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Interview with ADGP Karuna Sagar IPS

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Interview with ADGP Karuna Sagar IPS

Shri. Karuna Sagar is the Additional Commissioner of Police, Traffic, Chennai. He joined Indian Police Service in 1991 and presently heads the Traffic wing of Chennai police.

He has held several positions including that of DIG of Police, Crime Branch CID; Chennai, DIG of Police, Armed Police, Chennai; Commissioner of Police, Thirunelveli; and Commissioner of Police, Trichy.

In an exclusive interview with Marie Banu, Shri Karuna Sagar IPS talks about his passion towards social causes.

* What motivated you to become a police officer?

> Basically, I come from Bihar. We have seen what a good law and order can do to a State and what a bad law and order can do. I was very interested since my early school days to join the Indian Police Service, since I thought that police has a big role in terms of being a social changer; creating a consumer atmosphere; and creating a society where there is equality of law.

* We recently saw a discussion on whether Sanjay Dutt can be relieved from punishment. You can have sympathy for one person, but law has to be blind. If you are talking about one individual, what about the human rights of those who have been convicted earlier?

> I think IPS gives you an excellent platform to transform your ideas into concrete action, and that is the reason why I wanted to join.

* What did you study in College?

> I did my Graduation as well as Post-graduation in History from Delhi University. History is a subject I am very passionate about. Because, it tells you everything that happens in society—all the changes, all the events, all the developments, and the progression in society is chronicled in History. I consider it as a holistic subject that gives you a perspective of many things – science, art, literature, social developments.

* Which of the social issues are you passionate about?

> I am very passionate about equality before law. Wherever I take charge, the first thing I tell my officers is that the weaker section of the society (whether they are minorities or SC or ST or women or elderly or disabled or those who are somehow disadvantaged in the social system), should be given due protection and we have to be very proactive.

I am very passionate about social issues. In fact, all my readings are books that deal with social issues. I am very alive about what is happening in society and I closely watch.

* Police and Social work – Your thoughts?

> I think that policing is a tool to do something good for the society as a whole. It is a very strong mechanism where you can deliver. You can make sure that a rape victim gets quick and correct justice; and we can interfere when an old man or old woman is badly treated by his or her children. The kind of interference powers that police have is phenomenal and we can do tremendous amount of social work by being in the police.

* In case of any natural or man-made disaster, it is the policemen who are the first to engage in rescue operations. Is there any ongoing disaster preparedness programme that your department engages in?

> We do coordinate disaster management programs for our department from time to time. But, the way we have been trained to work, we know how to respond to a disaster. For instance, if a flood or tsunami occurs, the policeman is going to be first person to respond. In case of a fire accident, even before the fire tender reaches the spot, the policeman arrives here. So, we know that we are the first responders. Being the first responders there are certain kind of actions which is expected of us, and those things we do.

There is a lot of talk about Disaster Management. The State and the Central Government have a Disaster Management committee and there is a National Disaster Management Force which is now operational all over our country. A structured force is always welcome, but to cover one lakh police force in Tamil Nadu will take some time.

* The city traffic is chaos during peak hours, and more during school hours. Do you think that like school uniform and common syllabus a compulsory school bus service could make the traffic scene better at least for the school going children?

> Actually, that is a wonderful idea! The schools today are established in busy localities. They were established 20 or 30 years back. For example, Don Bosco at Egmore, there is no space for parking except on the road. So, when the parents come to drop and pick up their children there is traffic congestion.

If you take one car, you will be taking one student; whereas one bus can carry 50 to 60 students. It is to that extent we can reduce congestion and a bus may take the space of three cars. Therefore, it is a very logical idea. It makes all the sense in an urban living today. We are talking about car pools for gentlemen who are in services. So, for children to have a mass transportation system is absolutely the best thing to happen.

Unfortunately, the Traffic Police cannot enforce this rule as I do not have the powers. The decision has to be taken by the school management and the authorities.

