POSTAL ASSISTANT EXAM - PREPARATION GUIDANCE PART-1

General Awareness is an Integral part of most of the competitive exams and it Comprises of current finance and economy, Geographical, social, cultural　aspects at national and international level. The fact that makes it a challenge　to prepare　is its unlimited range of questions.
　

General awareness is considered a big challenge by the aspirants due to is large range of questions. It is believed that you cannot prepare it completely as there are so many things happening around and you can’t remember them all. I am receiving many mails from aspirants asking how to tackle this big hurdle.　The solution is simple, Stay Updated!!

Although we accept it is challenging but it may be a great decider of your success if prepared properly. Last year the deciding factor between Postal Assistant Job getters and losers was "General knowledge". Previous year, most of the aspirants scored more than 20 marks in every part i.e. Arithmetic, Reasoning, and General English but failed to secure qualifying marks (10 marks) in GK. 

The General Awareness questions don’t take any time to solve. You only have to read and Mark. There is no　calculation　that you have to do (And very minimal, if any!!). So you may attempt this section in 10 minutes without much effort and it’s highly scoring also. It saves precious time to go for other time-taking sections. So I advise you to go for General awareness first as people normally complain about not being able to attempt this section　due to lack of time. It's a common reason of failure for many people that although they were able to score exceptionally good in other sections but they were unable to even attempt general awareness.　So attempt general awareness first!!

General awareness cannot be prepared in a single day. It has to be done daily for some time.　Make it a habit to keep you updated. If done properly, you'll surely gain a deciding edge over competitors and will easily pass through. So the preparation should be started well in advance.　 

Postal Assistant GK Syllabus (25 marks).

General Knowledge - Questions on current events, Sports, History, Geography, Basic economics, General politics, Indian Constitution, Science environment etc (25 marks).

Questions in this component will be aimed at testing the candidate’s general awareness of the environment around him and its application to society. Questions will also be designed to test knowledge of current events and of such matters of every day observations and experience in their scientific aspect as may be expected of any educated person. The test will also include questions relating to India and its neighboring countries especially pertaining

Current Events and Sports:

There is always something happening in this bloody big　world　so it’s not easy to stay updated with all the latest affairs all the time. We need to strategize our plan of action to prepare it accordingly; otherwise it will be tough nut to break for sure. In every second some issues are happening around the world in these sectors, and to accumulate the excerpt of some highlighted news, and memorize it is a good plan to prepare current affairs and GK.

So, how to prepare the current affairs? 

Go to Govt. library, read Daily News Paper (The Hindu, Indian Express or The Times of India) whatever competitive magazine you get (CST, Pratiyoigta Kiran / Darphan, Chronicle, Wizard) and note down important names/details

But keep in mind that all such magazines provide too many details/ball by ball commentary – you just need to maintain a brief MS word file / Dairy or containing important events/names/awards/mascots/venues only. Otherwise it’ll become very difficult to revise entire content from original source on the night before the exam.

Many of us are always confused about following questions:

Which newspaper to read? , Which books or magazines to read?

Is monthly magazines are enough?, and most important How to read newspaper ?

Before going to read any book, magazine or newspaper, it is most important to collect previous year papers of all Circles and make your own analysis that what type of questions are being asked. It is must before any study plan.

Because the local newspapers give　only　the "hot-shot" news of politics, cricket and Bollywood and exams are not asking much about it. So i prefer　"The Hindu". If not possible then Indian Express.

Following things are extremely important to read in newspaper

Recent developments in the field of　Science and Technology　like satellite launches, vaccine development, defence deals, new diseases, Computers, Hybrid Seeds, Solar Energy etc 

Environmental issues　are given high importance and developments like important summits and their outcomes, global　warming, carbon dump, carbon trading, environment-affecting projects like Dams, nuclear plants (Kudankulam protests), pollution should be regularly looked into. 

