Optional Subjects in Ias Examination

The candidates keep on asking what subject they may take as optional to score high marks.

The popular choices among candidates are-

Public Administration, 

Sociology,

Geography, 

History, 

Political Science and

Philosophy.

What should be the basis of choosing an optional?

Choosing an optional subject will result wothful if following points are seriously considered by the candidates.

a) Interest

b) Availability of good books and notes

c) Basic knowledge

Here maturity of a candidate will work a lot. Neither a senior nor a faculty can decide Interest of a candidate. Every subject is mark-fetching. 

Also keep in mind that you may have been proficient in a subject, but lack of touch maymake it tougher to re grasp the same subject.

A huge study material is available for subjects such as History, Sociology, Anthropology, Geography, Political Science, Psychology and Public Administration.

That's why maximum faculties advise those subjects to the candidates.
The social sciences papers have huge number of takers and due to it scoring high marks inthese subjects are extremely difficult.
Scoring optional

Candidates are discouraged to believe in  myth of scoring optional. I see large number faculties advised students to take Public Administration with a logic of huge mark fetching optional. But every subject is mark fetching. Interst in a particular subject decides score. 

 If candidates are pursuing graduation or masters in any of the Arts subjects and desire to take IAS Exam then it is advised them to pursue it seriously and focus more on the UPSC Syllabus that is common to their degree as well as the IAS Mains Exam.

With these criteria, one can understand that having some background about the subject along with interest are the more important factors in choosing the right optional for IAS than merely depending on the popularity or scoring potential. Some of the candidates who had taken the most ambiguous subjects like Veterinary Science, Literature, Mathematics and others have scored profoundly in the Mains just because they opted the subject they were pursuing and which they loved.

There is a myth that there are easy optional subjects for ias.