Abhilash Baranwal
Rank:
44
Academic Background: Engineering
Previous Selections (if any): IRS
Interests/Hobbies: Poetry and reading
Optional Subject: Sociology
Number of Attempts: 4
Congratulations on your selection! How do you
feel?
Thank you. I feel elated, humbled and
relieved.
What attracted you to Civil Services?
There was always a latent desire in me
to prepare for civil services as this is considered to be the most prestigious
service. But the desire got wings during my job at Oil India Limited where I
got exposed to the ways administration can help people. Moreover, I also got an
opportunity to serve as Presiding Officer in two different elections which
strengthened my conviction for civil services.
When did you start your preparation - along
with graduation, immediately after it or something else?
I started my preparation in 2013. So I
was already working for more than 1.5 years by then.
Was this your first attempt? If not, what
changes did you make in your strategy for this attempt?
This was my 4th attempt. I made a few
minor changes in this attempt. For example, I gave more emphasis on the Essay
paper, practised to structure my answers better, and organized my Optional
notes in a better manner for easy revision. I feel CSE is quite an
unpredictable examination and thus it is important to have faith in one’s
strategy. But one should always be ready for course corrections. For example, I
changed my style of answer writing from paragraph-wise to point-wise after my
first attempt.
Were you satisfied with your level of
preparation before the exam and were you hopeful of being successful?
I wasn’t entirely satisfied as I
failed to complete even a single mock-test paper within 3 hours. I got
penalized for the same as I couldn’t complete some of my papers of general
studies in CS Mains. I was hoping for a rank improvement over last time.
Considering the extensive syllabus of general
studies in preliminary examination and main examination, what strategy did you
adopt?
Since the syllabus is extensive, it is
important to be organized in your preparation. Be cautious while selecting the
source for every topic, but once selected stick to it. Limit the sources for
better time management and completion of syllabus.
Did you give special emphasis to some
particular sections or equal emphasis on all sections? In your opinion, can
certain sections be skipped by assuming them to be not so important?
I paid equal emphasis on all sections
barring the two topics i.e. Art & Culture and Science & Technology.
These two topics have more uncertainty in terms of the questions asked and
hence the benefit (marks)/cost (time) ratio is poor. Hence, I paid less
emphasis on them.
How much time did you take to complete your
preparation for all the three stages of the examination? Did you prepare for
each stage in sequence or for all the stages simultaneously?
Since this was my 4th attempt, I
required relatively lesser time. I devoted around 2-3 weeks for prelims (time
between result declaration of CSE 2016 and prelims in 2017), 2.5 months for
Mains and 1 month for interview.
How important do you think is making own notes
with studies? Please enlighten on the basis of your experience.
Notes were very essential for me.
Although a tedious job, but pays rich dividends as examination approaches. It
helps in quick revision and organization of the study materials. But I didn’t
make notes of the materials which are already in notes form like in the
Laxmikanth etc.
Did you rely on any electronic material and
other social networking sites for your preparation? If yes, did you find them
useful? Please share some websites you frequented.
I have been a full-time working
aspirant and was posted in Assam. Hence electronic materials did form an
important part of my preparation. But I only used them for value addition
instead of making them my mainstay of preparation. Important websites would be
pmfias.com, mrunal.org, insightsonindia.com, gktoday, youtube etc.
How did you determine which books, magazines
and periodicals to study and which to ignore/leave?
I purchased many books for the same
topics on basis of recommendation from different toppers posted on the
Internet. But after going through them, I used to select the most relevant and
effective ones. For example, I purchased and read three books of polity i.e.,
Subhash Kashyap, D. D. Basu and Laxmikanth; but finally I settled on
Laxmikanth. I couldn’t get my hands on any periodicals in Assam, although
several people have recommended following at-least one periodical.
In your opinion, how useful is participating
in mock test series at different stages of this examination?
Mock tests are extremely useful. I
didn’t join any test series in my first attempt and paid heavy penalties in
General Studies. But one must not pay too much emphasis on marks obtained in
such tests. What’s important is writing practice, execution of strategies
developed for writing answers etc.
How did you tackle the challenge of time
management- whether it was on a daily, monthly or annual basis?
Time management was a must for me as I
was a full-time working candidate. I feel the ability to prioritize and
self-discipline are the keys.
