Model Questions and solution for SSC /SSC CGL

1).In which city was 102nd Indian Science Congress held in 2015?
a) Mumbai
b) Kolkata
c) Gandhinagar
d) New Delhi
Answer is: D

2).In which city was 18th SAARC summit held in 2014?
a) Islamabad
b) Kathmandu
c) New Delhi
d) Dhaka
Answer is: A

3).In which country was 6th BRICS Summit held in 2014?
a) Russia
b) South Africa
c) India
d) Brazil
Answer is: C

4).In which city was UN Climate Change Summit held in 2014?
a) Paris
b) Brisbane
c) New York
d) Sydney
Answer is: A

5).In which city was 9th G-20 Summit held in 2014?
a) Seoul
b) London
c) Saint Petersburg
d) Brisbane
Answer is: D

6).In which city was 25th ASEAN Summit held in 2014?
a) Nay Pyi Daw
b) Singapore
c) Bail
d) Kulala Lumpur
Answer is: D

7).The 6th IBSA Summit was held in 2013 at ______.
a) Brasilia
b) New Delhi
c) Pretoria
d) Cape Town
Answer is: D

8).The member countries of IBSA Dialogue Forum are_____.
a) India, Brazil and South Africa
b) India, Britain and Spain
c) Israel, Brazil and Sweden
d) India, Bangladesh and South Africa
Answer is: C

9).The member countries of BRICS are ______.
a) Britain, Russia, Ireland, Canada and Sweden
b) Brazil, Russia, Indonesia, China and South Africa
c) Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa
d) Britain, Russia, India, Canada and Spain

Answer is: D
10).Following 2014 Crimean crisis, the G-8 Group became G-7 Group by expelling _______.
a) Russia
b) Germany
c) France
d) Canada
Answer is: B

11).Which among the following river originated in India?
a) Ganga
b) Sutlej
c) Chenab
d) Brahmaputra
Answer is: C

12).Sentinelese tribe is found in which of the following States/ territories?
a) Dadra and Nagar Haveli
b) Goa
c) West Bengal
d) Andaman and Nicobar Islands
Answer is: D

13). How many times a person can attempt for re-election as the President of India?
a) Only thrice
b) Only once
c) Only twice
d) Any number of times
Answer is: D

14).In which generation, the development of GUIs, mouse and handheld devices were took place?
a) Second Generation
b) First Generation
c) Third Generation
d) Fourth Generation
Answer is: D

15).The governor of a state is appointed by the President on the advice of _________.
a) Prime Minister
b) Chief Minister of the state
c) Speaker of the state
d) Chief Justice of High Court of the state
Answer is: A

16).Which among the following is NOT a factor of Production?
a) Bank credit
b) Labour
c) Land
d) Capital
Answer is: A

17).Which of the following does not involve in the study of microeconomics?
a) Households
b) Industries
c) Individual consumers
d) Economic aggregates
Answer is: D

18).The stranger gas is also known as___________.
a) Xenon
b) Argon
c) Helium
d) Neon
Answer is: A

19).A compact disc (CD) is a type of _____________ storage media.
a) Electrical
b) Magnetic
c) Optical
d) None of these
Answer is: C

20).The British established their first factory in Surat with the permission of _________.
a) Jahangir
b) Sher Shah Suri
c) Hemu
d) Shah Jahan
Answer is: A

21.The Curiosity rover built by National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) as a part of Astrobiology mission successfully landed on the planet–
a) Mars
b) Saturn
c) Venus
d) Mercury
Answer is: A

22.Which of the following is not an endocrine gland?
a) Pituitary gland
b) Pancreas
c) Pineal gland
d) None of these
Answer is: D

23. Which of the following is not correctly matched?
a) Cyrus Mistry : Tata Group
b) Sheryl Sandberg : Facebook
c) Larry Page : Google
d) Deepak Parekh : HFCL
Answer is: D

24. Which of the following acts as both exocrine and endocrine gland?
a) Pancreas
b) Spleen
c) Liver
d) Pituitary gland
Answer is: A

25. Which of the following does not produce hormone?
a) Heart
b) Kidney
c) Gastro-intestinal tract
d) None of these
Answer is: D

26. Who among the following Viceroys wrote the book ‘Problems of the East’?
a) Lord Curzon
b) Lord Clive
c) Lord Mayo
d) Lord Mountbatten
Answer is: A

