On Mech Engg for CSM

Preparing with mechanical engineering as optional for civil services mains examination is a high risk, high reward option.
1.The syllabus is so vast that it feels like it will take for ever to one reading.
2.The questions that are asked require memory of numerous formulae, methods, facts etc, and there is no scope for "likh diya kuch to sochke"
3.There is no overlap of any kind with GS, so it is drain on GS time
4.You are relying quite a lot on mercy of upsc(in other optionals also, but the point is still valid)
Benefits:
1.If you study well, it is easy to score 200+ any day, compared to some humanities optionals in which even a scholarly aspirant might end up with 160 with no clue of what went wrong.
2.Creates backup options of engg services and forest services, GATE
3.Scores are most likely to increase in successive attempts, so it is a rewarding optional in that way
4.Pulls interview away from complex GS issues
5.Easier to estimate scores expected

Now, how to prepare. First, leave behind whatever you did in college. It gives false sense of ability. You feel "abey, ye to ho jaega. Kiya to that college me". But when it comes to actual solving, you will have to read up and you realize, questions are many times different. Further, internet coughs up many strategies and book lists for mech, but most of it is garbage except for blog by Raveesh Gupta(http://raveeshgupta.blogspot.in/2012/10/mechanical-engineering-as-optional.html)
I took inspiration from Raveesh, but I did my own work over time which might match his approach.

Now, Mech papers can be divided into many parts, and I believe in one-topic, one-book(OTOB) rule. It keeps things narrow, simple, faster. If X is big enough, no need to run around for the small delta-X  you might find in some other book. But, if you are done with X, then you can go after the delta-X.

Paper 1 has 6 major parts with 1 book for each, that I referred to.
[Materials, Manufacturing, Industrial management] are 3 related topics forming one group
[SOM, TOM, MD] is another group
Materials and manufacturing have heavy overlap and often have 1 book covering both. So, I apologize for breaking the rule immediately after making it. For these two books, I used Manufacturing Science by Amitabha Ghosh, Degarmo's Materials and Processes in Manufacturing, 

A Text Book on Production Engineering by Swadesh Singh

For Industrial management, again there is not one particular book, but Hira Gupta for OR, Operations management by Hezier(https://books.google.co.in/books?isbn=8131721388), NPTEL course by IIT-R(http://nptel.ac.in/courses/112107142/)

For SOM, there is a less known by good book SOM by DK Singh(nsit prof) which is very good to quickly finish the topic, for people who want more examples, problems--BC Punmia is best

For TOM, SS Rattan

For MD, not many questions come from MD, so it is high effort, low gains area. I actually skipped it. But you can do it from Shigley or Norton or any other book.

Paper-2 has 4 topics which are easy to study and other topics overlap causing much discomfort.

Basic Thermodynamics(PK Nag), HMT(JP Holman), IC Engines(Mathur Sharma), RAC(CP Arora)

One can use other books, as per their comfort, but in these topics OTOB applies, dont waste time over multiple books.

Now for PowerPlants(PK Nag), Steam(RK Rajput), Gas Dynamics(compressible flow by SM Yahya(, Fluids(RK Bansal)

Many times, for fringe topics, the books fall short, then one can use internet, but before that it would be useful to check IGNOU material on mech(which has good basics) and VTU online course material(which often has good explanations and solved problems)

http://elearning.vtu.ac.in/ go to e-notes

Ignou material on mech is not available online, as egyankosh is down for some reason and I have not tried to avail physical copy(as I dont know how to) But there are some pdfs you can catch online. First chapter of SOM course with code BME-017 is www.ignou.ac.in/upload/Unit-1-17.pdf

Now one has to keep changing unit number till they get page not found. Likewise, one can also change the course code "17" and get other pdfs

There is 18 for materials, 19 for basic thermo, 32 for RAC, 53 for engines, 54 for metal work, 55 for CIM, 56 for TOM, 57 for cnc machines, 58 for powerplants, 59 for advance machining, 60 for machine design, 61 for automobile engineering, 62 for metrology

NPTEL is also there are and there are countless ppt files on net for many chapters. But while sifting thru these, always focus you want out of them and keep it lean.

Strategy:

First I went for books and I thought I will understand concepts and the questions wont stand a chance. But I soon was getting drawn into the quagmire of intense technical problems that are never asked in exam. So, I went completely lean. I sorted out all previous year topic wise and even sub-topic wise and collected them together. In past 2 years, all I did was to solve these questions and read concepts related to these questions. Later closer to exams I went back to books to get a bit of broader view and cover fringes.

So, I would say to all the new entrants in mech, to first and foremost quickly wrap up this exercise of topicwise question sorting, to understand scope and level of exams. Padhna kya hai, ye samajh aa jaye, to baki kaam to bas gadhe wala hai...

In coming posts, I will try to bring my notes and solved questions onto the blog to create some basic resources for mech. Cheers!

Topicwise list HERE