How did you maintain consistency in
preparation despite the de-motivating and often frustrating nature of this
exam?
I consider myself to be extremely
fortunate because I tasted early success in my first attempt itself. I featured
in the Reserved List and that was a huge morale booster. I feel if the
motivation behind preparation is original, aspirants would bounce back quickly
after any setback. It is also important to not let go of everything while
preparing. Some time should be taken out for what one likes to do. It helps in
maintaining energy levels.
On an average, how many hours in a day did you
devote to studies? What activities did you indulge in when not studying?
My study hours differed because of the
nature of the job I was in. But on an average I tried to manage 4-5 hours on
all working days. If not studying, I would be watching movies, hanging out with
friends, reading some poetry, or walking.
What was your optional subject? Did you study
it during your graduation or at any level after that? If not, on what basis did
you choose it?
Sociology. I am a Petroleum Engineer
which is not available as an optional. So I chose my optional quite
systematically. I purchased the basic books of Public Administration,
Psychology and Sociology. Got bored with the first two, while the Sociology
book was un-put-down-able for me. I got my answer. For my preparation, I took
leave from office for a few months and did classes at Daksh IAS from Praveen
Pandey sir and it helped me in building my foundation. Later on, I joined
online test series of Bibhaas Sharma sir in my later attempts.
Some people say that some optional subjects
are smaller, easier and more scoring than other subjects and hence are more
popular. In your opinion, would it be right to say so? While choosing your
optional subject did you consider its popularity as a basis?
It is difficult to actually predict
anything about CSE. Moreover the toughest part of preparation is having to read
the same thing over and over again. So I feel one must choose an optional that
he/she enjoys. Although it is true that syllabus of some subjects are smaller
than some others, but optional subjects in CSE are like companies listed in
Stock Exchange. And the most important warning is: Past performances are not a
guarantee for the future. Moreover one should also choose an optional according
to one’s strength. For example, people with good writing skills may have an
advantage in subjects like Sociology.
In your opinion, to what extent is success in
main examination dependent on the answer writing style? What approach did you
follow in developing the right style of answer writing?
Answer writing style is very important
for Mains. In fact, I learned this hard lesson only after getting penalised in
my 1st attempt. However this only means that certain basic conditions should be
fulfilled like simple language, proper structuring of answers, substantiating
your points, balanced approach, neat presentation etc. I followed the
Intro-Body-Conclusion format and wrote in points. I tried to write complete
sentences instead of half-ones.
How did you prepare for the essay? On
what basis did you select the topics of the essay in the exam hall?
Joined a test series for the essay and
wrote at least 10 essays. I selected topics on basis of the content that I had
on them and my level of comfort with the topic.
How did you prepare for the interview? Does
the preparation done during the short period immediately after the mains result
actually help in the interview?
I formed a study group with some of my
friends for interview preparation. I prepared topics related to my DAF
thoroughly; prepared answers for some tricky questions with help of friends and
organized mocks amongst ourselves. Along with that I gave few mock interviews
at different institutes as well.
Please share some of the questions asked to
you during the interview.
My interview was mostly on expected
lines. Questions were from my home state (Jharkhand), qualification (Petroleum
Engineering), and current service (IRS – Indirect Taxes and Customs). Apart
from that some questions were from Commonwealth games and Hindi poetry (my
hobby).
Which board conducted your interview? Does the
board that you get for interview make a difference in the result?
It was PK Joshi sir’s board. And I
don’t think that it really matters which board is interviewing you. I have
given three interviews so far for civil services and all three were taken by
different boards. But surprisingly I have got the exact same 171 marks in all
the three interviews. So it is futile and wrong to believe that some boards are
more suitable to your personality or are more scoring.
Is it necessary to support/justify/endorse the
policies and views of the government while writing the answers of civil
services examination or replying in the interview? Can the government’s opinion
on any issue be opposed?
The questions of Mains are
non-controversial and hence it is advisable to argue in favour of government
policies. But interview questions may veer towards grey areas and a nuanced
criticism of the government policy is acceptable. For example topics like prohibition,
beef ban, Jallikattu etc can be argued from both sides equally well. But the
government decisions are backed by adequate reasoning and it is important to
know those reasons before being able to criticise the policy.
How important do you think it is to have an
alternate career back-up while preparing for civil services? Which path had you
chosen?
