My name is Siddharth Jain.I live with my parents and my sister.

My father is a Ch
artered Accountant and my mother is a house wife.In the third year (college) ,I
got the idea of entering into the services as this service gives the opportunity
to live a dynamic,interesting and adventurous life(I hope so J ) along with pro
viding me a platform to serve the society.I find this as the most suitable servi
ce where your actions will have the maximum impact on the society .In short life
will be fun and more meaningful for me and others
Electronic Vs Paper material
Q. In recent times, there is spur in electronic material- blogs, sites, pdfs, RS
S-feeds. Many aspirants feel bogged down by this information overload. So, how m
uch do you rely on electronic material and how much on the paper material (Books
, newspapers)? If possible, narrate a typical day in your studylife. What is you
r style of preparation (e.g. I continue making notes no matter what I m reading, I
just read multiple times but don t maintain notes, I make mindmaps on computer or
xyz style)
Don t get over influenced by others.One will find as many sources to study fro
m as there are aspirants .Just follow some genuine sources and books.This might
be in electronic format or paper format.Yes I followed electronic resources whic
h I will mention in subsequent questions.
Typical day ,started with the newspaper(The hindu and some sections from Ind
ian express).I used to regularly make notes.I made hard copy notes because I was
not comfortable with soft copy notes.However if someone is comfortable with the
latter then do it,as it is much more comfortable to revise and update soft note
s.(One can use Evernote as mentioned by Gaurav aggarwal sir on his blog )
After that ,I usually wrote 2-3 answers from Insights on india.I maintained
a separate copy for these answers.After every answer , I cross checked my points
,from the good answers written on insights.Then, i used to write down the point
s that I did not cover in my answer(Preferrably with a different color pen).Afte
r 10-15 days, I used to revise the answers and analysed which particular dimensi
on I did not cover in my answers (By going through the differently coloured pen
remarks).By doing this our brain starts analyzing in newer dimensions and makes
our answer writing more holistic.
After that , I used to practice maths for 5-6 hours.
During lunch time, I watched rajya sabha or Munal videos.
In the evening ,I used to do physical exercise and meditate.
Dinner time ,we friends used to have food together .We discussed previous ye
ar question papers or analysed on any current affairs topic
Along with this, I used to go through each and every new update of mrunal.or
g .You have an awesome coverage, SERIOUSLY
Tempo and style
Q. People know what books and syllabus points are to be prepared. But most of th
em lack consistency in their preparation. So, how do you keep study momentum goi
ng on? How do you fight against the mood swings and distractions?
Set targets for yourself:Prepare a short and a long term time table and foll
ow it judiciously.If you lack the will,join some test series(the deadlines for t
est series will keep you on track).Giving yourself a target will keep your mind
focused.
Study momentum:If possible join a library or reading room.Having a good ambi
ence to study generally benefits.Select an optional that you love.So that if you
get bored with studies , you can go through it.
Mood Swings :Do some form of mental exercise.I used to meditate(Vipassana me
ditation).One can do some breath exercises or Yoga.
Distractions:Use smart technology in a smart way.Dont get too much swayed a
way by your friends party bash pics on facebook.Just realize that you need to ta
ke care of yourself for 2-3 years and for the rest of life the government of Ind

ia will take care of you ?? .Take somebreak to freshen yourself up regularly.

Other than this one can listen to motivational songs,watch some motivational mov
ies.(Pursuit of happiness , is one such movie).
Struggle of a Senior player
Q1. How did you survive through this mental prison and what re your words of wisdo
m to other senior players? If any specific inspirational incident(s), please sha
re.
Surround yourself with positive people and avoid negativity in life.UPSC can
take a heavy toll on your health both physical and mental.So take care of yours
elf.
To avoid the mental prison of the vicious cycle of UPSC,keep some good backu
p for yourself.I gave other exams this year to have a good fallback career.Havin
g a good backup will give you confidence and it improves your performance
WORD OF ADVICE:Evaluate your mistakes judiciously.Discuss with your friends or t
eachers and just work on them.Follow the strategy of answer writing as done by l
ast year toppers.It really works.
Q2. What went wrong in your previous attempt? What changes did you make in this
current attempt?
I got decent marks in last attempt and could have cleared the exam if it were no
t for essay writing .I was given 68 marks in Essay which ruined my chances of en
tering into the service.
I did not practice essay writing.
Spent a large amount of time writing a flowery introduction.I started with a
story .It ate almost half an hour of my time(just the introduction)
My coverage was not at all holistic.
CHANGES:

Practiced essay writing every weekend.

