- Topper Profile
- Education
- Introduction
- Electronic Vs Paper material
- Tempo and style
- Struggle of a Senior player
- Working professional
- Prelims (CSAT) General studies
- Prelims (CSAT) Aptitude
- Prelim accuracy
- Mains: Compulsory language paper
- Mains: Essay
- General Studies (Mains) paper 1
- General studies (Mains) paper 2
- General studies (Mains) Paper 3
- General Studies 4: Ethics, Integrity, aptitude
- Mains answer-writing?
- Anthropology Optional Subject
- Before the interview
- During the interview
- CSE-2013 Marksheet
- Career Backup
- Views on UPSC reforms
- Insecurity about profile
- Wisdom
- Credit: Friends/family
- BOGUS Marketing Propaganda
Topper Profile
Name | Arpit Jain |
Rank in CSE-2013 | 194 |
Roll No. | 302045 |
Age | 29 |
Total attempts in CSE | 2 |
Optional Subject | Anthropology |
Medium chosen for Mains answers | English |
Schooling medium | English |
College medium | English |
Home town/city | Maksi  (District â Shajapur)/Bhopal/Varanasi |
Work-experience if any | 30 Months |
Details of other competitive exams, including success/failures | PMT entrances  2004..cleared most  exams with good ranks⌠air-11 in BHU-PMT |
Details of coaching, mock tests, postal material for any competitive exam (if used) |
|
service preference | IAS,IFS,IPS (however I considered all 3 as my dream job ) |
state cadre preference |
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Education
fill the details here | |
% in class 10 | 72.6 |
% in class 12 | 70.3 |
Schooling (Medium) | English |
Graduation course and % | MBBS , 55.1 % |
Name of college, city, passing out year | Institute of Medical Sciences , Banaras Hindu University (IMS-BHU),Varanasi ..passed in 2010 |
Post-graduation | Joined M.S. in 2010 but leaved it in august 2011 |
Any other professional courses | Doing M.A. (Gandhi and Peace studies )..plan to do Phd in Conflict Resolution from some ivy league |
Hobbies & Extra curricular |
|
Introduction
Q. Tell us something about yourself, your family, when and why did you enter in this field of competitive exams?
- I am a Doctor by profession did MBBS from Prestigious IMS-BHU , Varanasi. Besides, I had been RTI activist .Also, I love to write English short stories  and I m in touch with a leading International publisher to get published my Short story collection by 2017-18âŚ
- I belong to a small town named Maksi , Distt. Shajapur of Madhya Pradesh were I studied up to 8th then moved to Bhopal because we have no good school after 10th in our town (âŚmoving from small town to city at age of 14 was very painful for me ,some thing similar to as depicted in character of Rajkumar Rao in movie City Lights).
- My father is a very dedicated Doctor,who is 24*7 available to patients and never says ânoâ to any patient.  In fact,  many a times  to poor and needy patients he gives money to buy food,medicines etc.
- My mother is a House Maker who always encouraged me to dream big,do something creative and innovative in life . My younger sister is working in field of advertising .
- In field of competitive exam I entered way back in 2004 when I cleared some good medical entrances with flying colors .
- To become IAS/IPS officer was a dream from child hood , watching movies like Sarfarosh,Gangajal, Swadesh etc. kept my desire burning . During my MBBS days I used to think of appearing in UPSC , however I was never serious . In 2010-11 after working in hospital for more then a year and seeing how a personâs socio-economic deprivation ( Poverty, unemployment, illiteracy etc. ) impacts basic right to happy life , My thirst to work on a wider platform increased. Finally ,I took a firm decision, leaved my residency and started preparing from December 2011.
Electronic Vs Paper material
Q. In recent times, there is spur in electronic material- blogs, sites, pdfs, RSS-feeds. Many aspirants feel bogged down by this information overload. So, how much do you rely on electronic material and how much on the paper material (Books, newspapers)? If possible narrate a typical day in your study life. What is your style of preparation (e.g. I continue making notes no matter what Iâm reading, I just read multiple times but donât maintain notes, I make mind maps on computer âŚor xyz style)
- I believe in judicious balance of both electronic Material and paper material.
