[CAPF Topper] Amit J. Rank 13: ACIO, Bachelor in Business Management (BBM), Bangalore

1. CAPF Topper Profile
2. Education
3. Introduction
4. Electronic Vs Paper material
5. Tempo and style
6. Working professional
7. GS and Aptitude paper
8. Accuracy in GS paper
9. Descriptive paper
10. Four Essays
11. Argument For-Against
12. Report writing?
13. CAPF Physical Efficiency Test
14. Interview by UPSC Panel
15. UPSC Interview Transcript
16. After the interview
17. CAPF Marksheet
18. Service preference
19. Career Backup
20. Wisdom
21. Credit: Friends/family
22. Bogus Marketing Propaganda

CAPF Topper Profile

Name	AMIT J
Rank in CAPF-2013	13
Roll No.	022800
Age	25
No. of previous attempts in CAPF	0
Home town/city	BANGALORE
Work-experience if any	Worked as an Administrator in HARIPRASAD’S INSTITUTE FOR COMPETITIVE EXAMS
other competitive examsincluding success & failures	Cleared ACIO II( Intelligence bureau ) in 2014 2 attempts of UPSC
coaching/postal material (if used)	As I was working in a coaching institute I used to get my doubts cleared from the lecturers @ HARIPRASAD’S INSTITUTE -BANGALORE
Hobbies Extra-Curricular Activities	Natal astrology, Marathon Running, Water polo,  Swimming and Teaching
Do you have NCC certificate?	NO

Education

% in class 10	75
% in class 12	89
Schooling (Medium)	ENGLISH
Graduation course & %	BBM( 73%)
College & batch-year	Bangalore university  2006-2009
Post-graduation	–
Any professional courses	–

Introduction

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

I, driven by my dreams, always wanted to do something which would give me satisfaction rather than mediocre appreciation.

I come from a family which is into business and have no one related to me in the civil services or the armed forces. I was interested to build my career in the police services right from my school days. I always had the passion to become a cop and I had no plan ‘B’ to build upon. I entered this field way back in 2011 when I first tried my hand at UPSC.

Electronic Vs Paper material

Initially I was never technology friendly. I used to find it difficult to study online. But with time I got used to it and I even read my newspapers online now. The only paper material I make use of is the standard NCERT books that I purchased way back and some books that are not available online.

I usually study for around 8-9 hours a day and I start by reading my newspapers online.

I read only selected topics in the newspaper, cut and paste it on my word document and add overviews to it then and there. The next newspapers I read I only read the news that I have missed out in the first paper, but I make sure I browse through all the important editorials.

Any issue that I make notes about, I first cut the newspaper article and paste it on word. Then I add an overview to it from wikipedia. And if the issue is a sensitive or an important one I browse through the concerned ministry’s website.

Information overload is something that I used to face initially but a thorough analysis of the previous year question papers will teach you to leave out the unwanted stuff.

Tempo and style

Q. People know what books and syllabus topics are to be prepared. But most of them lack consistency in their preparation. So, how did you keep study momentum going on? How do you fight against the mood swings and distractions?

I think it is very important to remain focused but at the same time it is even more important to lead a normal life and not a life of a saint. I personally feel one has to study during study time and keep the mind fresh otherwise. I used to take a Sunday break which used to put me back to books on Monday. I never exhausted myself with studies. I used to like what I used to do. And yes like any other aspirant, when I got distracted I used to close my books and not push myself too much. I used to remind myself about my priorities and give myself some positive affirmations. My time table always used to put me back on track if I lost my way.

Working professional

If you’re a working professional, share some tips on how to manage studies with job

1. Study as much as you can before office hours.
2. At office make the best use of internet and try to revise current events and keep browsing whatever you can during your free time.
3. Once you are back from work do not study subjects that will put you to sleep.
4. And if you are not able to study like your friends (for 15-16 hours a day) DO NOT WORRY. There are only 125 questions and you just have to be smart.
5. Analyze the previous year question papers thoroughly before you start studying.
6. Read ONE BOOK 10 TIMES & not 10 BOOKS ONCE.