Joined essay test series under Vikas ranjan sir,chronicles
Wrote the essay ,just like an article from The Hindu.
Introduction was crisp ,simple and straight forward.I defined the topic very
well
Covered many dimensions.
Simple conclusion in which I summarized the essay. Click here to know more a
bout it
Prelims
Topic
History
History
ts
History

(CSAT) General studies

strategy/booklist/comment
Ancient Old NCERTS(Ancient India), A quick glance of New Ncerts
Medieval
OLD NCERT(Medieval India), ), A quick glance of New Ncer
Modern (Freedom Struggle)

Spectrum for history of modern India

12th class old ncert by Bipin Chandra(to cover history between 1757-1857)
Culture and society
Nitin singhania sir s notes,
An introduction to Indian art(Class11 NCERT),
CCRT (selectively,atleast see all the topics and the photos),
Miscellenous areas like Republic day parade(focus on cultural
his from pib)

jhankis ,you can do t

Old Ncert (ancient and medieval history):To cover topics like bhakti movements,a
rchitecture etc
Polity (theory + current)
Laxminkanth,
India year book chapter 2
Economy (theory + current)
Mrunal,Sriram
Science (theory + current)
Rajya sabha tv(science reporter episodes),
Mrunal plus pick any coaching material on general science (That have compilation
of useful points from science NCERTs
Environment (theory + current) Shankar IAS,Mrunal,Economic survey chapter on en
vironment
geography physical
Ncert,Mahesh Kumar Barnwal,Videos on mrunal by Rajtanil
mam
geography India -dogeography world -doother national/international current affairs
Mrunal,Vision Ias,Rajya sabha tv
,Insights
Schemes, Policy & Filler Stuff -DoQ. Any observation / comments / tips about GS prelim 2015 paper?
Google the last year questions to understand or to get a slight hint about the f
ocus areas of the paper setter.This might change from year to year but atleast y
ou will have a good direction.
Prepare your brain in away that you can make intelligent guesses.For this practi
ce many tests.Practice all last year questions.You can use sites like Exam robot
s to practice questions.
Q. Now that Aptitude paper has become qualifying, obvious more attention needs t
o be paid on the GS paper so apart from the books that you already have gone thr
ough, what else would you have tried for CSE-2016 (if you were going to appear)?
Prelims (CSAT) Aptitude
Topic strategy / booklist
Maths Left
Reasoning
Left
comprehension Left
Decision Making Left
Q. Any observation / comments / tips about GS Aptitude 2016 paper.
The paper has just been reduced to a formality .So focus more on paper 1
Prelim accuracy
Q1. Did you attend any mock tests ? do you think they re necessary for success?
Yes, I did.However joining a test series is not essential for this as one can ea
sily buy test papers from the market(Rajendra nagar or mukherjee nagar)
I think mock tests are very essential.It helps developing your intuitive skills,
so that you can make intelligent guesses.Further if you attempt tests,you learn
various points that you might find difficulty in memorizing .(For example if I h
ave a question on the location of a national park in a mock test,there is a good
chance that it gets memorized )
My strategy is to attempt all the 100 questions even if I don t know them.So I use
d to give many tests.For the questions in whcih I was not at all confident , sti
ll I wud try to figure out an answer using the options.
Probability wise one is always at an advantage if we can eliminate even one of t
he option
Q2. Approximate no. of attempted answers vs. correct answers. in CSAT-2015
attempted Q.
correct (Expected)
Official score
GS
100
128
aptitude
100
160
Mains: Compulsory language paper
Compulsory language paper
Your preparation strategy / booklist?
English paper Left
your regional language Brought a book with last year questions and answers(HIND

