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Shri Shravan Hardikar, IAS

                                                                                   (C. S. Exam. 2004) 

Every year, Union Public Service Commission (U.P.S.C.) conducts the Civil Services Examination to select the candidates for All India and Central Civil Services.  This examination is one of the toughest examinations in India for which the best brains from the entire country compete.  Since the success ratio is very low it makes one of the challenging examinations to get through.  So I feel that one must not only be prepared with the subject matter of this examination but also with right mental attitude and spirit to tide over any challenge that this examination throws at you.

            As you all must be knowing by now that this examination mainly consists of three phases.  Preliminary examination tests the diversity of your knowledge.  The depth of your knowledge, understanding and analytical abilities are tested during the main examination.  In the personality test your character, personality and ability to respond in most logical way is tested.  Medical board tests your medical fitness.  So, you need to be conceptually, attitudinally, mentally and medically fit to be successful. 

            I am pretty confident that with sufficient hard work and with able guidance from YASHADA’s Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Center for Competitive Examinations you will be conceptually fit for your optimal papers and General Studies. But, what about mental fitness?  What about your attitude?  Are you prepared to face the challenges and hardships that this exam throws at you?

            This is a very different type of exam.  If you don’t get selected in this examination despite taking lot of attempts you don’t get any value in material terms.  You don’t get diploma or degree either on the qualification of appearing for U.P.S.C. exam.  You only get four wasted years and lot of frustration. But no doubt, you become wise in the process!

  I have also seen a lot of aspirants loosing their way during this exam.  They crumble under pressure and leave the pursuit in between.  Some have even left the exam during the main examination.  Some get frustrated because of failures.  Some or rather almost all suffer with paralyzing tension of performance.  But is it worth going through all this?

            I myself have gone through all this and so have many.  So what differentiates between those who get selected and many who are left out?  I can’t comment on this issue entirely, neither can I call it entirely luck.  But I feel that all those who got selected definitely had something more, than others did.  They had right attitude… the winning spirit…!

Everyone must appear for this examination with an attitude of winner.  One must not think about ‘next attempt’.  There is never a next attempt.  One must have ‘now or never’ attitude.  One needs to keep reminding one’s self that “Yes… I will do it!”

          But this spirit won’t come just by saying it.  One must experience it. Many others and I have felt the urge to succeed, to rise above the mediocrity and do something great.  This strong urge made me work beyond the capacity which I imagined.  This urge brought out the best in me and I could never feel tired after working for 14 hours a day. 

            Everybody feels tensed before examination.  Everyone gets the feeling before exam that we are loosing it.  Sometimes we get frustrated with results.  But all this requires strength of character, which allows you to pass from one moment to another… from frustration to positivism… from failure to success… We must ride these moments and keep telling ourselves that “Yes I can do it… and I will do it now!”  To tide over tension one can meditate, one can look for his own peace or whatever one may prefer.  But one must know that what he is pursuing is a noble aim and he is going to do lot good for people and himself if he succeeds.  So cheer up… and gear up… and rise above the limits set by our mind to reach the sky of glory. 

            In the end, I would like to share a simple mantra which has kept me ‘alive and kicking’ in the rat race of U.P.S.C. and kept me motivated … which I hope you would also find it worth remembering…

                               ´Öî ÆÑüæÖÖ úÖ´ÖµÖÖ²Ö †Ö•Ö êú פü­Ö Ö

                     ´Ö­Ö´Öë Æîü ×¾ÖÀ¾ÖÖÃÖ ¯Öã¸üÖ Æîü ×¾ÖÀ¾ÖÖÃÖ

                     ´Öî ÆÑüæÖÖ úÖ´ÖµÖÖ²Ö †Ö•Ö êú פü­Ö Ö

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