Thursday, 26 July 2012

Tuesday, 15 March 2011

Determination needed to achieve


Determination needed to achieve ‐ V. Nandakumar IRS
True inspirational Civil Services Topper 2004 – Shri V. Nandakumar
His mobile phone keeps ringing non‐stop. In the weekends, the calls are mostly from
students seeking guidance on higher education and the Civil Services examination. An all‐India
topper in the UPSC examination in the Geography paper in 2004, the 35‐year‐old loves to
demystify things, ride his bike, take photographs, sing, paint and draw. A school dropout,
Deputy Commissioner of Income Tax V. Nandakumar spoke about his dreams of school, college
and joining the Civil Services.
Though very slender in frame, he holds the attention of a large group of students with
his talk. “When I talk to students, I tell them not to feel envious of those who have made it in
life. Nothing is easy. It requires a lot of determination, training and a dream to achieve what you
want,” V. Nandakumar said.
The ability to adapt to situations, courage to face the odds and the urge to achieve
helped him when circumstances forced him to discontinue schooling after Standard 6. He
worked at a mechanic shed, a photocopy shop and even sold lottery tickets.
“Though initially I liked being out of school with no homework or examinations, I
started missing it all after sometime. I used to see my friends going to school while I would be
working. A friend and neighbour Amalraj told me about taking exams as a private candidate
after which I worked and studied simultaneously. I completed school at the same time as my
former classmates,” he said.
As he had completed his schooling as a private student, no college would take him in.
Then a friend told him about the government Dr. Ambedkar Arts and Science College in
Vyasarpadi, where he joined the BA English Literature course. “When I joined, I was unable to
frame proper sentences in English. But, at the end of the 3rd year, I was the only student to get
through in my entire batch.”
While doing his masters at Presidency College, it was again another friend who told
him that the Civil Services exam was a competitive exam. “Along with a group of friends, I
prepared for the examination. After my PG, I took the TNPSC Group II and Group I exams and
got through. But I chose the Civil Services instead,” he explained.
Having a penchant to do things differently, as winners always do, he was the first to
use caricatures, cartoons and plenty of pictorial representations in his answer sheets. “I never
used any additional answer sheets,” Mr. Nandakumar recalled.
Preparing for the Civil Services gave him an opportunity to think and connect all that
he learns with daily life. “When I learn something, I put it in my own words. Education should
make us think,” said the IRS officer, who is now aspiring for the Indian Foreign Service. He has
given his exam and is awaiting his results. “It is my father's dream and mine too.” (Courtesy :
The Hindu dated – 27.02.2010)
*****

