hi@Porus , just wanted to knw one thing, giving attempt in 2021, did mam course would cover, all the scholars n thinkers we need to quote in 2B , because i feel i m reading too much editorials and really dont knw what to quote
@Porus thank u so much. you had explained in great detail. atb for ur exam.
@Blueberry you got great marks, can you pls make us understand like..wht you did in paper 2b, like did u made ur own notes from editorials or relied only from ma'ams' crash course notes
@whatonly @AzadHindFauz and others , pls clear a few things for me. I am in deep dilemma right now , as the prelims is postponed , I was thinking of completing optional till july with like making complete notes and stuff and practicing pyq. Now Shubhra mam has come up with her test series and now I m thinking whther I should join her test series so that could give me directions , but I don't want myself overburdened with test series which in any way could hamper my prelims as well.
My simple question is specially to you@whatonly as you gave ur first attempt , what is more important a test series and practising more questions or doing syllabus completely and pyq at this moment.
P.S. keeping in mind the pathetic checking at SR. And should I go for previous test series available online..so that can attempt and check answers with answers available and after pre go for some test series.
P.S.S If someone can share or have some links of the previous year test series or this year test series do provide the link. I really see no point in wasting money for the pathetic checking of SR. I don't support this , but just to mention I am her tablet course student which she just rushed away in the end, had bad experience .
Please others do chip in .
@AzadHindFauz Thanks for the advice. Even I thought the same , got little deviated when talked to fellow aspirant who wanted to give more tests.
I really dont know if anyone would be willing to share her discussion vedios. It was an online batch we had no whatsoever contacts between us.
If you have some of ur answer copies and you think they are some of your good copies , can you share them. I will try to learn from them and ofc from the answer sheets of the previous year toppers from GS score.
@whatonly @AzadHindFauz and others , pls clear a few things for me. I am in deep dilemma right now , as the prelims is postponed , I was thinking of completing optional till july with like making complete notes and stuff and practicing pyq. Now Shubhra mam has come up with her test series and now I m thinking whther I should join her test series so that could give me directions , but I don't want myself overburdened with test series which in any way could hamper my prelims as well.
My simple question is specially to you@whatonly as you gave ur first attempt , what is more important a test series and practising more questions or doing syllabus completely and pyq at this moment.
P.S. keeping in mind the pathetic checking at SR. And should I go for previous test series available online..so that can attempt and check answers with answers available and after pre go for some test series.
P.S.S If someone can share or have some links of the previous year test series or this year test series do provide the link. I really see no point in wasting money for the pathetic checking of SR. I don't support this , but just to mention I am her tablet course student which she just rushed away in the end, had bad experience .
Please others do chip in .
She had a similar structure last year as well when the pre got postponed. IMO it’s good business. Personally, I don’t think you should spend time on the test series right now. Focus on conceptual clarity right now. Work on PYQs for answer writing. One thing that helped me (take what I say with a pinch of salt given that I didn’t clear) was working on the same questions trying to improve my answers incrementally. It helped to really condense the concepts in your mind. I was able to do this for paper 1 last year and not for paper 2 and it showed in the exam hall.
Even though SR has pathetic checking, there aren’t many others available that give you a decent quality test series. Their model answers are good though, if that helps 🤷🏻♀️
Thank you . The idea of brainstorming the questions always helps to tackle questions in the exam situation , my plan is also somewhat similar, completing notes and doing pyqs.
@sstarrr I'd say the same thing - understand the ideas inside out, make consolidated notes, and practice with PYQs before worrying about a test series.
Make sure that for every item of the syllabus, you have the material figured out, and unless you have everything concisely in one place available, I'd suggest that you make notes from all the sources for that topic in one place. I didn't do this part until after prelims even though I studied optional during the postponement, leading to a lot of panic and stress. After prelims you can make even shorter notes if you feel like it. The idea is to get it to a level where you're able to revise the whole syllabus at least 2-3 times in the 5 day gap between GS and optional papers during mains.
