Out-of-the-Box Thinking for Excellence in Work

As an administrator, one should make sure the utmost standard of excellence in administrative work and
action. The biggest challenge in being a part of the administration in India which is a diverse country is
that there are different areas with different problems and under these circumstances, as an
administrator, one should think out of the box and devise solutions that tackle various problems
effectively.

Decisive and Resilient in Approach

Being a part of the governmental machinery, an IAS Officer should be resilient and adapt to any changes
in the system, operation, or structure yet endure the ethical norms of conduct.

There would be tricky circumstances during the tenure that needs to be solved within limited time limits.
Under these situations an IAS Officer should act shrewdly and should be decisive in approach that needs
quick thinking, analysing all available possibilities and potential outcome of them and should act
accordingly after a general consent.

7.Principle of Utilitarianism

Utilitarianism is a general ethical theory that marks the point of right and wrong completely based on
the consequences of one’s action or policy. Furthermore, it can also be considered as the action or policy
has taken into account the interests of others.

Hence, as an administrator, an IAS Officer should follow the Principle of Utilitarianism and ensure that
the decisions taken should lead to the greatest good for the country and its maximum people.

8. Compassionate

As a civil servant, an IAS Officer should be compassionate in a manner that motivates her/him with a
desire to help the sufferings or misfortune instead of just feeling sympathetic. He cannot simply observe
the things going on. He has to put laws into action to help the needy section.
A civil servant should demonstrate compassion without violating the prescribed law and rules.

9. Principle of Justice

The general principle of justice requires acting in ways that treat people rightly and fairly.

So, an IAS Officer should observe the principle of justice and act on the basis of fair decision in all
situations and should play fair for issues of social justice.

10. Transparency & Integrity

Transparency is known as the right and means to observe the process of decision making. When it comes
to administration transparency means of holding public officials accountable and fighting corruption.

As a civil servant, an IAS officer’s function should be transparent that it is easy to see what actions are
performed.

As a civil servant having integrity means doing the right thing in a reliable way with the quality of being
honest and having strong moral principles that do not waver.

An IAS Officer requires firm adherence to a code of particular moral or artistic values, incorruptibility,
soundness, and quality or state of being complete or undivided.

The above mentioned are the major skills and qualities that an IAS Officer should possess along with the
other common qualities which every professional should possess like:

Leadership
Knowledgeable

Good Communication Skills

UPSC Mains Preparation Tips

In the case of the UPSC Mains, you must focus on how to improve your answers than the average
candidate because your total marks will decide your final rank, which in turn decides your fate in the
UPSC civil services exam.

Essay paper

You don’t need a special preparation plan for this paper. The material can be obtained from your
preparation for General Studies 1 and 2, and also current affairs.

Always practice essays in a time-bound manner.

Learn a few quotes about women, education, empowerment, democracy, nationalism, youth, etc. by
eminent personalities like Mahatma Gandhi, Max Webber, Auguste Comte, etc. They embellish your
essays and take it a notch up.

GS Paper 1

There is a lot of static material here.

World history is important.

India after independence is not that important. You should prioritise the topics according to the time you
have left for your preparation.

GS Paper 2

This paper is all dynamic. It is recommended that you finish Laxmikanth’s book on Indian Polity before
the prelims itself. Now, you should focus on current affairs.

PRS website, PIB and Yojana are absolute musts. Check out BYJU’S Gist of PIB and Gist of Yojana in the
table below:

Best of PIB Gist of Yojana

You should also note that the questions on International Relations are not that deep. You don’t have to
delve deep into the topics.

GS Paper 3

Economic Survey is extremely important. It helps in apart from GS paper 2, also in GS paper 2 and the
essay paper. You can expect a question taken directly from this document.

ARC reports are also important.

In the science and tech and environment sections, current affairs should be the focus. For the basics, you
can go through the NCERT textbooks. If you come across a new development in science that is important
or a new initiative in science by the Indian government, always go through the basic science behind the
new technology or initiative. You can download NCERT books for UPSC exam here.

Questions can come from space technology and satellites. This is an easy and scoring topic.

1. Leadership:

The IAS officer works as the representative of the government, wherever it is held. He has to
demonstrate excellent leadership ability while in a government post. He should have the ability to take
his team towards the goal of the development and betterment of Indians. This is possible only with good
leadership skills.

2. Administrative Ability:

A major responsibility assigned by the government to an IAS officer is to oversee the day-to-day
administration of the jurisdiction. To fulfill this responsibility and carry out all administrative tasks with
everyone, an IAS officer needs to be a skilled administrator.
3. Decision Ability

On many occasions, the IAS officer finds himself in such a delicate situation where quick decisions are
necessary. For this, it is necessary that he can think clearly with a cold mind even in adverse
circumstances and by considering all the available options and consider the consequences of each of
them. Based on this, a deliberate decision has to be implemented. In emergency situations, all this has to
be done in the shortest time. Therefore, the decision-making capacity of the IAS officer should be
excellent.

4. Knowledgeable

Knowledge is the most important resource on Earth. It is absolutely necessary for an IAS officer that he
has a good knowledge of all subjects related to his field of work. Being knowledgeable will not only help
him in the effective implementation of government policies but will also help in removing the gaps in the
government machinery to understand and solve any administrative problem.

5. Hard Work and Dedication

If you find preparing for the IAS exam difficult and tedious, then keep in mind, if selected in the IAS, you
will have to do even more difficult and tedious work. IAS officers have many responsibilities in different
fields. These include law compliance, development work, administrative work, management, a lot more.
To do all these tasks in a better way, an IAS officer needs to be diligent and fully dedicated to the work.

6. Honesty

Corruption is the biggest problem in the government machinery. All governments have come and gone
but no solution has been found so far for this problem in our country. Being responsible for
administration, finance and law and order in their field of work, an IAS officer has tremendous power to
deal with this problem. Officers with personal integrity can play a leading role in the anti-corruption war.