- Due to infinite expanse the electronic material material should be within framework of UPSC syllabus  and should also be authentic. for example : MRUNAL.org , PIB ,Rajyasabha Tv debates etc.
- However, I more relied on reading Paper material because it was easy to read and organize .I always read standard books and authentic material .The crap h coaching notes I donât prefer and they often used to  be last resort when I was not able to find any standard book
Day in study life :-
- I have a very scientific method of studies,
- I made a monthly ,weekly and daily plan
- Every morning I start with making daily schedule,priortising things then trying to stick to it.
- if one makes time bound plan then one can prevent wasting time in unwanted things. (I would suggest you to Read Stephan coveyâs âŚ7 HABITS OF HIGHLY EFFECTIVE PEOPLE âŚwhich will definitely help in proper planning of studies along with optimal implementation )
Style of preparation
I Make short notes of everything I read, I Used Mind-Map technique to make concise and crisp notes which can be  retained for a long time, Besides it is also easy to revise   . For every paper I had short notes in one Register each  (one can search âTony Buzanâ on internet who is the pioneer of mind map technique  )
Tempo and style
Q. People know what books and syllabus points are to be prepared. But most of them lack consistency in their preparation. So, how do you keep study momentum going on? How do you fight against the mood swings and distractions?
- I would suggest you should always self analyze and try to find something which motivates you .It may be smile on parentâs face once you clear exam, it may be opportunity to do work once selected for civil services  , it may be fulfillment of childhood dream etc. This  will vary from person to person.
- But I would say U have to find your own motivating force.
- This motivation brings  about passion and Zeal to study hard.
- I always follow gandhijiâs Talisman whenever I am in doubt ,I remember the face of poorest person I have seen .My dream to serve the marginalized , vulnerable , poor never allowed me to loose passion in studies.
- Besides Reading good books especially of Swami Vivekananda helped me to maintain my enthusiasm through out course of preparation.
- In addition to this , I always maintain a diary were I write daily hourly schedule⌠and whenever I am deviating from it ,it creates pressure adding to study momentum.
- Also, I Pasted the monthly plan in front of My table,so that 2-3n times a day I can gauge it and can see whether my hourly , daily schedule is in coherence with it or not.
- Mood swings will be their ,for which we need to develop our own strategy to fight.
Struggle of a Senior player
After 1-2 failures in any competitive exam, a phase of mental saturation comes. The person knows the booklist, he knows what is necessary to succeed. But it doesnât yield result. Not to mention all the emotional struggle-against those irritating neighbors and relativesâŚ.My question are two:
Q1. How did you survive through this mental prison and whatâre your words of wisdom to other senior players? If any specific inspirational incident(s), please share.
- It  took me effectively 2 attempts and 2 and half year to clear this exam .
- I know people who cleared this exam in 1 attempt and I am inspired by organized and disciplined study they did .
- But, I know people who cleared this exam in 6-7 attempts and I really salute their optimism, perseverance and commitment.
- Friends I would suggest please be optimistic and have firm belief in your dreams, think of the moment of happiness in your life when you clear the exam
- If you have made target , then never be in doubt and never hear crap around. whomsoever de-motivates you move away from them..
- Besides, Don’t use the hardships of your past as excuses to deny the possibilities of your future
- Stand up within yourself. Gather your mental, emotional and spiritual strength. Speak from deep within your spirit and your soul. .”I will survive. I will thrive. I am coming back. Giving up is not who I am. I will stay the course and persist until I succeed.” Â Â Resist the feeling of being powerless or being a victim.
- What people think of you is none of your business. Be true always with oneself. Being yourself  frees you up. It allows you to live with optimal potential you have
- My goal was never UPSC clearance rather it is how I can bring smiles to maximum faces and happiness to maximum lives. Itâs how I can empower and add meaning to life of  each and every human being I touch. This goal itself is biggest motivation to me. So I considered UPSC clearance just a means to achieve this.Hence, UPSC was never able to create any prison.
