We are pleased to have Rohit Shukla here sharing with us, his journey, studyplan for General studies, Psychology and Public Administration.
Introduction
Name | Rohit Shukla |
Roll number | 034405 |
Rank (CSE 2011) | 238 |
Optional Subjects |
|
Medium for Mains Exam | English |
Mains Examination Centre | Lucknow |
Number of Attempts | 2 |
Details of Graduation and Post-Grad. | BTECH from AKGEC Ghaziabad |
Schooling (Medium) | English |
Extracurricular activities, hobbies, achievements etc. |
Writing articles, Meditation |
Are you a working professional? | Yes |
If yes, then did you leave your job or prepared while on the job? |
I left my job and prepared |
Did you take Coaching? | Prelims: No Mains: Yes Interview: Yes |
Did you buy any postal courses? | Yes |
Did you join any Mock test series? | No |
Questions
Inception
Q. When and how did the inspiration and idea of joining civil service come in your mind?
I was good in quizzing as a student and was aware of national issues since chilhood.However during/after graduation (BTECH) it all disappeared. It was during my stint in a private IT company that I realised about my lifeās priorities and would ultimately make me a happy individual.Hence,I resigned and started preparing.
The Choice of Optional Subjects
Momentum
Q. People initially prepare with much enthusiasm but then they become slack after some time for various reasons. How did you sustain the momentum throughout the journey?
The biggest force in life comes from within,when you really want something.I was so frustrated (at the same time energetic) that I wanted to change my life quickly.Hence, boredom even if it came was not allowed to rule.Family support is of prime importance in this exam.In my case , i was insulated from even my closest friends and relatives.I hardly ever talked about my preparation with anybody in my family( except my mother).I found that switching subjects after 2 hours is a good way to reduce monotonicity .Run in between,play with pets , watch some news( for half an hour) and be back to study.Whenever you feel you are wasting time-just think about the job in hand,your objective.
Hours
On an average, How many hours did you study per day? How many months did it take you to complete the core syllabus of GS and optional subjects?
My average study hours- around 8. For core syllabus of GS it tookĀ 3 months initially.In case of optionals, public administration finished quickly but psychology took 3.5 months.
Internet
How did you use computer and internet for your exam-preparation?
Internet is indispensable for civil service preparation and I feel UPSC wants us to use it .Wikipedia is the best source for any topic.Also , one can quicky check about the background of any topic before studying using internet. But caution must be taken to ensure that useless stuff is not browsed during study time.
Essay
How did you prepare yourself for the essay?
Which Essay did you write in Mains-2011?
How many marks did you get in that essay?
I did not do any special preparation for the essay. I wrote one full essay before the exam and got it evaluated . I also increased my knowledge base which helped in the essay.Essay should be interesting , in simple language ( yet appealing) and should have a natural flow as per the topic with a balanced conclusion. I wrote the essay on ā creation of smaller statesā in mains 2011. I got 108 marks.
Phoenix
Q. Serious players get mentally shattered and depressed after failure in competitive exams. How did you cope up with failures and rose from the ashes again? What had gone wrong in your previous attempts? How did you fix those issues in your 2011ās attempt?
I was shattered after not clearing mains written in my first attempt . After 10 days , with the help of my motherās support and words of wisdom I started preparing again.I was told that since I am so disappointed it only means I am very close to my target.
CSAT was introduced which was a welcome step .In my previous attempt, I had not met some criteria like to the point answers,proper examples,analysis,introduction and conclusion of answers etc. I took guidance from my teachers and corrected those mistakes.
Profile
Many aspirants fear the interview, thinking that āmy profile is not good because
- Iāve low marks in SSC/HSC/College,
- I donāt have any extra-curricular certificates,
- I donāt have work experience,
- I graduated from some unknown college,
- Iām from non-English medium and so onā¦ā
So, How important or relevant is the profile of a candidate during interview?
Candidateās profile is for the candidate , not the interview board. If one feels satisfied and can justify himself, there is no problem.Studying from an unknown college is not a problem.Work experience if there can help if one is prepared and can handle questions on it.It is only oneās confidence and the attitude on the day that matters.Plus interview is so much subjective that anxiety is of no use.
How do you rate your own profile?
I have a decent profile :)
How much portion of your interview centered on your profile?
Questions were mostly on my job experience,hobbies,graduation (apart from some on optionals and others were situational).
Did they ask any uncomfortable questions from your profile?
No
Backup
Q. In case you had not cleared the UPSC exam, what was your career/future backup plan?
In any case I would not have returned to my previous work. I would have tried for administrative jobs in state services, Bank PO etc. But frankly I didnt have any solid back up plan.
Working professional
What is your advice and tips to working professionals ā particularly on time Management?
I cant suggest much since I studied after resigning only.
The Message
What is your message to the aspirants?
“we have limited time,but unlimited energies to accomplish what we need.Hence,instead of following what others do,just follow your inner voice and that will guide you throughout your life(keep listening to it).”
