(Topper's Interview) Rajarshi Raj Varma (UPSC-2013 - Rank-351) - First Attempt, Public Administration, Ranchi, XIM-Bhubaneswar - Mrunal

6/7/2014 [Topper' s Interview] Rajarshi Raj Varma (UPSC-2013 / Rank-351): First Attempt, Public Administration, Ranchi, XIM-Bhubaneswar - Mrunal
http://mrunal.org/2014/06/toppers-interview-rajarshi-raj-varma-upsc-2013-rank-351-first-attempt-public-administration-ranchi-xim.html 1/41
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6 days ago
[Topper's Interview]
Rajarshi Raj Varma
(UPSC-2013 / Rank-351): First Attempt,
Public Administration, Ranchi, XIM-
Bhubaneswar

1. UPSC topper s profi l e
2. Educati on
3. Introducti on
4. El ectroni c Vs Paper materi al
5. Tempo and styl e
SEARCH B4 ASKING!
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RYAN IBRAHIM { He
is giving correct info..ppl
are receiving call letters
thru speed post..they got it
a few days ago. } [ACIO]
Resul t for ACIO 2013
exam decl ared, ...
VRUSHALI { Sorry it is
for lokpal... Ther is 120
constitution amendment
bill regardimg JUDICIARY
APPOINTMENT
COMMISSION refer it in
detail ruchi }
[Current]MayW2/P2:
Pol i ty- Form20, EVM
Total i zer, Pramati
Q Q
@
w
Economy
Current
Arti cl es
Studypl ans
Downl oad
Toppers
Forum
Q
6. Prel i ms (CSAT) General studi es
7. Prel i ms (CSAT) Apti tude
8. Prel i m accuracy
9. Mai ns: Compul sory l anguage paper
10. Mai ns: Essay
11. General Studi es (Mai ns) paper 1
12. General studi es (Mai ns) paper 2
13. General studi es (Mai ns) Paper 3
14. General Studi es 4: Ethi cs, Integri ty,
apti tude
15. GS4 Ethi cs case study answers i n
Mai ns 2013
16. Mai ns answer-wri ti ng?
17. Publ i c Admi ni strati on opti onal subj ect
18. Before the i ntervi ew
19. Duri ng the i ntervi ew
20. UPSC Topper Marksheet
21. Career Backup
22. Vi ews on UPSC reforms
23. Insecuri ty about profi l e
24. Wi sdom
25. Credi t: Fri ends/fami l y
26. BOGUS Marketi ng Propaganda
UPSC topper s prof ile
Name Rajarshi Raj Varma
Rank in CSE-2013 351
Roll No. 154924
Age 25
Judgement, ...
RISHABH { Mrunal sir
there is some technical
problem in opening
Environment articles,
kindly help.... }
[Current]MayW2/P2:
Judgement, ...
RISHABH { Which class?
Geography? }
[Current]MayW2/P2:
Judgement, ...
VRUSHALI { Will tell me
differences between
millitary nd paramillitry
forces }
[Current]MayW2/P2:
Judgement, ...
VRUSHALI { Only read
ncert }
[Current]MayW2/P2:
Judgement, ...
VRUSHALI { Searching
nd selection committe nt
collegium }
[Current]MayW2/P2:
Total attempts in
CSE
1
Optional Subject Public Administration
Medium chosen for
Mains answers
English
Schooling medium English
College medium English
Home town/city Ranchi
Work-experience if
any
1 year experience in a development
consultancy
Details of other
competitive exams,
including
success/failures
CAT, XAT; qualified for Xavier
Institute of Management,
Bhubaneswar (Rural Management)
through XAT in 2009
Details of coaching,
mock tests, postal
material (if used)
1. Sriram IAS for GS
2. Pavan Sir for Pub Admn.
service preference
#1, 2 and 3
IAS, IFS, IPS
state cadre
preference (top3)
Jharkhand, Bihar, Punjab
Education
% in class 10 92.8
% in class 12 87
Schooling
Judgement, ...
VRUSHALI { Hi ruchi ,
ther is collegium consist of
searching committe nd
collegium committe . U go
to previos articles of
mrunal sir around of
march... }
[Current]MayW2/P2:
Judgement, ...
DR SHASHANK
TIWARI { Sir I did not
get...what do u mean by
just 4 evm can be
attached..attached to
what..and if its with
cu,,then paper ballot
usage.???? And... }
[Current]MayW2/P2:
Judgement, ...
MONA { in latest 2013
topper without coaching
??? } [Topper's
Intervi ew] Raj arshi Raj
Varma (UPSC-2013 /...
KIRANMOY BISWAS
{ Mr kaushik sarkar This
discussion is not right for
here but you question is
not wrong. You are right in
questioning the
applicability of Dr... }
(Medium) English
Graduation
course and %
Economics (H); 66.6%
College
Kirorimal College, Delhi University,
2008 batch
Post-
graduation
Xavier Institute of Management,
Bhubaneswar (Rural Management);
2009-11
Any other
professional
courses
NA
Hobbies &
Extra
curricular
Yoga, playing Cricket and Table Tennis
I ntroduction
Q. Tel l us somethi ng about yoursel f, your
fami l y, when and why di d you enter i n thi s
fi el d of competi ti ve exams?
[Topper's Intervi ew] Dr.
Roman Sai ni (CSE-
2013/AIR-18): Fi rst...
SATYENDRA { what is
compulsive litigant? }
[Current]MayW2/P2:
Judgement, ...
