Dear SSB aspirants,
For teacher and other exams, I would like to share some of my personal views regarding the exams. May be views are compatible as well as incompatible to many, but hope people take me in context and not out of context. Exam dates are out and fears have risen but I suggest rather request to take things easier. After thoroughly going through the syllabus and experiencing so many papers and witnessing competitive exams in field myself as well; I arrived at the conclusion that nature of papers will be like that if one prepares planned and keeps constancy one can do excellently well. Many people ask me questions what to read and where from to read or prepare and so on. Let me again without fearing criticism write you people again and again that NCERT are the best. They are precise, brief, lucid, and authentic and contain everything relevant. From data, most people sitting on biggest administrative chairs have mostly attributed their success to NCERT books. They are treasures of knowledge. But many people may wonder which NCERT books as there are classes from 5th onwards up to 12th where NCERT textbooks or books based on NCERT are taught.
Let me clear you one important thing the NCERT books of 11th and 12th pertaining to polity, geography, history, economics biology, Sociology etc. are all inclusive which I mean that they contain all from those which is in lower classes. But when taking the Ancient History of India of sixth class it does wonders because a graduate or post graduate even of science background would feel extremely confident while holding that bowl in hand. His mental makeup will give him confidence that oh very lower class book. This will work because he may take hardly two hours to read that very book. And while reading it is not wasting time but learning what actually ancient history means and after finishing that he may take now the NCERT history books of 11th or 12th which will not only benefit him but will also help to solve the toughest questions asked in competitive exams. Same is the case with Modern Indian history. Let we again start it there from 8th class and then read the same of 12th class. The things will go on.
Similarly in polity or more appropriately Constitution part let we start from 9th and 10th NCERT books or board text and then 11th class NCERT textbooks like constitution at work, organs of government, Indian constitution and administration. Now here subject experts will not take me serious as I know they are post graduates and NET qualified but again making them bear with me. We need understanding concepts and then remembering facts and data like schedules, articles, amendments, Fundamental rights, directive principles, judiciary, Panchayat Raj but we will discuss first what the nuts in wall nut are. Alongside these NCERT books of constitution let we brush-up from Arihant smaller pack of Rs 25 which will help us to revise in short span of time as the material there is concise and very relevant. Here again going to Fat books of DD Basu and Laxmikant are fatal. Let the political science graduates read them. And doing latest developments in constitution will add us in the current affairs section. Now coming to science portion, I again strongly recommend and request you all people do it from 9th, 10th NCERT textbooks. I don’t mean all these books from cover to cover but portions of your syllabus. The topics left out may be consulted from 11th and 12th NCERT books. It gives us extra advantage of holding smaller and authentic books in hand.
While reading all books, notes making is strongly recommended by which I mean from each page one, two or three points only are important which we need to compile in a long, bigger notebook. This will help us to keep important things at one place. Besides at the time of revision particularly when examination is near we can revise the things from that notebook itself and no need to open dafter (bookshop) again. Now the portions for which we have no NCERTs what shall be done, simple; market is flooded with books which are good as well as not good. Let me take an example of computer science portion ask a BCA or MCA graduate about the very basic smaller book for that.
Then go through the ABC of that book like doing basic terms and concepts. Again we are here not doing PG in computer rather simply attempting MCQ in it. Concluding my views again, I would like to wish you focus on NCERT books and doing those portions of syllabus from those books only and when the portions are not there then knowledge is at your click. Do googling and search for best authentic material. Environmental Science portion and geography will go together. Do main things from physical geography first which would help you then in doing things from economic geography as well. Again NCERT books of 9th, 10th, 11th and 12th will suffice not all portions but those in syllabus. After doing all this or side by side general knowledge books like of DGP, Arihant(smallest one) or GK by Tarun Goyal will help you to do miracles in exams as these books contain separate portions for geography, economy, information technology, general science, ecology, constitutions. This information is lucid, relevant, concise, and at single place. Maths portion too is in reach by going through papers and a good book on mental ability and arithmetic. I think R.S.Agarwal is good.
Thank you and wish you all!
Allah the best May you succeed and serve the society morally!
(The writer is Assistant Professor posted at Women College Anantnag. He can be reached at: subzar@gmail.com)
