Essay Strategy by Hemant Kumar Click Here

Success Mantra CSE Mains 2014

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Writing Essay

My strategy and Experience

By: Mr. Hemant Kumar, 2013 batch IRS Officer

Marks Obtained- 160/250




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About the Author:

Mr. Hemant Kumar is a 2013 batch IRS Officer and an Electrical

and Communication Engineer from NSIT, Delhi(Formerly Delhi Institute of

Technology). He also holds MBA(Finance) from FMS, Delhi University. During

his long stint at C-DOT, Delhi, he started feeling that his life is not just about

earning high end financial packages rather it’s about living it in a well

meaningful way. He pulled up his socks in 2010 and started parting his

valuable time among various commitments (Job, Family and of course CSE

Preparation). After putting 3 rigorous years into the preparation, he cleared

CSE in 2013. At this stature, he feels the difference between have and have

nots in the field of CSE preparation. So he has decided to share his learning

experiences with all the aspirants. We wish him and all the CSE aspirants a

very good luck for this attempt as well as for all the upcoming endeavors of

life.

All the Best Folks !!

Kapil Sikka

Founder,

Paramhans Reading Solutions




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Essay writing forms an important part of many examinations conducted by

UPSC. Civil Services Examination is no different. It is meant to be a subjective

assessment of one's personality, one's reasoning and one's line of thinking. I

believe Essay writing is both an art as well as a science. Before further

discussing Essay Writing, let me first raise the most basic question.

What is expected out of an essay?

Essay is not just a disgorgement of information and facts nor is it a medium

to express our attitudes and prejudices through half-baked opinions. One

purpose of an essay could be to test and assess the writing skills of the

candidates. Yet equally and even more important purposes that an essay

serves are to give an insight into:

∑ one's thinking

∑ one's ability to respond critically and personally to a problem or issue

∑ one's acumen to select and use information to support an argument

and

∑ to present this argument in a structured and impressive way.

Essay, to put it succinctly, is considered to be a reflection of one's

personality.

What UPSC expects is neither a factual or informative essay nor a highly

opinionated one. What is needed is a balanced presentation of ideas related to

the given topic substantiated by sound facts and reasoning. At the same time,

it should also be kept in mind that innovativeness, creativity and novelty (in

presenting and structuring essay) within the limits of reasonableness is




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always rewarded.

This year the topic I chose to write the essay on was “Is the Colonial

mentality hindering India's Success?”

I started off with a fictitious story of atrocities done on two tribals by the

strongmen of their area in connivance with the Police authorities about 2

decades back and how they are still trying to pick up their lives long after

those atrocities were committed. Even the whole Criminal Justice System

seemed to have failed in dispensing justice to them and the Civil

Administration had failed miserably in restoring their lives and livelihoods.

Though fictitious but the story I cited was in resonance with the many

incidents of caste/class dominance and evil nexus between various powerful

lobbies.

After citing this small story, I moved on to explain the biases, prejudices and

power structures that are still part of the Administrative structure of our

country more so at the lower and middle levels where the poor and the

powerless are more often than not at the receiving end of it all.

Then I moved further to a more broader level where I elucidated the

dominance of Colonial Mentality in the psyche of a common citizen by citing

examples across polity, administration, economics (as Mr. Raghuram Rajan

also stated in his address as WEF) and across different levels of the society.

Following are some of the points that I would like to mention as my

learnings/take-aways from the essay that I wrote

1. I did answer the question unequivocally through my essay - Yes,




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Colonial Mentality is hindering India's success

2. I paid due attention to illustrating what I understood by each and every

word of the topic i.e. I did explain Colonial Mentality and how did I

evaluate Success in the essay.

3. I took a practical position by admitting the negatives associated by

Colonial Mentality and its presence in modern India. But at the same,

whenever I took I critical stand it was solely based on sound evidence

and arguments not just opinions or emotional arguments.

4. Even though I was critical at places, I maintained a positive attitude

and tone throughout. I was optimistic and hopeful of the future and

suggested ways of getting over the impediments which are hindering

our progress and success.

5. I did not use the story just in the introduction but rather weaved it

throughout the entire essay. I connected back to my story in between

my arguments and again connected back at the fag end in the

conclusion. I gave the direction to the story and finally pointed to the

ray of light that still existed at the end of the dark tunnel.

6. I focused on a limited number of points only – about 5 or 6 in the

entire essay.

7. I took around 50-60 mins to detail out the structure, framework and

broad flow of the essay. Also I left around 10 mins towards the end to

revise the essay. So I could write only about 1100-1200 words. It

reaffirms that quality matters not the quantity.

