Get Answers on Test Preparation, Admissions & Campus Life
Study Abroad Countries
Which is better for UPSC CSE PREPARATION BA or BA Hons in political science from DU?
BA and BA Honors are both excellent choices for UPSC CSE. It will aid you in your preparation for the Prelims and Main exams.
In BA course, you must study three different subjects, such as political science, history, and geography, which means that 50% of the syllabus has already been covered, and if you choose Political Science as an optional subject, another 40% has already been covered. So taking a BA course will improve your chances.
Now, moving on to the BA (Hons), you will study political science in depth, which will help you in the Mains because, as we all know, the difficulty level of optional is higher than the Bachelor level but lower than the Master's level, so it will benefit you greatly. However, because you will only be studying two subjects in your bachelor's programme, you will have to study the third subject on your own.
Thus, you should pursue a BA General course. However, as everyone knows, UPSC is all about extreme hard work, luck, proper planning, guidance, and several other factors. Make your own decision and put in your best effort.
Is selective IGNOU BA and MA political science sufficient for political science optional in UPSC?
One of my sister's acquaintances wrote 2016 mains with PSIR optional. She had been working in an IT firm till a month before prelims and had been preparing for a year before.
Political Science and International Relations (PSIR) is quite fast. The study material provided by IGNOU is good for selective reading for specific topics like Justice, Equality, MN Roy, Sri Aurobindo, Theory of international relations etc. But she had an engineering background and revealed that the notes were not of premium quality.
Paper 1- Part A
Gauba is not bad. But you will need to read the book more than one time to interpret it completely. The information has been divided unevenly within the chapters making it a difficult read. One more good source is Shubra Ranjan's notes. They summarise the points in the UPSC syllabus format.
Paper 1- Part B
Complete Laxmikant.Read the interpretations given by famous analysts, their viewpoints, case laws and their history and the politics that played behind the evolution of laws and how and why the judiciary evolved. Again for this look into Shubra Ranjan notes. For the remaining topics look into Oxford publications.
Paper 2- part A
For this part, the best recommendation is Heywood’s global politics. It’s easy to understand and very well written. Combine this with IGNOU notes and you will get good results. You can also go through questions given in Baylis and Smith because sometimes they appear verbatim and quoting the exact same viewpoint can get you some extra points.
Paper 2 - Part B
Conduct internet research and make your own notes on the topics included in the syllabus. Then go through commentaries on IDSA /IPCS websites. This will give you a better understanding of and current status of relations.
Once you are done with all the study materials, focus on developing the vocabulary for PSIR. Make sure your answers are evenly distributed with theories, quotes, facts, years etc. Practice writing answers a lot.
What is the Cutoff for BA Political Science in Fergusson College Pune?
For BA, the cut-off is usually around 80-85% as of previous year’s records for the Maharashtra students. If you belong to other states, the cut-off will be around 90-95%. depends on how the rest of your peers have performed.
These cut-offs are as per the 1st merit list for Open category students. If you fail to secure a seat, then try during the 2nd and 3rd merit list.
If you are financially stable, then there is an option to get admission at the college after paying donation money.
What books should I opt for achieving a gold medal in BA 1st year political science in CSJM?
I have a friend who completed her BA in Political Science from CSJM. Here are some of the books she suggested.
- Laxmikant - Indian Polity or Gauba
- J.C Lahiri, B.L Fadia - Public Administration
- World Constitution - Vidya Bhushan
- Political Thought - Asraf Ali
- U.R Ghai - International Relations
These books are necessary for B.A Political Science.
Here are some other factors that can help you get a gold medal.
- Conceptual clarity.
- Real-world examples should be provided to back up your answer.
- Finish the whole syllabus.
- Read simple language books. Avoid using guides.
- Every day is a challenge.
Having good handwriting also helps.
SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWS LETTER