RISHAV { "congressi
karyakarta may even break
his expensive sunglasses"
dat was hilarious!! Thanks
Mrunal bhai for writing
articles in such informal
and interesting way!! This
is... }
[Current]MayW2/P2:
Judgement, ...
STRUGGLER { Same
here. No results. From chd.
} [SSC-CGL-2013] Re-
exam on 20th Jul y,
Downl oad al l ...
ALMEIDA { Bhai You
are eligible. Don't panic.
study hard. } [SSC-CGL-
2013] Re-exam on 20th
Jul y, Downl oad al l ...
B { Mrunal, I am searching
for some practice papers
for CSAT but not able to
find proper reviews. Can
you please provide pointer
After having spent my formative years in Patna and
Ranchi, I joined Economics (H) in Kirorimal College
of Delhi University. Thereafter, I took admission in
Rural Management programme of XIM,
Bhubaneswar and worked in the development
sector for a year before leaving the job for full time
CSE preparation in 2012. During the course of my
Rural Management degree and subsequently when I
worked in rural development sector after my MBA, I
travelled extensively in rural areas and realized the
profound impact that administration has on the
lives of the people and thus decided to prepare for
this exam.
Electronic Vs Paper material
Q. In recent ti mes, there i s spur i n el ectroni c
materi al - bl ogs, si tes, pdfs, RSS-feeds. Many
aspi rants feel bogged down by thi s
i nformati on overl oad. So, how much do you
rel y on el ectroni c materi al and how much on
the paper materi al (Books, newspapers)? If
to some good... }
[Current]MayW2/P2:
Judgement, ...
7
Bank i ng Sec t or
09-Jul : IBPS RRB 2014
21-Jul : RBI asst .(only
SPORTS quot a)
11-Jul : Jharkhand Gramin
(Sep13 RRB Score)
11-Jul : Puducherry Gramin
(Sep13 RRB Score)
Comm/ HR/ CA/ MBA
30-Aug: Accountant NIFFT
Ranchi
11-Jul : HR officers,NBBC
I T/ Comput er
30-Aug: IITD Delhi system
admin(3)
25-Jul : programmer
Lucknow Med.Uni.
25-Jul : programmer
Lucknow Med.Uni.
17-Jul : I T jobs NI HFW
15-Jul : System Op.Raebareli
10-Jul : Karnataka PC
operators
08-Jul : Ludhiana PC operator
06-Jul : IT engg. in CRIS (need
GATE2014)
03-Jul : I I T-GNR Soft ware
Engi neer s
23-Jul : MNI T Jaipur
possi bl e narrate a typi cal day i n your studyl i fe.
It has to be an optimal mix of both. For optional,
books and paper material are more important and
for GS, internet has to be used extensively. For GS, I
maintained e-notes under different headings (social
issues, economy, S&T, foreign policy and IR etc)
which I tried to revise before the exam. I could not
make notes for my optional due to lack of time and
relied on 2-3 readings instead.
Tempo and style
Q. Peopl e know what books and syl l abus
poi nts are to be prepared. But most of them
l ack consi stency i n thei r preparati on. So, how
do you keep study momentum goi ng on? How
do you fi ght agai nst the mood swi ngs and
di stracti ons?
Given the long drawn and tedious nature of the
exam, mood swings are inevitable. There would be
days when you wont feel like studying and there
would be days when you would be excited and
energetic. I guess the important thing is to know
oneself and master the art of unwinding. When you
are feeling low, take a break and do something that
you enjoy (I used to watch movies). At the same
time, the break should not be too long. The only way
to ensure consistency is through internal
motivation. Nobody can force you to study if the
heart is not willing.
Prelims (CSAT) General studies
Tech.asst .
15-Jul : ONGC West ern
Tech.asst .
11-Jul : Powergrid Sr.Engg
11-Jul : NBBC Engineers
09-Jul : OI L Drilling Engg.12
03-Jul : I I T-GNR
03-Jul : AFCAT Airforce
01-Jul : WAPCOS Engg.
(GATE2014)
30-Jun: CPRI Engg. Banglore
Pol i c e/ Def enc e/ I nt el .
21-Jul : NDS(I I ) 2014
14-Jul : BSF Para-
Medic,Pharma
14-Jul : BSF Mot or
t ransport
07-Jul : BSF ASI/H.Constables
06-Jul : Doctors in BSF
03-Jul : AFCAT Airforce
Spec i al i s t
BCom/ HR/ MBA
15-Jul : ONGC
account ant s(2)
09-Jul : HR Officers BEL
Medi c al / Al l i ed
18-Jul : Doct ors in HAL
14-Jul : BSF Para-
Medic,Pharma
07-Jul : Haryana Doctors
06-Jul : Doctors in BSF
03-Jul : Doctors in various
central org.
30-Jun: Delhi Doctors
30-Jun: Medical Officer
Chandigarh(10)
Topic strategy/booklist/comment
History Ancient
11
th
NCERT
History Medieval
11
th
NCERT
History Modern
(Freedom Struggle)
12
th
NCERT, Spectrum
Culture society Did not prepare
Polity (theory +
current)
D.D Basu, Sriram notes,
newspapers
Economy (theory +
current)
Sriram notes, newspapers
Science (theory +
current)
NCERT books (6
th
to 10
th
)
Environment (theory
+ current)
Newspapers, Mrunal.org,
googled relevant topics
geography physical
NCERT (6
th
to 12
th
) and internet
geography India
geography world
other
national/international
current affairs
Newspapers, television debates
(Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha tv,
CNN-IBN and NDTV)
Schemes, Policy &
Filler Stuff
Newspapers, TV, internet
Q. Any observati on / comments / ti ps about GS
prel i m 2013 paper?
