Vishnu V. of
Kochi, who has won the 34th rank in the Civil Services Examination, advises
perseverance, hard work and a steely resolve to crack the examination. Photo:
Vipin Chandran
Vishnu V., who
scored the 34th rank in the Civil Services Examination 2011, had all along
wanted to serve the country.
Vishnu V. had
taken up the task of nation-building even before he emerged 34 on the rank list
of the Civil Services Examination 2011.
The engineering
graduate was a member of the first batch of 156 youngsters selected for the
Prime Minister's Rural Development Fellows Scheme.
“I was
undergoing training in Hyderabad when the Civil Services Examination results
were declared. Our mandate was to spend the entire two-year tenure of
fellowship in the tough environs of 78 districts affected by Maoists,” Mr.
Vishnu, who lives at Rail Nagar, near Vyttila, in Kochi, told The
Hindu-EducationPlus in an interview.
The young
talent had left a high-paying job with a multinational company in Chicago to
return to India and take up the fellowship. Mr. Vishnu, an engineer (Production
Engineering) from the National Institute of Technology, Trichy, said the
nagging feeling that his corporate job was in no way contributing to the
nation-building process, along with the realisation that development was not
just economic growth, motivated him to join the Indian Administrative Service.
“Civil services
offered a platform where I could play an active role in the national
development process,” he said.
Perseverance,
hard work and a steely resolve helped the youngster to clear the Civil Services
Examination in the first attempt. He never joined a coaching institute, but
believed that self-study could take him to the final destination.
“Self-study is
advisable only if you can scan through a big chunk of information at a good
pace and assimilate it. One should have an interest to read diverse topics and
link them. Aspirants can approach experts individually for clearing the doubts.
I had joined the government-run Kerala State Civil Services Academy to utilise
the library resources,” he said.
Geography and
Public Administration were his optional subjects. Asked about the criterion for
selecting them, Mr. Vishnu said that he had interest in Geography and it was
relatively easy for engineers. “I selected Public Administration as it could be
of use later in the services. I also came across some quality journals and
books,” he said.
For the
compulsory papers, Mr. Vishnu read newspapers such as The Hindu and used
the resources available on the websites of the Institute for Defence Studies
and Analyses, the Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies, the Centre for
Policy Research, and PRS Legislative Research; government policy briefs and
documents. “A daily glance at these resources without fail is a must while
preparing for the exam. Aspirants have to identify issues and themes that recur
in these resources,” he said. Elaborating on the preparation for the main
examination, Mr. Vishnu said that it would be ideal to adopt a
jack-of-all-trades approach with an interest to know something about
everything. “Develop adequate depth and understanding in some core areas. In my
case International Relations, Politics and Constitution were strong points.
Barring a few thought-provoking ones, most questions require only a good
short-term memory but the catch here is to look at it from every dimension
possible. A good writing style and command over language is an added
advantage,” he said.
Mr. Vishnu's
advice for the future aspirants is not to jump into Civil Services without
understanding its nuances. “Do a self-evaluation and see if you are fit to
adjust with bureaucratic challenges and frustrations. This exam is not one that
checks intelligence or IQ but requires a different set of skill sets. Look at
the exam as a learning curve to understand society, nation and the world and
enjoy the process. Don't get bogged down too much thinking of the final
results. That should merely be a by-product,” he said.
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