GS and Aptitude paper

Q1. Please share the list of resources you used, your strategy and other tips for benefit of future aspirants.

Topic	input
History Ancient	NCERT
History Medieval	NCERT
History Modern (Freedom Struggle)	Old NCERT, SPECTRUM
Culture society	–
Polity (theory + current)	LAXMIKANTH + HINDU
Economy (theory + current)	ECO SURVEY, RAMESH SINGH + BUSINESS STANDARD
Science (theory + current)	NCERT, NEWSPAPERS, MRUNAL and TMH GS MANUAL
Environment (theory + current)	ISC BOOKS, MRUNAL, GOVERNMENT WEBSITES
geography physical	NCERT
geography India	NCERT
geography world	OLD NCERTS
other national/international current affairs	HINDU, BUSINESS STANDARD, INDIAN EXPRESS, DECCAN HERALD, FRONTLINE, YOJANA,JOURNALS LIKE INDIA TODAY, OUTLOOK &  MRUNAL
Schemes, Policy & Filler Stuff	ALL MINISTRY WEBSITES & MRUNAL
Maths	RS AGARWAL AND TMH ( ABHIJITH GUHA)
Data interpretation	CAT AND CSAT  MATERIAL FROM FRIENDS
Reasoning	RS AGARWAL AND TIME

Accuracy in GS paper

	input
How many MCQs did you attempt?	109
How many of them correct (When solved at home)?	–
official score (when UPSC uploads)	122

Q. What’s your overall experience with GS paper? (E.g. it was on expected lines as per my preparation, it was quite tougher than earlier years etc.)

It wasn’t too tough. 4-5 months of preparation got me through. It was as per my expectations.

Descriptive paper

Q. How did you prepare the Essay, grammar, précis and report writing?

When I had 15 days left for my exam, I used to write one essay and précis everyday. I ignored the grammar part of it. I just read some 3 reports before going to the exam.

Four Essays

This time, UPSC required the candidates to write 4 out of 6 essays. Which of the following did you attempt? And what were your keypoints in them?

Topic	your key points
doctor-pharma nexus	—
interstate water dispute	a.262- mentioned various river disputes and tribunals- effect on the lower riparian states- politics involved- role of supreme court- orders of tribunals- water used for drinking and irrigation- dams- interlinking of rivers- role of the centre and state
social reformers in freedom struggle	Raja ram mohan roy , Vivekananda, dayand sarswathi , ishwar Chandra vidya sagar, and how each ones idea is revlevant to date- concept of one god, power of youth by swami Vivekananda and todays demographic dividend.
falling rupee & Indian economy	Reasons( FII s going back- less fdi- quantitative easing- euro crisis)Impact- depreciating rupee- exporters benefit- importers suffer- tourism sector benefits- students going abroad suffer.Measures by rbi and my solution.
China’s aggressive policy	——
media publicity on terrorism	Social media- television- not everyone portrays it in the wrong sense- more regulations- have a responsible role to play to stop terrorism-

Argument For-Against

This time, UPSC required candidates to write both arguments for and against the given statements. so what were your keypoint in it?

Topic	Argument for	against
casteless society becomes distant through issues raised by reservation	A.44 violated- no uniform civil code- political favours- vote bank- khap panchayts- no proper eduation –no regulation-	With time everything will be fine- more education- globalized world- lesser caste atrocities- privatization and globalization is diluting the caste system slowly
women empowerment is urban phenomenon	Yes it is- education- higher gdp- better schools- more exposure- more safety- better infrastructure in cities- lack of toilets in rural areas and lack of connectivity	No it not- recent govt schemes- more empowerment in ruaral than urban- ngo’s – migration

Report writing?

Did you write report the same way you wrote essay? or did you apply any special format/structure here?

Report writing needs changes and cannot be written like a essay and that is why they are categorized under two different sub headings.

My essay started with an introduction, then body and ended with a conclusion that replicated my introduction.

Report writing- to the point – straight and blunt.