I).I did not give much time , but don t be very careless with this.Some of my frie
nds were rejected in Hindi last year
Q. other observations / tips / comments on the length / difficulty level of comp
ulsory language papers in CSE-2015
None
Mains: Essay
Q1. How did you prepare for the essay paper?
1:First of all, I discussed what went wrong in my last year essay with some seni
or players and vikas ranjan sir.
2:Building on the advice , I started practicing essays weekly from insight secur
e.
3:I got those essays evaluated by friends(who scored good marks)
4:Joined essay test series at Chronicle under vikas ranjan sir.
*When you enter the exam hall for essay paper,just look at the syllabus of all 4
GS papers and cover all the dimensions.
Q2. Which two essays did you write and What key points did you include in it?
1:Character of an institution is reflected in its leader
2:Dreams that should not let India sleep Click here
General Studies(Mains) paper 1
Topic How did you prepare?
Culture 1:Nitin singhania notes,
2:Selective reading from old ncerts(example stuff on bhakti movement,Sufism etc)
3:Vision IAS test series (apart from giving tests ,I brought answers of all the
tests,even the ones that I did not do and read those answers).
PS:Point 3 will be the same for every topic so I will avoid repeating it
4:An introduction to Indian arts(11th class NCERT)
5:Selective reading from CCRT
Indian history 1:Spectrum
2:Some chapters from Bipin Chandra that have not been covered in spectrum
3:Old ncert by bipin Chandra,class 11(to cover period between 1757-1857)
world history 1:VisionIAS notes
2:Ncert
post-independence India 1:Pradhan mantra series on You tube (just to get a brief
idea about the events)
2:Selected chapters from Bipin Chandra.
Indian society no specific reading
role of women, poverty etc.
-doglobalization on Indian society Prepared effect on globalization on tribals,fami
lies,woman,caste system,youth,old age ,movies,religion,culture etc.(In short thi
nk of the topics that can be asked and prepare the answers)
communalism, regionalism, secularism
no specific reading
world geo physical
NCERT,Videos on mrunal.org,Map practice,Mahesh kumar bar
nwal
resource distribution Mrunal.org,Mahesh kumar barnwal
factors for industrial location Mrunal.org,Mahesh kumar barnwal
earthquake tsunami etc Vision ias
impact on flora-fauna Chill topic
General studies (Mains) paper 2
Topic How Did You Prepare?
Indian Constitution, devolution, dispute redressal etc. Laxminkanth(learn import
ant articles ,DPSP,fundamental duties,Fundamental rights),
Vision IAS notes
comparing Constitution with world
Vision IAS notes,
Relate with current affairs(For example for the news regarding appointment of ju
diciary,the question could have been compare the Indian system with system aroun
d the world for the same)
parliament, state Legislatures Just relate with current affairs

executive-judiciary
-doministries departments -dopressure group, informal asso. Vision Ias,mrunal.org
Representation of people s act Vision Ias
various bodies: Constitutional, statutory..
Chill topic,still you can go thr
ough Vision Ias
NGO, SHG etc
Vision IAS,Mrunal.org
welfare schemes, bodies Made self notes for various schemes(Mrunal.org provided
a page list that one should prepare from India Year Book,i made notes from that)
social sector, health, edu, HRD Mrunal.org,further one should be aware of basic
facts to enrich answer,Example India social sector spending,ratings on various
parameters,etc
governance, transparency, accountability
Vision Ias,Mrunal .org
e-governance
Mrunal.org,VisionIas
role of civil service Vision Ias,Mrunal.org
India & neighbors
Rajya sabha tv (Indias world),The hindu,Mrunal.org
bilateral/global grouping
-doeffect of foreign country policies on Indian interest -doDiaspora
Vision IAS,Rajya sabha tv (Indias world),The hindu
international bodies- structure mandate Relate with current affairs and do those
bodies only
General studies (Mains) Paper 3
Topic How Did You Prepare?
Indian economy, resource mobilization Mrunal.org (however nothing specific in
this,just relate with current affairs)
inclusive growth
Chill topic,still one can go through Vision Ias notes to
learn some key words
Budgeting
Gaurav Aggarwal sirs blog,Vision Ias
major crops, irrigation Major crops (left),Irrigation(Vision Ias),dryland irriga
tion techniques(Some unique techniques mentioned in Mrunal sir s geography videos)
agro produce storage, marketing
Vision Ias,Mrunal
e-technology for famers -dofarm subsidies, MSP
-doPDS, buffer, food security
-dotechnology mission
-doanimal rearing economics
Mrunal.org
food processing Mrunal.org
land reforms
Mrunal.org
Liberalization Chill topic
Infra Mrunal.org
investment models
Mrunal.org
science-tech day to day life
Rajya sabha tv(science reporter),Mrunal.org
Indian achievements in sci-tech -doawareness in IT, space, biotech, nano, IPR
Basics form Shankar IAS material
on science and technology
environmental impact assessment Shankar Ias on environment(There is a chapter on
EIA to know the basics)
Disaster Management
Gaurav aggarwal sir s blog and Vision IAS(for knowledge on
static part)
non state actors, internal security
Vision IAS
internal security
role of media, social networking site
Vision IAS
cyber security Vision IAS
money laundering
Vision IAS
border Management
Vision IAS
organized crime, terrorism
Vision IAS
security agencies- structure mandate
Just do the ones in current affairs
General Studies 4: Ethics, Integrity, aptitude
Topic How Did You Prepare?
ethics and interface, family, society and all the hathodaa topics
Sk mishr

