Aniket Hirde_AIR 81

Sharing my interview notes on Physics and Policing/IPS (for those already in IPS and giving interview this year)

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Aniket Hirde_AIR 81 pinned «Link for my Physics notes: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1Jvf_T118REhwlrDcyU_lyDSQji4Dcy_X?usp=sharing»

Aniket Hirde_AIR 81 pinned «Sharing the links for my GS notes below Please note, I have prepared notes in both online and offline format. For subjects like GS 1, GS 4 which are mostly static, the notes are completely hardcopies. For GS 3 which is very dynamic, the notes are completely…»

Link for my Physics notes: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1Jvf_T118REhwlrDcyU_lyDSQji4Dcy_X?usp=sharing

Solving the paper 1. Choosing the questions: This is one of the most important part. I used to dedicate 5-10 minutes at the start to choose the questions. I used to mark every sub-question based on how much can I score in it This was based on my judgement that I had developed by solving many many questions. For example, if I know the whole sub-question, I used to write 15 marks beside it. If I don't know a part of 15 marker sub-question, say for 5 marks, I used to write 10. Finally I used to total the marks I can gain from that particular question. After doing this for 6 questions (which are optional, Q1 and Q5 are compulsory), I used to shortlist the 3 questions beside which I have written the highest marks. This way, I had eliminated the subjectivity in choosing questions. After this, if there was a tie in number of marks that can be scored between two questions, I used to choose the one with more derivations or lesser number of sub-questions 2. Writing: Each questions must have intro, body, and conclusion. Introductions can be defining the terms in the question, elaborating what you are going to solve, etc. Body has to be solving the question, answering the core demand of the question. Conclusion can be current affairs related to the topic in the question, final answer, etc. Diagrams are a must. Try to incorporate them in your every answer. Also, label the diagram and you can also refer to them while writing answer. I am attaching my test series copies to give you an understanding of how you can write 3. Being efficient: Stick to the page limits. You have to finish a 10 marker in 1 page, 15 marker in 2, 20 marker in 3 pages at max. There will be more pages given but you will only waste your time if you write more 4. Accuracy: This is again extremely important especially in numericals. You have to ensure that the final answer is right without which you will only get 1-2 marks inspite of how beautifully you have written the answer. If accuracy is an issue, practice more and more sums from reference books. You can also double check the numericals in the exam 5. What you should aim for- this is what I had achieved and it helped me a lot during exams a. Solving paper in 2.5 hours: By solving PYQs multiple times, and practicing from reference books, I had minimised my thinking time. Also, I practiced a lot to write fast. The result was that I could finish my every physics paper in 2.5 hours. Now the remaining 30 mins, I utilised to recheck my numericals to ensure accuracy and to solve those 1-2 sums which come a bit off the syllabus these days and actually need some thinking b. Derivation on fingertips: All the derivations including Hydrogen atom should be on fingertips. You should be able to write them down in the middle of the night as well. I had literally written down hydrogen atom derivation 10 times to memorize it How to use my notes I have uploaded 3 types of notes- Full notes for each topic, short notes for each paper and some solved test series papers 1. Full notes: You can refer to these once you yourself have gone through the respective sub-topic. You can take points from my notes into yours or use it to clarify any doubts you might have. I used to write only on the right hand side. So anything written on the left hand side is either usually an extension of content on the right page or value addition for the content on the right page. You can directly pick the value addition content as and when you find it. 2. Short notes: These will help you get an idea as to how you can filter things from full notes such that you cover all the pointers exhaustively. These notes can also directly help you to revise before exams. Note, pick and directly use all the introductions, conclusions, value addition I have written in these. 3. Test series: For understanding how to write a answer within the specified pages. You can again directly use the introductions, conclusions I have used and try to find similar conclusions from news, etc. for other topics. Keep the repository ready.

Preparation strategy My daily schedule (while preparing for first time) a. I used to study physics from morning 10 am to around 3 pm which included b. Watching one DIAS video on a particular sub-topic. Making notes while watching video (named as full notes) c. If anything wasn’t understood from the video, refer to notes of Rishav sir or Abhijeet sir. Sometimes, refer to reference books or google d. Solving all tutorial sums related to that sub-topic. Even if the sums were repetitive, I used to solve all of them. Also, solving would be as per exam requirement i.e. introduction, body, conclusion and fitting the answer within number of pages as per the marks. Solving even repeat questions ensured that I get a very good grip on the sub-topic while writing as per exam pattern ensured that I already knew what to write, how much to write in the exam when the question from that sub-topic comes e. After completion of each topic like Mechanics, I made short notes out of it. For example, my mechanics notes might be 60-70 pages, but short notes for it are only 8 pages. So basically ~40 pages per paper. These short notes were such that they covered all the topics but only had pointers to the main topics. Eg: Check hydrogen atom derivation in notes v/s short notes. The short notes have to be exhaustive, sharp, and short. So think a lot before making them after you finish each topic f. Making short notes is an EXTREMELY important step. Because you cannot revise full notes before the exam. Also sometimes, you can directly write the answer directly from your short notes if prepared well. After my first reading of physics, it were solely the short notes that I referred to in all my revisions across attempts Revision 1. I prepared my revision schedule as per the test series. For example, AITS had 1 test on each topic each weekend. So basically I covered one topic per week 2. I used to divide the number of pages in my short notes by number of days. For eg: Mechanics short notes had 8 pages. Assuming 5 days (6th day, Saturday used to be buffer/whole topic revision), I used to revise 1-2 pages per day 3. The revision of 1-2 pages would include covering all the sub-topics in those 1-2 pages. It means recalling/practicing the derivation if any, solving the tutorial sums (not in detail, just getting the answer; only unique sums, not the repeating ones), solving sums from reference books