I feel having a back-up plan is
important. UPSC CSE is a very tough examination and has reasonable amount of
unpredictability. Moreover after 2 serious attempts, one should be able to
manage preparations along with a job. I have been a full-time working aspirant
and it allowed me to stay focussed even when I didn’t get expected success in
earlier attempts.
How did you manage studies while working?
I was engaged in a job that was a
mixture of office work and field visits. As a result, I couldn’t really have a
fixed schedule. Quite frequently I had to stay at the field for entire night.
So my strategy was simple. Just utilize whatever time you got. I had to curtail
my involvement in sports, official and non-official parties and limit my phone
conversations with friends. Left me with 4-5 hours of net study (not gross)
every day on an average.
We wish you all the best for your future.
Thanks a lot.
Anu Kumari
Rank: 2
Academic Background: Graduation: B.Sc (Hons) in Physics from Delhi University
MBA (Finance and Marketing) from IMT, Nagpur
Work Experience: 9 years in corporate sector
Optional Subject: Sociology
Number of
Attempts: 2
|
Subject |
Marks |
|
Essay (Paper-I) |
153 |
|
General
Studies-I (Paper-II) |
102 |
|
General Studies-II (Paper-III) |
129 |
|
General Studies-III (Paper-IV) |
134 |
|
General Studies-IV (Paper-V) |
101 |
|
Optional-I (Sociology)
(Paper-VI) |
163 |
|
Optional-II (Sociology)
(Paper-VII) |
155 |
|
Writen Total |
937 |
|
Personality Test |
187 |
|
Final Total |
1124 |
What attracted you to Civil Services?
Basically there was a sense of
dissatisfaction in my private job, and a sense of monotony -doing the same
analytical work everyday. It was pretty meaningless and hollow. Initially,
there was a sense of learning, but with time, even that learning had subsided.
I was not content, doing all this. With only two attempts left, I decided to
take the plunge. I couldn’t afford to postpone it any longer, I was short of
time due to my age.
When did you start your preparation?
I left my job in June 2016, and
the exam was in August. So, for 15 days, I was searching the right books,
trying to grasp where to study from.
This was not your first attempt, so what
changes did you make in your strategy for this attempt?
My first attempt was after only
45 days of preparation; so, I knew that I won’t be able to clear it. Still, I
was short of only one mark. So I started to prepare for the next year’s exam
again, properly.
Were you satisfied with your level of
preparation before the exam and were you hopeful of being successful?
I was confident with my
preparation, because if we talk about my Optional paper, I had written four or
five tests for it, and my answers were being appreciated. So I knew that
perhaps I was on the right track. I used to get my answers evaluated for GS,
and I got some really good reviews. I remember I could not attempt a ten mark
question in the sociology section, and one in GS 4. This did cause a bit of
dissatisfaction, but I was sure that I would be able to clear the Mains.
What do you consider as your formula of
success?
Consistency, optimism and time
management.
Considering the extensive syllabus of general
studies in preliminary examination and main examination, what strategy did you
adopt in preparing for it?
It is important that we follow
the syllabus strictly, and keep our resources limited. I did not follow some of
the books that everyone did. I tried to get clarity on the concepts, revised
the same thing multiple times, and focussed on current affairs.
In your opinion, can certain sections be
skipped by assuming them to be not so important?
I did leave some topics completely.
I left world distribution of resources, in Geography. Except for World War I
and World War II, I had skipped World History as well. Except for this, I
studied everything else again and again, including essay.
How important do you think is the preparation
of notes with studies? Please enlighten on the basis of your experience.
I think it is better to revise
the entire topic, I never made notes from NCERT, or even for my Optional -
sociology. I always kept it comprehensive. But I did realise that studying the
entire Current Affairs would be difficult during the time between Prelims and
Mains, so I studied from notes, but not before the Prelims. I did this only for
the Mains because of the vast course and limited time, that too, only for the Current
Affairs.
Did you rely on electronic material and other
social networking sites for your preparation? If yes, did you find them useful?
Please share some websites you frequented.
Sometimes,
these websites tend to confuse you, given their huge number and the varied
material found in these. So it is better to follow only one specific website.
Also, it is important to follow
these websites judiciously. I followed Insight on India; they put various
topics in different columns, and that is helpful. I also solved MCQs given on
the website.