Topic	keypoints
Uttarakhand tsunami & Military	Compare with Europe- they have more floods but less disaster- disaster mgt policy- role of itbp- proper planning needed and how our NDMA has functioned badly
Ethics crisis in cricket	Betting- ipl- no sportsmanship- recent examples- match and spot fixing- role of bcci- glamour and money taking over the game-

Q. What is your overall experience with descriptive paper (e.g. too lengthy paper, grammar tougher than previous paper etc.)

Grammar wasn’t too tough but the paper was lengthier than the previous one as we had to write 4 essays while in 2012 it was different.

Without practice one CANNOT FINISH the descriptive paper. PLEASE PRACTICE AT LEAST 10 PAPERS before your exam.

CAPF Physical Efficiency Test

Q1. To pass Physical Efficiency Tests (PET), what preparation did you do at home?

I made sure I ate healthy food to cut down the extra kilos I had. Proper diet with disciplined workout made it easier for me.

Q2. Where was your PET held?

NISA , HYDERABAD

Q3. Please narrate your actual experience PET test with readers.

I was weighing 80 kilos in December. I had to cut down 13 kilos in 4 months. It was the toughest part of the entire process. I started dieting and hit the gym to shed those extra kilos. I used to run everyday and I somehow was confident about my 800mtrs race.

On the PET day, in the hot sun we were first made to run 100 meters. One has to put in a lot of power and push really hard to finish the race in 16 secs. ( I finished it in 15 secs as I had concentrated only on reducing my weight and finishing 800 mtrs. I had ignored the 100mtr event thinking I could do it). I had a hamstring injury as I hadn’t practiced much.

5 minutes later began the 800 mtrs race. A lot of guys get eliminated here as they find it difficult to complete it. So please practice. Set your target at 3 minutes during practice.

10 minutes after this was “LONG JUMP”. THE NEXT HIGHEST ELIMINATION HAPPENS HERE. Not because it’s too difficult but because a lot of people come without practice.

Lack of practice can lead to making fouls and they are very strict about judging your performance.

Last event is Shot put. Don’t bother about it. It is very easy unless you don’t step on the line to make a foul.

PLEASE PRACTICE ALL THE EVENTS BACK TO BACK BEFORE YOUR PET.

After your weight and height is measured and before you start with your events, make sure you eat something which has a high glycemic index. It is only to keep your energy levels high. Please don’t feast. See what suits your body.

Interview by UPSC Panel

Q1. How did you prepare for the interview? Particularly college graduation subjects related questions?

As I did not have enough time to prepare for my interview, the only option I had was “GOOGLE”. My marks card says BBM with Specialization in HR. So I knew they would grill me with respect to Human Resource. So in a span of 4-5 hours I saw some common interview questions on HR which most interviewers love to ask. Though only a couple of questions were asked, it gave me enough confidence to handle the rest.

Q2. Where did you stay for the interview? (Hotel / friend’s home …) and what books/material did you bring for the ‘revision before interview’?

I stayed at my Friends place in South Delhi and the only thing that I carried for revision was an IPAD. I did carry my Current affairs notes but I could not revise it.

Q3. Who was the chairman of you interview board?

Mr. Manbir Singh

Q4. How long was the interview?

20 minutes

Q5. Why do you want to become an Assistant commandant? Why don’t you continue in your graduation field? [Since I don’t know whether they asked you this question or not. But if they had asked- what will be your reply?]

To serve in the uniformed services was always my passion. I had to complete any degree to be eligible to take up these exams and I pretty much knew before I started my graduation that I would not continue further with management studies. But I chose to study management amongst other fields of study as I knew any service that I enter into, the limited knowledge that I would have gained would not go waste in comparison to the other subjects.

I want to be an Asst. Commandant in the central armed police forces for the dynamic nature of the job and the various opportunities it provides after 5-6 years of service. 1) It is a police job

2) You are not limited to just one area or field of operation (this is also the reason why CISF was my first preference)

UPSC Interview Transcript

Q. Please narrate your entire interview- what questions did they ask and what did you reply and other pleasant or uncomfortable experiences during the interview?

My interview was in the afternoon session and the chairperson was Mr. Manbir Singh.

