Preparation for UPSC is a lifetime investment of time and money. It opens up excellent career opportunities in all India office-racking administrative cadre. With UPSC preparation, you can also appear in various other competitive job exams. Syllabus and question patterns of state-level public service commissions mostly follow UPSC CSE.
So, it is important to make the most of your UPSC online coaching.
This article discusses how you can add value to your UPSC preparation free of cost using government-funded media initiatives like Sansad TV, the erstwhile RS TV. Stay with us.
What does an UPSC online coaching involve?
With increasing availability of high-speed broadband connectivity and affordable PCs, tablets and smartphones, online coaching has become the mainstay in competitive exam preparation. It has democratized access to high-quality coaching, tutorial and UPSC mock tests for people living anywhere in India.
People aspiring to appear in UPSC Prelims often ask this question–what an online UPSC coaching entails?
Let’s understand the standard characteristics of a year-long UPSC Classroom programme:
- Duration – Usually any full-fledged UPSC classroom coaching programmes are of 1 year duration. They cater to the personalized learning needs of individual candidates for all the 3 stages of UPSC CSE – Prelims, Mains and Personal Interview Round
- Foundation strengthening – students come from different backgrounds with various learning gaps. So, reputable online classroom programmes usually dedicate 2 to 3 months to strengthening the basic subject knowledge based on the NCERT (Xi & XII) syllabus. This also includes regular NCERT tests.
- Advanced level study – This is also based on the NCERT syllabus. But the aim is to impart higher level understanding of subjects like History, Geography, Polity, Basic Science, Mathematics, and languages. Duration of this advanced level is around 8 months. It also includes special tuition for your chosen optional subjects.
- Prelims preparation – This part of the classroom programmes include turbocharged preparation for Prelims GS1 and GS2 papers. That means you get to learn and practice CSAT and current affairs. Regular mini mock tests and full length mock Prelims tests are part of this section. These tests prepare candidates to handle and overcome exam hall stress.
- Mains preparation – Special attention during this section of the coaching prepares students to answer broad questions. Regular feedback on submitted answers and personalized guidance help candidates overcome Mains-level exam anxiety.
- Regular mentoring and motivational sessions – Maintaining dedication and determination throughout the journey is a critical component of UPSC success. Any reputable UPSC online coaching mentor students to maintain their confidence.
Along with online classrooms, candidates also get personalized guidance on how to handle the personal interview round.
Many institutes also offer specialized online coaching courses for specific sections of UPSC preparations. Instead of opting for a year-long classroom coaching, you can join in short-term courses on Prelims revision, Mains current affairs, Prelims current affairs, individual subjects, mock tests or CSAT preparation.
How to enrich your UPSC online coaching with freely available resources?
UPSC online classroom programmes are the best choice for holistic preparation. However, you can take the self-study mode for various sections of the UPSC preparation. Many free online videos on aptitude tests and current affairs analysis are readily available on the internet.
One of the authentic sources of video study materials for UPSC preparation is Sansad TV. This parliamentary TV channel was launched in 2021 by merging two separate satellite TV channels—LS (Loksabha) TV and RS (Rajyasabha) TV.
Sansad TV can be your essential source for current affairs related to:
- Government programmes and schemes
- Polity
- Central budget
- Foreign policies
- Defense policies
- Economic policies
- Indian heritage
- Administrative functioning
Sansad TV regularly telecasts debates and analytical perspectives on burning national and international issues. Some of their regular programmes on current affairs are:
- Union cabinet briefing – It provides updates on the functioning of the union cabinet and decisions taken.
- Suprabhat – It’s the daily morning brief on national and international news and analysis of specific events.
- Update@10 – This daily late evening programme briefs on national and international news worthy of every UPSC aspirant’s attention.
- Awaaz Desh Ki – It’s a discussion-based show with experts and audience on ongoing social, political, economic or cultural issues.
- Mudda Apka – This is a more detailed discussion programme covering social, political, and other relevant national issues.
- Perspective – For critical analysis of science & tech and other nationally relevant issues, check RSTV’s Perspective.
- Today in History – This daily programme on historical trivia. You should listen to such programmes regularly to improve your knowledge of history.
How can RSTV help improve your UPSC preparation?
General purpose of Sansad TV programmes is to build public awareness about parliamentary functioning. It is a one-stop free-to-all source for everything happening in both the houses of Indian parliament.
It can help your UPSC preparation in multiple ways:
- Parliamentary current affairs – You will get current updates on all parliamentary matters. This is a critical part of UPSC current affairs for Prelims and Mains.
- Critical analysis skills – Sansad TV regularly produces news analysis and discussion with experts. Such programmes will help you build your critical analysis skills.
- Rich archive of programmes – The channel website offers access to the archive of previously produced programmes. Check them to learn on any past parliamentary issues.
- Analytical perspectives on non-parliamentary issues – Other than parliamentary proceedings, Sansad TV also telecast programmes on social, political, economic and cultural current events. These are authoritative and expert-led programmes.
What are the other online resources like Sansad TV?
The major advantage of Sansad TV and similarly government-funded channels is the authenticity of news and information. In today’s time of fake narratives, you can trust these channels for current affairs and news analysis.
Some of the other such channels are:
- DD National
- DD Bharti
- DD Kisan
- DD Science
- AIR
Conclusion
The major benefit of UPSC online coaching is the constant mentoring, guidance, and motivation. These are essential for UPSC success. Self-study has definitely helped many students. The best plan will be to mix free authentic study materials like RSTV programmes with the personalized attention of online coaching. Check https://www.iasgyan.in/ for Daily News Analysis, Daily Editorials and other section-specific short courses.