IAS 2009 TOPPER INTERVIEW
- Pankaj Dwivedi (129TH Rank)
Q. What are you doing currently?
A. I have secured Rank 129, in CSE-2009. Presently I am appearing for CSE main-2010 to improve to rank.
Q. When did you decide to appear for this coveted IAS examination?
A. 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.
Q. Did you have any previous job experience?
A. 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.
Q. Whom do you give the credit for your success?
A. First and foremost my beloved Lord. Moreover, the constant support of my mother, father, family members and friends was an important force behind my success.
Q. How did you prepare for the examination?
A. 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.
Q. What were your optionals?
A. Public Administration and Anthropology.
Q. People say, G.S. is the toughest and highly dynamic component of the examination. How did you manage it so successfully?
A. That’s 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 focused upon my weaker areas. The constant support of C.B.P. Srivastava sir and the classroom study programme of ‘DISCOVERY’ made things easier.
Q. What books did you study?
A. Few conventional books, NCERT text books, study material of Discovery, Chronical and Yojana.
Q. Every one is confused about the coaching process. There are hundreds of institutes. How did you choose?
A. That’s true, it’s always a difficult one. I looked for a place where there was a sound classroom teaching programme, least requirement for conventional book reading and a direct frequent interaction with the teacher. I found all these features at DISCOVERY.
Q. What is the contribution of a coaching institute for your success in this examination?
A. This examination is unique by virtue of many facts viz time constraint, need for wider coverage, clarity of thoughts, inter alia. Coaching may prove helpful in time management and clarity of concepts. However, complete dependence on coaching is not advisable for one has to put all one’s sincere efforts and make his own way.
Q. Can you share with us the hurdles that came your way during the preparation and how you encountered them?
A. 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.
Q. What should be the strategy of preparation?
A. 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 (Chronicle and Yojana).
Q. Tell us something about your Interview.
A. It was Mr. Purshottam Agarwal’s board. It went for some 2o minutes. I was explored on areas like anthropological significance of mumy, 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.
Q. Suggestions for interview.
A. 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.
Q. Your suggestions for future aspirants.
A. 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.
Q. With CSAT around, what will be your suggestion to the candidates with regards to strategy to tackle the examination?
A. 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.
Curriculum Vitae:
Name : Pankaj Dwivedi
Father’s name : Sri K.N. Dwivedi
Mother’s name : Mrs. Laxmi Dwivedi
Date of Birth : 06 – 12 – 1980
Optionals : P.ADM and Anthropology.
Medium : English
Prev. Work Experience : A. Development Officer, LIC.
Extra Curricular Activities : NCC ‘C’ Certificate with ‘A’ Grade
Achievements : M.Sc (Gold), UGC Net (Anthropology), Published Many Papers in Journals of National and International repute, Gold Medals in National Camp RDC of NCC in 2000, Received Education in Human Values through Sri Sathya BAL Vikas Classes.
Hobby : Listening Music, Singing, Playing, Key Instruments (Sangeet Prabhakar in Hindustani Vocal)
Courtesy: Civil Services Chronicle
******************************
IAS 2009 TOPPER INTERVIEW
- Pankaj Dwivedi (129TH Rank)
Q. What are you doing currently?
A.
(more content follows the advertisement below) A D V E R T I S E M E N T
|