Time bound effort must for Civil Services Examination


Time bound effort must for Civil Services Examination

B. S. WArrier
In the Civil Services Examination, the General Studies paper in the main covers history of modern India and Indian culture (including principal features of literature, arts and architecture), geography of India, Indian polity, current national issues and topics of social relevance, India and the world, Indian economy, planning, public health, human resource management, Constitution of India, International affairs and institutions, law enforcement, internal security, developments in the field of science and technology, environmental issues, communications and space, statistical analysis, graphs and diagrams.
We should not go for too many textbooks or journals. Limit their number, but ensure their quality. Remember, we would be racing against time. We should study one or two standard textbooks in our optional subjects. The school textbooks prescribed by NCERT for Classes 10, 11, and 12 provide basic facts on many subjects in a simple form. The previous question papers should guide us in limiting the boundaries of our study areas.
Our descriptive answers should reveal analytical skills. News and views in the media should not be taken hook, line, and sinker. We should exercise our judgement and skills in evaluation, for sifting the wheat from the chaff. Facts and political statements should be intelligently distinguished. Make the habit of reading at least one English language daily of quality. The reading should not be casual. We should focus on names of places and people of significance, dates, numbers, important developments in the national and international scenes, and major sporting events. Editorials and leader page articles in dailies, one or two news magazines, one competition journal, news and good discussions in radio / TV, will help us in forming clear views and drawing inferences.
It is a good idea to engage ourselves in serious discussions with knowledgeable friends.
As part of the preparation, we should write a few essays simulating the conditions in the examination hall, using a watch to confirm our writing speed. Even if we know the answers well, it would not be of help unless we can effectively transfer the knowledge to the answer book within the prescribed time limit.
Time management is vital during the several months of preparation, as well as in the examination hall. Let us not leave anything to chance. Rehearsals will ensure our ability to perform well in the main papers, thereby boosting our self-confidence.
Whenever we read seriously as part of the preparation, we should note down the main points as also fine expressions and significant quotes.
We should not waste time by reading the same essay again and again. Study it once with full concentration. When we learn an essay, it is essential that we note down the main points, and if necessary make a mnemonic so that we can present all the points in the right sequence without missing any point. Remember that VIBGYOR reminds not only the seven colours of the solar spectrum, but the colours in the order of their wavelengths.
Before starting to write an essay, we can conveniently note down the points in the right sequence and then proceed to expand them appropriately and provide introductory and concluding paragraphs, as required.
We had given an indication of the interview as an important component of the selection exercise. What strategies would help us to secure the highest possible marks in this significant segment, which carries 300 marks out of the total of 2,300 marks for the final ranking?
The interview is a comprehensive personality test and not an abominable cross-examination. We will be interviewed by a board, which will have before it a record of our career.
We will be asked questions on matters of general interest. The board comprises competent and unbiased observers, who are familiar with the nature and working of the civil services, and the possible demands on officers in the services. The prime objective of the interview is to check and confirm our suitability for a career in public service.
It is not a test either of our specialised or general knowledge which has already been evaluated through written papers. The board would examine our ability and skill to analyse facts in the crucible of our mind, draw inferences, arrive at logical conclusions, and articulate them with clarity and precision.
We are expected to have taken an intelligent interest not only in our special subjects of academic study, but also in the events which are happening around us both within and outside our own State or country.
 We should be familiar with modern currents of thought and with new discoveries which should rouse the curiosity of well-educated youth. The interview may not be totally in a conventional question-answer mode. It would be in the form of a natural, but directed and purposive conversation which is intended to reveal our mental qualities.
UPSC mentions thus: “Some of the qualities to be judged are mental alertness, critical powers of assimilation, clear and logical exposition, balance of judgement, variety and depth of interest, ability for social cohesion and leadership, intellectual and moral integrity.”
Even though we have performed well in the written part of the examination, and there is no minimum score officially set down for the interview, our performance in the interview may tilt the balance one way or the other. So it is essential that we give our finest possible performance at this crucial stage.
We should follow the general principles for success in any interview, as also specific strategies in tune with the demands of the personality test in the Civil Services Examination. It is a good idea to attend a few mock interviews held by experts to identify our weaknesses and eliminate them. Further, this would enhance our confidence in facing the real interview. The slogan “I will win” should ring in our ears at every stage of preparation and performance.
Courtesy: The Hindu
******

