28/9/2014 Mrunal [Topper's Interview] Mayank Agrawal (AIR 67 /CSE-2012) : Electrical Engineering, Chemistry - Mrunal

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- Mrunal - http://mrunal.org -
[Topper's Interview] Mayank Agrawal (AIR 67 /CSE-
2012) : Electrical Engineering, Chemistry
1. Bio
2. Coaching
3. Inception
4. Information
5. Study Momentum
6. Study Hours
7. Strategy: CSAT (Aptitude)
8. Strategy: General studies
9. Mains 2013
10. Optional: Electrical Engineering
11. Optional: Chemistry
12. Optional Subject in Mains 2013?
13. Compulsory papers
14. Essay
15. Previous Attempts
16. Insecurity about Profile
17. Backup
18. Interview
19. Marksheet
20. Wisdom
21. Bogus marketing propaganda
Bio
Name MAYANK AGRAWAL
Roll number 16178
Rank (CSE 2012) 67
Optional Subjects
1. Electrical Engineering
2. Chemistry
Number of Attempts 2
Medium for Mains Exam English
Schooling (Medium) English
Centre for Prelim exam Jaipur
Centre for Mains exam Jaipur
Name of home town/city Varanasi (UP)
Edu
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% in class 10 91
% in class 12 82
Graduation course and % 93
Name of college and year of
passing out
Indian Institute of Technology Madras, 2011
Batch
PG (if applicable)
M.Tech (as part of dual degree) in VLSI Design
and Microelectronics
Any professional courses (if
applicable)
Electrical Engineering
Hobbies:
Reading (mostly fiction) and I have interest in teaching.
Work Ex
Not Applicable
Family background
My father is an Engineer and mother housewife. My brother is studying
engineering.
Coaching
Did you
join any
Coaching?
Joined for a month then left (because those people were wasting my
time and money)
Did you
join any
postal
courses?
I got brilliant tutorial material. (as I had very peculiar optionals,
these material though useless provided some segregated question
bank for my optionals.) My advice to future candidates is that if you
have traditional optionals then you dont need this. Better find some
people who have cleared competition with similar subjects.
Did you
join any
Mock test
series?
I came across some of the vision ias mock test series which my
friend had subscribed.
Did you
appear in
any other
competitive
exams?
No.
Inception
For most of my life I have been like a race horse and upsc examination was another
race that I ran. Though it is ironical but my main motivation was to explore myself
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and know myself better, other than
knowing myself as a race horse. Career as
a civil servant provides you variety of
challenges and while facing those
challenges (both successfully and
unsuccessfully) you come to hone your
skills and know yourself better. This is the
same answer that I gave in the interview
and it is mostly true.
Information
Q. Outside Delhi, its hard to dig how to
prepare for civil service. So How did
you gather the necessary information /
strategy / booklist?
In my opinion when the general studies is
mostly current oriented it may not be very difficult for people outside delhi to
prepare for this exam. You can get the standard text books on blogs and websites
oriented towards this exam preparation (including mrunals) and I think regarding
the standard material they are mostly same. I have highlighted some of the books
that I referred to later part this questionnaire.
Regarding the non standard and current material coming these days in the exams I
followed debates and discussions on Lok-Sabha nad Rajya-Sabha TV channels. I
had the recording set-top box where I used to record those programs daily and in
about 1-2 hours went through the relevant programs daily. These programs are of
very high standard (regarding anchors and panelists) and you could find quality
discussions. These programs provide you non-biased complete picture of an
ongoing issue or policy matter and stimulates you to form an independent opinion
on them. Please note that even the newspapers are biased in their opinion and you
cannot form opinion just on the basis of their analysis. (for example hindu has left
tilt in its opinion and vice versa is economics times, etc) But I read Hindu daily.
Some of programs on Lok-Sabha tv which I found useful were:
Insigt: 1-2 pm mon-fri
Public Forum / Lok Manch: 3-4 pm mon-fri
Talktime: 8-9pm Thursday
One-on-One: 4-5 pm Friday
Science This week (some time on saturday, please check as its time has changed)
Talk with Rajiv Mishra 9pm: Sunday
Some of programs on Rajya-Sabha Tv: (NOTE: programs of rajya sabha could be
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found on youtube)
These programs are:
Big Picture
Law of the Land
State of Economy
Sarokar
To the Point
I prepared my general studies with the above said programs and newspaper the
hindu apart from standard text books.
