How I picked my next book has always been a matter of impulse or accident. Sometimes I’d find myself at an airport with time to kill, so I buy a book. At times I see a lady at a coffee shop deeply engrossed in a novel and her accidental smile while reading it compels me to read it.… Read More »
As I look back on the year gone by, I can’t be thankful enough for 2018. Professionally and personally, it’s the best year I’ve had. In Dec 2017, if I were given a chance to script my 2018, I don’t think I’d have had it any better. What did you learn in 2018? Can you describe it in… Read More »
For as long as I can remember, I’ve always wanted to start a blog. Whenever I thought of it, I used to be gripped by a strange sense of timidity (and lethargy) to pen an article and put my thoughts in public. UPSC success finally gave me the readership and the motivation to overcome my reluctance. It was five… Read More »
Last week we had a parliamentary debate at our academy, LBSNAA. The motion of the debate was: Right to equality implies preferential treatment for the disadvantaged. It was a highly combustible topic, yet brilliantly argued by both sides based on logic, reason and evidence, and never ad-hominem. To watch the teams not pull any punches and mock, denigrate… Read More »
The centre court at Wimbledon is a remarkable place. Throughout Wimbledon’s history, on the day of the finals, this hallowed arena has been witness to something extraordinary. Many young, promising players who were expected to win the title simply buckled under the searing pressure. They were just too intimidated by the occasion. On the other hand, the place… Read More »
“Officers’ Mess of this academy is not a casual place. It is an institution. When you are here, you must be proper in your attire, polite in demeanour, and must always uphold this institution’s decorum and dignity.” These lines from the introductory session here at LBSNAA, Mussoorie are still ringing in my head as I begin my Foundation… Read More »
After my UPSC results, someone came up to me and asked: “Now that you’ve succeeded after a long journey, you must have learnt a lot of lessons along the way. If you were to meet your younger self who is starting his preparation just now, what advice would you give him?” I wrote this speech trying to answer… Read More »
Humans have two fundamental abilities— physical and cognitive. Majority of today’s professionals— designers, doctors, lawyers, civil servants, scientists and software engineers derive their worth not from their physical ability, but from their cognitive capacity. Industrial Revolution had rendered physical labour mostly irrelevant; Artificial Intelligence (AI) revolution is now set to make our cognitive abilities redundant. Self-driving cars are… Read More »
Dear All, This is Aparajita (AIR 40, UPSC-CSE 2017). I haven’t done a lot of public appearances or interviews because I have no special life-altering third-eye opening sort-of Jnana to impart. A lot of other top rankers out there may have much better academic advice to relay than I. I do however have a unique journey like everyone… Read More »
This is a perennial question I get asked the most. And it’s understandable too. Many aspirants who begin their Civils preparation are clueless about this exam’s demands and most cannot simply afford to go to Delhi and take coaching. There are a lot of doubts and misconceptions regarding whether to take coaching for Civils Services. So let me… Read More »