Dr Shah Faesal IAS, a Kashmiri whose father was murdered by terrorists, made history recently when he topped the UPSC civil services exam. He shared his insights with Rediff.com

At 27, Dr Shah Faesal is the first Kashmiri native to have topped the Union Public Service Commission's civil services examination.

Faesal acknowledges that he has become an icon for Kashmiri youth, but says he is not entirely comfortable with this sudden adulation.

Having lost his father to terrorists, the success has brought happier moments for Faesal and his family. Between travelling across the country and preparing for his year-long training before he is inducted into the Indian Administrative Service, Faesal tells Rediff.com's Abhishek Mande what his success means to the people of Kashmir and why the rest of India [ Images ] must face up to the issues there.

Are you getting used to the limelight ?

(Smiles) Yes! Initially it was a catastrophe trying to cope with the rush of people. But now I am getting used to it!

Does your being from Kashmir help because now people acknowledge the fact that it is a state that has potential ?

These are popular perceptions. Whenever popular perceptions break it becomes news. Never has there been a topper from Kashmir so yes, it does significantly lend weight to my selection.

How have the people in your neighbourhood reacted ?

Oh, the response has been unprecedented! The youth have found a new role model and an icon.

Are you comfortable with that status ?

No, I don't like being cast into being a demi-god because if people put you on a pedestal today they may also nail you if you fail to meet their expectations.

How are you coping with these expectations and working towards meeting them ?

Now that I have got a platform, I am speaking out not just about my achievements and myself but also spelling out the concerns of the youth in the state.

What are the concerns of youth in Kashmir ?

The youth there has a lot of potential and talent and the willingness to work hard. They seek opportunities and a safe space to realise their potential and someone to trust them.

The curtain of suspicion that lies between you (the rest of India) and us needs to be removed.

The general perception is that many Kashmiri youth do not consider themselves part of the national mainstream. Is that the case ?

It is all about perception. Since you do not have a sense of belonging and relation with and no information about the people in Kashmir the image you carry is that it is a tourist spot.

You need to see that there is human tragedy and pain in the region. Identify with that. Own the pain.

Despite having a strong background in science, why did you choose Urdu as one of your optional subjects ?

The intention was to dispel the myth about Urdu being a downtrodden and a neglected language. I wanted to prove that Urdu too can fetch you laurels.

Was that your idea in appearing for the UPSC too? To break certain myths ?

Yes. The fact that there haven't been many people from the Kashmir province to appear for the UPSC in the last 15 years was a motivating factor. I wanted to dispel the myth that we are incompetent people and the profiling that goes on...

How do you plan to reach out to the people of Kashmir if you get the Jammu and Kashmir [ Images ] cadre ?

First, I'd like to ensure safe space to the youth. Besides this, my endeavour would be to bring about more connect and communication between the young people in Kashmir and the government so their grievances can be addressed.

How did you prepare for the exam ?

I did not study for the exam; I studied for myself with the sole idea that if I could explain the basic concepts of a subject to a layperson only then would I have understood the subject completely.

What would your advice be to youngsters appearing for the exam ?

Study extensively!

If you have failed, keep trying until you have attempts left.

Know everything that there is to know about India. Learn about its politics, geography... its culture because that is what it is all about.

What has been your biggest learning ?

Despite evidence of favouritism, merit is respected, come what may.

How do you plan to break the stereotypes of babudom in India ?

I am aware that the bureaucracy has been branded as being corrupt, defunct and hostile. You cannot blame them entirely because for the bureaucracy to change, the social system and its mindset must change.

How did you overcome the odds you faced in your early life ?

There is nothing you can do besides move on. I believe in the cliched phrase that when the going gets tough, the tough gets going. Life has to go on.

If you surrender to the adversities your ego is defeated. Learn to bring in your ego in such situations and move on.

Tell us something about yourself.

Although I am 27, my perception of the world is that of a middle-aged person. I am often by myself and lost in some thought.

I read quite a bit. I don't watch a lot of movies. I am quite an atypical 27-year-old that way.

What kind of books do you read ?

Persian, Urdu and English literature fascinate me. I am also studying philosophy these days.