* About the health of the policemen, especially police women who serve on bandobust duty for several hours with no proper toilets nearby. What steps have been taken by your department to address this issue?

> For women, the toilet access is definitely an issue. But, there are posted only for a short time. I don’t have regular women manning the traffic. It is only during major bandobust that we assign them. At the most, they would spend two to three hours a day. We arrange to pick them up and dropped them back to their place of duty.

More so, the women traffic police are aged between 21 to 25 years. They are young, smart, and physically fit. They are from the Tamil Nadu special police and have just joined the force.

For the other traffic police—we are providing them with buttermilk twice a day and giving them pith hats so that they do not suffer from heatstroke. I am also trying to revamp my traffic umbrellas so that they are better. The signal controls will be transferred to the umbrellas so that the policeman can sit and man the traffic.

* Your advice for social workers?

> One of my passions is Social Work. I think that the whole NGO system is extremely important. They should be above pettiness, above corruption, and deliver the goods. Because, they have been tasked to deliver the goods where the governments’ reach does not transcend.

Right now, at my level, I do small things with the help of other NGOs. In the future, I plan to involve myself in Social Work in a big way.

Meet Renu Raj IAS Topper – A doctor got rank 2 in first attempt

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renu raj ias topper

Renu Raj IAS from Kerala has proved that determination and hard work can work wonders and can help you to reach the zenith of glory. Hailing from Changanassery of Kottayam district she has topped by scoring the 2nd rank in the UPSC Civil Services examination at the age of 27 years in 2014.

Marks scored by Renu Raj IAS

 Total Marks  Marks Obtained
Total (Written)  1750  858
 Interview  275  198
 Total  2025  1056  (52.15%)

Family Background

Renu Raj Comes from a village in Kerala. Her Father is a retired Government employee of the Kerala state transport corporation. Her mother is a house maker. Her sister is studying MBBS. Renu is married to Dr. L S Bhagat and he is a Doctor.

First Attempt

Renu Raj cleared this prestigious exam in her very First attempt. She dedicated her success to her parents and husband, saying that it was her childhood dream to become a civil servant.

Don’t Miss: Niharika Bhatt – Left a US Govt Job and Became an IPS

Educational Background

Renu Raj completed her MBBS graduate from Government Medical College, Kottayam. She worked at ASI Hospital in Kalluvathukkal in south Kerala’s Kollam district.

renu raj iasOptional Subject of Renu Raj IAS

Renu Raj opted for Malayalam as her optional subject.

Strategy for current affairs

Renu Raj said for preparing current affair topics in general write mock papers, it does a lot of wonders. Collect current affairs, either write down or keep paper cuttings or bookmark articles. Should go through the Economic surveys and new bills passed by the Government.

Newspaper and Magazines

The newspaper and magazines followed by Renu Raj were Hindu, the few regional newspaper, Yojana, Kurukhetra. She daily devoted 1 – 2 hours for reading newspaper. While reading newspaper keep it in mind that what could help you for the exams, focus on that topics.

Read this: Meet IAS Topper Dr. Bharti Dixit – Rank 5 in first attempt

Preparation Strategy

Renu Raj said that the basic foundation that the UPSC prescribes for IAS is the NCERT syllabus from 8th to 12th standard. It is not what you learn but its important how you learn. The tenure of the exam is 1 year and you must not get distracted from this aim.

Renu had a combined Prelims and Mains approach. Depended mainly on mock tests and mock interviews.The best approach is to try to cover almost every topic in the syllabus than spending days and weeks on the same topic. Just remain focused. Try to analyse and correlate.

According to Renu Raj, the success in any examination is a blend of both brilliance and hard work in which an equilibrium has to be maintained between the both. She used to devote 6 to 7 hours daily for her preparation. Minimum 7 hours sleep and food at the right time. Her interview was off 45 minutes duration. Renu Raj’s punctuality paid off in the end.

Must see: IAS Preparation – 15 Time Management tips of IAS Exam aspirants

About Renu Raj’s vision and dreams she says,

“Though it was my childhood dream, the ambition became stronger as I completed my graduation. Working as a house surgeon I could meet people from all strata of society. I was exposed to the ground realities of life of people.”

