About IFS...reply to Mr Wannabe Diplomat

Hello Mr Wannabe Diplomat, thanks for your visit on the blog and kind words about it...regarding your query I will try to answer one by one:
[1] After the long probation, IFS officer is attached with one of the embassy depending on the language specialisation he/she got during the probation.
[2] Regarding the work load, It is not as compared with IAS and IPS but of course with huge responsibility.....It depends on the country where you will work. In the present times, the work load is increasing as India is having large trade with several country.
[3] I don't have the exact salary figure at Germany.
[4] Generally, posting is done on the option taken by probationer during training along with language specialisation.....UPSC rank, qualification and other academic records also matters...though at senior level, one can be posted at any place with due political consideration...
[5] Since IFS training is long enough so probationer keep their spouse with them.
[6] Seats in IFS is generally within 20-40 range....due to increasing Indian clout in international affairs, seats are expected to be increased in coming years but not like IAS and IPS.
[7] There is a huge scope in IFS for study leave and other higher courses at international institutions. GOI does provide scholarships and sponsor these degrees along with a bond.
[8]The safe rank is with in 80 in general category though depends on the vacancies in a particular year in IAS and IFS.
I hope I am able to reply atleast some of your queries...further query is welcome...keep blogging...

Reply to Miss Preeti Nigam and Miss/Mr Anonymous

Hello Miss Preeti Nigam and Miss/Mr Anonymous, thanks for your visits on the blog.....Regarding the management optional, I don't know any body who appeared this year from this optional....you can wait for some time...UPSC may upload all the question papers on its website www.upsc.gov.in or in next few months unsolved will come in the market..you can also contact to any coaching institute e.g Vaji Ram & Ravi or Sri Ram, they can help you in this aspect.
Regarding the changes in the Civil Services, Dopt can deny extra ordinary leaves at any stage because leaves are not the rights, they can be denied by the government...still, We can't say anything regrading the proposed changes, you should wait for the notification in December....further query is welcome...keep blogging....

The proposed changes in Civil services and CSE[Pre]-2010...reply to Miss/Mr Anonymous

Hello Miss/ Mr Anonymous, It is true that UPSC has proposed some drastic changes in the pattern in CSE examination....It is quite possible that these changes may apply from CSE-2010....so be prepared for it...as they did in the case of negative marking, they can implement it too.....The Dopt and UPSC now has same line of thought regarding the reforms in CSE thus it is quite possible that the reforms may be implemented very fast....According to confirm sources, one high level meeting was held at LBSNAA, Mussorie last month where all the DGs of training academies were participated...The consensus was formed regarding the changes in the service conditions in Civil services. The proposed changes are as follows:
[1] Foundation course [FC] is going to be mandatory
[2] Once the candidate join any service, He/She will not be allowed to sit for next CSE i.e you can not appear for rank improvement after the selection.
Thus, the reforms in CSE are quite imminent and drastic...I appeal to all CSE aspirants to gear them self to face these changes...though some of the changes are quite beneficial to the serious, meritorious and hard working candidates....further query is welcome...keep blogging...

The impact of large 61st batch of IRS[C&CE] on IRS training.....Reply to Miss/Mr Anonymous

Hello Miss/Mr Anonymous, thanks for your visit on the blog...congratulations on getting in to IRS[C&CE]....Regarding the apprehensions,though I have written earlier as well ,still.... they are quite baseless....It is true that your batch size is big and there are fewer seats at the top...but it is true for every service....In IRS, the restructuring is in pipeline...there will be more commissionerates so greater chances of promotions for you....Regarding the jurisdictions, the upcoming GST and prevailing economic conditions triggers immense work load, there is a need of smaller divisions for better efficiency...GST will further increase the area as several state taxes will be under IRS[C&CE].....regarding the training, there is no need to worry about it...though you may not know all your batch mates.....besides, you will stay for only 5 and 1/2 months in academy in full probation period, the rest of the time you will move across the country for field training...so just enjoy your FC and IRS service.....further query is welcome...keep blogging....

Reply to Mr Lakshay Gupta

Hello Mr Lakshay Gupta, thanks for your visit on the blog and congratulations on getting in to IRS[C&CE]...regarding the family accommodation in Faridabad, since your batch is being divided in to two due to large size....there may be some problem for you in family accommodation.....Though, there is no official permission to stay with spouse during probation in any service still your seniors in IRS[C&CE] got the family accommodation in Type-2 and Type-1 quarters having kitchen.....In Mumbai, since academy is very small, you will not get family accommodation.....further query is welcome...keep blogging...