Among the books I have liked are Imagining India by Nandan Nilekani, Oscar Wilde's plays because I like the wit and humour in them and also because I feel they are great in sharpening your articulating skills!

I also like Dr Iqbal's poetry and the philosophy and messages it carries.

I believe you also write plays. What are they about ?

I have finished a play called Leap to Freedom. It discusses the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits from Kashmir.

The themes of all my plays revolve around political circumstances in Kashmir and the human tragedy there. None of them have been staged as yet.

What according to you is the single biggest issue facing the youth in Kashmir ?

It is the sense of insecurity. One needs to address this issue from various sides. Besides for things to change, it is important that one gives them the voice and space.

How do you think we can help in integrating the youth in Kashmir with the rest of the country ?

You need to identify with problems there and instil a sense of belonging. You need to take them out and show them the world, show them how peace can prevail and how life can become wholesome.

You cannot continue to be tourists all the time.

IAS TOPPER TALK Dr. Garima Mittal - UPSC 8th Rank, 2009 Batch 

CSC : What were the basic mantras of your success? 

Garima Mittal : Faith in myself despite the odds, Focussed hardwork, Strategising and Time management played very vital role.

CSC : When should one ideally begin thinking about preparing for this exam? 

Garima Mittal : I believe, one should start preparing atleast a year before the first stage of exam, if the optional are different from one’s background, else focused study of six months should be fine. 

CSC : What were your strategies for the lengthy syllabus of General Studies for both Prelims and Mains?

Garima Mittal : For Mains, I tried to have clarity of concepts, interlinking of topics and analysis of current events. This gave me base to write variety of questions. Inclusion of multiple view points including my own helped me enrich the answers. 

CSC : What were your optionals? What were the basis of selecting these optionals? 

Garima Mittal : SOCIOLOGY and PSYCHOLOGY. Coming from medical background, I didn’t had academic knowledge about society and its problems. So, I was curious and interested to know about society in general, where Sociology could help me in. Sociology further helps in Essay Paper, GS and Interview. So effort in one subject can be used very efficiently to score marks in others. Psychology is closer to Psychiatry in my background and also interests me. 

CSC : Tell us something about preparation of essay paper 

Garima Mittal : Since marks difference of 30-40 marks in essay paper can be decisive in ones receiving an Interview call. Thus, in my Essay writing practice I tried including current events, linkages and analysis from my optional papers and lots of self opinions and innovative solutions to problems demanded by topic. 

CSC : How did you manage your time in both Prelims and Mains examinations? 

Garima Mittal : The exam pattern for next year may replace Prelims for Aptitude Test. Hence, I will elaborate my Mains strategy. My strategy was to give 20-25 minutes for 30 marks question, 10-12 minutes for 15 marks question and finishing all 2 markers in maximum of 30 minutes. This left me with around ten minutes in end to fill index and check out if any question is missed. For optionals around 30-35 minutes for the long answers. 

CSC : Did you attend any coaching institutes? Were they helpful? 

Garima Mittal : I joined Vajiram and Ravi for pre-mains-interview and for Sociology and Psychology, Synchronus IAS-Test series for General Studies, Ramaswamy for Essay classes and Sankalp for Interview only. They were useful in developing basic concepts, understanding the demand of the exam and also in knowing where usually candidates make mistakes, thus in turn helping us not to make those mistakes. 

CSC : Which is the most difficult part of this exam and why? What was your strategy to tackle this difficult part? 

Garima Mittal : I personally believe, the toughest part is to maintain same enthusiasm despite failure in previous attempts. One has to accept the reality as it is and work for future. This is possible through support and guidance of parents, teachers and friends who help in rebuilding faith in ourselves. 

CSC : Did you integrate your Prelims or Mains preparation or was it separate? 

Garima Mittal : After reading any newspaper article or book, I used to pick facts for Prelims, analysis and different point of views for GS Mains, social relevance of topic for Sociology Optional and exploration of self views for Essay. Thus a thorough first reading analysis though consumes time initially, but helps in long run. 

CSC : 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? 

