Shraddha Shukla
CSC:Achieving top slot in the Judicial Services Examination is no small feat; accept our heartiest congratulations on your splendid success.
Shraddha: Thank you.
CSC:Can you recall the exact moment when you realized the importance of Judicial Services?
Shraddha: From childhood, law always fascinated me as a tool which keeps our social and individual interest in a harmony and when I thought of pursuing it as a career, I got to know about Judiciary and what all it stands for.
CSC:Finally, at what point of time did you make up your mind to make career in ‘Judicial Services’?
Shraddha: In my 10th Standard, I decided that I would pursue law and go for Judicial Services. Since no one in my family has ever pursued law and me being of State Board topper in senior secondary exam (science stream), everyone expected me to pursue engineering or medicine; but I was confident about my decision.
CSC: You must have read Toppers’ interviews in newspapers/magazines; what inspired you the most? Any particular success story which has influenced your journey to this result?
Shraddha: Yes, I do read toppers’ interviews in newspapers/magazines and the thing that inspired me the most was their determination and hard work. One such story which inspired me was of Akanksha Tiwari Ma’am (Rank-1, UP Judicial Services 2018).
CSC: Was JSE a planned decision or your parents’ wish? Did you keep in mind some time-frame for the preparation and number of attempts?
Shraddha: It was my decision for which I had to convince my parents who were initially skeptical because I had no background in legal field but later on they firmly stood by me. I was not sure about the time-frame but I always desired to clear it in my very first attempt.
CSC:What was your first step when you were really serious about making a career in Judicial Services?
Shraddha: As I had already decided my goal during school days, I embarked upon that path. I joined Banaras Hindu University for BA.LL.B (Hons.) and after that I joined Ambition Law Institute for my preparation.
CSC:Were you confident of your success in this examination and how did you react to this news of your success?
Shraddha: I had a feeling that I would pass the exam but anxiety and fear before the result is a common tendency among all the aspirants. And after the results, it was like dream come true. I was filled with joy and my years of hard work had finally been paid off.
CSC:Were you preparing for other career opportunities as well while preparing for your ultimate goal i.e. Career in Judicial Services?
Shraddha: No, I was not preparing for other career opportunities.
CSC:While the changing economic environment offers immense lucrative career opportunities in various sectors, still what kept you motivated towards Judicial Services?
Shraddha: It was not a career opportunity for me but it was my dream to become a Judicial Officer which shaped my life accordingly; and I was not deviated by other things.
CSC:'Time Management' is a key factor while making preparations as well as in writing examination papers. Did you come across such a problem during this period? If yes, then how did you manage things?
Shraddha: I used to divide the time to each subject according to its weightage in the examination. Mock papers helped me to overcome the problem of time management in writing mains.
CSC:List some of the magazines, newspapers, books, etc. which you read for 'General Studies’ preparation.
Shraddha: I referred Civil Services Chronicle, Indian Express, The Print, Live Law and Frontline.
CSC:How did you prepare yourself for Interview? When and which Board did you face? How did your interview go on, how much time it lasted and what were the questions asked during the Interview?
Shraddha: For Interview, I used to have discussions with my fellow aspirants on legal topics, jurisprudence and current scenarios. I faced Hon'ble Justice Sandeep Mehta's Panel. My Interview went on for 20-25 minutes. They asked me questions from law subjects and general awareness.
CSC: What is the importance of medium of examination for exams like JSE?
Shraddha: Since RJSE is conducted in both languages (Hindi and English), language is not a barrier; but one must choose the language in which he/she is comfortable.
CSC: Does the educational, financial and demographic status of the family of an aspirant have any impact on the preparation?
Shraddha: Yes, it does. The environment you grew up in, your cultural belongings and demography, etc. becomes part of your character and stays with you.
CSC: According to a recent report published by reputed survey agency, Civil Services Chronicle is the largest read Career & Competition magazine. What is your opinion?
Shraddha: I found Civil Services Chronicle very informative and precise. It helped me immensely in preparing the G.S. part of JSE.
CSC: What is the secret of your success?
Shraddha: Hard work, determination, supportive family and friends and healthy competitive spirit.
CSC: To whom would you like to give the credit for your success?
Shraddha: I would like to give the credit for my success to God, my family, friends and teachers & entire Team of Ambition. I want to extend my special gratitude to Mr. Alok Kumar Ranjan Sir (The Headmaster, Ambition Law Institute, Delhi).
CSC: Tell us about some basic things an aspirant should give emphasis to?
Shraddha: Writing Skills, Time Management, Conceptual Clarity and Learning Ability.
CSC: Any suggestion/advice you would like to give to the future aspirants.
Shraddha: Solve previous year questions and practice answer writing and read the Judgments of Hon'ble Supreme Court.
CSC: Thank you very much and wishing you all the best for your future endeavors.