7. Communication Skills

To be a skilled administrator, it is necessary that an IAS officer has good communication skills. He could
express himself in the best way by speaking and writing. With this, he will be able to give direct
instructions to his subordinates and there will be no scope for any misunderstanding or
miscommunication. Not only this, but IAS officers also have to meet specific persons holding high
positions from time to time. Communication skills come in handy on these occasions as well.
8. Out of the Box Thinking

The biggest challenge of being part of government machinery in a country full of legalities like India is
that in different areas, problems also vary and no one solution is applicable everywhere. In addition,
various targets have to be met in a limited budget. In such situations, tied-up and out-of-the-box thinking
and working make sense.

9.Work Ethics

An IAS officer should have exemplary ethics towards work. He should reach office on time or not to use
government machinery for personal work, unbiased, or alike ethics at the workplace. Work ethics not
only help you to do your work better, through them you can also set an example in front of your juniors.

10. Patriotism

This is the must-have quality in an IAS officer. After all, he has to serve the country. He has to build a
future India. In this, the spirit of patriotism will pave its way. Only a true patriotic can serve the best for
his country and citizens.

First of all start to take interest in day to day current happenings in india and in international arena which
directly affects india..

~basics related to subjects like history politics economy geography should be completed through ncerts
and major reference book which will help u in general understanding of functioning of social, political
and economical machineries of india ..this will shape ur mind to think every thing on broader
perspective, resulting in more impressive skills and personality..

~once done with basics start reading dailys like hindu/indian express…newspaper will train ur mind such
that, that your perspective of observing and analysing issues/problem will change…
~dont shy away from social gatherings…because once u become IAS u have to be among people… So it is
better to learn this skill at early stage..

~ u acquire the qualities of people with whom u live, so always be in a friend circle which motivates you
and have some high goals in there life….

Experts believe that aggressive preparation for 10-12 months is a must

The candidate must map out an effective strategy and decide ideal number of hours required to
implement that strategy

One must be aware of the fact that the preparation for civil services examination calls for qualitative and
not quantitative preparation

Every day, two subjects should be covered. As seen, top rankers start preparing for exams right from
their school days as most of the questions asked are from classes 6 to 12.

Needless to say, the right books, the right coaching and the right motivation is of paramount importance
to crack the exam.'

ne needs to have an attitude of learning and a highly developed observation sense. Work on your
communication skills and be a good listener.

You have to develop leadership quality. Your decisions should not be influenced by others. Shed that
herd mentality if you have. Form your opinion on the basis of reality and not heresay.

You need to be very objective. See black as black and white as white. You can not be speculative.

You can't be a complaining person rather be solution oriented. Also, the solution has to be feasible. You
must be curious and an out of the box thinker.

Have a balanced perception because bureaucracy has to embrace unbiased disposition. Unless you have
a service spirit you can't be a good administrator.
The first and the foremost skill that you need to develop is to dedicate yourself for the well being of your
countrymen and understand as to how can you uplift their lives.

You need very good analytical power and the ability to view a problem in a multidimensional manner
while analyzing its consequences. This improves your decision making ability.

Being able to work hard and stretch yourself to the maximum possible extent to ensure that the job gets
done qualitatively.

From the exam perspective, you need very good writing skills and communication skills (can be in
English/Hindi). You should also have very good memory power as the syllabus is an ocean and you
should also be able to correlate different subjects.

Clarity of expression.

Grasp of narrative and argument.

Reasoning ability.

Appreciation of different points of view.

Awareness and concern for socio-economic problems

Ranges and depth of interests and personal attributes relevant to interaction with people.

Reading skill - learn to read fastly and understand it well parallaly

Writing skill - learn to write fast and accurate

Communications skill - communicate in English as much as possible

Sports

Confidence. This is the bread and butter of this exam. If you're not confident of your preparation, you
will not attempt questions in prelims of which you are half way sure. You will not look convincing in your
interview. Your whole preparation is a lie. Well then how to become confident? Practice. The more times
you would revise, the more mocks you would attempt. Your success in this will feed your confidence. You
will fail sometimes, that will obviously lower y

Fire in the belly

Reasonably sound in academics

Enormous Self-belief

Diligence and focus

Undying spirit

Strong will power

Commitment , Courage & Conviction (3Cs )

Dedication , Determination and Devotion (3Ds)

Mental preparedness and resolve to battle it out.

A bit of madness to make it big

Ability to plan, strategize and execute

sensitivity to public needs and public opinion

Commitment to serve

Humility in behaviour

Politeness

Compassion

Understanding of issues

Vast knowledge of the subjects

Capability to mediate

Negotiating skills

Respect for ordinary man on the street

Non-judgemental attitude

Broad mindedness

Large heartedness

Sportsmanship

Team building skills

Ability to lead both colleagues and public

Showing respect for democratically elected people’s representatives

Carrying the political leadership along for common good

Sharing and dispersing the information about entitlements and rights with public - ignorance of
entitlements deprives people from receiving their legitimate benefits

Prompt disposal of cases to avoid giving room for corruption ( delays are a major cause of corruption) 90
% of corruption is known as payment of speed money where money is paid just to expedite the decision
making. If the decisions are made fast the subordinate staff who thrive on delays do not get a chance to
demand the speed money.

Grasping Power

An IAS aspirant must have good grasping power. Grasping power means being able to quickly understand
a topic you are studying and retaining it in your memory for a long time. Not just that, but you should
also be able to remember and then utilize that information during your exam. You can practice
meditation as it can significantly help in increasing your grasping power.

Great Communication Skills

This is a trait that will not only help you in the journey of becoming an IAS officer but in all walks of your
life. If you feel that you are not good at presenting your ideas to people, or speaking confidently in front
of an audience, start working on this aspect as soon as possible. Being an IAS officer, you will have to
deal with many people and talk to them, making this skill an essential one.

Inquisitiveness

The word inquisitive means to be curious and eager to learn new things. The hunger for knowledge can
take you very far in the journey of the IAS exam. For instance, if you read about the South China dispute
in the newspaper, you should be curious to know about the reason and the history of the controversy, its
impact on world politics etc. Just reading a newspaper will not suffice in the current trend.

