“Inner urge of success has been defined as the
Harmonious unison of a man with nature”
Ms. Amrita Banerjee, who attained 110th Rank in her 5th attempt in Civil Services Examination, 2015 conducted by Union Public Service Commission; in an important, exclusive, thought-provoking and highly inspiring interview; attributes consistent hard work & patience to the secrets of her success. Extracts of the Interview:
On preference in services opted for and particular reason for the priority:
My first preference was the Indian Foreign Service. This choice was at logical fallout of my educational qualifications over the year with a graduation in Political Science, M.A., M. Phil. and Ph. D. (pursuing) in the field of International Relations and specialization in American Studies, Foreign Service becomes an obvious choice.
On ‘Success is Sweet”, confidence level & reacting to the news of the Top Rank:
After my mains exam and especially after taking the interview, I was expecting a positive result, but I still had some inhibitions.
On opinion about toppers before success:
I really looked forward to the toppers’ interviews. It was opening every time. I heard and read about their tales of perseverance. I learnt from their failures and knew about their personal accounts with respect to this exam. Interview of Sakshi Sawhney, Roman Saini, Shah Faesal inspired me considerably.
On exact moment of realizing importance of ‘Civil Services’:
While in school, I had the good fortune of coming across a very young, humble and honest officer who happened to be my father’s friend. His humility, ready-to-help attitude and dedication towards his work inspired me.
On the point of time of making up mind to make career in ‘Civil Services’:
I decided to be a civil servant from my school days itself, but conscious preparation towards it started only after post-graduation.
On CSE being a planned decision or parents’ wish:
CSE was my planned decision.
On ‘Time Management’ being a key factor & managing things:
Managing time was the most difficult part of the entire process.
On choice, importance & basis of optional subject:
One must choose an optional subject which interests him/her. One must not decide on the basis of the length of syllabus. Interest is what would stand an individual in good stead. A good selection of optional can reduce an individual’s effort by half.
Optional Subject: Political Science and International Relations.
Since, I had done graduation in Political Science and later my M.A., M.Phil., and Ph.D. in international relations.
On visualizing her previous attempts & achieving the desired success in this 5th attempt:
I was in an abusive marital relationship because of which I lost 3 precious attempts in this exam and I was not able to prepare well or even able to clear the first stage, i.e., the preliminary exam. I gave my first serious attempt in 2014 and after.
On the first step being the most difficult to prepare & getting the right advice:
I am the first person in my family who entered in this direction. So I got my occasional bouts of energy and inspiration from the stories of interviews. The success topics as well as the stories of their failure helped me to learn and they kept me motivated.
On approach towards Paper I (General Studies) during Preliminary Examination preparation:
Preliminary Exam is by far the biggest decider as it gives you access to the other stage in the exam process. General Studies in PT requires conceptual clarity and hence aspirants should study each of the topics in details which would aid them in Mains as well. Picking and choosing topics or section is not a good idea. One must cover all sections of the paper.
On any change in plan for General Studies Paper II (Aptitude Test) being qualifying in Prelims:
There was no change in plan.
|
Bio-Data |
| Name: Ms. Amrita Banerjee
Father’s Name: Mr. Dhurjati Prasad Bandyopadhyay Mother’s Name: Mrs. Manasi Banerjee Date of Birth: November 30, 1984 Educational Qualifications : 10th: 2000, ICSE, Delhi Board (90%) 12th: 2002, ISC, Delhi Board (89%) B.A. / B.Sc.: 2005, Delhi University (60%) M.A. / M.Sc.: 2007 JNU, New Delhi (6·75) CGPA (~ 73%) M. Phil.: 2014 JNU, New Delhi (7·75) CGPA (~ 83%) |
On tackling ‘Negative Marking’ in Prelims:
‘Negative Marking’ in Prelims can be managed by making educated guesses and taking calculated risks. One must not attempt mindlessly rather risk should only be taken in questions where one can reduce the options from 4 to 2. Difficult questions for which one has no clues should always be left out.
On adopting any shift in strategy for Main Examination (Written):
Since, I was writing my Mains for the first time in my 5th attempt, there is no shift in the strategy. My strategy for mains was about good amount of answer writing practice, solving test papers on a daily basis and printing answers in bullet form with adequate examples.
On special effort for effective preparation for Essay Paper & on pick up of topics:
However, I was personally not satisfied with essays written and felt I could have done a better job there.
My essays were on: 1. Character of an institution is reflected in its leader. 2. Dreams which should not let India sleep.
