TV Anupama secured a fourth rank in the UPSC examination in her very first attemptT V Anupama grew up watching her father discharge his duties as a circle inspector attached to the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau. Whenever she saw him receive a salute from a subordinate, she would tell him, half-jokingly, that one day he would have to salute her.
She was proved right but the father did not live through to see his daughter pass the Union Public Service Commission examination with the fourth rank in the first attempt.
The daughter of Parayerikkal Balasubramanian and Ramani, an engineer with the Guruvayur Devaswom Board, Anupama had made it to the top league whenever she wrote an exam. She passed the SSLC exam with the 13th rank and plus-two with the third rank.
She wrote the 2010 UPSC examination after earning an engineering degree from BITS Pilani, Goa. She prepared in the State Civil Service Academy in Thiruvananthapuram, the Civil Service Institute in Pala and ALS in Delhi. Her optional subjects were geography and Malayalam literature.
The Alappuzha district collector whose rigorous and fearless fact-checking brought about the downfall of transport minister Thomas Chandy, says nothing can replace commitment and hard work when it comes to cracking the elite test.
Why civil service?
I was sure that I could use my talents for the country and the people most effectively if I joined the civil service. I was also interested in a government job.
Know yourself
You have to decide if you want to go for civil service. Your aptitude and dedication are key. You have to be prepared to put in hard work.
Prepare
I started preparing for the exam after completing B Tech in 2008. I had already decided on the coaching centers and options. The duration of preparation depends on each candidate. I feel one to one and a half years should be a decent amount of time.
Absorb everything
You have to have a clear picture of things happening around you. You need to develop a point of view. Read newspapers everyday. Keep your eyes and ears open. Observe everything.
Time is precious
You have to have a clear understanding about the time needed to write the preliminary and main exams. Start preparing a year in advance to the preliminary exam. If you are working elsewhere, give yourself two years at least.
How to prepare
Get everything you might need before you start studying. Once you have decided on the optionals, collect all the books and previous years' question papers. Collect magazines too. Get a membership in a good library.
Focus, focus
You have to give the UPSC double the time you had ever given for studies in your school or college days. Study without rest. You can indulge in a little music or light reading but spare any other forms of entertainment.
Anupama grew up watching her father discharge his duties as a circle inspector attached to the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption BureauNote it down
Jot down the information you gather somewhere for easy reference. These notes will come handy before the examination as you won’t be able to flip through all the books. Take notes from newspapers and magazines as well.
Crucial option
Selecting your option is a crucial step in cracking the test. Your choice will determine your strengths and weaknesses. You have to carefully choose your subject according to your interests, confidence level and the availability of study materials.
Fear no more
Don’t worry that you are a girl. The test is the same for everyone. What matters is the courage to face it. If you feel interested, go for it. Ensure family support.
Follow footprints
It is a good idea to talk to experts in your chosen field. They might be able to clear your doubts and suggest good books. You could also talk to your seniors who are familiar with the UPSC methods.
Be selective
You can crack the preliminary exam if you get half your answers right. It is impossible to cover the entire syllabus, so prioritize areas in accordance with the marks and focus on them.
Beyond normal
You have to have a point of view of your own in each topic. Read up the editorial in newspapers.
You have to develop your own take on social and political issues. It is better to write what you have gathered from your studies rather than copying what you have studied.
Coaching center
Be very careful when you select a coaching center, especially outside Kerala. You would come across hundreds of such centers. Talk to previous participants before taking a decision.
Preliminary
You have to study systematically. Go deep in your chosen field. Questions related to economic policy have been getting a lot of attention recently. Learn them thoroughly. Get old question papers and form your own answers to them.
Mains
Make a habit of writing notes on what you have studied and answering old question papers. You cannot afford to skip part of the syllabus as in the preliminary. Going through the question papers from the last 10 years will help you. The presentation of the answers is also important.
Interview
You have to form your opinions about fundamental issues and social developments. Newspaper editorials and articles will help you in this front. You have to be honest and convinced about what you have written in your biodata. The interview will be based on your biodata in several stages.
(Excerpts from ‘Civil Service Vijayagathakal’, published by Manorama Books)
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