Family and Friends
Q. Behind one topper are many people who stood by him/her during those uncertain times when he/she was merely an āaspirantā. Would you like to tell the world, who were those people in your case? Any specific incidence that you would like to share with the readers?
Only one person-My Mother. On a December day in 2009, I called my mother from my office and told her that things were not to my liking and satisfaction there. She forced me into quick introspection based on my attitude,life aim,past experiences and what I was doing when I felt good last time. Civil service preparation emerged as the solution.After deliberation for 4 days,the decision was made.
Your Study plan
CSAT (Paper I) General studies
Topic | Source of your preparation |
Current Affairs | The Hindu, Indian Express, Wikipedia, Govt Reports |
History Ancient/Medieval/Modern | Old NCERT books India’s Struggle for Independence Bipin Chandra (Penguin Publication) ![]() CrackIas Notes General Studies Manual Tata Macgrawhill Publication |
Physical Geography | NCERT only |
Geography of India | NCERT crackias notes |
Geography of World | NCERT school atlas |
Polity and Governance | Indian Polity by M.Laxmikant (TMH Publication) crackias notes Pratiyogita Darpan special edition |
Public Policy | Internet |
Rights issue | |
Environment and Biodiversity | Govt reports on Environment ICSE environment studies books Internet India Year Book(selective only) |
Economic and social Development | |
Science | TMH Guide Hindu (Science background helps) |
Economy | NCERT economics xi,xii Hinduās Monday economy analysis Mrunalās articles on economy Pratiyogita Darpan special edition |
About the CSAT aptitude
Syllabus Topic | Source of your preparation |
Quantitative Aptitude | Uniqueās Book |
Data interpretation | Uniqueās Book |
Logical reasoning | Uniqueās Book |
Reading comprehension | Did not prepare |
Decision Making and Problem solving | Did not prepare |
Mains Examination
Compulsory Language papers
Source of your preparation | |
English | Solved 2 year papers |
Indian language paper | Solved 5 year papers practice it properly,questions are repeated also in grammar portion,attempt full paper, Do not relax thinking the marks are not counted.* |
[*Mrunal Comment:Ā Mr.Rohit is absolutely right, see this RTI reply of UPSC- so many candidates fail in the compulsory language paper (Click Me)]
General Studies paper I
Syllabus Topic | Source of your preparation |
History |
|
Culture | Spectrum book on Indian Culture (very selective) |
Geography of India | CrackIas notes Internet |
Polity | Indian Polity by M.Laxmikanth (TMH Publication) |
Issues of social relevance | Newspapers TV debates |
Indian economy and planning | Yojana Economic Survey Crackias notes Planning Commission website |
Public health | Internet |
Law and order | Polity material Punchi commission report |
Good governance | Internet(use Wiki) |
Environment | Govt reports News class 11,12 Env science books Internet |
General Studies paper 2
Syllabus Topic | Source of your preparation | Remarks, if Any |
India and the World* | ||
Indian diaspora* | current affairs+Internet only | make note of famous Indians in past one year abroad(in diverse fields) |
Indiaās Economic interaction with world | ||
International affairs and institutions | World Focus Magazine(yearly issue,april,may issue) Internet Civil Services Times magazine |
V N Khanna book for basics |
Statistics | Spectrum papers | |
Science & Tech. |
|
Optional Subject #1 and #2
PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION
Paper 1
- Fadia and Fadia
- Nicholas Henry
(selective)
- class coaching notes +Internet
Paper2
- Newspapers( most important)
- Report of 2nd ARC Commission.
- Punchi commission report
- Govt statistics
- PIB releases
- Arora Goyal
- Avasthi and Avasthi.
Public Administration Preparation Tips
- Most important approach is to interlink the two papers, using relevant examples from current events,analysing through facts , answers should be new and not bookish at all.
- Syllabus completion here is important but more important is understanding of relevance of all topics in day to day administration.
PSYCHOLOGY
Paper 1
- Psychology by Baron (Pearson publication)
- Introductionn to psychology by Clifford Morgan, Richard King and John Schopler
- Psychology an Introduction(Atkinson and Hilguard) by Cengage Learning
( this is very good for latest researches , helped me in making my answers different)
- NCERT,
- Mukul Pathak Sirās notes
- (writing to the point and with recent developments in core areas will help,can use diagrams also)
Paper2
- Social psychology by Baron
- Applied Psychology by Smarak Swain(IRS),
- Class notes of Goldi Sir
- Internet
- Newspapers( thinking from psychological angle of current issues will help)
Interview
How did you prepare for the interview?
I prepared my biodata for a set of probabale questions and took mock tests.
Was your interview on the expected lines of what you had prepared or Did they ask you totally unexpected questions?
I was in KK Paul Sirās Board. It was on expected lines ( mostly profile based) but I felt I did not get much opportunity to open up.
Toughest Question in Interview
What was the toughest question you faced during the interview and how did you answer it?
