Thursday, November 27, 2014

Submit your Grievances and file RTI online


http://pgportal.gov.in/Default.aspx   :   This is a Government of India Portal aimed at providing the citizens with a platform for redress of their grievances. If you have any grievance against any Government organization in the country, you may lodge your grievance here which will go to the Ministry/Department/State Government concerned for immediate redress.

Public Grievances pertaining to identified issues in respect of 20 Central Government Organisations are being handled by Directorate of Public Grievances (DPG), Cabinet Secretariat. If your Grievance falls under the purview of Directorate of Public Grievances, Cabinet Secretariat, please visit http://pgportal.gov.in/cpgcitizen/   to lodge your Grievance.

List of Nodal Public Grievance Officers can also be obtained from  http://grievance.nic.in/cpgrams/pgo.asp


http://www.rtionline.gov.in/  is a portal to file RTI applications/first appeals online along with payment gateway. Payment can be made through internet banking of SBI & its associate banks and debit/credit cards of Master/Visa. Through this portal, RTI applications/first appeals can be filed by Indian Citizens only for the main 27 ministries/departments of Central Govt., located at New Delhi. RTI applications/first appeals should not be filed for other Public authorities under Central/State Govt. through this portal

so now on-wards if you have passport/railway/tourism/CGHS/EPFO etc. issues to be resolved please try these links


Wednesday, November 19, 2014

UPSC age limit not to be lowered, govt drops UPA move

The Narendra Modi government declared on Tuesday it was not considering any proposal to reduce the age limit of civil service aspirants in an announcement that effectively buried the UPA's last-minute decision to bring down the upper age limit by four years.

The announcement came against the backdrop of newsreports that suggested the Modi government would implement the decision finalised by the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) earlier this year.

"There is no proposal before the government to reduce the age limit for civil services," a government spokesperson said.

Instead of reducing the age limit, the government has already announced that civil service aspirants -- who may have lost out due to changes in the exam pattern -- would get two additional attempts and consequential age relaxation.

Government sources told HT there had been several attempts in the past to explore the possibility of reducing the upper age for the civil services examination, right from the Atal Bihari Vajpayee-led NDA government's tenure.

"But they were all nipped in the bud due to opposition from the political class that feels it would put rural candidates at a disadvantage," a senior official said, conceding that the politicians "did have a point".

The official said the Manmohan Singh-led Prime Minister's Office (PMO) too had been keen on reducing the age profile of civil service candidates but was not able to have its way.

The empowered group of ministers of the UPA asked to study recommendations of the Administrative Reforms Commission, however, had approved the decision to fix 26 as the upper age limit for unreserved candidates, 28 for OBC, 29 for SC/ST candidates with an additional 2 years for physically challenged aspirants.

"But this decision does not mean anything since all decisions of the previous government would be reviewed, and processed afresh," an official said

Source : Hindustantimes - Wed,19 Nov 2014

Tuesday, November 18, 2014

Centre to lower age limit for civil service aspirants ???

The Hindu newspaper today reported that central govt. is planning to lower age limit for civil service aspirants as recommended by 2nd ARC.In fact, It's the old pdf that came out in the last few days of UPA. Protests have also happened on this issue. The news is as below..

Limit will be 29 for SC/ST, 28 for OBC, 26 for open candidates

In a move that could affect thousands of civil service aspirants across the country, the Centre intends to reduce the upper age limit and number of attempts of applicants with effect from 2015. Going by the new norm, the upper age limit will be 29 years for SC/ST candidates, 28 years for OBC and 26 for the unreserved category. There will be an additional two years for physically challenged candidates in each category.

At present, the upper age limit for SC/ST, OBC and unreserved candidates is 35, 33 and 30 years respectively.

According to information published on the website of the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances, the number of attempts allowed for candidates appearing for the Civil Services Examination would also be reduced to six for SC/ST candidates, five for OBC and three for unreserved candidates.

The measures, recommended by the Second Administrative Reforms Commission (ARC) and almost entirely accepted by the government, were put up on the website a few months ago. The Centre has decided to retain August 1 in the examination year as the cut-off date for eligibility and not to review the structure of the examination (both preliminary and main) since this was only recently changed.

MDMK leader Vaiko urged the Centre to withdraw its plan to bring down the upper age limit.

source : http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/centre-to-lower-age-limit-for-civil-service-aspirants/article6609797.ece

DoPT yet to notify change

Govt favoured reduction of upper age limit from 2015.

Even as the Second Administrative Reforms Commission report, recommending reduction in the permissible age for appearing in the Civil Services Examination and the government's stand on the issue has been in the public domain for the past few months, the Department of Personnel and Training is yet to issue any notification implementing it. But a senior government official said: “The very fact that the government's decision has been mentioned in the report does not at all mean that it has been implemented. This can only be construed as indication of the government's intention. It can be implemented only by fulfilling mandatory administrative requirements.”

source : http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/dopt-yet-to-notify-change/article6608982.ece

Analysis :  Lowering of maximum age of entry into the civil services has been a subject of intense deliberations in the country. The opponents of this idea argue that a higher age limit enables the candidates hailing from rural background to gradually reach a level-playing field with the urban youth. Also, rural candidates often complete their graduation later than their urban Counterparts. However, those in favor of the idea say that reducing the age limit will help in induction and grooming of young talent, ensure availability of civil servants for a longer span and also help ensure that only the genuinely bright candidates enter the services and not those who have, through repeated attempts over the years, ‘mastered’ the art of passing the examination. The Second Administrative Reforms Commission (ARC) has recommended lowering of age limit along with the reduced number of attempts.

