iNSPIRED
NITIN NEGI AND TSETEN
NORDON CARGYAL, TWO OF THREE FROM SIKKIM WHO
CRACKED THE UPSC EXAM THIS YEAR, ON THEIR SUCCESS
 |
| Nitin Negi |
Three young Sikkimese cracked the Union Public Service
Commission exams this year. Nitin Negi, Tseten Nordon Cargyal and Tenzing Loden
Lepcha have made it past the all India selection process which had around 4.5
lakh applicants this year. The three Sikkimese have found place in the 910 who
were finally selected and are now waiting for their service and cadre
allocation, which will take place in July.
 |
| Tseten Nordon Cargyal |
There are three stages in the examination, starting with the
Prelims or Preliminary Examination. Candidates who make it through the Prelims
then sit for the Main Examination (Written) who are then further shortlisted
for the Personality Test or Interview which is the final test of the
candidate’s mettle. After successfully clearing the examination the candidates
are then allotted cadres based on their ranking in the merit list. The high
rankers are allotted the Indian Administrative Service [IAS], Indian Foreign
Service [IFS] or the Indian Police Service [IPS]. Others get into Group A or
Group B services which include the Indian Revenue Service [IRS], Indian Audit
and Accounts Service, and so on, based on their rankings.
A chosen candidate is sent for training. After training he
or she is sent as a probationary officer serving under the district magistrate
or in government schools, secretariats, and other postings which involve on the
field experience. The positional hierarchy is as follows: Under Secretary; Director;
Joint Secretary; Additional Secretary; Secretary; Cabinet Secretary.
In the districts the highest position belongs to the
district magistrate and the deputy commissioner is in charge at the divisional
stratum. Based on seniority, an officer may be chosen to represent the country
at international bodies like the WHO, UNHCR, etc.
As the three from Sikkim who got through the all India civil
services exams this year await allocation of their respective cadres, NOW!, got
in touch with two of them to know what the whole experience has been like and
to get some words of encouragement and advice for others from the state interested
in a career in civil services.
How does it feel to
have cracked the UPSC exams?
NITIN: Cracking
the UPSC civil services exams feels really good! Last year I had reached the
interview stage but could not make it to the final list and it did feel bad when
I missed out then. It took quite a lot of effort, patience and luck to achieve
it. Though my ranking is not so good to get into an All-India Service, I would
like to try on improving my rank by reappearing.
TSETEN: It is a
gamut of emotions...happy, relieved, vindicated but above all BLESSED!
How did you prepare
for it? Coaching classes, number of study hours, the choice of subjects and so
on...
NITIN: I took
coaching for optionals i.e. Public Administration and Geography in Delhi.
General Studies I prepared on my own.
The subjects I chose were basically because of my interest in those
subjects. A few months ahead of the examinations I would put in at least 6-8
hours of studies which increased gradually with exams nearing.
TSETEN: I
attended coaching for my optional subject, Psychology, as it is quite a
technical subject and I had no background in it. Public administration is
a very general subject which can be mastered by going through standard books
and being aware of what is going on in the country in terms of administration.
I did not have any fixed number of study hours but I would
just like to dispel the notion that this exam needs 15 hours of study
everyday!! That’s impossible and a highly exaggerated figure... more than
quantity its the quality that matters.
I worked with weekly targets rather than the number of study
hours.
What were the most
difficult times for you during the preparation and the exam? How did you deal
with them?
NITIN: At times
it was really hard to keep the motivation going, to put in the effort and hours
for the exam. However, family, friends and well-wishers were always around
encouraging. Also the civil services exam demands lots of patience and
perseverance which I developed over the years with my trials with earlier attempts.
TSETEN: The
nature of the exam is such that it takes a whole year... starting from prelims
in May, mains in October and the interview in April next year. Firstly, it was
a constant struggle to keep ourselves motivated and not get distracted. It IS a
general tendency to slack after one stage and begin studies seriously for the
next stage.
Secondly, the doubt of making it or not? Having a close knit
circle of friends preparing for the same exam and supportive family members
helped me stay on track.
What made you take on
UPSC exams considering it is almost seen as ‘impossible’ by most here in
Sikkim? What was your motivation?
