 Shivanajam, congratulations for your success in the civil service examination of 2021 for your secured rank of 87th. Thank you for graduating in N90 Tirchi. Yes sir. And many people may opt for a good career opportunity in engineering. Yes sir. But why you chose for civil service? What is the reason behind that? It was a passion towards public service and to serve the society sir. I personally feel very associated with education. And as an engineer to work in education out of all the options available to me, civil services look like the best option because they may get to work in education. But I would still be serving the society in every other field that any officer would be posted in. Okay. So is there is any interesting story behind for choosing IAS as an option by you? Yes sir. I chose IAS as my first option because of the diversity at office and the big level picture that you need to understand to certain systems and processes that will help improve public access to services. Okay. So as a computer science student, I am very interested in system thinking and system design. Okay. And just like how we are taught to design systems for a machine, designing systems for public administration was something I was captivated by. Okay. Okay. Tell me and the share your experience regarding the success story. Yes sir. So I was working in an MNC in Bangalore after my graduation. Okay. And then during Corona time I decided to resign from my job and prepare for civil services. So I resigned and started my preparation from August 2020. Okay. And my prelims attempt was on October 2021. So that was my preparation schedule. Okay. So after starting to prepare, I had a 10 month plan to cover all the syllabus. So I was very clear as to what to be read and what should not be read. Okay. And then since I had a 10 month plan, I just ensured that my plan was going as per whatever I had planned before. Okay. And then I used mock exams and other test series to ensure that okay, whatever I have read, I have read properly. Okay. It was like a validation mechanism. Okay. So I had this plan. It went on and I came to prelims and prelims, I was very scared if I would pass or not. Okay. 25 days or 23 days after which the prelims results came, it was a very difficult time because I knew I was only in the border of the prelims cut off marks. Yes. Yes. So once prelims got over, those 23 days I did not study also. Okay. But just because I had planned before and studied everything, I was able to cover syllabus for mains after the results came out for prelims. So that way my optional sociology also, the syllabus is very bounded. So it was easy for me to cover the whole syllabus in three months. Okay. Yes. Okay. Fine. So I think it's a very, you are strategically approaching the examination in every stage in the prelims, in the mains, and in the interview. Yes. I think so. Okay. How you are associated with Shankaray's academy? Sir. In success. So in Shankaray, yes, I had opted for the sociology test series for optional. And then I also took interview guidance from Shankar, sir. Okay. So these two programs really helped me score, like, improve my marks in sociology optional, and to score a very high marks in interview. Okay. Shivana, I came to know that you have scored 277 marks in sociology. Yes, sir. Okay. And also I came to know that I congratulate you that you were one of the top in paper one in sociology. You scored 152. Yes. I was behind that for getting such a high mark in all India level. One of the high in India, I think so. Now, what is the success? What is the reason behind that? How? Sir, while preparing for mains or even before prelims, I was very sure as to what can be written on a paper to make marks. More than knowledge, if I cannot reproduce it in the exam paper, then irrespective of whatever I know, on paper I would look like I do not know, I do not know sociology enough. So, because of that, I chose one single book for my preparation, which was Nitin Sanghwan's Essential Sociology, and that book is my sociology guide. So, that formed the staple content I am writing on the paper, and I have two classmate notebooks worth of notes. Okay. One for paper one, one for paper two. Okay. Both came from Nitin Sanghwan's Essential Sociology book. Okay. With that, so this is my staple content to write. Okay. And for answer enrichment, I used Shankar's test series to get points. Okay. So, once the basic content is really to get those extra marks, I added the points from the test series. Okay. The answer sheets that were given for the test series were having exhaustive content, and I took only the content that was necessary for me to enrich my answers. Okay. So, that is all the test series helped me, sir. Okay. See, how the faculty have given the feedback? What are the benefits you get from the faculty regarding the test batches series? Sir, with respect to sociology, it is possible for you to write a sociological answer even without a sociological background. So, it is necessary to understand that what we write is academic in nature because the optional papers require a graduation level of subject expertise. Since sociology commonly overlaps with a lot of common sensical ideas, it is easy for you to deviate and move away from the academic lenses of sociology. So, that is where test series and feedback help. Okay. So, you may be a very strong sociologist. Okay. But on paper, it has to be academic for the optional papers. Okay. So, in that way, it was very useful, sir. Okay. Okay. In the interview, I came to know that you are the second All India Topper who got 205 marks, which is a very highest mark in this year. How it was possible for you to get such a huge mark and what is the success behind that? Yes, sir. So, interview, even I am surprised that I scored more than 200 because my expectation was a mark between 180 to 190. Okay. So, that was because I knew my interview went well. Okay. But there were my low moments in the interview also along with my high moments. So, because of it, I predicted that I will get 180 to 190. 