27. Which among the following Philosophical Systems expounds ‘Critical Examination’ or ‘Solution of a problem by reflection’?
a) Vaishesika
b) Samkhya
c) Mimansa
d) Yoga
Answer is: C

28. Who among the following said about Md. Ali Jinnah that he was an ‘Ambassador of Hindu- Muslim Unity’?
a) Annie Besant
b) Sarojini Naidu
c) B. G. Tilak
d) None of these
Answer is: B

29. Which among the following is considered as the best rock cut temple in the world?
a) Brihadeeswara Temple, Tanjavur
b) Lingaraja Temple, Bhubaneswar
c) Kailasha Temple, Ellora
d) Kandariya Temple, Khajuraho
Answer is: C

30. Badayuni said that “Sultan got freedom from his masses and masses from the Sultan”. Who among the following kings does he refer to?
a) Alauddin Khilji
b) Balban
c) Iltutmish
d) Md. Bin Tughlaq
Answer is: D

31).The cost that changes in proportion to the goods or services that a business
produces is termed as________.
a) Opportunity cost
b) Average cost
c) Variable cost
d) Marginal cost
Answer is: C

32).Which of the following is NOT a potential gain from increased market competition?
a) Improvements in technology
b) A better variety of products
c) A faster pace of invention and innovation
d) Higher price for consumers
Answer is: D

33).Who among the following was a German philosopher, economist and revolution
socialist?
a) David Ricardo
b) Karl Marx
c) Adam Smith
d) John Maynard Keynes
Answer is: B

34).The existence of Parallel Economy refers to the existence of ________.
a) Foreign investment
b) Call money
c) Hot money
d) Block money
Answer is: D

35).The availability of goods and services in the marketplace at any given point in time
is defined as____________.
a) Production
b) Demand
c) Supply
d) Equilibrium
Answer is: C

36).The speaker of the Lok Sabha appoints who among the following?
a) Leader of Opposition
b) Prime minister
c) Two members of the Anglo-Indian community
d) Deputy Speaker of the Lok Sabha
Answer is: A

37).The current President of India is Pranab Mukherjee, who is the ______.
a) 10th President of India
b) 12th President of India
c) 13th President of India
d) 14th President of India
Answer is: C

38).The ‘Provision of States’ incorporated in the Constitution of India was borrowed from
the Constitution of________.
a) UK
b) US
c) Japan
d) Canada
Answer is: B

39).Who among the following non-members has the right to participate in the proceedings of the Parliament, through not to vote?
a) RBI Governor
b) CBI chief
c) Attorney General
d) Chief Justice of India
Answer is: C

40).Part XV ( Article 324-329 ) of the Indian Constitution deal with which of the
following?
a) Elections
b) Tribunals
c) Official Language
d) Municipalities
Answer is: A

41).Which state has officially declared the name of its capital city as Amaravathi?
a) Karnataka
b) Andhra Pradesh
c) Telangana
d) Tamil Nadu
Answer is: B

42).King Simuka was the founder of_________.
a) Satavahana dynasty
b) Sunga dynasty
c) Chola dynasty
d) Kanva dynasty
Answer is: A

43).Though slavery was abolished throughout the British Empire through the Slavery
Abolition Act 1833, slavery was abolished in India Slavery Act of______.
a) 1835
b) 1838
c) 1839
d) 1843
Answer is: D

44).Who was chosen as the first satyagrahi to launch the Individual Satyagraha in
1940?
a) Acharya Vinoba Bhava
b) Jawahar Lal Nehru
c) Brahma Datt
d) Bal Gangadhar Tilak
Answer is: A

45).Which of the following is wrongly paired?
Book Author
a) Dashakumaracharita Dandin
b) Mudrarakshasa Vishakhadatta
c) Brihatkatha Gunadhya
d) Rajtarangini Somdeva
Answer is: D

46).A quick-growing crop planted between two regular crops grown in consecutive
seasons, is called a______.
a) Substitute crop
b) Middle crop
c) Cash crop
d) Catch crop
Answer is: D

47).Which of the following is a project(s) constructed on the Mahanadi river in India?
a) Dudhawa Reservior
b) Ravishankar Sagar dam ( Gangrel Dam )
c) Hirakud Dam
d) All the above
Answer is: D

