IAS Main 2013: Answer Writing Tips for Indian Polity

The IAS Main 2013 will be commencing from 2 December 2013 and the scheme of examination is out now. India has a unique Federal Structure which is the amalgamation of the political institutions of various countries.

Now with changed Syllabus and Pattern, Indian Polity has a separate paper and is required special focus. The candidate is expected to know the federal structure of our country and should know the peculiar conditions under which the constitution works. The candidate should know the background and the philosophies behind adopting such political structure by our founding fathers. The candidate should learn by heart the important provisions of the Constitutions and the philosophy behind it.

The federal Structure, the relation between Union and State and the Judicial System have a complex interaction and interplay which the candidates have to understand clearly keeping in mind the federal structure of our country. The candidates should read the important observations of the Supreme Court Judgments so that it will increase the conceptual understanding of the Constitution of India. There are various important cases such as Kesavananda Bharati Case, Golaknath Case, Menaka Gandhi Case and the like cases.

As the pattern of the paper is evolving the candidates horizontal expansion of the knowledge as well as the vertical limit of understanding of the topic is expected in a balanced proportion. There are number of political events happening round the year and the candidates have to take a close watch on the current political scenario and the pending bills in the Parliament.
The candidates should keep a tab on the currently passed Acts and also on the pending Acts in the Parliament. The Candidates should read the Bare Act that is the original constitution and the books like The Constitution of India by D.D.Basu, Indian Polity by M. Laxmikanth, The Constitution of India by P.M Bakshi.

Following are some of the tips for the Answer writing in IAS Main:

•    The First and the foremost thing is to read the question carefully so the candidate should get the real demand of the question.
•    One of the most important things is to frame the answer keeping in mind the word limit of the question. Always follow the word limit so that time can be managed better.
•    While writing the Answer the candidate should not contradict the basic mandate of the Constitution.
•    The Federal Nature of our country should always be respected in giving any suggestions to overcome the existing conditions.
•    The Candidates should focus on the issues which are the exceptions to true Federal Nature of Political Structure such as Unified  Judiciary, Single Citizenship, All India Service and the like institutions.
•    The Appropriate Key Words should be used in the Answer so that they will convey the real meaning to the invigilator.
•    Frame the Answer Chronologically so that the real evolution of the topic or the Political Institutions can reflect in your answer.