Paotinsei Kipgen who secured 12th Position in Manipur Civil Services Combined Competitive Examination 2016 (2022) shares his thoughts on the examination scheme, preparation tactics, the frustrating and demotivating nature of the examination with The Hills Journal.
He was the 3rd position holder among the selected ST candidate list declared on November 22, 2022 by the MPSC. He was earlier posted as SDO Tousem and Island Sub-division till 2019, before the High Court nullified the selection of successful candidates of MCSCCE 2016.
Here’s an excerpt of the interview
Congratulations on your success! How do you feel?
Thank you. I’m glad and relieved that I could get the same post again. At the same time, I’m sad that some of my colleagues could not make it to the merit list again. So, mixed feelings.
Tell us something about yourself, your family, and educational background.
I am the eldest of 5 siblings. I grew up in my village (Kholjang). Beginning my educational journey in my village, I went on to study in Zomi Villa, Imphal, completing my matriculation from Diamond English High School Kangpokpi, my Secondary Education from Herbert School Imphal. I graduated from St. Edmund’s College Shillong securing Rank in History Honours (NEHU). I passed UPSC Prelims and wrote Mains 2 times before I joined Manipur Civil Services in 2016/17. I have worked as SDO Tousem (Tamenglong) and Island Sub-divisions (Kangpokpi District) till 2019. After the termination of the service by the High Court of Manipur, I cleared UPSC CSE Prelims two(2) times and went on to appear in the Interview in 2021 but fell short by a few marks in the Final List. Soon after, the MPSC re-examination was conducted and, by God’s grace, I cleared the Exam and, more importantly got the same post again. I love having conversations with friends, playing and watching football, listening to music. I love getting things done. I look up to people who are sincere and humble.
How did you feel when MPSC CSE 2016 mains result was cancelled by the High Court?
I felt dejected and angry like any normal human would in such a situation. When this drama unfolded, I got copies of my answer sheets from MPSC through RTI and found no mistakes in totaling of marks (one of the allegations) and no irregularities (missing signatures, altering of marks etc) in all the papers. So to be penalized, publicly humiliated and vilified for no fault of mine/ours to the point of getting our services terminated was a difficult pill to swallow. Accusing us of getting the jobs through corrupt means was painful to hear and bear. Most people began to create scenarios in their mind, assumed so many things and stated them like facts. It was a comfortable excuse and an easy way out for many aspirants. So, yes I was disappointed, but I decided to go forward and prepare for the next UPSC Exam as the MPSC re-exam was caught up in a lengthy legal battle.
Do you think the re-examination of the mains exam this time is fair enough? And, Do you believe the future examinations to be conducted by the Manipur Public Service Commission (MPSC) be fair and transparent from now onwards?
When do we decide when an exam is finally fair? For a lot of people, the exam will finally be fair when they or their wards clear the exam. Some aspirants allege that even this time, there were errors in some questions, that some aspirants were unjustly barred from entering the exam hall because they were ‘late.’ So the answer will most likely differ depending on someone’s results and ranks. In the case of 2016, whatever irregularities were found were not to benefit some selected group of people. Personally I felt that the exam was fair in 2014 when i got the 77th Rank but was not good enough to get any post, it was fair in 2016 and it was fair in 2022 (re -examination). Nobody would risk so much and keep giving this exam if they actually believe it is entirely corrupted and unfair. MPSC is not blameless and it must do more to change this negative perception of such a reputed constitutional body.
Why and when did you enter this field of competitive examinations? What attracted you to prepare for this exam?
I decided to prepare for Competitive Examinations after my graduation. I. cleared a few Central Service exams but later I decided to focus on Civil Services only. My desire to enter the Civil Services was partly because of my father who always motivated me to be one. It was also because I believe it was the job best suited for me. I can work in my home state and be close to family (as the eldest son, I don’t want to stay away from home for the major part of my life). I believe I can actually contribute to the welfare of the people at the grass roots. Civil services also bring job satisfaction (more or less) and job security (the irony is astounding in my case).
Can you tell us the secret of your success?
Discipline. There is a saying ‘Discipline will take you to places where motivation can’t.’ Having the right strategy, studying the right materials on the one hand, and unfettered focus on the other hand, can do wonders in the Civil Services exam. Be open-minded. Don’t be too proud to seek assistance where needed.