Work Ethics

An IAS officer must have exemplary ethics towards their work and responsibilities. Work ethics means
being honest and virtuous at your workplace. AN IAS officer is expected to respect the office timings, not
use their powers and position for personal benefits, be unbiased, and work with utmost dedication.
Work ethics help you be better at work and set an example in front of others who look up to you.

Analytical thinking – An IAS officer deals directly with the welfare of the people. And when you are
dealing with people, there is no black and white. You need to analyze a situation from all aspects to
arrive at a conclusion that caters to the mass.

Leadership – To lead an entire district of a given state for the betterment of the people, you need strong
leadership skills. This skill should not just be ‘learned’ by you but you also need to mold your personality
as a leader to truly reflect it in your actions.

Critical thinking – You need to think critically about the decisions you make. You cannot let emotions
come in the way of your decisions. And so it’s important to weigh the pros and cons of each decision
before you make the final call as an IAS officer.

Perseverance – As an IAS officer, you should possess the attitude to never give up. Even as an aspiring IAS
officer, you will have to work hard and keep trying to excel in your preparation until you achieve success
and clear UPSC-CSE.

Patience – As mentioned earlier, no matter how big your dream is, you cannot become an IAS officer
after the 12th standard. You will require a lot of patience to study for the UPSC-CSE, be firm on your
goals and acquire all these relevant skills to live your dream as an IAS officer.

Interact with peers and industry professionals to improve your communication skills.

Learn about the different roles and responsibilities of various career fields.

Learn from real-life case studies of different companies to understand how to solve a problem.

Apply those skills and develop critical and analytical thinking skills by working out a solution for industry
giants like PUMA, Samsonite, etc.

Work on a live project and execute your ideas and plans.

Lead your project and pitch it to industry experts yourself.

Your decision-making skills.

Your ability to reason and put forward your opinions.

How you analyze a given situation.

Your communication skills.

Your thought process.

IAS Roles & Responsibilities you Should Know

The roles and responsibilities of an IAS officer changes with the position assigned to them. To give you a
glimpse of what your responsibilities may look like as an IAS officer, we have compiled a list of basic roles
and responsibilities of an IAS officer just for you.

Conduct fieldwork in and around the district allotted to you.

Review existing policies and frameworks.

Ideate, formulate and implement new policies.

Allocate, manage and distribute government funds among different departments and schemes.

Assist the state during emergency situations like political unrest, disaster management, etc.

Maintain law and order in their respective areas or district.

“It’s never too late to become who you want to be”

Being an All-Rounder

An IAS Officer or a Civil Servant from any other service require a skill that everyone doesn’t possess. The
skill of being AN ALL-ROUNDER. The word All-Rounder has been adopted from the famous sport Cricket
where it means a player who equally performs all three activities required in Cricket i.e. Batting, Bowling
& Fielding. Generally, being an All-Rounder means a person who is skilled in many different areas of
expertise.

In modern days, a person can be called an All-Rounder if he is endowed with multiple talents.

Why is the skill required?

The job of an IAS Officer / Civil Servant is extremely dynamic in nature. Understand it this way- In the
morning, the officer may have to hold a public hearing in some remotest area of his/her area of
jurisdiction and may have dinner with the finest minds of the state in the state capital. Moreover, the
officer can sometimes be posted in a very backward district needing focus on elementary requirements
and on the other hand, sometimes be managing Finance Ministery working with the top bankers of the
country/state.
This kind of extremely dynamic work nature requires an IAS to be an All-Rounder. This skill helps an
officer to deal with a variety of people of all Social, Educational and Social backgrounds.

How to develop the skill?

If you’re still in school or college, you have ample time and opportunities to develop these listed
qualities. Some students immerse themselves in books thinking only studies would fetch them a decent
paying job or get their UPSC cleared. Certainly, this ain’t the truth. The truth is- Enjoy College life when
you’re in college, prepare hard for UPSC when you’re preparing for it. Period.

Hence, the best way to develop this skill is to ensure maximum participation in co-curricular activities at
school or college.

2. Being Empathatic

Empathy is the ability to comprehend, understand and connect with the feelings of other people around
you. Shri Deepak Gupta IAS (Ex-Chairman, UPSC) described ‘Empathy’ as one of the most important
factors UPSC looks at in an individual during the selection process.

Why is the skill required?

In the early years of service, an IAS’s postings are mostly confined to ground level offices like that of an
SDM or a DM where you’d have to directly connect with people at large, listen to them and solve their
issues directly.

During these postings, the officers need to regularly solve public grievances by listening to them. Thus,
Empathy becomes an absolute necessity for an officer.

How to develop the skill?

Clearly, Empathy is not something that can be developed by training within a fixed period of time.
Empathy is a result of good upbringing, education and childhood experiences. However, if you wish to
further strengthen the feeling of empathy in you, try spending time with needy people. It could be by
visiting old age homes or an orphanage.
But, make sure any such activity does not interfere with your UPSC preparation. There’s no fruit in being
empathetic if you cannot clear the holy exam.

3. Good Communication Skills

Good communications skills are a must in anyone’s professional as well as personal life, be it in corporate
offices or civil services.

Why is the skill required?

We’ve already seen in Points 1 & 2 about how an officer needs to communicate with the people of
general public on a regular basis, and an efficient IAS Officer must have efficient communication skills to
provide efficient services to the public. For example- An Officer with good communication skills would
better inculcate confidence within the people of the public and hence, make the administration efficient.

Officers are required to make public appearances and speeches every now and then where good
communication skills come in handy. Also, Communication Skills help an officer to maintain healthy
relations with Public Representatives, Media, Subordinates and much more.

How to develop the skill?

Most people don’t consider Communication as a ‘skill’. The first part of development is to realise how
skilled you are in communication and make appropriate attempts in the direction towards your
betterment.

Also, students must participate in cultural activities like Debates, Speech Competitions, Presentations
when presented with the opportunity. Working professionals must also try to involved in official
activities which will eventually benefit you in the longer run.

