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Shivam Kumar UPSC Marksheet (2022)
Shivam Kumar UPSC Marksheet (2022)
Shivam Kumar IAS Biography
I graduated in 2017 (mechanical engineering from IIT Kharagpur). I have been working since then in automotive sector with one year break in 2020-21.
This was my fourth attempt, second mains and second interview.
I have been managing the preparation along with the job.
It was a tough journey and learnt to manage both responsibilities gradually.
I have also appeared for RBI grade B once and reached till interview stage. I can share my learnings for this as well.
UPSC Interview Transcript of Shivam Kumar IAS
Interview Transcript :
Date and session of interview- 28/04/2023 forenoon
Board- Shri Manoj Soni Sir
Optional- Mathematics
College- IIT Kharagpur
Profession – automotive sector
Hobbies- endurance running (nothing asked from rest)
Chairman –
1. When did you last visit a post office
2. In present days postoffices are not much in use and we have invested large resouces in it. Should we wind up the whole system?
3. Tell me an innovative method to use the vast network of postoffice
4. Tell me about your job profile? What do you do exactly?
5. Do you do benchmarking of succesful product from other players as well?
M1
1. Other industries complain about the Protection that has been provided to automotive industry. Do you think automotive industries are highly protected
2. But we impose high duty on import of vehicle. What do you think about this
3. High occupancy of undertrial is there, do you think we should take reforms to solve this issue
4. What reform we should take to deal with under-trials
5. Bail not jail – this statement is promoted often. Do you think we should make bail as a default option
M2
1. What do you mean by Indian knowledge system
2. Under new education policy we are promoting Indian knowledge system, what is your opinion on it
3. For higher education, now we are providing option for taking a break to pursue vocational training. do you think this is a good initiative
4. under new education policy UGC has allowed multi- degree system. don’t you think this is going to create additional burden on students
5. Tell me two standard processes, that are used in manufacturing industries
6. What kind of research is done in product development
7. What about statistical research
8. What are sustainable development goals? Mention few sustainable development goals. How these goals help in achieving sustainability
M3.
1. What is endurance running
2.Is your town affected by naxalism
3. Yesterday we heard about naxalism in Chhattisgarh? Whom do we blame for all this? Why are we not able to deal with this situation?
4. What can we do to resolve the problem in Chhattisgarh?
M4
1. Is organic farming and natural farming practised and promoted in your area?
2. Should government provide subsidy to farmers to follow this
3. How organic farming can be exported from your area to outside state
4. What is vedic mathematics?
5. Are you sure that it is not mentioned in Vedas or derived from Vedas.
6. Should we promote vedic mathematics as part of our Indian knowledge system
7. Why buddhism presently is confined to himalayan region?
8. When did buddhism spred to other countries?
Chairman- Thank you. Wish you all the best for your future.
Score – 187
Managing Preparation and Job Responsibilities: Balancing Act
The question of managing preparation for an exam, such as UPSC, alongside a job is a common concern. In order to provide an honest account of my own experience, I will address the following questions:
Q1: Is it advisable to leave one’s present job and prepare for the exam full-time?
A: There is no definite answer to this question, as both options have their pros and cons. The decision should be based on personal circumstances. In my case, I chose to prepare for the exam while continuing with my job initially, as I was not entirely certain about pursuing UPSC. I appeared for the 2019 and 2020 prelims while working. However, when I felt confident about clearing the 2020 prelims (though I ultimately failed), I made the decision to leave my job and focused on preparing full time for mains, for which I didn’t have enough time previously.
It is important to note that candidates who are employed may have less time to prepare for both the prelims and mains simultaneously. Consequently, it may take longer for working candidates to become fully prepared for both stages compared to those who are preparing full-time.
Personally, I was willing to accept this trade-off due to the inherent uncertainty in the UPSC examination process.
Preparation Strategy by Shivam Kumar IAS
Think Parallel not Sequel.
This is the strategy that my organization recently encouraged everyone to follow. Just as multiple ideas harmoniously converge to drive the success of projects, this strategy holds equally promising for the journey of UPSC aspirants.
Thinking parallel in UPSC journey :
Simultaneous Preparation: Prepare for all three stages concurrently, shattering the notion of waiting for prelims clearance before diving into mains preparation.
Walking in Parallel with PYQs: Let previous year questions illuminate your path. Walk alongside the wisdom they offer, aligning your preparation with their insights.
Mock Tests and Self-Evaluation: Execute your preparation through continuous test. Do not wait for day to come when syllabus is finished.
Managing Uncertainty with Parallel Plans: Working on parallel plans (Plan B) to navigate unforeseen challenges. Embrace other areas of interest and skills, forging a diverse arsenal of capabilities.
Nurturing the Mind and Body: Pursue hobbies and extracurricular activities to fortify mental and physical well-being. These parallel endeavors will fuel your journey towards resilience and balance.
Coaching Institute joined by Shivam Kumar IAS
GS Mains Test Series:
My Experience:
2021 mains:
I did not have any of my copies evaluated. I purchased Vision IAS test papers and solutions from the market, wrote the tests at home, and evaluated them on my own. I used the provided model answers for additional insights. I followed this approach for approximately 18 tests.
2022 mains (Post prelims):
- Next IAS mains test series (free of cost)
- Forum IAS mains test series (paid)
- Vision IAS Abhayas (paid) – Simulator for GS 1, 2, 3, and 4
- IAS Baba open test (a few days before the mains exam) – free with no evaluation – Simulator for 5 tests (Essay GS 1, 2, 3, and 4)
What I gained from writing tests:
1- Confidence in completing the paper during the actual exam.
2- Helped streamline my preparation.
3- Assisted in prioritizing content preparation (what to prepare and how much to prepare). For example, the difficulty I faced in writing quality introductions made me realize the importance of including small definitions, data, and facts.
4- Building endurance for the actual exam day.
5- Improved structuring and presentation skills through repeated practice.
6- Enhanced content through the provided model answers.
Now, for the above points, joining a test series is not mandatory. Test papers and previous year questions (PYQs) are freely available, and all the preparation can be done without a test series as well.
Nevertheless, test series should work on improving their evaluation and feedback provided.
2021 – Test with self evaluation – GS 405 and Essay 111
2022 – Test with evaluation – GS 407 and essay 115
What was common in both mains is writing as much as possible.
“It doesn’t matter on which ground you run or which shoe you wear to run, but you need to run a lot before the actual race.”