In your opinion, how useful is participating
in mock test series at different stages of this examination? Please share on
the basis of your experience.
Mock test series helped me a lot
with my preparation for the Interviews, because everyone was telling me to
prepare for DAF. I went to Sankalp Classes. They charged a very nominal fee and
helped me with a thorough preparation. They helped me with my state specific
preparation. The mock interviews also helped me gain insight on the variety of
questions, and I prepared the answers for over a thousand questions.
How did you tackle the challenge of time
management whether it be on a daily basis, monthly or annual?
My strategy was to have long
term targets and then to break them into daily, achievable goals. Prelims and
Mains were done simultaneously and it takes one complete year to properly cover
the vast syllabus. I used to make sure that I revise the topics everyday. I
planned the time I would devote to each subject; and I used to calculate the
time required to cover all the topics, and made sure I have a specific plan of
covering all the topics.
How did you maintain consistency in
preparation despite the de-motivating and often frustrating nature of this
exam?
I used to talk to my father and
my brother; they used to boost my morale. Also, talk to your true friends.
There are a lot of people who will put you down and take advantage of your
vulnerability. I used to read motivational and spiritual thoughts, often quotes
from Swami Vivekananda. I used to analyse where my demotivation is coming from;
and I worked on that. Solving the problem which is the reason behind the lack
of motivation is very important. I used to think about my past achievements,
and that helped me regain my self confidence.
What activities did you indulge in when not
studying?
I am an avid painter and dancer.
Though I couldn't dance much,I used to paint sometimes. I used to scribble in
the margins of my notebooks, while studying and revising as well.
What was your Optional subject? Did you study
it during your Graduation or at any level after that? If not, on what basis did
you choose it?
My Optional was Sociology. I had
never studied it at any level. My brother had filled my form for my first
attempt. He had opted for Sociology and I later found the subject very
interesting and decided to stick to it. I started to study Sociology after the
Prelims of my first attempt. The syllabus was concise and overlapped with a lot
of social topics.
In your opinion, to what extent is success in
Main examination is dependent on answer writing style? What approach did you
follow in developing the right style of answer writing?
Practising
answer writing is very important for the preparation, and so is appearing for
the mock test series. It is not important to follow one particular strategy,
whether one will focus on statics or current; you have to be balanced.
Also, I
used to refer Secure Initiative on InsightsonIndia; to prepare for the Mains. I
used to read the Current Affairs part and make notes on the same. I did this,
repeatedly on every single day, for four or five months. This helped me in time
management and to present the concepts while writing the answers.
Also, when you write the
conclusion, end it on a positive note; you can talk about the problems in the
entire answer, but give the solutions to them. And certain things enrich your
answer, like data. Use statistics in your answer… that really helps, and so
does the recommendation of the expert committee and diagrams.
What strategy did you adopt with respect to
writing the essay- introduction and conclusion or the standard way?
It is important to focus on all
the aspects, social, political, technical and the economic, of the topic. It is
also necessary to have a continuity in the paragraphs; for example, if you are
discussing the social issues in one paragraph, start the next with the impacts
of the same, etc.
Given the increasing scope of questions being
asked in the Ethics paper, for example John Rawl’s theory, Gandhi’s Seven Sins,
Public Service Code, et., What strategy should one adopt for preparing for GS
Paper 4? Please share your personal experience.
The questions hardly comes from
out of course. If you talk about the John Rawl’s theory, most of the Ethics
books had mentioned it. I made sure that I studied about all these thinkers,
case studies, etc. Given the dynamics, one can never be sure of what will be
asked and what not.
What strategy did you follow in the Mains
answer writing- attempt more questions with standard answers or giving
exceptional/ above average answers and compromising on the number of questions?
I think one should answer all
the questions, even if the quality is a bit compromised. It is always better to
emphasise on completing the paper. This happened with me too, in the Ethics
paper.
How should one attempt questions about which
one has no inkling or knows very less? For example- questions on Mcbride
Commission, allelopathy or other world history questions?
I think we should write
something, but not anything that insults the examiner. We can write something
about the topic, anything vague that we know; but not more than that.
Does the board that you get for interview make
a difference in the result?
I do not think so. An interview
board known to give high marks has also given lowest of marks.It depends on a
lot of factors, how was your day, the type of questions asked, and so on. Also,
there are five people who determine the marks, not one.