Garima Mittal : I tried to write simple English in short, logically connected sentences. Incorporation of relevant current topics analysis, data to strengthen the arguments, giving multiple point of views and balancing them helped in making my answers different. Diagrams also formed vital part of my answers, specially in both optional. 

CSC : How did you prepare for interview? 

Garima Mittal : I worked on my bio-data in detail, kept track of all the current national and international events. I tried forming concise, logical and self orientated answers for expected questions. Giving mock interviews also helped in getting constructivefeedback from them. 

CSC : Was there any specific area they emphasized upon? 

Garima Mittal : I felt that my shift of professions from medical side to administration was highly emphasized in the Board’s queries. Gender related questions and my extra curricular activities also dominated my interview. 

CSC : What is your advice to the candidates? 

Garima Mittal : This exam demands lots of hardwork and dedication. With proper strategy, time and anxiety management, the effort we put into this can give us better output. Wherever there is doubt, it is useful to consult standard books or teachers, then believing the hearsay. I extend my help to all. Post your queries at my website:www.garima-mittal-ias.webs.com and I will try to answer that in the website itself. 

Courtesy: Civil Services Chronicle – Leading Magazine for Civil Services Aspirants IAS TOPPER TALK Dr. Garima Mittal - UPSC 8th Rank, 2009 Batch CSC

The 2006 competitive examinations for India's civil services is notable for the number of young people from non privileged backgrounds who feature in the merit list. For the first time, none from India's elite metros feature in the top ten.

We will bring you some amazing success stories in this special series. Today, meet a rickshaw vendor's son from Varanasi who is one of the IAS toppers this year.

Tears ran down Govind Jaiswal's face and refused to stop. Staring him in the face was the only thing he had ever wanted, and now that he had achieved it, he couldn't even reach out for the keys on his cellphone.

He waited till the tears dried up, till the news sunk in and made that one phone call on which depended the hopes of his entire family.

Govind, 24, the son of an uneducated rickshaw vendor in Varanasi, had grown up with cruel taunts like 'However much you study, you will still be a rickshawpuller.' He had studied with cotton stuffed in his ears to drown the noise of printing machines and generators below his window in a poor neighbourhood where small workshops existed cheek by jowl with tiny residential quarters.

He had given Math tuitions to supplement the paltry sum his father could afford to send him each month. His ailing father had sold a small plot of land to give Govind about Rs 40,000 so that he could move to Delhi which would provide him a better place to study.

Throughout his life, he had lived with only one dream -- to become an officer of the Indian Administrative Service. For him that was the only way. And when he broke the news to his family, that he was ranked 48 among 474 successful candidates in his first attempt at the exam -- it was the turn of his three sisters and father to weep with unbridled joy.

'Besides the Civil Services, I had no option'

Icould not afford to have any other career goal. My life would have been absolutely futile had I not made it into the civil services," says Govind, just back from his medicals in New Delhi, mandatory for the IAS.

"You must understand that my circumstances were such that besides the Civil Services, I had no option. I didn't have much of a chance with lower government jobs because they are mostly fixed, neither could I start a business because I had no money. The only thing I could do was work hard at my studies."

It was almost impossible for him to study in the one room he shared with his family. To add to his woes was the power cut that extended between 10 and 14 hours every day. The moment the lights went out, he had to shut the window to block out the deafening noise of generators in the many workshops around his home.

So in search for a quiet place to study, he briefly shared a friend's room at the Banaras Hindu University. Since that did not help him much, he did what many civil services aspirants in northern India do -- he moved to New Delhi.

His father sold his last plot of land for his son's dreamF or his son to make a fresh start in a city Govind had never visited before, Narayan Jaiswal, Govind's father, sold the only remaining plot of land he had saved after getting his three daughters married.

Working for ten years at the government ration shop, Narayan earned a living by weighing goods at the store. One day when the shop shut down, he bought one rickshaw and hired it out. He added three more and at one time was prosperous enough to own about 36 rickshaws.

That was a period of financial security and Narayan was prudent enough to buy three small plots of land. With three daughters to marry off, he knew he would need it in times to come. But bad times soon befell the family. His wife passed away when Govind was in school. For 10 years there was acute hardship. The rickshaws dwindled.

