Vaibhav Rawat AIR 25 PSIR strategy

 Vaibhav Rawat AIR 25 PSIR strategy

This is my take on PSIR optional paper. 

Basic material is provided by Shubhra Mam class notes. I did not join her classroom course. Instead I ordered her notes from the Flavido website. Second source is politicsforindia.com website. They have rearranged those same notes and perhaps added a little content. These are enough to write good answers. First step is to develop a good understanding of all the topics. By good understanding we mean, to be able to critically analyze what great philosophers or other commentators have said. We should be able to correlate different thinkers who have talked on similar topics. Looking at topper's answer sheets from the test series could be helpful. Note down how they have interlinked different parts of the notes in their answer. Second step is to learn how to write good answers. Hands down Shubhra Mam is the best teacher in this regard. I joined crash course cum test series at SRIAS after prelim exam. Give tests on time so that your answer sheet gets evaluated on time. Do not worry about tests scores much. Learn from the class discussions. Try to copy the way ma'am thinks and answers, the way she tackles questions in each topic of the syllabus. Ignore what others suggest regarding how to write answers in PSIR. Even their own test evaluators might not reward you. But trust ma'am. Third step is to practice using PYQs. Try answering PYQs within time constraint. We have to answer 250 marks worth in 180 minutes. 7 minutes for 10 marker. 11 for 15. 14 for 20. Approximately. Practice this in your room. You will slowly see increase in your test scores. It will also help you in your main exam score. PYQs are your best friends in this preparation. Know them all. Questions get repeated. 

For PSIR I did the following-

Content - 

1. Shubhra Mam's notes. 

2. Politicsforindia.com website. (Updated and well organized notes)

3. Tushar Gupta's notes 

4. For adding CA in paper1 and paper 2 - ORF, CFR(Council on foreign relations), Indian Express and the Hindu articles.

Practice-

1. Crash course cum test series at SR IAS

2. Selective PYQs (especially paper 1)

For latest/ Updated PSIR PYQs Book - Click

For beginners I would recommend these books -

1. OP Gauba Political theory 

2. Baylis and Smith - Globalization of world politics (good read but not essential from exam point of view) 

3. Andrew Heywood - Ideologies (difficult but a delightful read) 

2 days before main examination, I prepared these introductions and conclusions to use in IR paper for last minute revision.

Intros

 1. Kautilya Mandal

 2. Power transition and Polarity of power

 3. Shyam Saran How India sees the world

 4. Wrassle organic theory

 5. Mahan

 6. Mackyinder

 7. Spykman

 8. Lee kuan Yew on China

 9. Kaplan on Iran

 10. Kipling on Afghanistan

 11. Tharoor on Pakistan

Conclusion

 1. Sun tzu

 2. Sociological liberalism

 3. Morgenthau + Krishna’s choice (The India Way - S. Jaishankar)

 4. Functionalism

 5. Fast power

 6. Smart power

 7. Gujral

 8. PM's Sabka Saath...

 9. Saptanga theory

 10. Machiavellian Advice - be bold and courageous

 11. Clausewitz

Mentions

Robert Jervis - SD

John herz - SD