205 is a surprisingly good score that has pushed me into top 100. Very grateful to my interview performance and the panelists. So, how was I able to score is because I see it in three ways, sir. Okay. One, the sessions I took up for one-on-one DAF sessions in Shankar, they helped me understand my DAF better. Okay. So, I knew that in my DAF, there are some places where I have very strong points which would reflect my good qualities and all my work experience and everything. Okay. So, I got very strong and having one-on-one personal sessions a few times really helped me be very confident about my DAF. Okay. That is one. Second is improving my formal conversation abilities. Okay. Though I have always known that I am good at speaking in public speaking, it is necessary to understand the nuances of formal communication. Okay. It is necessary for us to understand that we are going to be interviewed by a panel of senior bureaucrats, very senior people. So, but they are expecting to have a purposeful conversation. Okay. Okay. So, there is a slight difference. It is not like being a heist man or a no-man. Instead, we have to give them opinions but in a very respectful manner. Okay. Show your personality without offending anyone in society. Okay. So, that formalization of communication. Okay. It comes by practice and that is what Shankar IIS also helped me with, sir. With respect to the mock interviews. Okay. Okay. Apart from this, I also had some unique points in my DAF. Okay. So, I was interviewed by faculties in Shankar and it helped me showcase myself in a much better way. Okay. Okay. So, these are the things success for you to get the all India second top. Yes. Yes. Okay. Okay. Shiva Anand told me, in the civil service preparation, some people are saying that paper, newspaper reading is not necessary. Some people are going for the digital platform of various YouTube's and other things like that. And how newspaper reading is helpful for the civil service aspirant. Yes, sir. So, it is necessary for me to clear that I have always had an habit of reading the newspaper, just not from an exam point of view. But I used to read it regularly in my college days. With respect to the examination, it is very necessary to read the newspaper for three reasons. Because the current of his material itself, you can get it consolidated from any coaching center or from YouTube videos. But end of the day in the exam, we have to read it. To write, we have to read. Because while reading only, we will be able to comprehend. And with the comprehension improves our writing ability. Okay. So, this process is very important. To read, comprehend and to produce it in your writing. Okay. So, this comes up by reading the newspaper because reading a book means it is a specific subject matter. Okay. And newspaper is very broad and you tend to read content from very different fields. Hmm. From just a newspaper. Yes. So, the very first time when I started reading the newspaper from an exam point of view, it took me three and half hours to complete the newspaper. Yes. Okay. That was the first day. Okay. One month down the line, it became one hour. Okay. And close to my prelims exam, it was less than half an hour. Okay. It improves your comprehension because you keep reading fast. Okay. And you are able to retain more information and write more information. Hmm. So, this is where the whole newspaper reading cycle helps it. Okay. So, it is ultimately necessary that if we cannot write what we read, then it will not translate into what we present to the examiner. Okay. If it does not get translated, then we are not in the competition of this exam. So, initially newspaper reading seems to be difficult. Yes, sir. But in the down end, it will be very useful. Yes. In every stage of the civil service preparation. Yes, sir. Okay. Fine. And some people are saying that, sir, I used to underline in the notes. And some people are saying as I usually memorize the point and I used to get those points in the while writing in the paper. And some majority of the people say that, sir, no, sir, I usually make a notes of it and I keep my personal notes of everything and I revise it during the time of the examination. Tell me what kind of strategy you say for the future aspirants regarding the notes preparation. What would be the best line of help for the future aspirants? Yes, sir. So, with respect to notes making, I am very traditional in my approach. Okay. So, how I approached it was how I did my 12th standard. Okay. So, my whole point was, read the book once. Okay. While you read the book, make notes. Okay. In a classmate long-size notebook. Okay. I had one classmate notebook for one subject. Okay. So, when I completed Lakshmi Kant, all the important content of Lakshmi Kant were written down in a single classmate notebook. Okay. I cannot read Lakshmi Kant in five hours. Fine. Definitely. Definitely it's not possible. But my notes I can complete it in five hours. Okay. Because it's just one classmate book of 150 pages maximum. Okay. So, when I do this for every subject in my 10 month plan, at the end of 10 month, I may have like 10, 12 classmate notebooks. Okay. Which is the only notes I will read. Okay. I will never go back to the original source book. Because we don't have the time due to the vastness of the syllabus. Okay. So, you have to make notes. Okay. In one way or the other. Okay. Unless in other ways you have other ways of remembering information. Because reading from the source book is time consuming. And just before problems, if you want to revise the whole syllabus in one week, it has to be in six or seven classmate notebooks. So, in that case, if you want some statistics from my side, quality I had one classmate notebook, ancient medieval put together from NCRT, it was one classmate notebook. Okay. Spectrum modern India was one classmate notebook, environment, science and tech. And environment, science and tech. Economics. All three put together was one classmate notebook. Okay. So, you precisely make everything into one single paper notebook. Yes, sir. The consolidation of information is necessary to