On preparation for Interview, the Personality Test & facing it:
The interview went well, the members were cordial except for one member who tried to un-reserve me initially, but with a calm disposition and a constant smile on my face, their attitude changed in no time. They seemed happy with me and I walked out of the Board room feeling happy. My interview started with questions on Delhi’s weather conditions, my birthplace and its speciality, my home state and my working experience as an Editorial Associate for Indian Foreign Affairs Journal. Then they asked me questions on my hobbies, host of questions, on international relations, on BRICS, Indian nuclear doctrine, India’s neighborhood, terrorism, American elections, my international paper presentation in Harvard and diplomacy course in Vienna. The last member also asked me about higher education, and issues related to it.
On preparing for other career opportunities as well while preparing for ultimate goal i.e. Career in Civil Services:
Since, my initial 3 attempts in CSE were a failure; I decided to have an alternative career option open in front of me which was Academics.
| Personal Qualities |
| Favourite Persons: My mother.
Strong Point: I never give up till I achieve things I want in my life. Weak Point: I am brutally honest and self critical at times. Hobbies: Watching movies connected with some historical event or personality, social service and helping out people in need of any help. |
On Motivation towards Civil Services despite other lucrative opportunities in changing economic environment:
Monetary and uncreative aspects of life have never been important consideration for me. My parents and my school instilled in me patriotism and love for the people. I got involved in many social service activities which gave me lots of choices and mental satisfaction. I always understood that only a service which helps me evolve as a person is worth it. Public service was always close to my heart, hence civil services.
On Educational Level to start & minimum time-frame for preparation for Civil Services Examinations:
After graduation can be the most opportune time to begin with the separation. Civil Services is not a difficult exam to clear with proper planned strategy; consistent hard work it can be conquered easily. A focussed preparation of 1\f (1,2) – 2 years is required considering the vastness of the syllabus.
On general view that Science subjects have better chance to score than Humanities:
Earlier because of the CSAT pattern, people from science stream would get advantage especially in the PT exam, but after CSAT has been made gratifying this exam has become a more level playing ground. Science subjects being more scoring than humanities in Mains or otherwise isn’t true. Students should stay clear of any such inhibitions.
On importance of medium of examination for exams like CSE:
Medium of the exam, according to me, doesn’t hold much importance if one has done the preparations well and has a flair for writing.
On impact of educational, financial and demographic status of the family of an aspirant on preparation:
If one belongs to a family that is financially well off and educationally sound, it can always be an advantage. But even without that, if a person is well focussed and is prepared to work hard, this dream is very much achievable. Factors like finances, place etc. can be worked out effectively.
On role the Competition Magazines play in preparing for an examination like Civil Services:
Competitive magazines play a very important role in the preparation towards the civil services examination. Their comprehensive coverage on issues help in the current affairs section. Along with it, toppers’ interviews keep aspirants motivated. The magazines can also act as a good source of revision through their segments on multiple choice questions. All in all, they play a crucial role in the aspirants’ preparation as they can get knowledge on a wide ranging issues with minimum effort.
On finding “Pratiyogita Darpan” close to expectations:
Pratiyogita Darpan is a well laid out magazine that has a comprehensive coverage on all issues. The different segments imported in the magazine give new information. The magazine can give a good dose of information and the articles are well written, crisp and to the point.
On the “Pratiyogita Darpan” Extra Issues Series on ‘General Studies’ particularly ‘Indian Economy’ & Optional:
PD Extra Issues on ‘Indian Economy’ and ‘Political Science’ were very helpful in my case. I referred to them not only for Civil Services Exam, but also for other competitive exams. They can be used effectively for both PT and Mains Exam.
On being a reader of Pratiyogita Darpan, opinion on the articles written by Atul Kapoor:
The articles given by Atul Kapoor Sir give a brilliant insight on various issues. They are well researched, informative and act as an important tool in the overall preparation and examination process.
On Secret of & Credit for Success:
Consistent hard work, patience and ‘Never Say Die’ attitude
I would like to give the credit for my success to the blessings of Almighty Ma Durga and my parents who stood by me.
On suggestions/advice to future aspirants:
UPSC requires persistence, perseverance and planned hard work. There is no short-cut to success in this exam. Keeping all disappointments aside, prepare for this exam with a fresh mind and enjoy the journey of UPSC. Just remember 2 things—be humble to all, be focussed about your work so far as your aims are concerned. With these 2 things, success will come running to you. Best wishes to all aspirants.
Leave a Reply