IAS Topper Shena Aggarwal (Rank 1) – PMT Topper, AIIMS Doctor, 12th Topper, IRS

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Shena Aggarwal IAS Topper

Before becoming UPSC IAS topper (2011-12) she was already had a degree of MBBS from AIIMS, which she completed in 2009. Prior to this she was also a topper of  the CBSE Pre Medical Test (PMT) in 2004.

Let’s have a look on her career and life

– Shena is from Yamunanagar, Haryana
– Daughter of Dr. C K Gupta and Pinky Aggarwal
– Scored 95% in 10th standard from Sant Nischal Singh Public School, Yamunanagar
– Scored 92% in 12th std from Dyanchand Public School Nabha
– She stood first in the Class-12 CBSE examination in 2004
– She was the All India topper of CBSE PMT Exam 2004
– Shena got 305th rank in 2010 Civil Service Exam
– Became IAS Topper after getting Rank 1 in UPSC Civil Services Exam in 2011-12.

Preparation Strategy

During her Preparation she mostly relied on self-study but also took guidance of teachers from time to time.

She read newspapers and magazines to get a better understanding of current events.

Despite her busy IRS training schedule in Nagpur, she dedicated 5 − 6 hours a day in preparing for the 2011 examination. It must be noted here the she had already cleared Civil Services Exam  once still she felt a need of 5-6 hours of study everyday.

She says “When it comes to preparation for the UPSC, there can be no shortcut. Obviously, since I had taken the exam once before, I had a certain edge. There were no surprises this year.”

Also Read: Interview of Nidhi Gupta – IAS Rank 3 of 2014 – Very Useful for Aspirants

Tests for self Evaluation

When asked about how did she kept herself motivated, she says “Yes She took part in tests to find out her shortcoming and correct her weaknesses, it worked as both warning and motivation at times.”

Optional Subject

Being a doctor her obvious choice was Medical Science and another related subject she opted for Psychology. She did not experimented to explore new and relatively unknown area but with a clear mind opted a set of optional subjects with which she was comfortable.

Every beginner has many questions while choosing optional subjects. Sneha was well versed in Medical Science as a paper but most of aspirants are not quite friendly with any of listed subjects and find himself equally weak in all. In such case aspirants need to go through NCERT books before deciding any subject. Don’t judge your like or dislike unless you get a taste of dish. Unless you will read these books you can’t become sure about your inclination.

Previous UPSC IAS Exam Attempts before Becoming IAS Exam Topper

This was her Third attempt.

In her previous attempt she secured 305 rank and joined Indian Revenue Service (Income Tax) – IRS (IT) and was undergoing training in Nagpur while she got selected as IAS Topper in the IAS exam of 2011-12.

Also Read: Toppers List – Optional Subjects, Home State, Service Opted

Mains Exam Marks

Total Marks Marks Obtained
Essay 200 113
General Studies 600 282
Medical Science 600 417
Psychology 600 316
Total (Written) 2000 1128
Interview 300 210
Total 2300 1338 (58.17%)

 

Academic and Educational Background of IAS Topper

10th: Sant Nischal Singh Public School Yamuna Nagar

12th: Dayanand Public School Nabha

MBBS: AIIMS Delhi

Training as an IRS at National Academy of Direct Taxes, Nagpur

Even after being having so many recognitions she was never a geek but took part in various sports and cultural events across her academic career from school to college and training institutes.

Family

Her proud father Dr CK Aggarwal is a dentist in Yamunanagar; her mother Pinki Aggarwal is a housewife.

Also Read: IAS Rank 1 Gaurav Agarwal UPSC Interview 2014

Meet Atul Vikas Kulkarni, IPS – Inspirational Story

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atul vikas kulkarni

Atul Vikas Kulkarni had secured the AIR 180 in UPSC Civil Services Exam in 2014 and was allocated to IPS (Indian Police Service).