- I also never cared of what Relative or neighbor will say.I am very straight forward and vocal to any person who tries to be stumbling block in path of my goal.
- I always kept the major stake holders like mom-dad, close friends (Dr.Saroj , Dr. Shreyash ) in confidence when I was preparing these are the people I cared about.
Q2. What went wrong in your previous attempt? What changes did you make in this current attempt?
- Mainly Non-serious, unorganized studies.
- I was not able to do my optionals before prelims ,
- lack of answer writing practice.
- This time I studied in organized way and tried to complete the syllabus in time along with adequate answer writing
Working professional
If youâre a working professional, share some tips on how to manage studies with job ?
- Although I am not a working professional , but I know people who cleared along with work.
- For working people I would suggest the mantra of â Optimal channelization and utilization of resources ,self confidence and dedication to goal â
Consider following :-
- Make a time bound plan and stick to it ,
- Set your priorities
- Analyse past papers and current affairs , make list of important topics and dedicate time depending upon the importance of topic
- Use maximum time available at your disposal in most fruitful way.
- Use the resources like Mrunal.org, pib etc  if you canât avail coaching benefit.
- be disciplined and have firm self – belief
Prelims (CSAT) General studies
Topic | strategy/booklist/comment |
History Ancient | NCERT (old) |
History Medieval | |
History Modern (Freedom Struggle) |
|
Culture society | Nitin singhania notes and Documentaries on internet |
Polity (theory + current) | Laxmikant + News Papers |
Economy (theory + current) | MRUNAL , Indian Economy â Sanjeev Verma |
Science (theory + current) | The hindu , MRUNAL |
Environment (theory + current) | Ncert biology 12th (2003 edition ) last 4 chapters. BBC Documentary |
geography physical, Indian and World | Majid Hussain â India and World Geography (TMH) |
other national/international current affairs | The Hindu,Indian Express |
Schemes, Policy & Filler Stuff | Newpaper, government advertisement |
Q. Any observation / comments / tips about GS prelim 2013 paper?
I think  in 0nly 35-40 questions one can be sure, for most of the other questions one needs to take intelligent guess. This intelligent guesses  can only be made  if one has done robust practice of MCQâs, repeated revisions, discussion and in jkdepth analysis of issues.
Prelims (CSAT) Aptitude
Actually not very specific but I read selected topics from vajiram material, CL and TMH
Q. Any observation / comments / tips about GS Aptitude 2013 paper
Practise , Â Practise , practice is the Mantra. .. solve all the questions of Aptitude that UPSC has asked previously ( even from the old papers when CSAT was not their ) Try to attempt maximum questions .
Clearly identify the areas of weakness , and work upon them. Getting high score in CSAT is master key for clearing prelims
Prelim accuracy
Q1. Did you attend any âmock testsâ? do you think theyâre necessary for success?
I attended CL test series ⌠I consider it helped to get simulated environment as that of Exam
Q2. Approximate no. of attempted answers vs. correct answers. in CSAT-2013
attempted Q. | correct (Expected) | |
GS | 99 | 65-66 |
aptitude | 80 | 74 |
Official Total score: 287
Mains: Compulsory language paper
Compulsory language paper | Your preparation strategy / booklist? |
English paper | Brilliant tutorials old paper |
your regional language | Unique publication |
Q2.other observations / tips / comments on the length / difficulty level of compulsory language papers in CSE-2013
Hindi was lengthy and tough this time, donât take language  papers lightly. I have seen many deserving candidates failing in them.
Mains: Essay
Q1. How did you prepare for the essay paper?
Essay writing Practice at PARINAM IAS â Vikas Ranjan sir and worked upon feed back given.
Q2. Which among the following essay did you write? What key points did you include in it?
