The Civil Services Forum had the pleasure of interviewing Mr. Kartikeya Jaiswal, Stephanian, AIR 35 UPSC CSE 2021. Read on as he talks about his college life, preparation strategy, and his CSE journey.
A brief introduction about him: Hailing from Khandwa, Madhya Pradesh, Mr. Kartikeya Jaiswal secured AIR 35 in UPSC CSE 2021 in his first attempt. He pursued his bachelor's degree in Mathematics , which was his optional subject as well , from St. Stephen's College and completed his graduation in 2020.
1. Greetings sir! It is a matter of great honor for us to get the opportunity to interact with you. We extend our heartiest congratulations to you for your achievement. Thank you for taking out time for this interview. We'd like to start by knowing more about your background.
When and what motivated you to become a civil servant? What were your service preferences in the DAF?
I have always felt that I have been very fortunate to be able to access resources and opportunities, which helped me realize my potential and pursue my chosen goals. However many amongst us are not as privileged. The public service domain is precisely the one that enables me to use my strengths and energy to improve others' lives. Civil services provided the right platform for me to create an impact in other people's lives by helping them in my own way. It was a gradual process through which I decided to go for the civil services. Observing the socio-economic realities around me and talking to people from different backgrounds, my willingness to go for public service was constantly re-affirmed.
My Service Preferences were - 1) IAS, 2) IPS, 3) IFS .
2. How would you describe your time in college and your overall experience of societies and academics?
College years were some of the best years of my life. The professors, fellow students, and the various activities gave me the right exposure to grow as a person. Societies gave me the opportunities to interact with and learn from others to enrich my personality, while academics were being strengthened by experienced and dedicated professors.
3. In what ways do you think your three years in college helped you in shaping your personality?
College facilitates our interaction with so many people, who are so different from ourselves. This diversifies our ideas and nourishes our thought process. Participation in different society activities broadens our horizons in terms of the extra curriculars. Essentially, every moment of those three years, has been a learning experience for me.
4. What do you feel the present students should do to make the most of their college experience?
Throw off the bowlines and venture into the open seas, of course figuratively :). College is all about moving out of our comfort zone and learning whatever we can, be it within or outside classes.
5. Did you start your preparation during college or after graduating?
I started preparation only after graduation. While in college, my only thought was to make the most of my college life.
6. Given the unpredictability of this examination, did you have any backup plans in mind while you were preparing?
I did not have any backup plans. The exam may be unpredictable, but if one is certain about the honesty of their hard work and the correctness of strategy, one is bound to succeed sooner or later.
7.How did you structure your studies for the exams, be it the preliminary, mains or the interview examination? What did your day look like while you were preparing?
Every stage of the exam has a different demand and one needs to strategize accordingly to crack that stage. At the outset, the preparation is pretty integrated w.r.t. prelims and mains. As the respective stages get nearer, specific efforts for them begin, viz. mock tests for prelims and full length tests for answer writing in mains. The Personality Test requires a candidate's command over their own background and mental awareness of their surroundings.
During preparation, my day used to begin at 5 a.m. I then gave 45 mins. for freshening up and an hour for Yoga and Meditation. Studied the rest of the time, except for the half-hour breaks in the afternoon and at night, for lunch and dinner respectively.
8. Given the large pool of information provided online, how should one scout for the best sources?
Try them all one by one and see which one is the most reliable, understandable and fruitful.
9. How did you manage your time during the preparation, given that one has to cover a vast syllabus in a relatively shorter timeframe? Which books and sources did you consult for the same?
I made up my mind to not waste literally even a single second. This was because I believed that every second wasted is a step toward another attempt. Also, planning small targets and following strict deadlines, as far as possible, keep us ready for the time crunch.
My booklist has been shared on my official telegram channel, the link to which, is:
10. What was your approach towards note making and revision? How was it different for the static and dynamic portions of the syllabus?
For the static part, I made charts on full size drawing sheets, for quick and easy revision, during both prelims and mains. For dynamic stuff, I made topic wise (topics from GS 1, 2, 3 syllabus) short notes on A4 sheets. The dynamic notes were only from daily newspaper and daily current affairs materials, having only that information, which could be directly quoted in a mains’ answer. (I realized that daily notes from prelims perspective would be a nightmare) .
