Engineer turned IFS officer Pranjal Chopade, hailing from the Baramati district in Pune, Maharashtra, had been brilliant in academics since the very beginning. He secured a good rank in JEE Mains and completed his graduation in Electronics and Telecommunication engineering in 2018. He then went on to work in a few MNCs before finally making up his mind to become a civil servant.
Indian Masterminds spoke with him to know more about his UPSC journey that took him to Indian Forest Service.
INSPIRATION
Pranjal left his job after being spurred on by his uncle and cousin, who encouraged him to pursue a career in the civil service. He began his preparation for the UPSC CSE first and learned about the IFS exam much later.
He only had 60 days to prepare for the IFS exam, during which, he visited Tadoba National Park and observed the animals, the management, and other activities.
“Going for the forest service Mains examination and simultaneously visiting a national park and witnessing the beautiful beasts through my own eyes, was indeed a surreal experience and helped me in my preparation, in a way,” he told Indian Masterminds.
PREPARATION
Pranjal cleared the IFS Prelims in his second attempt but failed to clear the Mains. He began studying for the exam again the next year, devoting his entire time to studying for the Mains examination, foregoing all family events, festivals, and even birthdays. He luckily passed the Mains exam in his third attempt and began preparing for the personality round test.
“Senior IPS officer Mahesh Bhagwat sir helped me immensely during my personality test preparation. He took one-on-one sessions with us and gave us questions related to our DAF. Most of those questions were actually asked during my Interview. IFS officer Ramesh Pandey sir also helped me a lot in my preparation,” Pranjal said.
He also gave multiple mock tests with the assistance of several coaching centres. He specifically acknowledges Vivek Kulkarni sir, who was a huge assistance to him during his preparation. His hard work and commitment finally paid off, as he was able to secure AIR-13 in the IFS examination 2022, the results of which were recently announced.
“One habit which everyone should inculcate in themselves is patience. It will help them prevail in the exam, just like it did with me,” he said.
INTERVIEW PREPARATION
Pranjal not only prepared for his interview round through coachings and books, but also physically travelled to numerous sites rich in biodiversity. He went on tree walks with a tourist group to learn about the flora in the environment, and Tadoba National Park, Radhanagri Wildlife Sanctuary, among other places.
“My interview preparation was more about my experiential journey which helped me immensely,” he told Indian Masterminds.
During his interview, he was questioned whether he was more of a thinker or he believed in taking action. He firmly addressed the question, citing an example from his undergraduate days when he established an online registration system for students during a college event. His action increased system transparency and aided in increasing event attendance. His response earned him high marks.
PLANS FOR THE FUTURE
Pranjal wishes to work for the welfare of the tribal communities that live in the forests, now that he is on his way to becoming an IFS officer. His visit to a tribal territory made him realise the loss of connection between tribals and the administration, which he intends to work for, to provide sustainable development to tribals and bring them into the mainstream.