2011 CS Prelim Exam– A test of comprehensive Knowledge


2011 CS Prelim Exam– A test of comprehensive Knowledge
Aloysius Xavier Lopez
The recent announcement of the new syllabus for Civil Services Preliminary Examination 2011 by the Union Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions is likely to create jitters among aspirants.
A closer look at the syllabus and pattern of the examination mentioned in the text only stresses the need for more focus on general studies and revision of mathematics learned at the secondary school level. Aspirants analyzing recent question papers of other examinations conducted by the UPSC will have a better understanding of the new pattern and syllabus.
According to Union Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, the Civil Services Preliminary examination will consist of two papers with a total of 400 marks. This is different from the earlier pattern that had one optional subject paper along with a general studies paper.
Hereafter, the civil services aspirants can be much more relaxed in their approach as the need for studying an optional subject has been dispensed with for the preliminary. But they have to complete two optional subjects for the main. So balancing the main and prelims in the coming months will be the challenge before them.
The new pattern has forced coaching institutes to change strategy. The All India Civil Services Coaching Centre run by the State conducted its entrance examination on October 31.
“The selected candidates will have special coaching sessions on comprehension, interpersonal skills, logical reasoning and other similar new topics covered in the new syllabus,” said P. Premkala Rani, principal of the centre. The strategy for the new pattern will be different, she adds.
Paper I is worth 200 marks and has been allotted two hours. Earlier the pattern was 150 marks for the general studies. In paper I, candidates will be tested on their knowledge of current events of national and international importance. Emphasis will be on Indian history, Indian national movement, Indian and world geography, including the physical, social and economic geography of India and the world.
The candidates can start preparation as soon as possible by reading newspapers and other periodicals to enrich their knowledge of current affairs. Questions on current affairs are likely to play a key role in scoring the required marks in the new pattern. Questions will also be asked on Indian polity and governance as well as the Constitution, the political system, panchayati raj, public policy and rights issues.
Apart from NCERT books, the Union government publications that have information on latest developments on these subjects are also important. India 2011 year book published by the Publication Division, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting may continue to be of use to answer a large number of questions. “The new system is going to identify the comprehensive knowledge of an aspirant and his / her ability to apply it in decision making. The focus will be more on testing the personality of the candidate,” says Nandakumar, a civil servant.
Candidates will have to prepare for questions on economic and social development, sustainable development, poverty, inclusion, demographics and social sector initiatives.
NCERT books will provide a chunk of answers to questions pertaining to general issues on environmental ecology, bio-diversity, climate change and general science.
Candidates are advised to revise the class X English language books for English language comprehension skills of Paper II. Appropriate IGNOU study material on interpersonal skills, including communication skills may be useful.
Study material used by aspirants of banking services are enough to tackle questions on logical reasoning and analytical ability, decision making and problem solving as well as general mental ability.
Class X books of NCERT should be studied in detail for solving questions on basic numeric skills such as numbers and their relations, orders of magnitude and data interpretation.
Solving the paper is likely to be easy for the aspirants who go though the previous questions asked by the UPSC for other examinations such as NDA, particularly those conducted recently.
Spending at least six hours a day for solving such questions is crucial. Analysing the previous questions of examinations conducted by Reserve Bank of India and other banks is also likely to throw light on the new pattern of examination.
Courtesy: The Hindu dt: 1.11.2010

Dream Dare Win

*****

Failure will come but it should not deter us


Failure will come but it should not deter us
S Nagarajan, UPSC 2007 Batch Rank 1
To be an IAS was his childhood dream... single-minded devotion and intelligent hard-work helped him. His success in the Civil Services and rise to the top cannot but inspire. Meet S Nagarajan in a heart-to-heart talk with Jojo Mathews, Editor, Competition Wizard
To whom would you like to attribute your success?
I attribute my success to the members of my family and friends. In this attempt, especially friends were very supportive. Besides, my single-minded devotion, intelligent hard work, determination and dedication played an important role in lifting me to this position.

What prompted you to prepare for Civil Services?
I was brought up in a district-town. It is a very old town, more than two hundred years old. In a district-town, the career option as a district collector is seen prestigious. Moreover, the challenging nature of the job and the opportunities to feel for the sufferings of people and to solve their problems to a possible extent motivated me to prepare for civil services.

Why do you want to join Indian Administrative Service?
The first and foremost thing is that it offers the spirit of full-time public service. Even in private sector one can do public service by offering a portion of salary to charity after making good money. But here a full-time involvement in public service is missing. Second thing is that as a gentleman’s career, I think, IAS is even better than a good corporate job.

What did you do after your graduation in electrical engineering?
I completed my graduation in 2000. I had taken the Prelim in the same year, cleared the Main but failed to get through the exam finally.



What was your score in the first-attempt?

