An engineering graduate, a teacher and sports enthusiast — Md Sajid Zafar had not imagined to shift gears and land into State Police Services from a classroom where he taught Chemistry to students appearing for Medical and Engineering examinations. Zafar has bagged 9th rank in the 5th Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) examination in second attempt. Continuing the trend of his family, Zafar has opted for police services. In a tete a tete with The Pioneer he shared about his struggle and success. Excerpts:
Why did you shift from engineering to civil servicesIJ
After graduating from Indian Institute of Mines (ISM), Dhanbad in 2001 with specialization in Mining Engineering, I went to Delhi and worked there in a private firm. However, after serving for few years I quit my job as I was more inclined towards academics and after returning to my hometown, Ranchi, I opened my own coaching institute. My aim is to serve people and civil service gives an individual a wider perspectives and approach in public administration.
You opted for police services. What is the main reasonIJ
I wanted to continue the tradition of my family. Both my grandfather and my paternal uncle were in police services and are proud to serve the nation, I have heard several stories from them about challenges and struggle which the police personnel have to go through. The nature of work is exciting and challenging here. Managing law and order, police public relations are few core issues which need attention.
How did you plan your studies to succeed in the examIJ
It is very important to keep the concept clear. Candidates of all the three streams must keep their basics clear. Constant practice and time management are vital factors which must be kept in mind. It is also mandatory to solve the test paper series regularly. In the era of information and communication technology several mediums like online test series are immensely helpful. I too adopted different methods like YouTube and other mediums to clear my concepts apart from regular studies.
Were you preparing for other examinations also apart this public service examIJ
As a teacher, I keep taking different examinations to know about the changing patterns of several exams and to keep myself updated. In 2009, I took the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) exam and qualified for its preliminary test but was not able to clear the Mains examination.
Do you think after the change in pattern of civil services exam, science background candidates are benefited moreIJ
As far as aptitude test is concerned to an extent it gives the science background candidate an upper edge but only in preliminary test. Science candidates too have write long answers in Mains exam. However, I believe with dedication, any candidate can qualify the competitive exam.
JPSC exams are engulfed in controversies and are not conducted on a regular basis. What is your opinion on itIJ
Ithink that political interference must be stopped and it should function independently. On the day of my interview, I interacted with several candidates and everyone was sounding equally confident and was well versed with the latest happenings in and around the world.