Bhavya Mittal successfully secured Rank 34 in the Civil Service Exam popularly known as IAS exams of 2013. She is an IIT Delhi graduate having B. Tech. and M. Tech in Civil Engineering.

Mark-sheet of Bhavya Mittal

MARKS OBTAINED:

Preparation Strategy

She says about the preparation strategy that there is no static rule or guideline to be followed. It differs from individual to individual depending upon his/her strength and weaknesses.

She further adds,

Dedication, motivation and strategy are essential for cracking this examination. Dedication is dependent on one’s own willpower, and is achieved if there is sufficient motivation yet strategy is an area where I can sufficiently help the aspirants. So my focus shall be on strategy.

How to read?

This question is important because in the entire phase of preparation, a lot of material gets thrown at us and most aspirants in their enthusiasm get boggled down by never-ending material. Selective study can help but the most important question to reflect upon is how to read what one is reading so that it can actually be used in the examination.

How to write Answer?

Bhavya Mittal says, “So much for spending hours and days and what seems like a lifetime on this examination if one is not able to deliver in the paper. Thus the art of writing answers need to be cultivated.”

She explains the importance of answer writing an answer in a very lucid way. She says the answer writing should be based on the following points:

1. SPECIFICITY

Specificity is how precise the answer is in catering to the requirement of the question i.e. did the examiner get what he was looking for in the answer? This can be ensured by focussing on the demand of the question and on writing with brevity.

2. COMPREHENSIVENESS

Comprehensiveness means that the answer is able to cover multiple and  different dimensions and thus reflects a good understanding of an issue and ability to think from all perspectives . It can be ensured by a good knowledge base and by a good approach in thinking. Both can be built upon during the preparation. Knowledge is to be self developed so I will focus on approach of thinking.

3. VISIBILITY

Visibility is a measure of how easy and time-saving it is for the examiner to determine that the answer is right and the marks to be given thereof. It means that the eye of the examiner can quickly find the actual answer in the 1-2 pages of matter that we have written per question.

She further adds,

The best way to improve on answers is continuous practice. It should be an effort to write at least one answer on each topic and sub topic covered.  An approach that can be followed to improve answer-writing is to write an answer to a previous year question.

What articles to read in a newspaper?

She answers this query by step by step methodology to be adopted:

• Read the heading and try to place the topic of the article under the points of the syllabus for GS given by UPSC. Identify the GS paper it caters to and what heading it belong to ex: security, environment, governance, international affairs etc.
• Have a thorough idea of the questions that are asked on each of the headings under the syllabus by referring to previous years question papers compiled under separate headings. This can help analyse whether a question is likely to be asked on that topic or how important it is.
• Read articles that cater to the syllabus and on which question is likely to be asked. Thus an analysis of question papers would help one determine that what alliances are being made during elections or political controversies are not important but voting pattern of voters or electoral reforms are important topics regarding elections.

How to make notes?

The frequently asked question is whether to make notes or not but the more important question is that if one is to make notes, then how?

Bhavya Mittal brilliantly explains following points to be kept in mind while making notes:

1. Revisable notes are easy to read thus the focus should be on legibility and use of simple words.
2. Revisable notes should be time-saving thus they should be concise and as briefly written as possible. Only then will you actually read them again.
3. Notes should help one recall the stored knowledge in our memory. The recall process should start just as one reads a question in the examination. Therefore the notes should help one remember and reproduce later. This can be done as I have detailed below.

Book list for Geography Optional suggested by Bhavya Mittal.

Paper 1:

Part A

1. Savindra Singh Physical Geography [ All chapters including Glossary behind each chapter]
2. Rupa Made Simple Physical Geography [ Chapters on Slopes, Landscape Development and Soils should not be missed]
3. ICSE Goyal Bros. Publications Class IX,X,XI,XII books [ It covers pollution, waste management, EIA, biodiversity] These books don’t need to be read line by line. Go through the books to extract points to improve answers or study uncovered portions on Environment.
4. R.B.Bunnett Physical Geography in Diagrams OR G.C.Leong [To prepare for diagrams]

Part B

1. For Population and Settlement Geography: Human Geography by Majid Hussain [Specifically portions on Migration, Theories of Population]
2. For Perspectives in Human Geography: Evolution of Geographical Thought by Majid Hussain [Ch 8,9,10,12]
3. For Economic Geography and Models and Theories: K.Siddhartha 
4. Rupa Made Simple Economic and Social Geography [To supplement in areas uncovered]

Paper 2:

1. Geography of India by Majid Hussain, OR Khullar.
2. For Maps: Map Entries in Geography K.Siddhartha [Prepare for map entries and written piece along with it]

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

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.

Optional 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.”

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

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

Academic and Educational Background of IAS Topper

10^th: Sant Nischal Singh Public School Yamuna Nagar

12^th: 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