Free UPSC Material
Our country, India, has been leading the competitive exams race. We have various competitive exams for every other course or even for jobs we have exams. With time, the difficulty level of these exams have been increasing day by day. One can’t say that the difficulty of the paper now is the same as it was 10 years ago. In this competitive era, an aspirant needs to prepare strongly for whichever exam they are preparing for.
Same is the case for one of the toughest competitive exams, UPSC Civil Services exam. Clearing this exam is a dream for millions of students. Right now also many students are preparing for these civil services exams. And for giving the best in exams good support is much needed. First of all the will and determination is needed to create the mindset for appearing in the exams and once it’s done, the next important thing is good study material. If there isn’t good study material to learn from, then the preparation for the exam is half done.
Luckily, in this digital age, the availability of free UPSC material has enhanced greatly and various other resources have also opened up. From online platforms, providing free Ebook, practice papers and free youtube videos. Even the government portals are providing past papers and study guides. Overall the range of free UPSC material today is vast and extensive. This article explores some of the best sources of free UPSC material and how aspirants can make the most of these resources in their exam preparation.
About UPSC And Its Importance:
The Union Public Service Commission or UPSC is a constitutional body that is responsible for conducting examinations to select candidates for various civil services and government posts. This institution holds a great significance in India as it ensures merit based selection of students for important roles all over India.
The UPSC conducts the prestigious CSE(Civil Services Examinations) which is one the most competitive and sought after exams in India. This exam is renowned for its rigorous selection process, covering a wide range of subjects and is considered a gateway for the government posts.
The Civil services include three types of services:
- All India Services
- Group A Central Services
- Group B Central Services
UPSC is known for its high level of competition with lakh of participants appearing for a limited number of vacancies.
The exam consists of three stages:
- Preliminary Examinations (Prelims)
- Main Examination (Mains)
- Personality Test (Interview)
The eligibility for appearing in this civil service exam is: The aspirant must be a graduate and must have attained the age of 21.
The importance of these exams lies in the key positions in the Indian Government including Indian Administrative Services (IAS), Indian Police Services (IPS), Indian Foreign Services (IFS), and other central civil services.
The exam syllabus is comprehensive and vast. It requires a rigorous amount of time and effort to prepare for the exam.
UPSC has always maintained high standards for their recruitment, ensuring that the candidates possess the right knowledge, skills and aptitude to serve the nation efficiently. The exam is also significant as it attracts a diverse pool of candidates from across the country, representing different backgrounds, regions and communities. The diversity is needed for a well rounded and inclusive civil services exam.
Benefit of Free Material:
- Accessibility: Free study material is accessible to everyone including those who may find it hard to find such resources. Students from remote areas can get it all at once and use it at their own convenience.
- Affordability: This removes the economic barriers and helps students of background to access these. It also saves a lot of money by not purchasing expensive courses, books and study materials.
- Variety: These materials in various formats such as PDF’s, Ebooks, practice questions, previous year papers, video lectures, free mock tests providing aspirants with a wide range of choices.
- Convenience: Candidates can access these materials anytime, anywhere within their busy schedules and limited access to physical study materials.
- Quality: The quality of these materials is good as these free UPSC materials are curated by none other than ex aspirants, experts and educators.
- Up-to-date: These materials and resources get regularly updated with each passing year. They accommodate latest exam patterns, current affairs, helping aspirants stay updated.
- Supplementary Learning: These provide traditional materials an edge by providing various insights and other information.
- Community Support: There are various communities on the internet that help the aspirants with the study materials and other candidates connect through them creating a community which is helpful and supportive.
- Flexibility: These materials help the students to study at their pace and do their learning as per their individual needs and performances.
- Motivation: Access to free UPSC materials can motivate them to get into their preparation of UPSC exams.
Important Topics:
Here are the important topics according to the subjects which need to be studied thoroughly to edge yourself among your peers. In this article we’ll provide you those important topics subject wise for a more transparent and concise image.
History:
History is the study of past events, cultures , societies and people’s interactions that have shaped the world we live in today. Considering that, history is important for the candidates who plan to serve the country as they need to know about what the country went through in the past. It provides a deep understanding of how societies evolved over time and helps us make sense of the present.
The Indian History can be divided into 4 main parts:
- Ancient History
- Medieval History
- Modern History
- Art & Culture History
Among these here are some important topics:
-
Ancient History
| Indus Valley Civilization | Rig Vedic period |
| Jainism | Buddhism |
| Mahajanapadas | Mauryan empire |
| Gupta Period | Sangam period |
-
Medieval History
| Bhakti and Sufi Movement | Cholas |
| Early Muslim invasions | The Delhi Sultanate |
| The Battle of Panipat | Akbar’s rule and religious views |
| Shivaji | Vijayanagara Empire |
-
Modern History
| People’s resistance against British Before 1857 | Beginning of Modern Nationalism In India |
| Indian National Congress | First World War and Nationalist Response |
| Gandhi’s Emergence | Simon Commission and Nehru Report |
| Quit India Movement, Demand for Pakistan | Peasant Movements 1857-1947 |
-
Art & Culture History
| Important temples | Important Festivals |
| Indian Literature | UNESCO’S List of Tangible World Heritage Sites in India |
Geography:
Geography is the study of the Earth’s landscapes, environments and the relationship between people and their surroundings. India is the seventh largest country in the world and the place where it is located brings various geographical regions under one roof. It helps us understand how the geological patterns differ region by region in our country.
