What will be a perfect CSE roller-coaster — full of twists and turns? Ashish Bhardwaj, who secured 12th rank in UP PCS-2022, has some experience about that.
The Commercial Tax Officer (CTO) in GST Department of Etawah, UP, can well be an IAS if all goes well. He has already given the interview for his dream job.
He has cleared 4 UPSC CSE Mains, and appeared for Interview thrice, but is yet to be selected. In UP PCS, he has given 4 Interviews and got selected thrice.
Speaking with Indian Masterminds, Mr. Ashish Bhardwaj said, “My civil service journey is full of ups and downs. But what I feel is, if one is dedicated, put in hard work, then one will surely get what one deserves.”
UPSC
The boy from Agra left his Reliance Industries job after working only a year as he just wanted to be a bureaucrat.
This Agra Army College alumnus began his UPSC preparations in 2016 earnestly and joined coaching in Delhi. In 2017, he took his first at CSE, but could not clear prelims. Next year, he wrote his Mains, but couldn’t make it to Interview. In 2019, and 2020 he appeared for interviews but did not make it to the final list.
His fifth attempt was a disaster, he could not even clear prelims.
But this year in his sixth and last attempt, he has given the Interview in UPSC CSE-2022 and is hopeful.
UP-PCS
The son of a retired government employee, Mr. Bhardwaj’s UP PCS fate has been brighter. In UP PCS-2018, he was selected as CTO in Enforcement GST.
But he wanted to be better, so he tried in 2019, but failed. In PCS-2020, he was successful and was selected for his current position.
In UP PCS-2021, he got selected as Assistant Controller in Weight Measurement Department (Legal Metrology) and was all set to join in April, 2023, when he got selected for deputy collector’s post after ranking 12th in UP PCS-2022.
PREPARATION
This B. Tech from Motilal Nehru National Institute of Technology, Allahabad, believes that if one prepares for UPSC, then one can clear the state civil services easily with just a bit more effort.
His choice of optional was rare — Mechanical Engineering, says Mr. Bhardwaj. Barring UP-specific stuff, he did not prepare separately for the PCSs, he said.
“My focus was on mock tests and current affairs. While, preparing for CSE hours don’t matter but regularity does,” he said.
Preparing while at his current job, gave him limited time, “but self-study came in handy”, he added.
INTERVIEW
He faced questions about his GST job background and taxes. His Interview was more analytical than factual.
“As I had appeared for so many interviews in UPSC and PCS, so I was asked in-depth questions from various fields,” he added.
He was asked about the negatives of ‘Agniveer Scheme’ of Army, besides on international relations, and El-Nino effect among others.
TIPS
Mr. Bhardwaj said reading newspaper and analysis is a must. “If you are doing this, then half your job is done,” he added.
His advice to aspirants is, “From the start — practice writing answers — this time it was my trump card. Preparation is time-consuming, but do not neglect any topic. Be regular.”