Electrical Engineering 294
Physics 260
General Studies 354
Essay 110
Interview 194

I found out that my marks in physics were very low even in the old syllabus. Moreover, the syllabus of physics changed in 2001. So, I decided to drop physics because the new syllabus was much more complex, and I opted for Geography.
Why did you choose Geography?
I put forward my problems to an expert in this field. He suggested me to go for either Geography or Psychology. According to him engineers can opt for either Geography or Psychology. But I was not confident of taking any social science subject. Psychology was a new subject and I didn’t feel comfortable with its syllabus. In Geography at least some science is involved. It is only an extension of what we studied in the school. So it was purely a strategic decision without much options.

Why did you decide to join ‘Interactions’ for Geography?
There were two institutes that I had short-listed. I consulted with my seniors and friends; they suggested me to join Interactions because at Interaction guidance is very authentic, meticulously planned and to the point.

What were your experiences of learning Geography?
I understood that in Geography by studying around 50% syllabus I can aim for around 400 marks. In the first attempt itself I secured 396 and in the second attempt 336.
Geography has a very compact and comfortable syllabus. There are around 20 chapters in the syllabus. What I felt that we needed to study only 10 chapters in both the Papers. The ten chapters are also delimited into Part A and Part B of both the Papers. Before the exam one can decide which two questions one has to attempt from Part A or Part B. That is how the syllabus becomes more compact. By good analysis of the previous years’ question papers, one can reduce even ten topics to seven. In both the Papers one can score good marks by using maps and illustrations.
What was your result in the second attempt?

Geography 396
Electrical Engineering 242
General Studies 348
Essay 118
Interview 156

I secured 137th rank and was allocated to the Railway Traffic Services. I found that though I prepared the best for electrical engineering but I could secure only 242 marks. I used to clear objective type questions of the electrical engineering in Civil Services as well as other competitive exams without much preparation. In the Main, I found that the syllabus was getting unmanageable and the questions were getting beyond any reasonable standard. So, I decided to drop electrical engineering and opted for Sociology.

Why did you choose Sociology?
One of my friends, Mr Deepak Choudhary suggested me to opt for Sociology. He felt that I had an aptitude for Sociology rather than Psychology.

Considering the fact that the time at your disposal was limited, how did you manage Sociology?
In a sense, Sociology needs much deeper understanding than Geography. In Geography, one could skillfully put a map and explain to the examiner that he knows the subject. I was more comfortable in Geography because I had a very good understanding of Indian Geography. But in Sociology, I got around 150 in Paper I and around 130 in Paper II. My preparation was inadequate. I didn’t have the grasp of the subject itself. This I could set right in the final attempt after a gap of one year. I utilized the time to read some good authors so that I could get some understanding of the subject. The subject became more clear when I read Gidden’s Sociology. I also prepared the syllabus very seriously.
Why did you take a gap of one year?
This gap was due to the training. Moreover, I had no option other than joining training. Frankly speaking, I was expecting to clear that year itself.

What was your score in the third attempt?

Geography 335
Sociology 285
General Studies 330
Essay 118
Interview 185

How did you manage time in the final attempt?
I was very fortunate that I was granted leave for preparing Main examination. For this, I should thank my chief operations manager Mr R Sharma.

Was there any change in strategy in the last attempt?
In the last attempt, I stuck to the syllabus. For example, by the end of preparation in Sociology, I could write at least 200 words on every sub-topic in the syllabus. 200 words means writing 10 to 20 points depending upon the writing style. This type of preparation I had done for the 90 per cent of the syllabus. If you are confident on two hundred words it can easily be expanded to 600 words. The same thing I did for geography.
While reading magazine if I found anything relevant to the syllabus I used to add that page to my study materials. For example, whenever I saw a good map in any magazine, I entered that map into the pertaining page of my study materials.

Generally, students are a bit confused whether to make notes or only points or study directly from the textbooks. What was your style of preparation?
I studied from the book directly. But, it varies from person to person. I was never dependent on notes to revise. At one point of time I was able to revise the entire syllabus in a single day. But that is difficult, so it is better to make notes.