The key is to focus on fundamentals and reading
30-Jun: AIIMS Jodhpur
L egal
07-Jul : Haryana Attorney
Sc i enc e/ Agr i . Gr ads .
30-Aug: Lab Attendent NIFFT
Ranchi
25-Jul : Himachal
Tech.Assistants
14-Jul : IHBT Himachal
10-Jul : Karnataka lab
assistant
10-Jul : Karnataka Horti.Field
Asst.
10-Jul : Scientist MP
05-Jul : DRDO scientists
05-Jul : SAIL technician
03-Jul : NIFTEM technician
04-Jul : Scientist Tamilnadu
003Jul : Dehradun
Scientist/Asst.
04-Jul : Assistants Tamilnadu
Spec . Ot her s
07-Jul : Haryana Town planner
Mi s c . Des k j obs
30-Aug: clerks NIFFT Ranchi
31-Jul : NGT
Secretary,Steno,Translators
21-Jul : NI T Warangal asst .
10-Jul : NI T Pat na Asst .
15-Jul : NI FT,Gandhinagar
15-Jul : Raebareli Deskjobs
07-Jul : Drivers AMU
03-Jul : I I T Gandhinagar
Deskjobs
L ec t ur e/ Pr of .
07-Jul : AMU
basic books
Prelims (CSAT) Aptitude
Topic strategy / booklist
Maths R.S Aggarwal
Reasoning Same
comprehension TMH manual
Decision Making Just previous year question papers
Q.Any observati on / comments / ti ps about GS
Apti tude 2013 paper.
Emphasis should be on developing speed through
practice
Prelim accuracy
Q1. Di d you attend any mock tests ? do you
thi nk they re necessary for success?
No. I dont think they are necessary. One can
practice on ones own by practicing mock papers.
Q2. Your score i n prel i mi nary exam
GS: 108.66
Aptitude: 169.18
Total: 278
Mains: Compulsory language paper
Compulsory language Your preparation strategy /
02-Jul : Baroda Univ.
War ni ng
DONOT wai t ti l l l ast
date. Onl i ne Form Part1
stops worki ng 2-3 days
b4 deadl i ne.
DONOT forget/mi spl ace
regi strati on/rol l
number/hal l ti cket after
exam i s over.
paper booklist?
English paper
Just previous year question
papers
your regional language Hindi
Q2.other observati ons / ti ps / comments on
the l ength / di ffi cul ty l evel of compul sory
l anguage papers i n CSE-2013
The compulsory papers this year were quite difficult
and lengthy and hence should not be taken lightly.
Mains: Essay
Q1. How di d you prepare for the essay paper?
No specific preparation. GS preparation took care of
Essay. I wanted to write few mock essays but could
not due to paucity of time.
Q2. Whi ch among the fol l owi ng essay di d you
wri te? What key poi nts di d you i ncl ude i n i t?
1. Be the change you want to see in others (Gandhi)
2. Is the Colonial mentality hindering Indias
Success?
3. GDP (Gross Domestic Product) along with GDH
(Gross Domestic Happiness) would be the right
indices for judging the wellbeing of a country
4. Science and technology is the panacea for the
growth and security of the nation.
I wrote on the topic GDP (Gross Domestic Product)
along with GDH (Gross Domestic Happiness) would
be the right indices for judging the wellbeing of a
country. My Key points were as following:
Started with Amartya Sens recent quote: GDP is
not an end in itself but a means to achieve a
higher end
Took a lot of points from the recent debate
between Amartya Sen and Jagdish Bhagwati on
growth v/s redistribution (growth as a
representative of GDP and redistribution
required for equity/happiness not captured by
GDP)
Definition of GDP, use of GDP as a measure of
development and pros and cons of the same
Evolution of alternative indices of development
such as PQLI, HDI, inequality adjusted HDI etc.
The concept of GNH and its components
The way forward (need to balance GDP and
growth related parochial indicators with a more
holistic concept entailing indicators pertaining to
quality of life, equity, justice, environment etc.)
General Studies (Mains) paper 1
Topic How did you prepare?
Culture Did not prepare
Indian history
12
th
NCERT and Spectrum; started
reading Bipin Chandra after the exam;
lots of overlapping between NCERT,
Spectrum and Bipin Chandra
world history
Old NCERT (9
th
and 10
th
); Sriram notes
post-
independence
India
Bipin Chandra s India after
independence
Indian society NCERT sociology books
role of
women,
poverty etc.
Newspapers, internet, TV debates
globalization
on Indian
society
Same
communalism,
regionalism,
secularism
Same
world geo
physical
Sriram notes
resource
distribution
NCERT and Mrunal.org
factors for
industrial
location
Mrunal.org/geography
earthquake
tsunami etc
NCERT book on disaster management
impact on
flora-fauna
Nothing specific
General studies (Mains) paper 2
Topic How Did You Prepare?
Indian Constitution,
devolution, dispute
redressal etc.
D.D Basu; Sriram notes
comparing Constitution
with world
Did not do
parliament, state
Legislatures
D.D Basu
executive-judiciary D.D Basu
ministries departments
2
nd
ARC report
pressure group, informal
asso.
Internet, newspapers
Representation of peoples
act
Just went through those
sections that were in news
various bodies:
Constitutional, statutory..
