with respect to, a Reader’s comment posted on Pub Ad paperset
“….I have to say something and please don’t mind when I say so, your attitude smacks of academic elitism and this can be very evident in the words you choose to express yourself (noobs, JBPS et al). We all are aspiring to be IAS officers and it is not becoming of an aspirant to feel that we have risen above individuals who know less than us. This is only going to deteriorate if and when, one gets selected into IAS….”
My reply
I appreciate your inputs and I admit my tone was crude, bitter and rude. But the hidden intention was never to mock or ridicule any particular individual but to shake up readers so they can introspect whether they’re also belonging to the same no0b/JBPS group and making the same mistakes or not (i.e. taking the UPSC-competition lightly, being lethargic in preparation, not doing immediate followup action in books and pdfs).
Most people appear in UPSC because
- They don’t know what to do in life, just blindly following what papa, friends, relatives say. Graduation is over so now let us give UPSC.
- They’re unhappy with the their graduation field /job and don’t want to continue further- IT, MBBS, MBA, Most of the Engineers, and Pharmacy-walla (myself included in this category.)
And hence, UPSC has become a national hobby among young people and the number of aspirants for Government jobs, are increasing every year thanks to the deteriorating situation of Indian Economy.
I interacted with many of them in both my real and online life, and it seems people have the misconception that
“Public Administration is an easy and scoring subject.”
The problems
- Those preparing in isolation (Small towner and working professionals), usually underestimate the level of competition in UPSC. I did the same mistake in my first attempt, and it cost me dearly.
- Whether you pass or fail, every attempt in UPSC takes away one year of life and all the opportunities that were available during that one year. (i.e. starting your own business, changing to private job that paid better but demanded more work etc.etc.etc.)
- and after failing in initial attempts, a person usually starts thinking like a “defeated gambler” thatSince I invested so much time, energy and money in this game, let me give one more attempt.
- After failing in prelims, mains or interview, initially they become very resolved and hardworking for the first few months, but then again the same lethargy appears again-thik hai, chaltaa hai. abhi PDF download kar letaa hu, abhi book purchase kar letaa hu, abhi newspaper cutting kar letaa hu, baad mein dekh lenge.
- Since they’re preparing in isolation, the study-routine is extremely mood-dependent. Because There is no pressure such as completing the homework in school every day.
- Then second attempt, then third attempt, then fourth attempt….One day you wake up and realize that world has moved over, all your school and college batchmates are settled properly in their jobs and business, and you’re still stuck giving UPSC and similar stupid exams with no light coming from the other end of the tunnel. Your parents, girlfriend/wife, relatives, best friends and secret enemies- behind your back everyone wishes that you changed the field.
But the moment you try to change the field, then comes
The Road blocks
- Clearing UPSC prelims or mains or even reaching upto interview stage-doesn’t count as work experience or Extra-curricular activity for MBA/ Post-grad interviews. They look at your mark-sheets and see you as “five point someone” minus the fantasy part of 3 idiots.
- The same clowns from your batch, whom you loathed and despised throughout the school and college years- have become “Senior executives” in the same private company where you’re applying for a stupid 9 to 6 job of Rs.7500 per month (fixed, no TA/DA), just because they got a fancy Post-graduation/MBA paper-degree and you don’t.
Ofcourse Failure in UPSC doesn’t mean end of life. Each of us would end up making money either in Government or private sector – have “Gaadi, Bunglaa, Izzat” if not right now may be ten, twenty years later . But the mental frustration that one has to suffer by repeated failures in UPSC, is avoidable in many cases, if you take precautions.
That’s why I suggest to every UPSC player- either change your habits or change the game. Introspect and examine your level of preparation – are you really “preparing for the exam” right now, or merely collecting books, newspapers, magazines and PDFs to make a personal library at home?
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I appreciate your effort Mrunal. As am preparing myself i find this blog very helpful. And as am in isolation, i need to keep a pressure bulb around me! hence i set targets for myself.
it is my humble request that if u can share more about your experiences, it will benefit the larger part of your followers immensely. let us know your mistakes and what u learned after that. It can serves as a much needed warning for non serious players. Your experiences at different stages of preparation can help people who are in isolation.