(My interview began exactly at 3.55 pm and the only thought that was running in my mind was if I had to wish them a good evening or an afternoon!!! Sounds silly but I did not want to be caught off guard in my first statement).

ME: Good evening sir (to every member there), Good evening madam.

Chairman: Amit, You seem to be working in a coaching institute as an administrator. Don’t you think coaching institutes are only making money and misguiding the students rather than guiding them?

Me : Sir I don’t deny the fact that there are institutes making money but not all institutes are the same. For a lot of candidates who plan to make it to the services and who has no one in their family or friends circle to guide them, they have no where and no one to go to. This is where coaching institutes act as a platform to help students meet, interact, discuss and exchange views. And the trend today is such that a lot of people from various backgrounds are aspiring to enter the services but with no proper guidance, unlike the earlier days where members in the family , already in the service used to make it easier for their kith and kin.

Chairman: Do you know Iraq?

Me: Yes sir, I do.

Chairman: What is happening in Iraq now? Elaborate on the present crisis.

Me: ISIS conflict( explained the entire crisis) –

Chairman: what is the difference in the ideology of Shias and Sunnis?

Me : Shias worship the son in law of Prophet Md. And they mourn his demise while Sunnis worship Prophet Md.

Chairman: Why is America, an ally of Sunnis joining hands with Iran, a Shia nation? Don’t you think it’s a shift in its foreign policy?………………………..( went on and on. I was wondering if he was asking me a question or telling me a story)……and yes what do you think Amit?

Me : Sir, Iraq is a oil rich nation and America does not want to lose its strong hold as there is huge money involved and it is more of an issue based alliance rather than an ideology based alliance. The Persian gulf being close to Iran, through which a lot of world trade happens is also important in the larger interest of the world and thus to bring things under control America has joined hands with Iran

Member 1: what is corporate ethics?

Me: Not jumping from one company to another for menial gains and also to merge the mission of the company with that of the individual.

Member 1: So not swindling money and not being corrupt does not fall under corporate ethics?

Me: Of course it does madam but I just couldn’t recall it immediately.

Member 1: That’s alright. How would you motivate your force as a commandant?

Me: Madam, I think what satisfies any employee in an organization or elsewhere is the feeling of an individual being heard. Once an employee is heard and his grievances are addressed he would automatically take care of motivating himself and contributing to the organization. But apart from that I would wish to set up a feedback mechanism of the work culture and try to address grievances individually rather than implementing common schemes. Some might be motivated by money, while for others money might never be a motivating factor. Thus, I would try to redefine the goals of employees in a manner that would synchronize with the vision of my organization.

Member 2: what is competency mapping? What is the difference between job analysis ,description and specification? What is career growth? Career succession? (I ANSWERED ALL BUT THE LAST ONE)

Member 3: your hobby seems to be Natal Astrology. Is Astrology a science or an art?

Me: The astronomical part of it is science sir but to predict is an art. If you will have to define science as that which can have a cause and effect relationship with an empirical evidence, then astrology is definitely not a science sir. But if we can broaden the definitions of science, Astrology can be classified as one sir.

M3: what is the difference between astronomy and astrology?

Me: The study of planets and other heavenly bodies objectively is astronomy and the impact it has on the human race can be called astrology.

M3: you are about to go for a war. Will you look at the moon or the gun?( everyone burst out laughing)

Me: Sir of course the gun at the first instance but after the war probably I would sit and analyze the position of the moon.( I Think I shouldn’t have said this.. he looked at me like I was the biggest fool. But I kept smiling)

M3:I can derive something from a scientists theory but why is it that I can derive nothing from the so called “science of astrology”?

Me: Sir, even if we categorize astrology as a science, NOT ALL ASTROLOGERS ARE SCIENTISTS SIR.

M3: What kind of injuries happen during Marathon Running?

Me; Achilles Tendon, Hitting the wall syndrome, lower back pain. Shin sprain.

M3: Why do injuries happen?

Me: lack of training and proper nutrition.

M3: But a 4 year old Budhia Singh, who comes from a below poverty line family has no proper food to eat and cannot afford a good trainer. But he ran an ultra marathon without any injuries. How?

Me : Sir , I am not too sure but can I take a guess.?