Geography can also be divided into four main parts:
- Indian Geography
- World Geography
- Physical geography
- Human Geography
-
Indian Geography
| Basics Of India | Physical Features |
| River Systems | Climate |
| Minerals and Industries | Agriculture |
| Natural vegetation and fauna | Economic Infrastructure |
-
World Geography
| Major natural regions | Regional geography of developed countries |
| Regional geography of developing countries | Regional geography of South Asia |
-
Physical Geography
| Geomorphology | Climatology |
| Biogeography | Oceanography |
-
Human Geography
| Man and Environment | Population, Tribes, Migration |
| Settlements | Economic Activities |
Polity:
Polity or Political Science is the study of government systems, political behavior and the structure of Political systems. It is one of the most important subjects especially in the civil service examinations. This gives an understanding of the legislative, executive and judicial system and various constitutional authorities. Studying Polity is crucial for understanding how societies are organized and how political systems function.
There are three main area of focus in Polity:
- Preamble
- Schedules
- Constitution Of India
-
Preamble
| Features of preamble |
| 42nd Amendment |
| Swaran Singh committee |
-
Schedules
| Basic idea about 12 schedules |
-
Constitution Of India
This is one of the vast syllabus in the UPSC preparation.
| Basic idea about All articles | Historical Background |
| Drafting committee and making of the Constitution | Citizenship |
| Basic idea about Article 5-11 | PIO, NRI, OCI and Pravasi Bharatiya Divas |
| Fundamental Rights (FR) | Fundamental Duties(FD) |
| Directive Principles of State Policy (DPSP) | Union |
| Parliament | Judiciary |
| State Government | State Legislature |
| Administration of Union Territories (UT) | Administration of Special Areas |
| Emergency Provisions | State-Centre and interstate relations |
| Panchayati raj and municipalities | Constitution Bodies |
| Current affairs | Non-Constitutional Bodies |
Economics:
Economics is the study of how societies allocate scarce resources to produce goods and services and how these goods and services are distributed and consumed. It also helps us to understand historical trends, interpret today’s headlines and make predictions about the coming years. With the upcoming civil servants they need to possess the qualities to utilize the resources and act accordingly.
Here are the important topics of Economics:
| Basic Concepts (such as Factors of Production, National Income, GDP, Personal Income etc.) | Inflation |
| Fiscal Policy | Monetary Policy |
| Planning and Federalism | Growth and Development |
| Indian Economy- Sectors | Foreign Trade |
| Financial Market | World Economy |
These are all the important topics of these four subjects that will definitely help you to step one step closer towards the dream of being a civil servant.
The Studying Approach Towards Free UPSC Material:
Only getting the study material won’t help one to ace the examination. Along with hard work we also need to do the smart work. The approach towards how to use these study materials should be clear in the head. Organizing and planning how to use these notes will help one a lot, to use these in full potential.
- Understand the Exam Pattern: First of all, familiarize yourself with UPSC and its exam pattern. What are the total marks, how many questions come in the paper and the marking scheme should be known well.
- Identify your Strength and Weakness: Carefully analyze each subject and find out which topics you are strong in and in which topic you are weak. Then develop a plan and focus on improving areas where you need to practice.
- Create a study Plan: Develop a study plan that best focuses on you and works according to you. Also create a timeline for each topic and specify the time by which each topic needs to be completed.
- Use Multiple Resources: Use a variety of free ebooks, materials, websites, online courses, and video lectures to gain a comprehensive understanding of the topic.
- Practice Regularly: Solve a variety of mocks, previous year question papers, and analyze the marks to get a more comprehensive idea about your performance.
- Updated with Current Affairs: Keeping yourself updated with current affairs is a must in Civil services exams. It helps one to clear interviews and know about their surroundings. Being aware of what is happening in the world is a huge plus point in civil services exams.
- Join online forums and discussion groups: There are many chat groups, forums and discussion pages where aspirants join together and discuss different aspects about exams. Whether it is solving a question, or doubts about what to approach and how to, everything is answered on those forums and discussion groups.
- Seek Guidance: Nowadays reaching out to any guide or mentor isn’t much tough. One can contact them through Instagram, LinkedIn, mail etc. Reaching out to previous aspirants, educators and mentors can help you a lot. They can provide you with a number of beneficial tips which one can use in their journey of preparation.
- Review and revise: Revising is a must in any competitive exams. Regularly reviewing what one has done so far and revising the topics will help you retain the topics for a longer period of time.
- Stay Motivated: Set realistic goals according to you, so that achieving them one by one will make you keep motivated and confident in yourself.
Conclusion:
In conclusion we can say that the availability of free UPSC materials has significantly provided access to quality study resources for aspirants preparing for the civil services exams. These materials offer a wide range of benefits, including accessibility, affordability, variety and convenience. Aspirants can access e-books, questions, online lectures allowing them to study anytime, anywhere according to their desired needs.
Overall, free UPSC materials plays a very significant role in empowering students to achieve their goal of clearing the exams. By getting access to these high quality materials, these play as a level field for all the aspirants making the preparation more accessible to everyone.