D.D Basu, internet, Sriram
notes
NGO, SHG etc Internet, newspapers
welfare schemes, bodies
Draft 12
th
plan
social sector, health, edu,
HRD
Draft 12
th
plan
governance, transparency,
accountability
2
nd
ARC reports
e-governance
2
nd
ARC report
role of civil service
2
nd
ARC report
India& neighbors Newspapers
bilateral/global grouping Newspapers
effect of foreign country
policies on Indian interest
Newspapers
diaspora Nothing specific
international bodies-
structure mandate
Internet; websites of
different bodies
General studies (Mains) Paper 3
Indian economy, resource
mobilization
Newspapers, 12
th
plan
inclusive growth
12
th
plan, Economic Survey
budgeting
Union budget and
newspaper reports;
internet
major crops, irrigation NCERT geography
agro produce storage,
marketing
Mrunal.org; newspaper
items related to APMC act
etc.
e-technology for famers Sriram material
farm subsidies, MSP Sriram material
PDS, buffer, food security
Newspapers, Sriram
material
technology mission Internet
animal rearing economics Did not do
food processing Mrunal.org/economy
land reforms Mrunal.org/polity
liberalization
IGNOU material on
economic reforms
infra
12
th
plan
investment models 12
th
plan
science-tech day to day life Nothing specific
Indian achievements in sci-
tech
Newspapers
awareness in IT, space,
biotech, nano, IPR
Sriram material, internet,
newspapers
environmental impact
assessment
Did not do
Disaster Management
NCERT book on disaster
management
non state actors, internal
security
Annual report, Ministry of
Home
internal security role of
media, social networking
site
Newspapers and TV
debates
cyber security Newspapers and internet
money laundering Sriram material
border Management Sriram material
organized crime, terrorism Newspapers and internet
security agencies-
structure mandate
Sriram material
General Studies 4: Ethics, I ntegrity, aptitude
ethics and interface,
family, society and
all the hathodaa
topics
IGNOU material
attitude, moral
influence etc.
Sriram material
civil service:
integrity,
impartiality,
tolerance to weak
etc
2
nd
ARC report
emotional
intelligence, its use
in governance
Sriram material
moral thinkers of
India and world
How many thinkers did you
prepare?I did 4-5 thinkers such as
Buddha, Vivekananda, Gandhi,
Nehru etc.
ethics in pub.ad,
accountability, laws,
rules etc.
2
nd
ARC reports
corporate
governance
Internet
probity in
governance, work
2
nd
ARC report
culture
citizen charter,
ethics code, work
culture etc.
2
nd
ARC report
challenges of
corruption
2
nd
ARC report
case studies on
above topics
I had joined a facebook group and
used to contribute to case studies
posted in the group
Any other comments, word of wisdom after going
through the mains-2013.
Instead of reading too much, rely on your gut feeling
and try to give a balanced answer
GS4 Ethics case study answers in Mains 2013
Q. i n GS4 ethi cs papers, pl ease gi ve a sketchy
overvi ew of your case study answers:
case
your
approach/keypoints
1: RTI: To hide or not to hide
Will upload the
answer-sheet once I
get it through RTI
2: Engineer: Bogus flyover vs
deadline
3: Child Labourers in Sivakasi
4: Nepotism in Job recruitment
5: Leaking information
6: Narrate one incident in your life
when you were faced with such
crisis of conscience and how you
resolved the same.
Mains answer-writing?
Q. How was your experi ence wi th the fi xed
space answer sheet?
I think there is enough space. Given the time
constraint, anyway one wont be able to write more
than that.
Q. Di d you wri te answers i n bul l et poi nts or i n
paragraphs? Some pl ayers (who cl eared mai ns
and got i ntervi ew cal l l etter) were cl ai mi ng that
they wrote enti re paper i n bul l et poi nts, so i t
doesn t matter.whether exami ner i s aski ng
exami ne, comment, di scuss or xyz .si mpl y
wri te i n bul l ets and poi nts.
Mix of para and bullet points depending on the
nature of questions. I believe we should not focus
too much on words like examine, comment etc and
try to write a multi-dimensional answer irrespective
of the word used.
Q. Di d you fol l ow the i ntroducti on-body-
concl usi on format? because some mai ns-
qual i fi ed candi dates cl ai m they si mpl y wrote
the poi nts they coul d recal l wi thi n the ti me,
i nstead of botheri ng wi th proper i ntroducti on
and concl usi on.
Given the word constraint, a proper introduction and
conclusion is not possible. I wrote 1 sentence of
introduction, main body and 1 concluding remark.
Q. In GS papers, Si nce UPSC came wi th those
100 and 200 words questi ons. What was your
approach i n the exam (I wrote al l , I onl y
focused on the questi ons where I coul d answer
perfectl y, I j ust not to hi gh qual i ty poi nts to
reach the word l i mi t etc.)
Although I tried attempting as many questions as
possible, however there were a number of questions
where I did not know anything and therefore did not
want to antagonize the examiner by guessing too
much
Q. How many marks worth questi ons di d you
ski p/coul dn t fi ni sh i n the GS papers?
GS (Mains
paper)
Couldnt finish __ mark.
GS1 70-80 marks (it was a total disaster!)
GS2
30-40 marks (this went good but has been
low scoring for everyone)
GS3 50-60 marks
GS4
Nil (only paper where I could attempt every
thing)
Q5. Di d you use hi ghl i ghters / sketchpens i n
your answers?
No
Q6. Di d you draw any di agram i n any paper?
(e.g. i n GS1 Geography)
No
Q7. If yes, Di d you draw di agrams wi th penci l
or pen?
NA
Q8. Di d you use rul er to draw the l i nes i n
di agram? Or di d you j ust make i t by hand?
NA
Q9. You wrote the answer i n bl ue pen or bl ack
pen?
Blue pen
(Mrunal since readers keep mailing such queries,
therefore Im asking the topper to clear all the air
haha.)