In　Polity, important　judgments　of social or national or economic importance should be　regularly　tracked. Nirbhaya Chattam, Food Safety bill etc

Keeping track of all the important　economic data　like growth rate, inflation, exports and imports, as well as current　economic issues like slowdown, global economic crisis, FDI in retail, RBI policy, big players and the companies owned by them, PSU's activity –its heads, Govt.'s policies, budget etc

Sports　events like tennis grand slams, cricket, Indian achievements in Olympics, world cup’s etc. Remember to go beyond cricket and read about other sports as well.

Awards and honours　from within India as well as from outside India like Magsaysay awards, Khel Ratna, Nobel Prizesand so on. Winners of Booker, Pulitzer, Miss World / Miss Universe. 

Persons in news　those that might have received some honor, or have invented something or achieved a personal feat of social value etc. Foreign Prez /PM; chief guest of 26^{th　Jan. Parade, Indian diaspora} – especially in USA, chiefs of army-navy-air force, supreme court, various national bodies etc

International Affairs / Important office Holders of World Organizations, OPEC,ASEAN,SAARC etc- if they're meeting then note down where they met and what points did they discuss? Indian Army Exercise with China/US etc

Administration: Administrative reforms, E-gov etc. 

Government schemes (NPS, NREGA- and editorials related to it-good things, bad things)

Education related- Deemed univ etc.

How to Prepare for History

What to prepare from History: Major preparation should be done from Medieval India to freedom of India. As per my opinion it is better to concentrate on Modern Indian History

While studying don´t overload your mind by memorizing dates. Questions will be asked from major events and major persons. As every person has limited amount of memorizing capacity, you will have to forget something for something new. So use your memory smartly.

Try to understand and co-relate the events in Indian History and try to make relationship with your life.　Its　your duty to create memory link up with the events.

For Indian history and culture refer NCERT books from class 7 to 10, Indian history (Arihant) or lucent G.k etc.

Medieval Indian History:

1. Important Wars (who fought with whom, when and what was the result + some of them are from ‘modern history’)

Two Tarai battles, Three Panipat battles, Three Anglo Maratha wars, three Anglo-French wars, Two Anglo-Sikh wars, Plassey, Buxar, Bedera, Burmese, Afghan

2. Delhi Sultanate: Qutubuddin Aibak, Iltutmish, Razia Sultan, Balban , Alauddin Khilji and his policies, Mohd. Tuglaq and his speciality, Firoz Shah Tughlaq and his policy, Sikandar Lodhi, Ibrahim Lodhi.

3. Mughal and their policy / work/ constructions, Babar, Humayun,Sher Shah (although not a Mughal), Akbar, Jahangir, Shah Jahan, Aurungzeb

4. Maratha: Shivaji, his administration and the three Anglo Maratha wars

5. Culture: South India Temple and features: Gopuram, Garbhagriha, Hoysala temple etc.

6. Poets-patron kings, main books, Mosques, tombs, gates, forts etc.: where are they located and who built them?

7.Travelers (incl. Ancient) + envoys: mainly Megasthenes, Fa-Hien, Al-Baruni, Huien Tsang, Marco Polo, Ibn Batuta, Nicolo Conti, Wiliam Hawkins, Thoms Roe, Tavernier, Bernier.

8. Religion: Bhakti saints, Sufi Saints particularly Khwaja Muinuddin Chisty, Sikhism, Gurus particularly Nanak, Arjan Dev and Gobind Singh

Modern Indian History

1.Entry of Europeans: where did they setup factory and under whose rule? + their conflicts with Native rules (e.g Siraz-ud daula, Tipu Sultan)

2.Important Gov.Gen/Viceroys and their policies ,

Hastings, Cornwallis, Wellesley, Bentick, Metcalfe; Aukland; Hardinge (each of them only did 1 or 2 imp things), Canning, Mayo, Lytton, Ripon, Landsdown. Curzon, Minto, Chelmsford

The Viceroys after Chelmsford should be prepared with focus on how they handled Gandhi and Partition of India:

Irwin, Willingdon, Linlithgow, Wavell, Mountbatten,C. Rajagopalachari (only the fact that he was 1st　and last Indian governor general of free India)

3.Revolts :     1857

Peasant revolts and their leaders+reasons: mainly Indigo, Deccan, Ramosi, Chamran, Kheda, Moplah, Tebhaga, Telengana and Eka

Tribal revolts and leaders+reasons: mainly Rampa, Munda, Naga and Tana Bhagat.

