Toppers Interview

C.S.C. : Heartiest congratulations to you from Civil Services Chronicle for your success. How are you feeling about it?

Pradeep Singh : Thank you I am feeling very happy and satisfied.

C.S.C. : What is your inspiration for becoming an IAS officer? Whom do you give credit for your success? What is the role of family and others (teacher, friends) in your preparation and success?

Pradeep Singh : My inspiration for becoming IAS to is to work for the downtrodden sections mainly farmers and daily wage labourers. There has been immense support from family friends and teachers during my preparation. I would like to give them all the credit for my success.

C.S.C. : What strategy one should follow for preparing for General Studies Prelims & Mains? Did you integrate your Prelims and Mains preparation or was it separate?

Pradeep Singh : I think prelims and mains are the two different phases of the single exam and therefore one should prepare for each phase with a different mindset.

However there is some syllabus that is common between prelims and mains and one need to focus on the factual aspects for the prelims and need to focus on building the opinion for mains.

C.S.C. : How much time did you devote for Prelims, Mains, Interview, Optional ? How did you manage your time in both prelims and mains examinations?

Pradeep Singh : I've been giving this exam since 2016 but started preparing seriously for this exam since 2017. I think one need to give focus to the mains and optional upto 6 months before the exam but last 6 months should be totally devoted to the prelims preparation.

C.S.C. : Did you prepare notes? How helpful are the notes? What is your advice on notes-making?

Pradeep Singh : Yes I also prepared the notes. notes are very handy when you have very less time for revision. One should make notes at least for the miscellaneous topics which you will not find normally in the conventional books.

C.S.C. : What was your optional? What was the basis of selecting this optional? What strategy one should follow for optional?

Pradeep Singh : My optional is public administration. I chose this optional because I have done BTech in Computer Science in Engineering which was not an available optional in the UPSC optional list and also I find it interesting and relevant to the service for which you are preparing.

C.S.C. : What was your preparation strategy and books which you referred for Ethics Paper?

Pradeep Singh : I have prepared some handwritten notes for the terms that is being given in the ethics paper 4 syllabus. for case studies I have practiced them enough before going to the exam.

C.S.C. : Tell us something about preparation of Essay paper.

Pradeep Singh : Essay is one paper which gives you the freedom to write freely in the exam. one should feel the freedom to write the essay. for preparing essay one should take cues from the topper’s copies of essay and from videos available on YouTube etc.

C.S.C. : What was your style of writing in the exam? How was it distinct from the general writing style? How did you develop this writing style?

Pradeep Singh : I did not have a single writing style in the exam . Actually one has to write the answer to the question according to the demand of the question. one needs to do enough answer writing practice to develop a style.

C.S.C. : How did you prepare for interview? Which type of questions were asked in interview? Did you answer all? Was there any specific area they emphasised upon?

Pradeep Singh : I prepared for the interview from various sources like internet newspaper magazine etc. interview mainly emphasized upon the government schemes , farmers problems , india china relations etc. there were some of the question whose Answer I wasn't able to give.

C.S.C. : Importance of coaching in the preparation of exam.

Pradeep Singh : The requirement of coaching depends upon various factors like availability of resources, study material , proper guidance. If it is available by any other means then there is no need of coaching. Otherwise you need someone while you start preparation and teach you if you are a fresh candidate.

C.S.C. : Suggested Book list for Prelims, GS & CSAT and Mains Paper 1 to 4 and Essay.

Booklist for prelims

• Spectrum for modern history
• Laxmikant for polity
• NCERTs for geography,
• Ramesh Singh or coaching notes for economics

C.S.C. : Heartiest congratulations to you from Civil Services Chronicle for your success. How are you feeling about it?

Abhishek Saraf : Honestly, it is a feeling of relief. The CSE chapter of my life has ended and it ended on a happy note. It also feel humbled and overwhelmed at the same time by the result. I never expected such a high rank. I was expecting a rank around 100.

C.S.C. : What is your inspiration for becoming an IAS officer? Whom do you give credit for your success?What is the role of family and others (teacher, friends) in your preparation and success?

Abhishek Saraf : I am naturally inquisitive. I like to learn new things from a wide variety of sources, apply what I learn in daily life. IAS provides the best opportunity for that. This motivated me to join IAS. The fact that IAS officers along with other civil servants contribute to the largest cross section of society and in the most direct manner inspired me to become an IAS officer.