I agree with@DeekshitaP on doing the same PYQs multiple times thing. I only managed to do this for a few topics but it really helped for those (this too I did only after prelims but it would have helped to do it sooner). I think you can focus on PYQs right now as a way to make sure your concepts are clear and that you can express them coherently. I don't think you need to worry too much about getting these answers checked just yet. You'll notice the difference yourself between progressive answers you write.
I had joined the SR crash course after prelims. You're right about the paper checking. I could never make time to watch the videos or even read the model answers, so the only way it helped was that the questions were really good. Many came in the mains. Crash course notes are good too, if it doesn't become overkill. I was in a similar dilemma about test series, but ended up joining because of the lack of an alternative. So I don't have an answer to this question.
Last year some of us had made a telegram group to share answers among ourselves and review them. That's certainly better than SR checking. I think after you get the hang of answer writing, you won't even really need someone to review your answers. You'll be able to figure out a lot on reading them a couple of days after you write them. (However marks are not out yet, I still don't know if this style I figured out for myself worked well - so ek chutki namak.) Also, well selected toppers copies will help. I do think this can wait until after prelims though unless you really have time to spare.
Also if you haven't already and if you're able to make time I'd suggest make some notes for 2B now. You can always update after prelims. I again did this only after prelims and it was not fun.
All the best :D
Thanks a lot. I have started making notes of 2B. I do read articles during free time and make notes out of them. And thank you for that lukmaan telegram idea. They really put down some good articles which become helpful.
And I would see some topper copies to have somewhat clear understanding on to how to write an answer to develope the framework for even the PYQs.
I believe PYQs themselves work as a good test series , we get a lot of repeating questions on the similar lines in optional .
Thank you@whatonly @DeekshitaP @AzadHindFauz for all the inputs and these similar views suggest , I made a good plan, I just need to stick to it.
Topic-wise PYQs (until 2019):
Topic-wise PSIR PYQs.pdf
Oh. Thank you for this. :)
@sstarrr I'd say the same thing - understand the ideas inside out, make consolidated notes, and practice with PYQs before worrying about a test series.
Make sure that for every item of the syllabus, you have the material figured out, and unless you have everything concisely in one place available, I'd suggest that you make notes from all the sources for that topic in one place. I didn't do this part until after prelims even though I studied optional during the postponement, leading to a lot of panic and stress. After prelims you can make even shorter notes if you feel like it. The idea is to get it to a level where you're able to revise the whole syllabus at least 2-3 times in the 5 day gap between GS and optional papers during mains.
I agree with@DeekshitaP on doing the same PYQs multiple times thing. I only managed to do this for a few topics but it really helped for those (this too I did only after prelims but it would have helped to do it sooner). I think you can focus on PYQs right now as a way to make sure your concepts are clear and that you can express them coherently. I don't think you need to worry too much about getting these answers checked just yet. You'll notice the difference yourself between progressive answers you write.
I had joined the SR crash course after prelims. You're right about the paper checking. I could never make time to watch the videos or even read the model answers, so the only way it helped was that the questions were really good. Many came in the mains. Crash course notes are good too, if it doesn't become overkill. I was in a similar dilemma about test series, but ended up joining because of the lack of an alternative. So I don't have an answer to this question.
Last year some of us had made a telegram group to share answers among ourselves and review them. That's certainly better than SR checking. I think after you get the hang of answer writing, you won't even really need someone to review your answers. You'll be able to figure out a lot on reading them a couple of days after you write them. (However marks are not out yet, I still don't know if this style I figured out for myself worked well - so ek chutki namak.) Also, well selected toppers copies will help. I do think this can wait until after prelims though unless you really have time to spare.
Also if you haven't already and if you're able to make time I'd suggest make some notes for 2B now. You can always update after prelims. I again did this only after prelims and it was not fun.