Public Administration optional subject
Q1. Fi rst the essenti al books, resource and
strategy
In Public Admn, I believe we should read as less
books as possible.
Paper 1:
Fadi a and Fadi a (for most topics)
Sharma and Sadana
Prasad and Prasad for thi nkers
Paper 2:
Fadi a and Fadi a
Arora and Goyal
2
nd
ARC reports
Newspapers
Although, I wanted to go through Punchi
Commission reports but could not due to paucity of
time.
Q2. How much of i nternet-research / current
affai rs i s necessary for Publ i c Admi ni strati on?
OR can one si mpl y rel y on the books and be
done wi th thi s subj ect?
For paper 2, current affairs is very important;
internet should be used for topics where enough
material is not available in books
Q3. How many months di d i t take to fi ni sh the
core opti onal syl l abus?
3-4 months
Q4. How many days/ weeks before the exam,
you started answer wri ti ng practi ce?
I practiced answer writing 1 month before the exam
Q5. Do you mai ntai n sel f-notes for revi si on of
opti onal ? In whi ch format- el ectroni c or paper?
I could not make notes for optional due to lack of
time. I relied on 2-3 readings of books and ARC
reports.
Q6. Your observati on about the di ffi cul tl y l evel
of 2013 mai ns vs previ ous papers. And what
precauti ons / recti fi cati ons are necessary i n
the future strategy for gi ven opti onal subj ect?
The paper was quite tricky. It is no longer possible to
predict questions in Pub Admn. I guess one should
be thorough with fundamentals (especially first 3
units of paper 1) and try to answer, using whatever
he/she has read, as per the needs of the question.
Q7.How much di d you ski p OR coul dn t answer
properl y, i n the opti onal paper?
optional
paper
Couldnt finish __ mark. + comments on any
weird questions
Paper I 20 marks
paper II 10-15 marks
Q8. woul d you advi ce any i nterested party (new
pl ayer) to pi ck thi s opti onal ? Nowadays wi nd
seems to be fl owi ng towards soci ol ogy and
pol i ti cal sci ence. Some seni or pl ayers advi ce
new pl ayers not to pi ck Publ i c Admi ni strati on
gi ven the scal i ng and odd questi ons. What s
your take on thi s?
Going by this years results, all optional seem to be
in the same boat. I guess if you are able to score
around 200 marks, you have done well and many
people with Pub Admn have scored around or above
that. I believe there is nothing wrong with Pub Admn
as an optional. I took it in spite of its poor
performance last year. I sincerely believe that if you
are genuinely interested in a subject, every optional
is good.
Bef ore the interview
Q1. How di d you prepare for the i ntervi ew?
Parti cul arl y col l ege graduati on subj ects rel ated
questi ons?
Just went through the basics of graduation subjects
and current affairs related stuff related to Indian
economy.
Q2. Di d you attend any mock i ntervi ews by
coachi ng cl asses? How were they si mi l ar /
di fferent than offi ci al i ntervi ew? Do you
bel i eve i t i s necessary to attend such mock
i ntervi ews?
Yes. I attended 1 interview at Samkalp and 1 at ALS.
While they were quite different from actual
interview, the feedback does help in preparation.
Q3. What di d you wear? Some experts say coat
i s must, some say ti e i s must, and some say
bl ack shoes must. What atti re di d you pi ck up?
I wore a light blue shirt with black paint, blue tie and
black shoes. But there were many people without a
tie. Very few people wore coat. So, I guess if you are
neat and your dress is ironed, coat or tie is not a
must.
Q4. Where di d you stay for the i ntervi ew?
(Hotel / fri end s home ) and what
books/materi al di d you bri ng for the revi si on
before i ntervi ew ?
My sisters home. I just brought few ARC reports and
some notes related to my profile along with my
laptop.
During the interview
Q1. Who was the chai rman of you i ntervi ew
board?
Alka Sirohi
Q2. How l ong was the i ntervi ew?
30-35 minutes
Q3. Why do you want to j oi n ci vi l servi ce? Why
don t you conti nue i n your graduati on fi el d?
Soci al servi ce can be done from pri vate sector
too. [Si nce I don t know whether they ask you
thi s questi on or not. But i f they had asked-
what wi l l be your repl y?]
I was already working in the development sector.
Although they did not ask why I wanted to join civil
services, I did convey (in one of my answers) my
experience of working in the rural areas and my
understanding of ground level issues as the main
reason for making me take this exam.
Q4. Pl ease narrate your enti re i ntervi ew- what
4Top
questi ons di d they ask and what di d you repl y
and other pl easant or uncomfortabl e
experi ences duri ng the i ntervi ew.
Questi ons whi ch I coul d answer:
What is the difference between public sensitivity
and public conscience?
NSEL scam
Reasons for under-development in Orissa and
how to tackle naxalism
Few questions related to biodiversity in Orissa
(Olive Ridley Turtles)
Questions on Yoga
Recent incidents of DMs being kidnapped in
Orissa and Chattisgarh. What do you feel? What
should be done?
Reasons for single party getting a clear majority
for the first time since last 30 years.
Questi on whi ch I coul d not answer:
Can you name a hermit king from ancient
Greece? (since the chairperson interpreted the
meaning of my name as a hermit king)
Issue between Bihar Cricket Association and
BCCI
Few questions on White Tigers (where did they
originate, what will be the colour of the offspring
if a White Tiger and a regular Tiger mate?)
I will try to upload detailed transcript of my
interview in few days.