We wish you all the best for your future.
Thanks a lot.
Vallari Mahendra Gaikwad
Rank: 131
Academic Background: Graduation: Law BSL LLB (ILS law College, Pune.)
Post Graduation: LLM in Constitutional Law (Department of law,
Pune university, Pune)
Optional Subject: Law
Number of
Attempts: 4
Congratulations on your selection! How do you
feel?
Thank you! I feel relieved to
begin with, and then a big feeling of elation too.
What attracted you to the civil services?
The services which one gets, be
it IAS, IFS or IPS and their individual work-profile is unparalleled with any
other services out there. Hence, the opportunity to undertake challenging work
full of responsibility, and one which has potential to have direct impact on
many lives seemed like the kind of work that’ll give me the service
satisfaction that I seek.
When did you start your preparation- along
with graduation, immediately after it or something else?
The thought of appearing for CSE
occurred to me while I was pursuing my post graduation. So, I began my full
fledged preparation only after having completed my PG.
Was this your first attempt? If not, what
changes did you make in your strategy for this attempt?
No. In my
first prelims, I missed the cut off by 2 marks! So, for the next attempt, my
bigger priority was clearing prelims. Therefore, I deeply analysed the mistakes
that I’d committed and tried to read my own mind as to why I marked those questions
wrong while in the exam hall. I realized that most of the mistakes could have
been easily avoided had I been a little more careful, as even half a mark makes
a huge difference in reaching the cut off!
I also tried analysing the
questions that UPSC might ask, based on analysis on previous years questions
and prepared static and current affairs part thoroughly. This was coupled with
solving umpteen number of mock tests.
Were you satisfied with your level of
preparation before the exam and were you hopeful of being successful?
For, prelims, I was mentally
satisfied with my preparation and revisions done, so was hopeful of scoring
more than the cut off. But the same cannot be said about mains, as a lot of
subjectivity is involved. I wasn’t completely satisfied as there was always a
feeling, in retrospect that a particular answer could have been written better,
but then again, in mains, one has to only do relatively better! Therefore, my
focus was on completing the paper, writing precise and to the point answer to
each and every question while not compromising on the presentation style. I was
sure that I had done the best I could in that moment.
How is the UPSC examination different from
other examinations?
In multiple
ways, but to mention just three:
First would
be the duration of this exam which takes one full year and so we are engaged in
the process for a long time. One mistake in any of the three stages and it’s
back to square one!
Second
would be the huge competition spanning all over India numbered in lakhs
vis-a-vis the small number of vacancies. So the level of competition is really
cut throat!
Third would be the uncertainty
and vastness of studies involved despite the mentioned syllabus. Especially for
prelims, one has to read and revise a lot as width of the knowledge, common
sense, etc gets tested. In mains, the depth of knowledge, quality of answers,
speed, time management etc gets tested, and in PT, the overall personality gets
tested by a highly intellectual panel. I don’t think any other exam comes close
to CSE and hence it’s rightly called the mother of all examinations in India.
What do you consider as your formula of
success?
Patience and perseverance are a
sine qua non for this exam. There’s no one formula, but, self analysing the
pulse of UPSC, trusting intuition regarding what information is or is not
important as segregation is vital when there’s overload of material. Proper
revision and use of educated guesses in prelims, focussing more on quality
content and writing innovative answers for mains. Maintaining consistency in
studies is important and I tried to be balanced and have equanimity during ups
and downs.
Considering the extensive syllabus of general
studies in preliminary examination and main examination, what strategy did you
adopt?
I did integrated studies for
both. I focussed more on understanding the concepts, the news, the what why
when of all issues and kept close to syllabus so as to not divert. Strategy was
designed to cover each topic of syllabus thoroughly. Self notes from newspaper
and internet for dynamic topics also helped.
Did you give special emphasis to some
particular sections or equal emphasis on all sections? In your opinion, can
certain sections be skipped by assuming them to be not so important?
I tried to cover all topics
mentioned in the syllabus, such that I had a basic idea of everything. But
there isn’t enough time to dedicate equally to all topics. Therefore, analysing
few topics (like freedom struggle for example) that are more important than
others becomes necessary and I did such topics in extra detail. But when it
comes to optional subjects, covering all sections is absolutely essential.