In which revision you reached that stage where you could revise entire syllabus in a single day?
Third revision. Fourth revision should be the day before the exam.

Do you suggest that at least four or five revisions should be there?
Five revisions will be difficult. Three to four revisions are required. At least second revision is a must. It should not be like that one study the subject and take the exam directly. October onwards it should be only revisions. One should not continue learning anything new.

Did you prepare notes other than reading books?
I did not make notes condensing the books. I made notes heading wise, purely to write a 200 word answer. My notes were skeletons of the answers.

There is a lot of confusion regarding reading books. Some say that read only a few books, others suggest to go for an extensive reading. What is your opinion about it?
I read very less number of books. For Geography, I read both NCERT (Old and New) books. For entire Physical Geography, I read only one book. For human Geography, I read only 2-3 books. Other than these, I read a few general books like Survey of Hindu on Environment and Industries.



What is the role of coaching in one’s preparation? When one should go for it?
In my personal case, it is a trade off. I decided my second optional very late, only after receiving the mark-sheet of the first attempt. It was mid-June. So, I did not have any other alternative other than joining a coaching institute.

You went to the coaching classes without any knowledge about the subjects. How did you manage it?
I knew that I could make maximum use of coaching. I was a fairly keen student in college also. Sitting in a class with competitive students and a good coach is an easy way of learning. I was making a trade-off between my time and the coaching time. If I had more time I would have prepared it by myself.
How did you utilise the coaching institute? Should one go to a coaching institute?
There is no clear-cut answer to this question. It depends on persons, resources, coaching institutes etc. If somebody is confident that he will not waste time and will utilize the coaching institute well one should go for it. But the most important thing is that coaching institutes should be very reliable and dependable.

How one should choose an institute?
I relied on my friends. Students must consult their seniors who know about different institutes in Delhi. Moreover, your seniors should be your well-wishers.

You scored consistently in GS in the first three attempts and this year it may be more than that. But majority of candidates are unable to score consistently in GS especially in Paper II. How one should prepare for GS? How one can do well in two marks questions?
Let me explain it subject wise.
History: Go to the basic books like NCERT, Freedom struggle by Bipin Chandra and Spectrum’s history. In 2001, they asked questions directly from NCERT. For a non-social science student it will do.
Polity: I relied upon NCERT books and the class-notes. Moreover, I answered the questions of last 15 years. Questions are heavily repeated. Answering the previous years’ questions help in thinking faster in the exam.
Geography: I didn’t go for any separate preparation.
Current Affairs: I relied upon the crash course notes. I think, it is better to rely upon crash course notes or something similar from any civil service magazines like Competition Wizard rather than reading newspaper.
Science and Technology: From the beginning I was strong in Science and Technology. I was also in touch with my friends who work in different science streams. I kept abreast of the relevant happenings. My sources were more varied. Spectrum’s Science and Technology is good.
Economy: Uma Kapila’s ‘Understanding problems of Indian Economy’ is quite useful. Some of the questions were directly related to the headings of its chapters. For kick starting, we can rely upon some good coaching institute’s notes. Economy has two types of questions – one is current-oriented and the other is from traditional core section of economy.
International Relations: I relied upon coaching institute’s notes and other study material.

What was your strategy for 30 marks questions of 250 words? Did you stick to the word limit? Did you write introduction, conclusion etc?
Word limit is basically a time limit. I have a sense of time limit and time limit, in a sense, is page limit. When you see the question paper you can say that you are going to write this concept in this much space. 250 words will be about two and a half page. If I know that I want to talk about a concept in a quarter of page and if it exceeds that limit, then in the next concept I need to write less. Inside the examination hall, after every half an hour I used to check whether I completed 50 marks or not. I didn’t have time problem in any of my attempts.
In GS, there is no scope for introduction. 250 words is fairly less for a good students.
In Sociology, I explained the questions and its components in introduction. In Geography, I had better introduction. I used some direct phrases from the NCERT. I also used pre-planned introduction in some topics. I quoted some paragraphs from NCERT in Essay too.

