Hello everyone! Jaspinder Singh, AIR 33, UPSC CSE 2021 this side. This was my 2nd attempt. In my first attempt I couldn’t clear my prelims.
I have made this channel as many aspirants want me to share my strategy for GS, law optional and notes.
I’ll try to make use of this platform to give back to the society. No strategy is perfect, but i have made all my study plans incorporating some good points from the journeys of various previous UPSC toppers. This is time to pay back to the society!
Chairperson: 1. so what have u been doing since 2019?
You chose law to help you in civil services?
What other reasons for taking law as graduation?
Security issues in Punjab?
Is it as grave as 1980s?
Way out to use the energy of unemployed youth, how to make agri remunerative?
Should we move out of wheat rice cycle
Last question: why wheat export banned recently?
How price rise in world has affected it?
Member 1:
You know KPS Gill? Tell his contribution, good / bad?
Why killings/attack of police and persons in punjab even after 1990s, to till date?
Any Role of SFJ in election funding?-Chairperson interrupted and said no political questions here. Pls change the question.
Do u know about Assamese Sikhs? Also why were they in news.(he permitted me to talk about Shillong Sikhs)
As DGP of Punjab or as civil servant how to deal drugs and security issues along with making youth productive?
Member 2(Lady)
Why is your district called so? What does it mean?(I told her entire history, she said i wanted to know just the meaning in urdu)- there was some hindi song starting with this name, she was about to recall it; chairperson interrupted to ask next question.
Muslim population in your district?
When was your city made district, not originally,right?
What about Malerkotla? Muslim population?
How far is your district from border?
Is border fenced?
U wrote about criminal justice system, tell me what was the synopsis of ur paper?
Have you heard of latest judgement of 2 judges with different views?
Which section of IPC, which exception and what reasons were given?
Member 3(Lady)
Lets talk about international Law, what it is?
But don’t u think it doesn’t exist? It just depends upon treaty parties.
How international Law is applicable to countries which donot sign treaties?
Lets talk about about PMLA, tell what it is about?
Any specific term used for PMLA, do u know?
U said law will help you in services, how?
What is cooperative federalism, do u see it in India?
Member 4
Why caste system came into Sikhism, which was religion based on equality?
caste system in other religion? I started talking about hinduism, he said not that, tell me about Christians?
What is remedy for dispute bw govt and private party in case of contracts?
Tell me about other clauses in agreement, i told about arbitration, he asked about related act?which year law?
Has Arbitration and conciliation act 1996 ever been amended?
Which courts take appeal against Arbitration?
Tell me about Data protection law? M2 interrupted while M4 was asking 1,2 questions. Chairperson asked her to ask after m4 finishes; so M2 asked me closing questions and not the chairperson.
M2-which state has highest population of SC? I told percentage wise. She said why Punjab, when sikhism is against caste sytem; basically she repeated m4’s question.
Chairperson smiled and said thank you. I didn’t get up, was smiling looking into her eyes. She said your interview is over, i smiled again and said thank you. I Walked out of room thinking number of things in my mind.
Jaspinder Singh UPSC Biography
Journey: Crossing many failures,also known as lessons learnt- Clearing the air about my Coaching Institutes
While I was in 3rd year of my B.A.LL.B.(Hons.) at Panjab University Chandigarh, I joined Raj Malhotra’s IAS Institute for guidance for my GS subjects in Chandigarh. It went for 2 years. I just made notes from classes and read NCERTs. I took break in last year of my Law as I was blessed with an opportunity of becoming President of Moot Court Society(just Law School things) at UILS, Panjab University,Chd.
Break of one year meant i had to start from scratch. But enjoying last year of University was important too. I have no regrets now.
After graduating in 2019, I moved to Delhi. I joined Vajiram and Ravi for GS subjects. I put up in Patel Nagar. In March 2020, I had to move back to home because of Covid-19 lockdown. I continued online classes of Vajiram for a month till the syllabus was complete on their part.
