IAS trainees (Upsc) to get MA degrees from Jawaharlal Nehru University

According to Sudhir Kumar Sopory, VC, JNU, recognition to the course for LBSNAA is similar in nature to the recognition that the university grants to various courses run by other top institutions such as Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, Indian Military Academy or National Institute of Immunology.

"After a thorough consultation and auditing of the course content the university granted its recognition to the two-year course for IAS trainees," Sopory said. "Though the course will be conducted in LBSNAA, there will be experts from JNU as well and there will be an academic audit of the course over a period of two to three years. JNU has a pan India presence in terms of recognising courses of premier institutes in diverse areas and this is a part of that."

All officers coming out of academies such as NDA are also awarded JNU degrees. Bupinder Zutshi, registrar, JNU, said this will be the first course for IAS trainees. "This course is only for IAS trainees and not for allied services. Just like a JNU degree, it will have 64 credit courses."

The recognition of the degree, to be conducted by LBSNAA, was granted by the executive council last week and LBSNAA will be able to start the course from the next session for the new batch.

Defeat negative marking in civil services exam(The Hindu)

Here is a concrete strategy to approach the exam.

Attempting the civil services preliminary exam is a different ball game from tackling the main exam. In the preliminary exam there is negative marking, and the question paper is a booklet consisting of many pages. There are 100 questions in Paper I and 80 in Paper II, with four choices under each question. The time allotted is two hours for each of the papers. One may have to read 20 – 25 pages of the question booklet, and to mark the correct answer, one has to read the question and the four choices. Thus, it is not possible to read all the questions and the answers more than once, and also one has to attempt all the questions.
Therefore, you have to begin attempting the questions right from the start. As soon as you read the first question and are sure about the correct answer, attempt it immediately by blackening the correct circle in the answer sheet.

How to write long answers in UPSC main and other exams

READ Q CAREFULLY, WRITE WHAT IS ASKED.

Please read Q carefully and write clearly. Answer writing is not just writing all you know. But writing in the form it has been asked. Read model answer and approach.
Break it in paras. Give it a look that suggests that different points/thoughts are in different paras. It is very boring to read one long para for one answer. Improve on this or your examiner will not like it. No paras means less structured answers. You have points and logic but you are still losing. So think how you can make your answers also look physically better.
You write it like a story even if relevant to the answer. Try to be sharp and write in a format most suitable for the question. Use more paragraphs to structure your writing.
LIMITED SPACE
UPSC will have limited space for answers in the answer sheets now. So stop writing and cancelling it. No such luxury now. Think clearly and write; don’t waste your space.
GIVE EXAMPLES
You could have given many examples and made it a rich answer. There is so much to write on this topic.
More developed logic. Try writing things in order, in organisation, one thought after the other, so that the flow is maintained. That sends good impression. Think what’s asked and how a good answer to it should be. Hard to do so much in exam hall; so practice more.

UPSC will have boxed/defined space for answers now. So be careful, prevent wastage. No unlimted pages.
Wrong spelling! You must be reading the Hindu newspaper. At least don’t make spelling mistakes with as many words which it uses (which is not much really) as those are the words we mostly use.
You dont’ write what you know. You write what’s asked.
If you don’t limit yourself then you will have a hard time when UPSC gives answer sheets which as marked places for answers. You can’t write indefinitely.
Practice writing in blank pages. Your lines are going uphill from left to right!
AVOID BAD SLOPPY ENGLISH
Bad language or sloppy English will not fetch you good marks. So write short, crisp, clear sentences.
UNDERLINE MAIN POINTS
Your UPSC examiner may be bored to death checking copies day in day out. Make your points stand out.
Just writing is not enough. Presentation is also as important.
WRITE IN POINTS
How good it would have looked if after intro you had written it in points like this:
*******
Intro-
Causes
1….
2….
3…
Consequences
1…
2…
Strategy
1..
2…
Conclusion line.
******
So what is stopping you from writing a clear answer that examiner can easily read and navigate!
(COURTESY: Blogs)

Tips on writing answers in UPSC Mains Exam

As it has come to our knowledge that marks are deducted on writing irrelevant things that are not asked in the question,it is high time that you strategies your answer writing and practice accordingly.ONCE AGAIN DO NOT WRITE EVERYTHING THAT YOU KNOW ON THE SUBJECT BUT FOCUS ON WHAT IS BEING ASKED.HERE ARE FEW TIPS TO KEEP IN MIND.