48).The pre-monsoon showers that are beneficial for coffee plantation in Karnataka are
called________.
a) Mango Showers
b) Cherry Blossoms
c) Kalbaishakhi
d) Brown Showers
Answer is: B

49).Which of the following pairs of cities and countries is NOT matched correctly?
a) Istanbul - Turkey
b) Marseille - Spain
c) Hamburg - Germany
d) Florence – Italy
Answer is: B

50).The famous Angkor Wat temple, the largest religious monument in the world, was
built in the early 12th century by_______.
a) Indravarman
b) Suryavarman II
c) Bhavavarman II
d) Jayavarman
Answer is: B

Important Questions on Modern Indian History

1.Which of the following organizations provided medical help to the Turkish troops in the Balkan War?
[A] International Council of Nurses
[B] Pax Romana
[C] Global Humanitarian Forum
[D] Red Crescent Society

Answer:Red Crescent Society
Red Crescent Society :Worldwide humanitarian organization providing assistance without discrimination as to nationality, race, religious beliefs, class or political opinions. It provided medical help to the Turkish troops in the Balkan War.

2.Who was the first Muslim President of Indian National Congress?
[A] Hakim Azmal Khan
[B] Abul Kalam Azad
[C] Rafi Ahmad Kidwai
[D] Badruddin Taiyabji

Answer:Badruddin Taiyabji
Badruddin Taiyabji became the Ist Indian Barrister in Bombay; became the 2nd Indian Chief Justice; was the founding member of Bombay presidency association and INC and also presided over the 3rd congress session in Madras in 1887.

3.Who was elected the President of Indian National Congress in the Surat Session 1907 famous for Surat Split?
[A] Dr. Rash Bihari Ghosh
[B] Lala Lajpat Rai
[C] Dadabhai Naoroji
[D] Pherozeshah Mehta

Answer:
Dr. Rash Bihari Ghosh
The growing differences between the Moderates and the Extremists came at Surat Session 1907,when against the wishes of Extremists who preferred Lala Lajpat Rai to be the President ; Dr. Rash Bihari Ghosh was elected as the Congress President. The Extremists left the Congress. Result was the Congress remained under the control of the Moderates.

4.How many delegates had attended the first session of the Indian National Congress in 1885?
[A] 75
[B] 92
[C] 112
[D] 72

Answer:72
The first session of the Indian National Congress was held from 28-31 december,1885 at Gokul Das Tejpal Sanskrit College, Bombay and was attended by 72 delegates. Its president was Womesh Chandra Banerjee. Indian National Congress formed in 1885 during times of Governor General Lord Dufferin.

5.The first Individual Satyagrahi, Acharya Vinoba Bhave offered Satyagraha in which among the following way?
[A]By not paying taxes
[B]By burning British Flag
[C]By making an antiwar speech
[D]By making a speech against the Viceroy of India

Answer:
By making an antiwar speech.

6.During British Era, the Duke Memorandum became the basis of which among the following?
[A]Nehru Report
[B]Mont-Ford Reforms
[C]Indian Councils Act 1909
[D]Government of India Act 1935

Answer:Mont-Ford Reforms
Duke Memorandum is associated with Sir William Duke, a member of the English Round Table Group and he had formulated a scheme which eventually became the basis of Joint Report of Montague and Chelmsford.

7.The Battle of Chillianwalla was a part of?
[A]Anglo-Maratha Wars
[B]Anglo-Carnatic Wars
[C]Anglo-French Wars
[D]Anglo-Sikh Wars

Answer:Anglo-Sikh Wars
Battle of Chillianwalla was fought on 13 January 1849 during the Second Anglo-Sikh War. Sikhs fought British in this battle under Shersingh.

