Proper guidance very important while preparing for civil services exam : suharsha bhagat rank 5
The core objective is not to get a degree in that subject but to clear and get a good rank in CSE exam. For that you will have to understand the nature of question paper,. What they are expecting and what will fetch you good marks. The pattern of questions asked by CSE has changed from what they asked five years back. Now they are very specific. They demand analysis of specific areas so you need to have a broad understanding of all the topics… The clarity of concept is very important; your thinking and reasoning abilities need to be developed. So that when a question is asked you are not confused on the topic itself and you have to address what is being asked. You can’t afford to be too vague and generalist…
Suharsha Bhagat, who has secured all India fifth rank in CSE 2014, hails from Samastipur of Bihar. He studied at Ramkrishna Mission Vidya Pith, Deoghar till class X and completed his Higher Secondary from DPS, RK Puram, and then later moved on to pursue his graduation in chemical engineering from IIT- Bombay. In college he realized that he had to go for administrative services and started preparing for the CSE from Chanakya IAS academy. He appeared for CSE 2014 for the first time in 2010 and got IAS but resigned during training period itself to chase his dream of becoming an IAS officer. He was ultimately successful in 2015.
Q : How do you feel after getting all India fifth rank in the CSE 2014 ?
A : It feels very good as I have cracked this exam in fifth attempt. I had cleared the exams in my previous attempts also but it feels great to get this rank. I feel like I am floating on cloud nine. The feeling is yet to sink in. I was expecting to get into top service but this rank I had never expected.
When you were exposed to the idea of IAS?
A : When I was a child I had a habit of asking about the profession of people visiting us. One day one of my fathers’ friends came to our house and as usual I asked about his profession too. I was very curious because he had many people accompanying him. My father said that he was the District Magistrate. I won’t say that I decided to become an IAS officer then and there. But ofcourse I was exposed to the profession. It was in IIT- Bombay that my idea about the profession became clear and concrete. But there I was the lone man walking on this path.’
Q : What motivated you to join Administrative Services… Power or service?
A : It was not that block and white in power or service… There were a lot of factors that motivated me to go for civil services… particularly IAS. The prime factor being apart from providing a very good career it will give me an opportunity to serve my country and society at large. Along with that, it will give me good career opportunity and initiate a life-long learning process. It will also give me an opportunity in nation making. That is why I wanted to join administrative services. Private sector does not give you this kind of career opportunity in the beginning of your career.
Q : What role did Chanakya play in your preparation?
A : But when I started studying for UPSC I was constantly in touch with AK Mishra sir. He understood my nature and the nature of exam so well that he guided me at various steps. This year I was very tired and not willing to take up the exam. Before exam he sat with me for 2-3 hours and seasoned me to face the interview board_ He boosted my confidence. I am very grateful to him for his constant guidance and support. Proper guidance is very important while preparing for UPSC. There are a lot of myths, misunderstandings and rumors regarding the exams like selection of subjects, preparation for mains what should be the focus of interview. The comprehensive integrated plan that Chanakya offers is a hand holding exercise where they guide you from the first stage. One more important thing that I would like to mention here is that while filling up the mains form they are not sure of what it is all about. The interview is based on this form. Here it is very important to take guidance from seniors, faculty of coaching institutes or someone who has qualified the exam. The time is very limited, you have 8-10 months to prepare so here guidance plays a very important role.
Q : Can you tell us about your experience in the recent attempt?
A : The nature of exam is very complex and it drains you physically, mentally, and socially. After the results came out I realized that I will be getting Indian Revenue Service — Income Tax .After that I thought I won’t take any more tests. I was lucky that the last date for filling up the forms was not over when the results came. One day my brother asked me about the last date of filling up the exam forms and filled it up without letting me know about it. My digital signature and photo were there in my computer he used them. I was not willing to give the exam at all. I had stopped studying. I had distributed my notes. I was waiting for my service allocation to come. He was not aware that the admit cards will come. One day while I was away he called me and showed me the admit card and said that take it if you want. Then I decided to take the exam as all my friends were also in exam mood. After my preliminary tests my brother asked for my question paper and then tried to check the answers with the keys. He came to me and said that the answers for all the forty questions were wrong. I thought how all the forty answers can go wrong then I went and checked them myself only to find that my brother was matching the answers with some other exams.
Q : What message you would like to give to the aspirants?
A : Don’t lose hope in the process, if you are not able to clear it, every failure in your path will prepare you for the next stage. Try to develop the mental strength and emotional stability that will prepare you as an administrator. The exam process is not that difficult when compared to the actual conditions in which you have to work. Even if you don’t clear it you will end up being a better human being, more aware and responsible citizen. You can also contribute to the nation even without getting into IAS. Enjoy the process and try to take something out of the examination process.
