My IES journey

My IES journey

Few minutes ago, I received a call, "Hello sir, I am XXXX XXX from Kolkata. First of all congratulations for your grand success in IES exam. Please guide and motivate me, I am also preparing for the same exam". Suddenly these types of calls became normal in life. Suddenly I realized that something has change in my life. I really don't know, its good or bad. This is really unusual for a person like me who has seen a tons of failures in my life. Some point of time, I was really thinking, ohh I cannot believe that all these incidents have happened to me and today I am here.

Recently I cleared Engineering Service Examination held and controlled by Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), a constitutional body which recruits elite group of officers in India. Nearly 4-5 lakh candidates apply for  few hundred seats every year. The service is divided into four group of engineers, Civil, Mechanical, Electrical and Electronics. The selected candidates are then appointed to different departments of Central Government of India as a Group A Gazetted (or lower depending upon case) officer after rigorous training and probation period. 

Those were the days, in Government  College of Engineering, Karad where I have completed my graduation. Placements had began in third year. First company to come for college campus recruitment was Shapoorji Pallonji Engineering & Construction ltd. It was a dream company for many. Many of us were extremely excited. My performance in my graduation was 'average' and even can be said as 'below average'. I was not very confident, as my grades were low, I was not good at English nor was I good at aptitude exams. Finally the day arrived, they conducted screening test and I failed. Not even they selected me for the interviews. Defeated, I started rethinking about my future. I had nearly accepted, I weak in technical, I cannot get selected in any company. Thereafter, I did not apply for any company, saying I have different plans in my mind. There were no plans at all, really no plans. I started thinking about learning building planing and design and assisting some local contractor. My parents knowing my condition, insisted on doing Post- Graduation. I was least interested in learning further. I remembered, I along with my friends had applied for MPSC (State PSC) exam, I passed it preliminary screening test, without any preparation. This became an only ray of hope that days. 

Days were frustrating and colorless, I had become more and more worrisome. I know I had to take some brave steps, otherwise life would be difficult for me.  Within few days, my classmate Akshay Desai,who was also my childhood friend came up with a very new idea.. Surprisingly they were very confident about me and they assured my full support despite my average performance in my graduation. I remember, the Demand Draft of Rs 42500,  which was to be paid as fees to the coaching class in Delhi through post, which was made after golden neck chain of my father, which he gave very happily. The admission to the institute was confirmed and within few days, arrived our final exams of graduation. 26th May 2012, was the last day of the examination. For others, it was a great moment of celebration, for me it was a beginning of a new struggle.

Me (Right) and my friend Akshay, nearly when we decided to prepare for IES exams

He told me about a coaching institute in Delhi for UPSC Engineering exam. I quickly made my decision but now the biggest concern was of money. That day, first time in my life, I was taking to my parents with a lump in throat

My lectures at coaching institute in Delhi were going to start on 31st May, 2012 and so we (me and my friend Akshay)decided to reach there on 30th May morning. We had booked a train ticket for us from our home town Karad. Hardly we had any time after the final exams to celebrate, we left for Delhi on 28th May night. It was a 31 hour journey and I was extremely nervous as I was going to stay away from home for first time in my life. I didn't had any idea, what is living in Delhi like or what problems would I face. Next day in the train, I met a soldier. He was from a village from Goa and travelling to his posting in Jammu and Kashmir. He was a nice guy and very happy to serve the country as a soldier. Asked about why is he doing so difficult job, he told about the respect one gets after martyrdom in his village. I was really impressed with that guy who was ready to shed his blood for the country without any special gains as such. 

The following night I spent thinking, 'why do I really wanted to join IES', was the money the only need, if so what about the teachings of my mother do serve the nation, what about the thoughts I used to share with my college mate to serve the society and lot many other 'whats'. If I really wanted to serve my country, it is not required to fight on border, there are many faces of our enemy who remain in the system and are responsible for poor roads, poor education system and poor public distribution system, whom we need to fight against. No, I am not talking about witch hunting, I mean you join the system and serve in such a way that your daily work itself will be a service to the nation. We need to fight our internal enemy first, then external enemy. During the stay in Delhi, only this thought persisted with me, everything other perished, even closest of close friend did. 

