[Q] ENGLISH a big necessity in clearing IAS and State PSC exam

Got question via email

I wanted to ask that is ENGLISH a big necessity in clearing IAS exam and other STATE PSC'S..

Ans:
As per new pattern in IAS exam (known as CSAT), there will be compulsory English grammar/ comprehension questions in the prelim paper-II. [its marks will be counted in the prelim-selection list]

In the mains exam of IAS, there is a compulsory english language paper, but its marks are not counted in the final merit list. However, in some State PSCs such as Gujarat, the marks of compulsory English language paper (mains) are counted in the final merit list.

So yes English has became a big necessity for clearing competitive exams be it IAS and State PSC or Bank.

[Q] OBC certificate, should I get latest or 10 year old certificate will do?

[Q] OBC certificate, should I get latest or 10 year old certificate will do?

I belong to the OBC category and I have the certificate which was issued 10 years back, which I feel it's not valid and I need to renew it...but I have a doubt, Sir, Is it compulsory in the case of UPSC Civil Service for the OBC certificate to be issued before the last date of Prelims application form fill-up (some exams like SSC mentioned it should be before last date of any exam) or we can get it issued anytime as long as we can provide it in the time of Mains application form fill-up?

OBC list gets revised at regular interval.
10 year is kinda way too old, you should get a new one (and in English.)
And non-creamy layer certificate has validity of only one year.
So yes you should get both of them, latest.

You don't have to send any documents with your prelims form, but with your mains form You will be required to attach a photocopy of your category certificate, marksheets etc.

 

[Tutorial] Resizing photo and signature for UPSC online application

[Tutorial] Resizing photo and signature for UPSC online application

If you intend to fill the application via online route, the notification requires you to upload 2 photos in a specific size and dimension. It says

Each of the scanned images of the photograph/signature should not exceed 40 KB in size (for photograph, the pixel size is 140 pixels height x110 pixels width and for sign it should be 110 pixels height x140 pixels width) and also to be ensured that the uploaded photograph/signature are proper.

So what to do?
1. First get your passport sized photo scanned , (or if you are getting a new photo, ask the cameraman to copy the photo in a new pendrive / CD.)
2. take a white paper, sign on it using black pen. Now scan that paper.

There are many ways to resize an image. Default MS paint program doesn’t provide some features, so for a hassle-free resizing, download and install Paintdotnet software (free) from following link. (size 3.5MB)
http://www.softpedia.com/progDownload/Paint-NET-Download-19322.html

[You can also use gimp, adobe-photoshop, irfanview anything, the principle remains the same.]
Now open the image using paintdotnet.



Once you have resized the image, paintdotnet provides facility to save it with along with an option to change the image-quality so that it meets the 40 kb size restriction.



Still confusion in photo resizing and meeting the 40 kb size limit?
Then do as directed in following video (download size 600 kilobytes)
http://ahb.me/1SAD

For signature, do as directed in following video (download size 300 kilobytes)
http://ahb.me/1SAH

[Q] Integrated 5 year M.Sc or MBA course and want to apply for CSAT 2011

[Q] Integrated 5 year M.Sc or MBA course and want to apply for CSAT 2011

To all those people in that "I'm in 5 year integrated course and want to apply for prelims"

 

1. if you're in final year or final semester, you can apply for prelims, provided that you're going to get the marksheet or degree by august 2011 [this applies to every body in every field +MBBS need include another certificate if they've not finished their internship]
2. (from some discussion on IOforum), suppose you're in 5 year integrated course like M.Sc, MBA or MCA and currently in 4th year but want to apply for prelims, in that case you need to get a provisional certificate from your university that states that your 3 year course is equivalent to the graduation in that field (B.Sc/BBA/BCA etc.)

 

[Q] Creamy layer OBC also gets 7 trials and 3 years age relief

[Q] Creamy layer OBC also gets 7 trials and 3 years age relief

Praveen asked in comments

"is there different no.of chances for obc(in creamy layer)and obc(out of creamy layer)?

