Information Manual for

Civil Services (CS) Aspirants

To Help You Start
Your CS Exam’s Preparation

*This information booklet is aimed at guiding aspirants with the first step of their
Civil Services Exam’s preparation i.e. choosing the right training program. This
booklet is also aimed to introduce you to the Foundation (Classroom) Programs of
Rau’s IAS – The GS Integrated (GSI) and Optional subjects.
Have you been
thinking about
preparing for
Civil Services on your
own, anxious and
confused about where
to find right guidance ?
Interviews that appear in the media, make you believe that you need to be a super-
human, start your preparation very early (as early as in school) or study insane
hours to ace the Civil Services Exam.

Such interviews and stories add to the fear and make you doubt your ability to
crack the exam. It makes you think, “Am I too late to start the preparation?” That’s
when you start to look out for help and guidance, and seek answers to questions
like,

Is there a way to start now and still be among those who will crack this prestigious
exam?

How to ace the Civil Services Exam without studying for insane hours?

Truth be told. Even if you are late to start your preps, there is no way you can go
back in time and change that. Can you? You can’t.

1
 GOOD NEWS!
Good News is that
expert guidance is available.
We are here to help you get rid of fear, uncertainty, and make you more confident and
focused - enough to ace all stages of Civil Services selection process with flying colors.

We are here to guide you plan your studies, manage time and learn with the best teaching
strategies and academic inputs, so that you win. We give you all that you need to ace the
Civil Services Exam in your first attempt. We also guide you to victory if you tried yourself
once or twice and failed.

We help Civil Services aspirants achieve top ranks in the Civil Services Exam
without stress and anxiety that comes usually when you set out to achieve
such a big goal.

To overcome any big challenge, you need to know who you are up against.

As a Civil Services aspirant you are competing against yourself and also against lakhs of
other aspirants.

Civil Service Exam is not a tough nut to crack. However, to crack this nut, it takes not only
dedication but also a systematic and smart study methodology. That could be challenging
for a lot of aspirants. That’s why so many aspirants take it but only a few qualify.

A total of 10,65,552 candidates had applied for UPSC CSE(Prelims) 2018, of which
4,93,972 appeared. As many as 10,468 candidates have qualified for admission to the
Civil Services (Main) Examination, 2018. Of these, a total of 1994 candidates have qual-
ified for the UPSC CSE- Personality test held in Feb - April, 2019. And in the final result
only a total of 759 (577 men and 182 women) have been recommended by the Com-
mission for appointment to various Services

A lot of those who prepare are ambitious, motivated and disciplined – so as a Civil services
aspirant you are up against some formidable competition.

How can you do better than these aspirants? How can you stay ahead of the
competition in this race to be an IAS officer?
This is a big challenge for a serious aspirant like you. The solution is to get help – in form of
guidance from those who master the science and art of cracking the UPSC exam.

Rau’s is not only the pioneer of the Civil Services Exam preparation; it is also the only insti-
tute which has produced 1/3rd of all Civil Services officers in the country today.

2
 ABOUT
THE STUDY CIRCLE

The Study Circle was created by Dr. S. Rau in the year 1953 as an independent body with a view
to establish a bench-mark institution to achieve excellence in the toughest competitive exam
in the country, i.e., the Civil Services Exam.

Over this long period, the Study Circle has evolved into a unique fraternity of educators and
students striving together, year after year, in pursuit of this very goal. With a passion to excel,
the Study Circle has raged with the dynamism of a river which constantly renews itself and yet
remains unchanging in its resolve to reach its ultimate destination.

Throughout the journey lasting over six decades, the Study Circle has been at the cutting
edge of real learning. Today, it is known as the most specialized institution of its type in the
country, performing consistently at high levels and has acquired the rare distinction of achiev-
ing the highest success-rate in the Civil Services Exam.

The faculty of the Study Circle is composed of experienced educators, competent administra-
tors and dedicated researchers. In fact, the essence of the functioning of the Study Circle is
the fraternal atmosphere it provides, in which the students are groomed by a committed,
imaginative and gifted core faculty.

Here, every student experiences creative excitement along with the thrill of adding to his store
of knowledge. We approach our task like that of growing flowers; with all the will and skill
required for performing such a delicate task.

3
 The aim is to set the students free from the rigidi-
ties of highly ritualized, bland and indifferent
teaching that they have so far experienced in
universities; where there is a lot of teaching but
very little learning. This is the gap that the Study
Circle strives to remove by promoting REAL
LEARNING, i.e. learning about learning as the first
step: with the ultimate aim of making the person- Tina Dabi
alities bloom like flowers and carry the aroma of AIR 1, CSE 2015
freshness of their ideas and creativity wherever
they go. It is precisely because of this sense of
commitment that the Study Circle’s name has
become a living legend among the students for
success in the Civil Services Exam.

