will be my 1st attempt.. can’t decide whether to mug up the synopsises provided by insights or try to answer them by myselves. pls help me sir ☹️
Kathakali,
Sir, Can you tell which test series you preferred for both prelims and mains in a hub where every institute says “They are the best”.
kindly name a few non fiction books.
kindly name a few non fiction books names.
Its a great article. Thank you so much sir. I got what i was searching for entirely at one place😊😊😊😊
Although I am not an UPSC aspirant however, it feels imperative to engage myself into such articles which actually touches all aspects of the matter. your article was absolutely worth to be gone through and the tips and tricks that has been shared by you. And by having put your uncountable effort to be able to get through the exam, you have really achieved something vital. great to have you in the world…thanks for the articles
I’m going to startCSE preparation after class12 and have packed my bag for Delhi ..
During my graduation what subject can I cope up with!? May it’s essay writing or so..
Thank you so much sir for your guidance.
Please sir upload your email ID .I need your email ID sir and sir please upload G S answer writing booklet sir
Congratulations sir.Which non-fiction you were reading?Thank you
Sir I am brother of ias Aman Vaishnav
Sir please can you give your suggestion for (cset )
Please help me on whats App
My whats App number
9772740561
Thank you sir. I will meet you as an IAS officer soon sir.
Hai annayya,
Hats off to your patience in preparing for UPSC. I am also trying to be patience and learn more
Annayya, I am going to start my preparation for UPSC as it was my childhood dream, I am confused,”Which subject should I start with, a fresher like me?”
PLEASE, HELP ME ANNAYYA in getting out of my confusion!!!!!!
is it okay to use idioms ?
May I start introduction in essay in negative way sir …??
After reading all the guidance provided , reading notes and listed quotes, when i started reading the sample essays i realised how precisely you have applied every minute thing and how smoothly you have moulded few things… That’s what i got to learn from this article… thank you for sharing such efforts 🙂
Sir,
Thank you so much for taking out time in such detailed explanation. These are extremely useful. Could you please tell us on how to prepare qualifying language paper considering I’m not from telugu medium.
Thank you so much!
Prathima
Sir very very thankful to share your strategy to write essay .sir,i want an advice from you; sir i want to become a ias officer and in present i am in diploma 2nd year so sir.can u tell me how can i start my preparation for upsc exam from now so that i will not find more difficulty in completing my syllabus before exam so sir i request you to guide how i start my preparation from now plzz sir hoping for your early response sir!
Hello Sir, thank you very much for the information. Sir can you share some insight which books should I prefer for UPSC Preparation?
Sir can you provide some more samples of your essay ?
I really liked your essay writing strategy and I want to follow it.
Thank you sir
My 12th board exams ended on 11th march and this year i will be stepping into college life . My aim since childhood is to become a civil servant . I am thinking to prepare for one year after college and then give upsc exam so Can you please tell me what can i do during college years so that i may complete some or half of portion of my preparation and that may help me during my one year preparation and help me in cracking upsc .
Great article. Those who are looking for Essays on current affairs pls visit https://www.iassolution.com/
Hi sir .
Do we get the questions from topics given in the syllabus book of upsc.
is the thesis statement required or not ? Its a bit ambiguous . Please clear this query
Sir,IAM practicing answers for mains daily , what is the way to evaluate them on daily basis.please suggest me sir.all the best to your bright future.once again congratulations for secured AIR-1.
Thanks a looooooooooooot sir.
You are the most brilliant,humble,dedicated,kind hearted and a true IAS officer,,Nation has really a need of an IAS officer like u sir….
Sorry to say sir but please write in little clean handwriting. I downloaded notes but those are sometimes difficult to understand.
Thank you so much sir!!
It will help us a lot!!
hello sir.
m preparing for cse 2020 and i want to start y essay preparation and answer writing practice plz guide me for essays how many previous years essays should be prepared…plz guide sir also for answer writing practice
Hi Sir! Could you please post Political science and international relations strategy and booklist on this blog ?