- Be the change you want to see in others (Gandhi)
- Is the Colonial mentality hindering Indiaâs Success?
- GDP (Gross Domestic Product) along with GDH (Gross Domestic Happiness) would be the right indices for judging the wellbeing of a country
- Science and technology is the panacea for the growth and security of the nation.
I wrote on 4th science and technology
Discussed from grass root innovations to research in every field and how it will impact various areas of society..It was mostly on very positive note..and concluded with adding spirituality and ethics.
General Studies (Mains) paper 1
Topic | How did you prepare? |
culture |
|
Indian history |
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world history | Ncert 9th -10th (The story of civilization) |
post-independence India | Bipin Chandra: India after Independence |
Indian society | Part of My optional (Anthropology) |
role of women, poverty etc. | News papers, |
globalization on Indian society | News papers , wikipedia |
communalism, regionalism, secularism | Bipin Chandra (Freedom struggle),wikipedia |
world geo physical | India and World geography (TMH )- Majid hussain + NCERT class 11th (NEW one) |
resource distribution | India and World geography (TMH )- Majid hussain |
factors for industrial location | India and World geography (TMH )- Majid hussain+ NCERT |
earthquake tsunami etc | NCERT class 11th supplement on Disaster Managements |
impact on flora-fauna | Nothing specific , only current affairs from news paper |
General studies (Mains) paper 2
Topic | How Did You Prepare? |
Indian Constitution, devolution, dispute redressal etc. |
|
comparing Constitution with world | Leaved it |
parliament, state Legislatures | Indian Polity – Laxmikant |
executive-judiciary | Indian Polity – Laxmikant ,Indian administration â Rajni goyal |
ministries departments | News paper |
pressure group, informal asso. | Wikipedia |
Representation of peopleâs act | S.K. Mishra sirâs notes |
various bodies: Constitutional, statutory. | |
NGO, SHG etc | Wikipedia |
welfare schemes, bodies | News paper , 12th five year plan draft (Planning commission ) |
social sector, health, edu, HRD | News paper , 12th five year plan draft (Planning commission ) |
governance, transparency, accountability | Newpaper , web site âwww. Indiagovernance.com |
e-governance | Newpaper , web site âwww. Indiagovernance.com |
role of civil service | |
India & neighbors | News paper +MEA website, Â selected Article (G.Parth sarthy,C.Rajamohan etc. ) |
bilateral/global grouping | News Papers,MEA website,selected articles IDSA |
effect of foreign country policies on Indian interest | News paper |
diaspora | Got an article distributed to M.P.âs from one of my friend |
international bodies- structure mandate | News Paper + Wikipedia (do only important organizations and organizations in News ) |
General studies (Mains) Paper 3
Topic | How Did You Prepare? |
Indian economy, resource mobilization | Mrunal, Sanjeev Verma (Unique publication ) |
inclusive growth | 12th five year plan draft |
budgeting | Read from Laxmikant (chapter on Parliament) |
major crops, irrigation | GKToday.in |
agro produce â storage, marketing | GKToday |
e-technology for famers | GKToday |
farm subsidies, MSP | GKToday |
PDS, buffer, food security | GKToday |
technology mission | GKToday |
animal rearing economics | GKToday |
food processing | GKToday |
land reforms | Bipin Chandra (India after Independence) |
liberalization | Mrunal, Sanjeev verma (Indian Economy) |
infra | Mrunal, Sanjeev verma (Indian Economy |
investment models | Nothing specific |
science-tech day to day life | MRUNAL, GKToday |
Indian achievements in sci-tech | GKToday |
awareness in IT, space, biotech, nano, IPR | Mrunal, GKToday |
environmental impact assessment | EIA from website of Ministry of environment and forest , CSE and some articles on internet + current issues |
Disaster Management | NCERT class 11th supplement on Disaster Management + notes from NDMA website |
non state actors, internal security | Annual Report Ministry of Home affairs + Vajiram Notes + News Papers |
internal security â role of media, social networking site | Vajiram Notes + News Papers |