Our effort is not only to provide the students with

a road-map to effective learning but also to reas-
sure them of our motivating company during
their journey on the road to success. In nutshell,
most of the students feel that the Rau’s experi- Anu Kumari
ence is not only innovative but also unique. AIR 2, CSE 2017

SCAN
For more Information
Rau’s IAS – Focus on
‘Real Learning’ and ‘Personal Guidance’
to crack UPSC exam

Rau’s IAS is considered the benchmark institution for Civil Services Exam coaching and guidance.
Rau’s IAS ethos of ‘Real Learning’ through ‘personal attention’ and ‘mentoring’ produces positive
transformation in the knowledge and personality of every student of Rau’s.

Our vision is not to ‘train’ candidates for just the Civil Services Exam, but strive to make them effec-
tive members of a knowledge community.

Our mission is to build leaders for our society.

We do that through our commitment to quality standards in academic delivery and super speciali-
zation in training for UPSC Civil Services Exam.

Anand Vardhan Ankit Pannu Sachin Agarwal GopalKrishna Ronaki

4 AIR 7, CSE 2016 AIR 31, CSE 2017 AIR 3, CSE 2017 AIR 3, CSE 2016
 Results
CSE 2018

My mother was a student of Rau’s IAS to prepare

for the Civil Services Exam in her days. It is she
who recommended me to join the Study Circle. I
want to thank my Alma Mater for all the guid-
ance, direction and support. To all the students at
Rau’s IAS, you’ll be given a lot of reading material
and handholding wherever required, Use it! You
are in an institute that knows how to teach for IAS I really can’t thank Rau’s enough
exam well, so utilise that! Use all the resources because when I came to them I was so
given by Rau’s like their foundation blue books, confused and so underprepared but I
focus magazine, DNS, revision materials like got such good guidance and detailed
compass books and QIP classes etc and make feedback that I could take my prepa-
most of the time spent at the institute. I did it ration forward and I think I have done
and here I am. well . I owe Rau’s IAS a big thanks.

Pujya Priyadarshni Vaishali Singh,

AIR 11, CSE 2018 AIR 8, CSE 2018

Watch Pujya Priyadashni, Watch Vaishali Singh

Talks About Her Journey and Sharing Her Strategy
What It Takes to Crack the and Tips
Civil Services Exam.

Junaid Ahmad Srushti Deshmukh Karnati Varunreddy Vaishali Singh

AIR 3, CSE 2018 AIR 5, CSE 2018 AIR 7, CSE 2018 AIR 8, CSE 2018

Pujya Priyadarshni Harpreet Singh Chitra Mishra Minal Karanwal

AIR 11, CSE 2018 AIR 19, CSE 2018 AIR 20, CSE 2018 AIR 35, CSE 2018

Ankur Kaushik Alok Kumar Vikram Grewal Anya Das

AIR 37, CSE 2018 AIR 41, CSE 2018 AIR 51, CSE 2018 AIR 60, CSE 2018

5
 WHY THE STUDY CIRCLE
SUPER SPECIALIZED
INSTITUTION FOR
CIVIL SERVICES EXAM

REAL LEARNING delivered in a PERSONAL WAY : We teach limited students, in

small batch size of 80-90 students only, and work extra hard with each and
every one of them.

RESEARCH BASED PEDAGOGY and SUPERIOR TEACHING PRACTICES

C3 METHODOLOGY of intermingling CORE, CURRENT AFFAIRS and

related CONCEPTS: Besides lectures and talks on all the core themes of the
syllabus, there will be special focus on contemporary issues, current affairs
and related information.

SYSTEMATIC APPROACH TO SYLLABUS COMPLETION VIA CLASS PLAN:

The syllabus laid out by UPSC is only indicative. Interpretation of the actual
syllabus in light of previous years’ questions outlines the true scope of
preparation. At the start of every new thematic module, we share with stu-
dents a class plan which details the exact scope and goals of that module.

FOCUS ON APPLICATION OF KNOWLEDGE: Our goal is to teach inter-rela-

tion between themes and develop students’ ability to connect the dots.

MULTI-DISCIPLINARY APPROACH: Combining knowledge and current

examples from different themes of General Studies to essay writing.

USE OF HOMEWORK: To expand upon the classroom learning and help you
retain more knowledge than would be possible with only classroom work.

