After the UPSC 2020 results were declared, the Patna-based National Association of Civil Servants (NACS) finds itself in limelight again. Twenty five young aspirants mentored by them have made it to the list of successful candidates. This time UPSC topper Subham Kumar of Bihar, too, had received guidance from NACS members.
WHAT IS NACS?
This voluntary organisation has more than 1000 civil servants of Bihar and Jharkhand who mentor UPSC aspirants from these two states to crack UPSC. And they do it for free. They just want to make sure that the young aspirants from their states not only pass the written exams, but emerge successful in the interview round also. The stupendous success of Bihar boy Shubham Kumar has made them all very proud and happy.
ADVICE TO SUCCESSFUL CANDIDATES
In an exclusive conversation with Indian Masterminds, NACS president, retired IAS Officer BK Prasad, said, “I would like to congratulate all selected candidates, and especially those 25 candidates who received guidance from NACS. My sincere advice to them is to always remember that civil service is service to society, and they should uphold their integrity and try to give back to their roots.”
He reiterated the prime motto of NACS that successful candidates must contribute to society in whatever way they can, in addition to contributing to nation building.
THE PREPARATION PROCESS
Revealing a little about the preparation process at NACS, Mr. Prasad said, “In the same pattern of UPSC, we conduct mock interviews, where a senior officer of NACS chair the panel. We guide them and give them constructive inputs to improve their performances.”
It doesn’t just stop here. After the mock interview, candidates are tutored on how to dress, walk, sit, and greet the panellists on the interview board. They are also taught how to confidently answer questions, and how to say no to a question they aren’t sure about. “We suggest improvement in areas that are necessary, as we ourselves went through the interview round of UPSC. We answer all their queries with our experience and knowledge. This is how we prepare the aspirants”, Mr. Prasad said.
THE RIGHT APPROACH
On asked about the language barrier in UPSC, he said that “The general belief is that those who speak English have an edge. However, this is slowly being negated. What really matters is how you present the facts and figures”.
He emphasised on the need to strike a good balance on contentious issues and approach them in a constructive manner. This is where their coaching helps as they give proper guidance on how to deal with critical situations, where aspirants should give constructive suggestions.
NACS FILLED A GAP
Earlier, Bihar use to give the highest number of bureaucrats to the country. But, the number has been slowly going down in the last few years. Some attribute this to the quality of the coaching institutes in Patna and Ranchi going down. On the other hand, institutes in Delhi have started giving better coaching to aspirants, making IAS aspirants throng to the capital city. “Seeing this, we started this initiative in Patna, especially for the candidates who cannot afford coaching in Delhi’, Mr. Kumar said.
A GOOD SUCCESS RATE
What started as a very humble initiative slowly became the talk of the town as it began to show good results. Since 2016, 130 NACS-guided aspirants have got selected to civil services. This year saw 25 such youngsters cracking the tough exam, making the institution proud.
“Their success will inspire more youth of our states to join UPSC. They are the torchbearers. We just showed them the way.” This is how the president of NACS sums it all up.