Sir I want to crack ias paper in 1st attempt what done to doing this
Sir which book is best please tell booklist
Hello sir, I am third yrs b. SC student. I am preparation for upsc exam. Sir my background in Marathi language I am not English better plz suggest me how can improving English and also suggest me starting booklet study. Thank you.plz plz reply me
Thank you
Heartly congratulations Sir,the moment i started preparing is one of the reasons of your successful failures which made me feel standby…All your strategies are very helpful for me to make out mine..Need your support throughout my preparation journey ..hopefully with your posts and motivation sir…
sir, m preparing for 2020 exam and my optional is Anthropology but whenever i am going to write notes it is going huge , cant understand whether i should make every topic broadly or just write concept and keyword / also facing prob in incorporate current affairs on notes,
so, it would be very helpful to us if you upload your anthropology notes
and for prelims – how should i make notes for CA as well as from static portion, especially for prelims
what is your strategy and resource for economy ??
Has the Essay book been published? From where can it be bought?
Hi Team,
Open Degree candidates are eligible to write.
For ex: Ronanki Gopala Krishna, who complete his open degree in distance education and secured 3rank.
So whoever completed degree in distance, they can apply without doubts and stat giving your best in preparation.
can we right sanskrit sloak in
english eassy
Hii Anna,coming to the point of essay …Is there any sentence limit for introduction like GS
Sir essay hindi me likhna hota hai ya English me
Sir please can u tell me how u created stories or collected them for your introduction.
Sir am waiting for the update
Thanks Sir. Relevant article. Very nice..Thanks again.
Thank you sir !!!
Dear sir ,
Thank you sir .
Sir i am studying diploma 2nd year.
Can i start my preparation now onwards.
Which books i have to read 1st?
How i have to start my preparation??
Sir, please can you suggest me some non-fictional books for essay.
Hello Anudeep, pls send me the link for Handwritten notes, quotes as it is not available now link is showing error.
☺️This is what we need Sir…
Thankyou very much.
Sir can plz help us to select which optional combination is best, and which is not. I can understand it’s completely depends on us, but somewhere I’m little bit confused.
Hello Sir, I am preparing for gujarat PCS class 1 2, my education is throughout gujarati medium. I can read and understand english but I afraid to write an English essay.
Sir can guide me… How to practice for english essay…. Because essay needs so much heavy words as I seen in your blog.
Thank you,
Thank you sir ,
great inspiration
Sir, How to prepare for General Studies Paper 2 for Prelims? I am struggling a lot due to this paper. Please suggest ur recommendations!
Sir you really serving as a true guru. great work sir i helped by you a lot
Most respected Shree Anudeep Sir…. Pranam 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻 Please tell me, what is the difference between the two… 1. Fundamentals of answer writing_complete edition ₹399 and 2. Fundamentals of answer writing_basic edition ₹299… What should I buy? Please clarify in detail dear respected sir? ✍🏻✍🏻✍🏻 PLEASE??? THANK YOU…!!!
Sir please tell me how to prepare for current affairs?????? Please sir
This is wholesome
Thank you very much sir
God bless you
Sir,currently I completed my intermediate (+2)from Telangana. I cleared jeemains with 96.5 percentile.I am interested in civil services .Shall I do B.Tech or B.A (political science) in Delhi university.Please Guide me sir or Any body.
Thank u Sir for such detailed analysis.
Sir, could you please suggest some non-fiction reads based on society, history and politics. Found one reply in comments section:
An Uncertain Glory – Amartya sen
Imagining India – Nandan Nilekani
India- Patrick French
India – John Keay
Why Growth Matters – Arvind Panagariya
The Difficulty of Being Good -Gurucharan Das
Ideas for India- Bibek Debroy
If any other recent read that can be added to the list, pls. suggest.
Thanks
Gratitude
Amazing write up!! It includes bits of everything which is required in essay writing. Thank you so much. 🙂
I am student of hindi medium.
Sir what is the difference between writing an essay, GS writing.
Mind-blowing
Awesome..
Sir if aspraints practiceskng the essay and answer writing without coaching and where he or she upload for better assessments
I had to ask that I can use whatever quote you have suggested, like education topic, if you have said quote above the suggestion, then anyone can use it. pleaase help me
How can i buy this book??