Physics: My forever savior Who should take Physics? In any optional, one has to study till M.Sc level. So anyone with B.Sc, M.Sc in Physics or related subjects can choose this optional. Additionally, aspirants with engineering background who have liking for this subject can also do the same. I am listing down some pros and cons of Physics as an optional Pros 1. Well-defined syllabus. There are 8 topics, and 8 books, that’s it 2. Static in nature. Nothing changes in the attempts over the years. So once you prepare it well, its only a matter of revision 3. Gives a break from GS. This was very important for me as being from an engineering background, I had limited capacity to keep reading text in GS. It was a relief to see 4. some numbers while studying physics 5. Good score. If prepared well, you can be assured of 300+ every time 6. Definitive answers are possible in Physics unlike other optionals. So you understand well what you could solve and what you couldn’t. This helps in improving in subsequent attempts Cons 1. Mostly theoretical. Do not expect JEE like numericals. The paper will involve derivations, writing introductions, etc. 2. Time-consuming: Preparing Physics first time since start would take approximately 5 months (This includes making own notes, solving PYQs) provided you dedicate ~5 hrs daily to Physics I will now explain my strategy for Physics Resources I followed 1. DIAS videos: Recorded videos 2. Reference books a. Mechanics: D S Mathur b. Optics: Brijlal and Subramaniam c. Electromagnetics: Satya Prakash (for numerical), Griffiths (for theory) d. Thermodynamics: Garg Bansal Ghosh e. Quantum Mechanics: H C Verma, Zettili (for few numerical) f. Atomic and Molecular: Rajkumar, Banwell g. Nuclear and Particle Physics: D C Tayal (referred selectively), S B Patel (for basics) h. Solid State and Electronics: Puri Babbar (Solid State and few electronics topics), Principles of Electronics (V K Mehta, Rohit Mehta) 3. Previous toppers’ notes a. Abhijit Agarwal Sir b. Rishav Gupta Sir 4. Other a. For the love of Physics (Youtube Channel): To understand concepts better. Eg: Parity violation in beta decay b. Google to cover topics like electronics to ensure each and every word in the syllabus is covered Coaching As I prepared from Mumbai, I had opted for online videos of DIAS. This is basically recorded videos of classes which Shri. DP Vajpayee sir conducts in Delhi. In addition to this, I had also opted for DIAS test series (AITS). What you can expect from DIAS coaching: 1. It helps you define the boundaries of the syllabus. You will understand what to read, from where to read and to what extent 2. One step at a time: Since each video covers a small sub-topic, it becomes easier to cover the whole syllabus step by step 3. Tutorials: These are basically PYQ compilation topic, sub-topic wise. They are very useful. How, I will cover in later part. 4. Guidance on how to write answers: Shri. DP Vajpayee sir has explained in multiple recorded videos how to write answer which includes introduction, body, conclusion. What to write in introductions, conclusions, etc. How to solve the question in how many pages, etc. What you will still have to do on your own 1. Making own notes: There won’t be any notes provided by the coaching so right from the start, your notes will have to be extremely good 2. Referring extra notes/books: Coaching will cover 70% of the syllabus for you but you will have to refer to previous topper’s notes (names mentioned in resources), books to gain more depth on topics or study topics not covered in coaching. Eg: Electronics 3. Doubt clearing: It might be difficult for many to find time with sir to clear doubts, if any

