At your service

Once you get into the thick of it, it becomes imperative to go on. The selected few from the region who made it to the top ranks in the Civil Services adopted their chosen path bereft of all the fun that the laity indulges in…

Mona

Hitting the bull’s eye requires focus, consistency and determination. While pursuing one’s goal, there is a lot that that one has to do, there also is this other half that one has to let go. Choosing, prioritising is what sifts the successful from the unsuccessful.  Saturday spelled success for six from the Tri-city as they made it to the prestigious Civil Services. A girl and five guys put behind lakhs of others to make it to the coveted spot. As congratulations poured in and people around them asked on how they realised their dream; not many got to hear the long list of stuff they had to leave behind or at least put brakes on for a while. We check with the victorious candidates on how their usual lifestyle took a hit as they burnt the proverbial midnight oil.

Break away from the usual

To prepare Apoorv Devgan had to give up all that youngsters his age do — go out for dinner or movies with friends and family, curtail TV drastically and also something really close to his heart – touring on his bike. “See there can be no generalisation but in my case I did put in 8-10 hours that spelled that I did little of normal stuff like even spending time with my family.” Now that all the efforts have paid off, Apoorv is already on the go with a satisfaction that he would be able to contribute to the grass root level in his new role.

A tightrope walk

It meant the world for Abhijeet Kaplish to crack the Union Public Service Commission for two reasons — One, it is one of the finest services in the world. Two, it gives him an opportunity to work where it matters in the coming years. Though this boy who would study only because it interested him, and not to stick to laborious hours set by the clock, one thing that pinched Abhishek was to get by in the pocket money. “One can spend if one joins job soon after but in my case I had to manage in little for it did take me two to three years to make it here!” 

Dodging the distractions

Soon after college Paramvir Singh Badharan set himself to the task of fulfilling his late father’s dream. And upcoming two years meant cutting down on socialising both virtually and otherwise. “I restricted my use of Facebook to 5-10 minutes in a day. “It was not to save time but keep away from distractions.” Since his friends were in the same boat they didn’t mind and now it’s become a habit with Paramvir, “I guess I will do without socialising much. Services would demand more of my time and I am kind of ok with it.”

Self- imposed exile

When post his Economics Honours, MBA and work experience of a year -and -half with Britannia Industries, Tusharanshu Sharma thought of giving UPSC a shot, he had to give up a lot. "I had to basically get into a shell," admits the jubilant 27-year- old. So, it meant cutting down on socialising, a full stop to travelling and being on his own. "I had to stick to self- imposed schedule." Basically, this soon to be IAS officer took solace in painting, playing guitar and spending time with his a year plus nephew. "Even when he had relatives home, he couldn't sit down to chit chat but just see them for a minute or two and get back to the groove. Well, no complaining now that he is got what he aimed at. 

The other way out

“It’s a long drawn process, not only did I had to stick to a path I had chosen for myself, I also had to avoid burn out,” says Priyanka Mehtani. She had to hugely cut down on her friend circle, miss many a social events, but she found recourse in reading and telly shows. “One good thing with the preparation was that I learnt to prioritise. And, now that the aim is achieved it’s going to be one long party over the phone for all my friends are in different cities now,” she laughs.

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