can anyone pls tell when to start and how to start upsc preparation? I m in 1st year now !! I m totally confused pls help !! and also which coaching center is best in Delhi for upsc ??

Hello,

First of all in order to initiate your preparation you need to be well acquainted with the exam pattern and syllabus, UPSC is conducted in three stages namely Prelims, Mains and Interview.

To provide you a brief about the exam;

Preliminary: First Stage is MCQs based exam, it has two papers and each one consists of 200 marks,its numbers ain't added to final list, you just need to score the required cut offs against your category. First is GS Paper-I which consists of the following topic such as History of India and Indian national movement, Indian and World geography, Economic and social development- sustainable development, poverty,inclusion demographics, social sector initiatives etc,Indian polity and governance-constitution,political system,Current Events nationally and Internationally, General Science,General Issues on environmental ecology,biodiversity and climate change. you just need to score the required cut offs against your category.

Second Paper is CSAT which is qualifying by nature,you need to score merely 33% which is 66 marks out of 200, it includes following topics such as basic numeracy, comprehension, logical reasoning and analytical ability, general mental ability, decision making and problem solving, interpersonal skills including communication skills.

Mains: This is a second stage which it's more of a subjective type, you are required to write answers for Four General Studies Paper such as

• GS-I includes Indian Heritage and Culture,History and Geography of the World and Society,
• GS-II includes Governance, Constitution, Polity, Social Justice and International Relations,
• GS-III includes Technology, Economic Development, Bio-Diversity, Environment, Security and Disaster Management,
• GS-IV includes Ethics, Integrity, and Aptitude
• Two Optionals,
• One Essay,
• Two Language Paper

There are a total of nine papers in Mains, and each paper is of 250 marks, total adds up to 1750 marks.

The last stage is interview for 275 marks.

Now, as you're still in first year, and as per your discipline there are two-three years more to go before appearing for the same, for started I can recommend you be well acquainted with the syllabus, take a print out and go through it on daily basis, you can keep it in your study table as well, this will enable you to know what to read and what to skip whether in terms of study materials or news paper reading. Secondly, newspaper reading is very vital for this exam, hence make a habit of reading the same on daily basis, you can start off with The Hindu or The Indian Express. put more emphasis on editorials, news of national and international importance, government policy and scheme, science and technology, economics etc. when it comes to study materials start off with NCERTs as this will make your base strong, in UPSC exam it's imperative to have at least the basic knowledge of all the subjects, you don't have to be an expert, but you must have a decent understanding of the subjects so that you can write it down in Mains. After completing NCERTs, go through the standard books as mentioned below;

For Prelims, you can refer the following books:

History ;

NCERT Class XI and XII

India's Struggle for Independence by Bipin Chandra

For Indian Culture, refer art and culture by Nitin Singhania

Geography ;

NCERT Class VI to XII

GC Leong's Physical Geography

World Atlas

Economics ;

NCERT Class XI

Indian Economy by Ramesh Singh

International Relations & Polity ;

NCERT XII Political Science with current affairs

Indian Polity by Laxmikanth

CSAT ;

Verbal and Non-Verbal Reasoning by RS Agarwal

M Tyra's Quicker Maths

Coming to Mains Exam, you can refer the following books for four General Studies Paper;

GS I - For History , Class XI NCERT book with India's struggle for Independence by Bipin Chandra,India after Independence by Bipan Chandra,History of Medieval India by Satish Chandra

For Geography refer World Geography and Geography of India by Majid Hussain, GC Leong's Physical and Human Geography with NCERT Class XI book.

For GS II - Polity and International Relations , refer Indian Polity by Lamikanth,India's Foreign Policy by Rajiv Sikri

For GS III - For Economics refer Indian Economy by Ramesh Singh, read ARC report along with Economic Survey and Fiscal Budget.

For GS IV - For Ethics refer a book named Lexicon by Niraj Kumar, also you can go through study material of IGNOU.

Always try to keep resources minimal, revision is the key here, read one book many a time than many books one time.

Go through previous year paper, apply mock tests on regular basis, you can refer topper's answer sheets when it comes to writing for mains, and start in advance for mains writing, as you have to write for nine papers,

UPSC is one of the toughest examinations in India. So the quicker you start, it will benefit more. You can try studying from the 2nd year of your graduation if you have a scope or join after the end of the Graduation.

There are quite a good number of coaching. You can check-

1. Viajiram & Ravi IAS
2. Drishti IAS
3. VISION IAS

These are some of the institutes which are quite elegant. There are also other institutes.

How to prepare for IAS:

https://competition.careers360.com/articles/how-prepare-for-upsc-ias

Book for UPSC CSE:

https://competition.careers360.com/articles/books-for-upsc-ias

I hope my answer helps. All the very best for your future endeavors!