a Sir class
attitude, moral influence etc. -docivil service: integrity, impartiality, tolerance to weak etc -doemotional intelligence, its use in governance -domoral thinkers of India and world
How many thinkers did you prepare?
Benthem,Kant,Rawl s,Mill,Plato,Socrates,Aristotle and then Indian thinkers.However
the questions will never be directly from thinkers.They will always ask to inte
rpret some famous line given by a thinker in the present context.So don t mug up t
he thinkers.Just understand them.
One can watch videos by professor Michael Sanders(Justice)
ethics in pub.ad, accountability, laws, rules etc.
Sk mishra sir class
corporate governance
-doprobity in governance, work culture
-docitizen charter, ethics code, work culture etc. -do-,See citizen charter of some
government organization.Next year the questions of drafting citizen charter mig
ht come
challenges of corruption
-docase studies on above topics
Sk mishra sir notes
Q. Many candidates found Mains-2015 Ethics paper very peculiar and out of the boo
k . What are your observations and tips for future aspirants regarding preparation
of this paper?
Ethics paper is very important . Remember the desire of the paper is to take out
the administrator in you(not the philosopher in you.)
TIPS AND STRATEGY
1:For each and every word mentioned in the syllabus ,prepare at least 200-300 wo
rds.For example on empathy , prepare its meaning,An example in life where you sh
owed empathy,how to inculcate more empathy in public servants etc.
2:Prepare a value list from A to Z and enrich your answers by using these values
3:Mug up the Fundamental rights,DPSP,F.D.,Central civil service conduct rule ,19
64.This will be very essential in introducing case studies.Always give a future
course of action
4:Manage time properly .Start your paper with Section A(just my personal opinion
).
5:For every word mentioned in the syllabus prepare some examples(possible from y
our life and life of an administrator).Some anectodes have been mentioned on Ins
ights.
6:Learn important administrative jargons from the newspaper to be used in case s
tudies.
7:Always give a future course of action in case studies.
Mains answer-writing?
Please tell us how many marks worth attempt did you give? along with comments if
any, in the following cells:
Paper Best attempted Average quality namesake answer Total attempt
GS1
237.5
12.5
250
GS2
212.5 12.5
25
250
GS3
225
12.5
12.5
250
GS4
210
40
250(210 practically,just wrote 40 marks answer i
n 5 minutes)
Opt-P1 220
220
Opt-P2 235
235
Q. What was your approach in the exam (I wrote all, I only focused on the questi
ons where I could answer perfectly, I just not to high quality points to reach t
he word limit etc.) Because the UPSC aspirant Community is divided over what cou
nts as a good paper. Some experts claim you should attempt all- even if it involve
s making up an answer with filler lines, some claim attempt only those questions y
ou know perfectly. Where do you stand on this? [Based on your experience and of

your seniors/buddies]
I think ,one should attempt all.Dont completely make up an answer ,but try to an
swer even unknown questions by guessing from the words used in the question.If t
he question is entirely factual and new,then the candidate can leave it.
Q. How was your experience with the
They give plenty of space.

fixed space

answer sheet?