Others mainly Sanyasi, Pagal Panthi and Kuka

4.Culture:
Books and authors (Dadabhai, RC Dutt, Gandhi, Bankim etc)

Newspaper-language-owner 

various org. and their founders: Mainly Brahmo, Sadharan Brahmo, Namdhari, Radha Swami, Arya Samaj, Prarthana, Deccan Edu., Theosophical, Ramkrishan Mission, Servents of India, Purna Seva Sadan, Satya Sodhak, Aravipuram, Justice party, Bahishkrit Hitkarini, Self-Respect, Harijan Sevak, Derozio, Tattvabodhini, Wahabi, DEoband, Aligarh,

Reformers: Roy, Vivekanand, Sahjanand, Saraswati, Kesab Chandra etc.

Education reform: Hunter, Sadler, Macaulay and Sargeant

5.Freedom Struggle :

Congress, GK related to Congress Sessions: prominent chairmen, resolution etc.

Moderate, Extremist and their leader, Surat Split

Swaraj Party, Nehru Report.

Congress Ministries vs Muslim League

Revolutionaries: org.-leaders-members and conspiracy-cases + INA and its trials + RIN munity 

Home Rule Besant and Tilak and Lucknow Pact

6. Gandhi:

Champaran, A’bad, Kheda;NCM, Khilafat, CDM, QIM

Gandhi-Irwin, Gandhi-Amebedkar, Gandhi-Bose

Reforms:　Morley Minto; Montague-Chelmsford

Thuggary:　Rowlett, Jalliyanwala, Simon, RTC, Communal award

Acts:　1909, 1919, 1935 and 1947;

Partition related: Linlithgow offer, Wavell plan, Cabinet Mission , Cripps Mission.

Geography:

Most of the questions will be from Indian Geography. So don´t prepare for world Geography.

Use NCERT books for proper concept　building　and finally use LUCENT GK for　quick revision of facts.

Indian Geography

1. Some Geographical Facts of India

Climatic conditions in India- Major Seasons of India

2. Major Solis of India- Forest types and their distribution

3. Mountain, Plateaus, DesertsWhich states do they cover (e.g Khasi-Garo-Jantia hills)highest peaks.

Mountain passes (Nathu-la etc.)

Which of them are young mountain/fold mountain etc.?
4. Rivers / Lakes / WaterfallsWhere do they start? , Which states do they cover?In which sea do they end?, list of their tributaries

Any water fall?, Any dams? If yes then which states get benefit from it?

Any national inland waterway on them?, Major Lakes, Reservoirs
5. States:

Administrative, CENSUS-2011　related GK (highest-lowest in literacy, sex ratio etc.) + State with maximum ST population in absolute numbers and in percentages. etc.

State capitals (especially for North East); where is state high court; in case of UT/islands which HC has jurisdiction (under polity), do they come under 5th　or 6th　schedule (under polity)

 border: with neighboring states and countries; state with largest area, longest coastline, max no. of district

 Soil-crop-cropping seasons – Agriculture Pattern- Major producers of crops

 Trade and Transport- Major Highways of India- Railway Zones

6.Mines/minerals (only the very prominent names. don’t go in all details)

7.Famous industrial / handicraft cities

8. Towns of export excellence (especially those recently added)
If it is a costal state: name of major ports?Any famous airport?