8.In which year Jahangir issued the charter to East India Company for establishing the trade establishments in India?
[A]1615
[B]1616
[C]1617
[D]1618

Answer
1617

9.August 9 1925 is known in the Indian History for which of the following incidences?
[A]Chauri Chaura incidence
[B]Kakori Train Robbery
[C]Jallianwallah Bagh Incidence
[D]The seize of Cawnpore

Answer
Kakori Train Robbery

10.In which year, first nationwide elections were held in Afghanistan?
[A]1952
[B]1958
[C]1965
[D]1968

Answer
1965

Ancient books and their writers

📚*🌍प्राचीनकाल की पुस्तकें 🌍*📚
  
1-अस्टाध्यायी               पांणिनी
2-रामायण                    वाल्मीकि
3-महाभारत                  वेदव्यास
4-अर्थशास्त्र                  चाणक्य
5-महाभाष्य                  पतंजलि
6-सत्सहसारिका सूत्र      नागार्जुन
7-बुद्धचरित                  अश्वघोष
8-सौंदरानन्द                 अश्वघोष
9-महाविभाषाशास्त्र        वसुमित्र
10- स्वप्नवासवदत्ता        भास
11-कामसूत्र                  वात्स्यायन
12-कुमारसंभवम्           कालिदास
13-अभिज्ञानशकुंतलम्    कालिदास 
14-विक्रमोउर्वशियां        कालिदास
15-मेघदूत                    कालिदास
16-रघुवंशम्                  कालिदास
17-मालविकाग्निमित्रम्   कालिदास
18-नाट्यशास्त्र              भरतमुनि
19-देवीचंद्रगुप्तम          विशाखदत्त
20-मृच्छकटिकम्          शूद्रक
21-सूर्य सिद्धान्त           आर्यभट्ट
22-वृहतसिंता               बरामिहिर
23-पंचतंत्र                  विष्णु शर्मा
24-कथासरित्सागर        सोमदेव
25-अभिधम्मकोश         वसुबन्धु
26-मुद्राराक्षस               विशाखदत्त
27-रावणवध।              भटिट
28-किरातार्जुनीयम्       भारवि
29-दशकुमारचरितम्     दंडी
30-हर्षचरित                वाणभट्ट
31-कादंबरी                वाणभट्ट
32-वासवदत्ता             सुबंधु
33-नागानंद                हर्षवधन
34-रत्नावली               हर्षवर्धन
35-प्रियदर्शिका            हर्षवर्धन
36-मालतीमाधव         भवभूति
37-पृथ्वीराज विजय     जयानक
38-कर्पूरमंजरी            राजशेखर
39-काव्यमीमांसा         राजशेखर
40-नवसहसांक चरित   पदम् गुप्त
41-शब्दानुशासन         राजभोज
42-वृहतकथामंजरी      क्षेमेन्द्र
43-नैषधचरितम           श्रीहर्ष
44-विक्रमांकदेवचरित   बिल्हण
45-कुमारपालचरित      हेमचन्द्र
46-गीतगोविन्द            जयदेव
47-पृथ्वीराजरासो         चंदरवरदाई
48-राजतरंगिणी           कल्हण
49-रासमाला               सोमेश्वर
50-शिशुपाल वध          माघ
51-गौडवाहो                वाकपति
52-रामचरित               सन्धयाकरनंदी  ....✍

Widow can’t cook for school? Here’s what a DM did to dispel the myth

A simple act by a young IAS officer in Bihar’s Gopalganj district has set an example of how a big social change is possible even in the remotest part of rural India.

Last week, the district administration in Gopalganj was shocked to discover that a group of local residents in Kalyanpur area had banned a widow from cooking mid-day meal in the village’s middle school.

This, according to some villagers, was because of their perceived superstition that allowing a widow to cook meal for children would be a bad omen.

The Gopalganj District Magistrate, Rahul Kumar, ordered the villagers to immediately stop this practice and allow the widow to resume cooking the mid-day meal.

Kumar tweeted, “Some misled villagers opposed a widow cook and threatened to withdraw their Children from school after she was rightfully reinstated.”

The young bureaucrat then decided to visit the village and asked the widow in question to cook meal for himself. Kumar then tweeted the photo of him eating the meal cooked by the widow, who was being ostracised by a group of ‘misled’ people.

Kumar tweeted, “Sometimes u do symbolic things to overcome people’s beliefs. Asked the same widow cook to serve me the meal. (sic)”

Important Desert of the World (SSC &UPSC)

Deserts cover a good number of questions making it an important topic to cover in SSC Exams. Around1-3 questions asks from this topic which surely makes it important for you to study the topic well for upcoming SSC and Other Competitive Exams. Here isimportant deserts & its facts for SSC Exams which you should not ignore.

