FUTURE CHANGES IN CIVIL SERVICE MAINS EXAM PATTERN

As it is known that there is a lot of speculation going regarding the changes going to take place in the civil service mains examination 2013 or 2014. A committee headed by professor Arun.S.Nigarvekar is appointed to review the current structure of the mains examination and to suggest any necessary changes in the pattern. The submission of the committee has increased the anxiety in civil services preparing community. Therefore it is evident that there will be a change of pattern in the mains exam scheme but not aware of when it is going to take place.

But for everyone's advantage administrative reforms commission has strongly suggested that time should be given to the candidates before implementing any new changes. As lot of candidates started preparing from a long time for the current scheme of exam, it is clear that at least one year time period will be given for the preparation of the new pattern.

When coming to the expected changes there are six theories - 

1. Increase in general studies syllabus an inclusion of Indian polity and governance in it. Public administration will also be a part of general studies and this will be general studies paper - 3 and public administration will be removed from the list of optionals. Along with the three general studies papers one more optional can be chosen from the list of optionals.
2. Indian polity and governance will be introduced as a new mandatory paper and another optional can be chosen.
3. Languages will be removed from the optionals,one optional will be chosen from social sciences and the other one should be from the candidates educational background.
4. Mains exam with five mandatory papers. General essay paper will be removed and merged with English and Indian language and some percentage of these two papers will be added to the final. Importance is given to English and the abilities of the candidate to express and communicate the views will be tested. Other papers will be sustainable development and social justice(300 marks), science and technology(300 marks), democratic governance, public systems and human rights(300 marks), English(100 marks), Indian language(300 marks) for a total of 1100 marks.
5. General studies will be removed from mains and there will be three mandatory papers. Importance will be given to human rights, socio-economic development, administration and environmental laws, public systems management and economics will be given importance. Each paper will bare 500 marks. Issues relating society and its structure, administration, polity, modern advances in science and technology will be given importance in these papers.
6. There will be a total change in the mains scheme and there will be 8 papers in English, Indian language, Indian social system, Indian political system, Indian legal system, Indian economic system, Indian administrative system, organizational behavior. Each paper will be of 300 marks. Minimum 40% marks are needed to qualify in English.

Based on all these information there is a strong chance fro the change of pattern but with enough time to get used to(may be a year!). So it is suggested to all the candidates not to concentrate on the idea of the pattern change and waste your valuable time. Continue your preparation as it is and wait for the notification to come and it is strongly recommended for all the candidates that they should make themselves prepared for any kind of changes and start preparing for any one optional subject. In case the UPSC decided to change the scheme so as to keep one optional paper, you will be in a great profit(in terms of time). Choose the optionals cleverly from the set of subjects which will definitely help you in your future regardless of the changes like Public administration and sociology, Geography, Political science etc.,

It should be kept in mind that avoiding the unofficial information and not taking decisions based on that is also one of the traits of the best civil servant.