Planning is crucial to crack Civils

Says Sri Charan Kootikuppala, who passed engineering with 57% but with sheer hard work and determination, cleared Civil Services exam with flying colours recently.

In how many attempts did you clear the exam?

I’ve always wanted to become an IAS officer, but I couldn’t score adequate marks in the first two attempts. So I had to settle for Indian Revenue Services (IRS) after the second attempt. However, I was determined to join the IAS stream and I cracked the exam with good marks the third time.

How old were you when you decided to become an IAS officer?

Right from my childhood, I always wanted to contribute something to the society. I wanted to have direct interaction with the people, empower and enable them to achieve their dreams. IRS gives little scope with respect to having direct involvement with the people. That is why I gave the exam again.

How did you prepare?

For general studies paper, I used to read each and every newspaper. I didn’t take coaching for prelims. Self-study helped me crack the exam. But for Main exams, Prof Subbranjan trained me. I was over confident the first attempt and I rectified my mistake in the later attempts. Former chief secretary of Andhra Pradesh, Gopal Krishna, helped me a lot with his tips. He used to conduct mock group discussions, mock interviews at his home; this helped me a lot in the final interview.

Can you share any tips for aspirants?

Understanding a question solves most part of it. I was an average student who scored just scored 57 per cent in engineering. I never thought that my score would be detrimental in reaching my goal. Sheer hard work and determination helped in clearing the exam. While preparing for Civils, planning is crucial. One has to plan each day. While most students sit with books, it’s not how long one sits with a book, it’s about how much knowledge one attains in a stipulated time. So concentration is the most important factor while preparing.

What kind of questions did you face in the final interview?

The panel members asked me on India’s foreign policy, domestic policies, what made me choose civil services, what I do in my leisure time, my hobbies etc.