I couldn’t clear my 1st prelims by approx. 2 marks. Yes, it was painful! Anyhow I was at borderline as per various institute’s answer keys, so I was bit hopeful that I might clear my prelims in first go, so I joined Mains Answer Writing Test series (online mode) of VISION IAS in 2020. Also I joined law optional Test series with LawXpertMv online. Sadly, I didn’t qualify for mains, but I got a little knack of mains answer writing. So this way joining test series after failed prelims was a blessing in disguise.
Later on came Punjab PCS in Feb,2021. I fully prepared for GS. I also registered with CBL, Mohali for their free test series. I failed the prelims as I scored less in CSAT exam.
Then i joined paid PRELIMS Test Series of Vision IAS. I solved them diligently because now I thought I have to overcome all my failures(good marks in GS paper of Punjab PCS prelims acted as a booster). Here I want to mention that I am a kid who looks at brighter side of things(optimist). My work was rewarded in October 2021, when I cleared the prelims of UPSC CSE 2021. (I would also like to mention that I took HCS exam in September 2021 and took free test series of CBL, Mohali for HCS, which also helped me to align my GS preparation of UPSC.)
…continued, after all it’s JOURNEY.
I forgot to mention that prelims exam was to be conducted in June 2021, it got postponed due to 2nd wave. So I took Quality Enrichment Programme of theIAS Hub by MK Yadav Sir, to enrich the content for mains answer writing.After taking my UPSC prelims exam on 10th October, 2021, I again shifted to Delhi after analysing my scores(106 avg. as per various pvt. Institutes’ answer keys). Here I stayed with my friend Karanbir Singh Sekhon who was DJS trainee then. Blessed to have him and his guidance for Answer Writing.
By the time I had also cleared HCS prelims. So I joined MGP- Mains Guidance Program at Forum IAS in offline mode(basically Answer Writing and mentorship for that). I also took Mains365 current Affairs online video course of VisionIAS.
For Law optional I took paid online test series of LawXpertMV. I also subscribed to free notes given by DeFacto IAS for Contemporary Legal Developments in Part 2 of Paper 2 of Law. I have never taken paid course of the latter Institute.
Then I took my Mains exams on January 7-16, 2022. I got the positive results on 17th March. Between this period, I read 2 books- Poor Economics by Abhijeet Banerjee and Esther Dufflo and The Power of Your Sub-Conscious Mind by Dr. Joseph Murphy. I went to home for 15-20 days of break during this period. I attended a wedding after a 2 years’ gap of social gatherings! After this break I started preparing for prelims 2022 and completed my missed Current Affairs magazines.
Then on 24th March, 2022, dates of Personality Test (a.k.a. Interview) were announced, mine being on 18th May, 2022. I got about 2 months period. So in my first month I read APJ Abdul Kalam’s Wings of Fire, couldn’t complete it! Also I kept revising my prelims notes of Vajiram and Ravi, giving free sectional tests for prelims for next year. Here I also registered for various paid as well as free(mostly free) mock Interviews by various Coaching Institutes. There is a long list of my Mock Interview Coaching Institutes. I will share it in some other post. My learning is don’t give too many Mock Interviews that you reach your peak in your Mocks, and later on get casual by the time of your actual Personality Test! I took my personality test on 18th May, 2022. The results were announced on 30th May, 2022. I am grateful to the Almighty for rewarding the work that I did. I am also thankful to my parents who financially supported me throughout without complaining, maybe because they had faith in me. But I want to share that I started feeling bad because I was 26 and financially dependent. But everything was worth it. Now the results made me forget all the pain, sweat and small sacrifices that this journey took. Grateful to Waheguru🙏🏻!
Jaspinder Singh UPSC Topper Booklist for UPSC CSE
My list of sources for GS(Prelims and Mains)
Economics 1. Multiple readings of NCERT Class 11th and 12th(Macro and Indian economy) 2. Read Sanjeev Verma for my first attempt 3. Shifted to SriramIAS notes in 2nd attempt 4. Vajiram and Ravi Notes supplemented by Raj Malhotra notes.
Polity 1. Single reading of NCERT class 11th and Political Theory. 2. Laxmikant 3. Vajiram notes
Geography 1. 4 NCERTs of class 11th and 12th 2. Vajiram Notes supplemented by Raj Malhotra Notes.
