Shaik Habeebulla, AIR-189 CSE-22 Prelims, CSAT, Mains & Anthropology

Hi All,

This is the 17th Topper Journey & Strategy post from the Batch of 2023. Shaik Habeebulla cleared CSE-22 with AIR-189 and has detailed his prelims, CSAT, Mains and Anthropology strategy here.

Introduction

My name is SHAIK HABEEBULLA and I secured AIR 189 in UPSC CSE 2022 this is my marksheet:

I did not qualify prelims in the first two attempts and scored 30+ cut-off in third attempt. This was my first mains and first interview which fortunately turned out to be my final attempt as I am joining the police service.BHere are few insights for prelims (gs paper), ethics (127) , gs1, gs2 and anthropology optional (285).

You may contact him on his Instagram Profile

Prelims

1. Basically in my first 2 attempts i went through with random news sources, multiple websites and random test series. I did not believe that upsc will give emphasis to previous year questions
2. In the third attempt ,I changed my strategy radically. I restricted myself to basic books and ncert without running here and there for various sources.
3. Previous year question analysis: pyqs are very imperative in understanding the pattern of questions, themes repeating every year, logical deductions to make and many other. This should not confused by blind elimination tricks. Blindfold eliminations without intellectual guessing and knowledge will lead to devastation. Elimination techniques efficiency is directly proportional to knowledge we aquire.
4. Wise use of test series: Test series should be attempted to check our subject knowledge, not for anything else -neither for pattern of solving not to expect same questions in real paper, so test series should be limited but revised thoroughly.
5. Last 15 days mind makeup: in last 15 days I have attempted pyq papers from year 2009 to 2021 daily each .even though we know answers for them ,we should solve a paper daily as it prepares our mind ready to a paper prepared by upsc .
6. Managing ourselves: we should be calm ,composed and confident because whatever we have studied before paper will only materialise if we perform on that day with calmness. Any difficult paper should be seen as “A problem common to everyone is no longer a problem, everyone dies -we all know, so no one fears death”

CSAT

Coming from a   biology background, as I am a veterinary doctor, maths was always a tough nut to crack. So these are my few inputs which worked for me:

1. Attempt around 38-45 but with great accuracy. In 2022 I attempted 38 questions only but scored near 80, we just need to cross 66 marks.
2. We can rely on passages as only 6-7 passages are tough and ambiguous if we practice well.
3. Remaining 20 passages are easy to moderate, but as they are mixed with tough passages in between which makes us doubt our answers in easy passages also.
4. We should learn to leave questions at right time. Any question consuming  more than 2-3 minutes should be left and move to another question.
5. Beat panic: It is natural to get panic in csat paper, we need to overcome it. Trust ourselves and our strategy and also the efforts we have put before the exam.

Gs1 and Gs2

1. Preparation for prelims and mains to be done in an integrated manner
2. Specifically in gs1, I tried to write answers specific to the subject asked like geography answers cannot be same as of environment neither of disaster management though the asked question is same (example cloud burst)
3. Try to include diagrams, timeline maps, geography diagrams, india maps etc.
4. In gs2, we need to be more careful in regards to non laxmikanth part -for that note making from various sources will be helpful and decode gs2 by mudit Jain sir helped me a lot in those last days
5. Try to make short notes of judicial cases, committees,data ,mind maps for last minute and multiple revisions

Gs4

1. Ethics paper needs to be understood differently from other gs papers. This paper needs an element of humanistic touch rather than mechanical writing.
2. I used decode ethics book diligently, as it provided me “large in small”  book. So much good and relevant content is there in a very small book. This book also helped me to understand the way of answering questions in ethics. I made small short notes from it and revised it multiple times.
3. As these days, papers are lengthy, we need to learn to complete the whole paper in given time along with use of very good examples ranging from both newspapers and personal life .