Q5. Was your i ntervi ew on the expected l i nes
of what you had prepared or di d they ask you
total l y unexpected questi ons? Was i t a stress
i ntervi ew, di d they ask any uncomfortabl e
questi ons? If yes, how di d you handl e i t?
Few unexpected questions were asked but I was
ready for them. If I did not know an answer, I just
said I do not know Sir/Madam. The board was very
cordial.
Q6. Any si de detai l s about techni cal i ti es l i ke
make sure you bri ng xyz document or do xyz
thi ng, or you l l face probl em?
Just carry the original documents along with
photocopy as instructed in the call letter. The people
there will take care of everything.
Q7. Any word of wi sdom / observati ons about
medi cal checkup?
nothing to worry.
UPSC Topper Marksheet
Q. When UPSC upl oads the Marksheets, pl ease
mai l i t to me so I can i ncl ude i t i n your
i ntervi ew arti cl e.
ESSAY (PAPER-I) 135
GENRAL STUDIES -I (PAPER-II) 061
GENRAL STUDIES -II (PAPER-III) 062
GENRAL STUDIES -III (PAPER-IV) 073
GENRAL STUDIES -IV (PAPER-V) 096
OPTIONAL-I (PUBLIC ADMIN.) (PAPER-VI) 095
OPTIONAL-II (PUBLIC ADMIN.) (PAPER-VII) 092
WRITTEN TOTAL 614
PERSONALITY TEST 187
FINAL TOTAL 801
Career Backup
Q1. If you were not sel ected, what was your
career backup pl an?
It was my first attempt. So, had I not qualified, I
would have joined my previous job and would have
continued with the preparation.
Views on UPSC ref orms
What are your vi ews on fol l owi ng i ssues?
Q. Opti onal subj ects shoul d be removed
al together. The present stal emate i s hel pi ng
no-one, except coachi ng-owners, book
publ i shers and the candi date whose opti onal
subj ect gets favorabl e treatment under gi ven
year s scal i ng formul a.
Yes I sincerely believe that optional should be
scrapped to ensure a level playing field for
everyone.
Q. Despi te what UPSC has done i n recent
years, i t has fai l ed to curb the nui sance of
Del hi s coachi ng factori es. In fact i t s i ncreased
under the new syl l abus i n 2013. Let s face i t,
most toppers who gave Mai ns-2013 have rel i ed
on (authenti c OR Xeroxed) coachi ng notes
because there was hardl y any ti me l eft to
prepare so many topi cs i n such short ti me.
Thi s system work agai nst an i ndi vi dual
prepari ng from far-away area, wi thout any
fi nanci al resources or contacts i n Del hi .
Yes. I do agree. Having said this, today, there is no
dearth of information. Books and notes can be
bought and strategy etc. is available on the internet
(assuming you have access to internet). Websites
like mrunal, blogs of toppers and forums such as
iasforum.com are really helpful for those who
cannot go to Delhi.
Q. Hal f-merger of IFoS wi th CSE i s a bad move
because i t has rai sed the cutoffs for pl ayers
who re sol el y dedi cated to IFoS onl y (and not
to IAS/IPS).Addi ng sal t to the wounds, many
who had appl i ed for both j obs, cl eared the
prel i ms- they di d not even bother to appear i n
al l the papers of Mai ns-IFoS. (RTI reveal ed
thi s).
Yes. This is true. I think UPSC should de-merge the
two.
Q. UPSC shoul d di scl ose offi ci al prel i m answer
key and cutoffs, i mmedi atel y after prel i m i s
over, i nstead of postponi ng i t ti l l i ntervi ew
phase i s over.
Yes, I agree. It will bring more certainty.
Q. UPSC shoul d be conducted onl i ne l i ke IBPS
and CAT exam to shorten the durati on of exam.
I guess this eventually would be done. However,
logistics need to be worked out given the scale of
the exam.
Q. If you are made the UPSC chai rman, what
other reforms woul d you i ni ti ate for the ci vi l
servi ce exam?
Shortening the entire process of the exam (say
within 6 months-from prelims to final results)
Allocation of service should be done during or
after the training (on the basis of merit list only
but after proper counseling regarding the skill
sets required for various services)
I nsecurity about prof ile
Q. Many candi dates prepare si ncerel y but
constantl y l i ve under fear about profi l e
i nsecuri ty . I m not from a bi g col l ege, I m not
from Engl i sh medi um, and I don t have work-
experi ence. What i f they ask some stressful
questi ons i n the i ntervi ew about thi s? What i s
your message to these candi dates?
I had a decent profile. So, I was not worried about
that.
I believe, in the interview, your profile does not
matter. Its how you perform there that determines
everything. On the contrary, if you have a humble
profile and you perform well, the board members
might get more impressed.
Wisdom
Q. Through thi s struggl e and success, what
have your l earned? What i s the wi sdom of l i fe
and competi ti on? What i s Your message to the
new aspi rants?
My only message is that candidates should use this
preparation phase as a learning experience. Do not
think too much about the results. If you are sincere,
results will come automatically. Even in the worst
case, in case you do not qualify (god forbid), your
knowledge base gets so enhanced that you will do
well in whichever field you work.
Q. Many hardworki ng candi dates have fai l ed i n
Mai ns/Intervi ew of CSE-2013. They re feel i ng
dej ected- what i s your message to them?
This exam is really a gamble. Just take few days off,
introspect what went wrong and start your
preparation with full vigour again. Just think that you
have got the opportunity to study for some more
months, learn and further expand your knowledge
base. Even, I could not get the rank I wanted and
would take the exam again.