Ancient and Medival India 1. Old Tamil Nadu Board Book– Class 11th(just 250 pages!) 2. Vajiram and Ravi Notes
Modern India 1. Old NCERT class 12th by Bipin Chandra 2. Spectrum by Rajiv Ahir 3. Vajiram and Ravi(Parmar sir’s Notes)
Culture 1. Selective Chapters of Nitin Singhania Book
Environment 1. Vajiram and Ravi Notes and Handouts 2. ShankarIAS book(I read it once, found it boring) 3. PmfIAS notes 4. Vaishali Anand ma’am’s Book(I didn’t find it boring)
International Relations 1. Vajiram and Ravi Notes 2. Newspaper(The Hindu) 3. Some additions from Yellow Book of Vajiram
Science and Tech. 1. Vajiram and Ravi notes
Jaspinder Singh UPSC Topper Prelims Booklist
Some mains specific Sources:
Society: 1. Vajiram and Ravi Notes 2. Only IAS Prahaar Notes
World History 1. Old Ncert by Arjun Dev (class 9th-10th) 2. Vajiram and Ravi Notes(Ojha sir) supplemented by Raj Malhotra Notes
Post Independence 1. NCERT class 11th Contemporary Politics 2. Vajiram and Ravi Notes 3. Nitin Sangwan sir’s notes available online
Governance and Social Justice 1. Vajiram and Ravi Notes(Atish Mathur sir) 2. OnlyIAS’s Prahaar notes.
Disaster Management 1. Vajiram and Ravi Notes 2. VisionIAS current Affairs Magazine
Ethics 1. Vajiram and Ravi Notes 2. Yellow Books of Vajiram and Ravi
Internal Security 1. Vajiram and Ravi Notes
Choice of Sources:Pick any one main source book along with notes after finishing basic NCERTs. Just stick to that source. The key is MULTIPLE REVISIONS! I know for each revision after 2nd revision, we have to kill our mind!But Guru Nanak said- Man jeetai Jag Jeet- that is to win the world win over your mind first!
Law Optional Preparation Strategy by Jaspinder Singh UPSC Topper
My Strategy for Law optionalI completed my basic books in December 2019 and joined test series at Ambition Law Institute. I almost completed the test series by the February month of 2020.
While revising for my first test series, I made comprehensive short notes. These comprehensive short notes were my revising material for future. I also took help from youtube lectures for these revision notes.
After my first prelims I joined another test series at LawXpertMV in online mode. Then after my second attempt prelims, I took another test series from Law Xpertmv. I wrote approx. 35 mock tests for my optional subject in 2.5 years. These test series kept me connected with my optional and helped me in multiple revisions.
MODEL- ANSWERS-Also I along with my friends(Karanbir, DJS and Zaheen) used to write Model Answers for PYQs. Soon I will share them on this channel along with my corrected/checked copies of Law optional.
NOTE-I did not take any coaching for my optional syllabus. I just got notes of some subjects from market/coaching Institute, along with buying above mentioned test series.
Law Optional (Paper 2) Preparation Strategy by Jaspinder Singh UPSC Topper
Paper 2 IndianPenal Code– Pillai, some help from Mishra as well.
Prevention of Corruption Act– Internet
Protection of Civil Rights Act– Internet
Law of Torts– Summary at the back of RK Bangia
Contract Act– Universal Book(a very small book)
Sale of Goods Act and other minor Business Laws– Ambition Notes from market
Partnership Act– Ambition Notes
Arbitration Act– Internet, especially section 32 and 36 along with latest amendments
Environmental Laws(combined it with International Conventions of Paper 1)- Class Notes of Law School, Defacto IAS notes, selected chapters from Shankar IAS/Vaishali Ma’am’s book on Environment
IPR– Internet, Defacto Notes, Class Notes from Law School
IT Act– Internet and Jaydev Sir’s notes
Competition Act– Defacto IAS notes, my Class Notes, Internet
PIL and RTI– Internet
NOTE-For making my short notes, I took guidance from Jaydev sir’s notes uploaded on Internet for reference.