recollect. Okay. Flipping papers help you remember content. Instead of having screens that come up in your tablet or any electronic device. So, this is because of the scrolling effect. Because when you scroll, everything is presented on the same screen. So, our mind cannot map what is there on which screen. Because it's the same screen you see. But when you flip papers. Yes. Sometimes you remember the page number and from there you feel like going on a route and finding the information you want. Yes. But because we have been going through that people so many times. Yes, sir. Number of times we are going through that. So, automatically pictorial memory we get into it. Yes. So, automatically we can get into the mind because of this one. Once we see the questions, we can able to recollect it very easily. Yes, sir. Okay. So, this is behind that. Yes, sir. That is why I called myself having a very traditional approach. Okay. So, according to you, the suggestion is making notes. Yes, sir. That is the thing. Best way of going through the textbook at the last time of revisions and other thing. Okay. See, some people are saying that difficulty in notes making is it is very good of going through that at the last minute. Notes of other people. In the last minute, I would not at all suggest the last minute is only for you to recollect what you have read. Okay. Not someone else's read. Okay. But before you come to your last phase of the preparation, consulting or using someone else's notes to write your own is acceptable. Okay. But another person's note cannot be the substitute for your preparation. Importantly because if you copy the old notes with your hand on the book that you write, then that leads to retention of the content. But if it is someone else's notes, then you will not form the logics that will connect a point after the other point and after the other point. Okay. So if you can use their notes, make your own. It is very much appreciated. But directly using someone else's is not good in the last moment. Sean, next to most credit to is you have cleared the problem's mains and God service in the first attempt. Yes. And what is the reason for clearing the problems in the first attempt? What is the strategy you make it for problems? Sir, I will accept that I was very tensed if I would pass problems or not pass problems. Okay. Because this year there were like 11-12 questions for which we didn't have a clear cut answer. Okay. Like now answer key has come out so there's an answer but during the exam we didn't have. And I was stuck with all those 11 questions. So it could go I could be very above like very much above the cutoff or if all of those questions go wrong I will not be passing the exam. So this is the problem I faced with problems and I feel it is the toughest exam. Okay. Of the whole process. Okay. So my strategy was very simple sir. I told myself I will attend 90 questions so that means I can get 30 questions wrong and 60 questions right. Okay. Cumulatively my total would be 100. Okay. And 100 is the cutoff. Okay. Or at least I assumed a cutoff. Okay. So that's how my calculation works. Okay. So this way when for every question 10 questions I attended the problems I saw can I get six questions right. Okay. I can leave one question I can go wrong in three questions. So for every 10 questions I completed in the exam hall I just did the small calculation on the side to keep my confidence up to see okay this six can go right these three may go wrong or this I'm not attending. So when I had this when I saw the whole paper into 10 sets of 10 questions each and every 10 questions if I get six three one six correct three wrong and one I will not attend. Okay. It helped me go through the paper fast and I was very confident okay till now I'm still there in the competition. Okay. So I just kept doing it and luckily or fortunately I've passed prelims. Okay. My prelims marks are not yet out. Okay. Because of the forest service results. Okay. See some people are saying that attending minimum questions in the general studies part for example to say I attend only 60 questions 65 questions 70 questions. Some people say that no no I attend 90 questions 95 questions. What is your suggestion whether we have to go whether we have to go for targeted approach like 60 questions or we have to go with the full approach of 90 questions of attending the out of 100 questions what is your suggestion. So I have had this doubt sir. So I met people on both sides of the spectrum. Okay. So I met people who attend 60 questions and get 58 great. Okay. Yes. That's exemplarily good. I've tried it once. It didn't work for me. Okay. So I told that okay. Then I also checked some statistics based on the past percentages of the previous years and whatever anecdotes we have on the internet. The number of people who can attempt 60 questions and get 58 try it are very low because there's a special method to what is being done with the targeted approach and problems which I'm not able to understand. So in that case I believe that the majority of the aspirants who are passing problems could be going with the attempt 90 questions and get 60 right. Okay. Because that way your risk is spread out into 90 questions. Okay. And getting 60 right out of 90 is easier than getting 58 right out of 60. Okay. Because in both cases we need to pass the cut off. It is not required for the final rank calculation. Okay. See nowadays CSAT is getting more and more difficult. Yes. Okay. So how we have to handle the CSAT? How we have to take CSAT? Because in every stage either one part of CSAT is getting difficult. Either the comprehension part or with the reasoning part or points part it is getting difficult. What is your advice for the future aspirants regarding the CSAT? Sir, I believe CSAT with its aptitude and comprehension questions has a lot of easy questions spread out across the paper. What makes the paper itself difficult is the time constraint to solve 80 questions in two hours. But the questions themselves are not extremely difficult. So if we can identify some strong areas and be really