Also read: Booklist for UPSC by Toppers | IAS Booklist PDF Download

4. A True Leader

Leadership is the quality of an individual to bring out the best from a team. A True Leader is one who
identifies the positives and weaknesses of every individual of the team and collectively makes the team
accomplish.

Why is the skill required?

IAS stands for Indian Administrative Services. The word ‘Administrative’ itself gives you an idea about
why an IAS must be a good leader.

Be it leading a District as a District Magistrate or a Ministry as the Secretary, an IAS always has a large
number of people working under his direct supervision and direction. In such circumstances, a true
leader is needed to assess the qualities and bring the best out of the team.

How to develop the skill?

Leadership begins from being a member first. You have to know what it is like to be a part of a team to
become an efficient leader someday. Aspiring officers must engage themselves in various team activities
available in their schools, colleges or offices. This not only helps in gaining rich team spirit of teamwork
but bigger initiatives also impart the much-required LEADERSHIP.

5. Hardworking

Last point but certainly the most essential of them all. David Bly rightly said, “Striving for success without
Hardwork is like trying to harvest where you haven’t planted.”

Why is the skill required?

IAS is arguably the most prestigious service in the largest democracy of the world, India. UPSC, the
selection body for the services, are looking for candidates who can put work to 100% of their physical
and mental abilities. Hence, they seek candidates self-trained to work hard. This is why the CSE exam
conducted by UPSC is one of the toughest examinations around the world.

Hard work is required not only when preparing for UPSC CSE but also after you join the services. Imagine
administering an entire district, department or Ministry with a lazy attitude towards life. Unimaginable,
right?
How to develop the skill?

If you’re at school, give 100% to your job. If you’re at college, give 100% to your studies. If you’re
working, give 100% to your job. Working hard is a habit gradually developed over a long stretch of time
with your dedicated efforts.

Keep your judgment impartial. At last, your judgment must be reasonable, unbiased, and keeping in
mind the constitution rules. Being an IAS hopeful, you should concentrate on building up this sort of
disposition.

Avoid the Extremes - "All politicians are corrupt. All judges are lazy and slow. All policemen are brutal. All
teachers are idiots. All businessmen are profit-hungry". If you have been conditioned to think like this,
your preparations for IAS are doomed. This is so because India has had exceptions to the above in all
fields. It's only that you haven't read enough to discover those names. Think extreme => Write extreme
=> Look like an extremist => Fail for sure.

Embrace the Truth - Our personal opinions can, at times, cloud our judgement in many matters. For
example - most Indians think Pakistanis are bad people, and there is no hope for Indo-Pak relations. But
turn the clock back, and you'll discover that our stock is the same. We all descended from the Indus
Valley civilisation originally. So if they are bad, we are perhaps bad too. A better statement could be -
"Pakistan is a horrible State, though most Pakistanis must be good people, as people are, everywhere".
This is a positive way of looking at a rather despondent situation!

Take a Moment to Think - The ability and desire of young Indian students to answer a question even
before it is fully asked is legendary. And that's where they mostly slip. Do not hurry that much. Go a bit
slow. Let the question be completed. Take a deep breath. Let a few seconds pass by. Then come up with
your answer. You'll be surprised by the beauty and well-formed nature of your own answers, rather than
the hurried mish-mash you'd have otherwise uttered. This will save you during interviews, and will surely
help you produce better answers in the Mains.

Subdue your Ego - As a civil servant, you are there to serve the government, not to question it. As a civil
servant, you are there to serve the government, not to question it. As a civil servant, you are there to
serve the government, not to question it. I think the point is made!

Create Virtue and Wealth - Do not get bogged down by point 4 above. It does not mean that you are
allowed to exercise your originality. In fact, quite the contrary! If you display a lot of positive enthusiasm
and creativity, while keeping your tongue under a strong leash, then the political masters or your
bureaucracy seniors will remember you as a 'person of solutions'. Your advice and inputs will be sought
everytime they need to think laterally. A good example is Mr Amitabh Kant, the brain behind the Make in
India programme of Mr Modi.

Live like a Senior Civil Servant would - Get up early. Get ready quickly. Start your work soon. Work hard
and diligently throughout the day. Take a small lunch break. Don't smoke at work. Don't gossip. Read a
lot. Clear today's work today. Pendings, if any, are to be noted meticulously. Prepare for tomorrow. Seek
others' help if needed. Smile. Solve. Seek.

Remember that you are preparing for the toughest exam in India, with lakhs of people aspiring for the
same thing, to get their name into the final list. You should be able to withstand this competition and
give your best.

You should be studying more than 10 hours in your preparation everyday, so get habituated to that or try
to mingle taht fact.

Attitude should be different, consistent, special. Life's gonna throw you into some terrific situations, you
must get up every single time and rise with more power.

You need to bring your A game into the preparation, should be able to think smartly, do not get
distracted by temporary pleasures and things.

But you know what, while entering into the preparation obviously everyone comes with high dedication
and motivate, but after a while many of those people loose thier confidence, focus, inspiration and
waste their time in irrelevant thing's and will end up with only Regret.

So you need to be hard on yourself, you need to be able to say goodbye to movies, parties etc for a year.
And after that nothing's gonna stop you.

Make you own Strategy, try to complete the static part as early as possible, put more concentration on
current affairs, practice answer writing from the beggining itself and Rock the world mate. All the Best.

Taking a Balanced approach: Never try to be on one extreme end- leftist or rightist- in your answers.
UPSC is not looking for a rebel. Try to read both sides of the views whenever your making a viewpoint on
an issue. You can read 2 newspaper articles for the same issue- one from TheHindu and one from TOI
etc.

Care for the weaker section: Your answers in the mains, and especially in the interviews, should reflect a
degree of care and concern for the weaker sections like women, children, poor, dalits, disabled etc.
These people need more government support than the rest.

Being aware of your sorroundings: Just like an IAS officer has to be alert all the time of the happenings
around him/her, a civil service aspirant has to be updated with the recent happenings and a good
observant. There have been questions in the interview like “What did you notice when you were sitting
outside in the waiting room?” to check your observational skills.