Have you attempted the Civil Services Examination conducted by UPSC? If yes, in terms of the syllabus and mode of preparation, can there be any difference between the CSE conducted by MPSC and UPSC respectively?
Yes I have. I have always told aspirants who have asked me this question that preparation for MPSC and UPSC are different. Of course, the subjects overlap to a great extent but we should study the same topic differently for different exams. Because the marks allocation and the nature of questions are different in both exams. For example, in MPSC it can be more factual while it can be more analytical in UPSC. Also, answer writing differs to some extent for these exams. You must have seen that well-prepared serious UPSC aspirants often perform poorly in MPSC and vice-versa. I was an UPSC aspirant but when I have to write MPSC I change my strategy and go MPSC-mode. In terms of syllabus, like I said there are many overlapping topics. Especially now, the entire UPSC General Studies and Essay papers have been adopted by MPSC. But the difference is that there are no more optional papers in the new pattern of MPSC while UPSC still retains one Optional paper. So, while there are so many common areas(more so now in the new pattern), strategy will differ due to Optional paper being retained in one and discarded in the other.
Is this your first attempt? If not, what changes did you make in your strategy this time?
No. I secured the 77th rank in 2014 but not enough to get any post. It was partly because of one of my optionals. So I changed my optional paper and studied more in the other areas too before I got MCS in 2016.
Is joining coaching institutions helpful in cracking MPSC/UPSC exam? Did you join any coaching institution during your preparation?
Yes, it is helpful especially if you are new to the exam. In my early stage of preparation, I joined a GS course. The issue was that they taught us as if we were already well-versed with the subjects when we were actually new to almost everything. Experiences will vary of course. When you look for a coaching institute, it is always advisable to go beyond the brand names and get to know the teachers to see if they have had any experience in the exam. Or talk to those serious aspirants who already joined the institutes. Don’t fall prey to every ads with extraordinary claims.
Considering the extensive syllabus of General Studies both in Preliminary and Mains Examination, what strategy did you follow?
Integrated Approach. The idea is to identify those topics that converge and intersect and study those together. For example, you should study Geography and Environment together. There are closely related topics in different papers which can be studied together. It saves time and it also makes learning easier. The next is to identify topics which are common to both Prelims and Mains and study them as one whole. No separate preparation for prelims and mains for these topics. For instance, while studying Government budgeting for prelims, study it from mains perspective too as it is common to both and clearly mentioned in Mains syllabus.
Did you give special emphasis to some particular sections of the syllabus or equal emphasis on all sections? In your opinion, can certain sections of the syllabus be skipped by assuming it to be less important?
I did not give equal importance to all topics. For example, I give more importance to Modern History than Ancient/Medieval history. However, this doesn’t mean I didn’t study Ancient and Medieval history. It also depends on your level of preparation and the time you have left before the exam. If you think you don’t have enough time, it is wise to focus on selective topics that are more important. Having said that, it is good to cover all topics, especially if you are aiming for a high rank. Personally, I try my best to cover all topics while covering some of those topics in greater detail and depth. Consider all subjects important but you can discern which topics within each subject are more important.
How important do you think is necessary in making own notes with studies? Please, elaborate your experience on this.
I give a lot of importance to making my own notes. Again this varies among aspirants. I have seen aspirants reading directly from texts/study materials and doing well. Making own notes is time-consuming and requires a lot of efforts. But the advantage is that you can refer to different materials and collect the relevant/good points and put them together in your note. Studying our own notes is also easier to understand and remember. Revision is also very easy when we make our own notes. If time is not on your side, you can stick to one text/material and add relevant points as you study.
How did you determine which books, magazine, periodicals to study and which materials to ignore? Can you list your study materials for prelims and mains for MPSC/UPSC?
One can pick up any good monthly current affairs and stick to it- VisionIAS, IASbaba, InsightsIAS etc are good options. As this is civil services, questions are more analytical besides being factual. So, magazines which just give few bullet points of facts and events are not very helpful and may be ignored in favour of the aforementioned magazines. Each GS paper has several topics and thus different materials. So it is cumbersome to list down all. Unlike before when materials were scarce, today there is overflow of information and materials are plenty from several authors and institutes. An aspirant has to discern which one is best suited for him or her. It also depends on whether you are preparing for MPSC or UPSC.
Did you rely on any electronic based study materials and other social media sites for your preparation? If yes, did you find them useful? Please share some websites you frequented.