All the best :D
Yes to making notes for 1B and 2B beforehand, because it becomes far too much in that gap between pre and mains
For 1B , I would depend on the class notes , mam has mentioned some thinkers , which I feel are good to go in most of cases , along with polity mains365 is what I plan for.
For 2B surely would be reading artciles and making notes on some of the pressing issues.
For 2B, I personally also used Dhananjay Singh Yadav's notes. He has a lot of quotes for each of the basic topics. I think they would be helpful in an introduction or conclusion. His notes can be found here: Optional | English, Agastya (home.blog). Also for Paper 2 in general, I would highly recommend the MEA website. Especially the speeches section and Distinguished Lectures.
Thank you. He does have some good quotes.
But in MEA section, the lectures and speeches are from 2019 , are you referring to those?
Anyone joining SR CC for 2021 ?
Thanks
Pre ke bad will most probably join
This time, Maam is covering half of the cash course before pre itself.
Half? I think 6 lectures only. Have not joined her previous crash course, I think is 1 lecture is of 3 hrs then 6 lectures are manageable after prelims.
Yes that is what half means and also test discussion separately.
Oh. I haven't join her crash course before , so no idea. I still think its manageable after prelims.
Anyone joining SR CC for 2021 ?
Thanks
@babu_bisleri Planning to. Giving June and July to psir, thought it would be good if answer writing can be included as well. Wbu?
Same plan but i am apprehensive about Online test as I am not sincere so giving test for 3hr at home is achilles heel.
PS : Anyone who faced similar problem and now able to complete 3 hr tests can tell me how to do it !
@babu_bisleri I write sectional test (1.5 hours) every morning. I know this is overkill but it became a necessity for me as I was taking 4-5 hours to complete a 3 hr test at home when I gave it casually ( It was so casual that I even used to have tea breaks between the test). So I decided to time the test and submit the paper as soon as the time's up even if the answer sheet is blank. Believe me, all the sincerity will come when you score a 20-30 out of 120. I did it for 2 weeks, now I complete the paper (full test- which I give every saturday) with 5 minutes to spare .
@whatonly you overcame this thing after pre ? Must have took some revision ! I feel confident wrt concepts in most of the psir topics but cant recall keyword and scholars of even Part a of Paper1 sometimes. As you suggested will try revising and write the paper. Thanks a ton !!
@Aquaman I can relate to the break b/w writing test thing, it is just me. Can I DM you ? like how you do it and all ?
Haan after prelims only. I didn't even do answer writing before prelims. That was not smart and could have backfired in my face, but I do think doing full length tests can wait until after prelims. Revision is far more important now.
Reason why I was not going for crash course. I feel ache se revision hona chayeih. My plan is topic + PYQ. lets see how it goes.
Hello junta, is your thread too crowded? Is your optional getting too "Political"?
WORRY NOT!!!!!!!!!!!!
Come join us at History Optional thread and begin your fun life!
There you will have ample space( no crowding)
Personal attention to each comment will be provided.
We value each member as a family.
Come, join the true camaraderie and feel the bliss.
Come, join History. :)
Aagye..I told you competition hi nhin hai! Aapke 4 khiladi yahan puri kaurvon ki sena hai !
At this point, it’s like sabka default optional PSIR hi hota hai, until they go out of the way to change it to something else 😂
I feel this is much to do with Lakshmikant. Sabse phele people pick lakshmikant, they get to know such such things and politically interested to hote hi hai- so choice hoti PSIR. Baad mei pata chalta , PSIR kya khel hai.
Ek bar padha tha. Uske bad se notes bnake thikaane laga diya hai inn notes ko. :P Hope to never see them again.
Hey@Villanelle , can you share how you've made your notes? Like, you can share one topic ke notes. I am just trying to see how can deal with the mess that I've made with multiple sources.
Apko kya jarurat hai notes ki? puri khitab padh li plato ki ab puchne do UPSC ko kahin se bhi.