Reply to Mr/Miss Anonymous

Hello Miss/Mr Anonymous, thanks for your visit on the blog and kind words about it....thank for your valuable suggestions.....regarding the question papers, you can wait for some time....Chronicle and wizard magazine will publish question papers with answers.....may be next month these question papers will be available on UPSC website also under previous years question papers link.....Regarding the blog arrangement, I have already classified and made links of all the postings in the left side corner.....you can click on those links according to your query.....further I will try to simplify and decongest it as far as possible....further query is welcome...keep blogging....

Reply to Mr Dilip

Hello Mr Dilip, thanks for your visit on the blog....Kindly go through the old postings on the blog..I have written about IAS Vs IFoS....as both are all India services, both are enjoying all the perks and facilities....further query is welcome...keep blogging....

Reply to Mr Shailesh

Hello Mr Shailesh,thanks for your visit on the blog and congratulations on getting in to IRS[IT]...you can very well appear from NADT while doing professional training but you will have paucity of time...as your schedule will be very hectic there...you will be required to attend classes from 9 am to 5 pm...but still you can appear from there....good luck...further query is welcome...keep blogging...

Reply to Mr Pradnyasheel

Hello Mr Pradnyasheel, thanks for your visit on the blog....I think your approach to Essay is quite good....There is no best way to write any Essay in UPSC...different people have different ways to attempt it.....so just wait for the mark sheet.....still the UPSC marks are not the exact indicator of the quality of Essay.....further query is welcome....good luck for the exam...keep blogging...

Reply to Mr P. Shanker

Hello Mr P. Shanker, thanks for your visit on the blog.....regarding your query, UPSC has the minimum qualification of graduation...thus I don't think that this small problem will matter to ?UPSC...still for your satisfaction, you can go for the name correction......further query is welcome...keep blogging...

Some key words for Public Adm paper for CSE-09 mains….Reply to Mr Rajesh

Hello Mr Rajesh, thanks for your visit on the blog…regarding the key words in optional specially in Public administration, It is advisable to go through the Laxmikant guide on PA….you can see all the highlighted words given in this book….some key words e.g. privatization, RTI, Good governance, decentralization, bottom up approach, peoples participation, civil society, quick-fix solutions, one size fit all approach, NPA, NPM , small state, nanny state, democracy, Janata darbar, single window, SWOT analysis, localism, globalization, rural-urban divide, digital divide, etc can be extensively used in Public ad paper…..further query is welcome…good luck for CSE-09…..keep blogging…

Essay topics of CSE-09 mains…..Reply to Miss Divya

Hello Miss Divya, thanks for your visit on the blog….I will be publishing the GS papers of CSE-09 for your reference very soon…..I am publishing the Essay topics of CSE-09 ‘Essay Paper’
[1]Are our traditional handicrafts doomed to a slow death?
[2] Are we a ‘soft’ state?
[3] “The focus of health care is increasingly getting skewed towards the ‘haves’ of our society.”
[4] “Good fences make good neighbours .”
[5] ‘Globalism’ Vs ‘Nationalism’
Good luck for CSE-2010…further query is welcome…keep blogging…

Drastic change in General Studies pattern….Don’t loose hope

Today, CSE-09 mains conducted by UPSC has started with a bang….GS paper was a big surprise to most of the candidates….As UPSC known for its unpredictability, It has changed the pattern of both the paper substantially…all the predictions proved wrong….The number of questions and the relative weightage of the sections were completely absent….Some thought that it is a deliberate policy of UPSC to undermine the importance of coaching institutes which have been proliferated by leaps and bound in recent years….but, I doubt whether it really minimize the need of coaching institutes in the preparation for UPSC exam…with the level of unpredictability and difficulty, coaching institutes will proliferate further….It will also hamper the chances of rural background people to enter in to CSE….but one thing is sure that now candidates will be forced to read extensively as selective reading won’t help….it is a good trend in this sense.
I advise all the appearing candidates to not to loose hope as optionals and essay papers are still do be attempted..as the competition is relative, so if it is touch and unpredictable, it is for all…so just do your best in remaining papers and wait for the result…good luck…keep blogging….

Wishing best of luck to all candidates for CSE-09 mains

Hello everybody, I wish all the very best and good luck to all the aspirants going to appear for CSE-09 mains starting from 23rd Oct.....for most of them, there may be high level of tension and un easiness....but, it is natural and every successful candidate has undergone this temporal trauma.....so just try to maintain cool and calmness....do breathing excercise, take lot of water and pray to God for better time ahead....Once again, I wish good luck....keep blogging....

