IAS first ranker Divyadharshini shares her success mantra!

IN her first attempt, this 24-year old law graduate from the School of Excellence in Law, Chennai couldn't clear the UPSC Civil Services Preliminary but in her second attempt, she emerged the first ranker! Daughter of V Shanmugam, a customs consultant and homemaker S. Padmavathy, Divyadharshini was working at SBI for the past six months. She shares her journey.

Name: Divyadharshini Shanmugam

Rank: 1

Exam: Civil Service Exam 2010

Q.How did you hear the good news?
A.I was in office when the results were declared, and a friend informed me of the results. It came as a shock! At first I did not believe but it but confirmed it through my brother. It took a while to realise that it was not a dream.
Q.Who is the inspiration behind your success?
A. My mentor Prabhakaran sir (Director of Prabhas IAS Academy) and my parents. All have given me ample confidence, motivation and have placed belief in me.
Q.How different was it in the second attempt? What made you crack it?
A.I think one year’s consistent preparation made the difference between the two attempts.
Q.What were your optional subjects and why did you choose them?
A.Prelims – I chose Public Administration due to easy availability of books and study materials, availability of guidance and above all my interest.
Mains - I chose Public Administration and law, as law was my graduation subject and I felt comfortable with the syllabus.

Study Materials:

Public administration
Books by Lakshmikanth and Maheshwari
Solved previous years question papers
Journals by Indian Institute of Public Administration on current topics like RTI and Civil Society
Law
Constitution by Jai Narayan Pandey and M P Jain
Contracts by Avatar Singh
Torts by Atchudhan Pillai
International Law by Kapoor and Agarwal
Indian Economy
Dutt & Sundaram, Economic & Politically Weekly, Yojna
Indian Polity
DDBasu, NCERT
Science & Technology
Spectrum, NCERT
Indian History
NCERT, Bipan Chandra
Geography
NCERT, Atlas
Current Affairs
The Hindu, Frontline, India Year Book

Q.How was the interview? Can you recall any questions from the board members?
The questions were based on my profile and were based on the RTI Act, Lokpal Bill etc.
Q.How good are coaching institutes and what to be cautious of if you choose one?
A.Coaching centres are a guiding light but it all ultimately comes down to your individual effort. Attending mock tests would help a lot to ascertain where we stand. Choosing the right centre would have to be made cautiously.
There are many money sucking institutes and we need to be careful not to get into their hands and waste our money and time
Q.Do you have any priority areas where you would like to see you making a difference in the administrative services?
A.IAS gives a wider scope to serve the society and make a difference. I think bridging the rural – urban developmental divide would help in the longer run.
Q.Your message to future CSE aspirants…
A.I would like to wish them all the very best for the exam. It’s a way to go forward with confidence and belief in yourself. It’s not too easy but neither too hard. Right amount of effort would pay good results
Q.What was your strategy for optionals, GS and Essay?
A.Optional - I covered the entire syllabus and prepared concrete points for each topic and always revised before exams. Notes are really helpful especially during exam times.
GS - In addition to prelims preparation, adding personal view and analysis of the questions
Essay- I think there is no need to special preparation for essay. Preparation for general studies help in writing the essay paper. Newspaper reading builds ideas which helps in essay.

A.The interview board was cordial. I answered to my satisfaction. There were one or two questions for which I didn’t know the answer but I was frank with the board and told them the truth that I did not know.

Find Best Coaching Institute for IAS Here -

IAS - Shape up your Career with the Best Coaching Institutes

Why is an IAS officer called collector in India?

Why is an IAS grade officer called a collector in India? How is the job and 'collector' connected?

Not all IAS officers are collectors. Administrative head of a district is a District Collector, who happens to be an IAS officer. During British Raj, the District Collector was in charge of collecting revenue from a district. That is how the name came to be and it was never modified though the role changed substantially.
                           Where there is commissionarate system in India head of district is known as district collector and where there is no such system enforced then head of a district is known as district magistrate and collector, DM are executive magistrate and have been given jurisdiction of certain matters upon which they act as judges.

Give women their rights they can do best

Even though they make up half the population, women and girls have endured discrimination in most societies for thousands of years. In the past, women were treated as property of their husbands or fathers - they couldn't own land, they couldn't vote or go to school, and were subject to beatings and abuse and could do nothing about it. Over the last hundred years, much progress has been made to gain equal rights for women around the world, but many still live without the rights to which all people are entitled.