When one should start preparing for Civil Services?
Ideally, the preparation process should start during graduation, but even late comers should make it, starting 7-8 months before the Prelim.



Did you have any plan for Civil Services during graduation?
During my graduation, I had a plan. But in our college, we didn’t have many people who were preparing for it.

When did you finally decide?
I finally decided in the fourth year of B.E.

What was your strategy for the Prelim?
A subject-wise analysis of last 10 years’ question paper is required. The classification itself will give a feeling of what is being asked in the exam. I had a matrix of last ten years’ paper of the General Studies as well as the optional. Those areas in which I was not competent, I studied in detail.
Did you practise answer-writing?
I wrote only a few answers, may be less than ten in each paper. But I planned skeletons for entire last 10 years’ papers including all 200 words questions. By writing 10 answers I got to know my speed; my thinking power; whether I am able to give proper introduction or not and whether I am exceeding word limit or time limit.

What was your strategy for Essay?
I did some brainstorming for some topics. But in the exam I never wrote the topics, which I was prepared for. I wrote approximately 1000-1200 words.

What is the most crucial thing in the essay writing to fetch maximum marks?
A coherent essay may fetch around 115-120 marks. One should stick to the basic points. Beating around the bush will mar the purpose. Good introduction, one concept in one paragraph and smooth transition from one paragraph to other are the basic rules.


How did you prepare for Personality Test this time?
In the previous attempts my preparations were haphazard. I was rushing through coaching classes. More thinking about personality and Bio-data are required rather than trying to know more about current-affairs. This time, I asked myself why I wanted to join civil services? Why did I leave a good engineering career and joined Railways? Why do I want to leave Railways and go to IAS loosing three years of service? Then I worked on my Bio-data and tried to generate as far away questions as possible. Almost the entire interview was what I thought of.
What was your personal experience of Interview Board?
The interview depends upon with what frame of mind one appears before the Interview Board. This year I was very confident of my selection. I performed very well as a Railway officer. Second thing is that interview itself is a purposeful conversation rather than a strict question-answer session. Keeping it in mind I conversed confidently with the Board members. Had I kept answering tersely to the question they would have not even got a chance to find whether I was worth enough to the service.

What do you think about Competition Wizard?
Special issues on Prelim and Main are very good and concise. It helped me a lot in the course of my preparation. Simplicity, brevity, accuracy and quality consciousness are the other things that impressed me much about Competition Wizard.

What is your impression about Interactions?
Fact speaks for itself. A person who has no background in Geography had studied three months at Interactions and secured 396 in the first attempt. On 15th June, I had decided to change one Optional subject and chose Geography. On 17th October were the Main Papers and I secured 396.
What is your hobby?
Reading and watching movies. In the interview, they asked me what especially I read. I read both Tamil and English. A member of the Board asked me whether I had read any works of the Jnanpith award winner Jayakanth. I told them that I had read a number of his short stories. Then I could tell a short story in the Interview. I felt that they were quite impressed with my narration.
As regards watching movies, they asked me about my favourite English actor and movies. I had never thought about my favourite English actors. So, the answer came spontaneously in an unstructured fashion. Had I planned about these questions earlier, I would have been able to answer it in a more coherent manner.
 What is your advice to new comers?
Preparation should be structured, methodical, scientific, meticulous and detailed. A good revision is needed. Don’t plunge into Prelim and waste attempts before having a clear-cut idea about the nature of the exams and a good command over the subjects. Failure will come but it should not deter us.

How many hours did you study daily?
At least six hours a day, morning and evening three hours each. But I did not do any other activity. To keep the momentum it is better to have teamwork.

What is the role of luck in Civil Services?
Bad luck will put people out and without preparation no luck will put anybody in.

