Toppers' Talk | Mr. Saurabh Sharma | AIR 23, UPSC CSE 2023

Mr Saurabh Sharma achieved All India Rank 23 in the 2023 UPSC Civil Services examination.
He completed his bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering at IIT Delhi and subsequently worked
at the consultancy firm McKinsey. However, Mr. Saurabh resigned from his job to prepare
full-time for the Civil Services Exam (CSE), a decision that paid off as he cleared the exam on
his first attempt.
Mr. Saurabh's success demonstrates that first-time candidates can achieve top ranks in the civil
services. In this session, he will share his strategies, which may inspire current college students
aiming to secure top ranks in their initial attempts.
Time Stamp:
00:00 - Introduction
01:02 - Discussion started by Mr Saurabh
03:26 - Introduction by Mr. Saurabh
05:52 - Role of luck in CSE
08:15 - Preparation Timeline
14:05 - How to choose optional
16:58 - Importance of ‘Plan B’
29:26 - When to Start Preparation
39:55 - Prelims Strategy (GS)
1:04:21 - How to prepare Environment and S&T
1:06:35 - How to cover Miscellaneous topics
1:07:33 - How to attempt Prelims in rounds
1:16:40 - Should one prefer books or YouTube?
1:17:53 - Strategy for 2 months before Prelims
1:21:48 - How to approach Current Affairs
1:32:08 - Should one read the India Year Book?
1:35:22 - How to Revise and Recall
1:46:40 - Should one use social media during preparation?
1:52:00 - CSAT Strategy
2:03:09 - Mains Overall Strategy
2:06:04 - GS1 Strategy
2:08:52- How to prepare Art and Culture
2:15:16 - Importance of answer writing
2:16:05 - How to prepare History
2:24:17 - How to prepare Indian Society
2:35:15- How to prepare Geography
2:40:22- Importance of Abhyaas by VisionIAS
2:44:13 - Which Pen to use for answer writing?
2:47:21 - Using Diary to collect and organise content
2:58:22 - GS2 Strategy
3:10:18 - Important articles of the Constitution
3:17:07 - How to prepare Governance
3:18:37 - How to prepare Social Justice
3:20:57 - How to prepare IR
3:25:14 - GS3 Strategy
3:41:18 - Strategy for Disaster Management
3:51:50 - Strategy for Internal Security
3:45:40 - GS4 Strategy
4:00:20 - How to address questions on ethical dilemma
4:05:07 - Q & A
4:12:31 - Strategy for Essay
4:37:57 - Preparation Plan for one year and interaction with students
4:49:31 - Interview experience and Concluding Remarks by Mr. Saurabh

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