Indian MasterMinds
  • Switch to Hindi
  • Become a Contributor:  Know how?
  • About us
  • Contact us
  • Advertise with us
Switch to Hindi
  • Home
  • Features
  • Videos
  • News
  • Movements
  • Opinion
  • UPSC Aspirants
  • IM Stories
  • Social Media
Indian MasterMinds
Switch to Hindi
  • Home
  • Features
  • Videos
  • News
  • Movements
  • Opinion
  • UPSC Aspirants
  • IM Stories
  • Social Media
HomeFeaturesSmartphone or No Smartphone?

Features

Smartphone or No Smartphone?

  • Indian Masterminds Bureau
  • Published on 27 Aug 2020, 12:47 pm IST
  • 4 minutes read

Highlights

To what extent does a smartphone helps a UPSC aspirant in becoming a winner, if at all? After an IPS officer publicly gave his views, the issue has become a big talking point.

  • Share this article
featured banner
  • A UPSC Aspirant

Is smartphone a cutting edge tool for the UPSC aspirants, an invaluable ally to help them in their preparations, or a major source of distraction for them? Senior IPS officer Mr Arun Bothra belongs to the second camp. No wonder his advice to the civil servants in the making, to ditch their smartphone and opt for an old Nokia feature phone like 5310 model, has stirred a hornet’s nest.

IPS Officer Arun Bothra

Indian Masterminds tried to figure out how students at large are taking Mr Bothra’s suggestion. We spoke with quite a few aspirants (as also with a coaching centre owner), and as excpted, found them to be more or less equally divided on both sides of the fence.

Related Stories

Jammu & Kashmir: Administration Announces Induction Training for 10 IPS Officers

Bihar : Jiut Singh Became The Secretary, BPSC

Why is This IAS Officer Disguised as a Farmer?

Meet S Awasthy, Daughter of a Construction Labourer, Who Cleared UPSC in Her 4th Attempt

Overcoming Five Failures and Several Odds, He Succeeded in the End

Sharing his `Mantra’ of Success

Reaching out to 1500-Plus Students Nationwide with Food and Books

Shubham Kumar Reveals His Preparation Strategy That Got Him AIR 1 in UPSC CSE 2020

Opposing Views

Among the aspirants who consider a smartphone a real liability, Gaurav Singh is quite vocal. He said,  “ I myself gave up my smartphone and took Nokia 5310 so as not to get distracted. With smartphones I used to spend most of my time in social media and different platforms. Smartphone for me are very distracting and that is why I gave it up.’’

On the other hand, we have an aspirant Varnica Agarwal who swears by the help one can get from a smartphone. According to him, “Smartphones for me are productive as I can set reminders, turn on the notifications of different YouTube channels so that I can study latest videos of UPSC and exams channel. Also, twitter is a good source of information. In my smartphone I can read books, e-paper, videos and for calming my mind I can listen to music too.’’

In fact, the takers and rejecters of the IPS advice are more or less equally divided.

A Coaching Centre’s View

We also discussed the matter with Mr Vishal, who runs an IAS coaching centre `Career Launcher’ in Bareilly. He says, taking a middle-path, “ It depends on students and how serious they are for their studies. For some students smartphones are the only resources to study well. But if you think Smartphones are distracting you then you should give them up’’

there are many who feel that in today’s time, smartphones have become a necessity. They said that we live in a digital age wherein the extent of a smartphone’s usage can’t be ignored.

To gain further insight, we at Indian Masterminds approached a number of aspirants. One of the candidates who cleared his exam this year told us that without the help of his smartphone, he couldn’t have cracked it. He said, “I had to balance both my studies as well a my job. I have long working hours and used to study from my phone in between breaks. It was a huge help. It is an immediate form of learning”.

On the other hand, several twitter users endorsed Mr Bothra’s mantra. Said one of them, “Epic advice. Half of the problem will get sorted automatically.’’ But many others disagreed with this notion, stating that in today’s age, “smartphones have become a necessity. We live in a digital age wherein their usage can’t be ignored.’’

Many aspirants point out that smart phones are like portable computers, through which one can access apps and websites that help in enhancing the learning process. While there could be some negative aspects to smartphones that do hamper with a student’s concentration, they can’t be done away be done away with altogether.