UPSC CSE MAINS Strategy by Jaspinder Singh IAS
My Mains Strategy for GS Subjects after Prelims– 1. I went through the syllabus, made short notes from my coaching Institute’s notes for each phrase of syllabus under all GS subjects. 2. While making the short notes, I also went through the previous year questions which decided limits and bounds for me. 3. I did not read basic books again after my 2nd prelims, for my mains. 4. My only target was to have something in short notes(but of quality) for whatever is written in the syllabus. 5. For polity part of GS 2, I relied on short notes of Constitutional Law that I prepared for Optional. 6. I referred to topper’s short notes for topics like Election laws, techniques of Farming(Rushikesh Reddy sir, Rank in 90s in 2020).
Current Affairs for Mains after my prelims1.I read newspaper daily and wrote some points as examples for GS1,2,3,4 subjects. 2. I joined Mains365, which I donot recommend further, as it was hard to attend current affairs classes during that period. So I read free Final Pages of Edukemy for adding to Current Affairs for my Mains.
My Learnings– 1. Current Affairs for GS 3 are more important than GS1 and 2. 2. For GS 1, 2 and 4 one can be selective with respect to Current Affairs. Cover to cover reading of magazines can be avoided.
Current Affairs preparation strategy for UPSC by Jaspinder Singh IAS
My Current Affairs sources for prelims 1. Newspaper- The Hindu 2. Current Affairs Magazine of VisionIAS 3. During my second attempt I did not read Pt365, but Final Pages by Edukemy which were short and concise. 4. Questions in the mock tests.
Jaspinder Singh UPSC Notes My mock tests and revision Plan(Law Optional, Essay and GS) for November and December months before Mains, which began on 7th January, 2022.
Jaspinder Singh UPSC Preparation Timetable
Each Alarm was a wake up call. Time of alarms kept on changing, but the titles were constant. These are Small but things that keep you on track, helped me keep my blinkers on.
Essay Preparation Strategy by Jaspinder Singh IAS
MY ESSAYs:EBBS AND FLOWS– This was my first essay after my second prelims. Though I have written essays earlier, but I was shattered after getting this low marks. Later on Rohini ma’am at Forum IAS gave me few insights. I read Anudeep Sir’s(AIR 1, 2017) book on Art of Mains Answer and Essay Writing. This was truly very helpful. In the very next essay I got 120 and 126, because content was not the problem; but coherence and flow were. I am going to share them here.
By sharing this paper, i just want to convey that even toppers began from scratch. Troughs and Crests are part and parcel of their journey! Rome wasn’t built in a day! #ImprovePieceByPiece
I am going to share my corrected copies of GS at Forum IAS.
Points to note-
1. In my first Full Length Test(GS1) I got very less marks, even though I wrote too much in the paper. Here I learnt, I need to structure my answers and stick to the demand of questions. I also learnt that I need to cover breadth, rather than just focussing on depth.
2. I couldn’t complete any of my 8 mock Tests at Forum IAS on time.
3. After 8 mock tests, I had to work on speed for 10 days, just before my actual Mains.
4. Anudeep Durishhety sir’s 80-80-90 technique worked for me. It means 80 marks, 80 marks and 90 marks paper in 1st, 2nd and 3rd hour of the test respectively. I practiced on these line just 10-12 days before my Mains. #PieceByPiece
Jaspinder Singh UPSC Preparation Timetable
Jaspinder Singh UPSC Timetable This was my first time table/study plan while at Vajiram, that I made on 13th July,2019 with the help of Abhay Sir, who devoted half of his lecture on planning the strategy.
But the things got delayed in actual implementation of this strategy. I can recall the following-
1. I completed optional by first week of December instead of October. 2. I started writing answers by the end of November; hardly continued for few weeks and then stopped. 3. I had to move back to my village in Punjab by mid of March 2020 due to Pandemic. It was another beginning for me. Let me tell that I failed this attempt of prelims in 2020, which was taken on October 4,2020.
3-3-2-4 in above strategy means-
3 hours Newspaper(I was a beginner then, later 2.5 hours was average after 6 months, yes it was that slow!)
3 hours Coaching- 2.5 hours class,30 mins of travelling-to and fro from Patel Nagar to Karol Bagh.
2 hours GS notes and NCERT. Later basic books.