Every year, when UPSC results are declared, tales of a few candidates from humble backgrounds making the cut by their sheer grit and determination, offer inspirations to many. Here is one such motivational story of Atul Vikas Kulkarni.

Must Read: Govind Jaiswal, IAS – The Rickshawallah’s Son

Educational Background

Atul started his primary schooling in a small town named Gokak, Belgaum in Karnataka. Then at the age of 8 due to various difficulties faced by his family he had to move to Bangalore along with his family. There he joined Sudarshan Vidya Mandir School. He found it very difficult to learn  English language as he was hailed from a remote town; however, his principal and teachers helped him and he overcame this difficulty with his dedication.

After completing his school education at Bangalore, Atul Kulkarni completed his engineering graduation in Computer Science from National Institute of Technology, Mysore.

Later on he joined as a software engineer in Mindtree Limited, Bangalore and after one year working experience he came to the conclusion that working in private sector isn’t interesting.

He decided to leave all other options and finally joined Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS ), Mumbai in 2010 in the course on Urban Policy and Governance for doing his Post Graduation. After completing his PG he worked in CRISIL limited, Mumbai as a consultant at  Nasik Municipal Corporation. Healso took up a job in Arghyam, an NGO in the City.

Marks Obtained

 Total Marks  Marks Obtained
 Total (Written)  1750 763
Interview 275 175
 Total  2025 938 (46.32%) 

Optional Subject

Atul opted for Sociology as his optional subject as he was from a social science background in TISS.

Important : 7 Essential Steps to Prepare for IAS Exam – Topper’s suggestion

Study Strategy

Before starting the preparation, it is very important to have a complete understanding about syllabus and the exam process, its structure and the various aspects related to the preparation.

Interest

His interests are diverse, ranging from painting and classical music to making handicrafts and paper crafts.

Atul Vikas Kulkarni’s Journey and Achievements

Atul had several opportunities in TISS and he represented India in the 1st SAYC, 2011- South Asia Youth Conference(SAARC) held in IIM, Bangalore in 2011. He was a finalist in International Business Summit, IIM Calcutta, Antyodaya for a concept of “Environment Museum” on Sustainable development, selected for Tata Jagriti Yatra, 2010- is an ambitious train journey of discovery and transformation that took 400 of India’s highly motivated youth on an 18 day national odyssey. He was declared National winner of Mahindra’s “Spark The Rise” competition for project “Smart Sanitation and Solid Waste Management: A Holistic Approach”, Water Ambassador” by World Bank in Water Hackaton event. He was also declared winner in Vodafone Mobiles for Good programme 2012, project titled “Locating and Rating of Public Restrooms in Indian Cities” and many more.

Atul did his thesis on lakes in Bangalore, titled: “Land, Water and Local People: A Case Study of Bangalore Mysore Infrastructure Corridor”which involved field visits to 10 villages around Bengaluru, mapping of the lakes in BMIC region, study of traditional water management, Water rights of lake users etc which won Best dissertation award in TISS, Mumbai and was published as a book in LAP LAMBERT Academic Publishing. This thesis won Best Dissertation award in TISS, 2012.

4 Cs for success

Atul’s 4 Cs for Success are Consistency, Clarity, Confidence and Character are the bottom line for cracking the Civil services Examination.

Don’t Miss: Mona Pruthi IAS Exam Topper 2005

Grocer’s Daughter Sweta Agarwal Cracks UPSC Exam

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sweta agarwal

The daughter of a grocer from Bhadreshwar, gave Bengal a reason to smile as Sweta Agarwal has finally realised her dream of becoming an IAS officer by securing the 19th rank in the UPSC exams. Sweta Agarwal’s is yet another heart-warming story of overcoming the odds, becoming one of only three women to make it to the top 20 and the topper from Bengal. First girl topper is Tina Dabi and Second girl topper is Artika Shukla.

Her parents also made Sweta Agarwal to understand society and wanted her to serve the people. She expressed her happiness about her dad who was grocer initially. Grocer’s daughter takes pride in saying how her parents gave her the best of education despite battling abject poverty.

