Check out How to Prepare UPSC Botany Optional subject – Study Strategy. UPSC Mains Botany Optional subject Preparation Tips are provided here. UPSC Notification 2018 has released. Today we’ve provided Preparation strategy for UPSC Botany optional Paper. UPSC has already announced IAS / Civil Services Exam Dates. Before going to start preparation strategy for UPSC, know UPSC Mains Syllabus. You can check Suggested Strategy for Botany optional for UPSC IAS mains exam
How to Prepare UPSC Botany Optional Subject
Botany is highly scoring optional subject in UPSC IAS Mains exam. This is one of the optional subjects that the UPSC offers candidates in the mains exam. Not many candidates opt for it as it is a specialized subject. This article talks about Botany as an optional for the IAS mains exam and gives a few tips to prepare for this optional. It will be difficult to any aspirants does not have a prior knowledge of Botany and Agriculture.
- know your UPSC Civil Services Exam syllabus
- Select Best Reference Books
- Prepare a Study plan
- Prepare own Preparation Notes
- Practice Previous Question Papers
- Practice few Mock Test Papers
Why Botany optional?
Candidates who have taken Botany or Biology as their graduation major and are in touch with this subject can take this optional. Candidates who have lost touch but still like the subject or enjoy reading about it can select this subject. Also, aspirants with a background in biotechnology can also opt for this optional subject.
UPSC Preparation Tips
UPSC Aspirants should follow exam tips to write the exam. Preparation tips are needed for any exam. UPSC exam should be conducted once in every year. Planning and hard work are very important to face any competitive exam. Below are some of the tips for preparation.The Paper I of Botany is which is like General studies and on diagrams more in this paper. But Paper II of Botany optional deals with the technical concepts such as cell biology, Genetics, evolution and molecular biology.
Step 1: Know UPSC Botany syllabus
In the previous article, we’ve provided UPSC Mains Botany Syllabus. You can check and find what are the applicable topics and chapter for UPSC IAS Mains 2018 Exam.
Check– UPSC Botany Syllabus 2018 – IAS Mains Optional Subjects
Step 2: Select Best Reference Books for UPSC Botany
To prepare UPSC Botany Optional Subject, UPSC aspirants should prepare some reference books. We’ve already provided UPSC Reference Books for All optional papers. You can check our best-recommended books for IAS exam at given link below. The suggested books are included optional and language Subjects.
Check –UPSC Mains Botany Reference Books
Recommended books for Botany:
- Cell Biology- De Robertis & Ambrose and Easy or Powar
- Botany for Degree Students ; Pteridophyta (Vascular Cryptogams) – P.C. Vashishta
- Cryptograms – B.R. Vasista
- Ecology, Microbiology, Animal Behaviour, Pollution and Toxicology For B. Sc. Part III, Paper III- Dr. Veer Bala Rastogi
- Genetics – Strickberger
- Embryology Of Angiosperms- S P Bhatnagar
- Economic botany in the tropics- S. L. Kochhar
- Microbiology- Powar
- Genetics – Dr. Veer Bala Rastogi
- Physiology and Biochemistry – Salisbury and Ross or Fritz and Noggle
- Plant Anatomy – Esau
- Taxonomy – R Nair; Datta
- Plant Anatomy – B.P. Pandey
Step 3: Prepare a Study Plan
Study plan is very important for every exam preparation. It plays a key role in the success of getting the good score in the UPSC exam. Prepare a study plan for UPSC exam. Make a monthly plan, weekly plan and daily schedule to prepare UPSC Botany Optional Paper. Allot the time for exam preparation and set the time for playing, eating, watching TV, and studying.
Daily prepare few hours and spend at least 5 hours for IAS exam preparation.
Tips to Prepare for Botany Optional in the UPSC Mains Exam
“Botany, the eldest daughter of medicine.” – Johann Hermann Baas
Botany is one of the optional subjects that the UPSC offers candidates in the mains exam. Not many candidates opt for it as it is a specialized subject. However, there have been a few toppers who had taken this optional subject (Gopala Sundera Raj, AIR 5/2011). This article talks about Botany as an optional for the IAS mains exam and gives a few tips to prepare for this optional.
Who should take Botany optional?
Candidates who have taken Botany or Biology as their graduation major and are in touch with this subject can take this optional. Candidates who have lost touch but still like the subject or enjoy reading about it can select this subject.
Also, aspirants with a background in biotechnology can also opt for this optional subject.
Advantages of Botany optional:
- Being a science subject, it can be scoring.
- Nothing is left to interpretation and the examiner’s personal views do not play any part in marking.
- The portions are pretty much static.
- Candidates need only to have their foundation clear and have conceptual clarity to write good answers.
- You can score through diagrams in this subject.
- The questions in this subject are direct and fundamental.
Strategy for preparing Botany optional in the IAS/PCS Mains:
Paper I Strategy:
- Focus on diagrams more in this paper.
- Give Indian examples also of species.
- Microbiology section is most important for the 200 words short notes.
- The key areas in Phanerogams are:
- Gymnosperms: focus on fossil types
- Angiosperms: prepare floral diagrams and formulas.
- Embryology: don’t ignore diagrams in this topic.
Paper II Strategy:
- Under cell biology, molecular aspect should be given importance.
- Genetics, evolution and molecular biology are important areas with high scoring potential.
- Candidates should write answers giving prominence to applications in agriculture and human welfare.
- In Physiology and Biochemistry sections, biochemical physiology is very important. In topics like flowering, seed germination and fruit ripening, aspirants need to cover hormones and developmental physiology.
Visit tcs academy Center for strategy/Class/Notes for IAS/PCS prep and all the latest on UPSC IAS exam.
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