Let us start with some often repeated general pointers to be kept in mind while choosing optionals:
Please note that the two lists are based on the latest available data released by UPSC and the figures represent the number of students who qualify for every 100 people who choose that optional. Philosophy ranks very high and consistently too.
- It should be interesting to you
- You should have access to guidance for the given subject (both in terms of study material and answer-writing)
- It should be help you in your General studies preparation
- You should be aware of the scope of the subject (in terms of syllabus, the type of questions...)
- You should be aware of the track record of the subject in terms of its success rate
- Philosophy has always given consistent results for candidates and perhaps that has been one of the reasons for its popularity. According to the 64th annual report published by the UPSC, the success rate( in terms of percentage) for different optional subjects (in 2012 mains) was as follows
- Political Science .………………..……. 10.9
- Philosophy……………………….……. 8.9
- History………………………………… 8.3
- Psychology……………………………. 7.9
- Geography…………………………….. 7.2
- Public Administration …………….….. 5.1
- Philosophy……………………….…... 7.9
- History………………………………... 7.7
- Geography…………………………..... 5.6
- Public Administration ……………...... 6.2
- Political Science .………………..……. 6.1
The stats for 2014 are as follows
- Geography…………………………..... 7.3
- Philosophy……………………….…... 7.0
- History………………………………... 6.5
- Public Administration ……………...... 5.3
- Political Science .………………..……. 6.3
Please note that the two lists are based on the latest available data released by UPSC and the figures represent the number of students who qualify for every 100 people who choose that optional. Philosophy ranks very high and consistently too.
- A look at the Syllabus for the philosophy optional will tell us that it is a convenient mixture of static and dynamic topics. What we mean is that while Paper-I consists of theoretical debates that require conceptual clarity above everything else, Paper- II gives an opportunity to candidates to apply philosophical insights into socio-political mileu around us and relate theory with practice. Thus it offers something for both sets of people ( those who stress on theoretical understanding and those who like to find real life applications of what they study) .
- The question paper too has been consistent over the years. Both the papers are divided into two sections A & B. Each section has four questions. That makes it eight questions in total.
- Candidates are supposed to answer 5 questions in all. Question no.s 1 and 5 are compulsory. Out of the three remaining questions one has to be attempted from each section. Thus the candidate has the option to leave atleast one question from each section.( Two questions from section A and Three from section B or Three questions from section A and two questions from section B) are the possible combinations
- Question no.s 1 and 5 are in the form of short notes. There are usually five parts each worth 10 marks to be answered. The word limit is 150 words for each
- The remaining questions generally have 3 parts with two questions for 15 marks and one question for 20 marks. No word limit is mentioned. But it's reasonable to assume around 250 words for a 15 marks question and 300 words for a 20 marks question
- Philosophy optional in UPSC has become particularly relevant to GS after the changes brought about in 2013. First let's begin with new pattern for essays. Section A in the essay paper tends to have topics in the form of quotes. They often are abstract and conceptual in nature. Students who have studied philosophy not only are better equipped because of their training but also because many questions in the philosophy paper also tend to be based on quotes. A good preparation for philosophy helps you significantly in the essay paper. Some further overlapping topics in the remaining GS papers are
- GS - I : Political Philosophies such as Communism, Capitalism, Socialism, Secularism (Evolution, Forms, Effects on Society) - Philosophy paper II
- GS - III : Land reforms in India - Philosophy paper II
- GS - IV : Role of family, society in inculcating values ; Contributions of moral thinkers & Philosophers from India & World - - Philosophy paper I & II
- Many people believe that the syllabus assigned for philosophy is manageable and can be covered in about 3 months. With sufficient dedication and focus it is certainly possible. With no pressure to include study of new developments in current affairs or updating statistics, conceptual clarity can surely be achieved.
- A significant advantage is also that there is nothing to be learnt by rote or mugged up in philosophy. Once you understand a concept you will be bale to articulate it whenever asked.
- In terms of study material here are some of the authors referred to across the country :
- Philosophy paper I Section A (Indian Philosophy) – Dutta and chatterjee / CD Sharma
- Philosophy paper I Section B (Western Philosophy)- Y. Masih / F. Thilly
- Philosophy paper II Section A (Socio-political philosophy) - O.P.Gauba
- Philosophy paper II Section B (Philosophy of Religion) - Y. Masih
- There are two ways to address the issue of interest. One is to simply see the optional from the point of UPSC. This would mean to do all that is necessary for scoring as high as possible in the exam and nothing more. Sticking to the syllabus thoroughly and ensuring that you are comfortable with the kind of questions that are asked, without aiming for any kind of mastery in the subject. In this sense, once you have made a choice, you almost treat like a compulsory paper.
- The other way is to pick a subject that you feel you'll enjoy learning more about. This would ensure that studying it never becomes a burden. This would ensure that you achieve competence in the subject and as a result it can be expected that you also are able perform exceedingly well in the exam.
- Aspects of western Philosophy ( Video lectures by NPTEL)
- Indian Philosophy ( Video lectures by NPTEL)
- Philosophy of Religion ( Videos by Wi-phi)