Where do you see yourself when you are at sixty?
At sixty, I will be starting a new career.
Courtesy: Competition Wizard
*****

We can achieve


Civil Services..... We can achieve…. The Tips
Dr.G.T. Kumaragururajan MBBS, PhD
Medical officer, Corporation of Chennai 
                                                                                                                               and Civil service aspirant
(Went up to Interview level both in UPSC and TNPSC).


From time immemorial, every man's aim was to exercise control over his dominion of authority. It was the singular imperial effort of Europeans and Arabs that led to the colonial expansion and later exploitation of the hitherto third world countries. This uncontrolled exercise of imperial authority led to large scale devastation and exploitation in the form of war and armed rebellion against the rulers by the ruled. The age that followed was no different. Many futile attempts were later made to streamline such indiscriminate exercise of power. In India, the Britishers enjoyed enormous and unfettered powers in multivarious disciplines and it was a long fought struggle before indianisation of superior civil services was introduced.
Civil services in India remained largely at the mercy of British lords till the idea of establishment of public services commission was suggested by the Montague Chelmsford report which reflected in the Govt. of India act of 1919. The first public service commission was set up on 1st October 1926. Later the Federal Public Service Commission was established under the Government of India Act 1935.
Ever since India attained independence, the Federal Public Service Commission was rechristened to be called as Union Public Service Commission (UPSC). UPSC is the supreme constitutional authority to recruit civil servants. It is extremely autonomous body of experts chosen from amongst persons with remarkable integrity and long standing experience in the faculty of administration at various levels of the hierarchy. Consequently state public service commissions and provincial public service commissions were established.
Why civil services…..?
Many of us may think as to why people are interested in studying civil services. In fact it is the only platform in which a person may, in an overnight’s time, improve upon his present position drastically to insurmountable heights. An IAS or an IPS officer command so much respect in the society and  often people regard it as an extremely difficult task to become one and that it requires lots of monetary and muscle power. In reality, it is not so. In fact it is the one of the few instances where systematic hard work succeeds irrespective of the social and economic status. Civil servants have this extremely rare opportunity to work in such a situation where responsibility commensurate with the authority, channelizing the entire process leading to public welfare and sustainable development.
System of examination …..
UPSC conducts the examination for civil services in three phases as Preliminary examination, Main examination and Interview. Preliminary examination is basically with multiple choice questions which have two papers namely a compulsory general studies paper and one optional paper. There is negative marking for both GS and optional paper. Main examination involves theory type questions containing short answers and long answers .Here there are two optional subjects, GS papers and essay paper apart from two qualifying papers. Interview is held by various boards constituted by UPSC from time to time, headed by its members.
How to go about it…..?
Preparation for this highly coveted service requires extremely careful planning and systematic hard work right from the beginning. First, one has to make up the mind as to whether he wants to become a civil servant. This is an extremely important step because, the entire array of events namely preparation, examination and the time component involved must be borne in mind. It is a relatively time consuming process and requires lots of perseverance and the quality of perseverance in itself is a “trade mark” feature of a civil servant.
The next important step is to when to start preparing and how to prepare. Always we say earlier, the better! Preparation and background work must start by the second year of graduation at least. The candidate must cultivate of habit of accalamitasation to the habit of preparation. Guidance from seniors who were successful or who are on the road to success may go a long way in the preparation.
Last but not the least is the careful selection of optional subjects. The choice of optional subjects varies with both the individual and also the period in which the candidate appears for the examination. Usually a candidate chooses his subject of study in undegraduation or post graduation as his optional subject. But this choice can also be made according to the ability of the candidate to understand and grasp the subject and the most preferred optional during the period of examination.
Thus civil services is one of the most sought after career for lakhs and lakhs of prospective aspirants who wish to improve upon their status in a relatively short span of time and at the same time gain the rare opportunity to formulate policies that govern our country and participate in the most crucial part of public welfare.
So folks go ahead! Choose civil services as your career! Serve the public interest and protect the national trust. Jai hind!!!
*****

civilsIAS

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