Committee

RECOMMENDED MAX.AGE/ NO. OF ATTEMPTS

GENERAL

OBC

SC

ST

2004- Hota Committee-

21-24

27

29

29 YEARS

2nd ARC

21-25/3

28/5

29/6

29/6 ATTEMPTS


Civil services survey 2010 on Recruitment and Placement

On par with Economic reforms,the Government have initiated several reforms in civil services in the country. A new Performance  Appraisal System has been introduced for All India Services and Central Civil Services. A new system for assessing the performance of government departments has also been initiated. A legislation to improve the management of civil services and to define fundamental values of civil services is under active consideration. The Government is also planning to bring changes in recruitment conditions/process of civil services. Considering the ongoing reforms, a survey of civil servants was conducted and the same is available at  http://darpg.gov.in/darpgwebsite_cms/document/file/civil_services_survey_2010.pdf . About 25% of the civil servants have participated in this survey and Some of the findings of the survey are also in line with the civil services reform measures recommended by different committees on Civil Services Reforms and the Second Administrative Reforms Commission.

The survey sought the opinion of the civil servants about a number of issues relating to entry into civil services such as maximum age of entry, post selection counseling, lateral entry at higher positions and selection for senior positions (JS and above) in Central Secretariat. 

Age of entry : Overall 67% of the respondents agreed that the maximum age of entry to the Civil Services should be lowered from the present level as younger recruits can be more easily groomed. Disagreement with the idea of lowering of maximum age of entry is stronger among the SC (31%), ST (32%) and OBC (37%) than in the General category (21%). Secondary data indicates that the average age of joining the civil services is higher amongst the officers of SC, ST and OBC.

Post-selection counseling for successful candidates :  Hota Committee on Civil Services Reforms had recommended that ‘probationers may be allowed one month’s time after commencement of training to exercise their option for Services.’ .  Eighty two percent (82%) of the officers agree that after selection in civil services, there should be further counselling enabling the candidates to make proper choice of services. 

From the above committee reports and Civil service survey, it appears that government is willing to introduce some changes in the examination, however nothing is finalized/notified till date.


 


Monday, November 17, 2014

Rigorous studies and being patient is key to success- Rituraj Raghuvanshi IAS (AIR 67, CSE-2013)

While we all make our own decisions and choose our motivations for a job, when it comes to upsc and civil services as a career choice, i believe the motivations all fall within a similar bracket. We all might come from very different backgrounds but civil services as a magnet attracts us for more or less similar reasons. It can be job satisfaction, or as in my case, the attraction of service as a motive rather than profit. 

I have secured rank 67 in CSE 2013. CSE 2012 saw me attain rank 556 and get into IRTS(Indian Railway Traffic Service). But the elusive IAS kept me in the fray and today, here i am. To start with, was it difficult? Yes. Was it overwhelming at times? Yes. But, did i ever lose my motivation? No. Infact, my failures became a reason of sort to push me harder and further. I could not clear my prelims in the first attempt and mains in the second. I was at risk of being lost, but then, that is when you test yourself, right? 

To begin with, my first piece of advice to one and all is to never forget why you chose to give this exam in the first place. That reason is going to be your lifeline and will keep you in the game.
          
Secondly, always remember that this is a process that involves a huge number of aspirants and vested interests. Therefore everything that you hear might not be true. Also, every individual is different and has a peculiar style of studying and preparing. Therefore please do not blindly follow advices or trust those who promise a short cut. There is no short cut to cracking this exam and you would be advised to prepare yourself to take the long and sometimes hard road. In this blog it will be our endeavor to involve as many successful candidates as possible so that everyone who looks, might find a style which suits them. 

Thirdly, the optional. Since the new pattern optional has become even more important as GS marks for everyone are on an average scale. I therefore suggest that you stay away from the so called 'popular/non-popular' optional debate. The only optional that will work work for you is the one that you either specialize in or are interested in. I, for one, opted for law as an optional as that was my specialization. Also, this has a bearing on the interviews as you get an area of questioning that you are very comfortable in. You could also say that the boards generally stress on your graduation field rather than your chosen optional. 

 Fourth, the coaching. Yes, they do play a part. I personally did get help for gs as well as law. Gs because a lot of subjects are new, eg economy. And also because coaching help in narrowing down the area that you have to cover and work in. But, please do remember that at their best, coaching can only help you in preparing a base. They can never be the end all and be all of any preparation. Also, in case you cannot avail coaching, please don't lose hope. The class notes of some of the leading coaching institutes are as good as their classes. So you can have recourse to them. 