Join here for free guidance from Mudit Jain, IRS CSE-17 (IPS CSE-14 & 15), Author of Decode Civils – Philosophical Essay Writing, Decode GS2, Decode Ethics 4.0 & Decode History Books

Ethics book referred by CSE 22 Toppers: AIR –76, 91, 176, 189, 249, 288, 297, 299, 326, 356, 476, 541, 611, 616, 700, 737, 739, 746 & others

History book referred by CSE 21 Toppers: AIR – 44, 212, 572, 653 & others

Sample PDFs of Books: Decode Civils – Philosophical Essay Writing, Decode Ethics 4th Edition,  Decode GS2 & Decode History

Anthropology

Paper 1

1. Need to get a clear understanding of each and every topic in the syllabus
2. Better to have self made  notes made from all the available good sources in the market ranging from anthropology simplified to mandar patki sir notes
3. Try to write all the pyqs at least from 2013 to now ,as the questions will be asked in and  around the same themes
4. Test series between prelims and mains becomes very imperative as it teaches us time management,getting accustomed to bouncer questions
5. Make value addition to notes like -thinkers, books, examples, case studies to be compiled seperately and revised it repeatedly.
6. Answering individual components like physical anthropology by diagrams and linkage with social part. Archeology by places, time period, geographic age etc is very important. Not all answers should be of the same format.

Paper2

1. Above pointers also apply to paper 2
2. Indian examples and casestudies  for both tribal and Indian anthropology are important and to be used at relevant places only
3. Linkage of paper 1 with paper 2 and vice-versa is so crucial to appeal comprehensively
4. Try to follow current trends of anthropology discipline and try to inculcate wherever possible in conclusions
5. Writing answers with subheadings that are within scope of anthropology view point makes answers more optional based than generic
6. For bouncer questions,try to answer with the limited knowledge but relevant by linking all the possible aspects of the syllabus
7. We don’t need to restrict our answers to what we have read, try to explore the horizon by bringing various viewpoints in the syllabus on the day of exam
8. Eg. linking paper 2 questions with theories, linking theories with physical anthropology, archeology.

Final note

• I started upsc preparation with confidence and self belief, but eventually after repeated two prelims failures I was greatly demoralised and had self doubt every second day
• With the help of a lot of self motivation, family, friends from jamia rca, college and my hometown ,many mentors -finally I was able to make it. from this experience I can say dont be isolated nor be completely occupied with people. Have a quality people with you. Talk to them. Move with them. This really helps.
• Never compare with others. don’t undermine yourself that you are not from a great institution or have a great career record. Finally what matters is how we handle the process of examination and sail through it.
• Keep healthy daily routine. Meet and greet people. Have good hobbies. Have gratitude. Reward yourself for even small accomplishments and have faith in almighty’s plan
• I am always available and happy to help fellow aspirants on my Instagram account, where I have even answered few queries regarding upsc

CSE-22 Topper Strategies:

1) Dwij Goel AIR-71 Journey & GS-2 124 Marks & His Anthropology Strategy 315 Marks

2) Gautam Vivekanandan AIR-211 Essay Topper 149 Marks

3) Khushboo Oberoi AIR-139 Prelims, Ethics & Public Administration 294 Marks

4) Aaditya Sharma AIR-70 Prelims, Mains & Medical Science

5) Abhishek Dawachya AIR-610 Prelims, Mains (GS-1 Topper) & Sociology

6) Avinash Kumar AIR-17 Philosophy Topper 319 Marks

7) Virendra Kumar Meena AIR-883 Hindi Medium Cleared Prelims Thrice

8) Jatin Jain AIR-91 Prelims, Mains & Sociology

9) Kasturi Panda AIR-67 Prelims, Mains & Interview

10) Laxmipriya Upadhyaya AIR-176 Prelims, Mains & Agriculture

11) Nidhi Goyal AIR-202 GS-3 Topper 107 Marks

12) Ishan Sinha AIR-234 Prelims Strategy & Booklist

13) Anirudha Pandey AIR-64 Prelims, Mains & Essay

14) Tanisha Jetly AIR-400 Botany Optional

15) Damera Hima Vamshee AIR-548 Inspirational Journey & Sociology

16) Kunal Jain AIR-356 Journey & Learnings