Ek bar padha tha. Uske bad se notes bnake thikaane laga diya hai inn notes ko. :P Hope to never see them again.
Hey@Villanelle , can you share how you've made your notes? Like, you can share one topic ke notes. I am just trying to see how can deal with the mess that I've made with multiple sources.
Apko kya jarurat hai notes ki? puri khitab padh li plato ki ab puchne do UPSC ko kahin se bhi.
That was for leisure. And a long time back. It is a beautiful book. UPSC is a different game altogether.
Leisure. Hey maa mataji.
Okay :(
That was for leisure. And a long time back. It is a beautiful book. UPSC is a different game altogether.
Meme game topnotch! Proud of you. You took my comment too seriously and now coming with original material.
Mera vote aapko.
That was for leisure. And a long time back. It is a beautiful book. UPSC is a different game altogether.
Republic is actually a very simple read. It doesn't feel like it was written so many years ago. And it is captivating. Aristotle's politics is something I just own but I haven't read. It is not for consumption, I guess. All this was a long time back, in 2016-17 vagere. Now, I just read Shubhra Ma'am Notes & pray to her portrait I have in my room.
You have her portrait? Seriously. Share!
Or am I too dumb to understand it was just for fun ??
That was for leisure. And a long time back. It is a beautiful book. UPSC is a different game altogether.
Republic is actually a very simple read. It doesn't feel like it was written so many years ago. And it is captivating. Aristotle's politics is something I just own but I haven't read. It is not for consumption, I guess. All this was a long time back, in 2016-17 vagere. Now, I just read Shubhra Ma'am Notes & pray to her portrait I have in my room.
You have her portrait? Seriously. Share!
Or am I too dumb to understand it was just for fun ??
Mazak tha bhai xD
Oh. Ese mazak nhin krte.
PS. Guys I am also not that dumb meine bhi mazak kiya tha. :P (shyad nahin bhi)
I thought you were PSIR only.
Hijacking your own thread? Aap toh Belarus se bhi hoshiyaar nikale :D
I am from PSIR :D (and hijacking my own thread- hoshiyari intensified!)
could anybody please tell me what are the contents of the crash course of SR , does she provide some current affairs material as well for IR part , is the content different than the monthly magazines of Vision ??The crash course contains:
1. Test series (model answers are uploaded too)
2. Discussion videos on the test questions
3. Lecture videos on different topics (not sure how they are chosen)
4. Material on different topics, usually corresponding to the videos but some extras too
I joined the 2020 one. I couldn't find time to watch any of the videos so can't comment on that. The material is usually a collection of facts and scholar quotes. Some IR topics were covered, some weren't. Since it's IR it contained current events too under these topics, but I don't recall any separate current affairs (others please correct if I'm wrong).
You will still need the Vision magazines (or any CA source). Even for IR, you can't rely entirely on the crash course material, because a) it doesn't cover every topic, and b) the schedule is unpredictable. I think the way to use it is to make your notes on your own, and add points that you find useful from the crash course material.
Then why is there so hype about her test series? checking is pathetic and so is her crashcourse. Whats good then?
Hello, what all value addition sources are you guys using for paper 2 section B, to cover it up comprehensively?Value addition? what is your basic source because I don't find ma'ams notes good for 2-B anyone?
@whatonly what basic source did you use for covering 2-B ?
Do what She told in her earlier post. Replace heywood with 2-B , you will get all previous results-Gem of discussions.
could anybody please tell me what are the contents of the crash course of SR , does she provide some current affairs material as well for IR part , is the content different than the monthly magazines of Vision ??The crash course contains:
1. Test series (model answers are uploaded too)
2. Discussion videos on the test questions
3. Lecture videos on different topics (not sure how they are chosen)
4. Material on different topics, usually corresponding to the videos but some extras too
I joined the 2020 one. I couldn't find time to watch any of the videos so can't comment on that. The material is usually a collection of facts and scholar quotes. Some IR topics were covered, some weren't. Since it's IR it contained current events too under these topics, but I don't recall any separate current affairs (others please correct if I'm wrong).