 Fifth, the study material. Now, because cse is attempted by a variety of people hence the material available also differs in quality according to the genre that it caters to. My advice is to please stick to a certain minimum quality of books and materials. Don't be shy of reading a new book simply because it looks intimidating. I believe after a certain time one would be able to sift through the plethora of books available to choose the ones that are really good. I am not saying that coaching materials are not good. They most certainly are and must be used. But after you have prepared your basics the aim should be to improve the overall quality of your knowledge and that is where good material comes into play. Try oxford or black swan. 

Sixth, time management. Lets start by stating a fact: there is no substitute to either hard work or self study. Always keep this in mind. It wont help if you have attended all the coaching if you haven't backed them up by self study. Whatever you have studied in a coaching would be meaningless if you haven't  acquired the capability to form original thoughts and thought processes, and that you acquire by self study. Manage your time so that majority is left with you for your studies. Coaching should be allotted as less as possible.  Also, i personally never studied for 15-16 hours. On most days i used to clock 5-6 hours of studies touching a max of 10 hrs near the exam. So, there is no rule in this regard.Keep your  style in mind and plan accordingly. 

Seventh, the book list. We already have a book list by Ibu on this blog. It is pretty comprehensive for prelims. In due course we shall publish a book list for mains. We will also try to cover as many optionals as possible and get the required lists here. 

Lastly, I would like to say that this job is worth the effort. Please always have faith in yourself. If in doubt, stay strong and endure. I hope this blog is of use to as many as possible. All the very best :) 

-Rituraj Raghuvanshi IAS (AIR 67 CSE 2013)

CSE

RANK

SERVICE

MARKS/TOTAL

%

2012

555

IRTS

944/2300

41.04

2013

67

IAS

849/2025

41.93

Saturday, November 15, 2014

ITCSA in 'Swachh Bharat Mission' @ Hyderabad

 Participation of ITCSA in 'Swachh Bharat Mission' (Clean India Campaign) @ Hyderabad


Inspired by the Hon'ble Prime ministers call for 'Swachh Bharat' as mass movement to realize Gandhiji's dream of clean India by the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi in 2019 and with a motto to promote cleanliness as a mantra in daily life, ITCSA officers working various parts of the country have initiated a programme to create awareness on cleanliness at public places. About 30 Civil Servants from various Central/state services and their family members/friends including Sadhu Narasimha Reddy IRS(Goa), Dasari Balaiah IRS, K.Rajeshrama Rao IRS(Pune), Shanti sudha IRS (Pune),Ramana Reddy IRPS,Ravi Kumar DEO,Rajagopal DTO, Naga Munaiah SO etc. have become part of this initiative on 08-11-2014 and took up the challenge of cleaning the famous but much neglected NTR stadium at Domalguda, Hyderabad. The programme was started at 6.30 am by giving Rose flowers to the morning walkers and sports persons at the stadium to sensitize them and to invite them to participate in the cleaning of the stadium. Assisted by about 20 morning walkers and sports persons at the stadium, the civil servants group has successfully cleaned about 5 acres of the open stadium in 2 hours time. The volunteers ranged from 5yrs old to 75 yrs old freedom fighter and software engineers to civil service aspirants.This programme has received much appreciation from the local community and media.


Tuesday, November 11, 2014

ITCSA interactive session for civil service Mains aspirants-2014


ITCSA interactive session for civil service Mains aspirants-2014 was held on 30 Oct.2014 @ Sundarayya Vignana Kendram, Bagh Lingampally, Hyderabadand. Many aspirants have attended and got their doubts clarified by Smt.balalatha IDAS,Narasimha Reddy Sadhu IRS, Ramesh reddy IPS, Balaram IRS, S Ramana Reddy IRPS, along with OTs from MCHRD i.e.Tarun Reddy IRS,Abhishek IRS(from MH) and Dr.Vijay IRS(from KA). Many issues related to various optionals,Ethics paper,case studies,writing mock tests,importance of group study,news paper reading methods,difference between hard work and smart work,learning from failures etc. were discussed in the session.As requested by many participants, ITCSA has agreed to conduct one more session for interview/personality test guidance after the mains results..





Friday, November 7, 2014

Telugu Civil Servants to support 'Swachh Bharat Mission'

                                                                                         "I am not talking politics...this is beyond politics..."


Indian Telugu Civil Servants Association (ITCSA) is planning to create awareness on cleanliness at public places. This is to support 'Swachh Bharat Mission' (Clean India Campaign) launched by GOI and to spread awareness on cleanliness. About 50 Civil Servants from various Central/state services and their family members/friends along with civil service aspirants of Ashok Nagar will participate in this initiative. ITCSA nominates & request all of you to participate in this mission on this Saturday(8th Nov.) 6.30 am@ NTR stadium,Indira Park Rd, Domalguda, Hyderabad.


  Dress code : White T shirt with logo, hand gloves,waste collection bags etc.(can also be obtained from the venue)