UPSC FAQ with HK

Disclaimer
This Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) session has NOT been published for general guidance, information and assistance of users.  The information contained herein is comic in nature and is by all means off the wall. There is an attempt to jostle the funny bone but no guarantee of laughter. Under no circumstances, shall risingbudss.blogspot.com be liable for any mental breakdown with lameness or expense incurred that is claimed to have resulted from this intentionally tongue-in-cheek dialogue.

This will be my second attempt. Please suggest how I should proceed?
Bingo. I don’t know. You tell me.
 
Which category of candidates is exempted from payment of Examination fee?
One who is not applying. Women, PwBD, SC, ST too.

What are the important sources to start UPSC preparation?
That one super-duper senior who made it and the first or second or third or fourth cousin who's been preparing .

What books should one refer?
Hard bound ones. They are much handy, I guess

What is the best book for Polity?
Laxmikant. It’s Rajnikant of Polity.

What are the sources for medieval history?
Mughal-e-Azam, Shatranj ke Khiladi, Jodha Akbar, Bajirao Mastani, Padmavat and the latest, Tanhaji. Quite an exhaustive list!

How to memorize the historical terms in the ancient and medieval section?
It’s not a question of history, rather biology. Short – term memory loss is a common thing with this section.

Can one clear prelims with 60 days of preparation?
Yes certainly, if you have 2 brains and 72 hours in a day.

How to read economic survey and budget?
Just like you read A B C D.

What are the ways to enhance our skills related to solving MCQs in UPSC prelims?
Aabra ka dabra. The more you practice, the better you are.

How to prepare for CSAT other than solving 2015-2020 PYQs?
Solve 2010-15 PYQs too.

After eliminating two options, I always end up choosing the wrong option. When one doesn't know surely which one is right, how do we arrive at the correct answer?
Guess. Thank me later.

I score very less in mocks. What should I do?
Stop mocks. Write Pre directly. Real fun of sailing canoe is in stormy waters.

How important is the newspaper?
Very much. Covering kitchen slabs, using as shelf liners in bedroom almirah, DIY craft etc.

What is the utility of The Hindu or Indian Express?
You can pile them up on your study table and create an illusion that you are breaking your head over the preparation.

And what about reading the newspaper?
Helping you make through the exam is the least it would do. Comic strips are a must though. Not for the exam per se but to beat the stress the bombastic editorials generate.

When did you start writing answers?
I guess, in kindergarten itself, we would get worksheets to do. Would ask my mom and tell.

When shall we start preparing for Mains?
When you think that prelims is kid stuff.

How many hours can one study?
As many hours when you are not sleeping, eating and pooping.

How much time is given to the candidates for applying online?
Age limit – minimum age = Applying time. Calculate. It’s simple maths.

What is an easy optional in UPSC exam?
Easiest one is, to not give the exam. Sigh.

What is the toughest SUBJECT to crack in this exam?
Toppers! Many say that prelims can be done in 3 months preparation.

Why is UPSC exam tough?
Ask them, not me.

Is the personality test a cake walk?
Yes, if you have a godfather in the interview panel!

When does UPSC issue the notification?
Before the exam.

What are the minimum educational qualifications prescribed?
Degree…in patience and perseverance.

Should we have a backup?
I don’t have backup even in my WhatsApp.
***
Note: For further queries, don’t mail me on harshitaUPSC@gmail.com or call me on 8750Z05739 because neither exists.

 -HK

Vocab in The Times of Corona

Trust thou me well, if only Marquez rises from his grave, he would write Love in the Times of Corona. They say that love is in the air but the reality outside my balcony window exposes this blatant lie of Delhi and its winters. In such nasty times, Humour becomes an ally, a companion, a friend, a partner... basically all that the typical Bonta Park or Lodhi Garden's baby-shona-sweetie tribe of love birds cum dumb pigeons shitting across benches are not! I hope, Marquez won't turn in his grave after their mention.

I love Humour with all my lungs (not heart because lungs are bigger, no?) There is no time for non-Humour love affairs, as I said earlier, love isn't in the air and my lungs have trust issues as well. 
So, cutting the short love story even shorter, here is a glimpse of our affair. Some might mistake it for PDA, BUT…it's mah lyf, mah choyce!