On his meager earnings, the uneducated rickshaw vendor with a hearing disability continued the education of his children. The girls were married after their graduation -- Narayan sold two pieces of land for the weddings, the last plot was sold to achieve his Govinda's dream.

Narayan gave his son Rs 40,000 to prepare for his Civil Services exam in New Delhi and pursue his childhood dream of becoming an IAS officer. For the next three years, he sent his son between Rs 2,500 and Rs 3,000 every month, sometimes foregoing the expense of treating the septic wound in his foot that continues to nag him till today.

Courier boys found his house with difficulty; now the fruitwallah will tell you where the 'IAS' house is'

Outside his narrow lane, opposite the Varanasi City railway station, where Narayan Jaiswal parks his rickshaws and spends most of his waking hours, he still walks barefooted with a bandage, one end hanging loose and scraping the dirty road.

"Beyond this year, my father could not have afforded to send Govind any more money. It was getting very tough for him. Govind was earning Rs 1,500 from tuitions, I don't know what he would have done if he didn't make it to the IAS this year. My father could not sleep for 10 days before the results came," says Govind's eldest sister Nirmala, whose son is almost the same age as her brother.

Now that he will earn Rs 8,000 as his starting salary during his two-year training period in Mussoorie, Govind says his first priority is getting good treatment for his father's wound.

"I want to look after him, I don't know if he will leave Varanasi but I will definitely move him out of this rented room that we have lived for 35 years."

If his son's new job dramatically changes things for the better, Narayan Jaiswal is quite unaffected by it. He is surprised by the scores of journalists and well wishers flocking to his house.

Until now, courier delivery boys found his house with great difficulty but now even the fruit cart-wallah, one-and-a-half kilometres away, will tell you where the 'IAS' house is.

"I like my work. I haven't decided about the future -- what could be a better place than Kashi? As long as my son looks after me, what else can one want?" he says, visibly uncomfortable with the media spotlight.

'My character will be put to the test, then I want to see what a real man I am'

Having lived his life in Varanasi, the holy city on the banks of the Ganga, Govind has given his home state Uttar Pradesh as his preferred region of posting. If he doesn't get UP, he is open to being sent to any state in India.

"Varanasi needs a tight administration. As for me, I want to be a good officer. We are the agents of change and I as an administrator would like to inform common people about their right to know, their right to information. The benefit should finally go to the people."

His hero is President A P J Abdul Kalam. Govind is reading the Hindi translation of the President's best-selling book On Wings of Fire and takes out a nicely thumbed copy from a plastic bag.

"After Gandhiji, President Kalam has given us a dream and the power to dream. His dream is of a developed India and he is a symbol of many common people's dreams."

In a time when the Indian bureaucracy has its drawbacks like a lack of accountability, corruption and perpetuating a system that was handed down by the British to rule a subordinate population Govind's thoughts are fired by the idealism of youth. He insists his idealism will not be watered down in future years, that he will not allow himself to be influenced.

"I am a product of my circumstances that has been wrought with hardships. When I go out as an officer my character will be put to the test, and then I want to see what a real man I am."

Pradeep Kumar Jha; 

All India Rank : Sixth (6) ,

Civil Services Exam 2005-2006, 

This talk has been delivered by him.

Personal Details :

CLASS 10th: GYAN NIKETAN, PATNA. 84%

CLASS 12th: SCIENCE COLLEGE, PATNA. 84%

B.A. (HONOURS) POLITICAL SCIENCE: HINDU COLLEGE, UNIVERSITY OF DELHI. 60%

M.A. (POLITICAL SCIENCE): HINDU COLLEGE, UNIVERSITY OF DELHI. 56%

M.Phil: DEPARTMENT OF POLITICAL SCIENCE, UNIVERSITY OF DELHI.

TOPIC - FEMINIST CRITIQUE OF PUBLIC/PRIVATE DICHOTOMY.

PURSUING Ph.D - FAMILY AS THE SIT OF REPRODUCTION OF GENDER IDEOLOGY: A CASE STUDY OF HINDU FAMILY LAW.