cyber security | Vajiram Notes + News Papers |
money laundering | Vajiram Notes + News Papers + wiki + internet |
border Management | Vajiram Notes + News Papers + Annual Report Ministry of Home affairs |
organized crime, terrorism | Vajiram Notes + News Papers + Annual Report Ministry of Home affairs |
security agencies- structure mandate | Vajiram Notes + News Papers + Annual Report Ministry of Home affairs |
General Studies 4: Ethics, Integrity, aptitude
Topic | How Did You Prepare? |
ethics and interface, family, society and all the hathodaa topics | S.K. Mishra Sirâs  notes + Chronicle Magazine |
attitude, moral influence etc. | S.K. Mishra Sirâs   notes + Chronicle Magazine |
civil service: integrity, impartiality, tolerance to weak etc | S.K. Mishra Sirâs  notes + Chronicle Magazine |
emotional intelligence, its use in governance | S.K. Mishra Sirâs  notes + Chronicle Magazine+ you tube interview of Daniel Golmen |
moral thinkers of India and world |  ChronicleâŚ. I prepared Buddha,Vivekanand,Tagore,Gandhi,Ambedkar,Plato,Aristotle,Kant , Rosseu, |
ethics in pub.ad, accountability, laws, rules etc. | S.K. Mishra Sirâs  notes + Chronicle Magazine |
corporate governance | S.K. Mishra Sirâs   notes + Chronicle Magazine |
probity in governance, work culture | S.K. Mishra Sirâs  notes + Chronicle Magazine |
citizen charter, ethics code, work culture etc. | S.K. Mishra Sirâs  notes + Chronicle Magazine |
challenges of corruption | S.K. Mishra Sirâs  notes + Chronicle Magazine |
case studies on above topics | S.K. Mishra Sirâs   notes + Chronicle Magazine |
Q. Any other comments, word of wisdom after going through the mains-2013.
- Start working on your way of answer writing ( point wise or paragraph wise ) , following are the characteristics of good answer :-
- It is to the context of question being asked .
- It  Should Cover maximum dimensions.
- It Should have appropriate facts,examples , flow charts , diagrams etc.
- If possible should have a streamlined flow so that examiner not feels bored reading your answer.
- Simple language. Practice to write fast , you should be able to write one answer in 6-7 minutes.( even this mains was also test of writing speed , were I did badly and have to leave questions of about 200 marks..this is blunder in competitive exam !)
- If your writing is very poor then please work to make it atleast legible to a common person . ( In 2012 mains my writing was very poor and I was not able to read even what I am writing , this time I worked upon that.)
- Whatever pen you will write with, start practicing from now onwards ( I would suggest uniball eye micro/cello butterflow/cello gripper)
Mains answer-writing?
Q. How was your experience with the âfixed spaceâ answer sheet?
Space is more than enough
Q. Did you write answers in bullet points or in paragraphs? Some players (who cleared mains and got interview call letter) were claiming that they wrote entire paper in bullet points, so it doesnât matterâŚ.whether examiner is asking âexamine, comment, discuss or xyzââŚ.simply write in bullets and points.
Mixed of both,Again I would say it depends on a person how one can express better , Because both kind of people writing paragraph or bullet have scored better Their in small difference when examiner asks ââexamine, comment, discuss or xyzââwhich I would clarify very soon
Q. Did you follow the âintroduction-body-conclusionâ format? because some mains-qualified candidates claim they simply wrote the points they could recall within the time, instead of bothering with proper introduction and conclusion.
One line introduction and one line conclusionâŚ.it makes answer structured
Q. In GS papers, Since UPSC came with those 100 and 200 words questions. What was your approach in the exam (I wrote all, I only focused on the questions where I could answer perfectly, I just not to high quality points to reach the word limit etc.)
Answer should be well organized,multidimensional and within the context of question asked . Remember UPSC never gives marks on crap. I would say whatever u write , write with maximum quality .But ,also take care of maximum attempt . You need to maintain a balance of no. of questions attempted and quality maintained .