Some institutes provide free resources/materials on different subjects. For instance, you can download VisionIAS monthly current affairs from their website. Similarly, ForumIAS has free materials for Ethics, Environment and so on. We can refer to these if the need arises and if you like the resources provided. Google/internet is to be used wisely to clear doubts and to look for more information on certain topics. But we have to be careful of information overload. Many aspirants end up becoming book collectors and materials fill their hard drives most of which are not even studied or referred to. Too many sources/material can confuse and overwhelm aspirants.
How do you tackle the challenge of time management- whether it was on daily, monthly or in annual basis? Did you prepare separately for each stage of the exams in sequence or for all the stages
simultaneously?
It requires a lot of discipline to manage time properly as there are so many subjects and areas to be covered. Especially in UPSC, you have to balance between 4 GS papers and 2 optional papers (Optional paper 1 and paper 2). But in the new pattern of MPSC, one can avoid the headache of optionals and focus solely on GS papers. So time management in this case will be relatively easier. Civil Service preparation requires micro management of time. I follow a certain daily routine for every week or weeks (if the topic is big). I feel that studying diverse subjects enhance efficiency instead of studying one subject throughout the day which is monotonous and unproductive most of the time. I use the weekend to rest and assess the study plan.
How do you maintain consistency in your preparation despite demotivating and often frustrating nature of this exam?
Yes, you’re right. It is frustrating and demotivating. However, when we are down, we should remember our dreams and goals and why we started on this journey. Instead of dwelling on such failures, we should be realistic- identify areas where we lack, get better resources for those subjects or study them better, identify areas that need more focus etc. A lot of aspirants do the same thing over and over expecting different results, thus adding to the frustration.
In your opinion, to what extent success in mains examination is dependent on answer writing skill? What approach did you follow in developing the right format of answer writing?
To write a good answer, you need to know the answer properly in the first place. If you have the right answer in your mind, you need to arrange and present them coherently. Try to answer the question without beating about the bush. Justify your answer and give examples where necessary. You can use graphs and maps too wherever necessary. But drawing irrelevant diagrams and maps can waste your precious time.
What is your optional subject? On what basis did you choose it?
My optional subject is Political Science and International Relations (PSIR). I chose this because I can understand the subject. Secondly, by studying PSIR, almost the entire GS paper 2 is covered and I don’t have to prepare this GS 2 paper separately. Thirdly, it helps in essay paper. It helps in Ethics too (Governance, thinkers etc). Lastly, good materials on PSIR are easily available for all topics.
Did you attend any mock test or test series? Are these test series useful?
I attended a few mock tests when I started my preparation again. Yes, test series are useful to assess yourself. It enforces discipline in your studies. It helps you understand how to study and process information and areas to pay attention to. Scoring low marks in mocks should not discourage you.
How was your interview? What was your strategy before you face the interview board? Can you please share some of the questions asked to you?
My interview went well in my opinion. It was factual as well as opinion-based l questions. The Interview board was friendly and cordial. I was more or less comfortable with the questions. The interview went on for about 30 minutes. I read up on the prevailing issues in the state, brushed up on general information about the state (political,economic,social,environment,etc). I did some research on my hobbies and made sure I’m updated on any current affairs related to my hobbies. I read up and revised some information related to my work experience. In the MPSC, I was asked questions on various topics including the following: i) Greater Nagaland-its progress, whether it is feasible? The roadblocks etc (lengthy discussion) ii) My hobby: Football; current affair-based questions, issues in India etc iii) About my earlier place of work Tamenglong; tourist sites, Railway projects etc Poppy Cultivation and related issues (lengthy discussion)
Are you satisfied with your rank with the level of your preparation?
Yes, considering the time I had to prepare for MPSC, I’m satisfied with my Rank. Mains exam was only a few months after my UPSC mains exam. I had to fine-tune my preparation for MPSC and also cover another optional subject during this time (there were 2 optional subjects).
What else do you want to tell for the aspiring candidates of MPSC/UPSC CS examination?
Be a sincere aspirant. Be true to yourself and your dream. Cut down on social media. It will be okay.
Thank you for giving your valuable time. Wish you all the best in your future endeavour.
You’re welcome. My best wishes to you all.
*Note: Bold = THJ, Italic = Paotinsei Kipgen