1. Think of your answer as a structure, a fortress. Build your arguments. Write what is asked in the question. Follow a roadmap, logic, a sequence, order: an answer is a coherent whole.

2. DO NOT write what you know and want to. Write what is asked. Very important. Don’t be tempted to stuff your answers with all your knowledge, data and points if it does not match the need of the question.

 3. Read question carefully and think for some moments before jumping to write. Think what it is actually asking. It is easy to jump to writing thinking you know it. You get marks for writing what is asked; not for what you know.

4. Keep hand writing clear and legible. Your examiner is checking dozens of copies every day. Don’t make it hard for him with bad handwriting.

 5. Make your answer look physically good too. Use points, paragraphs, examples, current case studies etc. Make it look like an arrangement. Underline major points (especially where a new section of answer in a long answer begins). You may also use a highlighter but the colour may fade by the time it reaches your UPSC examiner; so underlining with pen is better. Think from the point of view of your examiner. Make your copy really stand out from the competition. Make the examiner look and appreciate your copy. You have done the hard work; make it obvious to him or her. Check some mock copies yourself and then you will realize how important this is.

6. You cannot afford grammar and spelling mistakes. So work on that if you need to. A future civil servant is expected to be comfortable with use of language.

7. Take it from someone who is evaluating many answer sheets on a regular basis: it becomes very boring and tiring if you are not following the above principles. There is no revaluation possible with UPSC. You have only one chance in a year to impress your examiner. So give your all. Give the best effort to produce a good answer sheet: structured, aligned answers in good language, grammar and suitably underlined. So that the examiner has less strain and more satisfaction in checking your copy.

8. Avoid fountain pen use; use blue ball pen. Ink Pen may leave marks and smudges when kept in storage boxes in UPSC premises.

Careful !! Deduction of marks By UPSC on writing irrelevant matter in GS papers

A big news for all UPSC aspirants. UPSC can deduct some marks on Mains for violation of its instructions. So refrain from writing irrelevant stuff. But this deduction is confined to GS and Essay only and not optional.
Do not try to find this penalty information in your marksheet. If there would have been any deduction in your marks, only then you'll be informed about

A big news for all UPSC aspirants. UPSC can deduct some marks on Mains for violation of its instructions. So refrain from writing irrelevant stuff. But this deduction is confined to GS and Essay only and not optional.
Do not try to find this penalty information in your marksheet. If there would have been any deduction in your marks, only then you'll be informed about 
- See more at: http://www.xaam.in/2015/11/beware-deduction-of-marks-by-upsc-on.html#sthash.XSdotBTD.dpuf

A big news for all UPSC aspirants. UPSC can deduct some marks on Mains for violation of its instructions. So refrain from writing irrelevant stuff. But this deduction is confined to GS and Essay only and not optional.
Do not try to find this penalty information in your marksheet. If there would have been any deduction in your marks, only then you'll be informed about 
- See more at: http://www.xaam.in/2015/11/beware-deduction-of-marks-by-upsc-on.html#sthash.XSdotBTD.dpuf

A big news for all UPSC aspirants. UPSC can deduct some marks on Mains for violation of its instructions. So refrain from writing irrelevant stuff. But this deduction is confined to GS and Essay only and not optional.
Do not try to find this penalty information in your marksheet. If there would have been any deduction in your marks, only then you'll be informed about 
- See more at: http://www.xaam.in/2015/11/beware-deduction-of-marks-by-upsc-on.html#sthash.XSdotBTD.dpuf

Indian Awards – Bharat Ratna

Bharat Ratna is the highest civilian award of the Republic of India.

