Former civil servants to coach UPSC aspirants filling up DAF form, appear in personality test

ANUGRAH, a Delhi-based low-cost civil service interview coaching centre run by a few  former bureaucrats will now help the aspirants in filling up Detailed Application Form, DAF (CSM), for Civil Services (Main) Examination, 2017. The filling up of this form where a successful candidate needs to give information such as one's education, family, job experiences, sports, hobbies etc. is considered crucial at the time of personality test. “Highly experienced team of former senior bureaucrats…

KR Nandini tops civil services exam 2016; 2nd topper Anmol Sher Singh Bedi prefers IFS; 10 Things to Know

Top 25 Candidates

Ms KR Nandini from Karnataka topped the civil services examination, 2016, making it the third year in a row when a woman candidate stands first in India's inarguably the toughest examination, with Ira Signal being the topper in 2014 and Tina Dhabi in 2015. Whereas Nandini, now an IRS (Customs and Central Excise) officer will opt for IAS, the second position holder — Anmol Sher Singh Bedi, a computer engineer from BITS Pilani, is opting to be a diplomat. Gopalkrishna Ronanki stands third among the list of 1099 successful candidates who will be allocated in services such as IAS, IFS, IPS and Group “A” and Group “B”. Here are 10 things about the UPSC results as announced on Wednesday evening:

Allowance hike only after finance secretary-headed panel submits report: Govt in Lok Sabha; Any proposal to include Yoga in UPSC syllabus?

THE 7th Central Pay Commission (CPC) has already been in force, but when will there be a hike in allowances other than dearness allowances, as recommended by the CPC? The question cropped up in Lok Sabha on Monday to which MoS personnel Jitendra Singh informed in a written reply that…

Is UPSC reducing age limit for candidates appearing in civil services exams?

IF REPORTS appeared in a news channel and some news websites on Thursday are to be correct, Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) which conducts civil services examinations, may reduce the upper age of candidates eligible to appear for the prestigious exam, from the current age limit of 32 years. According to the reports, the new upper age limit for general candidates may be brought to…

Has the edge given to engineering students in IAS exam gone? 159 simple graduates, 15 engineers among 180 IAS of 2015 batch

A section of IAS probationers

FIVE years ago, as many as 43 IAS officers selected were engineers out of a total of 148. And only 45 of 2011 batch IAS were simple graduates. Contrast this with 2015 batch IAS. As high as 159 of 180 IAS selected as IAS were simple graduates whereas the number of selected candidates with engineering background has drastically come down to mere 15, according to…

UPSC toppers spotted in power corridors; MoS in PMO gave them the first prescription

THREE toppers of civil services examination, 2015 — Tina Dabi, Athar Aamir Ul Shafi Khan and Jasmeet Singh Sandhu along with their parents met MoS in PMO Jitendra Singh in New Delhi on Wednesday in presence of a number of senior bureaucrats including DoPT secretary Sanjay Kothari. The toppers also met telecom minister RS Prasad and secretary JS Deepak. Here are a few tips that Jitendra Singh gave to the young would-be civil servants, as they discovered Delhi's power corridors for the first time:

Delhi girl Tina Dabi tops UPSC exam; railway probationer Athar and revenue probationer Jasmeet ranked 2nd and 3rd

A TV garb of Dabi (below) and Khan

DELHI girl Tina Dabi has topped the 2015 civil services examination in her very first attempt, whereas an IRTS officer-trainee Athar Aamir Ul Shafi Khan from Anantnag in Kashmir and Indian Revenue Service (Custom and Central Excise) officer trainee Jasmeet Singh Sandhu from Delhi secured the second and third rank respectively. Ms Dabi, 22, graduated from Lady Shri Ram College in Delhi, and is a resident of…

Will new civil service exam syllabus checkmate engineering students? 10 observations

UPSC Toppers: What backgrounds are they from?

IF THE union personnel minister and MoS in PMO Jitendra Singh’s remarks on Sunday are interpreted, there is a possibility that the government may go in for a more level-playing field for the students belonging to arts and commerce vis-à-vis engineering students in future civil services examinations. While interacting with a group of civil services aspirants in New Delhi on Sunday, minister Singh talked about the allegation that the present syllabus and pattern of civil services/IAS examinations tend to benefit students from mathematics and engineering backgrounds. Here are 10 observations about preparation for the new syllabus:

You need just 50% to crack IAS exam; but don’t think it’s a doddle

WHEN high cut-off marks (even 100%?) for admission in Delhi University was the talk of the town last month, did anyone realize that many of those brilliant students would ultimately aspire to score just 50% or a little more in UPSC-conducted civil services examinations in a few years from now and turn IAS, IFS, IPS etc.? Sounds odd, but yes, you need just 50% marks to become an IAS, clearly showing how difficult the examination is. The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), the agency which conducts the year-long examination, on Tuesday made public the…

How senior bureaucrats reacted to Saturday’s civil services results; their reminiscences of UPSC days

Ex-foreign secretary Nirupama Rao in 1973

AS UPSC announced the civil services examinations results on Saturday, many a senior bureaucrat including those serving as union secretaries, joint secretaries, ambassadors, former bureaucrats—all took to the social media sites to talk about the results, congratulate the toppers and narrate their reminiscences of their UPSC exams days. Revenue secretary and 1980 batch IAS Shaktikanta Das wrote in Twitter that he felt very happy for the customs and excise IRS officer Ira Singhal who topped the exam this year. “Her performance in Customs and Excise training academy was impressive. Great determination”, Das added. As many as…

IFS gets “hidden treasure” in Beno Zephine; 10 things to know about India’s first visually challenged diplomat

Beno Zephine being felicitated in DoPT

DURING the last few days senior ministers in the corridors felicitated a 25-year-old girl from Tamil Nadu. She is Beno Zephine. Literally, Beno means daughter of God and Zephine means hidden treasure. Yes, Indian Foreign Service gets a “hidden treasure” when Beno Zephine became the first 100 per cent visually challenged person to be inducted into the country's elite foreign service. Here are 10 things you may like to know about Beno Zephine.