Important Deserts of the world

Desert: A desert is a barren area of land where little precipitation occurs and consequently living conditions are hostile for plant and animal life in desert their is less precipitation

1. Continent: Antarctica

Desert Name: Antartic

2. Continent: Asia, Europe, North america:

Desert Name: Arctic desert

3. Continent: Asia

Desert Name: Karakorum, Thar desert, Kyzyl Kum, Taklamakan

4. Continent: Africa

Desert Name: Kalahari, Namib, Sahara,

5. Continent: Australia

Desert Name: Gibson, Great Sandy, Great Victoria, Simpson, Tanami

6. Continent: Europe

Desert Name: Arabian, Dasht-e Kavir, Dasht-e Lut

7. Continent: North America

Desert Name: Great Basin, Mojave, Sonoran

8. Continent: South America

Desert Name: Atacama, Patagonian

Important Points to be remember about Important desert of the world

Desert name: Antartic

largest desert in the worldlargest cold desert in the worldpresent in south polearea: 1,38,29,430 square kmtype: polar

Desert name: Arctic desert

second largest desert in the worldarea: 1,37,26,937 square kmType: polarpresent in south pole

Desert name: Gobi

present in asiaarea: 1,300,000 square kmcold winter desert

Desert name: Sahara

largest hot desertpresent in africasubtropical deseert94,00,000 square km

Desert name: Atacama

The Driest Desert on the Eartharea: 1,40,000 square kmpresent in ChileType: Cool Coastal

Desert name: Great Basin

Type: Cold WinterPresent in USarea: 4,92,000 square km

Types of Question Can be asked in SSC & Other competitive Exam

Which is the largest desert of the world: Antarctica desertWhich is the largest cold desert in the world: Antarctica desertWhich is the largest hot desert of the world: Sahara desertWhich is the largest desert of india: Thar desertWhich is the largest driest desert of the world: Atacama desert (present in chile in south america)Which is the second largest desert of the world: Arctic desertWhere is aklamakan desert:china

Why Should You Join Civil Services(IAS,IPS IRS, IFS) in India?

There are several benefits in the civil services, which you can’t get in any other profession. There are still numerous reasons to join civil services in India despite all the liberalization and globalization.

Let me narrate a few of those.

​1: Prestige
Imagine that you are passing on a road of a city like Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai or any major city of India and you see several vehicles passing by. There are expensive vehicles like Mercedes, BMW, or Jaguar and there is a Government vehicle of average type with red/blue light on its top with the name plate of the office/officer. Which vehicle people look at? 
I am sure that most people look at the vehicle with red light. The traffic constables become alert on duty and may give a crisp salute to the officer sitting in the vehicle. A government vehicle is a sign of authority, which immediately attracts the attention of people. Similarly, a government officer immediately gets attention in big galaxies of important people. 
Contrary to popular perception in urban India and media, the civil servants are highly respected by the people of India. It is because they serve people like no one else. Further, their selection process has always been transparent and fair. UPSC had always been above board for selection of candidates for top services. A PM/CM can make anyone a Cabinet Minister, Supreme Court Collegium can make anyone a High Court or Supreme Court Judge; and anyone can be made the CEO/CMD of a company but nobody can make you an IAS, IPS or IRS officer except your own merit. Hence, people of India never doubt the ability of a civil servant. When you become part of any function of an organization, its prestige goes up and you become the central point of the function and get all the attention. 

2: Power
A civil servant is the epitome of state power. You are not a government servant but the government itself. The laws may be passed by the Parliament, but are executed only through civil servants. We as IRS officers sign so many documents on behalf of President of India. Please remember that you exercise the power of the Government in India pertaining to your department. You have the authority to decide cases worth hundreds of crores and conduct search, seizure of arrest of the people who are breaking the law of the land. No wonder, the law breakers don’t want to mess with you and the law abiders look at you for taking on the law breakers. You have the original powers to implement the rule of law in this country. Only when you fail, others come into picture.

