25 best apps and tools to rely upon while preparing for civil services exam

Every year lakhs of candidates appear for Civil Services Exam, but very few of them get their names in the final merit list. This year, when the vacancies are expected to be less as compared to the previous years, students are even more anxious and must be looking for the right and relevant resources to prepare for Civil Services Exam.

While, the common suggestions which aspirants get when they inquire for the best resources are NCERTS, currents affairs and the standardly recommended books. But we must not forget that now we have the power of technology with us, and we can make best out of it. It’s time to take this positive signage as a boon & crack IAS with a perfect blend of offline study resources & best E-learning sources.

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Now, when we say E-learning sources, we are all aware that in this web-tangled & informative era, where everything is just a click away; aspirants living almost anywhere in the country, have access to the Internet Services & thus the reach and feasibility of study sources have also increased. Digitalisation has indeed made our lives hassle-free, providing us almost every benefit at an affordable price at the comfort of our homes. Even the best offline sources, such as NCERTs, Newspapers are also available online now. And hence, we have compiled the list of all the important tools and online resources which can help you give a boost to your preparation for Civil Services Exam.

Government Websites for Official Announcements, Schemes & Policies:

1. NCERT: NCERT is the base of IAS preparation. Students can download free PDF of NCERT Books for all subjects to be studied for UPSC Civil Services Examination. Once you have formed a strong base knowledge with NCERT’s, refer to other standard books for each subject.

Find some recommended books, here or get help from an academy who can help you with best and relevant study material if you have chosen to do self-study!

2. Yojana: An extremely insightful magazine, published monthly, contains write-ups & articles by educationalists on developmental topics. You can download a free copy of the magazine from their website itself.

3. A government of India Web portal: Official Website of Indian Government for a single point access to information about several welfare schemes of the Government and their various aspects including eligible beneficiaries, types of benefits, scheme details etc. along with their detailed analysis. The website is very helpful in preparation for all 3 stages of Civil Services Examination.

4. Social Justice Web Portal (Government of India): In regard with UPSC Civil Services Examination preparation, this website caters to the Mains exam preparation (for writing GS Paper II) with a detailed analysis of social conditions.

5. NITI Aayog Web Portal: Think Tank for the Government of India, The National Institution for Transforming India better called NITI Aayog was formed, replacing The Planning Commission, to provide both directional and policy inputs to the government, along with relevant technical advice to the Centre and States. This website helps candidates get better insights into governmental planning & actions.

6. ISRO: Website for the Space agency of the Government of India, The Indian Space Research Organisation helps aspirants gather information about the various space missions and detailed specifications which are fruitful for both Prelims and Mains stage (especially, GS paper III) of Civil Services Examination.

7. CPCB: The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) is a statutory organisation providing technical services to the Ministry of Environment and Forests. The website is managed by the Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change; and Civil Services aspirants can find here all the relevant Environment and Ecology related updates.

8. PRS: PRS is a non-profit organisation and an independent research institute, to make the Indian legislative process better informed, more transparent and participatory. Civil Services Aspirants can find various bills and their detailed information on their official website.

9. PIB: Press Information Bureau (PIB) is a nodal agency of the Government of India & one of the most important websites for Civil Services aspirants. Candidates can find all the information regarding new initiatives by the government on the official website.

10. AIR News: All India Radio is the national public radio broadcaster of India and AIR News is a must to be followed by all the candidates to get all the latest updates & News stories broadcasted in affirmation by Government of India.

Other ‘Crucial for Learning’ Magazines/Apps/Websites for giving a polished edge to your Civil Services Preparation

1. Success Speaks (UPSC CSE Toppers Interview)

2. Pratiyogita Darpan (Magazine, Mobile App & Web portal)

3. Kurukshetra Magazine

4. Daily News Analysis

5. IAS Educator

6. GK Today

7. Jagran Josh

8. Forum IAS

Learning with the help of Technology: Apart from the above-mentioned important sources of information for Civil Services Examination, here are some other tools to make your preparation journey easier & more interesting:

1. Evernote: A very important App to declutter your notes & drawings while preparing for the IAS examination.

2. Mapboard: App to practice Maps for the Geography part

3. Simple Mind: Crucial for effective mind maps to ease out the Civil Services Examination preparation.

4. StayFocusd: App to increase your productivity by limiting the amount of time that you unnecessarily spend on social platforms

5. Dictionary App: Crucial for a handy partner to give you the meaning of everything you are not aware of!

6. Quizup: App with Objective type Questions, best for preparation of Preliminary stage of Civil Services Examination.

Download these apps today & give an ease to your IAS preparation

Technology has undoubtedly taken over the Education sector, but we still cannot completely rely on this to gain all the knowledge, especially in the case of Civil Services Examination. We can never completely roll out the importance which books hold in our education system. And thus, we have ensured keeping the above-mentioned lists to the point so that you stick by the relevant most study sources and dedicate more time to your Exam preparation, writing practice & Revision. Don’t forget to enrol in Mock Tests and assess your ground preparation for India’s most competitive Civil Services Examination.

Remember, the key is to limit your study sources & revise as much as you can! Study only what is relevant!