Why is geography chosen as an optional in the UPSC by many students
Why is geography chosen as an optional in the UPSC by many students?
UPSC competitive entrance exams have been at the Everest of all the entrance examinations conducted in India for various job vacancies, entrances for admissions to degree colleges and other competitive exams. There are many practical reasons for this, the most important reason being the prestige and reliability connected to Civil Services and jobs related to this field. The Civil Service Officers are highly respected in the society as they serve the country above their own self interests. The IAS/IPS officers on the respect by people from the work they do as their work speaks. Also, Civil Services being a government sector job, is reliable and more secured as compared to jobs in any other fields. There are thousands of candidates who appeared for UPSC examinations every year but only around 1% of the candidates get selected and make it to get a prestigious job, which millions of people just dream of.
The civil services board provides a list of optional subjects, out of which the candidate needs to select one optional subject for the mains exam. The selected optional subject will have two papers each of 250 marks. As the weightage is good and important, a candidate needs to be careful while selecting the optional subject. The prelims stage has two papers of 250 marks each conducted for duration of 2 hours each. Besides various subjects such as National and International Current Affairs, History, India and World Politics, Economic and Social Development, Environmental and General Issues and General Science, a candidate needs to opt for an optional subject which carries a good weightage in the paper. The Civil Service Officers are highly respected in the society as they serve the country above their own self interests. The IAS/IPS officers on the respect by people from the work they do as their work speaks. Also, Civil Services being a government sector job, is reliable and more secured as compared to jobs in any other fields. The selection of optional subject depends on the interest of the candidate and also his knowledge about the subject he selects, as almost all the subjects are learnt somewhere during a person’s complete education. There are many candidates appearing for UPSC exams with different educational backgrounds. So, selecting an optional subject is completely a personal choice. While selecting any subject, the candidate must be aware of the pros and cons of that particular subject and depending on them must make a decision.
Syllabus for UPSC Exams
The UPSC exams are conducted in two stages Prelims and Mains. The prelims stage has two papers of 250 marks each conducted for duration of 2 hours each. Besides various subjects such as National and International Current Affairs, History, India and World Politics, Economic and Social Development, Environmental and General Issues and General Science, a candidate needs to opt for an optional subject which carries a good weightage in the paper.
Optional Subjects offered by UPSC
According to new UPSC pattern, the civil services board provides a list of optional subjects, out of which the candidate needs to select one optional subject for the mains exam. The selected optional subject will have two papers each of 250 marks. As the weightage is good and important, a candidate needs to be careful while selecting the optional subject. The list of optional subjects that a candidate can select is as follows:
1. Agriculture
2. Animal husbandry and Veterinary Science
3. Anthropology
4. Botany
5. Chemistry
6. Civil Engineering
7. Commerce and Accountancy
8. Economics
9. Electrical Engineering
10. Geography
11. Geology
12. History
13. Law
14. Management
15. Mathematics
16. Mechanical Engineering
17. Medical Science
18. Philosophy
19. Physics
20. Political Science and International Relations
21. Psychology
22. Public Administration
23. Sociology
24. Statistics
25. Zoology
Optional Subject-decision making
The selection of optional subject depends on the interest of the candidate and also his knowledge about the subject he selects, as almost all the subjects are learnt somewhere during a person’s complete education. There are many candidates appearing for UPSC exams with different educational backgrounds. So, selecting an optional subject is completely a personal choice. While selecting any subject, the candidate must be aware of the pros and cons of that particular subject and depending on them must make a decision.
Why is geography chosen as an optional in the UPSC by many students?
Geography as Optional Subject – Pros
• Geography being and easier subject is preferred by many UPSC aspirants.
• There is not much to learn and remember in the subject, as understanding the concepts will be enough to remember them.
• Study material is easily available for preparation of geography as there are many reliable sources.
• The questions asked in geography paper are very much similar to the questions from General Studies, Economics, Environment, Ecology and Environment Conservation.
• Most of the topics related to geography syllabus are studied at the school level which makes them easier to learn.
• Having a good knowledge of geography for the candidate will also be useful in the third stage of UPSC exam that is board interview where the candidate can be asked about the geography of his hometown.
• There are no complicated topics in geography and hence it is an easier subject comparatively to score more marks.
• Geography paper consists of map based questions which are easy and scoring.
Geography as Optional Subject – Cons
• The geography syllabus for UPSC exams is very lengthy.
• The subject being easier has more competition as compared to other subjects.
• There are a few concepts in geography which are difficult as they require statistical analysis and can pose a challenge to the candidate.
• The questions on geography may also be difficult for some candidates because they may be asked from any geographical region around the country and the world.
• Some students find it difficult to remember the names of various things such as all the States, rivers, historical monuments, information about mountains, oceans and seas and their locations.
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