National highway: shortest and longest9.CultureAny important fairs / cultural events-dances/festivals?

Famous tourist places hill stations, temples, monuments, mosques, minar, caves etc?

Any sites included in UNESCO world heritage list? (use google)

Environment, Any biodiversity hotspot?

Any famous wildlife parks / sanctuaries?

Any rare species found?   Any place famous for migratory birds?

Physical Geography:

Universe: basics of planets-their moons, asteroid, comet, stars etc. (just do high school level coverage, don’t put lot of time here on individual planet)

Layers of atmosphere: their sequence, uses (Ionosphere, stratosphere etc)

Layers of earth-core, SIAL, SIMA, discontinuity.

Main terms associated with volcanos and earthquakes

Longitude, latitude, timezone, coriolls effect.

Climate: how altitude, distance from sea affect temp.; axis-tilt-seasons-day n night; albedo, ozone, aurora

Types of soils and rocks- what crops/minerals do they have

 Major Grasslands of the world / Deserts/ Lakes / Waterfalls/ straits

Polity: 

Advantage of Polity Section in General Studies-Getting all correct answer in polity is not that hard as getting the same in History/Geography / Current Affairs because most of the data follows a logical pattern. So revise it a lot and make polity your strong point for G.S.

Important Topics to Prepare in Polity.

History of Constitution, Constitutional developments, Preamble, Barrowed features of Constitution,

Articles- you don’t have to remember all articles numbers in Constitution – but only imp articles numbers- like appointment, powers and removal of things (like President), budget , parliament etc. 

Schedules of Constitution, the Union & its territory, Citizenship

Fundamental Rights: This is considered as the most important aspect of our constitution. Go through all the Fundamental Rights (FR) many times over until you grasp the essence of each FR. Also try to remember which article corresponds to which FR and what the provisions are therein. 

Directive Principles: After the FR’s these are a very important part of the Constitution and you should try to remember the main provisions of the important DPSP’s by heart. This does not mean rote the exact sentences; rather know what the article is about. For instance Article 44 talks about a Uniform Civil Code across the territory of India.

The Union Executive, The Council of Ministers, Prime Minister, The Comptroller and Auditor General　of India, Union Legislature (Parliament), Centre - State Relations,

Judiciary- Supreme court/High court jurisdiction and writs

Public Service Commissions, Elections, Emergency Provisions and Amendment of the Constitution: Each of these chapters is again very important. 

Amendments and Schedules: You should know the important amendments of the constitution, the year in which the Act was passed along with their important provisions. The two most important amendment acts are the 42nd and 44th passed in 1976 and 1978 respectively.

73rd and 74th amendments implementation, welfare provisions for SC/ST/OBC, Human rights/women/minorities SC/ST commissions and SC/ST atrocities act.

Special status of Jammu & Kashmir, National　Human Rights Commission, National　Symbols, Chief Election Commissioners　of India, Reorganization of States, Prime Ministers　of India, Chief Justices　of India, Speakers of Lok Sabha, Women CM's　of India, Women Governors in India, Finance Commissions　of India

The importance of Nirbaya Chattam and food ordinance. 

The importance of newly appointments like C&AG, Election Commission, Supreme court Chief Justice, Uppsc, Appsc Chairmen,…etc

Use "Comparative Reading" Example　when you read polity — do it in following routine

Read President — then read governor

Read PM, then read CM

Parliament and then State Legislature

Supreme Court and then High court and so on.

Science and Technology:

By the Science questions, your basic Ability to solve Science related general questions and your awareness with the development of the day to day life based on science are judged and to check how accurately you can apply your knowledge of science in the practical life. For this you need not to do any special study on Science, neither need you to have a Science background. Questions are generally on the School level. You need to polish up your School level Science. Studying and practicing the NCERT school books from class 6 to class 10 is very helpful.

Best way to Prepare General science is to refer NCERT science books from class 7 to 10.you can also buy Lucent's General science.

