UPSC

Prelims
Learnings and
Techniques
M A N I S H K U M A R , I A S 2 01 8

@ HARDWORKING HUMAN
 RULES OF UPSC PRELIMS PAPER
SOLVING BASED ON EXPERIENCES
CALMLY READ PAPER

❑ SIMPLICITY OF THOUGHT PROCESS

❑ STREET SMARTNESS- PAPER SMARTNESS

❑ TRUST YOUR RULES AND YOURSELF

❑ POSITIVELY GIVE THE PAPER

 PURA ( PRELIMS ULTIMATE REVISION
APPROACH)- RULES
❑ RULE 1 : Data / Stats / Facts are mostly wrong

❑ RULE 2 : Contemporary word is wrong

❑ RULE 3: Greatly Influenced/ Greatly impacted is wrong

❑ RULE 4: Steadily Increase/ Decrease is wrong

❑ RULE 5: Words like more than/ less than are right

 PURA ( PRELIMS ULTIMATE REVISION
APPROACH)- RULES
❑ RULE 6 : Extreme words like All/ Can’t / Any / Drastically are mostly wrong

❑ RULE 7 : Easy words like “Some” are right

❑ RULE 8: S&T Q have answers many a times as “ALL CORRECT”

❑ RULE 9: In Match Qs mostly 1 only/ 3 only or odd number correct*

❑ RULE 10: UPSC gives answer to some Q in some other Qs as well

 PURA ( PRELIMS ULTIMATE REVISION
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❑ RULE 11 : Two statements can have definitions changed, read well

❑ RULE 12 : Best suited & making most sense lines are correct

❑ RULE 13: Reports like EODB are repeatedly asked, read well

❑ RULE 14: One of Qs may have answer as Vijaynagar, Andaman & Nicobar,
European Union, ASEAN, WTO -> if you are in doubt, go for these
 PURA ( PRELIMS ULTIMATE REVISION
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❑ RULE 15 : Read Q in Hindi as well in case of doubt, it helps

❑ RULE 16 : Understand banking concepts like OMO, Money multiplier,

asset, liability, monetary measures, currency valuation well

❑ RULE 17: Mandatory / Recommendations words are wrong- particularly

for international / environmental treaties

❑ RULE 18: Don’t go into the depth to get confused in Qs if you know
broadly, trust what you know! Don’t expect a catch Q
 PURA ( PRELIMS ULTIMATE REVISION
APPROACH)- RULES
❑ RULE 19 : Words like No/ Cannot are wrong , don’t think much on these

❑ RULE 20 : Don’t leave a lot of Qs ( not more than 10 at any cost), in none
of these as option-> it will not be generally in direct a,b,c,d Q

❑ RULE 21: Read one of statements of Q properly, many a times two

statements of same Q will conflict and you will get answer. Break the
words
 PURA ( PRELIMS ULTIMATE REVISION
APPROACH)- RULES

If these rules start failing in Exam, cut-off will go below 90 as well, in present
scenario, so trust the process and sit in exam with confidence

Learn to appreciate trade-offs in life - > 30 Guess – 20 Correct and 10 wrong

will also yield you 40-6.66 ~ 33 marks in exam!
 PURA ( PRELIMS ULTIMATE REVISION
APPROACH)- RULES

Ideal approach to exam is not possible and not possible even for life !

Approximation to ideal is the best way ☺

Mark 95-> Be sure of 35, in another 25 (out of 2), in another 20 (out of 3)

and next 15 randomly with some confidence
 PURA ( PRELIMS ULTIMATE REVISION
APPROACH)- RULES
One can get

All correct : 35*2 = 70

Out of 2, 16-9 (16*2-9*0.66) ~ 26
Out of 3 , 8-12 (8*2 – 12*0.66) ~ 8
Remaining 15- 5-10 ( 5*2-10*0.66) ~ 4

Marks ~ 108-110
96) Match the following , 5 options so either 3 or 5 correct, so
c gets eliminated. Now all 5 being correct is too big a ask,
hence d also gets eliminated

So we are left with “A” and “B” and either of 2/3 correct we
need to know

97)Trick Q -> see the size of country as well, India exports

Water as well

98) Again apply rule of matching , so option containing 3 will

be correct which means “a” or “b”. You don’t need to waste
time on others. Now 2 contains Chenab and think now about
other rivers and places. Trust on what you have read!

