“Strong self-belief, dedication and hard Work are the secrets of my success”
-Samir Saurabh
‘Pratiyogita Darpan’ arranged an exclusive interview with Shri Samir Saurabh, who is selected in Civil Services Examination 2015, conducted by Union Public Service Commission. He deserves all appreciation and our heartiest congratula-tions on his this exceptional success. This important, thought-provoking and highly inspiring interview is being presented here in its original form.
PD—Achieving top slot in the CS Examination is no small feat; accept our heartiest congratulations on your splendid success.
Shri Samir—Thank you very much, Sir.
PD—Were you confident of your success in this examination and how did you react to this news ?
Shri Samir—I think the nature of this exam is such that no aspirant can be confident of getting a top rank. I was confident that I should be able to make it to the final list.
I checked the result myself and was elated to find my name in the list. There was also a feeling of relief that all these years of hard work had finally paid off.
PD—What preference in services have you opted for and any particular reason for that priority ?
Shri Samir—My service preference is in the order of IAS > IPS > IFS > IRS(IT) > IRS (C&CE).
My primary motivation behind opting for this exam was public service and an opportunity to work at the grassroots level for welfare of the distressed people and bring about a meaningful and positive change in the society. In my view, both IAS and IPS offer such an opportunity in greater scope. Hence, these two services are my top preferences.
PD—What were your optional subjects ?
Shri Samir—Optional Subject was Anthropology
PD—In how many attempts have you achieved this success ?
Shri Samir—This was my 4th attempt.
PD—You must have read IAS toppers’ interviews in newspapers/ magazines; what inspired you the most ?
Shri Samir—Yes. I drew lots of inspiration from the success stories of toppers, their struggles, their strategies and their perseverance. I will not be able to pinpoint any one success story, because each of them influenced and motivated me during my preparation journey.
PD—What was your approach towards Paper I (General Studies) and Paper II (Aptitude Test) during Prelims preparation ?
Shri Samir—In the prelims, the foundation of four primary topics— History, Geography, Polity and Economy must be very strong. So, I prepared along those lines. My over-all preparation, however, was always aligned towards the Main exam with focus on newspapers and current events. But yes, I devoted about three weeks exclusively for prelims, with emphasis on revising the fundamentals, solving previous year’s questions, practicing the Paper II of prelims, etc.
PD—How did you manage to tackle the ‘Negative Marking’ in Prelims ?
Shri Samir—I strongly believe that in prelims, accuracy wins over number of questions attempted.
I always attempted only those questions which I was confident about, and simply left those about which I did not have any clue. Therefore, I did not have to worry about ‘Negative Marking’.
PD—The first step is the most difficult; from where did you get the right advice ?
Shri Samir—You are right. The first step is the most difficult, and perhaps the most crucial. I cleared up lot of confusion by talking to friends who were preparing, or were already in service. But a large chunk of this information was gathered over the internet. For example, I referred to blogs by successful candidates such as Ms Shubra Saxena, Mr. Ghanshyam Thori, Mr. Prince Dhawan and others.
PD—You achieved the desired success in this attempt; how do you visualize your previous attempts ?
Shri Samir—In this (4th) attempt, I continued working on my strengths, and at the same time, ensured that I score well in my optional subject. I analyzed what might be missing in my answer-writing approach for optional, and tried to improve it.
PD—While making final choice for optional subject, what’s important and what’s not ?
Shri Samir—I think the two most important criteria for choosing an optional subject should be availability of good guidance and one’s interest in the subject. Having interest in the subject is of prime significance One must choose an optional with conviction and give his/her best to it.
PD—What shift did you adopt in your strategy for MAINS (Written) ?
Shri Samir—My overall preparation was always aligned towards mains exam. So, once prelims got over, I shifted back to studying from the newspapers (The Hindu and Indian Express) and strengthening my optional. Answer-writing practice is another crucial aspect for mains exam.
| Bio-data |
| Name—Samir Saurabh
Father’s Name—Shri Pramod Kumar Sinha Mother’s Name—Mrs. Suman Sinha Date of Birth—August 30, 1983 Educational Qualifications— 10th—1998, CBSE, St. Xavier’s, Hazaribag, Jharkhand (87%) 12th—2000, CBSE St. Xavier‘s, Hazaribag, Jharkhand (77%) B.Tech in Computer Science—2003-2007, NIT Tiruchirappalli, CGPA 8·9 out of 10. |
PD—Was there any special effort for effective preparation for ESSAY Paper ?
Shri Samir—I did not devote any separate time for essay preparation, because I believe that a good preparation for GS provides sufficient fodder to write an effective essay on any topic.
I wrote essays on : (a) “Education without values, as useful as it is, seems rather to make a man more clever devil” and (b) “Can capitalism bring inclusive growth ?”
My choice was based on my understanding of the topics, and how much content I had to do justice to these topics.
PD—‘Time Management’ is a key factor. How did you manage things ?
Shri Samir—I used to set weekly and daily targets during my preparation, and tried my best to meet them. Mock answer-writing practice within a time limit also helped me. In the main exam. discipline and practice are key to ensuring effective time management.
PD—How did you prepare yourself for Interview ?
Shri Samir—The outline of interview preparation is the Detailed Application Form (DAF) which is filled before the main exam. It has details such as hobbies, interests, etc. of the candidate. I ensured that I was aware about my home State, home District, hobbies, current affairs, etc. I used the internet extensively for this preparation.