Q. How many marks worth questions did you skip/couldnât finish in the GS papers?
GS (Mains paper) | Couldnât finish __ mark |
GS1 | 50 |
GS2 | 40 |
GS3 | 50 |
GS4 | 0 |
Q5. Did you use highlighters / sketchpens in your answers?
Underlined important points,words
Q6. Did you draw any diagram in any paper? (e.g. in GS1 Geography)
Yes in geography + flow chart in some questions
Q7. If yes, Did you draw diagrams with pencil or pen?
Geography â pencil
Flow chart etc. – pen
Q8. Did you use ruler to draw the lines in diagram? Or did you just make it by hand?
With hand only
Q9. You wrote the answer in blue pen or black pen?
Blue pen , at some places used black pen for heading
(Mrunal â since readers keep mailing such queries, therefore Iâm asking the topper to clear all the air haha.)
Anthropology Optional Subject
Q1. First the essential book/resource list and strategy:
Paper – 1
- Ember and Ember – Basic Reading (Like NCERT books )
- Physical Anthropology – P.Nath
- Socio-cultural Anthropology – Vaid + Ember and Ember
- Anthropological Theories â Internet
- http://anthropology.ua.edu/cultures/cultures.php
- (read only theories specified in syllabus and make notes )
Paper – 2Â
- Indian Anthropology – Nadeem Hasnain
- Tribal India – Nadeem Hasnain (Update it with census data of 2011)
- Annual Report – Ministry of Tribal Affairs (very selected reading ),
- Current news related to tribals from Hindu
- Make short notes and  supplement with material of Brain tree or any other coaching
Q2. How much of internet-research / current affairs is necessary for this optional? OR can one simply rely on the books and be done with this subject?
Internet is useful , many good websites are their which elaborate on specific topics .It should however be used judiciously.
Q3. How many months did it take to finish the core optional syllabus?
About 3 months of sincere studies
Q4. How many days/ weeks before the exam, you started answer writing practice?
5 months before exam
Q5. Do you maintain self-notes for revision of optional? In which format- electronic or paper?
I make self notes and  made mind map of 70 % of topics
Q6. Your observation about the difficultly level of 2013 mains vs previous papers. And what precautions / rectifications are necessary in the future strategy for given optional subject?
Anthro was of the same level as has been asked previously . I would strongly recommend to read text books and use internet to develop clarity on major topics
Q7.How much did you skip OR couldnât answer properly, in the optional paper?
optional paper | Couldnât finish __ mark. |
Paper I | 20 |
paper II | 40 |
Q8. would you advice any interested party (new player) to pick this optional? Nowadays wind seems to be flowing towards sociology and political science. Some senior players advice new players not to pick them given the scaling and odd questions. Whatâs your take on this?
make a smart choice considering following
- Personal aptitude/interest for an optional . Some people are comfortable with humanities while others with science, literature etc . To see your interest read basic books like NCERT/IGNOU material or some coaching material.
- See the trends of marks obtained in recent years.
- See availability of good guidance .
Before the interview
Q1. How did you prepare for the interview? Particularly college graduation subjects related questions?
- I practiced mocks with my friends and collected maximum questions possible , practiced various dimensions of those questions.
- For my hobbies/activities I did exhaustive studies . I personally met people working on this area to develop clarity on issues . For example I personally went to meet Aruna Roy Madam  (RTI ), Dr. Abhay Bang (Public health ), Lok biradari prakalp team at Gadchiroli , MH (Public health )
- I also met and talked with many senior bureaucrat to know their view points on national issues and situation based questions
Q2. Did you attend any mock interviews by coaching classes? How were they similar / different than official interview? Do you believe it is necessary to attend such mock interviews?
- I attended mocks at Samkalp , S.K. Mishra sir and Perfect IAS . They were of much help for me to know my weakness.
