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Abhimanyu Singh Yadav. All India Rank: 192

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Abhimanyu Singh Yadav. 

All India Rank: 192.

Q1. How did you choose you optionals?

As you know, my optionals were History and Philosophy. I had studied these subjects as a part of my degree course, so they were a natural choice. Actually I deliberately chose these subjects at the degree level keeping Civil Services Exam in mind.

Q2. What was your basis of choosing these two subjects then (at the degree level)?

I had Political Science, History and Geography at 10+2 level. According to the college rules I had to leave out one subject out of the three, so I left Political Science. It was an intuitive decision.

Q3.In how many attempts did you clear CSE?

I cleared the exam in four attempts. In my previous three attempts I cleared the Prelims but failed to clear Mains. My Service Preference was IAS, IFS, IRS, IPS, etc.

Q4. It means that you started early, since when you were motivated to be an IAS officer?

Since 1997, when I was in class 11th, I started preparing for it.

Q5. How do you feel now about not being an IAS officer?

Nothing bad, I am still preparing for the exam. I may be allotted IFS if the Supreme Court gives a favorable verdict in the pending case.

Q6. You took four attempts to clear the CSE. How did failure change you?

I was not serious in my first two attempts. As I took no coaching I had to find my way through the exam by myself, in this process I failed in CSE 2006. There after I gave a serious thought to my preparation and the result is in front of you.

Q7. What was the most crucial thing for you that turned failure into success?

Since I neither had a professional degree nor a backup job in case I failed in the CSE, it became a do or die situation for me. I started thinking about a career in Media but eventually my strong willpower sailed me through the CSE.

Q8. Since class 11th, is there any significant event that motivated you to join civil services?

Nothing specific, being a student of Arts I had only two options either Lectureship or Civil Services. I chose latter.

Q9. Please tell us something about your family background.

I was the first person in my family who went to a college and got a degree, all credits to my family. I lost my father in my childhood, he was a Police Sub-Inspector. My mother is a teacher. I have a younger brother also.

Q10. Coming to specifics, you cleared all your prelims, what was your strategy for prelims?

Nothing specific, I am very strong in Objective-type questions besides I hold a Masters degree in History.

Q11. What about the Main Examination?

I had no problems in GS, Essay or History. Philosophy, my second optional was the weak-spot for me, although I was selected I got very poor marks in it (271).

Q12. You consulted foreign universities for Philosophy, yet your score was low, how do you explain this? Is UPSC to be blamed? How many marks did you expect? Is the evaluation procedure up to the mark or scaling procedure faulty?

Actually we both are to blame for it. I started preparing for Philosophy very late (in august 2007), so I could not master the subject. The UPSC is also to be blamed especially for paper 2. The University Level in India is not matched with it.

Q13. Sir what is you opinion about coaching institutes?

They are all teaching crap especially in paper 2 of Philosophy. Nobody knows anything about this paper at least the coachings in Hindi medium. Chandmal, Patanjali, Drishti, etc. are just making money.

Q14. So you took coaching and were cheated by them? What about GS did you refer Vajiram, Sriram notes, etc.?

No I did not take coaching with them, I took the trial classes and in two days the story was clear. They themselves don’t know much about the subject. Even the knowledge they were imparting was not up-to-date. Yes I referred to Vajiram’s notes for GS but in 2005, not in the year of selection.

Q16. You said that the Philosophy level does not match to university level? is there a fault in the syllabus or paper setting or evaluation process or all of them?

I don’t blame scaling for it, however the other two factors are very much responsible for the fluctuations in marks. A majority of candidates have not read many topics given in UPSC syllabus at the university level. Even the evaluation procedure is not fair, I scored as high as 189 marks in philosophy paper2 in 2005 but it came down to 88 in 2006 and 115 in 2007. We can see exam centers Even our universities are to be blamed as they don’t take such subjects seriously.

Q17. So there is a scope for reforms?

Yes of-course. UPSC can disclose the answer-keys for Prelims. For Mains they may not open the scaling formula but they certainly can put up the answer-sheets of all the subject toppers. They should also share the social and economic background of the selected candidates.

Q18. You scored 213 in Interview, how did you prepare for the Personality Test? What role internet and especially this community played in it?

I never seem to fit in, there was always a mismatch between my background and my intellectual. In my college too, I had very few friends because of my knowledge, I knew more than twice about anything than others. I had always looked at every situation rationally, free from emotions and prejudices.

Joining this community was a blessing to me as it provided me the access to the best minds in the nation. This community is one of the best options for Interview preparation. The coaching institutes give you their half-baked knowledge.