You will still need the Vision magazines (or any CA source). Even for IR, you can't rely entirely on the crash course material, because a) it doesn't cover every topic, and b) the schedule is unpredictable. I think the way to use it is to make your notes on your own, and add points that you find useful from the crash course material.
Then why is there so hype about her test series? checking is pathetic and so is her crashcourse. Whats good then?
Hi dost, @whatonly has very well explained what crash course is all about.
Since she has not watched videos, let me deliberate on this issue. I have watched her every video, right from before Prelims was conducted to a night before PSIR actual exam.
- In case you have any inconvenience in writing answers or making structure of answer, she, in her initial videos would very well illustrate on it. These are like workshop videos, where she would make you write first, and then after 10 min she will tell minute changes in how to write intro and conclusion for different topics. No personal attention though. Like Ideologies, quotation based thinkers, IR questions all have different way of writing, so she focuses very much on what is demand of question and how to write. She will give insights as to what a Political Science Professor, who would be checking your answer, would be looking for there. So first model answer will be discussed in 6-8 hours. Subsequent model answers would take 60 minutes only and handout of model answers would be given.
- There is no fixed pattern, as to when videos would be uploaded. Test 2 video might upload after test 5 is conducted
- Towards the mains exam, her frequency of video upload would triple. Task would be to end everything before time.
- Then there are zoom calls where you can ask doubts. In case your doubt is genuine and speaks of your chances of clearing Mains, she will definitely explain. Otherwise, she might say something that will make you feel embarassed that why did you even ask for it. If same doubt is repeated, it will annoy her.
- Videos are even uploaded after GS subjects are over, in fact a night before PSIR actual exam. These videos would enhance your ‘feel good factor’ and bring you with hope.
However, in case you are atma nirbhar and have faith that you can manage well, these videos would be of no use at such a crucial time. Like all these videos are 40 days X 2 hours approximately
Her content in Model Answer is superb. It will make good value addition in your already prepared notes. She would give excellent intro and conclusion for most probable questions. Also, IR is very well covered. But itna zyada ho jayega ki retain bhi nahi kar paoge.
In case you need her 4 years Model Answers or other value additions, I can help you with that : )
What was this? Kya balance of tareef and bezaati. Got it , SR is good for model answers , her answer writing ka tarika and agar time se upload hojaye toh her discussions as well :).
Yeah pls share her model answers and value additions. Not of 4 years, just previous 2 years . Just to see and take decision.
@nerdfighter @CaptainPeralta We happen to be batchmates! That time of legal notice was funny :)
Funniest were the reaction of people where the same people who were criticising her started saying sorry. And the trick she used to muzzle free speech :D
@sstarrr bhai atleast elaborate the event and tactics she followed
Dhamki (what you will do , do , I will also see) + Emotional. But after that , no whatsoever questions ever on course completion. :(
@nerdfighter @CaptainPeralta We happen to be batchmates! That time of legal notice was funny :)
Funniest were the reaction of people where the same people who were criticising her started saying sorry. And the trick she used to muzzle free speech :D
That telegram group went in a whole other direction. More often than not people were just fighting with each other or defending the institute and apologising for "offending" Ma'am by asking questions. 😅
Yeah. Perfect example of prince of machiavelli. Muzzeling freedom of speech and expression , without our notice. No doubt machiavelli is her favt.
Oh yes! I remember now. These should be more than enough! I wonder if some examples we saw of COVID mishandling will also one day be characterised as detracting from state legitimacy.
I'm not sure. Even if the state does a terrible job in dealing with COVID, it is the legitimacy of the government that will be affected not that of the state. This might lead to a dramatic increase in voter turnout, to throw out the current govt and institute a new one.