8. After the examination, most people anticipated that I must have written

on the topic “Science and technology is the panacea for the growth and

security of the nation” given my background as a working Research

Engineer and an MBA post-grad. However I took an unconventional




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topic since it appealed to me and I was confident that I would be able to

manage it. And the gamble paid off. However I would like to state here

that this is not a golden rule to choose a topic different from your area

of expertise. But if you are ready to take the risk, this strategy may

yield good dividends.

9. And finally there is not a single proven and uniform formula for

everybody to use. Yes, there could be some set of DOs and DON'Ts and

certain advices but finally one has to work out one's own formula based

on understanding of one's strengths and weaknesses.

In the following writeup, I have tried to mention the strategies, techniques and

principles that I found useful when I prepared for and wrote essay in the 2013

Civil Services Examination. Application of these principles helped me score

160 marks in the essay paper.

Preparation for the Essay paper

Now comes the point of how to prepare oneself for essay. Frankly speaking, I

did not devote much of my time towards essay preparation since I knew that

my GS knowledge, my reading habits and a decent command over English

would let me stand in a good stead in the Essay paper.

However I did spent time to structure and draw outlines of certain essays

which appeared in the last 3 years' papers. We all suffer from information

overload and in an outright attempt to sway the examiner with our knowledge

and intellectual prowess, we tend to disgorge everything we know even if it is

only remotely linked to the asked theme. In this process we not just deviate

from the core theme of the essay and write a number of irrelevant things and

waste our precious time during the examination but also end up pestering the




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examiner.

Thus I realized that more than the content it is the structure, organization

and closeness of the content to the asked theme that is important.

However when I look back at my essay preparation strategy I do feel the

following readings helped

∑ Regular reading of newspapers - The Hindu, Hindustan Times and Mint

∑ Selective reading of EPW articles

∑ Selective reading of frontline articles

Then material from various coaching institutes is available which can just be

glanced over while looking for something unconventional, interesting and

unique. End to end reading of such material would only prove to be a waste of

time. So be selective and glean through the material for other than usual

information.

Before delving further into the specifics, it is equally important to keep certain

qualities of a good essay in mind. A knowledge of these points helped me a lot

when I was structuring and organizing my essay and was looking for relevant

information closer to the theme that would make the essay a good one.

These 11 qualities act as a filter, to filter out grain from the chaff.

11 qualities of a Good Essay

1. Relevance

At every point in the essay, relevance to the given topic needs to be




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maintained. All key points and their supporting arguments should lend

corroborative support to the main argument without deviating in

relevance from the core issue at hand.

2. Completeness

An essay should be muti-faceted and should present a holistic and

multi-dimensional view of the given topic. The reader of the essay

should feel the completeness of the arguments that have been made in

the essay.

3. Cohesive

The arguments or main points of the essay should not be haphazard or

randomly arranged. They should all stick together to the central theme

and give a coherence, direction and purpose to the essay.

4. Sustained

The essay should be well paragraphed i.e. logically arranged in

paragraphs. Sub-headings are generally not prescribed in an essay but

there should be a sustained focus on the central theme through well

drafted paragraphs.

5. Well-organized

Ideally, an essay should have the following three parts:

∑ Introduction : provides an insight into what follows.

∑ Body : organize points/ideas, arrange sub-arguments.

∑ Conclusion : should have a sense of closure and leave something

in the mind of reader to think about.

6. Concise

What the examiner desires is a well thought out stream of arguments




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systematically arranged and rationally substantiated. The arguments

should be brief and concise and write only relevant things in the essay.

7. Sign posted

Unless there are suggestive and appropriate sign-posts at the relevant

places, there is a danger of getting lost. Thus try to use connectors to

connect a paragraph with its preceding and succeeding paragraphs.

8. Specific

Be specific to the extent possible while extending arguments in an

essay. Vagueness, arbitrariness and ambiguity are disliked by the

reader. While quoting specific data or general statement, understand

the relevance and appropriateness of the context. Take the pain to

explain and connect the quote or statement to the main argument.

Always put the quotes in inverted commas. Mis-quoting can be

disastrous.

While quoting quotes in regional languages, write its English essence

after it, like done by Finance Minister Chidambram in his budget

speeches while quoting Thiruvalluvar.

9. Analytical/Critical thinking

Independent opinions based on sound facts and analysis and critical

unbiased analyses are always appreciated by the examiner.

10. Explanatory

The arguments, though concise and relevant, should serve to explain

their core point to the reader.

11. Fluently paced

Finally, the reader should not feel bored and disillusioned while reading




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the essay. The arguments should be so arranged and spaced out that

the reader should get the thrill out of reading the essay as if he is

reading some detective novel. The essay should strive to maintain an

urge in him to finish reading the whole piece with heightened interest

and in one go.

I would now stress on two important sections of the essay which are I

consider as the most important :

∑ The Introduction

∑ The Conclusion.