3. Job Security and Political Interference 
If you are in a private sector job, you can be removed with one day notice. You are always at the mercy of the company and its top bosses. The service conditions of civil servants are determined by the Parliament and can’t be changed to his disadvantage. Their service is protected by Article 311 of the Indian Constitution according to which, he can’t be dismissed from service without an enquiry where he would be given opportunity to defend himself. He also has the option to approach the Courts, in case he has been treated unfairly. The promotion of a civil servant is not in the hands of politician, which is either time bound manner or based on seniority. The promotion committees are headed by UPSC Member/Chairman and hence you can expect utmost objectivity in promotion. You don’t have to fear anyone, if you are on the right side of the law. 
Fortunately the central services like IRS are fully insulated from political interference. I have never got any call from any politician in my 25 years of my career and there has been no political interference directly or indirectly ever. The reason can be attributed to the ‘Transfer Policy’ if our department. The postings upto the rank of Additional Commissioner are made by the Chief Commissioner (Within his Zone/State) or by the Central Board of Excise and Customs (All over India) manned by all IRS officials. Even for Commissioner and Chief Commissioner, it is the Placement Committee (PC) headed by The Chairman CBEC or CBDT proposes the names for the approval of FM. If a name is not proposed by PC, no order can be made. Similarly for posting in sensitive intelligence/investigation originations like DRI and DGCEI, the names have to be proposed by the Director General for being considered for posting. Thus the CBEC/CBDT has a sort of veto power over transfer and postings of IRS officers. If you find it unbelievable, please read the policy yourself by visiting the link Page on cbec.gov.in
Unfortunately the situation is not same in States and the IAS/IPS/IFoS officers are posted usually by CM directly. I was told by one of my IPS colleagues that in his State, an SP can’t even transfer a constable without the approval of the Minister In-charge of the district. I hope that good sense will prevail and some day they will adopt the best practices of Government of India. 

4: Decent Salaries and Excellent Perks
The salaries of the government officers have become very decent in recent years. When I joined IRS in 1991, my salary was around Rs 3500 pm only. Today in 2015 my salary is around Rs 1,50,000 pm viz. 43 times time more in less than 25 years . In addition, you also get free house, car, phone, medical, Leave Travel Concession, Children Education Allowance and pension. Most of the allowances are tax free. You require at least Rs 50 lakhs of CTC to enjoy the same lifestyle in corporate. Sometime, the rental value of your government accommodation itself may be much more than the CTC of several big corporate CEOs. Who can afford to stay in Lutyens Delhi bungalows on rent? 

5: Work Life Balance
While it is common to hear the ply of the civil servants that they don’t have a good personal life, it is not absolutely true. Every government department has different types of postings. Some posts (like DM, SP) require long hours of work while several posts are such where you have to find work. The salaries in both the cases are exactly the same. Hence, if you give priority to personal life, you can always request the government to give you such assignments, where you can have more free time for yourself and the family. I have, on several occasion, requested the government for such peaceful assignments as I wanted to devote some time to teach my children and I was always given such light assignements. You also get 2/3 years of fully paid study leave, using which I did my PhD on E-Governance from IIITM Gwalior while in service. You can choose to study abroad in top university of the world and the government may finance most of the expenses. A female government officer gets additional 2 years of fully paid Child Care Leave to take care of their children, in addition to the maternity leave. Each government officer is also entitled to upto 5 years of Extra Ordinary Leave (Unpaid) for taking care of personals needs in addition to the 20 days of Half Pay Leave and 30 days of Earned leave every year besides 5 day a week work-schedule and numerous gazetted holidays. You have lots of flexibility to choose the postings according to your needs and temperament. 

6: Job Satisfaction
You must remember that civil services are not ordinary jobs where you work for an organization or for a person. You work for the country and its people. The revenue collected by an IRS officer is used for the benefit of the poorest and needy and for development of infrastructure and nation. As a police officer, you control crime in the country and hence create an atmosphere for security, growth and prosperity. As an IAS officer, you make and implement the developmental schemes for the growth of the nation. Your job is in the nature of social service. Many billionaires like Bill Gates, Azim Premji spend billions from their own pocket to get the satisfaction of doing the social work. You have the opportunity to do so while in service and you are even paid for it decently. 