Answer

No difference.

Every OBC gets 7 trials, irrespective of his creamy layer status.

Every OBC also gets +3 years age relief (i.e. upper age 33 years)

Creamy layer OBC doesn't mean General category in age or attempt limit.

Anymore doubts refer to

www.OBCguru.com

He is indeed 'the OBCguru' because he knows about every court judgment, rule and gazette notification related to OBCs, and has provided his mobile number and email id so you can contact him anytime.

 

[CSAT App Q] Your hands are not tied with optional subject choice in prelim form

[CSAT App Q] Your hands are not tied with optional subject choice in prelim form

I have a doubt regarding the application form, though I have send the offline application form through post, I have one query which is eating my mind from past few days, I have mentioned in the FORM-E (offline application form) my mains optional and centre of the exam, because of some conditions I had to change one of the optional , though I should have thought this before filling the form, but I could not do so. Suppose I qualify the prelims can I put changed optional in the DETAILED APPLICATION FORM of the mains, or I will be bound to use the same optional I have marked in form-e, kindly help me in this regards, I have called UPSC facilitation counter many times during weekdays they are not lifting, and even those of my friends who have qualified the exam are unable to answer my query.

Ans:
Don't worry, the notification says

"This column, i.e. 21(III) [Mains subject choice] is optional and is only for statistical purposes.
Candidates who qualify the Civil Services (Preliminary) examination 2011 will be required to provide this information at the time of filling up of the Detailed Application Form (DAF) for the Civil Services (Main) Examination 2011]. "

 

[Explained] Age and Trial limit for UPSC civil service exam

[Explained] Age and Trial limit for UPSC civil service exam

I'm getting many questions regarding Age and trial limit so here is the answer.

• UPSC civil service prelim exam is taken in May Month of every year (2011, 2012,2013... and so on.)
• The notification for this exam comes in December of previous year.

Example,

• 2011's exam's notification will come in 2010's December.
• 2030's Exam notification will come in 2029's December. 

 

Minimum age for appearing in UPSC civil    service exam

Minimum age (irrespective of caste/category etc.) is 21 years.

You must be minimum 21 years old on 1st August of that given year when the exam will be held.

For example,

• If you want to give exam in 2011, you must be atleast 21 years old on 1st -Aug-2011
• if you want to give exam in 3040, you must be atleast 21 years old on 1st-Aug-3040)

Maximum / Upper Age Limit

 Same way Maximum age also calculated on 1st August of the given year.

If you're a _______ category candidate, and want to give exam in the year xxxx, then you must not be ** years old on 1st August of that year.

Now in above sentence, fill in the blanks as per following LIST

• General category= 30 years
• SC/ST=35 Years
• OBC=33 years
• blind, deaf-mute and Orthopaedically handicapped persons=40 years
• Citizen of Jammu and Kashmir=35 years
• Defense Services personnel disabled in operations during hostilities with any foreign country or in a disturbed area and released as a consequence thereof:=33 years
• Ex-servicemen including Commissioned Officers and ECOs/SSCOs who have rendered at least five years Military Service =35 years

example sentence

if you're a general category candidate, want to appear in 2011's exam, then you must not be 30 years old on 1st August of 2011.

++ above LIST's age relaxation is cumulative for SC/ST/OBC
for example,

• SC citizen of Jammu Kashmir = gets 5+3 = 8 years extension.
• OBC Ex-service man gets 3+5=8 years.
• ST category blind candidate =5+10=15 years relaxation means 30+15=45 years.

this cumulation works upto 2 levels or categories only. 
i.e. ST citizen of Jammu Kashmir who is blind =5+5+10=20 years age relaxation (=can give exam upto 50 years age) : no it doesn't work like that.

still confused? refer
http://www.upsc.gov.in/exams/notifications/csp2010/notcvl.htm#Age%20Limits

Trial / attempt limits

 Now regarding the trial limits. The moment you go inside the preliminary exam hall and sign the attendance sheet, your trial is counted (it doesn't matter if you fail or pass..your attempt is counted)
If you only fill up the form but don't go in the exam hall, your attempt is NOT COUNTED.