The bifurcation of IRS[C&CE] 62nd batch for training....Reply to Mr PR Jumle

Hello Mr PR Jumle, thanks for your visit on the blog….It is true that NACEN authority has changed its previous decision to conduct the IRS training at NACEN only…..due to space constraint, now it has been decided to conduct the training schedule at Faridabad and Mumbai….The exact modus operandi is not known….probably , authority will decide who will go where….the officer trainees has to shuttle between NACEN Faridabad and Mumbai….Probably, at NACEN, Faridabad, central excise, narcotics and service tax module will be conducted….and at Mumbai, customs module will be conducted…thus there will be a change of place after the completion of the respective module….but, since the total duration of academy module is very less, so there won’t be too much problem….you have to visit several field offices as an attachment…It is just an intelligent guess, I am not sure about the exact details….I will post the updates as soon as I get some latest information about the training schedule….so till then just enjoy the IRS[C&CE] training which is the best in any case among all the central services…further query is welcome…keep blogging….

Reply to Mr Dilip

Hello Mr Dilip, thanks for your visit on the blog….You rightly said that IFS is getting overseas allowances in US $...besides,IFS officers are allowed to take their families along with them at the place of postings…Regarding the current affairs, I have replied you previously also…you are on the right track…the months which you are mentioned are correct…Refer the magazine of the period which you have rightly mentioned…further query is welcome…keep blogging….

All about Doha round of WTO…Reply to Mr Rajesh

As requested by Mr Rajesh, I am trying my best to present the complex issue of Doha round in simplified manner……
WTO got in to shape after the Uruguay Round [1986-93] under the system of GATT [general agreement on tariffs and trade] in Jan 1995…..GATT came in to existence in 1948 and India was a founder member of it…..Uruguay round was the 8th round of discussion under GATT…[the term ‘round’ indicates the negotiations entered around a specific set of issues over a period of few year leading to agreement among members]….in brief Uruguay round was collapsed due to differences between developed and developing nations thus DG of GATT Mr Arthur Dunkel came out with a compilation to break the deadlock and finally signed by the member nations in the form of Marrakesh Treaty….It includes the issues of :
[1] Market access
[2] Agriculture
[3] Textiles
[4]TRIMS [trade related investment measures]
[5]TRIPS [trade related intellectual property rights]
[6] Trade in services
[7] Institutional matters
Since 1995, WTO began its work and held so far 7 rounds of discussions known as ministerial conference at Singapore, Geneva, Seattle, Doha [capital of Qatar], Cancun [Mexico] and Hongkong and Geneva…..Singapore issue includes labour standard, investment & competition, IT and international trade in textiles, etc….India opposed the inclusion of labour issues in WTO which it claimed the ambit of ILO….the four major issue outlined in Singapore round are:
[1]Trade facilitation [Developing nations agree on it as it includes procedural matter]
[2]Competition policy
[3] Transparency in government procurement
[4] Investment
Geneva and Seattle meet did not yield any result due to large differences between developed and developing block…It is in fact the fight between vested interest of two opposing block….finally Doha round of trade talks began in 2001….It is also called the Doha development round as it promised to address the issues that are important to developing nations like India…..Developing countries believed that the issue of AOA [ agreement on agriculture which includes ‘(1)domestic support ‘in the form of Green box, Amber box which is trade distorting and Blue box (2)export subsidies and (3)market access], TRIPS and GATS [general agreement on trade in services] are unfavorable to them and have pro developed bias.
Thus to pacify developing nations Doha round aims at further liberalization of international trade in Agriculture, Industry and services….Developing nations demand to slash the agricultural subsidies by US and reduction in tariffs on agriculture goods by EU…since developing nations has cost effective agriculture as compared to developed but due to subsidies developing nations are not able to export to developed nations…….while developed nations demands the opening up of the market of developing nations under NAMA i.e. non agricultural goods and market access where developed has upper edge…..Besides, developed nations also demand liberalization of services sector in the fields of education, legal advice and insurance…..
Due to these competeting claims and conflict of interest, Doha round is still not complete and successive ministerial conference at Cancun, Hong Kong and Geneva were collapsed as poor countries are not willing to heed the demands of developed nations on the issue of NAMA till their demand on agriculture subsidy and tariff cut were met…….Due to the failure of successive WTO talks, countries are now prefering to have PTA [preferrential trade agreement], FTA[ free trade area] or RTA[regional trade area], etc as an alternative trade arrangement till the finalisation of WTO talk.
I hope, I am successful in clearing the cloud of confusion on Doha round and now you will be able to understand the Doha round fully….further query is welcome…keep blogging….