Next day morning we reached Delhi. It was hot like a kiln, as I described it the way we walked out of the station. The moment  I stepped in Delhi, my struggle started, struggle to find accommodation, struggle to manage with my friends, struggle to have food, struggle to manage expenses and overall struggle to cope up with the study pressures. But, time never stops, it keeps on, day after night and night after day. Really, a sunny day comes after deep dark night, and on Thu, May 30, 2013 at 5:59 PM, I got a mail saying "Congratulations, you have been selected for IIT Bombay M. Tech Programme". The effect was such that I could not sleep there for three consecutive days. It may not be a great thing for many of us, but having seen a series of failure almost every walk of my life, that was really a dawn out of a dark cold night.

Visit to Rashtrapati Bhavan with my friends in Delhi (me extreme right). Only casual visit after GATE exam

But, this was not a final dream and I had a long journey ahead. I kept on studying for IES examinations. Finally the day of examination arrived. The exam was held on 28th June to 30th June. I had to join IIT Bombay on 10th July, so I had booked tickets to return to home on 5th of July. We had worked a lot, but everything did not go well in exams, and I returned home. My parents were extremely happy, yes ofcourse upto some extent due to admission at IIT Bombay, but they were more happy because now I will be staying within their reach. 

Initial few days, we enjoyed our IIT campus a lot but the joys started receding with the college schedule becoming increasingly intensive and laborious. I hardly found any time to prepare for IES exam again as I knew that my examination was not that well and I may have to reappear again this year.  Many of my classmates wanted to join me in my IES preparation but the but academic schedule did not allow all. Really, the first semester course work was ho huge that many of us thought of quitting and preparing for IES, but none did.

Classmates at IIT Bombay, one of a chearful moment within a hectic academic course

Time passed, and in the month of October, IES written examination results were out. I was called for interview on 31st Dec. I was totally away from by IES preparation for last few months and hence the interview was not very. Slowly, the hopes of getting selected diminished. 

I returned back from interview from Delhi and started preparing again for the next year exam of IES to be held in June 2014. Within few days, results were out and I was not selected. I felt very sorry for myself, I remembered that tough days, when experiencing huge amount of problems but I never gave up. I fought back fiercely all the problems, but why did I failed? I was not sure, would I be able to prepare all again, such huge task, all alone? I started becoming more worrisome. My well wishers assured faith in me and gave me courage to fight again. I started my hardwork again and within few days, there joined my friend, Shashank Bharadwaj. Till now he was also preparing alone and giving his first attempt in 2014. He was really very hardworking, very ambitious and most important of all, very cheerful guy. We used to inspire each other to work harder. I remember, we had devised new tricks to study for IES during college lectures are going on. We used to hide our IES notes below the lecture notebook and read when professor is not looking at us. We had tried and studied almost every place in the campus as we use to compulsorily carry some notes wherever we go and start studying at any time any place we got during lecture, during project work. We were really proud, that we are doing ateast one thing in our lives with our greatest commitment. Then arrived month of May. Our semesters were over, and now we had all the time to study for IES. I slept at 4 AM and rose at 8 AM to find a book adjacent to my pillow. I remember, I wished I had a bigger day than 24 hours, as it seemed very short that days. Then June arrived. 20th, 21st and 22nd were the three days of exams. We had planned each and every minute of those three days, rather we had 'Engineered' those three days, when to sleep, what to each and what to think during that period. Yes we did all this and we executed all the plan very successfully.

