Dr. Mithun Premraj, who bagged the 12th Rank in UPSC CSE 2020, has set an example to the students who are from MBBS background and wish to explore civil service as a career option. A native of Vadakara which falls under Kozhikode district of Kerala, he completed his MBBS from JIPMER, Pondicherry. After that, he started his UPSC journey in the end of 2015 which culminated in 2021 with AIR 12.
In an exclusive interview with Indian Masterminds, he shared his preparation journey and highlighted some common mistakes that students make while preparing for the UPSC exam.
FOCUS ON STRONG FOUNDATION
Initially, Dr. Mithun Premraj joined the Kerela State Civil Services Academy to start his preparation where he made his foundation strong. He opted for Geography as his optional subject as he has interest towards nature and its beautiful landscapes. He also took the help of multiple sources available online and coaching institutions in his native state. They helped him to clear his doubts and kept him updated. He said, “The students who wish to crack the Civil Services Exam must focus on content building first, they should make the foundation strong. If possible, along the content gaining process, students should try to develop the answer writing habit because that brings clarity of topics and helps to understand the subjects more accurately. It also helps you to write the answers to the point.”
ANSWER WRITING ALSO IMPORTANT
He also said that once the basics are strong, then the focus must be on answer writing practice. “In my initial attempts, I was not aware of the gravity of answer writing. I did not give proper attention to the answer writing practice due to which I was not able to score good marks in my Mains exams. I cleared the Mains three times, but the marks were not up to the mark which ultimately impacted my final scorecard. After that, I realized the importance of answer writing practice and dedicatedly started practising it.”
STUDY TECHNIQUES
He also shared some of his techniques of study which played a crucial role in his preparation and helped him to improve his concentration. “I am a spiritualistic person and I like to do meditation to sharpen my mind. I did not sit for long hours to study. I always divided my studies into small-small sitting intervals. Our mind cannot digest or process too much information at a time,” he said.
LOVE FOR TRAVEL HELPED
The young achiever said that he likes to travel, and photography is one of his hobbies that gives him the chance to see and experience the different cultures of our country from close quarters. It also provided him with the opportunity to know viewpoints of the people belonging to different backgrounds. “There were questions on places that I have visited many times. My enthusiasm to know those places more insightfully helped me to correctly write the answers to the questions related to geographical locations very easily,” he said.
GIVE IT YOUR ALL
Lastly, he advised that “being a UPSC CSE aspirant, you must be aware with the process very well. One thing must be clear in your mind that you cannot leave the preparation until you have not given full effort to your preparation. In my fifth attempt, I invested my full potential and gave it my all to clear the exam and, ultimately, it brought fruitful results to me.”