Q19. Your score reflects that you had a very good time with the board. Tell us an interesting question or happening that you remember from it.

They asked me 20 questions on banking sector and I have no interest or background or any distant link with this field. But, the interesting part is, even then I was able to answer all of them.

Q20. Did you appear for the State PSCs as well? If, yes, of which states? Please tell us about your experience with the State PSCs. Is this option a good backup in case you fail in CSE?

I appeared for Rajasthan PCS in 2004 and I regret my decision. They were acting like stooges and behaving irrationally. Gyan Prakash Pilania, the ex-DGP of Rajasthan, was the Chairman of RPSC. He was also the Chairman of Rajasthan Jat Mahasabha, a caste-based organization, at that time. Later on he became a Rajya Sabha MP on BJP ticket. How can you feel or say that they are unbiased and not the stooges of the State government? If I get a chance in future, I will certainly give them a good grilling for their irresponsible behavior and try to make the process more open, transparent and unbiased.

Q21. Please tell us about the books you referred for GS, History and Philosophy.

GS with all available books in Hindi, as there is no good book for S&T or Economics in hindi I referred Wikipedia for it. History I studied with Delhi University books only. Philosophy too, I prepared with all available books and through internet.

Q22. What magazines and newspapers you read during your preparation?

Frontline, The Hindu, Vigyan Pragati, Wikipedia for economics and Science &Technology.

Q23. What was your daily schedule? How many hours of study you put in everyday?

Whatever time I had, I used it for studying. I usually studied for 13 to 15 hours daily. I did no other work than study.

Q24. Please tell us about your hobbies?

Meditation and reading literature were my hobbies.

Q25. Does general reading help in CSE?

Yes, if you read a lot you get so many ideas.

Q26. Is medium a problem in CSE?

Yes, sometimes, although I have no problem with English but there is no study material

For Economics, S&T and Philosophy Paper 2.

Q27. What’s the role of luck in CSE?

I never found Luck an important factor in my success or in anyways helpful for me. But yes for some it may work.

Q28. Is there any proverb or quotation that helped you during Civil Service Preparation?

Yes but in Hindi or perhaps Persian,

क्या हुआ जो हम हार गए अभी सभी कुछ तो ख़तम नहीं हुआ
हम फिर लडेंगे ,हौसला रखने वालो की कभी हार नहीं होती
बाबर

Look at the lives of great personalities, one can say that they chose or made their destiny yet some can say that it was merely a twist of fate. Both are correct.

Q29. Sir you didn’t elaborate on the strategy at least give a small motivational message to the community.

I had not made a strategy, consciously, therefore I am not able to write it down but I can explain the process to all those who are curious through face-to-face interaction or through chatting, but you have ask the right questions to get the right answers.

Go Ahead , And Achieve Your Dreams Isha Pant , IPS

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Isha Pant , IPS

Isha is the youngest among four sisters. Her eldest sister is an IFS officer, second sister is a human resources professional and third sister is a squadron leader in the Indian Air Force.

It was a proud moment for Isha Pant who was awarded the best all-round Indian Police Service (IPS) probationer and won the Prime Minister’s baton and home ministry’s revolver at the 64th ‘Dikshant Parade’ at the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Police Academy (SVPNPA) in the city on Friday.

“The academy welcomes you with open arms and I wish more and more women join the service,” the IPS officer from Bhopal, who has been inducted to the Madhya Pradesh cadre, said.

On being questioned about her vision for her cedar which enjoys the ignominy of leading the country for the number of rapes committed, Isha said, “As a woman, I will strive to take on the challenge of violence against women in my state. As female officers we are definitely more sensitive to the issues.”

The officer trainees were coached in different aspects of policing with the addition of two new papers on ‘internal security’ and ‘investigation- II’ which addresses the challenges of cyber crimes

Differently abled Odisha girl clears civil services exam in first attempt

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Differently abled Odisha girl clears civil services exam in first attempt



Not letting her disability come in the way of reaching her goals has become Sarika Jain’s second nature. The polio stricken Odisha woman has cleared the civil service examination in her first attempt, two years after qualifying the tough Chartered Accountancy exam.

Jain, 29, was ranked 527 among the 1,122 candidates who cleared the civil services examinations (2013) conducted by Union Public Service Commission.

“I am extremely happy about the result, though I expected a better rank. I owe my success to my parents and all members of our joint family,” Sarika told HT.

She added she would take a second shot at the exam if not short-listed in the Indian Administrative Service, the most coveted among the civil services.

