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World history IAS course

Author : The Study IAS | Published On : 09 Nov 2023

The Indian Civil Services Mains Examination, a significant hurdle on the path to becoming a distinguished civil servant, comprises an intricate web of subjects that are meticulously chosen to gauge the intellectual and administrative acumen of the aspirants. The task of answering 20 questions within a span of 3 hours is a gargantuan one and in the absence of a solid conceptual foundation, it becomes almost impossible for the aspirant to complete the paper. Even though contemporary trends have been used to highlight the declining importance of World History IAS course in the Civil Services Mains Examination, it is but a half-baked assumption. We shall give you 5 reasons why any serious aspirant MUST not ignore World History as a subject, during the course of their preparation:

  1. WORDING OF THE SYLLABUS

      The syllabus explicitly mentions: “History of the world will include events from 18th century such as industrial revolution, world wars, redraw of national boundaries, colonization, decolonization, political philosophies like communism, capitalism, socialism, etc.— their forms and effect on the society” and keywords of the syllabus have traditionally been instrumental behind the framing of questions in the actual examination.

Besides, since the topics defined in the syllabus are concise and to the point, they are low-hanging fruits for serious aspirants, with the ability to give you the requisite push of 10-15 marks required to get your name in the final merit list.

2) INTERCONNECTEDNESS:

A grasp of World History underscores the interconnectedness with various subjects (For example- International Relations in GS Paper II). This manifests in the form of soft skills, like better framing of answers and sub-points, value addition for introduction and conclusion along qualitative points. (For example - a firm historical background of Russia’s history of expansionism in the East, will help differentiate a generic answer on the Russo-Ukraine War)

3) ANALYTICAL INSIGHT:

World History, with its diverse narratives, fosters analytical thinking. Aspirants delve into the causes and consequences of significant world events, learning to analyze them from multiple perspectives. This is a highly useful quality, in order to sustain curiosity and holistically study the dynamic portion of the syllabus like Current Affairs.

4) Positive ROI (Return on Investment) in terms of time commitment:

A new aspirant need not dedicate more than with the right guidance and access to relevant material. When it comes to mastering World History for Civil Services, the dictum “less is more” should strictly be adhered to.

Besides with the unpredictability of the UPSC examination, it is not advisable to completely skip or ignore the topics specified in the syllabus, as UPSC is known to ask a disproportionate number of questions from certain topics, as an outlier.

5) COMPLEMENTARITY WITH HISTORY OPTIONAL

World History, consists of almost 25 percent of the total syllabus for students who opt for History as their optional. So without any extra effort, one can decently secure 100+ marks in GS Paper I as well- only by strategizing their choice of optional.

But the pertinent question that remains is, what has led coaching institutes and students to collectively ignore this subject? The answer lies in the myopic nature of analysis and perception of Industry Pundits- “Because UPSC does not ask questions from the area”. If one closely follows the pattern of the Civil Services Examination, one can easily dismiss such claims. For example, consider this question asked in CSE Mains 2023- “Bring out the socio-economic effects of the introduction of railways in different countries of the world. (150 words) (10 marks)” One can clearly identify how a comprehensive coverage and understanding of the subject is vital for attempting ALL questions satisfactorily.

But aspirants need not fret, because we will tell you how we, at The Study, have addressed this problem for you:

  1. Course material that is simple and lucid- which is drafted to develop a comprehensive understanding of changes, and not just a repository of facts.
  2. Exclusive focus on answer writing and addressing the demand of Previous Year Questions so that concepts can be applied in real time. Besides students develop the art of writing relevant content
  3. Regular weekly tests- to evaluate your progress by answering high quality questions, akin to the pattern of UPSC
  4. The expert guidance of Manikant Sir- allows students to form horizontal linkages among different topics of the syllabus while eliminating needless facts and also focuses on full and timely coverage of the course.

 Time and again, questions from our test series have directly reflected in General Studies and Optional Papers- which is a hallmark of trust and expertise, that we have acquired over three decades. Therefore, in this marathon race of the Civil Services Examination, it is important to enjoy the process of learning, instead of looking for quick fixes. After all, as Plato once said, “Knowledge which is acquired under compulsion obtains no hold on the mind."