Delhi government’s innovative initiative of launching a motivational speaker series for the children studying in government schools has seen many civil servants taking part in it. Young IAS and IPS officers are sharing their experiences of studying for competitive exams with the children through direct face-to-face communication, to help them understand and plan their studies in a much better manner.
In the fifth session of the motivational speaker series, Ms. Sonalika Jiwani, a 2017-batch IAS officer who is the District Magistrate of South Delhi, shared her UPSC exam experiences with the young children.
The session took place at Sarvodya Kanya Vidyalaya, Kalkaji, where around 75 students were present and about 13,000 children watched the session live on YouTube.
NEVER GIVE UP AND STAY FOCUSED
DM Jiwani told the students that if they dream of achieving something in their life, then they have to stay determined and focused on their goal. “I got a job soon after completing my engineering, but I had a strong feeling to do something for the people and, hence, I started preparing for civil services,” she told them.
She further told the students that along with studies, it is also important to have different interests in life, as they teach values like self-control, respect for others, teamwork, and exposure.
“Never be limited in your life, always dream big and never give up. Use mobile phone smartly so that it becomes your companion in preparation and not a hindrance.”
NEVER LOSE PATIENCE
Sharing her UPSC preparation experiences, she said that it is not necessary to prepare civil services only through coaching, one can prepare and crack UPSC exam without attending any coaching institute. “The most important thing is that you should always show discipline and not lose patience, because civil service preparation takes time, and it is very important for you to be active during this period.”
Apart from studies, DM Jiwani also asked the students to never be afraid of the difficulties that come in life and keep moving forward, considering it as an opportunity to learn. “Always have confidence in yourself. Whether you are studying or doing any job, always give your best performance in it.”
KEEP AWAY NEGATIVE THOUGHTS
On the same occasion, Education Director, 2012-batch IAS officer Himanshu Gupta asked the children to keep themselves away from negative thoughts during preparation. “Do self-analysis when such thoughts come and then start preparing again,” he said.
He further said that the Delhi government has planned more such programmes in the future, which will guide the children towards fulfilling their dreams.