Think in a comprehensive manner: You should be able to think in a more comprehensive manner and
your answers should be multi- dimensional with social, economic, political, environment, etc factors
included, which shows your ability to connect interdependent things without leaving out necessary
concerns. Essay paper in general is a pure test of your comprehending skills.
Provide Constructive criticism: An IAS officer should have an ability to find out problems in an area or an
event and suggest remedies for the same. This quality should be reflected in your answers as UPSC is
looking for people who don’t just point out mistakes and drawbacks in the system but come o

Ability to quote the law or report: Just as an IAS officer has to be specific and pinpoint about the law and
rules in his replies to the public and minister, UPSC expects a student to quote exact article of the
Constitution, quote some reports etc. This for sure fetch you extra marks in your mains and interview.

As said earlier, your interview stage is a complete test of whether you are ready t

Don't focus on materialistic gain. Though the world is running after it and it is not wrong to keep yourself
or your family happy too, but don't have a greed for it. If you really want to lead a lavish life ahead, then
this is not the right place to be.

Be honest and dedicated at whatever work you do at a time, this will help you immensely during the
service in order to become an ideal for the department that you will be heading

Be punctual. Make it a habit. Even if others are not following the clock, try to follow it atleast for
yourself. You yourself will notice the impact of it after a few times.

Be compassionate. Understand that everyone is dealing with some problem or other. Seeing things in
isolation without the acknowledgement of this fact won't let you gain the wisdom that you seek.

Be quick in decision making, but never ever take it without thinking. By thinking I mean, to question why
you took it and why you shouldn't, always counter your own thoughts as a second person to check if it
outweighs your original. It will help you to see other side of the story.

.he is living in present and a good thinker.

He should aware about current policies and govt descisions and have a clear vision about their
consequences. And always have a conclusion unbiased. His own conclusion by time he will learn that
how accurate he can understand the govt policies and decisions.

2. Reading case studies of past govt descisions and plans( like how govt over come some crisis what
decisions made india better etc etc) without reading their outcome he should first think why and how?
Why this action is taken by govt? And how this gonna work.and what are the cons and pros of this
descision. Then with his own answers he will analyse and read what happened in reality how accurate he
was where he was wrong and why what he didnt thought which happened.(i m just applying my coding if
and else here )this is how we learn by asking questions only and matching answers this is the only one
way to make our brain accurate.

3. Should able to think like a leader top level descision maker.always set and achieve goals.

4.his passion should be debate and accept if he dont accept he will not able to learn.

5.analyse various news blog unbiased by his own knowledge.

6.there should be something on his mind which is dont just breath like everyone , breath for a reason.

#Varied literature, judgments, news and differing viewpoints. Then combine them all together and form
your opinion and judgement.

#When you read about issues, try and analyze them from a social, political and constitutional point of
view. Keep up with the developments and analyze (and form your opinion) what is happening vis-à-vis
the Indian Constitution and justice for all. Then form your opinion and judgement on the issue.

#Discuss your opinions with your teachers and peers. Reading and talking to knowledgeable people and
even the common man broadens your horizons and mind. Try to understand varied viewpoints. But
remember not to get carried away by emotion.

Some More

#Try and pen down your thoughts. When you see your thoughts on paper, you will be able to analyze the
efficacy of your point of view better.

I must tell you that UPSC questions are multi-dimensional and have many connected issues combined in
each question. Unless you have the knowledge and the ability to think and connect the dots, you shall
not be able to clear the exam.
Make these habits your own now and forever.

If you focus thus, you can definitely train yourself to think like an officer. Your knowledge and training will
not only help you with the preparation, but it will also help you frame better answers in the Mains and
the Interview.

Gain literature knowledge and get updated about current news. Learn how to judge from different
perspectives. Combine all these things and come up with your opinion.

Whenever you go through the issues, try to analyze them from three different views. It includes social,
constitutional, and political.

Keep yourself updated about the developments and Indian Constitution. Later, form your opinion about
the particular issue.

During the preparation, do discuss your opinion with the teachers and classmates. It is always good to
read in abundance. Also, I suggest you talk with knowledgeable people.

You need not always seek conversation with people related to the IAS exam. Even if you talk with a
common man, they help you to formulate good opinions in mind.

I would like to repeat this point again. Please try to understand the same issue in different viewpoints.
However, do not get carried away by your emotions.

Note down your thoughts about the issue. Keep the list of points in front of you during revision. It helps
you to recall all the related points quickly.

All the UPSC questions are dynamic and multi-dimensional in nature. Each question combines different
issues. It’s you who have to be capable of analyzing properly.
Keep these habits in mind from the day you start with IAS preparation. Otherwise, it becomes impossible
to clear the exam with top rank.

Tips To Prepare Your Mind For UPSC Exam

If you focus on the above skill development phase, it is easy to train your mind. It serves as the overall
development of an aspirant. Find some of the tips below to strengthen your mind towards the UPSC
exam.

Do Not Procrastinate! Prepare Right Now

If you are confident about your career choice, what are you waiting for? I would highly recommend you
to start the IAS preparation as early as possible.

Even if you are pursuing a college degree, it is not a problem. It is possible to get a virtual experience
before itself. But, how is this possible? Let me assume you are taking up Prelims in 2019.

So, you can follow this idea! Grab the 2018 Prelims question paper as soon as it gets released on the
internet. Attend the paper along with time limitation.

Later, evaluate the answers and calculate the score you obtained. In this way, experience the exam
without wasting the official number of attempts. Now, you have gained both practice as well as
confidence.

Build Only The Right Attitude

Prepare your mind to develop the attitude as required by an IAS officer. Trust me! Your attitude plays an
important role during the interview stage.

Of course, there are 6 to 9 attempts. But, do no proceed with this attitude. Ensure you will clear the
exam in the first attempt itself. The way you train the mind is all that matters here.
This is worst thought ever! It brings negative energy in your mind. From the first day, prepare in such a
way that you are going to crack the IAS exam right away.

