logo naukrinama

'Jab Padhengi Betiyan, Tab Badhengi Betiyan': IAS Topper's Teacher Bats for Never-Say-Die Attitude

Ishita Kishore, a graduate in economics from Shri Ram College of Commerce at Delhi University, made headlines on Tuesday when she secured the top rank in the esteemed Civil Services Exam (CSE) conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC).
By Jitendra Jangid May 25, 2023, 07:06 IST
Ishita Kishore, an economics graduate from Shri Ram College of Commerce at Delhi University, made headlines on Tuesday as she bagged the top rank in the prestigious Civil Services Exam (CSE) conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC). Kishore achieved the feat in her third attempt with political science as her optional subject in CSE Mains. Shishir Tripathi spoke to Shubhra Ranjan, whose classes Kishore attended to prepare for the exam, to understand what differentiates a topper from the rest and how the profile of those aspiring for civil services has changed over the years. Edited excerpts: Firstly, congratulations as your student Ishita Kishore has topped the prestigious Civil Service Exams. She is the second student from your classroom after Tina Dabi to have topped the exam. How do you feel? I feel elated to be a part of their success story. I think history repeats itself but that demands consistency and concerted guidance. Having said that, I would also like to emphasise that it comes from the willpower of students. Kishore was an economics graduate but took political science as optional. According to you, what is the reason behind so many students from different backgrounds opting for political science? This can be answered at two levels. First, at the intrinsic level, the nature of political science as a subject is all-encompassing and organically linked with the general studies syllabus. Second, at the structural level, is the kind of guidance and support system available to political science as an optional. We at Shubhra Ranjan have ensured that we provide quality education. Apart from classroom guidance, our test series and crash course also act as a north star. Ishita Kishore, an economics graduate from Shri Ram College of Commerce at Delhi University, achieved the feat in her third attempt with political science as her optional subject in CSE Mains. (PTI) The first four toppers this year are women. What do you have to say about this? It shows that jab padhengi betiyan, tab badhengi betiyan… and see how. It gives me immense satisfaction that the present government is also taking cognizance of and providing an impetus to women. I hope this excellent result will bring forth more ‘Nari Shakti’ in the future. Many of your students have secured very good ranks in the exam. After Tina Dabi, who topped CSE in 2016, your student topped this year again. Do you see something special in the toppers? For me, each and every student of mine is the same. Despite my engagements, whenever I get to interact with my students, the one thing that comes to my mind regarding toppers is their never-say-die attitude. They understand that Rome was not built in a day. If you have to list three things/qualities to clear the UPSC exam, what would those be? Three qualities: perseverance, being a dreamer, and hard work. Why does it happen that sometimes extremely well-read and intelligent candidates are unable to clear the exam when they are seen as potential toppers? What is the cause of failures? This is so because intelligence is not the only determinant of success in this exam. I always say, more than knowing everything, it is pertinent to know what not to study for the exam. It is in these matters that coaching comes handy. They rationalise your work and guide intelligence in the right direction. In what way has the profile of those clearing the exams changed over the years? In terms of gender, there is a big change as women are ruling the roost. There is also change in terms of language with Hindi-medium candidates getting their due. Other changes are that even working professionals are doing well now. Graduation matters as well. This time, about nine rankers in the top 20 are from the University of Delhi. I think that the recently introduced CUET will also act as a catalyst in the coming years. Do you think that changes introduced after 2012 really made things more difficult for students from regional backgrounds? I do not hold such a view. In fact, in terms of the nature of questions, UPSC has ensured that questions are not based on rote learning. And concepts have no regions. But yes, the English and Maths portion in CSAT is becoming tough. I also feel that regional areas may be lacking proper guidance. And it is high time to democratise education. top videos There are numerous suggestions for removing optional subjects from the exam. Do you feel that such a move will bring about parity? Removing optional or continuing it depends on what UPSC wants. It will depend on the skills they want to see. But it will not be a good decision from the perspective of the study of humanities in India. Of course, UPSC must maintain its uniqueness and should not move in direction of state civil services. As the world is more challenging, we need people with sharper skills across disciplines.

Ishita Kishore, a graduate in economics from Shri Ram College of Commerce at Delhi University, made headlines on Tuesday when she secured the top rank in the esteemed Civil Services Exam (CSE) conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC). Kishore achieved this feat in her third attempt, with political science as her optional subject in the CSE Mains. In an interview with Shubhra Ranjan, whose classes Kishore attended to prepare for the exam, they discussed the qualities that differentiate a topper from the rest and how the profile of aspiring civil servants has evolved over the years. Here are the edited excerpts:

Firstly, congratulations on your student Ishita Kishore topping the prestigious Civil Service Exams. She is the second student from your classroom, after Tina Dabi, to achieve this feat. How do you feel about it? I am elated to be a part of their success story. I believe that history repeats itself, but it requires consistency and dedicated guidance. However, I also want to emphasize that it ultimately stems from the students' willpower.

Kishore, an economics graduate, chose political science as her optional subject. What, according to you, is the reason behind many students from diverse backgrounds opting for political science? This can be explained on two levels. Firstly, at the intrinsic level, political science as a subject is comprehensive and inherently linked to the general studies syllabus. Secondly, at the structural level, there is a strong guidance and support system available for political science as an optional subject. At Shubhra Ranjan, we ensure the provision of quality education. In addition to classroom guidance, our test series and crash courses act as a guiding light.

The fact that the first four toppers this year are women is noteworthy. What is your perspective on this? It demonstrates that when daughters are educated, they progress. It gives me immense satisfaction that the current government acknowledges and supports the empowerment of women. I hope this outstanding result will inspire more "Nari Shakti" (women power) in the future.

Several of your students have achieved excellent ranks in the exam. After Tina Dabi, who topped the CSE in 2016, your student has secured the top rank this year. Do you see any special qualities in these toppers? For me, every student is equal. However, when I interact with my students, I often find that toppers possess a never-say-die attitude. They understand that success is not achieved overnight. If I were to list three qualities required to clear the UPSC exam, they would be perseverance, being a dreamer, and hard work.

Why is it sometimes observed that candidates who are highly knowledgeable and intelligent fail to clear the exam, despite being potential toppers? What are the causes of failure? This happens because intelligence alone is not the sole determinant of success in this exam. I always emphasize that, rather than knowing everything, it is essential to know what not to study for the exam. This is where coaching plays a crucial role. Coaching rationalizes your efforts and guides intelligence in the right direction.

In what ways has the profile of successful candidates in the exams changed over the years? There have been notable changes in terms of gender representation, with women dominating the rankings. There has also been a shift in terms of language, with Hindi-medium candidates receiving recognition. Additionally, working professionals are now performing well in the exams. Graduation also holds significance, as this time around, about nine rankers in the top 20 are from the University of Delhi. I believe the recently introduced CUET (Common Eligibility Test) will further catalyze these changes in the coming years.

FROM AROUND THE WEB

Government Jobs
Employment News
Results
Hot Vacancies
Admit Card