• It was introduced on 2nd January 1954 by Indian President Dr. Rajendra Prasad. 
• conferred “in recognition of exceptional service/performance of the highest order”, without distinction of race, occupation, position or sex.
• Originally limited to achievements in the arts, literature, science and public service but government expanded the criteria to include “any feild of human endeavour” in December 2011.

       Prime Minister recomends the names to President, with a maximum of three nominees being awarded per year. Recepients receive a certificate signed by the President and a peepal-leaf-shaped medallion, there is no moneraty grant associated with the award. 

        Bharat Ratna receipients rank seventh in the Indian Order of Precedence. They are constitutionally prohibited from using the award name as a title.

The original statues did not provide for posthumous awards but were amended in January 1955 to permit them. Lal Bahadur Shastri was the first to be honoured posthumously. Till now 12 posthumous awards were given. The award was awarded to Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose posthumously in 1992 was finally withdrawn after finding legal procedures.

The receiver of the award is also registered in the Gazette of India that is released and published by Department of Publication. Receipients whose awards are revoked had to surrender their medals.

The award can be given to foreigners also. The award has been awarded to one naturalised citizen, Mother Teresa in 1980 and to two non-Indians, Pakistan national Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan in 1987 and former South African President Nelsan Mandela in 1990.

List of Recipients

List of Recipients

SR	Name	Birth / death	Awarded	Notes
1.	Chakravarti Rajagopalachari	1878–1972	1954	Independence activist, last Governor-General
2.	C. V. Raman	1888–1970	1954	Physicist
3.	Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan	1888–1975	1954	Philosopher, second President
4.	Bhagwan Das	1869–1958	1955	Independence activist, author
5.	Visvesvaraya	1861–1962	1955	Civil engineer, Diwan of Mysore
6.	Jawaharlal Nehru	1889–1964	1955	Independence activist, author, first Prime Minister
7.	Govind Ballabh Pant	1887–1961	1957	Independence activist, Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Home Minister
8.	Dhondo Keshav Karve	1858–1962	1958	Educator, social reformer
9.	Bidhan Chandra Roy	1882–1962	1961	Physician, Chief Minister of West Bengal
10.	Purushottam Das Tandon	1882–1962	1961	Independence activist, educator
11.	Rajendra Prasad	1884–1963	1962	Independence activist, jurist, first President
12.	Zakir Hussain	1897–1969	1963	Scholar, third President
13.	Pandurang Vaman Kane	1880–1972	1963	Indologist and Sanskrit scholar
14.	Lal Bahadur Shastri	1904–1966	1966	Posthumous, independence activist, second Prime Minister
15.	Indira Gandhi	1917–1984	1971	Third Prime Minister
16.	V. V. Giri	1894–1980	1975	Trade unionist and fourth President
17.	K. Kamaraj	1903–1975	1976	Posthumous, independence activist, Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu State
18.	Mother Teresa	1910–1997	1980	Catholic nun, founder of the Missionaries of Charity
19.	Vinoba Bhave	1895–1982	1983	Posthumous, social reformer, independence activist
20.	Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan	1890–1988	1987	First non-citizen, independence activist
21.	M. G. Ramachandran	1917–1987	1988	Posthumous, film actor, Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu
22.	B. R. Ambedkar	1891–1956	1990	Posthumous, chief architect of the Indian Constitution, politician, economist, and scholar
23.	Nelson Mandela	b. 1918	1990	Second non-citizen and first non-Indian recipient, Leader of the Anti-Apartheid movement
24.	Rajiv Gandhi	1944–1991	1991	Posthumous, Sixth Prime Minister
25.	Vallabhbhai Patel	1875–1950	1991	Posthumous, independence activist, first Home Minister
26.	Morarji Desai	1896–1995	1991	Independence activist, fourth Prime Minister
27.	Abul Kalam Azad	1888–1958	1992	Posthumous, independence activist, first Minister of Education
28.	J. R. D. Tata	1904–1993	1992	Industrialist and philanthropist
29.	Satyajit Ray	1922–1992	1992	Bengali filmmaker
30.	A. P. J. Abdul Kalam	b. 1931	1997	Aeronautical Engineer,11th President of India
31.	Gulzarilal Nanda	1898–1998	1997	Independence activist, interim Prime Minister
32.	Aruna Asaf Ali	1908–1996	1997	Posthumous, independence activist
33.	M. S. Subbulakshmi	1916–2004	1998	Carnatic classical singer
34.	Chidambaram Subramaniam	1910–2000	1998	Independence activist, Minister of Agriculture
35.	Jayaprakash Narayan	1902–1979	1999	Posthumous, independence activist and politician
36.	Ravi Shankar	b. 1920	1999	Sitar player
37.	Amartya Sen	b. 1933	1999	Economist
38.	Gopinath Bordoloi	1890–1950	1999	Posthumous, independence activist, Chief Minister of Assam
39.	Lata Mangeshkar	b. 1929	2001	Playback singer
40.	Bismillah Khan	1916–2006	2001	Hindustani classical shehnai player
41.	Bhimsen Joshi	1922–2011	2008	Hindustani classical singer
41.	C. N. R. Rao	b. 1934	2014	Chemist
41.	Sachin Tendulkar	b. 1973	2014	Cricketer
41.	Madan Mohan Malaviya	1861-1946	2015	Educationist and politician
41.	Atal Bihari Vajpayee	b.1924	2015	Former Prime Minister of India

