Interview with IAS Topper
Who's Getting Into The Civil Services?
- Less than 2 in 10 entrants were from a metro or a state capital
- More than 5 were born in a tehsil or district town
- One out of four are kids of fathers who have not studied beyond matriculation
- 4 in 10 were engineers, techies or medics
- New recruits are older. About 50% were over 25.
- 4 in 10 now sit for the exam in Hindi, but English-types still have the upper hand
- 12 of top 50 rank-holders in the latest (2006) civil services exam are OBCs
- 32.5 % of IAS officers inducted in the last five years are OBCs
- Despite reservation, only a tiny fraction of civil servants are first-generation learners
- More women are making it to the IAS
An inspiring and incredible achievement
After 15 yrs of trying, deaf candidate gets into IAS
After 15 yrs of trying, deaf candidate gets into IAS
Maniram Sharma has won a 15-year-old battle for justice. On Thursday ( 8th October 2009 ), this deaf IAS candidate learnt he has made it to the Civil service. With this, Maniram has not just won a personal battle but a milestone victory for disabled persons like him who have been kept away from the premier government service. Maniram's case has been highlighted by Times of India over the past couple of years — how his efforts were thwarted on one ground or the other, till he finally went through surgery to make his aided hearing so good that he gave his IAS interview this time by the oral question-and-answer method. Despite this, his induction into the service was just not happening. ( Read the story .... )
IAS TOPPER 2009- Civil Service Examination
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Varinder Kumar Sharma, who secured an all-India fourth rank, is the topper among the male candidates. Varinder, who is a differently-abled candidate, has cracked the prestigious exam in his first attempt.
The top 25 candidates include 15 males and 10 females. Of the first ten positions, four have been secured by Delhi-based candidates and all of them have preferred the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) over the other services.
Speaking to The Hindu at her residence on Monday evening, Shubhra Saxena said: “It is God’s grace that everything has worked out perfect for me. You can just pray for such an achievement; you never expect it. It has still not sunk in…..”
With subdued celebrations at her suburban Indirapuram home in Ghaziabad nextdoor to Delhi, Shubhra sought to underplay her huge achievement.
“I am no special. Last year I attempted, but could not make it to the final list. It was very painful. I believe if I can do it, then anyone can. Keep believing in yourself and keep working hard,” she said.
The 30-year-old, who is married, said she decided to go for the Civil Services because she realised she wasn’t in a “position to make a substantial contribution to society while working in the IT industry”.
Shubhra has done her schooling from Jharkhand, studied B.Tech. at Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Roorkee. Her husband is also from the same institute.
“There are a lot of problems that our country is facing. I chose the IAS because it gives you a multitude of options. Rural development is my first choice,” said the topper who was born in Bareilly.
P. S. Ravindran, director of Vajiram and Ravi institute for civil services examination, noted that after 2003 this is the first time that the first rank has been achieved by a candidate in her second attempt. Interestingly, Shubhra and four other candidates to have made it to the top ten ranks have been trained by this institute.
Kiran Kaushal, the third ranker, is the first person to have taken the examination in the Hindi medium and reached this high a rank.
Vijay Ketan Upadhyay, who secured the fifth rank overall in his third attempt, said: “I was expecting something within the first 200 ranks, but the fifth position is really unbelievable! In fact, I had already started preparing for the UPSC preliminary examination for this year as I was desperate to clear it on my last attempt…..”
Vijay has studied Veterinary Science at the Orissa Veterinary College.
An MBBS graduate from Maulana Azad Medical College, Delhi, Yash Garg has achieved the sixth all-India rank. Hailing from Sonepat in Haryana, Yash was clear that he wanted to join the IAS since he dreamt of becoming a good administrator.
“While working as a doctor in the hospital, I realised I was only impacting an individual patient. Through the IAS, I can impact a larger section of people,” said Yash, who is currently working at Delhi’s Lok Nayak Jayaprakash Narayan Hospital.
Just like Shubhra, Delhi-based Surya Pal Gangwar, who has achieved the eighth position, is also from Bareilly. He went on to do his B.Tech. from IIT-Roorkee.
“This is my fifth attempt. I was confident it would be something good, but did not imagine it would be this good!” he said.
For someone who is married and has a child, Surya said it was “good time management” that helped him achieve his goal.
A graduate of Lady Shri Ram College for Women, Delhiite Aditi Singh secured the 12th rank. “My father and husband are IAS officers. I always dreamt of becoming one. Focus and perseverance are the two key things needed while preparing for the Civil Services,” she added.
Shubhra Saxena
(Women Candidate) UPSC 2009 Topper
(Women Candidate) UPSC 2009 Topper
Miss Shubhra Saxena (Roll No.159306), has topped the Examination. She has done B.Tech from IIT, Roorkeee. She attributed her feat to her "loving" parents and husband, saying they "were very much supportive when I expressed my desire to appear for civil services."Born in Uttar Pradesh's Bareli, Saxena had most of her education in Jharkhand as her father was an engineer with Coal India.
