Sriram V | Photo: Josekutty J PanackalIn a short period of time, Sriram Venkitaraman IAS could win people’s hearts with his courageous stance and deeds. He became a household name in Kerala, thanks to his determined battle against encroachments in Munnar in his role as Devikulam sub-collector, recently.
Sriram, who secured the second rank in the Civil Services Examination in 2013, is currently the director of the Employment and Training Department. Son of Prof. P. R. Venkitaraman, a noted career consultant, and R. Rajam, a bank employee, Sriram opted for the civil services after dropping a coveted career as a doctor. He had completed MBBS from the Trivandrum Medical College, and was pursuing MD at Shri Ramachandra Bhanj Medical College in Cuttack, when he cracked the UPSC examination.
Here are some tips and advice from the young IAS officer for civil service aspirants:
» Don’t consider civil services as a glamorous job. It gives you a great opportunity to serve the society, a bolder platform to do a lot of positive things. Don’t opt for a career in civil services dreaming a ‘five-star’ life-style and big money.
» Cracking civil services exam is not that tough as believed by many. Your approach and proper strategy in preparation makes the major difference. First and foremost, you should have this burning desire to get into the civil services. After setting the target, you can start the preparation.
» I don’t advice you to study 18 hours a day or read four newspapers daily. But you should have an idea of things happening around you. Start reading newspapers at least from the degree level. One newspaper and one weekly magazine should be enough, but you should make it a habit to read them regularly. Prepare notes and keep them for quick revision. Read well and widely. It will help you have an understanding of concepts and shape your own perceptions on different subjects. Other than reading everything that comes your way, choose some good books and read them attentively once or twice. You should also be able to recall what you have read.
» It is important to have general awareness more than general knowledge. Instead of having knowledge about a wide range of subjects, it is desirable to gain a complete overview of the subjects. Since the General Knowledge paper of the UPSC main exams offers the maximum marks, you will have to study varied subjects, even if you don’t like some of them. Besides learning new things and following news, you should develop the skill to analyze them.
» Of late, Kerala has been producing many UPSC top rankers, thanks to the better coaching facilities available here. In the past, people believed that IAS exam was cleared by only those who prepared at coaching centers in Delhi.
» I don’t believe in the idea of catching 'em young to make him/her an IAS officer. In my case, I had not thought about pursuing a career in civil services before I completed my MBBS degree. It was during my PG days that a friend persuaded me to appear for UPSC exams.
» Allocate time to study as per your convenience. Don’t sacrifice sleep or your hobbies as it would make studying a boring task. Make it fun and enjoyable.
» When I was studying in the high school, I wanted to pursue engineering. Biology was not my favorite subject then, but my father encouraged me to take it as optional in Plus Two. Later, that turned out be crucial in my MBBS studies. The course had also helped me in a big way in preparing for the UPSC exam.
» It is not necessary to join a civil service academy for cracking the UPSC exam. However, it will definitely help you get an insightful guidance about preparation and have a deep knowledge of the optional subjects. It is good to be among people who work towards a single goal. Repeated tests, group discussions and combined study will also be of great help, as it would help you stay on track, especially while preparing for General Studies.
» You should have a clear idea about the syllabus and exam patterns. Such details are available on UPSC’s website. Though there will be questions out of syllabus, you should be thorough with your syllabus. To prepare for the Preliminary examination, NCERT textbooks for classes X, XI, and XII would help, especially to study subjects such as Geography and Ecology. Books including ‘India's struggle for Independence’ by Bipin Chandra, and ‘Indian Polity’ by M. Laxmikanth will provide you with an in-depth and detailed overview of India’s history and politics.
» Apart from reading books, you should make use of Internet as it is treasure trove of knowledge. There are many websites from where you could easily get study materials. But you should be careful while using Internet as there will be a deluge of data. Learn to use them wisely and discreetly.
» You can access information regarding government policies from the Press Information Bureau’s (PIB) website. It will enable you to update your knowledge of current affairs. The website mrunal.org provides materials related to economics. All India Radio’s newsonair.com is also an informative site. The site will help you hone your language skills.
» Never choose subjects for your degree course with civil services examination in mind. It is more important to choose a subject of your interest. Learn those subjects so that you should be able to use them as a resource for preparing for civil services exam. If you are fond of mathematics, you can take it as an optional subject for civil services after completing your degree. There is no rule that your degree main subject should be your optional subject for civil services exam. You can choose any subject of your interest. The optional subjects I chose were medicine and zoology.
» It is always better to pursue civil services after doing a professional course because even if you fail to crack the UPSC exams, you will have another career opportunity. As I had completed my MBBS degree before attempting civil services, I was not under much stress. It also helps you to approach the exam in a professional manner. However, those who choose engineering subjects and mathematics as optional will be vying with extremely talented candidates from institutions like IIT. So, you will have to come up with an extremely outstanding performance.
» It's natural to feel anxiety about interviews. But let me remind you that the UPSC interview is more of a friendly chit-chat. Any candidate with common sense and basic intelligence as well as observation skills can easily clear that hurdle. Also, you should possess basic knowledge of English to communicate. You can also communicate with the interview board in Malayalam with the help of an interpreter. However, you will have to make sure that the translator is able to convey your ideas without losing their meaning. Interview board members no longer trouble candidates with general knowledge questions. Starting with your personal information, they will ask you about your place of origin and social and family backgrounds to get an idea of your way of thinking and personality traits. Don’t expect questions on controversial political issues.
» It is advisable to enroll at a coaching academy. The advantage of studying at an academy is that you will be able to study a particular subject comprehensively. Also, you can make use of the library facilities. However, the most important thing is that you will be in the company of a group of focused and dedicated people. You will be able to make friends with lots of such positive individuals. If you miss some important current affairs, they will help you stay updated. The optional subjects chosen by the other candidates may be different. Through group discussions, you will be able to improve your knowledge in those subjects. As they say, knowledge shared is knowledge multiplied. It is better to stay away from the comforts of home while preparing for the exam.
» Choosing Malayalam as an optional subject will help you score better marks. There is no need to learn the entire history of the language. Post-modern literature, prose and poetries are part of the syllabus. All this can be covered in two months’ time. Don’t feel nervous about your English speaking skills. The thing is that you should know the basics of the language to express your ideas. The interviewers won’t bother about your fluency or vocabulary. We all possess the language skills to present things simply and clearly, but we are scared of making mistakes. By regularly reading an English newspaper or a magazine, you will be able to overcome this obstacle. I think it is always better to choose English for the interview.
» I don’t think civil services is a game of intellectuals or studious persons. Studying round-the-clock is not required for clearing the UPSC exams. What is required is a different approach to learn different things and clarity in thoughts.
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