NITIN: Over the
past couple of years we have consistently had people from Sikkim cracking the
exams which has been a very encouraging sign. While, not having many from
Sikkim should be a challenge not only for me but for every aspirant from Sikkim
to prove that it is possible to compete and excel at this level for people from
Sikkim too and be a part of the civil services, however the disadvantage of it
is we have none or very few to seek for guidance when we are starting with the
preparations.
My strongest influence and inspiration has been my father,
who recently retired from the Indian Police Service. And my late mother was
always a source of constant motivation, she was in the state government
service. Their struggles and achievements have always been inspiring. At the
same time, civil services provides one of the best platforms to serve the
people and the country.
We in Sikkim have also been really fortunate to have had
some such civil servants serving and leading with example, their contribution
and dedication in serving the people and the state have been inspiring.
TSETEN: I was
influenced by my father, who is in the Indian Information Service, an allied
service under the civil services. The nature of the job wherein life changing
policies are made, the social prestige and the challenges the service provides
in changing lives of many people, particularly the poor and downtrodden....motivated
me. I was optimistic that it was not impossible to crack the exam, given the
determination and hard work.
What was the reaction
of friends, family, even acquaintances when they first came to know that you
plan to sit for these exams?
NITIN: I have
always had encouraging and positive reactions from family and friends. In fact
my parents were greatly determined to see me achieve my goal of joining the
civil services. It is really necessary to have positive vibes around you when
you are appearing for such an examination which demands a lot of effort and
patience.
TSETEN: My family
and friends were supportive and encouraging.
Having been through
it all, what advice or suggestions do you have for those in Sikkim who aspire
or are preparing for the civil services?
NITIN: My advice
to aspirants from Sikkim would be to be very sincere with their efforts, remain
focussed and to be patient. I would also like to suggest future aspirants that
having a back up plan as far as jobs or studies are concerned when they plan to
sit for the UPSC Civil Services examination is desirable, though I myself had
no such back-up plan when I began with my preparations. However for the past
one year I had been working on other options too along with the civil services
exams, with me getting through some banking exams like the IBPS exam and State
Bank of Patiala PO and also having secured a seat for MBA in Rural Management
in the Institute for Rural Management Anand (IRMA). So I had a few other
options in case I would not have got through this year.
TSETEN: My advice
to the aspirants would be....believe in yourself, don’t give up because when you
give up you never know how close you were to success. If you are determined
then nothing is impossible!
Finally, what is life
like post the exams?
NITIN: Having my
name on the final list of selected candidates was a dream come true! It is a
really happy, proud and satisfying feeling. As I have already mentioned my rank
is not good enough to get me into an All-India Service so I would like to try
getting into it by reappearing and improving my rankings however as of now I am
looking forward to joining the service which I would be allotted. I would like
to thank all my family, friends, teachers and well-wishers for their support,
encouragement and 'positive vibes'. I would like to specially thank Mr. AK
Chand (IPS) Sir for his guidance in my preparation during the past one year.
TSETEN: I had
always imagined this moment to be grand and out of the world but frankly, not
much has changed. Other than the fact that I now have a very good job... life
is still the same!
Tseten suggests...
GENERAL STUDIES
1. Magazines like Chronicle,
Yojna, Science Reporter
2. History NCERT books,
class 11 and 12
3. WIZARD geography
4. Laxmikanth’s Indian Polity
5. Wikipedia
6. Newspapers like The Hindu
and Indian Express
PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION
1. New Horizons by Mohit
Bhattacharya
2. Public Administration by
Fadia and Fadia
3. Indian Administration
by Fadia and Fadia
4. 2nd ARC Reports
of Veerappa Moily Committee
5. M.M. Punchi Commission Reports
on Centre State Relations
6. IIPA journals
PSYCHOLOGY
1. Robert Baron’s Book on
Psychology
2. NCERT Class 11 and 12
3. Any reliable coaching
notes
3. Wikipedia
Congrats to both of them. I'm appearing for IAS Exam and being enrolled in http://www.wiziq.com/courses/upsc-ias-civil-services-preparation was looking for such informative post. Thanks for the post. It clear my doubt regarding ias exam.
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