At the same time, there's also the"rally around the flag" effectwhere, in times of crisis, support for the state and its existing leaders increases in the short-term. This may happen because the Head of Govt is seen an an embodiment of national unity- which itself is necessary to overcome crises.
To substantiate your point , we have US elections , where it was a record turnout and overthrow of present govt.
And for the second point, Maybe we can have bengal elections, I don't think Covid-19 mishandling had any impact or maybe it had but it had been covered with other issues - of regionalism , religion and culture.
The standard example of the second one is the dramatic rise in Bush's approval ratings, right after 9/11. Also, rallying effect of Balakot strike was discussed at the time (a popular cynical view was that Modi did it only because of the upcoming elections).
Balakot, yes!
And sorry I didn't read your second point properly.
Bengal elections which recently happened , tell me that either Covid still has not been an issue in india , maybe after 2nd wave it would be , or maybe it was an issue for some people as mishandling of pandemic was seen everywhere but it was taken over by the issues of regionalism, bengali culture , son/daughter of soil- even in Tamil nadu, Assam , COVID was not an issue but certainly 2nd wave would turn the tables.
I hope Covid become as issue- which I guess would become soon in the upcoming elections of UP. Thats why the BJP has come into a damage control mood.
The standard example of the second one is the dramatic rise in Bush's approval ratings, right after 9/11. Also, rallying effect of Balakot strike was discussed at the time (a popular cynical view was that Modi did it only because of the upcoming elections).
Balakot, yes!
And sorry I didn't read your second point properly.
Bengal elections which recently happened , tell me that either Covid still has not been an issue in india , maybe after 2nd wave it would be , or maybe it was an issue for some people as mishandling of pandemic was seen everywhere but it was taken over by the issues of regionalism, bengali culture , son/daughter of soil- even in Tamil nadu, Assam , COVID was not an issue but certainly 2nd wave would turn the tables.
I hope Covid become as issue- which I guess would become soon in the upcoming elections of UP. Thats why the BJP has come into a damage control mood.
And they have done pretty well in UP. Reaching peak at 38K which is phenomenal seeing the infra of UP. And moreover it was a proper peak when you compare with maharashtra which had plateauish kind of peak. UP is going to be a great case study unlike the Maharashtra failure which for the whole year cant control. Today Print founder shared an article on case study of Lucknow or I read on Better India. Rajasthan too did great.
PS : Great means what the "intellectual breed" expected it to be based on infra and other factors. :P
Or may be not! I am based in UP, my paternal and maternal family got infected from Covid-19. They didn't go to hospital and my paternal grandparents are based in village and they can tell that many people are effected and most of them did not go hospital and some of them died too!
You can never be sure of the data provided by govt. Lucknow is a big city, talk about villages. Not even one centre of vaccine in my village. This is GROSS MISHANDLING of covid. GROSS.
My grandparents want to get vaccinated but for that they have to go to a town. Sad reality , none of it is exaggeration.
The standard example of the second one is the dramatic rise in Bush's approval ratings, right after 9/11. Also, rallying effect of Balakot strike was discussed at the time (a popular cynical view was that Modi did it only because of the upcoming elections).
Balakot, yes!
And sorry I didn't read your second point properly.
Bengal elections which recently happened , tell me that either Covid still has not been an issue in india , maybe after 2nd wave it would be , or maybe it was an issue for some people as mishandling of pandemic was seen everywhere but it was taken over by the issues of regionalism, bengali culture , son/daughter of soil- even in Tamil nadu, Assam , COVID was not an issue but certainly 2nd wave would turn the tables.
I hope Covid become as issue- which I guess would become soon in the upcoming elections of UP. Thats why the BJP has come into a damage control mood.
And they have done pretty well in UP. Reaching peak at 38K which is phenomenal seeing the infra of UP. And moreover it was a proper peak when you compare with maharashtra which had plateauish kind of peak. UP is going to be a great case study unlike the Maharashtra failure which for the whole year cant control. Today Print founder shared an article on case study of Lucknow or I read on Better India. Rajasthan too did great.