How much time did you take to complete your
preparation for all the three stages of the examination? Did you prepare for
each stage in sequence or for all the stages simultaneously?
Prelims and mains was done
simultaneously and it takes one complete year to properly cover the vast
syllabus. Interview stage is a different ballgame and preparing the DAF and a
few mocks do suffice.
How important do you think is making own notes
with studies? Please enlighten on the basis of your experience.
I personally think that self
made notes are very important. The yearlong exercise of taking out notes from
newspaper in my own words also helped immensely during mains as answer writing
habit was indirectly strengthened. Besides, it’s easier to revise, read and
remember notes that are written in your own handwriting. I remember, a week
before the mains exam, I’d only carried my own notes for revision, so yes, they
are quite important.
Did you rely on any electronic material
(e-notes/videos etc.) and other social networking sites for your preparation?
If yes, did you find them useful? Please share some websites you frequented.
Given the
dynamic nature of UPSC CSE questions, it has become rather important to be
constantly updated about events. Also, everything is not covered in the static
portion of books so taking recourse to the internet becomes essential.
I referred to Wikipedia for
basic understanding, and used to scan Insights, Mrunal etc. Also referred to
government ministry websites to get authentic information, referred to IDSA for
defence related articles and to EPW for good articles on current issues.
Listened to RSTV debates and spotlight analysis of news on radio as well, and
took out brief notes of all these.
How did you determine which books, magazines
and periodicals to study and which to ignore/leave?
All the basic NCERT’s and
important reference books which are well known have to be done. Role of
magazines and periodicals is limited to supplementing your knowledge and
providing additional fodder material. I used to quickly scan through Yojana,
EPW and see if both the topic/theme as well as the author are relevant enough.
In your opinion, how useful is participating
in mock test series at different stages of this examination? Please share on
the basis of your experience.
Very important, as it is via
mocks, be it in any of the three stages, that we are able to judge ourselves,
our weaknesses and our level of preparation. Mocks during prelims acquaint us
with our unique styles, how much are we able to attempt, whether and where to
take risks etc. This strategy should be ready before the actual exam. Mains,
answer writing surely helps, although I didn’t join any as I was comfortable in
this aspect. For personality test, a few mocks should ideally be given as they
help gain feedback and confidence.
How did you tackle the challenge of time
management- whether it was on a daily, monthly or annual basis?
Long before the exam, the focus
was on covering topics and conceptual understanding. Hence I did targeted
studies and time wasn’t really a factor. Sometimes I studied for 18 hours at a
stretch and other times just two hours. So it was quite haphazard, but as long
as syllabus was getting covered, I was okay. But as exam approaches, a more
organized and planned time management is required to complete reading and
revision.
How did you maintain consistency in
preparation despite the de-motivating and often frustrating nature of this
exam?
The feeling
of frustration during preparation is common in all aspirants such that the fire
may go through periods of highs and lows but it’s important to keep it burning
throughout!
Engaging in constructive
hobbies, exercising etc saves one from monotony. I also used to watch a lot of
relevant movies for a change. Equanimity was the key.
Do you think group study helps? Please tell
based on your experience.
It’s really an individual thing.
I was always comfortable doing isolated studies.
What was your optional subject? Did you study
it during your graduation?
I had graduated in law and hence
chose law optional.
Some people say that some optional subjects
are smaller, easier and more scoring and hence more popular. In your opinion
would it be right to say so? While choosing your optional subject did you
consider it’s popularity as a basis?
In general
studies papers, the level of knowledge expected is that of a generalist. But in
optional, graduation level i.e. higher standard of knowledge is expected. It is
true that some subjects are more popular, but I believe that an individual must
go through the syllabus and previous years questions before deciding on an
optional as that subject will have to be read in detail and hence having an
interest or passion is important. Besides, given the unpredictable nature of
UPSC, it’s better to take optional based on comfort (possibly the graduation
subject).
With me,
law was quite an unconventional subject and I was advised by seniors to not opt
for it as it is not scoring, but I felt that I knew more about law than other
optional and hence it made sense to study that in further detail than to start
an altogether new optional from scratch.
I must mention here that since
there is a paucity of good material on law optional, my notes on International
Law, Torts and Contracts is soon going to be published for the benefit of
aspirants taking law optional.