Coronavirus

इसकी हिम्मत का मुकाबला ही नहीं कहीं 

बहुतों की शहीदी का क़र्ज़ है इसपर 

Virus Mutation

रहता नहीं कहीं टिक कर 

आदत इसकी भी आदमी-सी है 

Co-morbidity

किसने दस्तक दी ये दिल पर कौन है 

आप तोह अंदर है, फिर बाहर कौन है 

Physical Distancing

हमारे दरमियान ये दूरियां ना  होती 

और कुछ वक़्त की मजबूरियाँ ना होती 

Quarantine

महफ़िल से दूर मैं अकेला हो गया 

सूना सूना मेरे लिए हर मेला हो गया 

Hydroxychloroquine

कोशिशें की समझने को दर्द की 

फिर लिख दी दवा इस मर्ज़ की 

Asymptomatic
कल तक अजनबी थे दोनों 

कब जुड़ गए पता ही नहीं चला

Unlock 5.0

कैद हूँ कबसे बेचैनियों के तालों में 

खोल दो ज़रा सुकून की खिड़कियां 

Vaccine

गुलों में रंग भरे बाद-ए-नौ-बहार चले 

चले भी आओ कि गुलशन का कारोबार चले

Pfizer / Moderna / Oxford / Covaxin

यही है ज़िंदगी कुछ ख़्वाब चंद उम्मीदें 

इन्हीं खिलौनों से तुम भी बहल सको तो चलो

***  

Note: Please don't sue me for plagiarism. I didn't write these shayari, my lover did. Do I sound selfish? Well, just pray that he doesn't develop trust issues now.

Meanwhile...
Courtesy: Feel the Words, Rekhta etc....basically, Google माता. 

CV- The Most Famous Personality of 2020

 There is a new entrant in the celeb-town. Let me take a bite out of your monotony and excite you with THE MOST FAMOUS PERSONALITY OF 2020. The fellow holds multiple titles, ranging from the most powerful to the most influential which Forbes and Vogue are yet to identify. His is not a transient persona which will be lost as a passing thought. He is an era in himself having etched a niche for the generations to remember…MR. CORONVIR! 

Usually, people follow famous personalities but on the contrary, Mr. CoronVir follows people on a tremendous scale. He is a die-hard fan of people and people literally die for him.  His presence can be felt high above in airplane to deep inside your bronchi. As an exception, only the weddings seem to be immune to him! He rose to fame with his resilient spiky personality and brobdingnagian performance far away in the East. Such is his magic that his name reached across continents much before his physical self and as expected, he left no stone unturned to not stand by what was expected of him, rather did much more. Finding his nemesis appeared like finding a needle in a haystack. However, Moderna and Pfizer seem promising enough but let’s not count our chickens before they are hatched. Meanwhile, Mr. CoronVir remains the top banana in the political and social circuits.

In the nascent stages in India, Mr. CoronVir has been involved in few scandals as well, as the media spilled the beans about his association with some pretty singer.  He was caught red handed negotiating with hundreds of people in an enclosed building so as to increase his fan following. And later, he made a huge splash in the celeb-town of the country. Recently, Mr. Bachchan too had a tete-a-tete with him and it went so well that he doesn’t stop mentioning his name. Make a call right away if I lie. Obsession is surely a thing in the world!

In this age of social media, having followers is a necessity. During lockdown, CV was in people’s mind, but not in their lungs  heart. Empty roads, metro rail, markets hampered his socialization. Those wary of his presence tried and still try to fetter his influence with pen, needle and sword. They are hailed as corona warriors. But, as the saying goes, the real fun of steering a canoe lies in the storming waters. Once the lockdown caused saturation, he swayed past the territories like forest fire. His very name was sufficient for opportunists to mint money. Various businesses flourished, from masks to sanitizers to even quacks coming up with medicines like Coronil. The monopoly of this person is such that the likes of Dengue, MalaRia, TB, Diabe-Tess, Asthma etc. have been severely underplayed. One bad guy was not enough when his long lost brother, PAULution enters the stage to twist the events in his favour. Both have collaborated to cause an eye sore to the frontline corona warriors.

The competition is still cut throat with most people having bad throat. Welcome to the times of Coronavirus. The fittest survives. CoronVir, with its resilience, is the unequivocal winner, hence the most powerful. Even the big gun USA bows to him. So he becomes a sure shot entry to Forbes list this year. Let’s just wait and watch. Till then (clears throat)…excuse me.