Hoping to see your memoir as the next blog. :)
Hi,
any serious aspirant for upsc in mumbai.. I am studying in isolation.. i want some1 to discuss with.. both of us will improve.. please send me a mail to mr.sandeep_desai@rediffmail.com
sir i find your blog very helpful…there is nothing wrong if ur comments compell some candidates(if not all) to introspect and realise the reallity…followers who considers themself focoused enough, they can easily egnore these sentences at their end…and carry on with actual material…simple
mrunal’s comments reflected the attitude of much of the “usual non-serious players”..he always accepts his mistakes though his intentions are never rude..tat shows his maturity…
thank u mrunal for all the help you r doing for us..
and i think the empowerment of woman today is gaining importance..
i guess you will enlighten us on that issue too..
thank you
nicely said mrunal ji .. and its true
satyam vada priyam vada :)
:) Well the most important trait for an IAS officer would be to be open to criticism. So the one who gets offended with an untargetted NOOB statement especially on an online forum…at least in this moment lacked the trait. What is so wrong in this…MRUNAL brings the truth right in our face. I realise now that I was a NOOB till my 1st attempt lolz and although no more a generalized NOOB , I become a NOOB once in a while. It is MRUNAL n other Mirror Bearers that help me in self-correction. So chill yar…just try to not commit these mistakes.
@Mrunal: Humor is a very important aspect of Teaching…you were neither rude nor crude. It is a teaching tactic to keep subject material interesting. Keep up the NOOBS…they helps me laugh in stress.
Mrunal, Thank you so much your this reply. I appreciate and congratulate you for talking straight and honest. I completely agree with you, whatever u have said. The problems you have pointed out, regarding candidates preparing in isolation, is very very real and true. Your experience and guidance is very useful for many aspirants who use your blog. Thank You so much, for opening my eyes, and , I guess, many other candidates. It is privileged to follow your blog, which is immensely useful. And, your humour is one thing, that stands out from other blogs. Your write up is interesting and very very catchy.
Hi Mrunal,
I am opting for management as an optional. I searched and asked but seems like this optional is not popular. I need some guidance related to the books which i have to go though in preparation of this optional.
Please note that I am a huge fan of your blog. It’s too good. Please keep on posting your valuable articles as I am getting to know more and more about the things which i usually ognored earlier.
Thanks for all the efforts you are putting in.
i dnt know what to say … u r something of unique kind sir,,, great thanks..ur aprroah is very pragmatic and very helpful for paeparation…one small suggestion ur method of presentation is ossam dnt change it owing to pressure from some lobby….
likes to all views expressed by mrunal
ya sir u r right.. the candidates in isolation really needs motivation n positive pressure for being in race..i m really eager to see some motivational articles frm ur side…
great article sir … i have been following your blog since last two and a half years now & the articles you post about self evaluation time and again are really useful. Just one request sir, since you are biggest source of connecting people those who prepare in isolation … can you take some sort of online discussion every week about Important topics so that many of us can know our level where we stand in competition.
TOTALLY AGREE
i faced such situation.i fully agree. mrunal views r real.
talk about being a reactionary!!!!!
my god, i mean is there no such thing as a sense of humor left in this community??
it is clear all those who call Mrunal an “acedemic elite” know absolutely nothing about academia or elitism, for if anything, Mr. Mrunal is the exact opposite of every stereotype he is accused of being in the comment. By making complex topics light hearted and fun he has shown me what to do with boring material to make it interesting and if that comes at the expense of taking a dig at a n00b/JBPS then that is the ability to laugh at our own mistakes and blunders (for we are all n00bs/JBPS at some time in our preparation). It is not, as the comment states, an attempt to mock or ridicule the non-serious types but rather a wake-up call of sorts.
We are all ASPIRANTS, remember that folks because most of us are living in a fantasy where we are already IAS officers who are intolerant of any and all “attitudes” except their own.
haha i didn’t even read the whole thing before commenting and just wrote the comment above in retaliation to the negative comment in the beginning of this post. just realized that i am saying the same thing as Mrunal in more or less the same words!! great minds think alike, i guess. :)
Mrunal you are an ideal “Bhai” we can look up for.
Cheers.
Mrunal tamara karane mari taiyari vadhi che.. N strong thought n action sivay upsc ma kaij na thay… So thank you personally… I also bpharm ..n going to crack spipa this time… I want to see u at a place of arun sharma…or more than that.. Bcoz of ur explaning technique.. Bhai jay jay garvi gujarat…
why “Bhai jay jay garvi gujarat” here???
lolsssss
Please continue using NOOB, JBPS and other trendy terminologies. I just love them :)
As many have already said, you are like a teacher who scolds and warns students so that they do well in their exams. There is absolutely nothing wrong about them. 100 (or at least 99)% of us take it positively. Your blogs are helping thousands of aspirants all over the country and abroad. Thanks..
Very well said Mrunal. Atleast this will motivate the lazy people ( including me) to push the limits and reach the optimum level of preparation.