- Also , the practicing of mock with friends Amit,Prakhar,Anuradha ,Dr. Indu,Ratnesh ,Avadh, Sanil, kriti, runul,sarthak ,vaibhav,parth,ananya was very fruitful.
- Besides, Final inputs given to me by friends Saurabh gupta (IRS,2013 batch ) and Ved prakash (IFS,2013 batch)Â were much Beneficial.
- Practicing above made me comfortable on the interview day and equipped me to handle any kind of situation.
- I would recommend to make a group of 4-5 committed people after mains and practice on finer areas .Once you are confident on major areas then get finally polished by interacting with senior peoples in formal setting provided by various institutes.
Q3. What did you wear? Some experts say coat is must, some say tie is must, and some say black shoes must. What attire did you pick up?
I wore suit . For me it was most comfortable
Q4. Where did you stay for the interview? (Hotel / friendâs home âŚ) and what books/material did you bring for the ârevision before interviewâ?
During the interview
Q1. Who was the chairman of you interview board?
P.Kilemsungla
Q2. How long was the interview?
35 minutes
Q3. Why do you want to join civil service? Why donât you continue in your graduation field? Social service can be done from private sector too. Â [Since I donât know whether they ask you this question or not. But if they had asked- what will be your reply?]
I loved being doctor ..serving and connecting with the people has been part of my  personality⌠I am not at all leaving being doctor from core of heart⌠rather I am moving to a platform were I can work in multiple wider areas in holistic way
Q4. Please narrate your entire interview- what questions did they ask and what did you reply and other pleasant or uncomfortable experiences during the interview. (Earlier some toppers only tell me their question but not their answer. I would appreciate if you give both Question + your original answers)
I will soon post it in my blog or here . I am about to complete writing interview transcript which is quit long
Q5. Was your interview on the expected lines of what you had prepared or did they ask you totally unexpected questions? Was it a stress interview, did they ask any uncomfortable questions? If yes, how did you handle it?
Most of it was on expected line , some questions on practical case studies were there . One needs to be cool,calm and confident to have interview run smoothly
Q6. Any side details about technicalities like âmake sure you bring xyz document or do xyz thing, or youâll face problemâ?
Take all the documents specified in the letter send by UPSC
Q7. Any word of wisdom / observations about medical checkup?
Nothing to worry.
CSE-2013 Marksheet
SUBJECTS | MARKS |
ESSAY (PAPER-I) | 129 |
GENRAL STUDIES -I (PAPER-II) | 77 |
GENRAL STUDIES -II (PAPER-III) | 61 |
GENRAL STUDIES -III (PAPER-IV) | 73 |
GENRAL STUDIES -IV (PAPER-V) | 95 |
OPTIONAL-I (Anthropology) (PAPER-VI) | 112 |
OPTIONAL-II (Anthropology) (PAPER-VII) | 81 |
WRITTEN TOTAL | 628 |
PERSONALITY TEST | 193 |
FINAL TOTAL | 821 |
Career Backup
Q1. If you were not selected, what was your career backup plan?
Although I never thought,but would have continued with medical profession
Q2. When were you going to âexecuteâ that backup plan? (e.g. after __ failed attempts/ after I cross __ age/after dad retires/ etc.)
Never Thought
Views on UPSC reforms
What are your views on following issues?
Q. Optional subjects should be removed altogether. The present stalemate is helping no-one, except coaching-owners, book publishers and the candidate whose optional subject gets favorable treatment under given yearâs scaling formula.
I firmly believe in removal of Optional subjects..
Q. Despite what UPSC has done in recent years, it has failed to curb the nuisance of Delhiâs coaching factories. In fact itâs increased under the new syllabus in 2013. Letâs face it, most candidates who gave Mains-2013 have relied on (authentic OR Xeroxed) coaching notes because there was hardly any time left to prepare so many topics in such short time. This system work against an individual preparing from far-away area, without any financial resources, high-speed internet or contacts in Delhi.
