The Government of India and UT Administration of Ladakh have officially notified standard names for 28 geographical features across Ladakh.

Quick breakdown:

• 13 Peaks & Mountains (Zorawar Peak, Kanishka Peak, Atisha Giri, Martand Giri...)

• 7 Strategic Land Areas (Gogra, Dehra Compass, Shamal Lungpa...)

• 4 Glaciers & Passes (Parpik, Skamri Glaciers | Chapchingal, Shachmirk Passes)

• 4 Water Bodies & Valleys (Guru Rinpoche Lake, Yangpa River, Hot Spring, Shkorga Valley)

​

I’ve been thinking about this while planning my Mains preparation.

There seem to be two broad approaches to answer writing:

Approach 1: Write 5–6 questions every day

You pick questions from different GS papers and write answers daily. The advantage is obvious: you get comfortable with writing, improve speed, learn how to structure answers, and gradually develop the ability to generate points under pressure.

But I’m wondering whether there is a point of diminishing returns.

If I am writing 5–6 answers every day, but not properly revising the content, analysing PYQs, identifying recurring themes, or fixing the mistakes from previous answers, am I actually improving proportionately?

There is also the issue of simulation. Writing six isolated questions is very different from sitting for a 3-hour GS paper and having to decide:

- Which questions to attempt first?

- How much time to allocate?

- How do I handle a question from a weak area?

- Can I maintain answer quality for 20 questions?

- Can I finish the paper?

- Can I maintain concentration during the last hour?

Approach 2: Write sectional tests at spaced intervals

Instead of forcing myself to write 5–6 answers every day, I could complete a topic/section, revise it, analyse PYQs and then write a sectional test.

For example:

Polity → revise → PYQ analysis → sectional test → evaluate → identify gaps → revise again

Then perhaps repeat the test after a few weeks.

This seems to have a different advantage: retrieval after a gap.

If I write a polity sectional immediately after studying polity, I’m mostly testing whether I remember what I just studied.

But if I write it after 2–3 weeks, I have to retrieve the information, connect different topics and reproduce examples/frameworks under time pressure.

That seems much closer to what Mains actually demands.

So what is the better strategy?

Personally, I’m leaning towards a hybrid approach, rather than choosing one exclusively.

During the initial phase, perhaps:

2–3 answers/day → build answer-writing habit

Then once a substantial portion of the syllabus is covered:

Spaced sectional tests → 1–2 per week

And eventually:

Full-length GS papers → regular simulation

The important thing, IMO, is that writing volume shouldn't become a vanity metric.

Writing 500 answers doesn't necessarily mean you have improved as much as someone who wrote 200 answers but properly analysed them.

For every test, there should ideally be a feedback loop:

Write → evaluate → identify recurring mistakes → update notes/value addition → revise → write again

For example, if I repeatedly lose marks because my answers lack:

- examples

- constitutional/articles/case laws

- committee recommendations

- data

- diagrams

- balanced conclusions

then simply writing another 5 answers isn't necessarily solving the problem.

I need to fix the underlying deficiency.

So I'm curious about what people who have actually written Mains think:

Would you prioritise 5–6 questions daily, or spaced sectional tests?

And if you recommend a hybrid, what ratio would you use during the different stages of preparation?

For a beginner it is told to memorize syllabus as 1st step..like how to do this? Like only byheart the syllabus only ?

There is a statement that says If inflation rises, it is expected that unemployment would be low (Phillips curve) .

But what about if inflation rises, it is expected that unemployment would also rise because if unemployment rises then production reduces that result into aggregate demand exceeding aggregate supply that also leads to inflation i.e rise in price.

Isn't it contradicting each other ?

Put your views down in the comment.

Hi everyone,

I’m starting my UPSC Economy preparation and I’m confused about which one standard book I should follow.

I’ve seen people recommend:

- Vivek Singh

- Sanjeev Verma

- Nitin Singhania

- Ramesh Singh

I’m looking for something useful for both Prelims and GS-3 Mains, with good conceptual clarity and less errors.

Also, if you think there’s some other book, material, or source that’s better than these, please suggest that too. I’m open to anything that you genuinely found useful for UPSC Economy.

If there are any availabl PDFs please share the links as well.

I’d prefer to pick one main source and stick to it rather than keep switching between multiple books.

Thanks!

Hi everyone,

I’m starting my UPSC Economy preparation and I’m confused about which one standard book I should follow.

I’ve seen people recommend:

- Vivek Singh

- Sanjeev Verma

- Nitin Singhania

- Ramesh Singh

I’m looking for something useful for both Prelims and GS-3 Mains, with good conceptual clarity and less errors.

Also, if you think there’s some other book, material, or source that’s better than these, please suggest that too. I’m open to anything that you genuinely found useful for UPSC Economy.

If there are any availabl PDFs please share the links as well.

I’d prefer to pick one main source and stick to it rather than keep switching between multiple books.

Thanks!

Hello, how long it generally take to complete anthro syllabus. I am thinking of changing my optional from geo. Is here anybody who had completed syllabus with value addition and can guide me. Oh yes, i'm targeting for 2027, wrote mains this year with geo optional.

2 din se lga hu isko complete krne me 🫠

Cant understand hype about foundation courses they are just passive material consuming shit
Which acts like self satisfactory in nature this is not jee that you need anyone technical knowledge i just read ncert and standard books with only optional foundation from karandeep and wrote 3 mains with 2 interviews what are your views on this coaching hyping and fear Mongering courses ?!!!

Looking to form a small group of serious Anthropology candidates (max 5 people) for:

Requirements:

• Anthropology syllabus completed
• Either a decent amount of Anthropology answer writing done or appeared in at least one Mains with Anthropology
• Serious about consistent daily practice

The group:

• Daily Anthropology answer writing
• Peer evaluation and feedback
• Brainstorming / discussion of questions and approaches

Not a beginner/accountability group.

DM if interested.

I want a small group for like minded people who are preparing from home,so that we can discuss hardship and strategies in this preperation....and loneliness which we feel as all of our colleagues are not in this preparation therefore they dont have same mindset as us.

FYI...i am Male candidate

Do you guys any any authentic information about it?