When did you decide to appear for this coveted IAS Exam?
After doing Post Graduation in Anthropology in 2003, I qualified NET exam. While I was trying to get into teaching, my father inspired me to join civil services. I started sincere preparation from 2006.

Did you have any previous job experience?
Yes, I joined LIC as ADO (Apprentice Development Officer) in 2007, but soon realized that my preparation was getting affected due to it being a field job. I left LIC and again started preparation in 2008.

How did you prepare for the examination?
I started with my first optional i.e. Public Administration along with General Studies and it was only after a complete coverage of the first optional, I started reading the second one.

What were your optionals?
Public Administration and Anthropology

People say, G.S is the toughest and highly dynamic component of the examination. How did you manage it so successfully?
That is absolutely right and it was more so for me as I always had a particular outlook, thus making generalistic observations slight difficult for me to be made. However, soon I realized my mistake and focussed upon my weak areas.

What books did you study?
Few conventional books, NCERT text books and Yojana.

Can you share with us the hurdles that came your way during the preparation and how you encountered them?
The biggest hurdle was my non-generalistic temperament. I never read newspapers or even least bothered to hear news before coming to this area. I really had to work a lot to develop this approach which is not an imperative for any examination in general and civil services in particular.

What should be the strategy of preparation?
I would say that one should go for limited sources and repeated readings. It’s very important to note which are the areas to be focused and which are not that much important for this exam. I restricted myself to few conventional books, class notes, one newspaper (The Hindu) and only selected magazines (Yojana).

Tell us something about your Interview.
It was Mr. Purshottam Agarwal’s board. It went for some 20 minutes. I was explored on areas like anthropological significance of mummy, problems of Bundelkhand, Dacoity problem, police reforms, my birth place Datia, difference between Leader and Manager, inter alia. The board was very cordial. I got 200 marks in my interview.

Suggestions for interview.
As the word itself suggests, it’s the test of personality which cannot be shaped overnight or within 2-3 months. So one should start thinking about personality from the beginning of preparation and try to remove negative aspects of it while preserving the positive ones. As regards interview, honesty is the best policy.

CSE: Your suggestions for future aspirants.
From a factual or blue print approach, the pattern of examination is moving towards more conceptual, learning and practical mode. With sincere efforts and sound strategy, this field is open to any-one aspiring to join it.

With CSAT around, what will be your suggestion to the candidates with regards to strategy to tackle the examination?
Although the formal announcement is awaited, the recently changed pattern has already included a test of aptitude at all the levels of examination. Now with its coming, one has to be mindful of the approach and perspective conventional approach has to give way to more contemporary, practical and aptitude-based approach of preparation.