1. Biodata
2. Booklist for CAPF exam
3. Essay preparation for CAPF
4. Physical Test/Medical Checkup
5. CAPF Interview Question Answers
6. Service preference
7. Message to aspirants
8. (Bogus) Marketing Propaganda

Q. Tell us something about yourself. When and why did you enter in the competitive exam field?

I always think of the line something is missing in my life(I should live my mark).How to do this? For the 1st time I saw the statue of Late Chadalavada Umesh Chandra (IPS) in SR NAGAR, Hyderabad during my project work at hyderabad (2006). I read about him, got inspired and Wana do something like him. So choose to become an IPS officer (CSAT 1st attempt failed). So I had to decide to make into the department by other options. Cleared IB written and failed in interview. So focused on CAPF (AC) 2011 and finally made it.

Biodata

Name	Gangavarapu Vikram
Exam	Central Police Forces (Asst.Commandant)-2011
Rank	137
Age	25 years
City	Hyderabad
Schooling (Medium)	English
Graduation /PG including name of colleges	B.E(Hons) Civil Engg & MBA, BITS-Pilani (2004-09)
Are you a working professional? (yes/no)	NO
Details of other competitive exams that you appeared in	CSAT 2011 (Failed) IB ACIO Interview (Failed) Andhra Pradesh Public Service Commission (Group 1) Prelims 2012 (Cleared)
Details of coaching for any competitive exam (if taken)	CSAT Coaching at Vajiram & Ravi, New Delhi
Hobbies, Extra Curricular Activities, Achievements etc.	Playing Hockey President Management Association (BITS-Pilani, 2008) Sports Secretary (BITS-Pilani, 2006)
Do you have any NCC ‘B’ or ‘C’ Certificates? Yes/No	NO

Booklist for CAPF exam

Q. List of Essential books/ tips for success in the CPF written exam?

For written exam upsc is moving away from asking conventional questions. But for CAPF exam it has just started changing the trend. Better to follow civil services previous years question papers (from 2010 to present, as the CSAT happens before CAPF).

Regarding books for Indian economy and current affairs follow mrunal sir’s blog..

For Indian polity read Indian polity by laxmikant.

Paper 2 for English read wren and martin (compulsory )..

For apti follow agarwals (decent one to solve CAPF apti questions)

I am bad at geo (do map pointing a lot)

For essay follow frontline (more than enough)

In essay use few quotations.  (ll fetch u marks)

Q. If you’ve seen the paper of CPF-2012, what’s your review/opinion on it?

As I told you already that upsc has started changing the way of asking questions.It is evident from CPF 2012 exam. (follow yearbook, economic survey and science reports, Follow AIR discussions and ministries websites.)

Essay preparation for CAPF

Q. How did you prepare for the essay? What Essay did you write in the CPF-2011 exam and what keypoints did you include in it?

Can laws alone fight corruption?

Keys points

1. Civil society (eg Anna hazare)
2. Media ( Neera Radia’s case )
3. Educational System( need for a change)
4. Training program for existing employees
5. Messages from movies.
6. Parent and childhood nurturing.
7. After all respect religion (opium of masses, karma concept)

Q. During the preparation, every aspirant goes through mood swings. So, how did you manage the motivation, tempo, momentum during this journey? On an average, how many hours do you study per day?

I used to study 10 to 12 hrours a day..Sunday no books :), After all we are humans…so everyone does go through mood swings..talk to your parents daily they ll motivate u continuously (only mantra to maintain tempo)

Physical Test/Medical Checkup

Q. To pass Physical Efficiency Tests (PET), what preparation did you do at home? How hard is the fitness test?

I had taken tips from my PET sir (School) and practiced at home for about an hour daily. It is not that hard to clear PET but one has to follow the rules of the game. While practicing remember one thing, try all the events at one time, I mean don’t take rest in between the events as it is the same on real time.

CAPF Interview Question Answers

Q. Where was the CPF interview conducted? Please Provide the list of questions asked? (and if possible, the answers as well). And any tips for future aspirants.

My interview was on 17Septeber 2012 in morning session at Dholpur House, UPSC. I appeared before the panel with Dr. Purushottam Agarwal as Chairman. I was 4th in line for appearing before board. It went for 25mins.

Questions ranged from my home town to international affairs.

Q’s What is the reason for the low level presence of the Maoists at khammam-chattisgargn border(A: supported CPRF personnel and state police cooperation and developmental activities taken by the state in the region. But gave credit to police personnel)

Name one famous maoist leader from khammam

Pusuluri rama rao from badrachalam (guessed it but it is true)

Tell me about mining activities in khammam..