6
TARGETED to CRACK THE EXAM in first attempt

REGULAR ASSESSMENTS for performance monitoring through

basic classroom tests for Pre and Main exam

TEST SERIES for PRELIMS and MAINS for UPSC level exam simula-
tion and evaluation of preparedness.

TEST DISCUSSIONS to learn from mistakes and improve score

MODEL ANSWERS for self-evaluation

QUALITY IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM (QIP) for REVISION before

Prelims and Main exams – round up of expected themes for the up-
coming exam with focus on test taking skills.

DIFFERENTIATED STUDY MATERIAL

For Foundation: Primary reading material in the compulsory papers

of Pre and Mains. Thrust area is Clarity of Concepts.

For Continuous Learning: Monthly notes in form of Rau’s publica-

tion called FOCUS. Thrust area is Analysis of Current Affairs.

For Revision before Prelims: Annual C3 (Core – Current - & related

Concepts) compilations of everything important, from basic to cur-
rent, for the upcoming Prelims exam.

For Revision before Mains: Annual QIP (Quality Improvement Pro-

gram) compilations of all themes important for the upcoming Mains
exam with probable questions and model answer structures.

7
 EDUCATORS

Experienced, Passionate and Dedicated – permanent pool of faculty

Subject matter experts are available even after class for individual sup-
port, extra guidance and counselling.

SUCCESS RATE
Produced 1/3rd of all bureaucrats across cadre &
years since 1953

RESEARCH & INNOVATION CENTRE

R&I team is composed of educators and subject matter experts who put
together the ideas of successful students and senior/retired bureaucrats (who
were Rau’s successful students back in the day) to develop learning tools which
bring great value to our students.

Some of our latest LEARNING TOOLS are –

The Daily News Simplified (DNS) video Lessons

Prelims Practice Video Lessons Mains Answer Writing Video Lessons

Quality Improvement Program & Test Series for Prelims & Mains which help in Speedy Revision

Online Mentoring to handhold all UPSC aspirants through all stages of the examination and lend
them a better chance at achieving success

ELEARN.RAUIAS.COM - the online learning platform designed to meet the learning and testing
needs of UPSC aspirants.

100% No question is small for us, when

you come and study with us, we
ATTENTION guarantee 100% of your questions

GUARANTEE
will be answered - in the context of
Civil Services preparation.

8
 E-LEARN
AN ONLINE COMMUNITY FOR ALL UPSC ASPIRANTS

LEARN TEST SOLVE DOUBTS

ANYTIME | ANYWHERE

ACCESS
GSI & Optional Online Courses

Daily Newspaper Simplified Videos Prelims Practice Videos

Mains Answer Writing Videos Focus (Current Affairs Program)

Analysis of Budget and Economic Survey Videos

Revision Modules and Test Series Prelims Test Series Mains

Focus Magazines Prelims Compass Books

Designed for UPSC Civil Services PREP,

FREE for all UPSC aspirants

elearn.rauias.com

SCAN the QR code to visit

elearn.rauias.com

9
 BEST
INFRASTRUCTURE

10

Testimonials
Thank you for your wishes for my interview. It
really feels good to see the support offered by
Rau's faculty as well as management.
My association with Rau's has been since June
2015 and have been a part of various
programmes from GS, Optional, Mains test
series, Interview mocks etc.
“ I learned about Rau’s from my father. He wanted
I find Rau's very supportive and uniquely differ-
ent from other coaching centers mainly because
of the personal attention is given to students and
the way teachers and staff are available for help
anytime we need. I was in touch with the teach-
ers for my mains and planning for my interview, it
was really helpful for me.
Also, I find this appropriate moment to appreci-
ate the C-Cube initiative. The modules are really
comprehensive and serve the purpose really well.
Many of my friends/juniors outside Rau's have
also registered and they find it quite useful for
their self-study purpose.
At the same time I would suggest Rau's to
increase its presence online, through videos/lec-
tures etc so that the physical barrier among
students all over India is removed and they find
Rau's initiatives more accessible
SCAN the QR code to Watch
UPSC IAS Preparation Strategy
by Amol Srivastava
Amol Srivastava,
GSI Batch 2015-16
AIR 83, CSE 2017
“
me to come to this institute and see for itself.
So, before I joined Rau’s I interacted with faculty
here. I saw the approach more personalized, it
was more targeted and I saw that the facilities
here are convenient. It was flexible, according to
my timetable and hence I decided to join Rau’s
Study Circle.
After joining Rau’s, I have specially liked the
research team of Rau’s, all the faculty has been
very cooperative and very helpful taking a
personal interest in one’s overall development.
The Sociology program that I have enrolled for
was very in-depth and easy to understand
because the teacher made it really interactive
during the classroom sessions. The best part
about Rau's is that the teachers are very accessi-
ble. Even the kind of friendships I have developed
here, provide me with the academic and com-
petitive environment to prepare better.
I took Sociology as my optional subject because I
felt I need to polish certain theoretical concepts,
also have the better understanding of the
current issues that have taken place because a
part of our Sociology program also integrates
sociological concepts with current issues and
since sir teaching the course in context with
current social issues, I felt it would be more
dynamic as a result.
Priyadarshini Bhattacharya
GSI Batch 2014-15
AIR 66, CSE 2017
11
 FOUNDATION PROGRAMS
(Classroom Courses)
These are pathways programmes designed for fresh aspirants of the Civil Services Exam.
These preparation courses aim at laying the right foundation and guiding aspirants to
understand the demand of the UPSC exam.