Jain, who was afflicted with polio in her right leg with 50% disability since the age of two despite taking polio drops, hails from Kantabanji, a small town in Balangir district, about 400 km west of Bhubaneswar. Her father Sadhuram Jain is a small time trader of sanitary fittings.

Third among three sisters and a brother, Sarika studied in local Saraswati Sishu Mandir and later completed her bachelor’s degree in commerce from Kantabanji Women’s College. After completing her Chartered Accountancy (CA) in 2012, Sarika decided to appear for the civil services.

“I prepared for six months in Kantabanji and another six months in New Delhi, studying 12 hours a day all the time,” she said.
Sadhuram is very happy with his daughter’s accomplishment.
“She had put in hard labour into her studies. It is the grace of Lord Jagannath that she has cleared the exam and I wish she will serve the people,” he said.

Source -HT

 
 

Topper of IAS-2014 exam – Ira Singhal

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ira singhal

Ira singhal has topped the merit list of Civil Services Exams 2014. UPSC declared the results today

Born to Rajendra Singhal and Anita Singhal, Ira is the only child of her parents. 4.5 feet tall Ira is physically handicapped but it did not diminish her determination to join India’s most prestigious government service.

She cleared UPSC Civil Services Exam in 2010 and was allotted IRSbut her short height became an obstacle in her joining the IRS service. The matter reached CAT which gave ruling in her favor last year.
Ira Singhal is currently working as assistant commissioner, Indian Revenue Service (Customs and Central Excise), government of India .
She worked as Customer Development Manager in Cadbury India limited from june 2008-january 2010,

Educational Background of Ira Singhal

Ira belongs to Delhi and completed her 10th from Lorento convent and 12th from famous Army Public School, Dhaula kuan. Ira did her B.E (Computer engineering) from Netaji Subhas Institute Of Technology and completed her masters of business administration (M.B.A) in marketing and finance from faculty of management studies-University of delhi.
Ira topped the exam in general category despite being physically handicapped.
“I wanted to be an IAS officer. I want to do something for the benefit of physically-handicapped people,” she said.
She has keen interest in football and she is a strong votary of women empowerment.
She also has good control over Spanish Language. Ira has a good knowledge over Competitive analysis and Strategic Planning.

Meet Devyani Khobragade IFS of 1999 Batch

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devyani khobragade

Things you may like to know about Devyani Khobragade:

Devyani Khobragade, a doctor-turned Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer of 1999 batch, she served as Deputy Consul General in Consulate of India, New York. Earlier, she had worked in the political divisions of the Indian missions in Pakistan, Italy and Germany.

Family Background

Devyani Khobragade was born in Tarapur, Maharashtra into a prominent Dalit family from Gadchiroli, Maharashtra as its India’s financial capital Mumbai. She is married to an American citizen, New York-born Dr. Aakash Singh Rathore, who is research professor at University of Luiss, Rome, Italy.  His father, Uttam, was an officer in the Indian Administrative Service and his uncle Dr. Ajay M Gondane is also an Indian Foreign Service officer of the 1985 batch and High Commissioner of Papua New Guinea.

Devyani Khobragade is the mother of two daughters aged six and three. “Apart from proudly raising two beautiful girls, she also wishes to contribute towards dalit and gender equality in her country”, her profile among 2012 Rolls-Royce scholars says.

Must Read: Amrutesh Aurangabadkar IAS – Topper in Maharashtra

Educational Background

Devyani Khobragade attended Mount Carmel High School in Mumbai. She obtained a degree in medicine from King Edward Memorial Hospital and Seth Gordhandas Sunderdas Medical College and KEM Hospital, Parel in Mumbai. While doing an MS in Ophthalmology, Khobragade decided to become a civil servant.

In 2012, she was selected for Chevening Rolls-Royce Science and Innovation Leadership Programme and completed the course.

Devyani Khobragade is proficient in English, Hindi, German and Marathi. Her passion is in travelling, reading, yoga, music and dancing.

Also Read: Topper’s Story – Neha Yadav IFS, 2013

Devyani Khobragade tweeted earlier, mentioning about her involvement in a non-profit venture, “I am helping to change the way the world sees arts education. Join me in supporting Project Art”

Unlike some of her colleagues in IFS, Khobragade is not very active in social media. Among those who she follows in Twitter include US president Barack Obama, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, former India’s ambassador to US Nirupama Rao and telecom guru Sam Pitroda.

Khobragade is a big fan of James Eugene “Jim” Carrey, a Canadian American actor, comedian and producer.

Don’t Miss: Topper’s Story – Apurva Dubey IAS, 2012