Furthermore, a lot of websites like Unacademy and Mrunal offer free lectures and coaching to all candidates. These are quite beneficial for those who can’t afford books or prefer to study through the internet. Even social media portals, especially Twitter, if used in the right amount can bolster the learning process.

Using your Better Judgment

Cracking the UPSC exam isn’t an easy feat. Civil service aspirants study day and night to fulfil their dreams. While hard work certainly bears fruit, it is also important to work hard in the right manner. Keeping that in mind, it is advantageous to heed to the success mantras of those who have already achieved their dream of working in civil services. Advice of the current IAS and IPS, along with their success stories, can inspire students to work hard in the right direction.

But what to do if one gets two different and contradictory suggestions? That’s something which a student alone can answer- and it should be left to his or her better judgment.

  • Share this article

Tags

  • IPS Arun Bothra
  • smartphone
  • UPSC
  • UPSC Aspirants

END OF THE ARTICLE

  • PREVIOUS STORY The First Actor Bureaucrat
  • NEXT STORY The Magnificent IAS Couple from Mizoram
  • PREVIOUS STORY The First Actor Bureaucrat
  • NEXT STORY The Magnificent IAS Couple from Mizoram

NEXT STORIES

featured banner
India Rejoices on World Forest Day As Forest Cover Goes Up To 25%
  • Raghav Goyal
  • Published on 21 Mar 2023, 4:00 pm IST
  • 3 minutes read

Highlights

Call them Oxygen producers, Carbons sinkers, and home to wildlife – forests are an essential part of Earth. Life can’t be imagined without these lungs. Thats why, India is on a mission to increase its forest cover. Since the early 1980s, India’s forest cover has increased from 19.53% to 21.71% in 2021. According to the […]

featured banner
Asked Parents Not To Keep High Hopes, Yet Got The IPS
  • Muskan Khandelwal
  • Published on 21 Mar 2023, 9:14 am IST
  • 3 minutes read

Highlights

Raj Krishna cleared UPSC CSE 2021 with AIR 158 in his fourth attempt
He shares his journey and strategies and tips for clearing UPSC CSE
He encourages the aspirants to be positive and optimist about themselves

Most Popular

It’s Okay To Be Not Okay, Speak Up and Seek Help for Depression: NITI Aayog Director Shubhrata Prakash

Do You Have ‘Courage to Dream’?

Shubham Kumar Reveals His Preparation Strategy That Got Him AIR 1 in UPSC CSE 2020

How To Increase Farmers’ Income By 40% in Six Months…

Tamil Nadu Police, First in the World, to Adopt Blockchain Technology

featured banner
These Gujarat Tribal Women Are Financially Independent, Operating Their Bank Accounts Now
  • Raghav Goyal
  • Published on 20 Mar 2023, 4:30 pm IST
  • 3 minutes read

Highlights

DM Chhotaudepur, Ms Stuti Charan, is providing them financial literacy under SWATAH

Must read

Inspiring Story of Samyak S Jain: Visually Impaired, Secured AIR-7 in UPSC CSE 2021

Women Rules UPSC CSE-2021 Results, Bag Top 3 Ranks!

100 Candidates Mentored by IPS Officer Mahesh Bhagwat’s Team Get Selected in UPSC CSE 2021

The Top 10 of UPSC CSE 2021: A Cut Above the Rest, Know How They Did It!

Language No Barrier in CSE: Meet Ravi Kumar Sihag, UPSC Topper in Hindi Medium With Air 18

Exclusive Interview With UPSC Topper Shubham Kumar, Shares Valuable Tips On How to Crack Civil Services Exam

‘If I Can Become an IAS Officer, Anybody with Willpower Can’

Taking IAS Officer Father’s Legacy Forward, Shubhankar Pathak Aces UPSC CSE 2021 in Maiden Attempt 

UPSC CSE 2021: Priyamvada Mhaddalkar Tops Maharashtra with AIR-13

UPSC CSE 2021: Ankita Agarwal’s Journey from AIR-239 in 2019 to AIR-2 in 2021

A Daughter Who Fought till Last for Her Father’s Dream, Cracked UPSC CSE 2021 in Sixth Attempt

UP Farmer’s Son On His Way to IAS After Securing AIR 6 in UPSC CSE 2021

“Civil Service is Pro People, That’s Why It Fascinates Me,” Says Yasharth, AIR 12 Rank Holder in CSE 2021

Answer Writing, Self-Notes and Group Sessions are the Keys to UPSC CSE 2021 Topper Shruti Sharma’s Success