GENERAL STUDIES
INTEGRATED PROGRAM

OPTIONAL SUBJECT
PROGRAM

12
 GENERAL STUDIES
INTEGRATED PROGRAM

COMPREHENSIVE

The GS Integrated classroom program prepares aspirants holistically for all the stages of the
Civil Services Exam.

Prelims (Paper – I/General Studies & Paper-II/CSAT), and

Main (General Studies Papers – I, II, III, IV and Essay)
Inclusive of Interview Guidance after student cracks the Mains Exam

EXHAUSTIVE

Basic to Advanced: More than 800 teaching hours

Knowledge to Application: Weekly GSI (Foundation) Tests + Test Series (Pre) + Test
Series (Mains)
Daily: Newspaper Analysis Video lessons
Monthly: Current Affairs Analysis notes, FOCUS
Yearly Targeted Revision: 100 hours of Quality Improvement Program (QIP)
& Test Discussions before Prelims and Mains

PEDAGOGY

The course starts from understanding of basics/fundamentals in all themes of the

UPSC syllabus, then
graduates to understanding the interconnectivity between different themes (decoding
the multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary nature of the syllabus), and ultimately
concludes with application of knowledge through Test Series and its discussion

(For details, refer to the GSI Course Brochure)

BATCHES

REGULAR WEEKEND
9 months (approx. 36 weeks) 14 months (60 weeks)
Classes 4 hours daily, 5 days a week Classes 4-6 hours on Saturdays
and 8 hours on Sundays

13
 OPTIONAL SUBJECT
PROGRAM
Candidates have to choose one optional subject for the Main Examination. The Study Circle
offers such subjects which have maximum syllabus overlap/connection and strategic
relevance with the compulsory papers of General Studies.

SUBJECTS

Public Administration | Political Science & International Relations | Sociology |

Economics (also for Indian Economic Services) | Geography | History | Psychology

METHODOLOGY

Detailed-analytical study of the subject for maximization of score

Designed to help candidate even without a prior background in the subject
Goal oriented teaching is designed to crack the exam
Special focus on answer writing

SUBJECT EXPERTS

From the best universities/colleges who are committed to your success

REGULAR BATCHES

4.5 months
Classes 2 hours daily, 5 days a week

14
 What Makes Rau’s
Foundation Program Unique?

Rau's IAS is committed to the cause of REAL LEARNING. Our focus is not just imparting
knowledge to the students, but helping them develop the ability to think, interpret, ana-
lyse and effectively apply the knowledge for achieving success in CSE.

Therefore, the Study Circle works closely with students in small batches of 80-90 students
only. The small batch strength gives teachers space to keenly work with students in devel-
oping their skills and civil services aptitude.

We do not ‘train’ candidates for just the Civil Service Exam, we strive to make them effec-
tive members of a knowledge community. We train all our students to excel in life.

Teaching is not just our way of life, teaching is also our pride and joy. And we involve all our
teachers, as well as, successful students every year to show the right direction to the future
mandarins.

Passionate team committed to student success, comprising of young achievers, as

well as, veteran academicians (from IITs and Central Universities) all of who collectively
bring a lot of dynamism in our teaching approach and strategies.

Learning from successful students every year keeps Rau's evolving and fine-tuning its
teaching strategies to create more winners.

360 Guidance, from the start of the journey till success: The Study Circle hand holds all
its students even after the classroom programme is complete.

The idea is to save precious time of students in their prime of life. We prepare students
to crack the exam in 1-2 attempts maximum.

Special focus on understanding UPSC’s demand

While other institutes impart only knowledge, we focus on application of knowledge

Boutique Approach : We teach limited students and work extra hard with each and
every one of them

Our commitment to student success. We will not rest till the student achieves his/her
goal.