A well written and insightful introduction would lead the reader into reading

the essay with much interest and heightened curiosity whereas an apt

conclusion would leave a savoury taste in his mouth which would lead to good

scores in the Essay paper.

Introduction

Some of the important characteristics that make an introduction appealing

are

- Its relevance to the given topic.

- It should be interesting and captivating.

- It should suggestive of the direction of the central theme of the essay.

- If possible, it should give a hint regarding the conclusion.

There could be different ways to write an introduction. I explored the web,

read a few articles, read a few essays and finally zeroed on the following




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suitable ways of starting an essay.

1. Starting with a General Statement

A General Statement followed by specific statements is very common

way of starting essay. I would say more than 70-75% candidates start

their essay in this manner.

2. Start with a Quote

However the Quote should be relevant and should be used in a proper

context. Around 20-25% candidates use this method to write the

introduction of an essay.

3. Starting with an anecdote

Anecdote is short story – it may be fictitious as well. But it should be

relevant, moving and interesting. This is a novel way of starting essay. I

used a fictitious but real life resembling story to start my essay this

year.

4. Conversational Introduction

Another way to start an essay could be through a conversation, a

predicament or by raising a question. Thereafter this conversation could

be carried further by explaining it or extending it further in between the

arguments.

5. Writing the conclusion itself in the introduction is another unique

way




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For example if one is to write on 'Globalization & Indian culture', then

introduction could start by saying – 'Globalization has corrupted my

culture.' And in this context arguments could be extended further in the

essay.

6. Asking Rhetorical Questions

'Are we Indians really hypocrites?'. This could be an interesting but

difficult way to start an essay.

Conclusion of the Essay is one another extremely important area which

should be given appropriate attention. Afterall it is only towards the end that

the examiner would be giving marks to the essay.

A conclusion should not just give 'a closure' to the essay but should also

impart a 'sense of closure' to the essay. That is one should close the

discussion without closing it off totally.

A sense of closure could be ensured by supporting conclusion with a quote

which amplifies the argument or by giving wider implications for the

argument.

Arguments should not be repeated in conclusion and the tone should not be

apologetic. Rather one should demonstrate decisiveness in conclusion, be

assertive and positive.

Following are some of the important points that are generally rewarded in a

conclusion. Conclusion should




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1. show that you have answered the main theme

2. show wider implications of your subject

3. leave something in the mind of reader to think about

4. NOT be a mere repetition of the introduction

5. NOT be a two line statement as if there is nothing else to write

6. NOT introduce a fresh argument

Following are the various strategies that could be used for writing a

conclusion

1. Echoing the introduction eg. If started with a story connect back to it

2. Directing the reader (into a direction)

3. Looking into the future (beneficial for all of us in the future)

4. Posing questions

When I was preparing for the essay, I was told about the following 6 Ps that

are crucial for a good essay. And in addition to the above specified 11

characteristics of a good essay the following 6 Ps equally serve as lampposts

for writing a good essay.

1. Presentation

Neatness & Clarity straightaway appeal to the reader and can help you

maximize score with the same quality of content. Margins, legibility,

handwriting, indenting are all essential elements of presentation.

2. Proper selection of subject

It is generally suggested that one should select a topic that is different

from one's area of expertise/background. But this may not be the




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golden rule always.

The golden rule is that one should understand the context in which the

theme of the essay has been set. In essay essay topic, there is a broad

theme that is essentially present and needs to be understood and

addressed.

3. Planning

Planning is an important part of essay writing. Planning involves

structuring, arranging, writing

and revising. It is generally suggested that the last 4 pages of the

answer sheet may be used for drafting and structuring the essay.

4. Proportion

Dividing one's time between the Introduction, Main Paragraphs and

Conclusion is equally important. Generally prescribed times are : 1/6th

of the time to structure, 3/4th to write and 1/12th for revising the essay.

5. Perspicuity

Clarity of expression and uninterrupted and logical flow of thoughts in

paragraphs are another requirements of a good essay.

6. Persuasiveness

The tone of the essay should be assertive and generally positive. Though

one can be objectively critical at times but positivity and optimism

should ooze out from the essay.

Finally I would like to sum it up.

Introduction to the essay should be insightful. It should directly relate to the

given topic. Content should be rich, coherent and should all point towards the

desired theme. Conclusion should again be insightful. All the points in the

essay should contribute towards one single theme. Paragraphs should be in




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continuity. While detailing out the points in the content, expand the topic and

identify the underlying issue. Reach to a more broader level without

compromising on the overall focus of the essay.

Essay length could be about 1200 -1500 words. Each paragraph may contain

8-9 sentences. Introduction/conclusion could take 1-2 paragraphs each. Take

the first 15 minutes to understand the topic and the last 15 minutes for

revising.

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