Most important thing

 In the mains application form, they'll ask about all your previous attempts' roll numbers! so DONOT throw away your hall-ticket if you fail in the prelim-exam because you might pass it in the next trial and then you'll have to fill up the mains form! and Noone at UPSC is going to find your roll number in that case. So keep record of everything from hall-ticket to form number.

Now lets see the trial-limits.

• General=4
• SC/ST=unlimited till they reach the max age.
• OBC =7

Gautam asked,

i am planning to write cse in 2012 with optionals public ad. and anthropology. To opt IFS on what    points should i concentrate more?
and my doubt about job is about the posting place(india or abroad), for what period, in what(embassy or consulate or mea) and permanent missions/deputations to un and other such bodies ?

Answer
You don't have to concentrate on any specific thing to get IFS.
Once you clear the prelims, you'll be given the mains application form by UPSC.
In mains application form, you've to give service preference (eg. IAS>IPS>IFS>IRS whatever you like)
After you get a decent score in mains, you'll be called for interview, finally your mains+interview marks are combined, and a merit list is prepared.
You'll be allotted to a service depending on 4 factors combined,
1. Your preference in the mains form
2. Your merit number (+reservation if applicable)
3. the vacancies in the given service.
4. Medical checkup
That's all.

Now, some people believe (and spread rumors) that to become an IFS officer (Indian Foreign services)
1. You need to select a specific optional subject (like political science & international relations),
2. You need to be Post-graduate from a specific stream or a reknowned college (DU, Stephen's,Xavier etc)
3. You need to write the exam in English, you need to give interview in English etc.etc.
None of above is true. All baseless rumors and lies.

Let me quote Hindustan Times article 

Last year (2008), a group of candidates with Hindi as their first language made the cut at the civil services exams, and were selected for the Indian Foreign Service (IFS).

English is not their strong point and they answered their papers in Hindi, one of the language options available to a candidate. So, for the first time, English is being taught to these six or so young IFS probationers at the Foreign Service Institute (FSI), Delhi.

In short, Exam remains one and same for everyone and every service offered by UPSC's civil service exam. Your selection basically depends on your service preference+ merit number.
Same way to become an IPS officer, one doesn't need to be extremely physically fit athlete / State or national Sports champion / Post-graduate in forensic science or criminology.

Your second question :Job profile of IFS
Copy pasting from another article on this blog,


After the training at Mussoorie, the I.F.S. probationers are attached to the Ministry of External Affairs and have to become conversant in a major foreign language. During the second year they are appointed as Third Secretaries in and Indian Embassy/High Commission where that language is spoken. They spend another two years in the same Embassy as Second Secretaries. After two postings abroad, the I.F.S. Officers are posted in India in the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) (Eg. Passport office or Indian Council for Cultural Relations or elsewhere in the Government of India). In the MEA, you will look after India's political, economic and commercial work. In the Senior Scale and the Junior Administrative Grade the I.F.S. Officers are appointed as First Secretaries. In the Selection Grade I.F.S. Officers serve as Counsellors. In very small countries the Indian Ambassador would be in that grade.
In the supertime scale, many I.F.S. Officers become Ambassadors of medium sized countries while others are appointed as Ministers in the large embassies like Washington and Moscow. In the Additional Secretaries Grade, I.F.S. Officers are made ambassadors in relatively big embassies of Deputy High Commissioner in London. The biggest Indian Embassies / High Commissions like Moscow, Washington and London are headed by Ambassadors of the rank of Secretary. At this level, some Ambassadors are non I.F.S. Officers like politicians, retired or serving I.A.S. Officers or retired Defence Chief. There are four to five Secretary level officers in the MEA - the senior most being the Foreign Secretary.
The content of an I.F.S. Officer's work has improved immensely. The is considerable economic work to be done to promote trade and commerce. The career development in the service is extremely professional.