Ask our counsellors more about these programs

15
 OTHER
COURSES
STUDY MATERIAL TARGETED/ REVISION COURSES

QUALITY IMPROVEMENT
PROGRAM &
TEST SERIES for PRELIMS

FOCUS
Monthly Notes on Current
Affairs Analysis
For Prelims and Mains
QUALITY
IMPROVEMENT
PROGRAM & TEST
SERIES for MAINS
Answer Writing classes based on contempo-
rary issues and important themes for upcom-
ing Mains exam incl. Tests, Test discussions
and detailed evaluation

Prelims Compass
(C3 Compilation)
(Core-Current- & related Concepts)
Targeted Revision Notes
For Prelims

INERVIEW GUIDANCE
Personality Improvement Program

Mains Compass
(QIP Compilation)
Targeted Revision Notes
For Mains

GS PAPERS &
OPTIONAL SUBJECTS
Foundation Notes VIDEOS ON

For Prelims & Mains DAILY NEWSPAPER ANALYSIS

GUIDANCE BY RAU’S IAS TOPPERS

16
 Frequently Asked
Questions
Before we move ahead, let’s discuss some questions that may be in your mind.

How long is the course?

Duration of classroom programme is 9 months. Classes are conducted 4 hours 5-6 days a week.

Does the course prepare for Prelims/ Mains both together or separately?
The GS Integrated Classroom Program is a comprehensive program. With it, you need not to
enroll in any other course. Neither at Rau’s nor at any other coaching institute.

It will prepare you for both the Prelims and Mains. It is also inclusive of Interview Guidance. So,
after you crack the Mains exam - we’ll guide you on how to ace the interview (using our mock
interviews and reviews).

Are there any revision classes after completing the course?

Yes, the Study Circle provides both - revision notes and revision classes every year before Prelims
and Mains respectively.

What is the qualification of the teachers?

Subject matter specialists, PhDs in their respective fields, from IITs and recognized universities.
Our teachers are experienced in more than just teaching for results. The guiding philosophy at
Rau’s is to groom all students to emerge winners in life.

How will the course improve my writing skills?

We will give special focus on writing practice through written home
assignments and essay classes.

Can I cope up - I was not a very good student?

We make sure that students from all backgrounds are able
to cope up. For this, we have discussions and doubt
clearing in class. There are home assignments for
application of information. You can also schedule
discussions for specific challenges with your teachers
who are available after their classes.

Will I get enough attention?

Yes. We make sure that you get personal
attention through best student to teacher
ratio, small batch size of
about 80-90 students per class.

17
 I am not very disciplined, is there a process that makes sure that students like
me stay on track?
Yes, our programs are goal oriented. To make sure that students like you, stay on track - there
are regular class tests for progress tracking. These rigorous tests are conducted every few
weeks. Tests are followed up with test discussion classes for mid-course revision and update.

Are the classes structured well?

Yes, the classes are scheduled and planned well in advance. All lectures are planned and
conducted strictly in accordance with monthly schedule. This makes the study planning easy.

Is it for working professionals?

Yes. Every year, we have a lot of working professionals who join one of our weekend batches.
These usually run for 14 months (approximately 60 weeks). Classes are held for 4-6 hours on
Saturdays and 8 hours on Sundays.

Is there any test series that is conducted to see where I stand amongst the
sea of other competitors?
Yes, we conduct UPSC standard tests series for Prelims and Main exams for exam simulation
and revising probable test areas. Once you take the test series, you get an AIR (All India Rank-
ing) for comparative analysis.

How do you compare your institute on the basis of success rate as

compared to other institutes?
We have produced 1/3rd of all successful bureaucrats since 1953. We have groomed more than
100,000 students to excel in lives.

If I hesitate to ask doubts in front of other students in my class, will the edu-
cators provide clarifications separately?
Yes. All our educators are dedicated faculty of the Study Circle and are available at the institute
for guidance and mentoring even after their classes are completed.

If one does not clear the Mains exam in the first attempt, is the Interview
Guidance carried forward to next attempts?
Yes. Interview Guidance can be availed by the student whenever s/he clears the Mains exam.

Do you provide hostel facility?

Yes. We provide assistance in respect of hostel and private paying guest accommodation for
boys and girls separately. However, it must be noted that the Study Circle does not own or run
any hostels or paying guest accommodations. The Study Circle only assists students in identify-
ing suitable accommodations.

Not everyone is cut out to be a Civil Services officer - but the learning they
receive, stays with them for life. That’s why a large number of students we
have trained are placed at high positions in their respective walks of lives and
leading the change.