Always remember, the energy level keeps dropping after each attempt. It is always better to win either in
the first or second attempt.

Learn To Eliminate Exam Fear

Facing exam fear is totally accepted! But, learning how to avoid the same is hard work. Most of the
candidates suffer from extreme exam fear.

There is no shortcut to escape from exam fear except one thing. It’s your mindset! Appear in the
maximum possible mock tests. So, you will have repeated practice sessions.

You would have already heard the famous saying – Practice Makes A Man Perfect. Please follow this
proverb. It is basically a chain reaction.

If you practice, you will gain optimum confidence level. Once you reach the confidence needed to clear
UPSC exam, no more fears exist.

Keep Your Mind Clean

Push all your doubts away! Do not think that the candidates who made one attempt will have better
knowledge. It is just a small advantage. First timers must eliminate such doubts immediately.

Moreover, fresh candidates have a higher energy level and a fresh mind. Use it completely and be
successful in your career. Tackle your thoughts well and do not let negative energy disturb your UPSC
journey.

Visualize Your Success

Even during your preparation, imagine that you are sitting in the exam hall. Get a good mood about the
exam. What do you get in mind when you think of UPSC exam hall?

Do you see yourself sitting calmly in the exam hall? Are you tensed and find some negative thoughts
tickling your brain? It is okay to feel it in the initial stages.

Gradually, transform your mind towards a positive direction. Feel comfortable about the exam day. Learn
how to manage anxiety. Think in this way. You are not scared! But, you are excited.

You have undergone many months of preparation to face this single day. You have finished the
preparation successfully. All you have to do is just PERFORM.

Now, you are in front of the test paper. It is okay to feel the tension during the first few minutes. Take
time and scan the questions well.

Start to answer by taking a deep breath. Execute all your strategies well. Of course, some questions seem
to be hard. That’s alright! You expected the tough questions.

You can visualize in two different ways. One is to imagine yourself as a successful person. You are done
with preparation. Now, it is the right time to seek positive results.

In the other way, you can control the negative thoughts easily. It is okay to feel bad on the big day. But,
you should know how to overcome. Just take a deep breath and do your work.

Study Well About The Test

You have a lot of things to know apart from preparation according to UPSC syllabus. Let me say, you are
taking up Prelims exam shortly. Learning about the syllabus in depth seems to be stressful.

Do not prepare more than what is required. Know what to prepare, how much to prepare before giving a
start. Please keep the following things in mind before preparing.

Crack the easy questions with maximum attention. Most of the IAS candidates have the capacity to
provide the right answers for easy questions. Yes, definitely! Even you will get.

But, there is a high probability of committing a silly mistake. If the question seems easy, then check your
answer twice before finalizing.

If you come across the difficult question, please do not panic. In fact, it is a good sign. Why? Majority of
the students would have not prepared for it. So, even they will not be able to handle the tough
questions.

Remember, you should try hard to score with the hard questions. Only then you can stand out in the
crowd. Of course, the tough questions are the unique differentiating factors.

If you aim at getting difficult questions right, it is guaranteed to reach the next stage of the exam.In case,
even you feel the question as difficult one, it is okay. Just relax. Try to analyze the question with a calm
mind. If it seems impossible to answer, just move on.

Read your bio-data multiple times

Most of the questions in the UPSC interview will be based on the biodata of the candidate. Copies of the
Detailed Application Form (DAF) will be shared with each of the board members. It is extremely
important not to fumble on personal questions. Revise your bio-data many times and prepare well for
questions from areas like hobbies, education, work experience, service-preference etc.

Don’t stop reading newspapers

Candidates often stop reading newspapers once the UPSC main exam is over. But, information about
current happenings is very important for the IAS interview, just like the UPSC main exam. Have a general
idea about the major happenings for last one year. Also, be familiar with the headlines and stories of the
newspapers on the interview day.
11. Prepare well on your hobbies

Very often this is the first question UPSC interview board ask, many times in a light mood. Make sure you
start well. Don’t give cliche answers. Hobbies help the interviewer to understand the personalities of
candidates. Keep practising your hobbies till the last week before the UPSC interview.

12. Revise your optional subject

It is seen that many candidates tend to neglect their optional subject after UPSC CSE Mains. But UPSC
interview panel may ask questions from your optional subject on the interview day. Brush up recent
happenings related to your optional subject.

13. Go through your graduation textbooks

UPSC expects candidates to take their graduation seriously. As this is one area where the interview panel
perceives the candidates to have expertise with. So, more in-depth questions can come from this area.

Learn to give balanced answers

Your views should be balanced and impartial. This does not mean that you should not take a stand.
Ideally, you should be without any political or social biases. Once you take a stand on controversial
topics, be prepared with your justification for the same. Don’t give sweeping generalizations without a
proper base.

15. Know your district and state

Questions may be asked about the district and state. Collect details about your birthplace. Know the
problems in your village or city. Be prepared with solutions as well.

Don’t compromise your moral integrity

UPSC not only measures one’s intellectual qualities but also social traits. Ensure that your moral integrity
is sound.

18. Maintain a positive body language

Reinforce your spoken words through your body language. Avoid gestures which do not suit the
occasion.
19. Understand the real ‘IAS interview questions’

Most of the questions forwarded as ‘IAS interview questions’ on the internet are not questions asked in
UPSC interview.

Don’t be swayed by rumours

Many UPSC candidates are seen to be carried about by the rumours about the personality test. Certain
boards are seen are tight in awarding marks while others are perceived as liberal. Though slight
variations may come, in reality, all boards award high and low marks depending on the performance of
the candidate on the date of UPSC interview.

21. Use common sense

Sometimes UPSC members ask questions which can be answered just by using common sense. But the
stress on the interview day may hamper your thinking process. Realise that common sense is not
common. Expect some puzzles which require on-the-spot critical or lateral thinking.

22. Dress neat

The first impression matters. But it is not necessary to wear expensive blazers or suits for UPSC interview.
Be comfortable with what you wear. For gents, a light coloured shirt and dark trousers should give a
professional appearance. A simple churidar or saree is recommended for ladie

23. Re-check your documents

What is the Positive Body Language for the IAS Interview?

