How did she get 3rd Rank in the 2nd attempt?
This is Gamini Singla and I have secured rank 3 in the civil services examination 2021. So, my journey if I start I think it starts in the middle of 2018.
How did she get 3rd Rank in the 2nd attempt?
This is Gamini Singla and I have secured rank 3 in the civil services examination 2021. So, my journey if I start I think it starts in the middle of 2018. So, when I did my internship with MNC I realized that my calling is something different. It has to be something related to social service and civil services as it gives you so much diversity to work in multiple areas. Hence, I felt that that was something I would love to continue and during the last year of my college I started with my preparation and mostly I covered the basic things specifically the NCERTs. And apart from that the basic books like Laxmikant. After that I took classes for just guidance and to get an idea and to make my concepts clear. I used to make the notes and I think that helped me to build a good base but I knew that from the examination point of view I will have to do a bit more indeed a lot more so I went to my home in 2020 and since then I relied on self-study a lot and I believed that self-study is essential because it will help you to analyze your own strengths and weaknesses and stimulate the topics very good. So, I started preparing at home and covered the basic books. I mostly relied on books like the Laxmikant, BRD books spectrum, and Shankar IAS for the environment. All the basic books that are being told by every topper so I also tended to follow the same. For sociology, I had my notes prepared from the classrooms but after that, I built upon them a lot through the basic books like Haralambos and B K Nagla book is there and we have the rural sociology book and I think these books are very essential to build a good sociological understanding and it makes your concept clear and gives you a good sociological perspective to write an answer in that format. So, I prepared that and I did a lot of mock tests sitting at my home and tried to have an environment that is going to be similar to the examination hall. So, writing a lot many test papers during the mains also and the interview was I think the interview is a test of the holistic personality so whatever you have learned till now during the previous two stages is going to be very helpful there and gave a few mock interviews so that the actual panel does not see merely into me. I get comfortable with the entire process of the interview. So that was briefly my journey and in the first attempt I couldn't get through the prelims but in the second I have been able to secure this rank.
What were your strategy for UPSC preparation?
My strategy was basically knowing the demand of the paper. Every stage has a very different demand. They expect a different attribute from you during each stage so analyzing the previous year's questions well and remembering the syllabus line by line specifically from the mains and the optionals and then giving a lot of test series and analyzing my mistakes well. Analyzing the tests and revising all the static material that basically constituted my strategy.
What is the role of Extracurricular activities in developing the personality of an aspirant?
I think the extracurriculars that you do during your graduation or even before that, they have a lot to do with making and building personality. It would be my message to all the youngsters out there that please utilize your graduation period to explore a number of things and develop some good hobbies because it helps you in giving a holistic perspective. In addition to it, it helps you to analyze and explore your potential. So, take part in debating, do MUN, and public speaking. These were some of my extracurricular activities and they really helped me during the preparation.
What advice would you like to give to the upcoming new aspirants?
For the aspirant who has just started the journey. I would say that first of all prepare yourself mentally that this journey requires a lot of hard work, a lot of sacrifices, and consistency. Apart from this, you will have to face demotivation and self-doubts sometimes but at the same time don't get scared by this because, in the end, you will enjoy the journey a lot. The end would be fruitful if you put in the right kind of hard work and strategy. My only message is to have faith in yourself, keep reviewing your strategies after a while and keep on assessing yourself whether you are not in the right or wrong direction as direction can take you forward.
If you could give one piece of advice to the UPSC aspirants, what would it be?
I would say the combination of hard work, strategy, determination, and discipline will get you through.
What role did KSG play in your preparation?
I would like to take a moment to thank the khan study group for guiding me in my interview preparation stage. I had my mock interview here and after that a personal one-to-one session with Khan sir. And sir helped me a lot to guide me and to tell me about what are the areas I can improve upon and apart from that he motivated me enough and instilled the confidence in me that I must trust my preparation and I should confidently walk into the panel group hall. So, I think that was quite helpful during the last phase of my journey. The role they played was really very motivating and they inspired me to go ahead and have faith in my preparation and be confident when I give the interview. And they guided me really well.