Rahul Gandhi stamp in another snap decision: UPSC aspirants to get 2 more attempts, age relaxation

Gandhi with UPSC aspirants (Courtesy: NSUI)

IN A clear sign of Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi’s hand, the Central government in a surprise move on Monday approved two additional attempts for aspirants to crack civil services examinations popularly called UPSC exam, in addition to relaxing their upper age, a move that would allow lakhs of students to try their luck once more to get into the elite services such as IAS, IPS, IRS etc. Unlike in two previous cases, first being the tearing up of the ordinance that favoured jailed politicians and then…

State officers must write a single day exam in Delhi to turn their IAS, IPS dream into reality; 20% weightage on interview

A section of promoted IAS officers with Prez Mukherjee (File Photo)

IF YOU are a state civil service officer wishing to get into IAS, IPS, IFoS etc., better brush up your general knowledge and appear in mock interviews. In a major revamp to the process of promoting state civil service officers including police and forest personnel into all India services such as IAS and IPS, the government has decided to hold a single-day-long written examination in New Delhi’s UPSC headquarters. The written examination will have 30% weightage whereas…

UPSC releases sample paper on “ethics”. Want to try it out? Full Paper here

UPSC Headquarters

FROM this year, IAS aspirants will have to take a compulsory paper on “Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude” in civil services (mains) examination. And on Tuesday, Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) that conducts the exam has uploaded in its website a sample paper (Paper V) so as to give an idea of the nature of questions that may be asked in the exam. In the backdrop of…

Final modifications of civil services exams; what are your views?

AFTER a lot of drama both inside and outside Parliament, the new civil services examination pattern is settled, at least for now. The government has approved the following modifications for civil services examination 2013, which were notified on March 5:

Regional leaders mount pressure on PM to de-notify changed UPSC exam pattern

UPSC Headquarters in Delhi

REGIONAL political satraps such as DMK president M Karunanidhi, MNS president Raj Thackeray and Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan among others have mounted pressure on the Centre to withdraw the recent notification of changed UPSC exams pattern as…

Health ministry finds diabetic, pregnant women “fit” to join civil services

Health Minister Azad

UNION health ministry has okayed a proposal that diabetic, hypersensitive and pregnant women be allowed to join civil services, according to a report in a daily newspaper. Under the current rules, those who cross the hurdle of UPSC may find themselves "unfit" during medical examination because of diabetes and hypertension. Also, pregnant women are…

IAS coaching centres reach out to NRI children; UPSC exams to get tougher

Dream Run: A section of successful IAS of 2011 batch

IAS coaching centres have now jumped into the “brain gain” bandwagon wooing children of rich NRIs to enrol and appear for civil services examinations. For many Indians living abroad, Indian bureaucracy is a symbol of power and prestige. Also, working in rural pockets of India is a fantasy for many of those rich kids living abroad.
A number of news sites have recently carried

Annies Kanmani Joy: Probably the 2nd nurse ever to make it to IAS

A DOCTOR from AIIMs might have hogged the limelight for topping the recently declared civil services exam, but it’s a nurse from Kerala who is no less a news-maker. Annies Kanmani Joy, 26 years old nurse hailing from a farmer's family in Kerala’s Ernakulam district, deserves woh! from across the country. as she was selected as an IAS after securing 65th rank in civil services exam, 2011. Last time, she was selected for

INCUBATION: An Orissa university to begin a cell to train future IAS, IFS, IPS…

NOW, a Central university in Orissa will take the IAS coaching centers head-on, as the Koraput-based university is planning to start a specialized cell to train its students for appearing for competitive examination with a thrust on UPSC exam being held annually to select IAS, IFS IPS and other allied services.

Though many students from universities across India appear for such competitive examinations every year, universities never get involved in the process and remain focused on its own curricula. But the Central University, Koraput will now train those students separately for which IAS officers would be roped in as guest faculty, a report by The Times of India said.

Significantly, poor success rate of students from Orissa in such competitive examinations is believed to be the key reasons for such an initiative. According to the Vice Chancellor of the University, an advisory committee, comprising some senior IAS officers, was formed which will work out the course and the method of coaching.

Significantly, the University is collaborating with the British Council to improve the students’ communication skills and knowledge of English language.

If this trend is replicated by other universities too, there will be much more incubation space for future IAS, IFS, IPS across India.

Mizoram CM is unhappy with bureaucrats

Mizoram chief minister Pu Lal Thanhawla has found the demand of a pay hike for state government servants unreasonable as their output is not satisfactory. According to local media, the chief minister has blamed the bureaucrats for the state’s inability to spend Rs 70 cr Central funds. The CM was addressing Mizoram Civil Pensioners’ Association General Assembly in Aizawl recently. What has concerned the CM is the report that many civil servants devote just 2 hours for their office work.

Action and Appointments

The UP government has once again engineered a minor administrative reshuffle transferring four IAS officers including the Greater Noida CEO Mukul Singhal. Divisional Commissioner (Moradabad) Manoj Kumar will now be the new Greater Noida CEO after incumbent Mr Singhal has been transferred as Member (Judicial) in the Allahabad Revenue Board.