The positive body language which can strike the right cord with the interview panel thereby increasing
their probability of clearing the interview are given below.

Confidence in knowledge and oneself

Enthusiasm

Optimism

What are the Negative Body Languages for the IAS Interview?

There are multiple negative body languages for IAS Interview which needs to be avoided. The list of
them are given below.
Arrogance

Crossing Arms

Not maintaining eye contact

Correcting the interviewer

Don’t interrupt

Don’t droop, sweat, or yawn

Don’t answer in monosyllables

Don’t gesticulate

Don’t check time

Don’t fidget

How Can I Introduce Myself in UPSC Interview?

Make sure that the first impression is the best impression. Some views on the better ways of introducing
oneself are share below

Be cheerful

Have a pleasant smile on the face

Start with one’s early life

Give a gist of higher education and professional life

Need to be specific and truthful

Mention about hobbies and interests.

Don’t boast or speak negative about yourself, a balance is important.

Complete the introduction in a span of time ranging around 5 minutes.

Listen

The first stage in communicating effectively is to listen to what is being told. In the IAS interview, listen
carefully to the question asked by the interviewer. Understand what is being asked before venturing to
answer the question.
Think before you speak

The second thing to keep in mind is to think before you speak. Before you speak, pause, collect your
thoughts and then frame your words in the proper manner.

Body language

Your body, eyes, gestures – all communicate along with your words. Learn how to use body language
effectively and in a way, that enhances your words. See to it that they don’t contradict.

Maintain eye contact

It is very important to look at a person in the eye and speak to them. Otherwise, it can give the
impression that you are distracted or nervous or simply that you are lying.

Know your audience

You must always custom your words to suit the audience. The UPSC board consists of highly qualified
and experienced people. It is prudent to keep that in mind while speaking to them.

Be polite

It is important to be polite in your conversations. This makes the person listening more receptive to what
you are saying.

Cultivate your voice

Not everybody is blessed with a voice that is considered conventionally beautiful, but you can definitely
work on how you sound. Avoid talking in too high a pitch or volume. Also, if your voice is too low,
practice talking at a higher tone.

Slow down

Americans are considered the most effective communicators in English. This is because they talk, the
slowest. So, while talking try to slow your words per minute. Otherwise, you may not be clear to the
listener.

Animate your voice

Try not to talk in a monotone. Go up and down the scale as you talk depending on the context. Try
listening to a radio jockey.

Enunciate

To enhance clarity, enunciate each word you utter.

Right words, right usage

Improve your vocabulary and use different words. But remember to keep in mind the understanding of
the audience. Also, know when to use the right words. This can be developed with more reading.

Work on your language

If you think your grammar is rusty, work on it. Speaking proper language not only impresses, but you also
don’t run the risk of being misunderstood.

Correct your pronunciation

Whatever language you speak, it is natural for the native tongue accent to be present and this is
perfectly fine. But, if you think your accent is too heavy, it can help if you work on it.

Watch the documentary “The Secret”. It’s an adaptation of the book by the same name. Watch it daily
for 20 minutes. No need to watch the entire movie daily. The stories in the movie are real life examples
that make you jump off the bed saying- heck! I can do it.

Make a “wishboard” which should have a paper clip/photo/anything that makes you visualise your
dream. I put up the below photo in my study room.

ecord an audio on a voice recording app. It should have a message similar to this- “I am confident,
hardworking. I will crack UPSC 201_ with Rank _”. In the blank rank, fill a rank that looks realistic to you.
If you fill rank 20 and think you can do much better, then do it. Write Rank 1! UPSC is not watching your
dream. And even if it was, they would only appreciate you for your ambition ;) You should play this audio
on repeat mode and listen to it with eyes closed. Do this for ten minutes.

4. Your thoughts just before dozing off to bed are very very important to train your subconscious mind.
Before sleeping, visualise yourself as Rank N- media personnel flocking your house, your parents hugging
and kissing you, relatives who always threw taunts are now going gaga over you, your crush is whatsapp-
ing you endlessly with smileys, your coaching institutes have already booked a session for you to deliver
a workshop, you are posting photos from LBSNAA everyday! Whoa. That’s quite a dream. Do it daily and
it will no longer be a dream but a reality.

Easy ways to develop your personality for becoming an IAS:

Start introducong yourself in the mirror. It helps in gaining confidence.

Start talking to people and improve any hesitation.

Shanghai (2012)

Swades (2004)

Parzania (2007)

Black Friday (2004)

Shahid (2013)

Ship Of Theseus (2013)

The Attacks of 26/11 (2013)

Gangajal (2003)

Sarfarosh (1999)

Yeshwant (1997)

Maintain your physical and mental health.

Try to become more of a people person.

Join an NGO, work for educating a poor child, etc.

Try to become a good orator and a communication expert!

As Akand Sitra talks about getting the qualities of an ideal administrator, a perfect manager, a true leader
which has following characteristics.

" Responsibility – Integrity – Humility – Gratitude – Vision – Innovation – Quality – Respect – Empathy –
Unity – Adaptability – Magnanimity – Perseverance – Balance – Simplicity – Courage – Attention –
Discipline – Patience – Leadership "

Strong command over your language, suppose you're giving interview and you're not confident about
your grammar and English.. then you can imagine how bad impression you'll left to the board.

Clarity of knowledge=clarity in expression, you must be at the position where you can explain what is
being asked without blabbering about it.

Have confidence, most important characteristics of UPSC topper. You must have it..No matter how bad
you think you are, please believe that you can improve. And have Faith in yourself.

Have strong mind. Mind my word. You must have ability to control your mind..Every race began and end
here. For this do meditation everyday.observe your mind and make it your slave then the victory is yours.

In the end all I can say that have faith in yourself. You alread

Speaking skills - speaking skills or communication skills is a must for the top job. You have to do a lot of
public dealing in this job so you must possess this skill.

Presentation skills - you will have to convince others , sometimes your seniors also. So you should have
good presentation skills and necessary technical knowledge.