Appreciating the fact that Mrunal is doing a very good job on sharing the knowledge, I would contradict on his statements here. Its a wrong attitude to attribute the knowledge attained through the course of preparation just to the exam. Please don’t constraint the perimeter to the examination. Though cracking through all the steps is the ultimate thing for most of you, try to understand the knowledge attained through the process and its definitely much more than a consolation.
Biggest drawback in India way of education is lack of socio awareness. The examination format is trying to fill the deep hole which is formed by the stereotyped educational system we have, so that before they assign one of you to be an Administration we know the reality. Don’t just move on with the lives if the exam is not cleared. Be a better person. Don’t let the knowledge and skills attained be limited to the examination. Good or Bad try to enlighten your surrounding. Don’t just be followers, be thinkers and innovators. RTI’s needn’t just be used to query the cutoff’s and mark list, they could also be used to find out why the roads in your municipalities have pot holes despite the construction work being done and redone. I amn’t mocking anyone just using it as an example.
If not UPSC, try to be a legislator. The attitude should go away, this country needs civil servants who aren’t just knowledgable but people with honesty, integrity and loyality. So I request everyone to just stop throwing opinions its just another exam, if you are really determined and the cause of all the effort is to serve the community this is not the last resort. On the other hand if we are competing for the status and just to tag IAS to respective names then there is no argument, GOD MAY SAVE THE COUNTRY.
Indeed a beautiful thought and idea. I absolutely agree.
beautiful and Perfect …
very well said @shashank
I am preparing for UPSC by self.this website is helping me…
Hi mrunal,
I stay in hyderabad.My optional subjects are PUB ADD & ANTHROPOLOGY.Ive already taken coaching for both my optionals. .I hve failed to clear prelims in my previous attempt.This time(PRELIMS-2013) I want to give my best shot.Iam bit confused whether to change my optionals to Philosophy/Pali & Anthropology as Iam bit scared bcz of the uncertainity associated with PUBADD optional.Ive completed giving one reading to PAPER-1,PUBADD already anf completed anthro paper1 and paper-2. Is it a good idea to change my optional to philosophy or pali now? will these subjects be useful for me for GS & essay.Also,I stay at Hyd so there is no gud coaching available for Pali/Philososphy. Pls guide me..thanks in advance.
Hi Pran,
Request you to give me your email id to discuss certain things on PUBBADD. You can drop me a note on(parihar.surjeet@gmail.com). Thanks in advance.
Regards,
Surjeet parihar
hi!!! i m also preparing for CSE 2013 with optional Pub ad and coming to HYD in July for job. if u dont mind, we prepare together there???
plzz give me yr email or contact me at abhishekjha13@gmail.com
you are 1000% right guru jee
Dear Mrunal,
Very straightforward thinking and it will helpful for other aspirants where they are actually and what they laging behind.So, my problem is diffrent just give me a solution mrunal pls…
I got selected in to indian navy officer Sublt in ATC department through CDSE but before getting in to the training i met with an accident which made my life pathetic… presently as right foot had angulation around 10% from the normal foot So, as far defence concern i will nt be ever…presently no idea for me…as like you ..i thought to give exams for UPSC ….but no idea may be the luck favours or defeats but the every action i take with a precauionary step..so before getting into UPSC..i want to clarify myself and from other Sr Asprirants which is a good optionals ?… in times… i am pressured a lot my self due to the pain accords and job less..
pls help out..
regrads
hari shiva prasad
it takes a lot of courage, to point out the obvious.When V.S.Naipaul came to India, in the 1960’s he was appalled by the fact that Indians habitually ignore the obvious.i think what Mrunal has consistently shown us, or strives to show us, is that the obvious, the painfully simple act of studying or being devoted to whatever one does,should be the topmost priority.rest everything will fall in place.or, it should.
I changed the game!!!!
Hey Mrunal, No Consolation prize…,Well Said man.
Your’s style of writing is gr8 and Pls keep it up.
Hi Mrunal,
You have stated some very pragmatic and pertinent facts here and I concur with your thoughts. Bhaii the fact is that you have either made it in the end or you havent and thats what matters, there are no prizes for coming second best in life. Hmm life has been a bit of a roller coaster for me but preparing for the civils has changed my outlook towards life and has given me an added impetus. So overall well said.
Cheers, Paul.
Can any body please help in selecting a coaching for sociology and political science in chennai.
Sociology – no popular staff, though heard ones in shankar and smart ias are good,
political science- manidheneyam, shankar
Do check wid u’r peers too!
sociology -ShivaRajavel sir in smart ias will be good..
Exactly Mrunal….I am agree what u said. I have done engineering then also before preparing for IAS exam and leaving my lucrative job, I became bank PO and then started giving attempts. As it’s Sarkari Naukri they can’t make me out of job…I am taking leaves,leaves and leaves.