Sharing the links for my GS notes below Please note, I have prepared notes in both online and offline format. For subjects like GS 1, GS 4 which are mostly static, the notes are completely hardcopies. For GS 3 which is very dynamic, the notes are completely online. For GS 2, it was combination of both- online and offline. Also, for GS 2, I made notes from Laxmikanth for bigger topics like fundamental rights, parliament, etc. while for smaller topics like tribunals, I had just written down the key points at the chapter start itself. Rest of the topics like IR which are missing from the notes are covered in current affairs section 1) GS 1 notes: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1VTRQ0w5i4PJhR4nCqF8mTSxokVPhIBwl?usp=sharing 2) GS 2 notes: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1EVmWYDgk1ehtsd4AdP59peNBXUU-oyJf?usp=sharing 3) GS 3 notes: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1zFI0t5SGCiNsLU3y71JGFxzQSYzePS83?usp=sharing 4) GS 4 notes: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/10RzvrYWiQGnMhGwQQeGvNmnG0bQSwevt?usp=sharing

Writing CSE for the first time Although it might sound that this post is for 1st timers, it will be helpful for seasoned aspirants as well as sometimes we lose track and our focus and these strategies can help you to find your path back. It is at this point that my experience in management consulting proved to be useful. In my job, I had learnt to ask very basic questions to solve complex problems and that’s what I did. Throughout my UPSC journey, I have stuck to three very basic questions 1. What is to be covered for this exam? 2. From where to cover it? 3. How to cover it? Let us try to answer these questions one by one. What is it to be covered for this exam? The general perception of this exam is that the syllabus is very vast and covers everything under the sun. But right from the start of my preparation, I tried to narrow down the things to read as much as possible. For this I used 2 sources: 1. Syllabus: I heavily focused on syllabus, each and every word and tried to understand what is to be read. In the initial 1 month of preparation, I used to read syllabus every night before going to sleep and by the end of month, I had by hearted the syllabus. This helped me understand very clearly as tp what to read and what not to whenever I went through any reading material like newspapers, notes, etc. 2. PYQs: This was another way in which I narrowed down my focus on syllabus. I used Mains PYQ compilation book by Vishal Publication which has compiled topic wise PYQs. Everytime before I read any topic, I used to glance through PYQs. This helped me understand what is important even in that topic. For eg: In Laxmikanth, although Union Executive is a very big topic, most of the questions have been only from President chapter. So I focused more on functions of President rather that that of Prime Minister. From where to cover it General studies: Rather than mentioning the book list, I will mention how I shortlisted my books. I went through booklist of toppers with similar background to mine and listed down their sources. Based on 2-3 such toppers, I made a common minimum book list and stuck to it till the end. Current affairs: I read The Hindu everyday and made notes on Evernote (Will share links below). Before prelims and mains, I only revised my notes for current affairs How to cover it? This is probably the most crucial question out of the 3 1. I started with big chunks in the syllabus like Polity, Modern History, Economics, etc. and read them through the standard books 2. First reading was like a story where in I did not try to underline/remember anything. Just read it as a story and get a feel of it. Before second reading, I went through the PYQs as mentioned above and underlined with pencil. Third reading, I again went through PYQs before reading any topic and underlined with pen. Fourth reading, I made my notes (will attach them separately). These multiple readings with focus on PYQs ensured that I only took that content in the note which was relevant. This brought down my reading time significantly. For eg: Laxmikanth’s reading time came down from 1.5 months (1st reading) to 5 hrs (During revision) 3. Some fringe topics like disaster management, e-governance, etc. were covered via google searches/topper’s copies, etc. 4. For current affairs, I had made a framework for any news. It was a. What is it? b. What is the positive about it? c. What are the issues? d. What should govt. Do? e. Way ahead I used to fit every news given in the newspaper in this framework so that it used to become very easy to recall 5. Eventually, I had notes for all the topics in the syllabus and revising it before mains became very easy

Brief about my UPSC journey I started to prepare for UPSC in February 2021 after my graduation from IIT-Bombay in 2019 followed by a 1.5-year stint at Bain & Company. I gave my 1st attempt in 2021 in which I secured AIR 98 and was allotted IPS, Maharashtra. In my next attempt, I secured AIR 81. Hoping for the best now 🙂 With respect to my strategy, I prepared from my home i.e. Thane. I did not join any coaching for GS. I just gave online test series of multiple classes like Vision, Forum, Lukmaan, Chanakya Mandal, etc. My optional was Physics for which I had taken online videos of DIAS and also the test series by Vajpayee sir. In the following few posts, I will throw some light on how I could secure AIR 98 in my 1st attempt with just 11 months of preparation, and how I increased my GS + Essay marks by 37 between the 2021 and 2022 attempt. Also, will share strategies on Physics which has been my consistent saviour in all three attempts. Disclaimer: Whatever I post/suggest might have worked for me but may not for you depending on your background, personality, etc. So please have an informed judgement of following my suggestions.strategies. You should tweak them as and how you find them suitable :)

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Hello, everyone, I'm Aniket Hirde. My optional was Physics and I've scored 312, 299 and 302 in Physics in CSE-21, 22 and 23 respectively. Many people have asked me to share my notes, answer sheets, etc. So, will be doing that here. Looking forward to help as many people as I can! 😊😊

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