Exams were over and we both visited our homes after a long. The time was boring as there was nothing to do with such passion and enthusiasm. Finding normal college routine boring, Shashank started preparing for civil services. I chose to work harder on my project. Again, few months passed and written results were declared in the month of November. Many of classmates had appeared for, but only Shashank and I managed to clear the written exams. Again we started our preparation. First of all, we completed all our syllabus. Then after filling of Detail Application Form (DAF) we started preparing for general awareness pertaining to our home town, home state and current issues. Then we took a brave step, not to attain any coaching for interviews and mock interviews. I knew the actual arrangement in the interview room at UPSC as I had appeared earlier for the interviews. According to that, we recreated the interview room in our hostel library. We kept a big round table, and all the chairs on one side and only one chair on other side. We issued a video camera and a stand from our college. We used to take mock interview of each other. We used to set up camera, table and dress up and reach the interview location on predetermined time. We tried to recreate the whole interview environment in our hostel library. We used to analyse the recorded footage of the interview, comment on body posture, walking style, talking style and also way of answering. This way, we almost did as many as 10-12 mock interview. 

Surprisingly, we both got the interview call for the same date and same panel, 13 January 2015. We stayed Gurgaon for the interviews, at Shashank's relatives. Finally, the day arrived. We were given reporting timing of 1 PM. We started from Gurgaon at 9 AM via metro. We reached Dholpur house (UPSC Bhavan) at around 11.30 AM. We met other fellow candidates appearing for interviews. Other coming out from the UPSC bhavan from previous were interviewed by the people from coaching institutes. I was filled with energy and enthusiasm and need not to say, bit nervousness. We hurriedly read newspapers and memorised important news,there on Chai shop just outside the UPSC building. They allowed us to enter at 1 PM after checking our invitation letter. 

As we entered, we were made to sit in a waiting room, which just below the dome of UPSC building seen usually in photographs. We were made to sit st a table along with other candidates appearing for the interviews before the same interview panel. Yet the name of the interview panel chairman was not revealed. They checked our documents in no time. No one was wearing a wrist watch as we were clearly informed not to bring it and hence there after we were unaware of time. After some time, one person came and a candidate (not in our panel) was called for the interview. A bit of nervousness started showing on in myself. My was the second and Shashank had sixth turn to go for the interview. Still no one in our panel was called. Suddenly, a person with a paper came near to us and he called name of the candidate who had to go first for the interview. Within no time, the temperature rose to such high that it was no surprise to see everyone had made their faces red in colour. Shashank and I were sitting close to each other, saw each other faces and laughing saying "bete, tu toh nervous ho gaya hai" meaning, 'you are getting nervous'. I took long breaths and calmed down. I remembered my loving parents and guru. It really made me feel comfortable. Finally, the same person came calling my name. I got up, went to the door of waiting room, they checked me again and they he guided me till the office of Prof. David R. Syiemlieh who was the chairman of the panel of my interview. I waited there for few minutes and then walked inside wishing every member of the interview panel. The interview continued for unknown time.

Few minutes after the interview at UPSC Bhavan

The interview was good, I was happy because they asked me questions which I had already prepared and I was able to answer them confidently. I was extremely happy that day. Next day I returned to Mumbai for continuing of my M. Tech at IIT Bombay. 

Thereafter, the countdown for final results began. We both were very hopeful. Really, waiting for result is very distressing. Every single day, every hour I used to check UPSC website to look for results. One day, I was in my friends room, discussing some happy moments of Government College of Engineering Karad, where I had completed my graduation. Simultaneously I was checking the UPSC website. And, the HOLY CRAP. IES results were out. I jumped upon my friend sitting front of the laptop, "Abey result aagaya, jaldi dekh" meaning 'hey, results are out, please look for it'. Only 97Kb file, was taking just too long to get downloaded. And the file was downloaded, my heart was beating with enormous rate. All India Rank 59. It was really a situation I have no words to explain.

Just after the of results were out 

Phone started ringing with well wishes, one after other. In succeeding one hour of the results, I received almost, 70-80 phone calls. 

And thereafter, everyday I get up and then realize I have got selected and this is not dream. Its real !!!

A recent photograph with me(right) and my friend Shashank Bharadwaj at my hostel at IIT Bombay