You are right. But I believe if someone follows standard books, MRUNAL, News Papers along with writing practice then one can clear this exam. I considered most of coaching material as sub-standard and I used only when no other source was available
Q. UPSC should disclose official prelim answerkey and cutoffs, immediately after prelim is over, instead of postponing it till interview phase is over.
It would be a better move..
Q. UPSC should be conducted online like IBPS and CAT exam to shorten the duration of exam.
Definitely duration of Exam can be shortenedâŚit should be brought down to 5-6 months
Q. If you are made the UPSC chairman, what other reforms would you initiate for the civil service exam?
- Remove Optional
- Study Material can be prepared by expert group and should be made freely available online (to curb coaching culture)
- Prelim-result declaration within 10 days of exam (itâs all OMR sheets )
- Mains form should be filled with prelims..and Mains can be after one month of prelims
- Interview should be on 2-3 boards to remove subjectivity.
- Evaluated Answer sheets should be given to candidate
Insecurity about profile
Q. Many candidates prepare sincerely but constantly live under fear about âprofile insecurityâ. Iâm not from a big college, Iâm not from English medium, and I donât have work-experience. What if they ask some stressful questions in the interview about this? What is your message to these candidates?
I would say leave this fearâŚ. Your background hardly mattersâŚÂ In interview board donât try to bluff ..just remain truthful..they like people from humble background⌠No need to have regrets even if you are not workingâŚ
Ultimately an aspirant should not feel guilty about his/her background âŚ. Rather one should have clarity and conviction of âwhy ? â he/she want to join civil services
Wisdom
Q. Through this struggle and success, what have your learned? What is the wisdom of life and competition? What is Your message to the new aspirants?
I would say if you have a dream then you have to protect it⌠itâs once own commitment, conviction that matters⌠Never see life in terms of success or failure rather it should be a continues learning process ⌠in case you fail , take responsibility of your failure rather than blaming luck or some super natural factors..
If you take responsibility of failure , you will definitely know areas of improvement and you can work upon them to have better result in future. However if you just keep on blaming circumstances, people,luck etc. you will never know your weakness and there is no scope of improvement for such person.
Q. Many hardworking candidates have failed in Mains/Interview of CSE-2013. Theyâre feeling dejected- what is your message to them?
Definitely, depression comes if a person not gets result as per expectation. But I would suggest  rather then moving into spiral of hopelessness and depression itâs better to sit and analyze about areas of improvement . I would say be âproactiveâ  and try to find the solution of every problem you encounter .Donât just react to the situation, but think what should be the future course of action . Be optimistic and think whatâs best âIâ can do in the present circumstances
Credit: Friends/family
Q. Behind every topper are many people who stood by during those uncertain times when he/she was merely an âaspirantâ. 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?
My father ,mother,sister , teachers â S.K. Mishra sir, Manoj Jha sir , My friends Dr. Shreyash ,Dr. Saroj , Parul . It was faith of these people in me which always kept my enthusiasm and Energy at high level.
BOGUS Marketing Propaganda
Q. You are well aware of the sacred rule – the last question must be about self-marketing. So, Did you use Mrunal.org for your preparation and if yes, how did it help you? And you can even reply âNoâ. Iâll still publish your answer without tempering, unlike those competitive magazines.
Mrunal.org is inseparable part of my preparation . My day is incomplete if I donât browse through mrunal.org. I have great respect for Mrunal bhai, for the wonderful work he is doing. Itâs people like him who are really the gems of this country. Your way of explaining is wonderful, simple , concise and crisp. Mrunal.org is slowly becoming life line of students across india and I salute you bhai because of your efforts the friends who canât access coachings etc. can now fulfill dream of clearing UPSC and other exams.
Mrunal replies: thanks a lot for this highly informative and motivating interview. We wish you the best for service and cadre allocation. Keep in touch.
Sir me sayema khatoon from UP…
Me MBBS student 1st year want to prepare for UPSC…
I want to know about full details about optional subjects..
And Syllabus which i have to covered during my preparation