Credit: Friends/f amily
Q. Behi nd every topper are many peopl e who
stood by duri ng those uncertai n ti mes when
he/she was merel y an aspi rant . Woul d you
l i ke to tel l the worl d, who were those peopl e i n
your case? Any speci fi c i nci dence that you
woul d l i ke to share wi th the readers?
My parents were really supportive after I left my job
to prepare for this unpredictable exam. I would also
like to thank my friends and the almighty.
BOGUS Marketing Propaganda
Q. You are wel l aware of the sacred rul e the
l ast questi on must be about sel f-marketi ng. So,
Di d you use Mrunal .org for your preparati on
and i f yes, how di d i t hel p you? And you can
even repl y No. I l l sti l l publ i sh your answer
wi thout temperi ng, unl i ke those competi ti ve
magazi nes.
Yes, I did use mrunal.org for my preparation. It was
really helpful especially on issues related to
economy and environment. I hope you keep up the
good work and help umpteen number of candidates
in unraveling this mother of all exams. Let me know
if I could be of any help.
Mrunal comments: Thank you Rajarshi for sharing
your journey and experience with us. Best wishes
for the service allotment. Keep in touch.
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[Topper's Intervi ew] VP Gautham
(UPSC-2013/Rank-138): Fi rst attempt,
309 i n prel i ms, Geography opti onal ,
IFOS Rank-3, Tami l nadu,
[Topper's Intervi ew] Praveen
Chaudhary (UPSC-2013 /Rank 222) Fi rst
QSubscribe by Email || / _ Print || PDF This
Post (Need Chrome Browser)
Tags: Optional-Public Administration Topper-CSE-2013
44
Attempt, IIT Madras, Publ i c
Admi ni strati on, Di dwana
[Topper's Intervi ew] Sakshi Sawhney
(IAS-2013/ Rank-6): BA LLB, Second
among gi rl toppers, Law opti onal
[Topper's Intervi ew] Neha Jai n (IAS-
2013/Rank-12): 4 years i n IT sector, 400
marks i n GS Mai ns, Fi rst Attempt,
Soci ol ogy opti onal , Kanpur
[Topper's Intervi ew] Akash (CSE-
2013/AIR-63) Fi rst Attempt, 297 i n
prel i ms, IFoS ranker, maths opti onal ,
IIT Madras from Keral a
Yash
29/06/2014 at 18:49
Reply
Congrats.!!!!
Aman
29/06/2014 at 18:58
Reply
bhaiya yaha to bina coaching ke koi nahi hai.seems like
coaching is inevitable
Akash Chavhan
29/06/2014 at 19:25
Reply
Respected Sir,
Congrats on your Achievement Would u plz mention the
FACEBOOK group that u used for preparing case studies
on GS-4 Ethics
Rajiv
30/06/2014 at 17:00
Reply
@ Akash.. Are you preparing for Maharashtra PSC
along with UPSC ??
Anand
29/06/2014 at 20:02
Reply
I wish to know what u did for answer writing and which
news papers u followed?
Thanks
gajakesari
29/06/2014 at 21:12
Reply
congrats raj..!!
vikram
29/06/2014 at 21:16
Reply
Congrats on ur success !! will u please guide me how to
write ans. in public admin. What books shd i read now to
fetch gud marks in 2014 mains ?? will u suggest me any
test series ??
suhaib
29/06/2014 at 21:31
Reply
Hmm nice.keep it up.sir where to start my prepration
for ias exams as an early bird??
BHARAT
29/06/2014 at 22:04
Reply
CONGRATS SIRJI
sanu
29/06/2014 at 23:09
Reply
first time hearing no one self preparing successful
candidate ..is self preparing era gone ???
Vaibhav
29/06/2014 at 23:11
Reply
Congrats Sir ! Being a 12th pass student what steps should
be taken by me to crack the CSE in very First attempt, just
like you. Please help me sir ..
Apoorv Anand
30/06/2014 at 21:03
Reply
1. Try to decide your optional at this very stage and
if it is also linked with GS paper (subjects like
Geography, History, Polity especially) would
provide you dual benefits.
2. If you prefer such subject for graduation, it will
automatically help you out both in Pre+Mains.
3. Since, it is an early stage, try to focus on good
writing. Keep writing articles about current issues.
From 2nd year onwards start preparing for GS
section wise. And keep yourself up to date about
any change in examination Pattern.
4. Decide your study materials consciously and
avoid following 8-10 books for single topic. Rather
follow any 2 good books+Internet if possible.
5. Dont get stressed. Enjoy your years of
preparation. Do not take it as WAR.. take ample
rest, recreation and then stay focused.
Udit Rawat
30/06/2014 at 21:27
Reply
I agree
Vaibhav
01/07/2014 at 07:35
Reply
This will surely help me !!
kingbruce
29/06/2014 at 23:22
Sir,
Request you to kindly ask the topper to also specify which
NCERTs they studied, weather old/new.
That would remove a major ambiguity.
As in my case I live in Delhi but still bought new NCERTS (i
Reply
am blind could not even read the writing on the wall) for
geo and started with them. But later when i checked out
the old ones I discovered what I was missing.
It was heart breaking to find my prep start on wrong foot.
ashlay
30/06/2014 at 06:22
Reply
Agreed!! Same happens in my case. Still struggling
for proper guidance. NEW OR OLD. plz mrunal sir,
help me out.
Mrunal
30/06/2014 at 17:14
Reply
kingbruce,
old NCERTs are not useful beyond history and
geography. and there too, alternatives available:
for history: refer to Tamilnadu class11, 12 history
uploaded under Mrunal.org/download and for
world history Mrunal.org/history
for geography truckload of alternatives available in
market.
