Some people dream of getting into Civil Services since childhood, because their goal is to bring changes in society. However, how many civil servants actually manage to do so, is debatable. But there are few who are really making a difference on the ground. One such officer is Mr. Santosh Kumar Rai, a 2014-batch IAS officer of AGMUT cadre. As Secretary and Controller of Examinations, Arunachal Pradesh Staff Selection Board (APSSB), he has brought about many ground changes. Under his leadership, the board has conducted 8 examinations in 1 year and declared the results of all in just a few hours.
Mr. Rai cracked UPSC exam with 107thrank in his third attempt in the year 2013. He had cleared the exam in his second attempt in 2012 also, with AIR 665th, and was selected for IRS. In his first attempt, he had cleared the prelims, but could not clear the mains. Indian masterminds interacted with him to know more about his inspiring journey.
BEGINNING
He comes from Samastipur district of Bihar. His father is a farmer. He passed his 10thand 12th in Science background from Bihar Board. After that, he did BA in Political Science from Mithila University, Darbhanga. Then he started preparing for competitive examinations like most of the educated rural youth. Meanwhile, he got married in 2007 and has a daughter and son.
THE BEGINNING OF SUCCESS
In 2010, he passed the Combined Graduate Level (CGL) examination of the Staff Selection Commission (SSC) and luckily got a posting in the Central Secretariat, New Delhi. It was a wonderful opportunity for him to make his dream come true.
Talking to Indian Masterminds, he said, “Like any other youth coming from rural environment, my first aim was to achieve success in life and find stability, and after consistent hard work, I got my first big success.Then after getting posted in Delhi, I kept working and started preparing, because I always wanted to join civil service. We used to hear from childhood that after joining the civil services, we have a lot of scope to work for the society. District Collector can do a lot for the district. That’s why the dream of civil service has always stayed with me.”
Meanwhile, he also passed the LDC exam and, around the same time, also got selected for the post of Assistant Commandant.
UPSC JOURNEY
Mr. Rai worked on his own strategies for UPSC preparation. He prepared for General Knowledge by himself. While for his optional subject, he took the help of many people. His optional subject was History. He says, “Some points are very important for any exam, like solving old question papers, seeing how the syllabus is, knowing about the standard books. When I worked on these points, I felt that I can do it all by myself. I never had any problem with pre exams, always used to get 20-25 marks more than the cut off. But I had to work hard for the main exam. I did a lot of writing practice and solved old papers many times.”
ADVICE FOR UPSC CANDIDATES
His advice to UPSC candidates is: “According to your ability, you should study as much as you can, with full dedication. Your passion and consistent hard work are the only way to succeed in the UPSC journey, as there is a huge syllabus and a long journey to be covered. That’s why only your motivation will take you forward. You have to keep working hard with all your heart without getting disappointed.”
INTERVIEW EXPERIENCE
About the crucial interview round, he said, “Honesty is the most important thing in the interview. Be honest when you go in front of the board, because the people who are going to interview you have a lot of experience. Your knowledge may not be that much in front of them. They just want to test your personality and your potential. So, give your answers honestly and stay positive. If you don’t know any answers, then don’t bluff, just say you don’t know. Along with this, learn to always take a stand.You should have your own opinion on any subject.”
ABOUT NACS
Mr. Rai now guides many students in association with Bihar National Association of Civil Servants (NACS). He says, “Bihar and Jharkhand are the states which are backward in development, so we guide students aspiring to appear in civil services of both the states through this platform.”
