UPSC topper Agam Jain did all the studying by himself for the examination, except for the optional tuition. He counted on Insights and several other websites in order to polish his skills and prepare himself for all the potential odds. He passed the Civil Services Examination in his second attempt. We hope that you find this motivational story of Agam to be helpful in your journey.
Back Story
Agam was an engineer who graduated from Mangalayatan University. He secured 133rd rank in UPSC in the year 2015. He resided in a village near Aligarh and started his journey from there to the AIR. In his first year of college, he travelled a distance of 4 km each day so he could teach poor children in a village who lived there in adverse conditions.
Realisation
In the location where he used to teach, the basic amenities were falling short; there was no electricity, water, etc. From his room where he used to reside, the main road was nearly 2 km away. Moreover, he also had to encounter some of the evilest local fights and deaths that used to happen in his localities.
He realised that his passion for working and making national contributions could be possible by entering into the Civil Services. So in his third year, he used to visit the library to comprehend articles of The Hindu for an hour every day. He also indulged in some of his favourite sports like volleyball. He observed everything around him weekly, made notes in his mind, and decided to aim for the summit of success!
Path Towards UPSC
The journey of Agam Jain IPS started after his post-graduation when he travelled to Delhi. So, what was Agam Jain strategy for the UPSC CAPF? He made a roadmap for the duration of one and a half years and prepared very accurately with respect to the schedule. Now you must be wondering how did Agam Jain manage solitude during UPSC preparations? The answers lie in his comprehensive strategies and planning –
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Short Term Strategy
Aspirants should make some online as well as physical notes. He suggests that when you come across any topic, answer, or essay that interests you while you study, note them in a selective manner into your notes under specific headings to segregate them better. Such notes come in handy when one is travelling, has some spare time, etc. This would partially give you an idea of your answers.
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Cuttings from the Newspaper
This might probably solve your doubt about How did he prepare for the essay? During the time of reading the newspapers like Yojana or Kurukshetra, cut some of the newspaper’s informative portions and put them in a file. Write things down when you listen to a particular topic from air news, RSTV programs, read any book, etc. This can help you with your essay content.
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Make a Schedule
In order to create a schedule, take the duration as six days a week. Agam suggests sparing the 7th day for revision of the online and hardcopy notes. Do not revise them completely, but minimise your notes and divide them. For instance, divide two pages of notes to one and then to half a page by the time exams are approaching.
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Strategy for Prelims
Besides studying the basics from the textbooks, Agam made a list of things like names of national parks, republic day tableau rivers, GI tags, recent Padma winners, international conventions and reports, UNESCO sites, etc.
He also suggests that one should pay attention to the newspapers when something comes related to the topics that come under the UPSC syllabus. He highly recommends reading Laxmikanth at frequent intervals, as you will find a lot of topics related to your UPSC syllabus in it. He also suggests checking the science monitor program of RSTV to gain a gist of the recent developments in science.
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Strategy for Mains
Agam advises that writing practice is mandatory as it gives you an extra margin of some seconds per answer which can turn out to be very vital for you. Write an answer while starting your day and evaluate your answer in the evening. While you evaluate the answer, do it with the mindset of the teacher and do not be lenient. You will then slowly understand what the evaluator wants.
Message to the Aspirants
Agam always believed in carrying a small notepad wherever he went. So that he can note down the small yet important insights that he came across every time he read newspapers, listened to the radio or watched TV. This turned out to be very helpful in the times of his final preparation.
How to cover history optional by Agam Jain IPS? He suggests that sometimes, especially in history we tend to watch some documentaries or other war-themed or specific genre of movies and tell ourselves that we are watching it to study. They might be related, but it can take up a lot of time. So be mindful and take notes instead.
In Conclusion
Following the footsteps of the previous toppers and their brilliant strategies can help you ace your UPSC exams. It will also help you get an idea of framing your own strategy that works perfectly for you.
Preparing for UPSC without any guidance cannot be everyone’s cup of tea. It is always better to look up to some toppers and seek inspiration. Following the most productive and effective strategies is what can help you to gain the upper hand in the UPSC examinations.
We here at UPSC Pathshala intend to keep you informed about all the effective tips, tricks, and strategies imparted by various toppers. Sign up for our expertly designed courses, and high-quality video lectures delivered by 200+ personal mentors, and stay tuned with our regular blogs for more UPSC related content. Happy learning!