WAS AWARDED RESEARCH FELLOWSHIP BY THEUNIVERSITY GRANTS COMMISSION.

OPTIONALS: POLITICAL SCIENCE and ANTHROPOLOGY

Roll number 155923

Rank 6th

Strategy:

1. Having a very positive frame of mind and clarity of thought.

2. Selecting optional subjects on the basis ofaptitude that one has for the subject and not because a certain subject is perceived to be more scoring than the others.

3. Identifying the strengths that one has and to work harder on them to maximize the benefits.

4. Having a smart approach so as to know what one needs to do and what not to. Hereit is important to have a clinical approach so as to leave out the irrelevant parts and make the answers compact and articulate.

5. Strategy to prepare should be person specific and just because a successful candidate prepared a certain way, an aspiring student should not imitate it verbatim.

6. The entire process of examination is lengthy so the key to success is patience, perseverance and honest effort.

Political science (prelimns)

*. Andrew Heywood: Politics, Political Theory

*. O.P. Gauba: Introduction to Political Theory

*. S.P. Varma: Modern Political Theory

*. Ronald Chilcote: Theories of Comparative Politics

*. J.C. Jauhari: Comparative Politics

*. D.D. Basu: Introduction to the Constitution of India

*. B.L. Fadia: Indian Government and Politics

*. Sabine: History of Political Thought

*. International relations: Mahendra Kumar, and Bookhive

General Studies

*. NCERT text books for history and geography (class 11th and 12th)

*. India year book

*. Economic survey

*. Magazines like frontline, yojana and some competition specific magazines.

*. Newspapers like the Hindu

*. D.D. Basu: Introduction to the Constitution of India

*. Watching news on TV is also very helpful

Residence: 29, Mettu St Katterikuppam (village) Pondicherry

Father: Farmer

Physical Status: Disabled, orthopedically handicapped

Now Working : Assistant News Editor, DD news, New Delhi

No. of Attempts: four, in first Attempt, got into Indian Information Service (261 rank)

Subjects: Botany (Prelims & Mains), Agriculture (Mains)

Education: BSc (Ag) from PAJANCOA, Karaikal,Pondicherry (1993-98)

MSc (Ag) from CCS HAU, Hissar, Haryana (1998-2000)

Ph.D (Entomology) from IARI, New Delhi (2000-2004)

History behind my success

The result for my hard work has proved once again that

“God helps to those who help themselves”.

It was a shaky start to my civil service career. After completion of M.Sc. (Agriculture), I got selected into Indian Agriculture Research Institute’s Merit Scholarship. I secured all India first in that examination. It was the source of motivation behind my civil service aspiration. It brought me enormous confidence and energy in me.

IARI is one of the hubs for civil service preparations in India. I realized that I am in a right place for a great aspiration. Then I started my preparations in the first year of Ph.D itself. I pursued my Civil Service preparations along with the course works in IARI. I got 261 rank and was the topper among physically disabled candidates. I alsobecome the first PH candidate from Pondicherry to be among the elite civil service probables. With that merit rank I was suppose to get Indian Revenue Service.But to my bad luck I was denied that servicebecause of my disability. I was informed by the DoPT that Indian revenue service was not identified for physically handicapped candidates. It was only Indian Information Service was available for me. So I had to accept it but before that that I filed a case in a court for justice. Still the case is on and god only knows what will happen next.

With such frustrations, I was not comfortable in Indian Information Service. So I decided to write civil Service again.

What I understand about this exam…….

Civil service examination tests three most important qualities of a person

“Determination, Patience and Perseverance” . One has to define his goals and pursue it without any second thought. This is also one of the important characters of a civil servant for a better success in his career.

This is my second mains. I learned lot from my first attempt and tried my best to avoid all those mistakes not to be repeated in my second attempt. Now I love to share the mistakes I committed in my first attempt, so that future civil service aspirants can learn from them

*. I left so many questions in General knowledge paper I and II, due to improper management of time. I left many questions because of this and that reflected in my final marks. So in my second attempt I strictly followed the word limit for my answers and thereby effectively managed the time.