4hours for optional i.e. Law(did it on my own for approx 4+ months)
I am going to share my planners for mains in my latest attempt. As I have already mentioned, HCS Mains was scheduled on 3rd December, later on it got cancelled. So I did combined preparation of UPSC as well HCS, as there was overlap of GS, Essay and Law optional. This is not advised in general.
The chain of events were favouring me that HCS Mains got postponed sine die and cancelled later on. This way I was on booster speed covering my syllabus in 2 months.
Also I want to mention that planners that are attached below were not final. The small targets kept on changing as per the demand of time and improvements I needed. These planners were 100% flexible. Their purpose was basic idea w.r.t. time as well as my Accountability towards my plan.
My experience with LAW OPTIONALI chose this subject for following reasons- 1. 5 years of Law course 2. Interest in Constitutional Law 3. Ability to answer PYQs orally while I was at Law School 4. My second choice i.e. sociology was not taught as per UPSC syllabus in my Law School.
Completion of syllabus and revisions I completed the Optional once in approx. 4 months. Immediately, I started Test series. While revising for test series, I made short notes.
Later on after my first prelims, I joined another test series. While revising for it, I enriched my already made revision notes taking help from Jaydev sir’s notes(Rank 5, 2019). During my final test series after my 2nd prelims, I just revised from these Revision Notes and not from books. I kept on enriching my content from model answers of my test series, took opinion of my friend, Karanbir Singh, DJS and applied it in my answers.
My biggest fear- There were 5 holidays for preparing for Law Optional. But I could complete the Revision just ONCE. Next day we had language papers. On Friday evening at 8:00pm I was wondering that people with other optionals might have done multiple revisions during these 5 days. That evening was the only moment when I wished IF I HAD ANOTHER OPTIONAL!!
My actual experience with Law papers Finally, my optional paper was doable but LENGTHY. I answered all the questions but I mismanaged my actual paper with respect to time. I couldn’t give sufficient time while answering last 70-100 marks paper. In other words, I just completed last part of my paper, not giving my best shot. I gave more time to 1st part of paper. This happened with me in both the law papers. I am grateful that i managed 273 marks in these papers.
Lessons to learn- 1. Manage your paper and strictly time your answers. 2. Comprehensive Short Notes are very important to make. 3. Law optional can give you 290+ if you manage your paper well.
Jaspinder Singh Marks in UPSC Prelims Test Series
Jaspinder Singh UPSC Marks in Test Series Prelims I am going to share my marks of Prelims Test Series. I gave first mock while at Vajiram and Ravi on 29 Sept, 2019. My performance was not so good. Then I scored low and thought – ‘toppers ke toh bahut marks aate honge’ How can I improve? and ‘WILL I BE ABLE TO IMPROVE?’ Here, I am sharing my scores in PT test series before my 1st attempt. This is because as aspirant, I always wanted that I should get to know how much marks these toppers get in their first set of mock tests.
In my first attempt I got approx. 90 marks and couldn’t qualify the prelims. This is for those who are scoring low and want to improve and are in search of some green shoots.
After this I solely prepared for mains till December and later joined VisionIAS prelims test series before my 2nd attempt. I gave approx 30+ tests. Sharing below the marks out of those tests.
Jaspinder Singh UPSC Marksheet
Jaspinder Singh UPSC Marksheet Marksheet of my 1st Attempt
Jaspinder Singh Marks in UPSC Prelims Test Series
Jaspinder Singh UPSC Test Series These are my marks and remarks of Full Length Tests(FLTs) for prelims before my 2nd attempt. 93 / 94 was my average attempt in these mocks. I attempted maybe 92 questions in actual prelims paper this time. The average marks in pre-mocks are comparable with my actual marks-108 in 2nd attempt.
Lessons– 1. Learn in mocks and apply the learnings in actual paper. 2. Don’t try new strategy in actual paper. 3. Find WHERE you are wrong and improve there.
LBSNAA Mail to Jaspinder Singh IAS
Jaspinder Singh UPSC LBSNAA Malil The call letter that every aspirant long for! I am grateful to receive it. Sharing this with telegram family, because such screenshots of previous years’ toppers’ letters on their respective channels helped me build momentum during my mains exams. Adding to the loop. MussoorieIsCalling