18
Do we need to say more.
We have shared these questions and their answers with the thoughts that you may
have some of these in your mind; because many of the aspirants who went on to
become IAS later had these questions in their mind.

They asked us these questions. Got their replies and then set out to do the next most
practical and smart thing. They invested one to two years and gave it all their focus and
came out as winners.

Take the case of -

Tina Dabi (AIR 1, CSE 2015), Anu Kumari (AIR 2, CSE 2017), Junaid Ahmad (AIR 3, CSE
2018), Sachin Gupta (AIR 3, CSE 2017), Atul Prakash (AIR 4, CSE 2017), Srushti
Deshmukh (AIR 5, CSE 2018), Karnati Varunreddy (AIR 7, CSE 2018), Anand Vardhan
(AIR 7, CSE 2016), Vaishali Singh (AIR 8, CSE 2018), Shweta Chauhan (AIR 8, CSE 2016),
Pujya Priyadarshini (AIR 11, CSE 2018), Siddharth Jain (AIR 13, CSE 2015), Siddharth B
(AIR 15, CSE 2016), Anuj Malik (AIR 16, CSE 2016), Harpreet Singh (AIR 19, CSE 2018),
Chitra Mishra (AIR 20, CSE 2018), Mallika Sudhir (AIR 26, CSE 2016), Pulkit Garg (AIR 27,
CSE 2015), Ankit Pannu (AIR 31, CSE 2017), Minal Karanwal (AIR 35, CSE 2018), Vikram
Grewal (AIR 51 in 1st attempt, CSE 2018), Priyadarshini Bhattacharya (AIR 66, CSE
2017), Rahut Bhatt from J&K (AIR 68, CSE 2017), Amol Srivastav (AIR 83, CSE 2017),
Kuhuk Bhushan (IAS) - just a few of our students all of who aced the exam in their
first few attempts between the years 2014 & 18

All these students came to us as newbies / freshers and gave their heart and soul.
Stuck to the guidance and path shown to them and are now living their dreams - some
in Mussoorie as new trainees, and others already on to their first, second and subse-
quent administrative services assignments.

19
 ABOUT
CIVIL SERVICES EXAM
Services and Posts to be filled through Civil Services Exam

1) Indian Administrative Service 13) Indian Railway Accounts Service, Group 'A'

2) Indian Foreign Service 14) Indian Railway Personnel Service, Group ‘A’

3) Indian Police Service 15) Post of Assistant Security Commissioner in

Railway Protection Force, Group ‘A’

4) Indian P & T Accounts & Finance Service, 16) Indian Defence Estates Service, Group ‘A’
Group ‘A’

5) Indian Audit and Accounts Service, 17) Indian Information Service (Junior Grade),
Group ‘A’ Group ‘A’

6) Indian Revenue Service (Customs and 18) Indian Trade Service, Group 'A' (Gr. III)
Central Excise), Group ‘A’

7) Indian Defence Accounts Service, Group ‘A’ 19) Indian Corporate Law Service, Group "A"

8) Indian Revenue Service (I.T.), Group ‘A’ 20) Armed Forces Headquarters Civil Service,
Group ‘B’ (Section Officer’s Grade)

9) Indian Ordnance Factories Service, Group 21) Delhi, Andaman & Nicobar Islands,
‘A’ (Assistant Works Manager, Lakshadweep, Daman & Diu and Dadra &
Administration) Nagar Haveli Civil Service, Group 'B'

10) Indian Postal Service, Group ‘A’ 22) Delhi, Andaman & Nicobar Islands,
Lakshadweep, Daman & Diu and Dadra &
Nagar Haveli Police Service, Group 'B'

11) Indian Civil Accounts Service, Group ‘A’ 23) Pondicherry Civil Service, Group 'B'

12) Indian Railway Traffic Service, Group ‘A’ 24) Pondicherry Police Service, Group 'B'

Number of Attempts
A candidate must have attained the age of 21 years as on 1st August of the year in which he/she
is appearing for the Preliminary Examination.