*. In my first attempt, I didn’t prepare well for the statistics, but this time I really managed well to improve my score.

*. One has to really concentrate on Essay writing. It will decide one’s rank in the final result. I didn’t give much importance to Essays, but this time, I worked hard to prepare well for the Essays

*. It is not how much you read for the exam; it’s how you convert the knowledge into answers within the given three hour duration. So I learnt that one has to synthesis answers while reading itself and plan the answers within the given word limit.

*. Good communication skill and clarity of thoughts are the two most important aspects for scoring better marks in the personality tests. Though I managed my first attempt interview well, I felt that I didn’t perform to my potential. So I sharpened my opinions and made up my mind with clarity of thoughts. I also later realized that to understand an issue better, one has to read letters to editors in News papers like, “The Hindu”, “Indian Express” etc.

Strategy for Subjects:

Botany: One of the better scoring subjects for Mains. One who has better understanding over different concepts in Botany can do better in the exam

Paper I:

1. One has to really concentrate more on thelower Botany (unicellular, algae, fungi, bryophytes, pteridophytes, and gymnosperms). Though the syllabus is little difficult to cover, one has to be very thorough. It’s like mathematics, if understood you can really do well.

2. In the lower botany, we need to concentrate more on the evolutionary aspects of reproduction systems in plants.For this, one has to practice lot on the diagrams and scientific names. These answers should carry scientifically correct diagrams with appropriate examples. So need to work lot on this. Normally this paper fetch you more marks than second paper, so there is no harm in spending more time on it.

3. Systematics and classification also equallyimportant as every year paper carries at least one or two big questions. Therefore one has to develop extra interest in these subjects.

Paper II:

1. This paper is very easy if you are very good at Genetics and Physiology. Since I am an Agricultural graduate, I managed it well, but for the future aspirants, it may be a uphill task. This full paper will test your depth in understanding. So one need to study twice or thrice.

2. This paper needs scientific answers with correct illustration. Therefore thorough understanding is very essential. In addition, one has to update his knowledge on current development like bio-technology and others.

Agriculture: The main problems with Agriculture option is that it has vast syllabus with many of the undefined territories. So one has to be very selective and precise while preparing.

Paper I: The major area to concentrate is Agronomy and Soil Sciences. One has to prepare the syllabus strictly without even leaving a single topic. Preparing concise notes according to the syllabus may help a lot during the mains preparing because it will consume lot of time if revised from the books. Moreover, there are so many books to be referred for the topics, so preparing precise notes will be of great help.

Paper II: Most of the syllabus coincides with Botany second paper syllabus. Therefore, one has to concentrate more on the other topics like Entomology, Pathology, seed technology etc. so as to boost the total score. Again preparing notes is very vital for success.

Essay: This is also an important area. The essay should contain the clarity of substantiations with grammatically correct English. It also should have proper segmentation and analysis. The beginning and conclusion of the Essay will decide 50% of the total marks in it. So both should be very attractive and effective.

Interview: I feel interview is the crucial partof this whole civil service examination. It can change the life of any person who crosses prelims and mains stages. Normally in personality test, three C’s are tested viz. Confidence, Communication and Common sense. Specifically, one has to be very good at communication. Better communication comes with clarity of thoughts and expression. To improve communication ability, we need to talk more with friends and try to participate in general discussions.

On the knowledge side, one need to watch TV news, listen radio news and read news papers regularly. In news paper, one should not miss to read Letters to Editors. I would recommend Indian Express and The Hindu for Interview preparations.

CSC: What are the elements required for success?

Aditi Singh. I can te ll you my experience only. My choice for the career, that I wanted to pursue was clear. I did not try for any other option. So my first aim was to remain focused on this exam. Second was my perseverance, I just stuck to the exam though there were temporary setbacks as I could not get through in the last two attempts. Thirdly in the last two attempts I did not pay more attention to GS in the main examination. So what I can say is strategy really matters which I changed this time by following a very balanced approach. 

CSC: Tell us about your previous attempts. 