Regarding Electrical Engineering and Chemistry, I followed Prakash Rajpurohit
and Abhijeet Agrawals blog respectively.
Study Momentum
I think this is the most important aspect of preparation especially for this
examination. According to me the main problem is the absence of feedback. It is an
engineering principle: the world / systems work on negative feedback. I have
already hinted above that you have to evolve your own system to your standard of
your preparation and continuously update that standard according to the need. For
people having surrounded by serious motivated candidates there is little problem.
They are always on the edge to compete with their peers. The only problem that I
see in this case is finding serious candidates. (I am sorry but this is my personal
opinion that you wont find many serious candidates, most of the candidates are not
themselves convinced what they want from their life and just passing time
dreaming without any action)
Now coming on other set of people who dont have peers around them to compete
with. I cannot make a general comment on it and I would just highlight my
strategy.
Step1: you need to be aware of the scope of syllabus.
Step2: figure out materials to be studied. Try to fix the scope while allowing some
flexibility for additional material.
Step3: figure out a plan to manage the syllabus with keeping in mind that revision
would take at least 50% of the time that the main syllabus has taken.
Step4: Break the plan into monthly, then into weekly targets.
Step5: Now compete with yourself to achieve those targets. As you go on you
would have better idea of your capacity.
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Over a period of time with positive results you would gain confidence in your
progress and would be away from negative thoughts. Remember when you are busy
chasing your target you would have little time to worry about your shortcomings.
Study Hours
Q. On an average, How many hours did you study per day?
Ans. I am not sure how to answer this question. I was in front of books around 7-8
hours. I think around 60-70% of time I was absorbing the content of the book.
Q. How many months did it take you to complete the core syllabus of GS and
optional subjects?
Ans. I used to give around 3 hrs to GS daily.
Around 3 hrs each to optionals daily.
Everything took 1-1.25 years to complete syllabus.
Strategy: CSAT (Aptitude)
I didnt do any preparation for CSAT paper. But if people find reasoning, aptitude
difficult they could refer some preliminary CAT books.
Strategy: General studies
Book/ source
History
Ancient Left
Medieval Left
Modern
Indias Struggle for Freedom by Bipan
Chandra
Culture Ccrtindia.gov.in
Mains Same
Polity
Basics Lakshmikanth
Current Loksabha and Rajyasabha TV
mains Loksabha and Rajyasabha TV
Economy
Basics Hindu Paper
Current Loksabha Rajyasabha TV
mains Loksabha and Rajyasabha TV
Geography
Physical Little bit from NCERT,
Indian NCERT
World Left
mains
Above sources, economic survey and
12th plan
Environment, Biodiversity
Basics NCERT biology classs 12
Current
Science Reporter and Down to earth
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magazine,
Mains
Above sources, economic survey and
12th plan
Science Tech
Basics Left
Current
Science Reporter, down to earth,
loksabha tv
Mains
Above sources, economic survey and
12th plan
Yearbook / Govt. schemes
etc.
Economic Survey, 12th five year plan
IR/diplomacy Hindu, rajyasabha and loksabha tv
I didnt prepare for prelims separately.
For mains I covered the standard material. Followed the hindu newspaper and
sincerely went over debates and discussions on loksabha and rajyasabha tv (I
used to record programs and later listen to them).
As I did general studies on a regular basis so I was mostly updated and didnt
competition magazines.
I used to selected issues in Economic and Political Weekly (left research
articles in it).
Mains 2013
UPSC has changed the GS syllabus for Mains 2013. So if you were to prepare for
it, whatd be your approach/strategy/booklist?
I did start my preparation for mains 2013. I would just give the books for the
portion which I had completed. (though most the book list is similar to that
provided by mrunals website.)
1. Sociology: Class 12 NCERT both books
2. World History: Class 9 and 10 NCERT history books
3. Post Independence: selected chapters from India Since Independence by
Bipan Chandra
4. World Geography: 6,7,8 ICSE geography books
5. Public admin part: from ARC reports summary :
http://www.4shared.com/folder/9YX5CWCf/2nd_ARC_Report.html
6. Ethics: William Frankena [I am not sure whether it is required or not, I have
found it generally useful.]
Other than that IGNOU material is a good source. (it has been highlighted by
mrunal in his older older post).
