How I Secured AIR 27 in UPSC CSE 2021 with PSIR Optional

By Saksham Goel, AIR 27

Political Science and International Relations (PSIR) is often considered one of the most rewarding optional subjects in UPSC preparation. At the same time, it can also become overwhelming because of its vast syllabus, dynamic nature, and the pressure to write analytical answers within strict word limits.

Since PSIR was also my graduation subject, I already had some familiarity with the discipline. However, UPSC preparation required a completely different approach — one that was concise, exam-oriented, and highly structured.

In this blog, I want to share the exact strategy that helped me score well in PSIR and secure AIR 27 in UPSC CSE 2021 in my first attempt.

1. Building a Strong Foundation

My preparation began with establishing a reliable base source for the optional. For this, I primarily relied on Shubhra Ranjan ma’am’s notes. They provided a structured framework for the entire syllabus and helped me organize my preparation topic-wise.

However, I never restricted myself only to coaching notes. During my college years, I frequently visited the Central Secretariat Library and explored academic books and journals.

I did not read every book cover-to-cover. Instead, I used a highly selective approach:

• I skimmed through books

• Identified valuable sections

• Photocopied only relevant pages

• Compiled them into categorized notes

This saved time while still giving my preparation academic depth.

2. My Approach to International Relations (IR)

The IR portion of PSIR is extremely dynamic. Static notes alone are never sufficient.

To keep my preparation updated, I regularly followed:

• The Indian Express

• The Hindu

• Occasionally The New York Times

I maintained separate notes for:

• India’s bilateral relations

• Major global conflicts

• International organizations

• Strategic developments

• Emerging geopolitical trends

Over time, these notes became one of my strongest assets during revision.

3. Following Subject Experts and Scholars

One practice that significantly enriched my answers was tracking the work of reputed diplomats, scholars, and strategic experts.

I regularly followed thinkers and writers such as:

• C. Raja Mohan

• Harsh V. Pant

• S. Jaishankar

• Shyam Saran

• Ananth Krishnan

I compiled their articles, observations, and analytical insights into a separate document of nearly 170 pages, categorized country-wise and issue-wise.

One resource I found particularly useful was India's Foreign Policy, which contains concise and highly relevant articles by former ambassadors and policy experts.

4. Consolidation Was the Real Game-Changer

The biggest challenge in PSIR is not collecting material — it is consolidating it.

At one point, I had nearly 2,500 pages of notes. Revising such massive content repeatedly before Mains would have been impossible.

So I gradually condensed everything into a highly summarized document of around 400–450 pages with highlights, keywords, and important value additions.

This consolidation process dramatically improved my revision efficiency.

I also scanned all my physical registers and stored them digitally on my laptop, which made revision more manageable between Prelims and Mains.

5. Finish the Optional Early

One mistake many aspirants make is delaying optional preparation until after Prelims.

In my opinion, PSIR preparation should ideally be completed by December before the Prelims year. This gives adequate time for:

• Revision

• Answer writing

• Test series

• Current affairs integration

• Mains-oriented preparation

Without early completion, managing GS, Prelims, and Optional together becomes very difficult.

6. My Answer Writing Strategy

Ultimately, UPSC Mains is less about how much you know and more about how effectively you articulate your knowledge according to the demand of the question.

These were some techniques that helped me improve my PSIR answers:

(a) Writing Speed and Conciseness

Each paper requires writing nearly 5,000–6,000 words in three hours. Writing speed therefore becomes extremely important.

One major adjustment I had to make was shifting away from academic, university-style writing. UPSC does not reward lengthy theoretical paragraphs.

Answers should be:

• Concise

• Structured

• Point-driven

• Analytical

• Within word limits

Respecting the 200-word limit is crucial.

(b) Pre-Prepared Introductions

To save time during the exam, I prepared introductions beforehand for:

• Major thinkers like Plato, Aristotle, Marx, Rawls

• Recurring themes like the New Cold War, globalization, democracy, and multipolarity

This reduced thinking time inside the examination hall and improved answer flow.

(c) Cross-Linking Different Parts of the Syllabus

One technique that significantly improves answer quality is interlinking different sections of PSIR.

For example:

• Comparative Politics concepts can enrich Political Theory answers

• IR examples can strengthen governance discussions

• Political theory can explain modern geopolitical developments

Such cross-linkages demonstrate holistic understanding and intellectual maturity.

(d) The “Penultimate Paragraph” Technique

One unique technique I consciously followed was adding a strong second-last paragraph before the conclusion.

This paragraph usually included:

• A recent current affairs example

• A scholar’s viewpoint

• A committee recommendation

• A geopolitical development

• A policy perspective

This helped the answer stand out to the examiner.

(e) Use Scholars Carefully

Scholar citations are important, but overloading answers with names can reduce clarity.

I generally used around 2–4 scholars per answer. The focus should always remain on argument quality and theoretical clarity rather than excessive name-dropping.

I also maintained a separate repository of:

• Topic-wise keywords

• Thinkers

• Terminology

• Concepts

• Academic phrases

This helped make my answers look more polished and discipline-specific.

(f) Differentiating GS and Optional Answers

One common issue among PSIR aspirants is writing optional-style answers in General Studies papers.

I consciously ensured that:

• GS answers remained broad and policy-oriented

• PSIR answers remained theoretical and academically grounded

Maintaining this distinction is extremely important.

(g) Preparing Extra Value Addition for Important Topics

Certain themes are almost guaranteed in UPSC every year:

• China

• The Quad

• Democracy

• India-US relations

• Global order

• Strategic autonomy

For such topics, I prepared extra value addition material, including:

• Unique statistics

• Institutional details

• Scholar opinions

• Party structures

• Reports and indices

For example, understanding the internal functioning of the Chinese Communist Party can make answers on China significantly richer and more nuanced.

Final Thoughts

If I had to summarize my PSIR preparation journey in one sentence, it would be this:

PSIR rewards organized thinking, smart consolidation, and effective articulation far more than random accumulation of material.

Aspirants often spend too much time collecting resources and too little time revising and writing answers.\\

My advice would 

• Keep resources limited

• Revise repeatedly

• Build interlinkages

• Use current affairs intelligently

• Practice articulation continuously

Most importantly, remember that UPSC Mains is not a university examination. The goal is not to display how much you know, but to present relevant knowledge in the most effective and examiner-friendly manner possible.