Aditi Singh: In the last two attempts I wrote main exam in which I scored well in optional papers, especially in sociology. But I could not perform well in GS. In my third attempt I took guidance from Sriram sir. He helped in improving my writing skill for the mains. 

CSC: What was the key element of your strategy?

Aditi Singh: My focus was time bound preparation. Because syllabus changed this year, I had to cover lots of new topics. So I did not follow last attempt’s plan.

CSC: What were your optionals?

Aditi Singh: Political Science and Sociology. I took Political Science because of my academic background. And after analyzing syllabus of sociology I found it very complementary to Political Science. Sociology needs analytical approach very similar to Political Science. I also thought that my approach as a humanities student will help me. Fortunately my strategy clicked. 

CSC: How did you prepare optionals?

Aditi Singh: I wrote my Political Science tests with Shubhara Ranjan. I did not attend any regular class for it because I did well in my graduation and post graduation with Political Science. Writing practice test was very important, as this exam is very different from university exams. Since Sociology was a new subject of me, I attended Mr. Upendra Gaur’s sociology classes. 

CSC: What was your plan for General Studies?

Aditi Singh: For prelims my plan was to cover as much areas as possible. I did not attend any coaching for it. For mains I took Mr. Sriram’s guidance and regularly practiced tests. 

CSC: What about essay?

Aditi Singh: No Special preparation for essay. No extra readings. I totally relied on my optionals preparation. In the last two attempts I did well in essay. For essay writing you need to be clear about topic. Do not use complex language. As humanities student, I had an edge because I always practice writing answers. So I was comfortable in writing. 

CSC: You appeared thrice for the UPSC Exam. Finally you are through. What was your biggest mistake; now that you are among toppers’?

Aditi Singh: My biggest mistake was not to pay much attention to GS in the previous attempts and second mistake was not to follow writing tests for Political Science in the first attempt. These were my mistakes otherwise I was very confident that one day I would definitely in this service. 

CSC: How was your Interview?

Aditi Singh: My board was of Mr. I.M.G Khan. It lasted for 25-30 minutes. Members were asking question from very diverse area, very little from my subjects. And when I came out I thought I did not deliver up to my expectations. They started asking questions about my Schooling. One member told me that since I am an engineer, i would ask questions from engineering. I was taken aback since my background is humanities. He asked me about the role of an engineer, the difference between an engineer and scientist, about APJ Abdul Kalaam- whether he was an engineer or a scientist? Then the next member asked my about the Satyam Scam which he asked me to explain. As I finished the answer next member asked my about the IPL. Another member asked me about my Service Preference. Before leaving the same member asked me if I

was ever interested in politics. So it questions were very diverse.

CSC: The Configuration of the questions has been changed in this exam. More questions are asked with current orientation. How did you prepare current affairs?

Aditi Singh: I was thorough with the Hindu. Reading newspapers religiously a was part of my strategy. I also relied on my G.S. Class notes. 

CSC: What determines success in this exam?

Aditi Singh: Determination, focused preparation, understanding of the subject. More importantly you should know your weaknesses. One should not baggy their direction throughout the exam. 

CSC: Often students count their labour and strategies in terms of hours they spend on reading. Does it work?

Aditi Singh: No. Try to build skillful strategies because general studies are extremely vast. So, you must be very selective as well extensive while preparing for general studies. First of all select important areas and then go for extensive study. Reason behind this argument is the vastness of the syllabus and changing configuration of questions. Year after year toughness of competition has been multiplying and so is the case with predictability of success. 

CSC: How important is language for this examination?

Aditi Singh: Ornamental language is not required. Write very simple and up to the point answers.

Aditi Singh: My biggest mistake was not to pay much attention to GS in the previous attempts and second mistake was not to follow writing tests for Political Science in the first attempt. These were my mistakes otherwise I was very confident that one day I would definitely in this service.

Why Bihar’s capital loves a police officer straight out of Dabangg ?

Everyone loves a good cop. From first-benchers whistling the roof down at the sight of Chulbul Pandey to young damsels in real-life distress. Patna found one with a double-barrelled name this year, and was loath to let him go. So when Shivdeep Waman Lande, Patna city superintendent of police, was transferred to the remote Araria district last month, protests erupted on streets, conspiracy theories buzzed in government offices, and even chief minister Nitish Kumar had to swat away pesky questions In the nine months he was in Patna, Shivdeep Lande was the perfect “light, camera, action cop”. 