"I always wanted to serve the people. My family sacrificed a lot. I had to stay away from my husband and stay with my mom... they were very helpful," the former IT professional said."I always had faith in myself... so I won. Once a person understands the concept it is very easy to crack the exam. And more important is the ability to believe in yourself," she said.
Saxena said her husband was her "biggest supporter" in the past four years while she was preparing for the civil services exam.This is her 2nd attempt.
"I always wanted to serve the people. My family sacrificed a lot. I had to stay away from my husband and stay with my mom... they were very helpful," the former IT professional said."I always had faith in myself... so I won. Once a person understands the concept it is very easy to crack the exam. And more important is the ability to believe in yourself," she said.
Saxena said her husband was her "biggest supporter" in the past four years while she was preparing for the civil services exam.This is her 2nd attempt.
Interview : UPSC topper Shubhra's Interview with IBN
Article : UPSC topper wants to serve rural India
The topper of the Civil Services examination, Shubra Saxena credits hard work and God's grace for her win. Shubhra Saxena spoke to CNN-IBN after her win.
CNN-IBN: Congratulations on your spectacular success. Tell us, was it very hard to prepare for this examination?
Shubhra Saxena: First of all, thank you. Regarding how hard it was, yes, it was hard. Cracking the Civil Services exam is a tough job. But then I think that every aspirant is working very hard towards it. So it is labour as well as God's grace that has landed me at the top spot.
CNN-IBN: Shubhra, I am told that this is your second attempt at the UPSC exam. What did you think worked for you, went right for you during this exam?
Shubhra Saxena: My first attempt was in a bit of haste. I was working till the end of 2006 and I decided to write my first Pre in 2007. So I think I did not have much of a time to prepare.
CNN-IBN: Why did you try this exam when you were already employed?
Shubhra Saxena: I think it was my dissatisfaction at whatever I was doing and the motivation to do something for the society that inspired me to write this exam.
CNN-IBN: What is your message now to future Civil Services aspirants?
Shubhra Saxena: Well, work hard and believe in yourself. Everything is possible. I am not unique that I made it here. I am just a part of the crowd. Last year I did not even make it. If you work hard, anything is possible.
CNN-IBN: Thank you for speaking to CNN-IBN
Courtesy:- IBNLive
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Article : UPSC topper wants to serve rural India
Girls have bagged the top three ranks in the Civil Services Examination 2008 with Noida's Shubhra Saxena topping the test, results for which were declared in New Delhi on Monday.
While Sharandeep Kaur Brar has been placed second, Kiran Kaushal secured the third position.
It was the urge to serve the country's rural population that made 30-year-old Shubhra Saxena to quit her well-paid IT job four years back and prepare for civil service examinations.
"It is a very good feeling. Every person achieves victory on their own pace," an elated Saxena said, minutes after the news trickled in that she topped the 2008 civil services examination.
She attributed her feat to her "loving" parents and husband, saying they "were very much supportive when I expressed my desire to appear for civil services."
The software engineer, an alumnus of IIT-Rourkee, said she quit her well-paid IT job as she always had a urge to serve the rural population, who are deprived of even basic facilities such as education and drinking water.
"I wasn't able to serve the people when I was in the IT field. So, I decided to quit and appear for civil services examination," Saxena, who cleared the examination in her second attempt, said.
"My priorities are empowering the rural masses and providing education to them."
Born in Uttar Pradesh's Bareilly, Saxena had most of her education in Jharkhand as her father was an engineer with Coal India.
A total of 791 candidates have cracked the exam for which written test was conducted in October-November last year and the interview for personality test was held in March-April this year, the UPSC said.
The candidates, who have been recommended for appointment, include 364 from general category, 236 from OBC, 130 from SC and 61 from ST group.
The topper Shubhra Saxena has done her B Tech from IIT Roorkee. This was her second attempt. Second topper Sharandeep Kaur has done her MA from Punjab University.
The top 25 candidates included 10 women. While 12 of them are from Commerce, Management, Humanities, Science and Social Sciences, nine candidates are from streams of Engineering and four from Medical Sciences.
A total of 3,18,843 candidates applied for the examination, while 1,67,035 appeared for the preliminary examination. Of them 11,849 qualified for the Mains but only 2,140 could make it to the personality test.
Courtesy:- NDTV
Interview with IAS Topper
Mr. Sorabh Babu Maheshwari (23) achieved 1st position among the successful candidates of the Civil Services Examination, 1999-2000. He has done B.E. (Mech.)
" Planned Studies, Hard Work and INNER motivation are the Keys to Success "
We publish below an exclusive interview he gave to Competition Success Review.
CSR: What is the secret of your success in the Civil Services Examination?