Must Read: MLA’s Son Dr. Vivek Kumar Cracks UPSC Exam, 2016

Family Background of Sweta Agarwal

Sweta Agarwal comes from a very modest background. It is because of her hard work and determination that she achieved this rank. Sweta Agarwal was all praise for her parents Santosh and Prema who gave her great support inspite of being very poor financially. Sweta’s father has studied till the 12th standard and her mother was married off when she was around 16. Despite struggling to make ends meet, the family strove to provide their daughter with a good education. Her father runs a small grocery shop in Bhadreswar in West Bengal and her mother is a housemaker.

It is often said that poor parents would not be able to provide financial support for educating their kids. Ask Sweta Agarwal she would tell it’s not true and she was sent to the best school. Grocer’s daughter Sweta Agarwal has ranked 19th in the famous Civil Services Exams. Her rank is the highest attained by any Bengal candidate in years. “It’s like finding your goal at last,” she gushed.

Sweta Agarwal spoke with parents for an hour on getting the results. “They are the world’s best parents. Despite going through abject poverty, they sent me to the best schools possible.” Her parents are the best also because they did not ask her marry her off early and gave her full freedom to pursue her dreams of becoming an IAS officer, she says.

Sweta Agarwal says, “My father is a baniya only as far as his profession is concerned. He started out in a small way as a grocer, but shifted to other businesses. But unlike his community (trade), he never thought of marrying me off – his only child. He has no fear of what society might say. He let me grow in the true sense of the term.”

Read Also: Security Guard’s Son Kuldeep Dwivedi Clears UPSC Exam

Educational Background

Sweta Agarwal completed her schooling from St Joseph’s Chandernagore, Auxilium Convent Bandel School. After completing her schooling Sweta graduated in Economics from St Xavier’s College Kolkata and stood first-class-first in the subject of Economics. St Xavier’s College feel proud that its student was able to achieve so much in her life.

Sweta Agarwal left her job in Deloitte India to study for the exam. “I am my parents’ only child and they always believed in me. Today, they are on cloud nine. My parents went to Hindi-medium schools, but made sure I knew English very well. They also made sure I could serve the nation,” she said with a broad smile.

Also Read: Both Brother and Sister of Panipat Cleared the UPSC Exam

Optional Paper

Sweta Agarwal opted for Sociology as her optional subject. With a success rate of less than one percent, the Civil Services Examinations conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) are dubbed the most competitive exams in the country. But Sweta Agarwal have proved that with grit and determination, she wrote her own success story.

“I think I would be the first IAS officer from Bhadreshwar. It means a lot to me – I feel strongly about my roots, which is Bengal,” Sweta Agarwal explained. The last big success for woman power from Bengal was in 2013 when a Kolkata girl ranked 84.

Must Read: Ansar Shaikh – Autodriver’s son who Cracked UPSC 2015

Attempts

Sweta Agarwal had cracked the UPSC exams twice before, qualifying for IRS and IPS but kept her sights on her childhood dream of becoming an IAS officer. But this was her third attempt to clear the prestigious UPSC Exam. Currently, she is undergoing her IPS training in Hyderabad and wishes to get the Bengal cadre in IAS. It was a day of double delight and a dilemma.

She got qualified for IPS last year and was training at the National Police Academy. One mind boggling piece of news is it is the highest rank achieved by any Bengali candidate in many years. Having already bagged the Bengal IPS cadre she wants Bengal IAS cadre too as she don’t want to lose Bengal.

Sweta feels strongly glad about joining the Bengal cadre. Most youngsters, especially from Bengal, shy away from Civil Services because they feel they would be serving political bosses instead of the public. So the best talents go off to the IITs and earn material wealth. Sweta is happy that more and more students are appearing for Civil Service these days, looking to make a difference to governance and public service.

Don’t Miss: Farah Hussain-2nd Muslim to Clear UPSC Exam from Rajasthan