In your opinion, to what extent is success in
main examination dependant on the answer writing style? What approach did you
follow in developing the right style of answer writing?
During graduation itself, I had
good enough practice of writing answers, so in UPSC, I only had to work on
compressing the answers and writing to the point. The format of
intro-body-conclusion was followed but I always added a positive way forward,
or a statistic, data, report or any piece of information relevant to the
question such that it showed a connect with the current happenings. I also
referred to toppers answers online and extracted good things I found therein.
Important words were underlined and diagrams were drawn only if required.
Time management and strategy for writing
essay?
Two essays are to be written in
a span of three hours. So half an hour has to be given for formulating the
broad contours of the essay, creating the format and developing the ideas and
content in the rough work sheet attached at the end of answer sheet. Once this
is done, one hour is sufficient to write a ten page essay. Content and
originality, I believe, are awarded more marks than writing clichéd quotes.
How did you prepare for the interview? Does
the preparation done during that short period immediately after the mains
actually help in the interview?
My
interview was scheduled on the third day itself, so I didn’t get sufficient
time to prepare. I focussed on knowing the contents of my DAF (Detailed
Application Form) thoroughly, revised current affairs and polished my
graduation subject well.
In the
short period after mains, no matter how much one prepares for the interview, it
seems insufficient, as anything under the sun could be asked in the interview.
I gave one mock interview and the feedback was helpful. Mock interview videos
of Drishti ias, KSG etc also helped.
The key in interview is to be
calm, composed and honest. There’s a saying that goes: you are ready
for an interview not when you know all the answers but when you can handle all
the questions, and I think that its very true.
Please share some of the questions asked to
you during the interview.
One member
asked: If I were to give you a choice between becoming a Lok Sabha member or a
Rajya Sabha member right this second, which one would you choose and why? To
which I answered that there really isn’t much of a choice here as I won’t be
eligible for Rajya Sabha as I’m not 30 yet!
Other
member asked me how my hobby (rifle shooting) has contributed in bettering me
in my life.
Another
question was opinion based, whether the words secular and integrity added in
the Preamble later on via 42nd amendment was a superfluous exercise.
Interview went for about 35
minutes and it was very cordial.
In which board did you have your interview?
Does the board that you get for interview make a difference in the result?
My board was that of Ajit
Bhosale sir. I don’t think which board you get matters per se, it is only on
how you perform, as all boards have been known to award marks in all sorts of
ranges. It is better in fact, to not go inside the interview room with any
pre-conceived notions, as they may disturb you mentally and hamper an otherwise
good chance at the interview.
Is it necessary to support/justify/endorse the
policies and views of the government while writing the answers of CSE or
replying in the interview? Can the government’s opinion on any issue be
opposed?
In the
written examination, constructive criticism is actually welcomed. If the
question is analysed properly and relevant criticism is made, I think that
should be fine. But the way in which it is presented has to be subtle and
shouldn’t sound too aggressive. And when criticism is made, it’s better that
the solution for the same is also stated in two lines, as that will give a
positive impression and not seem like mere cynical musings.
In the
interview, it’s better when one is honest, as then, the answers come from the
heart. But at the same time, personality test is also about communication, so
opposing views should be presented, but they should be done in the most polite
and humble way possible.
For example, one panel member
seemed very concerned when he asked me don’t you think the criminal judicial
system in India is favoured towards the accused, in that the defendants only
have to plead not guilty and the prosecution have the entire burden of proving
the alleged crime? Now, I really did not agree, so I humbly put forth my views,
that in India, we purposefully have adversarial system of law, and in criminal
cases, if the guilt is proved, then the punishment is incarceration, which will
have the effect of depriving that person of his fundamental right of freedom
and liberty, and to be able to take away such a sacred right from a man, it is
only fair, that his crime is proved beyond reasonable doubts.
How important it is to have an alternate
career back-up when preparing for civil services? Which path had you chosen?
Having a back-up surely provides
security in the face of such an uncertain exam. I had decided to pursue
litigation in Supreme Court, had I not made it in this attempt, as I
voluntarily wanted to get out of the cycle of repeated attempts! Therefore I
hadn’t even filled the form for the next attempt. It should really be a
personal decision depending on the situation and the individual concerned.
We wish you all the best for your future.
Thank You.
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