PS : Great means what the "intellectual breed" expected it to be based on infra and other factors. :P
Or may be not! I am based in UP, my paternal and maternal family got infected from Covid-19. They didn't go to hospital and my paternal grandparents are based in village and they can tell that many people are effected and most of them did not go hospital and some of them died too!
You can never be sure of the data provided by govt. Lucknow is a big city, talk about villages. Not even one centre of vaccine in my village. This is GROSS MISHANDLING of covid. GROSS.
My grandparents want to get vaccinated but for that they have to go to a town. Sad reality , none of it is exaggeration.
If we talk about the data thing, then apply it to all the states, fairly !! So some 5-7% error is there then apply adequately to other states. Even MH has huge rural population. Jharkhand Chhatisgarh and even Rajasthan.
That what is actually my point! None did good , NONE. and so it must be an issue, either in UP or in any other state.
@AzadHindFauz @whatonly Any recommendations for indian political thought? except VR mehta.
@AzadHindFauz @whatonly Any recommendations for indian political thought? except VR mehta.
Check out IGNOU MA notes. Some thinkers are available.
https://www.mediafire.com/folder/ijt0p6b00azcg/Indian_Political_Thought_-_IGNOU_notes
Thank you so much! :)
" ..due to the inability of govt. to fulfill its basic responsibilities which leads to voters choosing strongmen or criminals.." Could you elaborate a bit? Are criminals/strongmen better at delivering basic services?
They are not better, but due to lack of options, and seeing failure of other candidates in not delivering there results, voters usually start choosing some strongmen - because they believe by hook or crook they might get things done. There is a whole image building exercise goes during rallies- that's why we see in bengal elections , mithun da calls himself cobra and all- representing themselves a strongman.
They are no better, but worse, but its people's perception. Thats what my reading has been.
I would start by saying how the study of electoral behavior is a result of the growth of the behavioral and post-behavioral approaches in political science and how it's important to understand the political atmosphere of a country.
Then I would mention Milan Vaishnav who pointed out the difficulty of studying EB in India due its size and diversity. Substantiate it with Kenneth Arrow's 'impossibility theorem.'
Then I would mention the trend in EB like how individuals vote more based on the party or the PM or CM candidate as in a presidential system than on the MP and MLA candidate. I would point out how people vote differently at national and state level and how the public differentiates between national issues and local issues (supported by the post-poll survey conducted by Lokniti). Also could mention 'federalization' of electoral politics where national elections are also heavily shaped by state-level factors.
I would also point out how people seem to be voting for criminals or those with criminal cases pending against them leading to criminalization of politics (maybe quote Milan Vaishnav again since it's a 30 mark question).
You could also add that voter turnout seems to be increasing as seen in the 2019 LS elections.
This is all I have in my notes, but we should definitely add the role of caste and religion in voting behavior and how it's changed, if it has changed. If anyone has these points, please post it here.
With respect to "federalisation of electoral politics" - in context of India, I don't think this is true. If that must be the case, BJP must have suffered some setback in the hindi hinterland in 2019 elections which it clearly didn't. In today's time I don't think national elections are impacted by state level factors. Not sure just my opinion.
@dragon_rider @sstarrr I did a bit of reading up on it. Vaishnav does claim that there is a voter preference for criminals who can "get things done" in the context of weakening rule of law. However, there is also a counter-view by Abhijit Banerjee et al (2014)-
"Contrary to the voter preference hypothesis, voters presented with vignettes that randomly vary the attributes of competing legislative candidates for local, state, and national office become much less likely to express a preference for candidates who are alleged to be criminal or corrupt. Moreover, voters’ education status, ethnicity, and political knowledge are unrelated to their distaste for criminal and venal candidates. The results imply that the electoral performance of candidates who face serious allegations likely reflects factors other than voters’ preferences for patronage, such as limited information about candidate characteristics or the absence of credible alternative candidates with clean records."