Sorabh Babu Maheshwari : There are myriad of factors responsible; to sum up God's grace, family's support and encouragement, planned studies, hard work, inner motivation can be cited as the main factors.
Q. How much time do you think one requires for serious preparation for this examination ?
A. Atleast one year of serious dedicated preparation.
Q. Which journals and newspapers have you been reading for the General Knowledge and other papers ?
A. Competition Success Review, General Knowledge Today, The Hindu, The Hindustan Times, Frontline and a regular reader of India Today
Q.What is your impression of the Interview Board ?
A, Questions posed before a candidate are very well framed and answers to them should be made taking into consideration all possible views and a balanced approach is expected from a candidate.
Q. What is your advice to the future aspirants ?
A. The path towards this coveted service passes through many ups and downs. To carry oneself along these pulls and pushes requires strong inner motivation and decision to aspire for Civil Services should come from within.
Q . Competition Success Review, the largest selling youth magazine in English, has been extremely helpful because...
A. ...it helped in providing ready, easy-to-use material thus saving time. Topics, which are unique to this magazine e.g.,IAS Topper Talks To You, Essays, Personality. Tests proved extremely helpful while preparing as they give good insight into these issues.
Q. What prompted you to choose Civil Services as your career?
A. the unique blend of service opportunities which Civil Services offers. Diversity of job, being a party in policy implementation, bigger responsibilities, social esteem and to do good to common masses were some factors which made me to go in for Civil Services.
Q. How did your parents, family and friends contribute to your success ?
A. A larger part of success is attributable to them. Without the constant support, encouragement and boost up by family members and friends at times, this day was not possible.
Q. Had you not been selected in the Civil Services Examination, what would have been your reaction ? Which other service career would you have gone in-opted for?
A.This year. I did well in Written Exam ,and Interview and was confident of getting good rank. In adverse situation of not getting selected, though sad I would have gone for another attempt after finding out my lacunae.Q. How would you visualise your success ?
A. Combined effort of everything went in my favour. I dedicate my success to my parents and elder brother and now find myself at a platform with even bigger responsibilities and challenges as never before.
Q Whom do you attribute your success to ?
A. To my eldest brother especially who has been a constant source of motivation throughout my life span. Without whose support, I could not have achieved this.
Q. What Were your Optionals for the Civil Services Examination ?
A. Mathematics for Prelims; Mathematics and Mechanical Engineering for Mains.
Q. What was your criterion for the selection of Optional subjects ?
A. Having studied Mechanical Engg. in my graduation for 4 years, I found it a natural choice and I felt quite comfortable with Mathematics.
Q. How did you prepare for your Compulsory papers?
A. I made a list of topics to be read, then gave them a priority based on their importance and started from the top giving due time to each of them. This approach was mandatorv for me as I am already in job and did not have ample time.
Q. Competition Success Review is the largest read youth magazine in English. How do you visualise the role of this magazine in moulding the careers of the youth ?
A. Since my childhood, Civil Services ,specific issues particularly the column of 'IAS Toppers Talk To You' inspired me a lot to go for Civil Services as my career.
Q. How did Competition Succeess Review help you in your preparation for the interview?
A. Supplements like 'My Personality Test', 'Facing The Interview Board', 'Improve Your Personality' and 'Group Discussion' give quite an original view of the personality test and help us in assessing our deficiencies beforehand and taking corrective measures.
Q. What is your opinion about Competition Success Review?
A. Competition Success Review is indispensable for aspirants to Civil Services and other competitive exams. It is helping, candidates a lot. It is a part of study material.
Q. What is your opinion about General Knowledge Today?
A. More information ' i less space is the buzzword for General Know1cdgr Today. It provides quite handy, ready-to-use facts, database and information and as such is quite useful during revision hours.
Q. What do you think is the better way of preparation between selective, intensive study and wide, extensive study ?
A. Wide extensive study should be followed by selective intensive study.
Q. Is the pattern of the examination appropriate for selection ? Would you recommend any improvement?
A. By and large, the pattern of examination is good. Efforts, however, should be made to reduce the shell time of the whole process in line with other exams.
Q. Do you feel that there should be no restriction on the number of attempts ?
A. Current policy of restricting attempts checks non-serious candidates and prevents flooding up of the exam. This should continue. ,
Q. With the resumption of Essay paper in UPSC examinations, we are giving four senior essays every month. Is this focusoriented, analytical, feature helpful for the TAS aspirants ?
A. Definitely yes. Best way to prepare for Essay paper is through careful reading of these well-crafted essays by top slot authors. It sharpens the writing ability and boosts confidence.
Q. How do you think Competition Success Review could be more useful to the candidates appearing in the Civil Services and various other competitive examinations ?
A. At present, it focusses only on General Studies aspects. Recent trends and practices in various Optionals should be published to make candidates more aware. Some more model question papers should also be given.
