Ranchi resident Yasha Singh who cracked Civil Services Exams 2016 with 279th rank did expect herself in top 100. Yet, she is neither disappointed nor is planning for further attempts. With two IASs in family, one father who is retired now and another, husband who is an IRS and posted in Kolkata at present, Yasha Singh did find inspirations from around. Excerpts of her interview with The Pioneer:
What was the role of your family in your successIJ
My father Sunil Singh was an IAS who retired as Excise Secretary (GoJ) and has been instrumental in nurturing aspiring minds thereafter. My husband Nitin Ranjan is an IRS (Customs and Central Excise) and presently posted in Kolkata. I have done computer science engineering from BIT mesra (Jharkhand) followed by Masters in Management from the United States of America (USA).
What according to you could be the biggest roadblock in cracking Civil Services now daysIJ
The biggest roadblock is mental. Civil services examination is one of the toughest exams in terms of competition and duration given the three stages. Giving up after one or two failures is easy but the perseverance to carry on and push yourself and continuously focus and study hard is the key to success.
Which one between these two would you choose if both fall simultaneously: a professor of management in Harvard University or a Civil Servant here in IndiaIJ
That is a difficult question to answer. I would definitely choose the later i.e a Civil Servant in India because I have seen the impact of my father's work which touched the lives of many people. So it depends purely on one's motivation. My motivation was never monetary, had it been so I would have stayed back in USA where I was already working after my masters.
Are you planning to make another attempt for the examsIJ
No. That is not correct. I haven't thought about another attempt yet. I believe each service in the Indian government has its own importance, be it postal or revenue or administrative service. Yes, it's true that I expected to be in the top 100. But I am still grateful to God for what I have today.
What are your hobbiesIJ
My hobby is teaching kids from unprivileged backgrounds for free.
What according to you are the possible reasons that Jharkhand has not been able to produce sufficient numbers of Civil ServantsIJIJ
I think more incentives are needed for attracting bright talent to the civil service. Most of the students go for lucrative careers in management or other private sectors. Our civil service needs a little revamping on the lines of Singapore civil service which is one of the most disciplined, meritorious in the world.