Social skills

Do not feel shy from meeting new people.

The aspirants must learn to be empathetic to others.

Being in coordination is one of the most important factors as it helps in adjusting actions in relation to
others actions

Teaching and helping others how to do something is gracious.

Negotiation is an important topic as it helps in reaching an agreement.

Physical Health
The person should have a healthy physique as personality depends on physical fitness also.

It also shows your strength and stamina

Analytical Ability

Try to understand every perspective of the situation and act accordingly to that so that you can give a
balanced judgement.

Focus

An IAS aspirant must keep all distractions away and work on one goal.

Same goes for your job. Being an IAS aspirant has its own perks and privileges so it is our responsibility to
keep things at bay and focus on our work.

Patience

Patience is a crucial quality of an IAS officer.

The average time taken for an aspirant to clear the exam is two years which is quite a lot of time.

Mental alertness

As civil servants who will run the country’s administration, you are expected to be mentally alert.

How does UPSC assess your mental alertness in a half-hour interview? The board members may pose
certain questions to candidates that are not straightforward. When you answer such questions, it is
important that you stay relevant to the core issue. Do not beat around the bush.

Hence, a candidate should listen to each question with full attention. You may also ask for a few
moments to understand the question fully and structure your answer. Make sure that you cover all the
aspects of the question in your answer. These include the social, political, economic or any other aspects
the question demands.

Also, if a board member asks multiple questions or follow-up questions, ensure that you answer all the
questions distinctly.
Critical power of assimilation

The UPSC is looking for candidates who are able to achieve value neutrality and are able to differentiate
facts from opinion.

The interviewers assess this by asking the candidate his opinion on important current issues of the day. A
candidate should be able to put forth the points of view of all the key stakeholders. This will project you
as person who is able to appreciate all sides of the story.

Having given a 360 degree assessment of the situation, the candidate should then, finally, give his own
opinion on the matter. This will convey that you have applied your mind to the problem in search of a
potential solution.

Balance of judgment

While sharing their assessment of a situation, a candidate should avoid extreme stances. For example,
on an issue of gender equality, one may avoid an extremely patriarchal and conservative stance, as well
as a radical feminist one. It is preferable to find a middle ground. Such balance of judgment is a quality
that the UPSC board appreciates in civil services candidates.

Clear and logical exposition

The candidates are expected to not only share their views on matters under discussion, but are also
expected to have clarity of thought and expression. There should be coherence in their arguments. The
board members will evaluate you poorly if you have merely parroted someone else’s opinion, instead of
deliberative thinking to form an opinion of your own. It is thus, important to do analysis and
introspection to get clarity of vision and a logical continuity in your answers.

Variety and depth of interest

UPSC prefers candidates who have knowledge beyond academics. They seek well rounded personalities
with varied interests. Candidates are asked to fill the details of extracurricular activities and hobbies they
pursue. Several interview questions are from these non- academic areas of interest. This helps the UPSC
to not only understand the variety of topics that the candidate is interested in, but also the depth of his
knowledge with respect to his interests.

Candidates are thus advised to do a thorough research about their hobbies.

Ability of social cohesion and leadership

It is important that a candidate come across as one with a pleasant personality, who can bring conflicting
parties together. He should be seen as a person who can enable people to arrive at a mutual
understanding. He should come across as an unbiased communicator and a dispassionate observer of
the socio-political scene.

For this, a candidate needs to appear as one who is familiar with the various aspects of the situation and
is interested in working out a realistic solution. He should be seen as a person who can keep his calm in
stressful situations. Hence, it is advised that the candidates should maintain a pleasant disposition even
if the interview seems to be going awry.

Intellectual and moral integrity

The candidate should come across as a person with moral integrity, who will win the trust of ordinary
citizens. For this, one may be asked to respond to hypothetical situations that involve a moral dilemma,
which administrators commonly face in the field.

One should also maintain honesty in his responses. If you do not know an answer, apologise to the board
members and tell them that you will research the answer later. Do not bluff if you do not know the
answer.

Keeping these points in mind will help a candidate in improving their performance within the limited
time available before the UPSC interviews. It will also help them work efficiently to serve the nation as
civil servants, should they clear the examination.

Take an interest in your work - It impacts your interview and demonstrates commitment, and also
reflects good intentions and will.

It helps your personality if you enjoy what you do and find meaning in it. This assists you in developing
natural confidence.

nsuing excellence in the work

Determination to give nothing but the best instills in our heart courage to get the better of all agonies
and problems and taste success. While striving for excellence, many seen and unseen problems are
wiped out and we are on the way of giving optimal performance.

Principle of utilitarianism

An administrator counts on the principle that all his decisions should lead to the greatest good of the
greatest number. Relying on the principle means that an administrator’s reach is to most powerful as
well as underprivileged classes of the society as well. After deciding to do maximum good for the society,
all the decisions already become rational.

. First thing that will surely be tested is the student's IQ.

2. Memorizing power is the second criterion.

3. Presence of mind..... how quickly one can draw the inference.

4. Logical reasoning power.

5. How will the candidate function under stress of time and big number of interdependent parameters.

6. Volume of stuff one can hold in mind at any given point of time. Almost the same as no. 2.

7. Power of analysis and synthesis. Most important.

8. Candidate's confidence level.

9. Candidate's decision making ability

10. Candidate's patience and diligence.

Questions are set very carefully and methodically to test all relevant areas. Consult past years' questions
thoroughly. Do not get overtly ambitious. Try to successfully complete as much percentage of the
syllabus as possible. Subjective study may be the keyword but the above objectives should be kept in
mind.

Try to summarize the portion read, and see that the whole thing gets into the head in a synthesized
manner with good degree of understanding. Synthesis can only be done when the reading has been
done analytically. Pure mugging up does not help much, though memorization is necessary.

Make out notes on what you read in a manner that you are well-versed in. Try, as much as possible, to
write down the matter that has been read, in a summarized manner.

Depend more on your own learning methodology and remain fully confident about passing through.
Confidence will improve your performance a lot.