BPSC Topper’s Interview: SDM Rahul Sinha (Rank 92) shares his success story
BPSC Topper Interview: Jagranjosh.com interviewed one of the toppers of 60th -62nd BPSC exam Rahul Sinha on 5 February 2019 for the aspiring candidates preparing for the BPSC Examination. The final result of the 60th -62nd BPSC exam was declared on 1 February 2019 by the BPSC in which Rahul Sinha secured the 92nd rank and was allotted the post of SDM in Bihar Administrative Services. Rahul scored 538 marks in the BPSC Mains exam and 102 marks in the interview. Out of the 1650 candidates for the interview, 642 candidates have been declared qualified in the final merit list.
In this article, we are providing the detailed interview with Mr. Rahul Sinha.
BPSC Mains Previous Year Cut Off
Interviewer: Welcome Mr. Rahul and many many congratulations form Jagranjosh.com on your selection in the 60th -62nd BPSC Exam. It’s really an honour to be with you and having a chat with you.
Mr. Rahul Sinha: Thanka a lot. It is equally a pleasure for me being invited here.
Interviewer: So, How do you feel after getting success in the 60th -62nd BPSC Exam?
Mr. Rahul Sinha: Honestly speaking, it is like a dream come true. I have a feeling that one fine morning I have got up and got the news of my selection. It is still beyond my belief that I have got the selection. I have still a feeling that someone will come to me and wake me up from this dream.
Interviewer: Whom would you like to thank for your success in the 60th -62nd BPSC Exam and why?
Mr. Rahul Sinha: I would like to thank everybody in my family. My parents, my bhaiya and bhabhi, my wife, my sister and all the relatives who keep on motivating me for this awesome journey.
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Interviewer: Please tell us about your educational background and family.
Mr. Rahul Sinha: Well, I completed my secondary and senior secondary education from my native place Bihar. Then , I went for my B. Tech. which I did from the UPTU in Mechanical Engineering. Coming to my family, my father is a retired SBI Officer. My mother is an Ayurvedic doctor. My elder brother has a software business in Gurugram. My bhabhi is working as an HR Executive and she also helps in the business. I have a younger sister who is working in SBI Life and my wife is currently preparing for the Civil Services exams.
Interviewer: When did you choose to become a Civil Servant and why?
Mr. Rahul Sinha: It all started by chance way back in 2014. I was deeply attracted to the potential of a civil servant. It is not the usual glamour of power but the way an Officer can bring changes in the society with his fine sense of doing. This encouraged me to become a Civil Servant.
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Interviewer: What motivated you to appear in the the 60th -62nd BPSC Exam?
Mr. Rahul Sinha: I have the deepest of the desire to become a Civil Servant and my father used to say that it is always a special thing to be one such. These things motivated me to appear in the BPSC exam.
Interviewer: What will be your priorities after becoming an Adminidtrative Officer?
Mr. Rahul Sinha: See, there is an endless list of priorities for an Administrative Officer. But, the things that are the utmost priority are the basics like education, health, infrastructure etc. Whatever department I head in the time to come but the education sector will be my prime priority. Bihar has enormous potential but needs to nurture them well so that the bottom line position of Bihar can be lifted higher.
Interviewer: Please tell us about your hobbies and interests.
Mr. Rahul Sinha: I love to write diary. It has been a habit since long. This has helped me in my exams also. Diary enables me to track my daily activities and help me know whether I have reached my daily targets or not. I can keep a record of the current events in my diary which I can revise whenever I need to. I must say that the candidates should keep a hobby that helps in their exams.
Interviewer: How much time should one give for the preparation of BPSC Exam? When did you start the preparation for BPSC Exam?
Mr. Rahul Sinha: A thorough study of one year is required for the preparation of the BPSC exam. The candidates have to study well during this period. I started preparing for the BPSC exam in 2014.
Interviewer: Is joining coaching Institute indispensable for clearing the BPSC Exam?
Mr. Rahul Sinha: No, the caoching institutes are not a must. However, the candidates should join the test series, mock interviews. Thay can watch the videos on Youtube, Jagranjosh.com, use Apps like Unacademy and read blogs on a regualr basis. These things are enough for the exam preparation along with self study. The only thumb rule for success is a planned self study.
Interviewer: Did you use the Internet? How helpful was it?
Mr. Rahul Sinha: If we look at the syllabus of the BPSC exam, then we will come to know that only reading through the books is not sufficient for the success. The exam needs much more. For this, we have to take the help from the internet. I , too, have taken the help of internet. It is very helpful in my studies. There are many blogs which the candidates can read. There are current affairs to be updated with the help of internet. At times, the candidates need to search some stuffs over the internet. So, we cannot rule out the utility of the internet in the modern day preparation.