I don't agree with what Milan Vaishnav says, Voters do not vote that way. But for writing answer I think we can write both - view as well as counter view.
@sstarrr I found this the GSScore answers that may change your mind. They messed up in writing the name of the survey (may be Lokniti), but I don't think it's made up
"The recentLok pre-election survey provides an opportunity to adjudicate between these two competing explanations. The survey asked respondents a simple, direct question: “Would you vote for a candidate who delivers benefits to you even if s/he faces serious criminal cases?” In response, 26 percent said that they would vote for a candidate who gets things done but also faces serious pending criminal cases. In other words, one out of four Indians surveyed was willing to openly admit that he/she would vote for a candidate who is involved in a criminal case but is perceived to be an effective representative for the constituency. This seems to support the credibility hypothesis; voters can be well informed and support candidates with criminal reputations."
(edit: image replaced by text)
Oh! Impressive. Well I should have trusted MV than my own brain. Next time I am never gonna question these scholars.
Federalisation of electoral politics was a feature of 1990's (at least Yogendra Yadav thinks so). Now there is separation in voting patterns in state and general elections eg. even in states where BJP was "punished" and pushed out of power in state elections, voter came back to support it in general elections.
Yeah. That's what I meant, Now people don't do it and question asked about the changing nature, we should write these points with proper timelines- else the examiner might not get it right and then we will get "punished".
Should you use terms like Judicial Barbarism , ineffectual angel, Weimaranian Judiciary etc in your answers.
Also about that book, it's not worth the buying imo. Except for chapters by MP Singh , others are pretty static and lacking depth. Important ones can be read from pdf in a matter of a week or even less
If you have some subtle alternatives, you can use them too - if they convey the same msg.
And if you wish to use the term like judicial barbarism , pls use only if you know scholars , never use them without mentioning scholars directly in your answer. The examiner might think it as your view and it won't really be nice.
Also, this one "Federal units are critical in the making of India's foreign policy. Examine wrt the role of West Bengal vis-a-vis Bangladesh" This was asked for 15 marks in 2014. I know some points- in contemporary context- Teesta Agreement under UPA regime was stalled by coalition partners from Bengal; in historical context- India's intervention in the 1971 war was also influenced by Pan-Bengali feelings.What other points can you think of?
1. Sub continent countries – historical
and cultural relations, deep cultural linkages, ties felt across border – states
play role as any action against those communities influence people in home
country : Sri lanka due to TN – voting against sri lanks in matters concerning
human rights.
- Recent Myanmar issue – center kept
coming with notice to not allow people who were on run from Myanmar , stll the cultural
and brotherly ties of Mizoram and Manipur – people across borders were
accomdated – due to popular support – impacts reln with junta govt in Myanmar.
2. Boundary linkages : Teesta water –
state with popular support influence decision making as any change in the boundary
have impacts – security, cultural (influx of citizens), resources etc
3. Our relns with middle eastern countries
– large amounts of Indians from southern states, any policy deciison that might
have impact over the people out there won’t be preferred by people of kerala
and other states- states have an impact.
4. The recent khatarpur corridor – Punjab
had played impt role, even its ministers were sent for inauguration- there were
news report that opp asking Punjab govt to put pressure on central govt to
again open khatarpur corridor – the decision perse to have the corridor even
when reln was not good was somehow influenced by Punjab.
I can think only of these.
Good points. I meant to ask about the "West Bengal vis-a-vis Bangladesh" part though..
Oh. Well West Bengal and Bangladesh even I am aware of only those two points. Maybe others will have something to add on these.
Edit : If I would have to answer these questions I would have focused more on the first part and as the question asked about explaining wrt to west bengal and bangladesh I would have mentioned these two points more specifically .