Q. Did you write answers in bullet points or in paragraphs? Some players (who cl
eared mains and got interview call letter) were claiming that they wrote entire
paper in bullet points, so it doesn t matter .whether examiner is asking examine, com
ment, discuss or xyz .simply write in bullets and points.
It does not matter.I wrote some questions in bullet points ,some in paragraph fo
rm.Chose any format ,which you think can make the life of the examiner simpler.
Q. Did you follow the introduction-body-conclusion format? because some mains-qual
ified candidates claim they simply wrote the points they could recall within the
time, instead of bothering with proper introduction and conclusion.
I tried to follow the introduction body conclusion format.However if time did no
t permit ,I skipped the intro and conclusion part.That said,I fell in ethics(cas
e study),intro body conclusion is important.
Q5. Did you use highlighters / sketchpens in your answers?
Nops
Q6. Did you draw any diagram in any paper? (e.g. in GS1 Geography)
Yes
Q7. If yes, Did you draw diagrams with pencil or pen?
pencil
Q8. Did you use ruler to draw the lines in diagram? Or did you just make it by h
and?
By hand
Q9. You wrote the answer in blue pen or black pen?
Blue pen.
Mains Optional Subject
Q. What s your optional subject and why did you chose it and not something else?
Mathematics
1:Mathematics as an optional is very objective.The marks that you get will never
depend on the perception of the examiner.Infact, if you see the score of variou
s mathematic students you can see very high as well as very low marks.So if one
knows that he/she is well prepared,he will surely excel in the subject.Further m
athematics is such an optional ,that if you go well prepared,it can compensate a
ny of the blunders that you have committed in general studies paper.In short,it
can be very scoring.
2:I am good at mathematics and was confident in scoring above average marks.
3:You will not get bored ,if you have interest in the subject.
4:The syllabus is static(i am referring to the dynamic part in various humanity
optionals like geography).If you have prepared once,your preperation remains the
same,which will benefit you in further attempts.
Q. If
t it?
ainst
Chose

a new player wants to pick this subject, would you advice for it or agains
(e.g. every senior player in Public Administration seems to be advising ag
pub.ad)
mathematics if you are confident in it.

Q. First the essential book/resource list. (Also mention which one is the Base bo
ok for covering the theory? + Whatever comments you ve for a particular book e.g. my
seniors said read xyz book but I found that ABC book was better .
xyz topic not g
iven properly in this book, so prepare from xyz website or book OR and so on.)
I used IMS notes.Candidate can go through Krishna series books or see the bookli

st mentioned in Prakash Rajpurohit Sir s blog.

Q. How much of internet-research / current affairs is necessary for this optiona
l? OR can one simply rely on the books and be done with this subject?
No current affairs
Q. How many months did it take to finish the core optional syllabus?
12
Q. How many days/ weeks before the exam, you started answer writing practice?
I was practicing Mathematics tests since july
Q. Do you maintain self-notes for revision of optional? In which format- electro
nic or paper?
Yes.Paper format
Q. Your observation about the difficultly level of 2015 mains vs previous papers
. And what precautions / rectifications are necessary in the future strategy for
given optional subject?
Paper was slightly difficult and the pattern has changed a bit.Now there are mix
ed questions,so one might not be able to leave a particular topic.Precautions:W
rite steps properly.My marks in mathematics are low because I did not write step
s properly.
Before the interview
Q1. How did you prepare for the interview? for college grad, hobbies, place of o
rigin, current affairs at national and international level?
I prepared my DAF and went through the last year transcripts(a book was publishe
d on the same by Forum Ias)
For current affairs, I did mrunal, newspaper and Vision Ias material.
Watch some interviews, especially of people like Yogendra Yadav ,before giving y
our UPsc interview.Try to answer in a way these people answer in interviews(cal
m,composed and precise)
Q2. Did you attend any mock interviews by coaching classes? How were they simila
r / different than official interview? Do you believe it is necessary to attend
such mock interviews?
I attended mock at Chanakya.It was very good.Though questions were not similar,b
ut the atmosphere was very similar to real interview.
I also attended mock at Samkalp.It was good.
Yes, I believe giving mocks is very important.I would have given many more mocks
if I had more time.
Q3. Where did you stay for the interview? (Hotel / friend s home ) and what books/m
aterial did you bring for the revision before interview ?
At my home(in Faridabad)
Forum Ias book on transcripts plus Vision IAS material for current affairs.There
are books to study about your home state.I bought them but did not read(was ver
y boring)
For mechanical engineering questions,I bought the Made easy IES book for intervi
ew
Q4. Any words of wisdom about Medical checkup?
Do not party a day before. ??
Q5. Describe the formal-dress worn by you in interview.
A blue shirt,tie and suit.
During the interview
Q1. Who was the chairman of you interview board?
Manbir sir
Q2. How long was the interview?
30 minutes
Q3. Why do you want to join civil service? Why don t you continue in your graduati
on field? Social service can be done from private sector too. [Since I don t know
whether they ask you this question or not. But if they had asked- what will be
your reply?]
I always replied in an optimistic way ,that I can use my graduation in civil ser
vices.(And then prepared the answer for the obvious question that will emerge fr