I am eternally grateful to God Almighty for bestowing this success upon me. I owe an immense debt of gratitude to my mother. I would give the biggest credit to her. But credit also goes to my brother and sister-in-law, my whole maternal family and dear friends (especially Shubhanshu Jain, IPS) without whose support it would not have been possible.

My family supported me financially, logistically as well as emotionally. They gave me full freedom to write as many attempts as I wanted to no matter how much strain it put upon them. They dealt will all the problems that arose themselves without even telling me so that I can study free of any stress.

I would like to thank my friend Shubhanshu Jain, IPS for his critical inputs to my essays without which such result would not have been possible. I got 105 marks in essay paper in CSE 2017 and 79 marks in CSE 2018.. this is 40 marks below average. Hence, improvement in essay paper was critical for my success and I thank Shubhanshu for it. I would also like to thank Anmol Jain (AIR-14 CSE 2019) for his help in interview preparation.

C.S.C. : What strategy one should follow for preparing Examination General Studies Prelims & Mains? Did you integrate your Prelims and Mains preparation or was it separate?

Abhishek Saraf : As the name suggests, general studies is about working understanding of things. One has to balance depth with width of knowledge of the subject matter. Other than that, memorize the syllabus because that will help you sort out exam relevant material from whatever you read. It is advisable to read the toppers answer booklets. That will enable one to understand the depth of content that needs to be covered and also tricks topper use to improve presentation. It is advisable to do answer writing practice for at least 8-10 months in the first attempt. Answer writing practice will help only if answers are either reviewed by senior aspirant, selected candidates or self review based on top voted answer if one is using websites. Writing practice can be reduced further as one proceeds to second third attempts.

Special mention can be made of the ethics paper, it is more about application and less about theory. Not more than 20% of the answer should be composed of theory and 80% should discuss real life application of ethical principles. Examples from one’s own life and life of other accomplished people can be used.

Essay preparation- Two years of subpar performance (105 marks in CSE 2017 and 79 marks in CSE 2018) made me realise that essay paper is not about volume of content and the depth of knowledge. It is about diversity and broadness of perspective. The closest analogy I can give to make my point is that of a balanced diet. A balanced diet is supposed to contain all the major and micro-nutrients needed for human survival. Just like that in an essay there has to be a balance between a various perspectives of the topic. UPSC expects candidates to be knowledgeable thinking and analytical persons. Knowledge gets tested in GS papers and thinking and analytical capacity gets tested in essay paper. Lastly, you have to write only 2400 words at the maximum in 3 hours. GS papers make you write 4000 words. Less written words means UPSC has given time to think. So if you have brainstormed on a topic for 20 or so minutes, then UPSC has the right to expect some sort of learning or a logical way ahead that can help make improvement to the state of affairs. That is what the essay should be about- a discussion on the state of affairs from positive and negative perspectives, an analysis of the cause and a solution for a better future. Dear candidates, kindly do not just spill the existing knowledge in the paper. It will not yield you marks. Give your new perspective and an insight.

I oriented my preparation and answer writing strategy as per the above approach. And hopefully it yielded benefits. For Prelims- Yearlong preparation with self-notes. Revision in last one month with test series. Overall target was to finish 4000-5000 question including quizzes and full length mock tests for Paper 1 of prelims. Quizzes had to be solved all year long and notes have to be made.

Preparation for prelims and mains has to go all year round but separately. Even in the 1-2 months same books have to be read for prelims as well as mains but focus has to be on facts for prelims and analytical part for mains.

C.S.C. : How much time did you devote for This exam Prelims, Mains,Interview,Optional ? How did you manage your time in both prelims and mains examinations?

Prelims

Prelims preparation has to go all year round. Candidates can devote last 1-2 months for interview preparation as per one’s own convenience. Along with yearlong preparation as mentioned above, I used to devote 1 full month for prelims preparation.

Mains

My optional was civil engineering. Being a civil engineer by qualification as well as having cleared Engineering Services Exam (formerly called Indian Engineering Service) in 2013 provided me a lot of comfort. So I studied optional only between prelims and mains. When I had full day to study, I divided my day into 3 parts. 3-4 hours for newspaper. 4 hours for one GS topic and another 4 hours for another GS topic. When did not, I prioritized the newspaper and did that diligently. Whatever, time I had left over was used for GS preparation.