āhow will you convince the political leadership if it is unwilling to accept that development is possible.Dont say I will convince,how will you actually do itā
I replied , āSir, I will initiate a pilot project in my area and based on the result of that I will use the facts to convince the political leadership that change is possibleā
I have posted the interview on Indianofficer.com
Marksheet
SUBJECTS | MARKS |
ESSAY (PAPER-III) | 108 |
GENRAL STUDIES (PAPER-IV) | 107 |
GENRAL STUDIES (PAPER-V) | 101 |
OPTIONAL-I(PUBLIC ADMIN.) (PAPER-VI) | 167 |
OPTIONAL-I(PUBLIC ADMIN.) (PAPER-VII) | 162 |
OPTIONAL-II(PSYCHOLOGY) (PAPER-VIII) | 188 |
OPTIONAL-II(PSYCHOLOGY) (PAPER-IX) | 139 |
WRITTEN TOTAL | 972 |
PERSONALITY TEST | 171 |
FINAL TOTAL | 1143 |
Remarks :-RECOMMENDED
Finally the most important question!
Magazines related to competitive exams, have established the most sacred unwritten rule of conducting Topperās interview: the last question has to be a loaded question :
āhow did our XYZ magazine help you in preparation?ā
In the era of blatant marketing propaganda, I also have two similar but unloaded questions.
- Did you use indianofficer.comĀ for your preparation? If yes, How did it help you?
- Did you use mrunal.orgĀ for your preparation? If yes, how did it help you?
And You can reply āNoā, yet itāll be published without distortion.
Did you use indianofficer.comĀ for your preparation? If yes, How did it help you?
It has mostly serious aspirants so one adds value to his preparation through sharing of info,discussions here.Plus great inputs are provided for study material also.It is aĀ no nonsense type of forum and different from others .
Did you use mrunal.orgĀ for your preparation? If yes, how did it help you?
The first page that I visited in search of optional subjects was that of Mrunal.I am indebted and use this opportunity to thank Mrunal for his help to all the aspirants since the information,topics,explanations are such in nature that one does not need a second read.
End of the Interview
Want to Congratulate, compliment, say hello or ask any questions to Mr.Rohit Shukla, then post it in this discussion thread on Indianofficer.com
Awesome to see one of our alumni making it right through..
I will be hopeful of joining the Ivy league this time..
Can you tell me how useful where crack ias notes??
I am reading them, at least polity is very good. But they are not enough.
Thank you very much for this immensely helpful article. I have a small request to you sir that if you can separately explain about Psychology subject as I am totally confused about this subject from where should I start and how to prepare it as I am unable to get coaching classes.
Hey Mrunal! I would like to ask you something….I would like to know in what all locations can an IRS OFFICER BE POSTED? As it in not an all india service, like ias in which you stay within your cadre, so does an IRS officer get posted only in tier 1 cities or in towns and villages too (like IAS and IPS)? Thanks!
An IRS officer can be posted only in Tier 1 or 2 cities. Its not a state govt. job and rather a central govt. job therefore one can be posted to anywhere in India i.e. inter state transfers also take place.If u want a cool family life and a civil services job too then this is the best job one can have. 5 days working (being a central govt. job, postings only in cities( for eg. if one is posted in bhopal circle then he can get posted to only bhopal, indore, raipur, jabalpur, bilaspur and might be a few more similar cities).
Thanks a lot Akash for the inputs! I am sorry for the late reply! A stable family life without political interference is more lucrative to me than Glamour! Good luck for your prep, cheers!
how to prepare thew gpsc& upsc examination for ias
sir, firstly heartiest congratulation on ur success…..i am 3rd yr btech student accn to u what should be my first step at this point of tym to start prepn for civil services n how to do it???
Sir,
I seriously need your advice on whether it is required to remember the name of the psychologist who conducted the experiment while quoting examples in psychology??? I mean except the ones like freud, Maslow etc when I am just quoting an example to explain an answer?
Sir please do reply I really need it!!!
Thanks & regrads.
Congrats sir for ur success…. Ur discussion forum is quite helpful for me.. sir plz do recommend me how hould i start preparing for this exam…currently being a b.tech 3rd yr syudent of CSE…
from last 4 year i am preparing for gs syllabus as i am still 1st year BE STUDENT IS ECONOMIC TIMES NEWS PAPER HELPFUL FOR ECONOMICS ACCORDING TO LATEST PATTERN
Everyone is suggesting me to follow at least one magazine. I don’t know which one to follow, darpan is the worst magazine I came across. Someone suggest me a good magazine to follow.
hello.sorry but above profile indicates that u r coming from english medium school…..
Respected sir I am an agriculture pursing student (first year)I want to prepare for civils from now on wards I had a doubt to choose or prepare for optional actually I want to take psychology as optional .so I request you sir to please give tips on how to prepare for civils at this graduate level and also standard books for psychology and how to make notes on psychology
i had completed my MBA IN 2014 ,after that am enter in this competition,i also cleared 5 exam but no were i got final result.so some what i feeling now ,this decision lead me on wrong way…please give me suggestion with pro and cons…actual what i want to do now …