Optional: Electrical Engineering
Electrical Engineering I followed books highlighted by Prakash Rajpurohits blog.
http://prakashrajpurohit.wordpress.com/
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The only challenge for this optional is course content is huge and you need to give
time to practice questions. But questions are not unpredictable and candidates can
achieve high scored easily
Optional: Chemistry
Chemistry from Abhijeet Agarwals blog: http://abhijeetagrawal.blogspot.in/
Similar comment as above about this optional also.
Optional Subject in Mains 2013?
I would have taken Electrical Engineering. As major syllabus has been covered I
require just practicing questions and scoring high marks is easier as few people opt
for it.
Compulsory papers
Q. Your booklist/strategy for compulsory Regional language paper.
Didnt do any special preparation
Q. Your booklist/strategy for compulsory English language paper.
Didnt do any special preparation
Essay
Q. How did you prepare yourself for the essay?
Didnt do any special preparation
Q. Which Essay did you write in Mains-2012?
On Public Private Partnership
Q.Provide some keypoints/highlights of your Essay.
My essay was mostly based on one of the debate loksabha tv in the program
Taktime
Gave general descriptions of investment models.
importance and requirements of ppp
technicalities of ppp
recent controversies
legal and auditing issues
remedy
personal opinion
Score: 86 marks in Essay
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Previous Attempts
Q. When you look back in the past, what were the deficiency in your
preparation in the previous attempt? How did you rectify them this time?
I was not able to complete my syllabus during my first attempt. I just attempted the
prelims (2011) and due to csat was selected.
I do not think people would have optional like mine, but if by mere chance you
have them, then just concentrate on completing the syllabus and practicing old ias
questions and text book questions.
Insecurity about Profile
Q. Many aspirants have the (unnecessary) fear of interview, thinking that my
profile is not good because Ive low score in class 10/12/college/ Im from
unknown college, Ive no work experience etc.etc.etc. Whats your take on this?
Ans. Remember: It does not depend on the size of dog in a fight but the size of
fight in the dog ( some movie dialog, but dont know who said it originally).
I think your behavior should be coherent with your profile rather than having too
much written in your biodata.
In the interview they asked me why I wanted to join civil services. I gave the
answer which I have already mentioned somewhere above in the questionnaire.
Backup
There was no backup but if not upsc then I would plan for Ph.D
Family and Friends
I dedicate this success to My family.
Interview
Q. How did you prepare for the interview?
I used to discuss regularly questions regarding current affairs and biodata with one
of my friend.
Q. Who was the chairman of you interview board?
IMG Khan
Q. How long was the interview?
20-30 min
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Q. Provide the list of questions asked (and if possible answers also)
I dont remember exact questions but will try to give broad outline:
1. How do look for personally while making decisions.
2. Reasons for terrorisms in india and outside india
3. how useful is watching tv nowdays
4. asked about my hobby
5. unhrc voting on srilanka
6. why dense planets are nearer to sun
7. legacy of british rule in india
8. sivasamudram project
9. tidal change behaviour
Q. Was your interview on the expected lines of what you had prepared or
Did they ask you totally unexpected questions? If yes, how did you handle it?
I didnt prepare anything specifically for the interview. I prepared on my Biodata
and opinion on current affairs. So, I was not expecting anything special from the
interview panel.
Marksheet
Essay 86
GS 107, 124
Electrical engg 114, 167
Chemistry 113,124
Written Total 835
Interview 198
Final Total 1033
Wisdom
Q. Through this struggle and success, what have you learned about life and
competition? What is your message to future aspirants?
Ans.
There are some quotes by some people (which I dont know) have been a source of
inspiration for me.
1. Success of a person does not depend on how high a person rises but high he
bounces after touching the ground.
2. Being courageous does not mean having no fear, but it is an understanding
that something is more important than fear.
3. There is very little difference between a winner and looser and that difference
is of attitude.
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Bogus marketing propaganda
You are well aware of the unwritten golden rule of conducting toppers interview:
Final question has to be about the bogus marketing propaganda. So,
Q1. Were you a subscriber/ regular reader of Mrunal.org. If yes, since when?
And You can even say no, Ill publish it without editing.
Ans. Yes I was a subscriber of mrunal.org since 2011.
Q2. How did Mrunal.org help you in your preparation?
Ans. In the initial phase it helped to grasp some economic concepts easily. Later
helped to remain updated.
Published on 28/05/2013 @ 4:41 pm under Category: motivation
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