Interview

Generally it is said that you need 1 month to prepare for interview. But I tend to prepare a little bit more intensively than an average candidate. So it took me around 3 months to prepare for interview.

During Examination- Prelims

Solve the paper 1 in 3 iterations. Fill the bubbles only to those questions which you are 100% sure of in the first iteration. Also sort out and strike off the questions that you are absolutely unaware. Do not look at them again. Also mark the questions that you are partially sure of (for such questions write the options that you think are the possible answers in the question paper itself). In the second iteration, fill in the bubbles to those questions that you can answer with 70% or 60% certainty. In the third iteration go for questions that you have only 50% certainty. (70%, 60% certainty might sound vague but with enough test papers you develop a knack). Make sure you attempt 85-90 questions. Guess work in second third iterations should include at least 30 questions to ensure guess work lead to a net positive score. Learn the art of elimination to maximize attempt and accuracy.

Mains

7 minutes each for 10 markers. 11 minuets each for 15 markers. No prioritisation of questions was done. Attempted Q1 to Q20 in order. In ethics paper, 90 minutes for each part. 7 minutes for each of the 13 markers. 15 minutes for each case study.

C.S.C. : Did you prepare notes? How helpful are the notes? What is your advice on notes-making?

Abhishek Saraf : Yes I did make notes. But only for current affairs. I made my own notes for current affairs for mains as well as prelims separately. I did not rely on any coaching notes. Notes help one to internalise the content faster.. and what you internalise is what you really produce in the mains and interview.

I was particularly unskilled at making notes. So I made notes when I am reading the newspaper and trimmed them down iteratively during revisions. In the third iteration I reached the final crisp concise version that could be used for final revision.

C.S.C. : What was your optional? What was the basis of selecting this optional? What strategy one should follow for preparing .

Civil engineering.

There are various parameters to consider. Some people go by the previous years’ high scores. Empirical evidence suggests some options have consistently yielded higher scores. Sometimes people tend to go by ease of covering syllabus and availability of material in market. Some others tend to go by their interest in the subject matter. I think a combination of these factors with the best way to go by. However, the most important parameter is one’s interest in the subject matter. After all people do get selected from various optionals. If you are really interested in the subject you can work hard enough to become the subject topper in the exam. Otherwise, even in a so-called scoring optional you can end up with mediocre marks.

Civil engineering – College class notes or Distance Learning Programme Material of IES Master, PYQ books of ESE and CSE of Made Easy and Next IAS.

Optional papers can be very scoring and hence one needs to devote sufficient amount of time. Syllabus of optionals is limited while the same cannot be said about GS, which makes the cost benefit analysis very much favourable for devoting time on optionals.

It was relatively easier for me since my optional was my graduation subject and I had also cleared Engineering Services Exam (formerly called IES) of UPSC in 2013. So I could do well even by studying optional only between prelims and mains. I did not require any coaching for the subject either. However, other candidates can strategize as per the need of the subject and their comfort with the subject matter.

C.S.C. : Books and Strategy Prepration of Ethics Paper-IV

Abhishek Saraf : Read Lexicon cover to cover to develop familiarity with basic topics and used G Subba Rao’s book for reference. Ethics paper, it is more about application and less about theory. Not more than 20% of the answer should be composed of theory and 80% should discuss real life application of ethical principles. Examples from one’s own life and life other accomplished people can be used. Answers have to be diversified by invoking various topics and keywords mentioned in the syllabus in each answer. For eg. aptitude, attitude, emotional intelligence, personal ethics, public ethics etc.

C.S.C. : What was your style of writing in the exam? How was it distinct from the general writing style? How did you develop this writing style?

Abhishek Saraf : I wrote all answers in points.

I used data liberally. I tended to write 14-15 points in 10 mark questions and 20-22 points in 15 mark questions.

I could develop this style by making my own notes. It helped me internalise the data and other content better. This helped me reproduce the content better in the exam. I did intense writing practice in my CSE 2017 attempt. Based on a strong foundation, I could progressively make do with less and lesser answer writing practice in the next attempt.

C.S.C. : How did you prepare for interview? Which type of questions were asked in interview? Did you answer all? Was there any specific area they emphasised upon?