The uniform was a tad too tight, the better to show off the beefy body, and the dark glasses always on — it didn't take too long for newspapers and fans to make the Dabangg connection. He knew how to play the game, and would ensure that the cameras were trained on him whenever he stepped out for a big catch, whether it was against fake cosmetics or the medicine mafia. The people loved him for the less important assignments, and there's even a Facebook fan page on him. 

Women students of Magadh Mahila College and Patna Women’s College, who faced crank calls and harassment, called him up for help. Lande came up with an idea — he would ask the girls to divert their calls to his number. The young men who called found Lande on the phone, and quickly pressed “end- call”. The ones brave enough to call back would hear the SP again: “Beta, abhi bhi nahi sudhre ho, FIR karba du kya?” During festivals, he rounded up flashy bikes to stop rash young men from “fooling around” girls' colleges. Girls on scooters, on the other hand, had a free run of pandals. 

The grateful young women would line up to get his autograph, and flood his inbox with SMSes. “I also tried to follow up my action by turning up at Magadh Mahila College to deal with such boys. I did reprimand some publicly and slapped some around. But I also ensured no case was lodged against them,” he says. Lande has the right back story for a Bollywood happy ending. He is the son of a farmer in Akola, Maharashtra, and has struggled his way to his current success. He dismisses all suggestions that he was inspired by Salman Khan or Ajay Devgn. “I have been wearing goggles since I was on probation in Munger.” His glasses are lucky for him. “Twice, on anti-Naxal operations, I met with accidents but did not get hurt. On both occasions, I was wearing my glasses,” he said. The Araria SP has a suitable one-liner to sign off with: “I am neither Dabangg nor Singham, my parents have named me Shivdeep”. 

Amrutesh Aurangabadkar (22), an arts graduate from Fergusson College, has done the city proud by standing first in the state and tenth in the country in the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) examination.

A software engineer from the city, Ravindra Binwade, also scored in the UPSC examination by standing 30th in the country.

Amrutesh said the exam was difficult, but it was the approach that made the difference.

He graduated in economics and this was his first attempt at the UPSC exam.

Amrutesh came to know about his success after his sister, Chinmaya called him up from Nagpur and informed him about it as there was a power cut at his house.

Talking to DNA on the backdrop of his success, he said, “We couldn’t believe it. It was unexpected as I never aimed at topping the examination.”

“I always wanted to crack the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) examination, though I never thought I would top in the state,” he said.

“It is indeed a moment of pride for me and my family. My sister is an income tax commissioner at Nagpur and was my role model and guide,” Amrutesh said.

Amrutesh did not study by counting the number of hours. “I focused on doing qualitative study and didn’t aim at topping the examination. It always was difficult, yet I believe that the right approach is necessary for cracking any examination,” he said.

His father, Kalidas was deputy director at Ground Water Survey and Development Agency and his mother Raksha a gold medalist in BA (Economics).

Amrutesh studied at Dr Kalmadi Shamrao High School, Ganeshnagar.

His advice for UPSC aspirants. “I would suggest never put anything for option. Nothing is impossible, determined efforts and quality work always pay,” he said.

The city also has another feather in its cap. Software engineer Ravindra Binwade stood 30th in the country in the same examination. He quit a well-paying job to give the examination. “It was a difficult decision to quit the job as my financial condition was not very sound,” he said. “I had dreamt of passing the IAS since college. However, the dream was put on the backburner, when I got the job immediately after my graduation. I was working for over five years and went to Finland, Israel and South Africa, yet always had this secret wish to crack the UPSC. Eventually, when I was transferred to Pune, I quit the job and decided to take the examination. My family supported me, while my younger brother Kiran, also a software engineer, assisted me financially. Today, I don’t regret my decision and my family is happy,” he said.

Ravindra’s father, Laxmanrao was an employee at Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation and mother Vandana a homemaker.Ravindra hails from Beed district.