om it.)
Q4. Please narrate your entire interview- what questions did they ask and what d
id you reply and other pleasant or uncomfortable experiences during the intervie
w. (Earlier some toppers only tell me their question but not their answer. I wou
ld appreciate if you give both Question + your original answers)
I have written down the interview scripts of three of the interview I have faced
so far .(IFS 2014,IFS 2015 and Upsc 2015).Click here
Q5. Was your interview on the expected lines of what you had prepared or did the
y ask you totally unexpected questions? Was it a stress interview, did they ask
any uncomfortable questions? If yes, how did you handle it?
Some questions were expected like explain the JAT reservation issue.
No it was not at all a stress interview
Q6. Any side details about technicalities like make sure you bring xyz document o
r do xyz thing, or you ll face problem ?
Cant recall anything.
Q7. Any word of wisdom / observations about medical checkup?
Do not party a day before ??
CSE-2015 Marksheet of Siddharth Jain
Q1. Please attach both prelim and final marksheet
Prelims mark sheetSubject
Marks obtained
Paper 1 128
Paper 2 160
Mains mark sheetSUBJECTS
MARKS
ESSAY (PAPER-I) 142
GENERAL STUDIES -I (PAPER-II) 103
GENERAL STUDIES -II (PAPER-III) 082
GENERAL STUDIES -III (PAPER-IV) 097
GENERAL STUDIES -IV (PAPER-V) 099
OPTIONAL-I (MATHEMATICS) (PAPER-VI)
OPTIONAL-II (MATHEMATICS) (PAPER-VII)
WRITTEN TOTAL 791
PERSONALITY TEST
187
FINAL TOTAL
978

114
154

Q2. After looking at the marksheet, suppose you had to prepare again next time,
what changes will you make in your studies?
Will write all the steps properly in Mathematics exam
Career Backup
Q1. If you were not selected, what was your career backup plan?
I was selected in Indian forest service ,this year.Would have joined it
Q2. When were you going to execute that backup plan? (e.g. after __ failed attempt
s/ after I cross __ age/after dad retires/ after girlfriend dumps(hahahaha) me e
tc.)
After this attempt.
Views on UPSC reforms
What are your views on following issues?
Q. Optional subjects should be removed altogether. The present stalemate is help
ing no-one, except coaching-owners, book publishers.
I will desist from answering this due to conflict of interest.(Mathematics is co
nsidered a highly scoring optional if prepared well)