Abhishek Saraf : My approach for interview preparation is reading extensively about the topics in my DAF. My mantra is during the interview as far as the question on DAF are concerned you should be able to present something new that the board members might not be aware of. That will instantly move the level of conversation to another orbit and make the board feel positively about you. Preparation should be such that there is a consistency between how you represent yourself on paper (DAF) and how to come across helps in interview. UPSC is looking for an honest, rational and humble person. These traits have to be implicitly presented in your answers. Inconsistency in the answers in the interview shows dishonesty. Mugged up answers shows lack of rationality and are best avoided. Genuineness and humility in accepting shortcomings honestly will help you a lot.

Questions were on my patent application, research in India and abroad, IT sector and competition therein, tourism, Kashmiri Pandit issue, and world history. I could not answer some factual questions on world history. Most of the focus of the interview was on DAF.

C.S.C. : Importance of coaching in the preparation of exam.

Abhishek Saraf : Coachings are not at all necessary for GS. At best coachings can cover the static background in GS subjects. They can help streamline the preparation and provide a good foundation. But these things can very well be done using online sources. Candidates can streamline their preparation by reviewing the answer copies of previous years toppers and getting guidance from peers. I would advise candidates to liberally use online sources as well as recommended material from various coaching classes rather than the classes themselves. I follow insightsonindia, civilsdaily and IASbaba sincerely.

Even in test series, candidates can use coaching’s question papers and get them reviewed by peers and selected candidates. I would recommend against getting copies checked in coaching classes as the quality of feedback is unreliable at best and destructive and misleading at worst.Candidates may go for coaching for optional subjects.

C.S.C. : What is your source of Preparation. Which books, magazines, News papers and online Sources were used by you during your preparation !

Booklist mentioned below

Newspapers

• The Hindu and Indian Express for prelims and mains
• The Hindu, Indian Express and Times of India for Interview.

Websites

• Civilsdaily- daily current affairs, editorial summaries, pib notes and daily quiz
• InsightsonIndia- daily current affairs, answer writing practice, daily quiz, insights into editorial, RSTV summaries
• IASbaba- daily current affairs, editorial summaries, quizes, TLP for answer writing, 60 day plan for prelims, RSTV summaries, AIR summaries.
• Downtoearth- for starting 2 years of my preparation
• IDSA- for starting 2 years of my preparation

C.S.C. : Suggested Book list for Prelims, GS & CSAT and Mains Paper 1 to 4 and Essay

Preliminary Examination Paper I (General Studies) and Paper II (Aptitude Test): No preparation done

Main Examination

General Studies: IAS Mains Paper 1

• Ancient History by R.S Sharma (Old NCERT)
• Medieval History by Satish Chandra (Old NCERT)- relevant chapters only
• Art and Culture by Nitin Singhania Hand written notes
• The spectrum of modern India by Rajiv Ahir
• Politics in India since Independence (NCERT)
• India since Independence by Bipin Chandra (Old NCERT)
• World History NCERT by Arjun Dev (Old NCERT)
• Fundamentals of Physical Geography (NCERT)
• Fundamentals of Human Geography (NCERT)
• India: Physical Environment (NCERT)
• India People and Economy (NCERT)
• GC Leong
• NCERT on Society
• Newspaper for Environment, Disaster, Impact of globalisation, role of women + google searches

General Studies: IAS Mains Paper 2

• Indian Constitution at Work (NCERT)
• Indian Polity by Laxmikanth
• Contemporary World Politics (NCERT)
• Current affairs notes made by self all year round from Newspaper + InsightsonIndia, IASbaba, Civildaily
• Internet searches for international bodies and other topics
• ARC report + Punchhi Commission reports

General Studies: IAS Mains Paper 3

• Indian Economy NCERTs of class 11th and 12th
• Indian Economy for Civil Services Exam by Ramesh Singh
• Economic Survey and Budget
• India People and Economy (NCERT)
• ARC Report on Disaster Management
• Science and Technology- news and Vision IAS notes
• Challenges to Internal security of India by Mr. Ashok Kumar
• Current affairs notes made by self all year round from Newspaper + InsightsonIndia, IASbaba, Civildaily

General Studies: IAS Mains Paper 4

• Justice Harvard - By Michael Sandel
• Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude for Civil Services Examination by G. Subba Rao (just for selective reference)
• Lexicon for Ethics, Integrity & Aptitude for IAS General Studies (main text)
• Administrative Reforms Commission Report on Ethics

C.S.C. : Suggested Book list for Optionals paper 1 & 2.

