We have been listening to this since our childhood that you need to study very hard to clear the UPSC exams and that too becoming an IAS is like climbing the mountain. You need to study for at least 18-20 hrs. You can’t become an IAS officer if you don’t do this or if you don’t do that. Somehow, I totally don’t believe in this ideology. You need to understand IAS/ IPS or any government official posts are full of responsibilities. You need to give your best in any situation because this is what is required the most.
UPSC exams are like all other competitive exams. There may be 10 lakhs students appearing in this exam every year but believe me, almost half of the people just fill the form for the sake of it. In some cases, someone in their family has asked to do so or there is pressure on them to impress people. Later is the probability in most of the cases. Some are only taking the paper to judge himself. In short, the real competition is between 10-80 K candidates only. In reality, competition is not very tough.
Also, these decisions are never taken in one day. Just suddenly, you watch one of your relatives who is an IAS or IPS officer and you suddenly want to prepare for UPSC. Or, you watch a movie on TV and you aspire to become an IAS officer. This preparation requires you to be consistent and if you are flicker in nature then it’s really hard for you. You should not think about UPSC preparation by
This is not how it goes. Thinking alone does not do anything. You need to analyse things those are your strengths and weaknesses. Then, it really becomes easy for you to make decisions. Before you decide on preparing for UPSC, you need to think and think well about it. You mind tricks you all the time so don’t get indulged with it. Discuss it with your friends and family if you can and if not, then try to speak with your seniors or teachers in college or school. This always helps so you could make a sound decision.
Getting started
Once you decide that you want to appear for this prestigious exam then you need to plan and you need to plan well. Many IAS aspirants make mistakes at this very stage. They watch videos or search online and then they are flooded with ideas to crack the UPSC. Most of the time is wasted on watching those videos or reading articles. Before preparing for UPSC, you should know the UPSC syllabus and then understand the subjects. Based on that, you make your plans.
You could also take help from a coaching centre. If you totally rely on self-studies then that is also fine but coachings can help you save your time. There are many best IAS coaching centres in India which can help you prepare easily. Delhi and Allahabad are the major hubs for IAS preparation in our country. These two cities alone host various top IAS institutes. There are best IAS coaching in Delhi because of its being our capital state but Allahabad is also no less. If you are really interested in pursuing UPSC as a career then you could also go for counselling. Many private institutes do it for free. This should be your ideal plan to approach UPSC.
However, you know yourself better than anyone. You should always listen to everyone but do what you feel is right. Take some time to decide for yourself. Strategic preparation for 4-5 hrs for a year or two can get the results for you. There are many IAS officers in India now who have cracked this exam with their job. You need to know what works for you best.