M3: NO. THANK YOU

Me: Thank you sir.

Chairman: Thank you Amit.

( The board was cordial enough but the panel members were expressionless. I was wondering if I was on the right track but I made sure I kept smiling throughout).

After the interview

Q1. 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?

It was more or less on the expected lines but I realized that they are not testing what you say BUT HOW YOU SAY IT.

Q2. Any side details about technicalities like “make sure you bring xyz document or do xyz thing, or you’ll face problem”?

“ MAKE SURE YOU AND ONLY YOU ARE THERE” by which I mean do not try to be someone who you are not. Just be yourself and please do not fake and lie. You think you are smart , they are a million times smarter than you. Do not worry about your documents. If you have missed out on any documents, they will give you time to present it.

CAPF Marksheet

• paper 1:122
• paper 2:92
• interview:120

Service preference

Q1. What is your service preference order BSF,CRPF, CISF, ITBP?

CISF, CRPF, BSF, ITBP

Q2. How/Why did you pickup that order?

CISF for the vast opportunities it provides in terms of working with various establishments and for the nature of the job. If not CISF I wanted CRPF for the various challenges it has got. I personally feel I would have found it difficult to get adjusted to the way of life at the borders and that is why that was not my first preference but having said that I would have taken up any service with pride and served my nation.

Career Backup

Q1. If you were not selected, what was your career backup plan?

If not selected, I was planning to continue teaching but a couple of years down the line I would have started an NGO for the aged.

Q2. When were you going to execute that backup plan (e.g. after third attempt, after dad retires, after girlfriend dumps me etc.)

After I found a girlfriend to help me start an NGO HAHAHA.

Q3. If you were to re-appear in CAPF-2014 then what modifications would you make in your studies?

I would reduce the number of books I read and revised more. I would try to keep myself fit and not rush into losing weight in the last few months.

Wisdom

Q1. Through this journey and success, what wisdom did you gain about life and competitive exams?  What is your message to new aspirants?

“ WHEN THE GOING GETS TOUGH , THE TOUGH GET GOING” . I have learnt many lessons on the blackboard of life that can never be erased.

1. When you need something very badly, life will laugh at you and teach you to be patient.
2. When you think you have touched the finish line , UPSC will remind you that you have many more laps to run.
3. Success and failure are twins. If you have failed, trust me you will win. So never ever give up.
4. Work so hard that it should negate your so called BAD LUCK!!
5. Be smart, focused and remember nothing beats determination and perseverance.
6. God’s plans for your life are bigger than your own dreams for your life.

Q2. UPSC had cleared nearly 2500 candidates from CAPF-prelims. You’re selected but many others did not. They’re feeling dejected with this whole competitive exam business. What is your message to them?

This is a blessing in disguise. Trust me, something big is waiting for you. Every failure is a stepping stone to success. Go back and learn the lessons that life is about to teach you. Wait for the gifts of the universe to unfold. But having said that, remain focused on your goal. I would love to quote my favorite line from ROCKY “ IT IS NOT ABOUT HOW HARD YOU  GET HIT. IT IS ABOUT HOW HARD YOU CAN GET HIT AND STILL MOVE ON”

“ IF SOMEONE CAN DO IT , THEN EVEN YOU CAN DO IT. AND IF NO ONE HAS DONE IT YOU MUST DO IT”.

( Enough of gyan.. go watch some movies.. relax…get ready for the next battle)

Credit: Friends/family

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?

Of course my parents have been my greatest support and never judged me by my results. With every failure hitting me hard on my face they instilled confidence in me that I was cut out for something big and helped me sail through my tough times.

You know how important friends are in ones life and I think I am lucky enough to have genuine guys around to fall back upon during tough times.

And my all time current events friend MRUNAL.

Bogus Marketing Propaganda

Q. You are well aware for the sacred rule. The last question in topper interview,  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 “No”. I’ll publish your answer without tempering.

I did subscribe for mrunals current events and I used to get his updates regularly. They have no doubt been of great help to me. I used to read my newspapers but used to use more of mrunal’s notes as everything was organized and to the point.