My interview was on 18th March. I faced Mr. Vinay Mittal Sir’s Board. Interview was very cordial and smooth, and went on for about 35-40 minutes. The questions were very diverse, and related to UNESCO World Heritage Sites in India, NPAs of banks, Artificial Intelligence, my job experience, my optional Anthropology, Rise of Islamic State, and problems of the North Eastern states of India etc.
PD—Were you preparing for other career opportunities as well while preparing for your ultimate goal i.e., Career in Civil Services ?
Shri Samir—I was not preparing for any other career opportunities. I had left a lucrative private sector job to prepare for UPSC civil services. Had I failed in my goal, I would have returned to the private sector.
PD—While the changing economic environment offers immense lucrative career opportunities in various sectors, still what kept you motivated towards Civil Services ?
Shri Samir—Private sector indeed offers immensely lucrative career opportunities. My primary motivation towards Civil Services has been the platform it provides to directly impact the lives of a large section of the society.
PD—In your opinion at which Educational Level should one start preparing for Civil Services and what should be the minimum period of time required to prepare for Civil Services Examinations ?
Shri Samir—Ideal time to start thinking about this exam is right after 12th class. I think atleast 10-12 months of serious preparation is needed for Civil Service Exam. One should start preparing atleast 6-8 months before the preliminary exam.
PD—What is your opinion regarding the general view that Science subjects have better chance to score than Humanities ?
| Personal Qualities |
| Favourite Person—My four year old daughter.
Strong Point—Focus and Self-Belief, and Perseverance. Hobbies—Painting, Sketching, Solving English Crosswords. |
Shri Samir—I disagree with this view. All subjects have equal chance to score well in this exam. Choice of subject should not be based on the perceived marking pattern, but on the interest of the candidate.
PD—What is the importance of medium of examination for exams like CSE ?
Shri Samir—The importance of medium is limited. In the mains exam, it is immaterial whether you take the exam in English, Hindi or any other medium. As long as you are able to convey your understanding properly to the examiner, each language medium is at the same level as per UPSC.
PD—Can you recall the exact moment when you realized the importance of Civil Services ?
Shri Samir—I don’t think there was any one specific moment. It was an accumulated realization.
PD—Finally, at what point of time did you make up your mind to make career in ‘Civil Services’ ?
Shri Samir—My career in private sector was very challenging and interesting, a broader job satisfaction was missing. In my job, I had quite limited avenues to directly impact the lives of the public, which was possible only with a job such as IAS and IPS. So, I decided to quit my job and attempt for Civil Services.
PD—Did you keep in mind some time-frame for the examination preparation and number of attempts ?
Shri Samir—No, I did not have any time frame.
PD—Was CSE a planned decision or your parents’ wish ?
Shri Samir—CSE was definitely not my parents’ wish. The decision was a personal one, after very conscious discussion with my wife and some of my close friends.
PD—Does the educational, financial and demographic status of the family of an aspirant have any impact on the preparation?
Shri Samir—The preparation for this exam is largely a candidate-centric aspect. Educational, financial and demographic status of family are only the peripheral aspects; the central aspect to the preparation is the hardwork and determination of the candidate.
PD—In your opinion what role do the Competition Magazines play when you are preparing for an examination like Civil Services ?
Shri Samir—I think Competition Magazines like Pratiyogita Darpan play a complementary role in a candidate’s preparation. While most of the effort done must be self-work through notes from newspapers etc., magazines help a candidate identify the most important areas to focus on, as well as fill up any gap in the notes. Sections such as Toppers’ Interview, etc. are a huge source of inspiration for the candidates.
PD—How do you find Pratiyogita Darpan ?
Shri Samir—Pratiyogita Darpan is an excellent magazine, which has been an expert in the field of Civil Service preparation since decades. I had used the Economy special issue of PD, and found it very close to my expectations.
PD—As a reader of PD, do you read IAS Preparation related articles published in it and did you find these constructive ?
Shri Samir—Yes. I have read the toppers’ interviews and other articles related to IAS preparation and found them very helpful and constructive for aspirants.
PD—What is the secret of your success ?
Shri Samir—I don’t think there is any ‘secret’ of success. As per me, the most important qualities needed for UPSC Civil Service Exam are: Having a strong Self-belief, Dedication, Willingness to work hard and Perseverance. One must know how to learn from failures and improve upon weaknesses through consistent hard work. Time management, Revision and note making are also crucial aspects during preparation for this exam.
PD—To whom would you like to give the credit for your success ?
Shri Samir—Lots of credit go to my parents and teachers. But perhaps the greatest credit goes to my wife, who always stood by me and believed in my abilities.
PD—Any suggestion/advice you would like to give to the future aspirants.
Shri Samir—Each one of you has the ability to crack this exam. All that is needed is self-belief, willingness to work hard, and perseverance. Focus your efforts in the right direction, so that you get maximum returns out of your hard work. Always remain optimistic and refrain from negative thoughts. And most importantly, have a deep understanding of why you want to join Civil Services. This should be your greatest source of motivation all throughout your preparation phase.
PD—Thank you very much and wishing you all the best for your future endeavours.
Shri Samir—Thank you Sir.
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