99) See the name carbofuran, parathion , it is like DDT plus

apprehension is the key word!

100) Recommendations will not form the basis of

policy , also mandatory word is wrong
91) Break the word “Nettle” -> net which is related to fibre also
recently and sustainable are keywords….what are we discussing
now a days

Biodiesel and anti-malarial drugs have been discussed a lot in

past as well

92) Science rule- if statements are sounding reasonably all

will be correct ! Don’t use your mind in these Qs a lot else you
will get it wrong

93) Forest report is always in news! Now it’s a percentage Q,

so smaller states will have higher %. If you get this you will
get MP> Maharashtra (as Chhattisgarh formed from
MP)..Also many metropolitan towns in Maharashtra

94) Science rule- if statements are sounding reasonably all

will be correct !

95) Science rule- if statements are sounding

reasonably all will be correct
86) Rules -> Cannot word , so 2 options are eliminated, now 3 is
common in remaining both so no need to read, also judges
removal would have been difficult hence they have not been
removed till date so 4th augments well

87) One must know this that Zamindari and other abolishment
were done right after independence

88)Lottery based is wrong , also India is not self sufficient !

Application of mind

89) Office of profit is not well defined , that is the only catch !

90) One must know these schedules – 5th and 6th – Easy Q
81) Science rule- if statements are sounding reasonably all will
be correct !

82) LEAVE THIS Q!!! NO HINT / NO TRICKS – till you know

83) Hydrogen will always be expensive , elimination is extreme

word , reduces and these words are correct , read those
statements which will lead you to answer even without knowing
other statements

84) Understand it conceptually, its simple , if heat is there on the

ground, then it is difficult for dewdrops

90) 44th was post emergency , 99th was for NJAC these are
famous ones
76) Facts like these will be wrong that A gave title to B, rest are
generic lines which are correct which one generally knows

77) Don’t get confused by tough English of Q, simple concept of

portrait painting was done by Jehangir and go for those only

78) Valley of Flowers is the only one not in north-east, one should
go for those.

79) Straight forward, please don’t get confused…if NITI AAYOG is

there for any scheme, it will have done something

80) Again don’t get confused this can be understood from option
as well. Option b and d are same so one can understand from that
as well
 71) Rules -> If you find Vijayanagara empire as option, go for it
confidently

72) Iqta system if introduced by Sultans can’t be indigenous then.

Now for the remaining two options one is fact other is timeline.
Timeline is generally wrong. So 3 is also wrong. Amil sounds like
Amin who are still part of revenue system

73) Contemporary and greatly influenced these are wrong, seems

difficult Q however follow the rules

74) Gandhi ji supported the soldiers use for world war, this is a
basic premise and the Q setter wants you to crack this fact. From
this only answer comes

75) Since it has 1 only 3 only and all 1-2-3 as option so 1&2 as
option will not be true. Now then I only knew 3 is
Definitely true. Rest if you knew 2 as true, you might
Get answer
 67) Agasthyamala is in South zone with kerala and TN. Hence
option 4 having srisailam is eliminated. If you don’t know about
something like option 3 don’t go for it. Now the answer can be
any of the A and B. One can’t eliminate more than that

68) Some is always true, all 4 are correct

69) Understand this well ! This is a classic case of rules enabling

another rule. In this case all the options of match are like 2
options. In these cases 2 options will be correct, unlike one of
them or all three. Also Irrawady dolphin is always asked just like
mahaseer so it is not difficult

70) Microbeads for environment they are asking . Now there is a

concern word also. Go for statement which is showing a concern.
Option 3 & 4 are statements yet not concerns !