National Pension System Opens Up For NRIs

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has allowed non-resident Indians (NRIs) to subscribe to the National Pension System, enabling them access old age income security. RBI has taken this decision in consultation with Union Government under the Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s efforts to appease NRIs.

Key facts

• NPS will act as an investment option for NRIs under Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA), 1999.
• NRIs may subscribe to the NPS through normal banking channels and the person is eligible to invest as per the provisions of the PFRDA Act, 2013.
• NRIs should pay the subscription amounts of NPS either by inward remittance through normal banking channels or out of funds held in their NRE/NRO/FCNR account.
• No restriction will be imposed on repatriation of the annuity or accumulated savings of NPS.
  
  
  
  
  
  About National Pension System (NPS)
  
  
• Governed and administered by the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA).
• NPS was launched in 2004 and was initially introduced for the new Government recruits (except armed forces).
• NPS aims to institute pension reforms in the country and to inculcate the habit of saving for retirement amongst the citizens. Its objective is to provide retirement income to all the citizens.
• It was extended for all citizens of the country from 1 May 2009 including the unorganised sector workers on voluntary basis.

National Tribal Advisory Council

Government has decided to set up National Tribal Advisory Council under chairmanship of the Prime Minister for real time monitoring of various tribal development programmes and schemes in the country. This was announced by Union Tribal Affairs Minister while addressing the conference of Principal Secretaries/Secretaries of Tribal Welfare from States/UTs held in New Delhi.

About Conference:

• The conference was held to discuss and evolve strategies for the overall development of tribal communities.
• Ministry officials  will release 50 percent of tribal welfare funds to states in the first quarter of the next financial year.
• By the third quarter of the financial year, 80 percent of the funds should be released to the states.

About National Tribal Advisory Council

It has set up for real time monitoring of the ongoing programmes and schemes aimed at welfare of tribal people and development of tribal areas. The Council will meet once or twice a year.

The Hindu Editorial Compilation

October 2015

The Hindu Editorial Compilation

September 2015

The Hindu Editorial Compilation

August 2015

The Hindu Editorial Compilation

july 2015

The Hindu Editorial Compilation

june 2015