C.S.C.: Achieving top slot in the Judicial Services Examination is no small feet; accept our heartiest congratulations on your splendid success.

Saquia: Thank you!

C.S.C.: Can you recall the exact moment when you realized the importance of Judicial Services?

Saquia: When I was pursuing LL.B, one of my Seniors Cracked Judiciary, at that time I determined my mind towards judiciary.

C.S.C.: Finally, at what point of time did you make up your mind to make career in ‘Judicial Services’?

Saquia: While pursuing my LL.B.

C.S.C.: You must have read Toppers interviews in newspapers/magazines; what inspired you the most? Any particular success story which influenced your journey to this result?

Saquia: Selection of my seniors inspired me the most.

C.S.C.: Was JSE a planned decision or your parents’ wish? Did you keep in mind some time frame, for the examination preparation and number of attempts?

Saquia: Yes! They always wished that I should go for Judicial Services. As my father is an Advocate so he always wished that I should join judiciary.

C.S.C.: Describe the exact moment when you came to know about the importance of Judicial Services?

Saquia: When I visited court with my father and I saw the fame in which the J.M. go through.

C.S.C.: About Interview Boards, many candidates have set impressions. Do you consider such thoughts help or hinder one’s performance in Interview?

Saquia: The only quality which one should keep in mind is self confidence and way of self presentation.

C.S.C.: What was your first step when you were really serious about making a career in Judicial Services?

Saquia: Joining of Ambition Law Institute.

C.S.C.: Were you confident of your success in this examination and how did you react to this news of your success?

Saquia: It was amazing.

C.S.C.: In how many attempts have you achieved this success? How do you visualize your preparation/previous attempts?

Saquia: This was my fourth Interview.

C.S.C.: Were you preparing for other career opportunities as well while preparing for your ultimate goal i.e. Career in Judicial Services?

Saquia: No, only full time in preparation.

C.S.C.: While the changing economic environment offers immense lucrative career opportunities in various sectors, still what kept you motivated towards Judicial Services?

Saquia: My family support.

C.S.C.: What's important and what's not? Share your thoughts and opinions.

Saquia: Practice is very important.

C.S.C.: '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?

Saquia: Time Management is very important and regular studies also.

C.S.C.: Was Judicial Services Examinations a planned thing for you? Had you thought of some time frame for this examination?

Saquia: Yes it was the only thing for which I was devoted.

C.S.C.: List some of the Magazines, Newspapers, Books etc. which you read for 'General Studies’ preparation.

Saquia: Civil Service Chronicle Magazine, Ghatna Chakra & Lucent and The Hindu newspapers.

C.S.C.: 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?

Saquia: Board 1. Ambition interview guidance programme, it was lasted for 15 minutes.

C.S.C.: Does the educational, financial and demographic status of the family of an aspirant have any impact on the preparation?

Saquia: Financial support and support in every aspect is very important.

C.S.C.: According to a recent report published by reputed survey agency, Civil Service Chronicle is the largest read Career & Competition magazine. What is your opinion?

Saquia: Yes, Civil Service Chronicle is very helpful.

C.S.C.: What is the secret of your success?

Saquia: Regular Studies, Time Management.

C.S.C.: To whom would you like to give the credit for your success?

Saquia: My parents, friends and Ambition Law Institute.

C.S.C.: Your favourite person.

Saquia: My parents.

C.S.C.: Your Strong Point

Saquia: My family support.

C.S.C.: Your Hobbies.

Saquia: Reading & Travelling

C.S.C.: Any suggestion/advice you would like to give to the future aspirants.

Saquia: Never loose hope.

Thank You very much and wishing you all the best for your future endeavors.

C.S.C. : Achieving top slot in the Judicial Services Examination is no small feet; accept our heartiest congratulations on your splendid success.

Himani : Thank you very much.

C.S.C. : Can you recall the exact moment when you realized the importance of Judicial Services?

Himani : Initially I wanted to go for litigation but I came to know about this Exam. From my very good friend Shishav Shukla and through him I got inspired for becoming a judge someday.

C.S.C. : Finally, at what point of time did you make up your mind to make career in ‘Judicial Services’?

