Interview - RUPAL JAISWAL

CSC: Heartiest congratulations to you from Civil Services Chronicle for your success. How are you feeling about it?

Rupal: I feel grateful and genuinely amazed by how far I have come in the past three years. From an aspirant to a rank-holder, this journey has truly been a roller coaster ride.

CSC: What inspired you to become an IAS officer?
Rupal: As I have grown up in an aspirational district, I have been affected by and complained often about the under-development in my own city. My father pointed out to me that it's easier to complain but why don't you find out how difficult it is to bring a change? Thus, my family and my own life experiences drove me towards IAS.

CSC: Whom do you credit for your success? What role did family, teachers and friends play in your preparation?

Rupal: I give myself the most credit for my success because I worked with passion towards clearing this exam. But like I mentioned, this passion was driven by the best wishes and sacrifices of my family. So, after myself, I give them credit for this achievement.

Apart from family, friends have kept me sane - they took me on trips after every stage of the exam, checked in on me from time to time. I would say a vibrant social life had a major role to play in my preparation - it gave me an anchor on the worst days when I was uncertain about my future.

CSC: What strategy should one follow for preparing for General Studies Prelims and Mains? Did you integrate your preparation for both or keep them separate?

Rupal: There is one mantra for the preparation - being consistent and showing up every day. I gave 6-8 hours without fail each day. I attempted mocks diligently every week (for Prelims). One should prepare for Mains first, and then Prelims follow. I did them separately.

My strategy was 3-4 months for Prelims, 7 months for Mains and 2 months for Personality Test. Optional preparation happened simultaneously with a GS subject during the Mains months. To manage time, I split the day in two slots - 4 hours in first half and 4 hours in second half.

CSC: Did you prepare notes? How helpful are notes? What is your advice on note-making?

Rupal: For Mains, notes are the most important part. They help revise better and recall faster. For Prelims, I made only few notes (almost negligible). Notes should be made after 2-3 readings of standard books and PYQ analysis.

CSC: What was your optional subject? What was the basis for selecting it? What strategy should one follow for optional preparation?

Rupal: My optional was Law. Because my graduation was Law (BA LLB Hons.), it came naturally to me. Law is also an integral part of administration and has some overlap with GS2, Essay, Ethics, etc. My comfort with law and my interest in it helped a lot.

CSC: What was your strategy and preparation for Ethics Paper-IV?

Rupal: For Ethics, I read ForumIAS Red Book, referred to toppers' copies and wrote the answers they wrote. Youtube videos helped in understanding theories, etc. Moreover, I solved PYQs multiple times.

CSC: Tell us something about your preparation for the Essay paper.

Rupal: Essay paper required a lot of effort. I started by watching Smriti Shah ma'am essay preparation video. I analyzed PYQs for essay themes, collected content (quotes, data, anecdotes, short stories, etc.) from newspapers, toppers' notes, and coaching materials. Most importantly, I wrote a lot of essays. I asked my peers to evaluate my essays and gradually improved.

CSC: What was your writing style in the examination? How was it different from general writing? How did you develop it?
Rupal: My writing style evolved from being over-elaborative to crisp content over time. I used points, catchy intros, diagrams, underlined/boxed important facts to catch the examiner's attention.

CSC: How did you prepare for the interview? What kind of questions was asked? Was there any specific area the board focused on?

Rupal: I read two newspapers - one ‘The Hindu’ and another with focus on economy (Mint). I also watched YouTube videos on international relations (Vantage and The Print). Finally, practiced speaking and gave mocks. Questions in the actual interview revolved around law and social issues. My DAF was the starting point of most questions and I could answer them all. In only one or two questions, I fumbled but ultimately gave a satisfactory answer.

CSC: What is the importance of coaching in civil services preparation?
Rupal: Coaching is not a necessity - I prepared without any coaching. Instead, mentorship is more beneficial for a serious aspirant who just needs strategy rather than content.

CSC: What were your sources of preparation? Which books, magazines, newspapers and online sources did you use?

Rupal: I did not refer to any magazine except Vision IAS PT and Mains 365. My standard sources were NCERTs, standard books recommended by toppers, Vision IAS Study materials and newspaper. For detailed list, you can refer to my telegram channel @reliablerupal.

CSC: Thank you very much, and we wish you all the best for your future endeavours.