#
pupa
30/06/2014 at 17:38
Reply
sabke hausale buland ho gaye hai including
MRUNAL .MRUNAL is probably trying civil
services this tym32 kar diya age uska
bhi asar hai..if im not wrong mrunal got
20 in essay of upsc ias..
kingbruce
01/07/2014 at 13:43
Reply
Sir,
I have bought new NCERTs, all four of 11th
and 12th. Done one reading of Fundas of
Phy. Geo and India Physical environment
both. Should I proceed with making notes
of the said two books or switch over to Old
NCERTs?
Thank you sir.
kingbruce
01/07/2014 at 13:45
Reply
By all four I meant of geography.
NR
29/06/2014 at 23:51
Reply
Dear Mrunal,
So far no Topper in this series of interviews has Political
Sc. & IR as his/her optional. I request you to please share
with aspirants a comprehensive strategy for this optional.
Thanks.
Ronnie
30/06/2014 at 17:59
Reply
same request
mnu!!
29/06/2014 at 23:59
Reply
i hve one query sir and dear aspirants. does the
interviewer knws written marks of mains when they
conduct interview? and why i am seeing all rank holders
having more than 80 percntge marks in 10th and 12th. is
nt there any average student frm stateboards having 70 or
60 pertange who got slectd?
Apoorv Anand
30/06/2014 at 20:45
Reply
No the interviewer isnt aware of anything about
your mains marks. And for your concernYou can
take 60% of state board (specially Bihar &
Jharkhand, i dont know about any other state) well
about 80% in CBSE.
mnu!!
30/06/2014 at 23:40
Reply
thnks aporva
Sachin
30/06/2014 at 00:20
Sir are u in future planning to post articles on upsc mains
2013 analysis of other topics(post ind,world history,ind
society,gs 2 & gs 3)
Reply
vishal kumar
30/06/2014 at 06:38
Reply
thnax sir and congrtas raj sir:)
Rishabh
30/06/2014 at 08:55
Reply
Anybody from Hindi medium.
vijendra
30/06/2014 at 09:30
Reply
Hindi medium walo ki to bhai is baar upsc
baat lga di..saare angrej select hue h
kumar mahesh
30/06/2014 at 15:44
Reply
!
| upsc 4 ?
IAS aspirant
30/06/2014 at 16:33
It is not fault of UPSC..
from past 2 years all private
sector people are shifting
towards govt sector jobs.
now why english medium
selections are high??? most
of the private sector job
holders are enginnering +
mba
wit good command over
english. further more there
is truckload of materials
available in english medium.
i dont think UPSC can do
something regarding that
except of keeping some sort
of reservation for hindi
medium :(
Ravi
05/07/2014 at 10:47
http://aajtak.intoday.in/story/i-
wanted-to-be-ias-and-this-
was-my-goal-vandana-1-
732132.html
mona
30/06/2014 at 07:49
Reply
mrunal sir ,plz provide those topper who did not take
coaching
Apoorv Anand
30/06/2014 at 20:54
Previous Batch Vandana secured 8th rank by only
self-study and it was her first attempt. And that too
in Hindi medium.
This is how Haryana girl Vandana Chauhan got
through IAS!
Ambala: A resident of Nasrullagarh in Haryana,
Vandana Chauhan, amazed everyone by her
exceptional performance at the civil services
examination 2012. She secured 8th rank in the
exam and top rank among the students with Hindi
medium.
Vandana was born on April 4, 1989 in a family that
does not have a history of getting their girls
educated. But Vandana made an exception by
continuously pushing her father to send her out
for studies. She was then sent to Gurukul in
Bhiwani. Daughter of Mithilesh and MS Chauhan,
Vandana has done graduation in Sanskrit
(Honours) from Kanya Gurukul and LL.B. from BR
Ambedkar University, Agra.
Vandana had always dreamt of becoming an IAS.
She did her initial studies in the village but insisted
on sending her out of the village for better
education.
Vandana used to stay in her room only and used to
study 20 hours in a day. The mantra that worked
for her success was dedication and focus. She did
Reply
her all her studies without any coaching.
It is extraordinary to find a Hindi medium
candidate with single-digit rank.
mona
05/07/2014 at 07:12
Reply
in latest 2013 topper without coaching ???
Ravi
05/07/2014 at 10:45
Reply
http://aajtak.intoday.in/story/i-wanted-to-be-ias-
and-this-was-my-goal-vandana-1-732132.html
Priyesh
30/06/2014 at 12:35
Reply
can anyone post a link for older ncerts?
Praveen
30/06/2014 at 20:19
Reply
mrunal can you please get the interview of political science
and IR candidate making it to the top?
Sahil
30/06/2014 at 22:08
Reply
Coaching is important ya not..
bony
30/06/2014 at 22:36
Reply
i will complete graduation in 2016 , what are initial steps ,
how can i start gs , i already read the hindu etc
sunita
02/07/2014 at 15:01
Reply
THNKS mrunal these interviews really inspire us keep
the gud work buddy.ur awsum
Nikhil Akhouri
03/07/2014 at 20:45
Reply
Congrats Partner.
Sunil Gandewar
03/07/2014 at 23:48
Reply
Congrats Rishi Sir. Wish You very best luck.
PUNEET RAI
04/07/2014 at 13:06
Reply
Congrats Bhaiya !!!!!!!!!!
!
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Your message? ?
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(Topper's Interview) Rajarshi Raj Varma (UPSC-2013 - Rank-351) - First Attempt, Public Administration, Ranchi, XIM-Bhubaneswar - Mrunal

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