Flaws in the System Triggered this Doctor to Get into Civil Services, and She Did It in Style with AIR 19 in UPSC CSE-2021

Ishita Rathi, Daughter of Police Couple, AIR 8 in UPSC CSE-2021 with Economics as Optional

UPSC CSE 2021: Performance of Muslim Candidates Worst in a Decade

featured banner
Wanted To Be A Scrap Dealer In Childhood, says IAS Deepak Rawat
  • Pallavi Priya
  • Published on 20 Mar 2023, 9:32 am IST
  • 4 minutes read

Highlights

Kumaon Commissioner Mr Deepak Rawat is a local boy – born and brought up in Barlowganj, Mussoorie. Like every other child, Mr. Rawat dreamt of many things. Someday he wanted to be a doctor and another day an astronaut. There also was a phase when he fancied becoming a scrap dealer.  In a free-wheeling conversation […]

Movements

IAS Anurag Agarwal Along With Other IAS Officers Reshuffled In Punjab; Check List

Uttar Pradesh: 08 IPS officer Transferred; IPS Piyush Mordia Posted As ADG, Lucknow Zone

Madhya Pradesh: 12 IPS Officers Transferred; Check List

Gujarat: IAS Vijaykumar Lalubhai Kharadi Appointed As Deputy Director General of SPIPA

Jharkhand Government Issues Transfer and Postings of IAS officers Including Praveen Toppo

Abs Shalini Appointed as Deputy Secretary in Department of Consumer Affairs, Delhi

Four Gujarat Cadre IAS officers Promoted to ACS Grade

Major Reshuffle in MP; Top Cops of Bhopal, Indore Swap Postings

featured banner
This IRS Officer is The Real life ‘Sir’ Helping Underprivileged Students to Crack Competitive Exams
  • Bhakti Kothari
  • Published on 19 Mar 2023, 4:00 pm IST
  • 3 minutes read

Highlights

IRS officer Lokesh Lilhare, Additional commissioner GST in Bhopal helps young students crack the competitive exams. With his help, thousands of students have tasted success in tests like railways, banking, UPSC CSE and PSUs. Herewith are the details of his ‘Chhoo Lo aasmaan’ initiative.

News

Himachal Pradesh Govt. Short Of Senior IAS Officers

Assam: IAS Sewali Devi Sharma Suspended Over Allegation Of Misuse Of Fund In SCERT

Big: Textile Commissioner Office Will Shift From Mumbai to Delhi, Government Released a Letter

Himachal Pradesh: IAS Debasweta Banik Will Go On Central Deputation, Government Will Appoint a DC in Hamirpur Soon

Tamil Nadu: Financial Assistance to UPSC Aspirants, 1000 Candidates Will Get 7.5K Stipend

Esha Sengupta posted as MD, West Bengal Tribal Corp

IPS Vimukt Ranjan to Become DIG of SPG

Sridhar Nadimatla To Be Next CMD of NMDC

featured banner
Amazing! Welcome To Green Hyderabad Having 21 Urban Forests
  • Ayodhya Prasad Singh
  • Published on 19 Mar 2023, 9:40 am IST
  • 3 minutes read

Highlights

Urban Forest Parks are being developed around Telangana cities to improve the ecology.
109 forest parks are being developed of which 21 are within Hyderabad only.
These parks are reducing the pollution in cities and making nature lovers happy.

Video Interview

How Are IPS Officers Trained, The Life At SVPNPA…

From Black Robes To Khakee

#InternationalWomensDay2023 Special: One Advice Each From Inspiring Bureaucrats

Vultures Being Cultured

Save The Elephant

A Historic Step In Tiger Conservation

Story Of The Journey From Satara To LBSNAA

IAS Officer Abhilasha Abhinav On How To Crack The Personality Test

LATEST ARTICLES

  • India Rejoices on World Forest Day As Forest Co...
  • Asked Parents Not To Keep High Hopes, Yet Got T...
  • These Gujarat Tribal Women Are Financially Inde...
  • Wanted To Be A Scrap Dealer In Childhood, says ...
  • This IRS Officer is The Real life ‘Sir’ Helping...

Indian Masterminds

Inform, Inspire, Influence

  • ABOUT US
  • CONTACT US
  • Advertise with us
  • Become a Contributor

@2021 Indian Masterminds. All Right Reserved.