Biology:

Cell structure, living organisms classification, life processes of plants and animals (nutrition, digestion, respiration, circulatory system, blood, excretion), control & coordination(nervous system, eyes, ears),endocrine system & reproduction, digestive enzymes, hormones, vitamins, infectious diseases, natural resources management(air, water, soil pollution, wetlands, forestry, wildlife)applications of biology(plant breeding, animal breeding, pesticides, bio fertilisers, biotechnology, stem cells),Institutions of National importance.

Chemistry:

 

Physical and chemical changes, Atoms and molecules, Acids, bases and salts, metals and non metals, fibers, periodic table classification ,carbon compounds(hydrocarbons, polymers),bio molecules(carbohydrates, proteins, fats),nuclear fission, nuclear fusion, breeder reactors, metallurgy.

All the above topics are the areas one need to look into but the scope of questions in exam may or may not be limited to above topics.

Physics:

 

Force & pressure, Friction, gravitation, solar system, mechanics(newton laws, centripetal, centrifugal forces, projectiles, angle of banking, potential & kinetic energy),liquids(capillarity, surface tension, viscosity),Sound, Heat, light, Electricity, Magnetism, satellites, modern physics (atomic energy, radio activity, cosmic, x rays, visible spectrum. 

Major scientific Institutions in India and their specialisation, Scientific Instruments and their uses, Scientific Measures

 

Space programme in India and its applications with special reference to industry, agriculture and other rural development activities, INSAT, IRS system..etc, Space Research and News from India, Space Programme in India AND Nuclear Research in India　, Indian Satellites, Launch Vehicles, and Other Space Programmes since 1975:-

Nuclear research and developments in India, Missile system in India, Indian Defence Structure & Weapons, Overview of Indian Defence Structure.

Economy:

What to study in economy?

GDP/GNP/NNP/ Inflation, Budget Process, RBI Policies, Agricultural subsidies, PDS, Food Security, social and poverty alleviation programs.

To observe the importance of Budget, Sebi, Imf, World bank, Employment, Banking, Sensex, Expenditure, Central plans, Receipts…etc

The importance of Central plans, 12th Plan..etc

And mainly candidates to concentrate the importance details of Banking Sector, Central / State Income Tax details, Budget concept..etc

The importance of Current affairs, Exports/Imports, value of Rupee details…etc

Sports: 
 
Can be classified into

Static: Who started Modern-Olympics, how many rings, what colors, how many games etc.

Various terms associated with individual sport, various trophies, Grounds located

For team based sports: no. of players in each team, length and width of ground, time limits etc.

Current

Grand slams- who defeated whom

Cricket: world cup, t-20, under-19 and women’s world cups: who defeated whom in the final match and where was it hosted?; ICC cricketer of the year

Athletics: venues, mascots, winners for

Olympics (summer and winter)

National games, Asiad, Commonwealth

Hockey, Boxing, shooting, wrestling, Badminton, Billiard, Golf, football and chess: main tournament and who won + if any Indian participated.

The importance of Current affairs, Exports/Imports, value of Rupee details…etc

Awards: Rajiv Gandhi khel ratna, Dronacharya, Arjun; ICC cricketer of the year; golden boot for football etc

Summary: 

In the　daytime, read for general awareness, in the　night after dinner,practice aptitude. Because after dinner, body starts feeling sleepy and brain starts losing concentration. But if you’re moving your hand (by writing the Maths /reasoning sums),then brain has to concentrate. 

Revision is essential　for General awareness. Whatever you read – keep a target of revising it multiple times. Otherwise, you won’t be able to recall the exact details in the exam.

 

Don’t waste time　in day-dreaming, face book, random net surfing, chatting, TV, cricket, weddings of distant relatives/college batch mates etc.　Time-pass activities will always be there, but once you cross the age-limit, there is no restart button. (This rule applies to all competitive exams.). 

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