All about WTO and Doha round …Important for CSE-09 mains....Reply to Mr Rajesh

As requested by Mr Rajesh, I am trying my best to present the complex issue of Doha round in simplified manner……
WTO got in to shape after the Uruguay Round [1986-93] under the system of GATT [general agreement on tariffs and trade] in Jan 1995…..GATT came in to existence in 1948 and India was a founder member of it…..Uruguay round was the 8th round of discussion under GATT…[the term ‘round’ indicates the negotiations entered around a specific set of issues over a period of few year leading to agreement among members]….in brief Uruguay round was collapsed due to differences between developed and developing nations thus DG of GATT Mr Arthur Dunkel came out with a compilation to break the deadlock and finally signed by the member nations in the form of Marrakesh Treaty….It includes the issues of :
[1] Market access
[2] Agriculture
[3] Textiles
[4]TRIMS [trade related investment measures]
[5]TRIPS [trade related intellectual property rights]
[6] Trade in services
[7] Institutional matters
Since 1995, WTO began its work and held so far 7 rounds of discussions known as ministerial conference at Singapore, Geneva, Seattle, Doha [capital of Qatar], Cancun [Mexico] and Hongkong and Geneva…..Singapore issue includes labour standard, investment & competition, IT and international trade in textiles, etc….India opposed the inclusion of labour issues in WTO which it claimed the ambit of ILO….the four major issues outlined in Singapore round are:
[1]Trade facilitation [Developing nations agree on it as it includes procedural matter]
[2]Competition policy
[3] Transparency in government procurement
[4] Investment
Geneva and Seattle meet did not yield any result due to large differences between developed and developing block…It is in fact the fight between vested interest of two opposing block….finally Doha round of trade talks began in 2001….It is also called the Doha development round as it promised to address the issues that are important to developing nations like India…..Developing countries believed that the issue of AOA [ agreement on agriculture which includes ‘(1)domestic support ‘in the form of Green box, Amber box which is trade distorting and Blue box (2)export subsidies and (3)market access], TRIPS and GATS [general agreement on trade in services] are unfavorable to them and have pro developed bias.
Thus to pacify developing nations Doha round aims at further liberalization of international trade in Agriculture, Industry and services….Developing nations demand to slash the agricultural subsidies by US and reduction in tariffs on agriculture goods by EU…since developing nations has cost effective agriculture as compared to developed but due to subsidies developing nations are not able to export to developed nations…….while developed nations demand the opening up of the market of developing nations under NAMA i.e. non agricultural goods and market access where developed has upper edge…..Besides, developed nations also demand liberalization of services sector in the fields of education, legal advice and insurance…..
Due to these competing claims and conflict of interest, Doha round is still not complete and successive ministerial conference at Cancun, Hong Kong and Geneva were collapsed as poor countries are not willing to heed the demands of developed nations on the issue of NAMA till their demand on agriculture subsidy and tariff cut were met…….
I hope, I am successful in clearing the cloud of confusion on Doha round and now you will be able to understand the Doha round fully….further query is welcome…keep blogging….

Some tips for CSE-09 mains.... Reply to Mr Rajesh

Hello Mr Rajesh,thanks for your visit on the blog….you need not draw the line on top and bottom of every page….you should draw line after finishing one question which indicates the completion of an answer…It is mentioned on the instructions on answer sheet itself….regarding colours of pen, it is advisable to use only black and blue…though you can use other colours except red….you can use pencil to draw chart on pub ad or any other optional…..regarding current affairs, It will be misleading to post some topics on the blog…It is advisable to go through vaji ram notes for current affairs along with selective topics from either wizard mains issue or spectrum current affairs…regarding Doha round, Interaction has published very good economy notes …you can refer it for greater understanding….for UN’s MDG goal, for mains you need to remember only key words which can be remembered with the help of acronym ‘ DGP2M2E2’….for details you can go through wizard…further query is welcome…all the best for CSE-09 mains exam…keep blogging…

IFS Vs other services.....Reply to Mr Dilip

Hello Mr Dilip, thanks for your visit on the blog….I have written on IAS Vs IFS in my previous blog…you can refer those postings for greater understanding for the recent trends….still, IFS is quite good in terms of pay package and life style…but candidates prefer IAS and other services over it due to abroad postings in IFS….you rightly mentioned that many high profile people belongs to IFS….you get ample opportunities to meet very high profile people….you have very high standard quality life in IFS…but it depends on individual choices at the end of the day….further query is welcome…keep logging…