Coal (singareni collaries), sponge iron (palavancha), missed about black granite (mam asked me about black granite. Where to black granite from khammam is exported to ..smiled with my answer exported to Japan and china from kakinada and krishnapatnam ports)

Khammam (my home town famous for? ) A: Rama’s temple at badrachalam and forests, mentioned about mines also and about ex late CM of AP jalagam’s family.

AP’s importance in Union elections..role of late rashekar reddy, late PM PV Narasimha Rao.

Difference between ANNA’s and BABA RAM DEV’s movements?

Opinion about Lokpall bill,

Essay question (do laws alone stop corruption)

Difference between leader and manager?

What is environmental business?( talked about Corporate social responsibility and took example of ITC’s  CSR activities)

What is likerts motivational theory (sorry pubad is not my optional J , didn’t come across this theory in MBA :P)

Indian hockey and Indian cricket (explained about incentives, popularity and craze and publicity )

Why Indian Hockey team failed in London Olympics?

A: Focused my answer on the term of the coaches, compared cricket team coaches vs hockey team coaches.

Q: South movie stars moving into politics (veterans: P) A: sociological views took real time examples MGR, NTR and chiranjeevi, vijayashanthi etc.

Q: But the bollywood stars failed in this regard why? Example; sanjay dutt , explained about the only entertaining world of south (the movie ) cheapest possible entertainer J

Q; Reg BITS-Pilani and other private colleges? Problem of Indian educational system;

A; focused my answer on infrastructure, technology support, govt initiatives and need for an hour point.

Q; Again on lokpal; do we need separate institution or whether there is another option possible ?

A: strengthen the existing institutions and make some amendments. Stood on my point and supported it on the basis of money terms and lengthy process it takes to create a new institution.

Q. How was interview: normal, stress, mixed? Did they ask any uncomfortable questions, if yes how did you answer it?

Mixed type.few questions I have guessed them completely with confidence so was able to manage it.

There were one question. What is the difference between leader and manager..i went on to explain it technically but can see a big no face on member 3 .what to do tried a lot to explain but again a no..so politely agreed I dono sir..

Another question : M2 (member 2) Difference between ANNA HAZARE’s movement and BABA RAMDEV’s movement

A: Stressed on religion and tried explaining my stand. I was a bit against ramdev and supported ANNA.

He asked me twice regarding baba (may be he is pro  )

Q. if you’ve received the marksheet, please share it.

Not yet.

Service preference

Q. What was your service preference order (CRPF>CISF>SSB etc) and why did you pick up the particular order?

CISF-ITBP-SSB-BSF-CRPF

CISF as I know and see them in daily life ( in metros, airports so thought it would be easy to manage civil services remaining attempts)

ITBP and SSB for diversified options like VIP security, temple guardians etc…

BSF and CRPF (I thought these depts. demand physical strength a lot… I know about me :P)

Q. If you were not selected, what was your career backup plan?

A private job based on my engineering background and had planned for a startup also.

Message to aspirants

Q. Through this journey, what wisdom did you gain about competition and life? What is your message to the aspirants?

I do believe in hard works finally ends in some result that one can truly accept.

Example; it’s me who tried and failed but finally got something…so hard work that’s it…

Q. Behind every topper are many people who stood by him/her during those uncertain times when he/she was merely an ‘aspirant’. 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?

Thanks to my parents (venkateswarlu and gangamma) for supporting me all these years, Krishna and Ajay (brothers for covering my other expenses during my struggle @ delhi), my uncle Janardhan naidu and srinivas..(I know them as my treasury managers).Special thanks to my friend Raja sekhar gutti ( for providing accommodation at delhi…Friend in need is a friend in deed…it’s true) and thanks to my jiju vijay kilari (for helping me to submit my certificates for verification) and to all my friends (for their wishes—spl ones SD Nazeer, Satish A,  Surya Prakash T and Arun Kumar Varala).

(Bogus) Marketing Propaganda

Q. Finally a question for (bogus) marketing propaganda: Did you use Mrunal.org for your preparation and if yes, how did it help you?  And you can even reply “No”. I’ll publish your answer as it is.

(Unlike certain Competitive magazines who distort the answers after taking the Toppers’ interview hahaha.)

The Hindu and fronline ( articles are imp for essay) and I started using mrunal.org after I failed civils 1st attempt..it helped me to revise all the subjects fot CAPF exam..i was almost dumb when I came to know I failed in 2011 exam..so for CAPF exam mrunal sir’s blog helped me a lot..it helps to know about other better options …so I do suggest to one and all to subscribe for this blog..Thanks mrunal sir for sharing my experience with all other aspirants.