Statement 2 is not directly related to environment. So go for the

best answer . Option 1 is correct
 61) Wheat , Sugarcane are all indigenous. Now cocoa is
something which would have been brought rather than cotton.
See both options properly a and b

62) All have only options. So it is tricky. Here think a bit. Lions
are found at very few places and Asiatic lions are rare
Camels can be found in Saharan regions and rhinos also in ASEAN
countries. So this is not straightforward yet solvable

63) Again match the following and options containing two options
dominate. So answer will be two of them only. Now one needs to
read Vijayangara as Hampi is related. They wanted to test you on
that

64) Choose the best logical statement for economics and polity

65) Cloud thinning will not bring rain, rather decrease the heat!

66) Pyrolysis is a conversion technique and only

conversion option is D. Also go for best of the options
 55 ) Swadeshi started revival of crafts as well as education.
These are two primary things related to Swadeshi

56 ) Now this has a statement of 1 only and 1/2/3 all correct. It is

an indicator to choose these as options. Remember our last Q
discussion of match the following. Factually it is tough. I knew 3 so
I would have gone with 1-2-3

57) 1& 2 many knew. Now c option is also in next Q which is based
on Ashoka. How can it be in both eras ! Go for it

58) Now you have already gone for Sohgura in last, don’t go for it
now. Sanchi we have read about and not read it related to Ranyo
Ashoka ever, avoid it. Also shahbazgarhi is a muslim kind of name
for city and going for Ashok one can avoid

59) If 1 is correct 3 is definitely true, only one option having both.

Read about it, every year it is asked

60) Statement a is best suited and logically correct, totally absent

is too strong, eldest son is factual and they were given
Weekly wage is not logical
 51) Look for any word in first statement and in second is very
logical- Zamindari systems how they wont be hereditary !

In these kind of Q neither is now becoming a correct answer

52) Q is asking for correct. 3 & 4 are outrightly wrong. 1 has a

problem that ceiling laws may have been applied to even large
individual holdings, why to take risk. Statement 2 has very generic
and correct statement though it has “all” word to confuse.
Understand the context of All in this. It is in support of the
statement

53) Simple Q by UPSC standard. Any competitive report would be

by WEF only. Also in doubt go for WEF and then World bank

54) In one go all three statements seem correct. However there is

a small catch. If monopoly was still for some trade with East India
company , the revenues can’t be controlled then by Parliament
fully. One of these then must be wrong. You could have
Deducted it logically
46) These kind of Qs can overwhelm you and can make your life
difficult, however think smartly. Of 1 is true then 2 is certainly
true. It follows 1 only. Read again. There is only one option
containing 1&2 both. Hormone replacement is very difficult
thing in our opinion! Also have we read about it in last few
years! Q says last few years. Cancer treatment and pathogens in
crop are in news. Again only option to contain 2&4

47) This was in news and for gravitational waves. LIGO had also
been asked. Go for those which are majorly in news

48) Genetic dispositions and chronic diseases wont cause MDR in

pathogens. It is just its wrong use. Not too tough

49) Again always asked, one should know Cas9-CSISPR. Rest

options thankfully are also very weird

50) We all took Hepatitis B vaccine in childhood! Read the other

lines they all are okish
 41) Definition swap has happened. 1 & 2 have been reversed.
Always in definition statements read both. 3 has to be correct
as the name is Augmented reality so it should augment or
improve something. Virtual means not real and statement 4
says closed real world. So from meaning one can solve

42) This was in news and current affairs. One atleast should have
guessed between a and b

43) 1st statement joining from different species is very difficult! Its
like Sci-fi movies :D

44) If 3 is true 1 cant be true ! It can’t be a method and record at

the same time . 1 is more like digi-locker which has been asked
previously. Have we ever heard people using digital signature for
accessing documents! Very few people have it

45) Science and Tech – Till you know anything is explicitly wrong,
go for all correct
 37) No IP Appellate Board ! Look for these extreme statements
first out of many extreme.

1 and 3 are then contradictory . Only one of them can be true

so go for one of them only

38) Requirement of public participation is too tricky a phrase. This

may have been used later by any other act or is not required

39) Solid waste -> look first is data 5 categories , second

statement has only, fourth has mandatory word

Read line 3 as well. It bodes well with Q

40) Fixed term employment always will make life simple, don’t
confuse with govt set-up in this case.