7: Freedom to Work 
It may not be believable, but it is a fact that you have tremendous freedom to do your work as a government officer. Each post in a government (SP, DM or Commissioner) is created and empowered by Parliament. Hence as far as you are on that chair, you have the full freedom to decide the things according to your judgment and discretion. For example, as a revenue officer, if I get information of tax evasion and I am empowered by law to conduct search, seizure or arrest; no one can give me any direction to act or not to act. No senior officer or Minister can change the decisions taken by the appropriate legal authority without following the procedures provided by the law. For example if the order of Commissioner is wrong, you have to approach the Tribunal, High Court or Supreme Court to reverse the order. These agencies have tremendous freedom and they decide the legality of the action independently without any intervention from the government. 
Even though media mostly highlights the conflicts between politicians and civil servants, in reality they work with each other without much problem. It is because the goal of civil servants and politician is one and the same. Politicians need good IAS and IPS officers who can help the state grow and become free from crime. When there is a problem, often both sides are responsible. You don’t even hear any conflict in states like MP, Chhattisgarh, Orissa, Rajasthan and even in Bihar (in Nitish Kumar regime). Most of the states have no conflict at all between officers and politicians. Good politicians and good bureaucrats always work together harmoniously and help each other. The problem between them is more personal than professional, though it is always highlighted as professional problem and politicians are blamed for the mess. 

8: Diversity of Jobs
The civil services provide tremendous diversity of jobs. If you are in IAS, you can virtually head any organization in India. As secretary, you can head different ministries of the government and also different public sector undertaking, educational and research institutions. As an IRS (C&CE) officer you work in Customs, Excise, Service Tax, Narcotics, Training, Systems etc. You even work as advocate, when you are posted in Tribunals. You also work in intelligence agencies like DRI, DGCEI, CEIB, IB or RAW. All officers may get posting in Ministries and State/Central Government and work in the policy formation. You can get posted to international organizations like WCO, UN, WHO, World Bank IMF etc. You can take lien and become a professor or join an NGO or even start an NGO in public interest. You can write books, make films and do several other activities with the permission of government. 

9: Widest Networking
The networks of civil servants are the widest in the country. As an IRS officer, my colleagues are posted all over the country. We also have officers posted in several part of the world. I can call anyone and request them for any help or protocol. When you join a service, you join a family. You are like the new born baby, who is looked after by every elder of the family. You have to just request and your wishes may be fulfilled. As you grow older in service, your role is reversed and you take care of the young officers like your children. 
There is also a brotherhood between all officers. I just have to pick up the phone and request my colleagues in IAS, IPS or others, and they will usually extend all types of help. Through your friends, you can approach anyone in the country, in case you need their help. The businessman, actors, leaders are all interested in networking with you, because you are always in positive to help others. It is you who have to restrict your network due to time constraints and due to its effect on performing your job professionally and impartially. Even when you retire, the network is not broken since your juniors remain in the service till almost the end of your life. 
10: Post Retirement Jobs
A civil servant get the experience of the government as no one else can. It is often said in movies that an IAS (or IPS, IRS) officer can always choose to become a Minister but a Minister can’t become a civil servant. There is a great demand of such experience in the corporate, who have to deal several government departments, but they have no experience of dealing them. The retiree officers usually get very good job officers by corporate, if they choose to work later. Many of my colleagues, who have left IRS after 10-15 years of service to join corporate are getting salaries in Crores. You can even start your own consultancy firm and earn good money. Since you learn how to run the government, you can also choose to join politics and become an effective Minister or even Chief Minister (Arvind Kejriwal, Ajit Jogi) or Prime Minister (Morarji Desai). You can also become Governor, CIC, CVC, CEC or UPSC/CAT/Tax Tribunal Member/Chairman after retirement. 

Conclusion
It may be a good idea to join civil services like IAS,IPS, IFS,IRS or like, if you appreciate the value of the good things that government services have to offer. However, there is no free lunch in this world. Hence, “There is a price to be paid for getting the good things”. Remember the old Hindi Song “Kabhi kisi ko mukammal jahan nahi milta, Kabhi zamin to kabhi asman nahi milta” (No body gets a perfect world, sometime you don’t get the earth and sometime you don’t get the sky). 
If you are willing to pay the price, civil services are still one of the best options to join in India.

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this post are personal.

Dr. Awedesh Singh
Former IRS (C&CE)

Son of uneducated rickshaw puller become IAS

You are a very wise girl.

I am giving you this compliment because you are so grounded to reality but you still have great dreams. Half of our problem happens when we dream big without accounting the reality.

This is what I would have done, if I would have been at your place.

First of all, I would like to ensure that I have something in my hand. I know it is a great challenge for me to get into IAS because my past records had not been quite promising. However, I also know that every year there are people who rise from very humble background and ordinary academic record to become an IAS officer. I will draw my inspiration from people like Govind Jaiswal who rose from nothing to realize their dream of IAS. I read following about him on ‘I Like You’ which inspired me immensely.