Himani : In 3^rd year of my 5 year B.A. LLB (Hons). Programme I realized I should start preparing.

C.S.C. : Was JSE a planned decision or your parent’s wish? Did you keep in mind some time frame, for the examination preparation and number of attempts?

Himani : Judicial Services was not literally planned but as soon as I realized this is what I want to do in my life I started preparing. I wanted to give my best in the 1^st attempt.

C.S.C. : Describe the exact moment when you came to know about the importance of Judicial Services?

Himani : When I came to know the importance and responsibility of being a Judicial Officer.

C.S.C. : About Interview Boards, many candidates have set impressions. Do you consider such thoughts help or hinder one’s performance in Interview?

Himani : For interview I think one should focus on his own personality and confidence. Because the board is there to select you and not reject you.

C.S.C. : What was your first step when you were really serious about making a career in Judicial Services?

Himani : I joined Ambition Law Institute, this was my first step towards my journey.

C.S.C. : Were you confident of your success in this examination? How did you react to this news of your success?

Himani : Yes, I was confident but the real news actually surprised me.

C.S.C. : In how many attempts have you achieved this success? How do you visualize your preparation/previous attempts?

Himani : This was my first attempt in Bihar Judicial Services. Earlier I had given interview of U.P. Judicial Services also.

C.S.C. : Were you preparing for other career opportunities as well while preparing for your ultimate goal i.e. career in Judicial Services?

Himani : No this was my only goal.

C.S.C. : While the changing economic environment offers immense lucrative career opportunities in various sectors, still what kept you motivated towards Judicial Services?

Himani : The dignity of this post and opportunity to serve society in a particular way kept me motivated.

C.S.C. : What's important and what's not? Share your thoughts and opinions.

Himani : It is very important to stay with people who motivate you through this journey and stay away from negative thoughts.

C.S.C. : '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?

Himani : Time management is the key here. I used to write answers in time bound manner and this helped me a lot in mains exams.

C.S.C. : List some of the Magazines, Newspapers, Books etc. which you read for ‘General Studies’ preparation.

Himani : Civil Services Chronicle Magazine helped me with G.S. and Current Affairs and along with it I used to go through you tube for some current updates.

C.S.C. : 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?

Himani : I revised my subjects and remained updated with the current goings. My interview board was very polite and co-operative and my interview lasted about 20 minutes

C.S.C. : What is the importance of medium of examination for exams like JSE?

Himani : Medium of Examination does not matter really. Rather your content and expression is all that matters.

C.S.C. : Does the educational, financial and demographic status of the family of an aspirant have any impact on the preparation?

Himani : Yes, it sometimes makes you feel quitting but when dreams are big you need to be grilled and come up with confidence.

C.S.C. : According to a recent report published by reputed survey agency, Civil Services Chronicle is the largest read Career & Competition magazine. What is your opinion?

Himani : Yes, Chronicle helped me a lot during my preparation.

C.S.C. : What is the secret of your success?

Himani : Constant revision and determination

C.S.C. : To whom would you like to give the credit for your success?

Himani : To my parents, teachers, and my good friends.

C.S.C. : Any suggestion/advice you would like to give to the future aspirants

Himani : I would say, stay determined and trust yourself. The success is sure.

CSC. : Achieving top slot in the Judicial Services Examination is no small feat; accept our heartiest congratulations on your splendid success.

Ans: Thank you so much.

CSC. : Can you recall the exact moment when you realized the importance of Judicial Services?

Ans: When I was in Campus Law Centre during 2nd Semester, many of my classmates were preparing for judicial services. At that time I did a thorough research about judicial services and decided to prepare for this exam.

CSC.. : Finally, at what point of time did you make up your mind to make career in ‘Judicial Services’?

Ans: While doing Law, I realized that Judicial Service is a very noble service one can think of. Immediately after realizing this, I joined Ambition Law Institute where I got guidance of Mr. Alok Kumar Ranjan who guided me well. After that I became more firm w.r.t. judicial services.

CSC.: You must have read topper’s interviews in newspapers/magazines; who inspired you the most? Any particular success story which influenced your journey to this result?

Ans: The never give up attitude of most of the Toppers inspired me the most. Their constant hard work with more focus on making a smart strategy helped me in utilizing the time more efficiently.

CSC.: Was JSE a planned decision or your parent’s wish? Did you keep in mind some time frame, for the examination preparation and number of attempts?