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Interviewer: Please enumerate the Dos and Don’ts for the preparation of BPSC Exam?
Mr. Rahul Sinha: The candidates have to take care of many things during their preparation. A little bit of mistake can lead to poor results. So, it is always desirable for them to have a well planned list of what to do and what not to do. According to me, they should focus on practice more. If they practise well then things will be easier for them. They should read the standard books and stay updated with the latest development. They should involve in group discussion. Coming to the point what they should not do, I will say that the time runs away so fast. The candidates will find themselves in a time crunch. So, they should not waste their time in useless stuffs. They should maintain a balance of time.
Interviewer: How should one prepare for the Interview?
Mr. Rahul Sinha: I will suggest the candidates that they should collect the list of the probable questions first. Then they should frame their answers on their own and evaluate these answers if they are fit for the purpose. What they can also do is to get these answers evaluated by some experts. Also, appearing in the mock interview is a plus always. The candidates can ask the menbers of their family to put up questions. I have adopted the same strategy where I used to say my father and sister to ask questions from me. This has helped me a lot in the preparation of my interview. Apart from this, the candidates can arrange the group discussion with their friends. This also helps in the preparation of the interview.
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Interviewer: Please give us the details about your interview. What was its time duration, the number of members in interview panel etc.
Mr. Rahul Sinha: My interview was scheduled on 23 November 2018 in the board of Mr. Naushad Yusuf. The duration of the interview was about 25 minutes. There were four members in the panel.
Interviewer: Please tell us about the questions asked in the interview.
Mr. Rahul Sinha: The interview started with my entry in the hall where I was to sit at the edge of a long table. The position was such that I can be noticed with all the angles. My feet movement, gesture and posture all can be seen. I guess one of the members of the panel was to notice these activities only.
The questions started with my introduction and then with my qualification. They asked me being a Mechanical Engineer, how would I be suitable and contribute to the administrative services. To this, I replied with the California model of agriculture. I answered them that Bihar is widely rich in the resources but the agricultural output is low. If we use the technology then we can increase the yield.
While answering the question, one of the members of the panel asked me if I was okay and if I need water. To this, I said it is all right sir. Probably they wanted to check if I was attentive or not.
To another question, I talked about the UDAAN scheme of the GoI. I said that this scheme has been very helpful in bringing the investment. The investors are running out of time and if we can build good airports then they will be able to monitor their projects well and this, in turn, will help the state.
The interviewers were very cordial and helpful. They allowed me the comfort zone and once I got the comfort zone, it was all very easy for me there. That was all in my interview.
Interviewer: What mindset should the candidates keep while facing the Interview?
Mr. Rahul Sinha: The candidates should keep a positive mindset while facing the interview. If the candidates is not positive then the outcome of the interview may not be good. Also, they should remain true and does not try to be artificial. The members of the panel are experienced enough to notice all these. They get paid for this and they have interviewed many candidates. So, trying to be smart is not a good idea there.
Everybody gets nervous. It’s very natural. So, the members at the panel provide the due comfort zone to the candidates. Always remember that there is not much checking of the knowledge of the candidate. Interview is the test of the personality of the candidates. So, the candidates should remain cool, calm and composed always.
Interviewer: What suggestions would you like to give to the BPSC Exam aspirants?
Mr. Rahul Sinha: To all the BPSC aspirants, I would suggest that once they are done with the syllabus, then they should focus more on practice. They should keep the ratio of study and practice to 20:80. They should follow the principle “Practice makes perfect”. More practice and proportionate amount of study make the preparation better for the candidates. This is the best way to tackle the issues with the preparation of BPSC exams.
Interviewer: What do you think about jagranjosh.com IAS and Civil Service section? Do you think it fulfills all the requirements of the candidates to prepare for Civil Service Exams?
Mr. Rahul Sinha: Jagranjosh.com has always been helpful in preparation. In fact, for the first time, when I searched for the information on BPSC syllabus, jagranjosh.com was the first to serve me.
Talking about the IAS and Civil Service sections, I would say that it is catering well to the civil services aspirants. The candidates can get all the latest information related to the civil services on jagranjosh.com.
Interviewer: Thank you Mr. Rahul for your valuable time. You really took all the pains being here and your words of wisdom will really be guiding to the young aspirants of the BPSC. Thanks a lot and wish you all the very best for your coming journey as a Bureaucrat.
Mr. Rahul Sinha: Thanks for your wishes. It’s really been a pleasure being here and I hope that jagranjosh.com will keep on serving the students like this in the times to come.