Govind Jaiswal, 24, the son of an uneducated rickshaw puller in Varanasi, had grown up with cruel taunts like ‘However much you study, you will still be a rickshawpuller. ’ He had studied with cotton stuffed in his ears to drown the noise of printing machines and generators below his window in a poor neighbourhood where small workshops existed cheek by jowl with tiny residential quarters.

He had given Math tuitions to supplement the paltry sum his father could afford to send him each month. His ailing father had sold a small plot of land to give Govind about Rs 40,000 so that he could move to Delhi which would provide him a better place to study.

Throughout his life, he had lived with only one dream — to become an officer of the Indian Administrative Service. For him that was the only way. And when he broke the news to his family, that he was ranked 48 among 474 successful candidates in his first attempt at the exam — it was the turn of his three sisters and father to weep with unbridled joy.

If Govind can do it, why not me?

One good thing about IAS Exam is that your past performance is immaterial. As far as you can qualify the minimum criterion, everyone is treated at par. Hence, I shall not be bothered about my past performance which has no role to play in my IAS preparation.

What is most important is what I do now. I have to give my best and work as hard as I can to ensure my success in IAS examination. However, I should also try to have a plan B and write such examinations which can be cleared much easily. For example, the Staff Selection Commission (SSC) exams are much easier to qualify and I must try them too. I won’t mind getting a Group B and C job or even a clerical job first to get a financial stability. Once I have something to hang on, I must keep preparing for IAS. I would also try for State PCS examination, which are much easier to get through and provide decent facilities and job satisfaction.

I will choose a job which gives me maximum time to study. I don’t mind taking tuitions to support myself financially or get a teaching job on part-time or full time basis as these jobs would give me ample time prepare for civil services examination.

I don’t know if I would become an IAS or not, but I have to try my best and leave the rest to God.

I have heard that God helps those who help themselves.

He won’t disappoint me.

Amen

Mission IAS Day -14

Q. 1: Arrange the following in Chronological order

1)August Offer
2)Cripps Mission
3)Wavell Plan
4)Cabinet Mission

Select the correct order from below

A)  2 , 1 , 3 , 4
B)  1 , 3, 2 , 4
C)  1, 3 , 4 ,2
D) 1, 2, 3, 4

Solution :D

Q. 2.Select from the following the recommendation(s) of Cabinet Mission

A) It rejected the demand of a full-fledged Pakistan
B) It abolished the office of viceroy of India
C) It recommended formation of a constituent assembly on democratic principle
4)It recognized Indian right to cede from commonwealth
Select the correct code from below

A) 1 and 4 only
B) 1 ,3 and 4 only
C) 1,2,3 and 4 only
D) 3 and 4 only

Solution :B

Q. 3.Consider the following regarding August Offer

1)It was proposed by the British in wake of 2nd World War
2)It proposed independence to india after the war was over
3)Setting up of a constituent assembly with immediate effect
4)Proposed the consent of minorities a must for passage of constitution of india.
Select the code with incorrect statement from above

A) 1 and 2 only
B) 2 and 3 only
C) 1 and 4 only
D) 1, 2 and 4 only

Solution :D

Q.4: Select the correct statement

1)In the 2nd Round Table Conference Sarojini Naidu represented indian women.
2)Poona Pact provided more seats to the depressed classes in provincial legislatures than was offered in Communal Award
3)DharasanaSatyagrah was the protest against British salt tax in colonial india in 1930
Select the code from below

A)  2 only
B) 1 only
C) 1 and 3 only
D) 1 , 2 and 3 only

Solution :D

Q. 5:Select the correct statement from below

1)India was one of the founding member of Non Alignment Movement
2)Gandhiji called cripps mission a post datedcheque
3)During Quit India Movement parallel government was set up at Satara
Select the correct code from below

A) 1 only
B) 1, 2 only
C) 1, 2 and 3 only
D) 2 and 3 only

Solution :C

Q. 6:Constituent Assembly was presided by:-

  A) B.R.Ambedkar
  B) Sachchidananda Sinha
  C)  Dr. Rajendra Prasad
  D) B.N.Rau

Solution :C