Ans.: JSE was definitely a planned decision complimented with my parent’s wish to make a secure & noble career. I always, tried to prepare with the best strategy to clear the examination in the first attempt itself.

CSC..: Describe the exact moment when you came to know about the importance of Judicial Services?

Ans.: While doing Law, I used to read judgments of Hon’ble Supreme and High Courts. It helped me to realize the impact of judgments on great number of people. The more I read judgments the more it helped me to realize the importance of judicial service. Also in Ambition Law Institute, Mr. Alok Kumar Ranjan used to inculcate the same in class room lectures.

CSC. : About Interview Boards, many candidates have set impressions. Do you consider such thoughts help or hinder one’s performance in Interview?

Ans: One should not fall into any pre-conceived notions about interview Board. Candidates should rely on their hard work only as that will help them to sit confidently in the interview

CSC.: What was your first step when you were really serious about making a career in Judicial Services?

Ans: The first step was to get guidance about judicial services, as I am from non law background. For that I joined Ambition Law Institute which provided me the exact required guidance for the same.

CSC.: Were you confident of your success in this examination? How did you react to this news of your success?

Ans: Yes, I was always confident that sooner or later I will get the result of my hardwork. If at some moment I felt low, my parents and my brother and also my friends stood by me in those low moments. I was elated with the news.

CSC.: In how many attempts have you achieved this success? How do you visualize your preparation/previous attempts?

Ans: For Haryana Judicial Service this was my 1st attempt. Apart from Haryana judiciary, I gave Delhi judicial service exam also.

CSC.: Were you preparing for other career opportunities as well while preparing for your ultimate goal i.e. career in Judicial Services?

Ans: No, I was fully focused on judiciary exam. The only aim which I kept in my mind was to clear the exam. If for some reasons I could not clear the exam, my next step used to be to analyze my strategy for the exam, rather than switching to some other career option.

CSC.: While the changing economic environment offers immense lucrative career opportunities in various sectors, still what kept you motivated towards Judicial Services?

Ans: For this I will give credit to my parents and my brother. The environment of my home where I always saw my father working for 18 hours a day. My mother who taught me the art of reading and learning things. My brother who constantly motivated me to remain focused towards judicial service. Nothing attracted me more than to be part of judicial service. Many Hon’ble judges are also the reason for this focus.

CSC.: What’s important and what’s not? Share your thoughts and opinions.

Ans: Patience is important while hasty preparation is not. One should never lose his/her patience if they are not able to clear this exam in their initial attempts. Rather one should always have faith in him/her despite many unsuccessful attempts.

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 time?

Ans: Yes,'Time Management' is the key. While I was in Ambition Law Institute, Alok Kumar Sir always told us that the answers should be very specific. One should answer what the question has asked and not unnecessary things.

CSC.: Was Judicial Services Examination a planned thing for you? Had you thought of some time frame for this examination?

Ans.: Yes judicial services examinations was a planned thing. My focus was to give my best in the examination. I always tried to give best and to clear the exam in that very attempt.

CSC.: List some of the Magazines, Newspapers, Books etc. which you read for ‘General Studies’ preparation.

Ans : For Magazines I read Civil Services Chronicle, for News Papers I read Hindu as well as Indian Express.

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?

Ans: For interview my strategy was to be thorough with the Law Subjects as well as to be aware of the current events and also with the recent judgments of Hon’ble Supreme court as well as of the Hon’ble High Court. Interview board consisted of 9 members including Hon’ble High Court judge and Hon’ble HPSC members.

CSC.: What is the importance of medium of examination for exams like JSE?

Ans: It’s not the form but substance which matters. Medium of examination is the mode of expressing your knowledge only.

CSC.: Does the educational, financial and demographic status of the family of an aspirant have any impact on the preparation?

Ans: In my opinion these factors do not play any impact on the preparation, as candidates having different backgrounds are clearing the same exam. Hard work and smart strategy is the key to success in this exam.

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?

Ans: Civil Services Chronicle is without any doubt the best magazine.

CSC.: What is the secret of your success?

Ans: Constant hardwork and patience with faith in myself, the constant support and motivation of my parents, brother, friends, campus law centre and Ambition Law Institute (particularly of Mr. Alok Kumar Ranjan).

CSC.: Any suggestion/advice you would like to give to the future aspirants?