Category Age Limit Attempts Notes

General 21 to 32 years of age 6 1. An attempt at a Preliminary Exam (even

one paper) shall be deemed to be an
OBC 21 to 35 years of age 9 attempt at the Civil Services Examination.
2. Notwithstanding the
No restriction on disqualification/cancellation of
SC 21 to 37 years of age
number of candidature, the fact of appearance of
attempts the candidate at the exam will count as
ST 21 to 37 years of age an attempt.
(UNLIMITED)

20
The Pattern of the Exam

(A) PRELIMINARY EXAM (Objective type)

• This is the screening stage of the Examination. Marks are not counted in the merit list.
• It comprises of 2 objective type question papers.
• 0.33% negative marking for each wrong answers.
• List of candidates to be qualified for Mains Exam will be based on the criterion of minimum qualifying
marks of 33% in Paper- II (CSAT) and total qualifying marks of Paper-I (GS) of as may be determined by
UPSC.
• Prelim is usually conducted in the month of June every year over one day

NAME OF MARKS &

PAPER SYLLABUS
PAPER (duration)

Paper I General 200 (2 hr) (1) Current events of National & International importance (2)
Studies India History (3) Indian and World Geography (4) Indian Polity
and Governance (5) Economic and Social Development
(6) Environmental, Ecology, Bio-diversity and Climate
Change (7) General Science

Paper II Aptitude 200 (2 hr) (1) Comprehension and Interpersonal Skills (2) Logical
(CSAT) Reasoning and Analytical Ability (3) Decision making and
Qualifying Problem solving (4) General Mental Ability (5) Data
paper Interpretation (6) Basic Numeracy (Class X level)

(B) MAINS EXAM (Descriptive/ Essay type)

• This stage has 2 non-ranking but qualifying papers and 7 ranking type papers all of which will be of
essay type.
• The non-ranking (qualifying) paper on Indian Language will not be compulsory for candidates hailing
from the States of Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland and Sikkim
• Candidates will have the option to answer all the question papers, except the Qualifying Language
papers, Paper – A & Paper - B, in any of the languages included in the Eighth Schedule to the
Constitution of India or in English.
• Mains are usually conducted in the month of October every year and spans over 5 days.

MARKS &
PAPER NAME OF PAPER SYLLABUS
(duration)

Any 1 language has to be selected from the

Indian Language
Paper A. 300 (3 hr) languages included in the Eighth Schedule
Qualifying paper to the Constitution

English Language
Paper B. 300 (3 hr) Compulsory language paper
Qualifying paper

Paper I Essay 250 (3 hr)

Indian Heritage and Culture, History and

Paper II General Studies – I 250 (3 hr)
Geography of the World and Society

Governance, Constitution, Polity, Social

Paper III. General Studies – II 250 (3 hr)
Justice and International Relations

21
 Technology, Economic Development, Bio‐
Paper IV. General Studies – III 250 (3 hr) diversity, Environment, Security and Disaster
Management

Paper V. General Studies – IV 250 (3 hr) Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude

Optional subject –
Paper VI. 250 (3 hr)
Paper I Any 1 subject has to be selected by
candidates from a list of 26 subjects specified
Option subject – Paper by UPSC
Paper VII. 250 (3 hr)
II

Total Score of Ranking Papers 1750 .............................................................(i)

(C) INTERVIEW

• The objective of the interview is to access the personal suitability of the conditions for a career in
public services by a board of competent and unbiased observers.
• The test is intended to judge the mental caliber of a candidate.

Personality Test 275 ............................................................. (ii)

Marks obtained in the compulsory papers of the Mains Exam and those obtained in the Interview round will
be added to generate the merit list.

MERIT LIST 2025 .............................................. (i + ii)

List of Optional subjects specified by UPSC

1. Agriculture 14. Management

2. Animal Husbandry and Veterinary 15. Mathematics

Science

3. Anthropology 16. Mechanical Engineering

4. Botany 17. Medical Science

5. Chemistry 18. Philosophy

6. Civil Engineering 19. Physics

7. Commerce and Accountancy 20. Political Science and International Relations

8. Economics 21. Psychology

9. Electrical Engineering 22. Public Administration

10. Geography 23. Sociology

11. Geology 24. Statistics

12. History 25. Zoology

13. Law 26. Literature of any one of the following languages

Assamese, Bengali, Bodo, Dogri, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Kashmiri, Konkani, Maithili, Malayalam,
Manipuri, Marathi, Nepali, Oriya, Punjabi, Sanskrit, Santhali, Sindhi, Tamil, Telugu, Urdu and English.