11. Analysis and understanding of current happenings from
multiple angles are crucial for the examination. What method(s) would you suggest to compile current affairs and understand a plethora of news from a holistic perspective?
Already compiled monthly current affairs can be obtained from the current affairs magazine of any reputed coaching institute/platform. One can choose the magazine convenient for them. Understanding of news from a holistic perspective comes only if we absorb different ideas and views on the same piece of news. In this regard, newspaper editorials and the show "Perspective" on Sansad TV can be useful.
12. How far do you think mock tests are helpful to a candidate? How important is coaching for UPSC preparation?
Mock tests are extremely helpful in getting candidates acquainted with the actual exam structure and pattern, at all three stages of the exam. They enable us to assess ourselves vis a vis other aspirants.
Coaching classes are helpful in getting the guidance as to what and what not to study, how to strategize and what to begin with. However, with increasing access to quality material on the internet, many candidates now successfully crack the exam while preparing at their home. Thus it all comes down to what one prefers and taking coaching is one's own call.
13. How can one master the art of answer writing? What would be your advice to the aspirants to enable them to write answers which are impactful and fetch good marks?
Practice, with regular course correction through test series and toppers' copies, is the key to impressive answer writing, in my understanding. Answers can be made impactful by adding data, facts, constitutional articles, landmark SC judgments etc. to them. Rest remains more or less the same for everyone. Flow charts, diagrams, maps etc. can be used for saving time, increasing presentability and getting some brownie points.
14. Every candidate’s interview experience is unique in its own way. What was your experience of the personality test? Any special instance from your interview that you would like to share?
My PT (Personality Test ) was conversation oriented, with cordial board members and mostly opinion based questions. There were quite a few questions to me directed towards my optional and graduation major, i.e. Mathematics. And it was pretty fun for me to answer all of them with relative ease, as I liked the subject and had a comparative edge over the basics from my grad years.
15.What would be your advice for the candidates appearing for the Interview?
Read the section on the traits assessed in a candidate during PT, given in UPSC's own exam notification, VERY CAREFULLY. Prepare accordingly.
16. Many aspirants worry that their DAF is not as diverse and impressive as it should be. What would you like to tell them about this?
Don't focus on making DAF diverse or impressive. Just be honest, especially while filling your hobbies and interests. There is no standard against which one's DAF is or should be compared. PT is a stage for them to know you as a person and that's why- Honesty is the best policy.
17. The examination process is long and tedious. How did you keep yourself motivated and focused throughout? Did you take timeout for your hobbies?
The reason for which one is sitting for this examination is, in my opinion, the single biggest motivation when one's feeling low. If the purpose for appearing in the exam is crystal clear in one's mind, it always keeps the fire in one's belly alive. I love watching films and listening to music, but at the same time, I also know that I'm a person who gets distracted very easily. So, I didn't quite take out any time for my hobbies or hanging out with friends. I always wanted to give all the time I had, for the preparation .
18. How important is social support for a UPSC aspirant? What role did the support of your family and friends play in helping you tide over the difficult phases and lows?
Family and friends form the bedrock of mental support, because of their quick accessibility and endless positivity. My family was the absolute pillar of strength and support for me. Though I had very negligible contact with my friends, they always had soothing words of encouragement for me whenever I did talk to them.
19. What do you think are the must-have qualities for a civil servant? What tips would you give to aspirants?
I'll leave the first question to the Ethics paper :) .I'm myself a nobody to be giving tips to other people, honestly. But I'd just say that this exam requires tenacity, belief in oneself and abundant positivity in all circumstances.
20.What were your sentiments on the days of the examination? How did you maintain your emotional and mental equilibrium under such tense situations
My sentiment was to give my 120%, come what may. I just wanted to give my all, in the examination hall, so that I could contribute my bit to the cause of public service. Mental equilibrium can be maintained only by practice (mock tests) and self control (which I tried to acquire through Yoga and meditation) .
21.If you had to select one issue in today's time to work on as a civil servant, what would you choose to address and why?
Lack of access to quality education. I understand that enhancing access to quality education could be the quickest way to address other issues like poverty, patriarchy, inequality etc.
22. As this interview draws to a close, what would be your final message to those reading your interview?
When in college, enjoy college life as much as you can. But once into the preparation, ready yourself for some real struggle and the steely resolve you'll soon need, to overcome all the challenges that come your way. My best wishes :).
Enlightening guidance! ✨️