Q. Your views on the decision to make CSAT paper 33% qualifying?

First of all,I think if the services in UPSC are about management and administra
tion,why should the paper be different from various management exams (Example CA
T).Thus there has to be some focus on CSAT also.
However,it might be a disadvantage for people from rural backgrounds.Thus a perf
ect balance has to be made.
Thus I feel that the direction of change is correct ,however the magnitude of ch
ange is debatable.
Q. Despite what UPSC has done in recent years, it has failed to curb the nuisanc
e of Delhi s coaching factories. In fact it s increased under the new Mains-syllabus
in 2015. Let s face it, most candidates who gave Mains-2015 have relied on (authe
ntic OR Xeroxed) coaching notes because there was hardly any time left to prepar
e so many topics in such short time. This system work against an individual repa
ring from far-away area, without any financial resources, high-speed internet or
contacts in Delhi.
Yes , unfortunately this is true.
Q. Half-merger of IFoS with CSE is a bad move because it has raised the cutoffs
for players who re solely dedicated to IFoS only (and not to IAS/IPS). Adding salt
to the wounds, many who had applied for both jobs, cleared the prelims- they di
d not even bother to appear in all the papers of Mains-IFoS. (atleast that was t
he scene in 2013).
Yes ,it is a disadvantage to the students appearing solely for Ifos.This point c
an be considered.Further ,the concept of extended list should be started in Ifos
Q. UPSC should disclose official prelim answerkey and cutoffs, immediately after
prelim is over, instead of postponing it till interview phase is over.
Yes,this will bring more transperancy.Infact in JEE exam students can take out t
he OMR sheet(not exactly the omr,but the answers that they have marked in a shee
t similar to OMR).Following the same and disclosing the prelims answer keys and
cut off can be a good option.
Q. UPSC should be conducted online like IBPS and CAT exam to shorten the duratio
n of exam.
Yes,if it is feasible both technically and economically.
Q. If you are made the UPSC chairman, what other reforms would you initiate for
the civil service exam?
1:Try to reduce the subjectivity in interview marks (There has been a wonderful
study on this. Link
2:Will explain about the scale down rules.
3:Will show marks of both the essays separately.
Insecurity about profile
Q. Many candidates prepare sincerely but constantly live under fear about profile
insecurity . I m not from a big college, I m not from English medium, and I don t have
work-experience. What if they ask some stressful questions in the interview abou
t this? Did you suffer from such insecurities? What is your message to these can
didates?
Do not bother about all this.Infact the interviewer will be impressed if you are
from a very humble background and because of your hardwork you reach till the i
nterview stage.
Wisdom
Q. Through this struggle and success, what have your learned? What is the wisdom
of life and competition? What is your message to the new aspirants?
1:Chose the correct optional.Do not follow the crowd.
2:Do not chose a graduation subject just because it will help in UPSC.Chose a su
bject which is an end in itself,i.e. which will provide you with good job and ba

ckup.
3:Take care of your physical(Do regular exercise,eat healthy) and mental health(
meditate or do yoga)
4:Have a good command over the medium(language) of the exam i.e. if you chose En
glish you should be good at English language skills
5:Do not give your first attempt just for the sake of clearing prelims.Else you
will waste the time between prelims and mains.
6:Be humble and try to learn as much as possible.Have a curious mind.
WISDOM OF LIFE :Do not take your life very seriously.Enjoy the process.Do not as
sociate yourself with this body and mind.Realize the temporal nature of life.
Q. Many hardworking candidates have failed in Mains/Interview of CSE-2015. They re
feeling cynical, hopeless and depressed- what is your message to them?
Analyse your mistakes and give the next attempt with that understanding.Keep a b
ackup always (for your career).It will give you confidence on the examination da
y.Hard work will never go waste.Dont be depressed by failures in short term,you
never know what surpirises will life bring to you in the longer term
Credit: Friends/family
Q. Behind every topper are many people who stood by during those uncertain times
when he/she was merely an aspirant . Would you like to tell the world, who were th
ose people in your case? Any specific incidence that you would like to share wit
h the readers?
I owe my success to my entire family and my friends.I would like to name a few :
Ishendra ,Navneet ,Avinash ,Omkar ,Aishwarya, Unik, Gaurav, Rahil, Ankit, Shiva
m ,Alok, Dheeraj,Faraz,Piyush,Saichand,Sumit,lokesh,Rahul
BOGUS Marketing Propaganda
Q. You are well aware of the sacred rule of conducting toppers interview- the la
st question must be about self-marketing. So, Did you use Mrunal.org for your pr
eparation and if yes, how did it help you? And you can even reply No . I ll still pu
blish your answer without tempering.
I love your site Mrunal sir.I went through almost all your articles,stuff and vi
deos.The jokes are super cool ;)..The content is exhaustive and you make things
very easy to learn. Keep up the good work.