22
 Know Your
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In 2015: Tina Dabi, AIR 1 including 7 in top 20, 41 in top 100 with
total 391 selections

In 2016: Gopalkrishn Ronaki (AIR 2), Anand Vardhan (AIR 7) and

Shweta Chauhan (AIR 8) with total 311 selections

In 2017: Anu Kumari (AIR 2), Sachin Gupta (AIR 3), Atul Prakash (AIR 4),
Ayush Sinha (AIR 7) and Anubhav Singh (AIR 8) with total 340 selections

In 2018: Junaid Ahmad (AIR 3), Srushti Deshmukh (AIR 5), Karnati Varunreddy (AIR 7),
Vaishali Singh (AIR 8), Pujya Priyadarshini (AIR 11), Harpreet Singh (AIR 19),
Chitra Mishra (AIR 20) with total 322 selections

23
 Media
Glimpse
The babu-maker
S Rau guided a generation through the UPSC exams.
K M CHANDRASEKHAR
The year was 1969. I was a student in St
Stephen's college in Delhi, 21 years of age. At
that time, Delhi was essentially a bureaucratic
city. (Some would still call it that, but that is
beside the point.) Most of us, with strong
bureaucratic backgrounds, had our eyes fully
set on entering the civil services. The attractions
of foreign countries and the many perquisites
that went with the job made the Foreign Service
the first choice, with the IAS a close second.
In those days, we had only two chances to
attempt the examination and the age limits were
21 to 24 . For the IPS, however, we could appear
for the examination at age 20. My father, a
Railway officer himself, had set his eyes on my
entering the IAS. He induced me to appear for
the IPS examination a year earlier so that I could
get familiar with the UPSC system. I was then an
MA final year student, specialising in ancient
Indian history.
I qualified for the IPS interview. My father and I
walked from Rouse Avenue, now Deen Dayal
Upadhyaya Marg, to Bengali Market, crossing
the main railway lines leading to New Delhi
station. I was trembling with fear, cursing
myself for having been foolhardy enough to
listen to my father and attempt the examination.
I had always been a shy and reserved person
and was mortally terrified. However, when I
actually reached the UPSC and sat with other
equally nervous candidates, I felt a sudden
surge of confidence and I was absolutely on top
of the interview.
The objective was, however, the IAS and, in
those days, when anyone aspired for the civil
services, one always thought of S Rau and his
IAS Study Circle. My classmate and dear friend,
Ajay Prasad, who later became a central
government secretary, and is now,
24
SATURDAY, JUNE 9, 2018
unfortunately, no more, had already studied
under Rau for the previous year's examination
and was awaiting his results.
Rau was verily a legend. Year after year, the best
in Delhi and other places flocked to him. Year
after year, a sizeable number of his students
cleared the examination with several in the first
10. I,too, applied for admission. He had a terrace
and a couple of rooms in hotel Palace Heights in
Connaught Place in Delhi. He called me for an
interview. I went there with my usual
trepidation. I entered a small room and saw a
diminutive man, crouched over a typewriter.
This, I thought, must be Rau's secretary. But it
was the man himself, not the huge, aggressive
giant I had visualised. He was soft spoken and
his spoken English was just ordinary. I don't
recall our conversation, but he quickly admitted
me into his Circle.
Later, he told Prasad that he rated me very high
and thought I could make it to the first 10. Not
that I believed him, I did not have confidence in
myself. But, lo and behold, the results of the IPS
examination for which I had appeared as a trial
for the main examination, appeared soon after,
and I finished, to my utter surprise, in the top
five.
Unlike the zillions of coaching institutions we
find today, scattered all over the country, Rau
did not have a standard method of teaching. He
was more an adviser than a teacher. His strength
lay in the fact that many outstanding students
had passed through his Study Circle and he
learnt from them as much as he coached them.
He had a very good sense of what UPSC
examiners were looking for and he had an
unparalleled capacity to communicate this to
his students. He did not have a big institute to
support him with a plethora of distinguished
college teachers. He was just Rau, a one-man
show.
As I recall, he even did his own secretarial and
clerical work. His knowledge of the English
language was incredibly poor. Later, after my
examin tions, I spent time in his office
correcting his books. He did not try to teach us
the substance of various subjects. He told us
how best to answer questions in the
examination. At that time, we had only essay-
type questions in all our five main papers, five
questions to be answered in three hours. One of
the things he told us was not to display too
much detailed knowledge as the examiners
were looking for generalists, who can quickly
read, assimilate and present issues.
His interview training techniques were
distinctive. He studied the psychology of the
candidate before deciding how to coach him. In
my case, for example, he decided not to put me
through mock interviews, as he felt they would
sap my confidence. Each of us, after the
interview, had to come and present to him and
other candidates the questions asked, answers
given, the attitudes of the members of the
interview panel.
I scored well again, as he had anticipated,
finishing once more in the top five and also top
of all students in Rau's Study Circle that year.
He was overjoyed and hugged me. At the same
time, he did not fail to tell me that I may have
finished higher still but for the horrible suit I
had chosen to wear for the interview. A unique
person, a legend in his lifetime amongst us civil
servants of the past, that was Rau.
The writer is former Union Cabinet Secretary
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