good at solving those questions fast and then take a targeted approach in CSAT so that we don't commit any negative mistakes and get a negative mark then we can easily cross the cutoff of 70 marks. Let's keep the cutoff 70 marks. So crossing 70 needs only 35 questions out of 80. So that should be for a year we can go for a targeted approach take only 50 questions solve 35. So that way since there is only one answer, mathematics has only one answer you can be very clear that the answer you are giving is the right answer. So having a higher success rate or hit rate can help us save a lot of time and save a lot of hard take with respect to CSAT. She wanted to tell me you have cleared the main examination the first attempt itself. How you completed all four papers in three hours duration what is the strategy you have framed? Yes sir. So in the exam hall I used the same watch I am wearing now the analog watch but I would keep seeing the watch at the end of every question for me a 10 mark question should be completed in seven minutes and a 15 mark question in 11 minutes so that was a time frame so at every seventh minute I would keep looking at the watch it became a kind of biological reaction or something that I have learnt over the mock exams to just keep checking okay 35 minutes have passed I should have completed 5 questions if I was not completing a question then I ensured I was writing lesser words for a question and catching up with the time because one has to attend all questions leaving out a question is very risky okay so this is something I did in the exam hall to ensure I was attending all the questions and giving all questions equal weightage because getting a 4 and all 10 mark question and getting a 6 and all 15 mark question means my single paper mark could be 100 which is what we are all aiming for so that way it was easy for me to allocate time and do it for in the exam hall itself okay and during preparation I went through last 5 years question papers and I saw which all questions are being asked and how they are being asked so with that I had a lot of generic points that can be used for most of the questions so this is how I prepared my strategy sir okay see many people are saying that sir I used to put a diagram I used to have some tree diagram I used to have some flow chart do you think these things are necessary it may so I have also heard all of those sir so when I was writing I didn't have enough time to draw flow charts or to draw diagrams maybe across GS 1 to 4 I may have drawn maybe 2 diagrams not more than that both the diagrams should be in GS 1 because I am very confident in the other 3 papers I didn't draw anything so there were 2 diagrams I drew that was for GS 1 okay because for people who can draw fast and present well it is very easy but I was a very content oriented person and I could only write fast if I had to start drawing I was losing minutes so that way I did not underline content because I didn't have time to underline keywords I did not change pens it was a single blue color pen I did not draw diagrams but I ensure that whatever content I am writing is proper content because I was always targeting for that 4 out of 10 and 6 out of 15 okay not for any bonus marks okay because we do all these flow charts diagrams to get those bonus marks okay see in the mains examination we have 20 questions yes definitely 20 questions we don't know some questions definitely it is very difficult to approach see what is the strategy you do for difficult questions some questions we have less how you approach those kind of questions for the questions I don't have points generate new points within that within a limited time in the exam hall okay my brain would be processing the syllabus sheet hmm so for example let's say there's a question in GS2 in governance okay if I didn't have a point to write for that then in GS2 governance I know there is poverty health education hunger and then there's there's self-help groups voluntary organizations and all this so all of things all of these related to any question that is being asked okay so if there's a question on poverty you can link self-help groups to poverty hmm and that's one point hmm you can link poverty to education okay because if you're poor you don't have resources to invest on your education okay so that comes from education it can be linked to social mobility okay or economic prosperity okay or political empowerment okay so one I make one topic as one point in places where I didn't have a solid point to write okay okay so this is the reason so one need to know about the syllabus of every part of the GS then you can if they are struggling they can be able to brainstorm the syllabus and they can be able to generate point from them yes sir because we have read so much for every topic in the syllabus that we have a lot of content okay if there's a spark saying write a point relating this to poverty write a point relating this to India-China issue in say even in an economics question you get that you can bring in foreign exchange trade and then write an economics point from your international relations knowledge okay you just need that pointer to say give me one point with this as spark okay with this as your stimuli okay so what is your suggestion for the people who are going to appear for the problems in June 5 what advice first I would like to tell all of them all the best sir because I know prelims is very hectic it's very tiring and there's a lot of emotions that runs during the preliminary exam itself so with respect to prelims I do still feel that it is the toughest part of the exam so if anyone anyone writing this exam has to be confident and very calm in the exam hall because there are lots of logical inconsistencies that are present okay if a calm mind can figure out these logical inconsistencies using the one near preparation and all the knowledge they have accumulated then I believe prelims is crackable sir okay okay thank you very much thank you sir and all the best for your successful career in the civil service thank you very much thank you sir