And if there is temporary person notice requirement may not be

there
( Think these Q from Ease of Doing purpose and then
Read)
 34) Definition swap has again happened. 1&3 are swapped.
First go for this in definition swap problems. If 1&3 are wrong
you will get the right answer directly!

35) Bamboo was declared minor forest produce however bamboo

grown in “forest areas” is the trick here/ Its bit difficult

36) Right to choice is Article 21, straightforward

 31) Now understand properly. There are two data ! Which is an
easier data to get it wrong ! PTGs are found in Andaman as well
so 1 UT one seemed correct. Changing 75 to 95 was easier!

This is again tough however think from all dimensions

32) Article 142-> Supreme Court , please no confusions

33) 1st statement is correct Governor has to do it

Now second statement if rules not there then states can follow LS
rules. It should be seen in extension of federal structure
 26) Slide of Rs -> Following expansionary monetary policy will
cause the slide to happen even more. because rupee currency
supply will increase without corresponding increase in the
supply of dollars and as a result: dollar will strengthen, Indian
Rupee will weaken further

27) B is very weird, how can that happen ! Now compare 1&3 ,
recent is keyword , why will CAG analyse terabytes of data and also
it will again breach the data privacy.

Data storage safely in the same country was in news as well

28) Go for EU if in option. Also US/ Canada and developed

countries should already have it. EU has many countries so they
might have thought of integrated one now

29) India’s Nuclear would deal with either Russia or USA. Now with
USA India is having a robust policy in nuclear ~2008, so
counterbalancing may be happening- think on those lines

30) Money multiplies with its use, other two will

Decrease, population one is weird
 21) No and can’t are extreme words, neither is now a frequent
answer in these Qs

22) PPP definition is correct 2nd is data hence is wrong. India will
definitely be higher

23) Steadily word holds key , no need for reading other options in
exam

24) Any Oil will always be expensive

25) Polity -> go for best option and most correct statement –
liberty definition is highly substantiated with last statement
 16) Governor and these Qs have only few known commissions
like Punchi / Sarkaria go for them. Don’t go for not known.
These are “NOT TRAP QUESTIONS”

17) P notes is Participatory notes, you participate via it

18) Mandatory can’t be true. CAMPA exists and should exist at

both levels

19) NITI AAOYG why would they review independent regulators,

same with Finance Commission

20) Now here the 3rd statement is not true! For first time how can
it happen think yourself …what was financial sector doing by then

Now remaining two statements 2 is correct as per remaining

options, so we need to look at 1. Now this was also doubtful ,
however as per UPSC it is correct . Heavy industries did
come
 11) Service sector is banking only this ! It was this simple

12) 1 is true. 2& 3 cant go together , so either 1&2 or 1&3 should

be correct , 1 & 2 not there! See why would state govt not form
rules for minor minerals !

13) External debts generally are commercial borrowings ( big

industries) | 2nd statement has All can’t be true

14) Assets means what you have of your own or you will get
something from it from future. Deposits are your assets not banks’

15) Currency crisis – now 1&3 must go together similar

statements , now 2 is going to increase the risk !
 6) All 3 have data ! One data we are sure of is last one of 2
children. 6 creche a day was a lot !!

7) Easy Q regarding EODB. Think which of the other are economic

related and directly related business related activities

8) EPR is related to E-WASTE

9) Economic cost is a broad term, look for the best answer which
encompasses all

10) Social capital related to capital of society which means your

relationships. It was to test you understand difference between
human capital, economic capital and social capital !
 1) MORE, LESS ARE Correct words , largest and any are wrong.
Easy one!

2) Key words ! Inter –Creditor means deals with banking terms like
assets and financing, lending , may be loans, even also recently is
there now recently stressed assets were in talk. Also C & D have
similar kind of number so one of them will be correct !

3) Chairmen is by Bank Board Bureau ( Y would RBI or MoF do)

4) 1st regulatory should alarm you and give you answer ☺

5) Definition we all know what is VoLTE and 4G ! AND ONLY

WORDS ARE THERE

There is nothing such as advanced 3G !

WHAT NEXT !