Also









Women top UPSC civil service examination



Women top civil services exams



Civil Services Examination: Improved performance by Women Candidates

[PDF]Social Background of Indian Administrative Service - ISID click Here

CIVIL SERVICES EXAMINATION - GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS (PRELIMINARY AND MAIN EXAMINATION)

GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS:

Articles banned inside the examination hall
Unfair means strictly prohibited
Conduct in the examination hall
Instructions for Blind Candidates / Scribes

NOTE:
Candidates must write the papers in their own hand. In no circumstances, will they be allowed the help of a scribe to write the answers for them.
However, blind candidates will be allowed to write the examination with the help of a scribe.
If a candidate's handwriting is not easily legible, a deduction will be made on this account from the total marks otherwise accruing to him.
Marks will not be allotted for mere superficial knowledge.
Credit will be given for orderly, effective and exact expression combined with due economy of words in all subjects of the examination.
In the question papers, wherever required, SI units will be used.
Candidates should use only international form of Indian numerals (i.e. 1,2,3,4,5,6 etc.) while answering question papers.
The Commission have discretion to fix qualifying marks in any or all the subjects of the examination.

ARTICLES BANNED INSIDE THE EXAMINATION HALL

Candidates are not permitted to use calculators for answering objective type papers (Test Booklets), i.e. for the Preliminary examination. They should not therefore, bring the same inside the Examination Hall.
Candidates will be allowed the use of Scientific (Non-Programmable type) Calculators at the conventional (Essay) type examination of UPSC, i.e. for the Main Examinmation.
Programmable type calculators will however not be allowed and the use of such calculators shall amount to resorting to unfair means by the candidates.
Loaning or interchanging of calculators in the Examination Hall is not permitted.
Mobile phones, pagers or any other communication devices are not allowed inside the premises where the examination is being conducted. Any infringement of these instructions should entail disciplinary action including ban from future examinations.
Candidates are advised in their own interest not to bring any of the banned item including mobile phones /pagers to the venue of the examination, as arrangements for safekeeping cannot be assured. The Commission will not be responsible for any loss in this regard.
UNFAIR MEANS STRICTLY PROHIBITED

No candidates shall copy from the papers of any other candidate, nor permit his papers to be copied, nor give, nor attempt to give, nor obtain, nor attempt to obtain irregular assistance of any description.
CONDUCT IN EXAMINATION HALLNo candidates should misbehave in any manner or create disorderly scene in the Examination Hall or harass the staff employed by the Commission for the conduct of the examination. Any such misconduct will be severelypenalised.
INSTRUCTIONS FOR BLIND CANDIDATES / SCRIBES
Candidates must write the papers in their own hand. In no circumstances, will they be allowed the help of a scribe to write the answers for them. However, blind candidates will be allowed to write the examination with the help of a scribe.
An extra time of twenty minutes per hour shall be permitted for the candidates with locomotor disability and cerebral palsy where dominant (writing) extremity is affected to the extent of slowing the performance of function (minimum of 40% impairment) in the Civil Services (Main) Examination only. However, no scribe shall be permitted to such candidates.
The eligibility conditions of a scribe, his/her conduct inside the examination hall and the manner in which and extent to which he/she can help the blind candidate in writing the Civil Services Examination shall be governed by the instructions issued by the UPSC in this regard.
Violation of all or any of the said instructions shall entail the cancellation of the candidature of the blind candidate in addition to any other action that the UPSC may take against the scribe.
For purpose of these rules, the candidate shall be deemed to be a blind candidate if the percentage of visual impairment is 40% or more.
For availing of the concession admissible to a blind candidate, the candidate concerned shall produce a certificate in the prescribed proforma from a Medical Board constituted by the Central / State Governments alongwith his application for the Main Examination.
The concession admissible to blind candidates shall not be admissible to those suffering from Myopia.

A physically handicapped candidates belonging to the general category shall be eligible for 7 attempts.

To become an IAS officer you need to appear in civil services exam conducted by UPSC.
The exam is held in 3 stages:
CSAT
mains exam
interview
The preparation for IAS exam should start in a focused manner. You should devote your full time for preparing for civil services exam. Hard work, determination & rigt strategy will help you to succeed in the exam.
Some of the books/magazines you can refer for CSAT are:
Unique Guide for gk
pratiyogita darpan magazine
Class 11th & 12th NCERT books of history, civic, geography & economics
India Year Book published by Government of India
Indian Economy by Rudra Dutt and Sundaram or Mishra & Puri
The Hindu or the Times of India newspaper