https://indianmasterminds.com

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

Ace IAS Officer Reveals UPSC CSE Preparation Strategy

How to remain focussed during long-years of preparation? Is the coaching must to clear civil services exam? Should one have a back-up plan while pursuing UPSC CSE?
Indian Masterminds Stories

Bureaucrats normally prefer to keep a low profile. But here is an officer who never held back punches – whether during service or after it. Mr Anil Swarup, a 1984-batch IAS officer belonging to UP Cadre, is touchstone of honesty, integrity and efficiency.

He always gave his best in whatever position given to him. While whole state was burning in the aftermath of attack on Babri Masjid in November 1990 Mr Swarup as DM, Lakhimpur Kheri ensured there was no untoward incident in the district. He spurred industrial growth in Uttar Pradesh during his stint in Udyog Bandhu. He digitised all records of UP’s Revenue Board, considered a punishment posting by most bureaucrats.

As Joint Secretary in Union Labour Ministry, he formulated a landmark scheme called Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY), considered mother of Ayushman Bharat Yojana, kick-started by Narendra Modi Government. The scheme was replicated by many countries with help of the World Bank. He also planned a completely transparent auction of Coal Mines after the sector had come to a grinding halt after the alleged Coal Scam during UPA regime. As head of Project Management Group (PMG) in Central Secretariate he revived stalled mega projects worth lakhs of crores.

He has successfully fought many battles in his life – the most recent was against a life-threatening ailment. He is an inspiration to generations of bureaucrats. He continues to contribute through his lectures, media columns and interviews. His organisation Nexus of Good has been taking forward good work of bureaucrats, individuals and private organisations in various fields, particularly education.

In a freewheeling conversation with Indian Masterminds, he dwelled on many issues like UPSC preparation, training of Officer Trainees (Ots), whether issues like ethics, morals, efficiency, integrity and honesty still a virtue for a bureaucrat or a liability and his own unique ways to deal with problems and solutions.

In the first part of this Candid Talk, Mr Swarup spoke about how to prepare for UPSC Civil Services Examination and why if born again, he wishes to be an IAS again. Should an aspirant have a back up plan, how one can remain motivated for the long-long years of preparation, what are the changes required in UPSC CSE examination and why?

Why he thinks that an aspirant shouldn’t make more than two or three attempts and why age limit for civil services exam be reduced to 28 again? He also talks about importance of coaching in preparing for UPSC and whether candidates with English medium and engineering background have a better chance to clear the exam? What kind of attitude is needed for the UPSC and whether it can be faked during Personality Test (PT)?

To get candid and honest answers to all these questions, kindly watch the full interview here-


Indian Masterminds Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Related Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
NEWS
bureaucracy news
Major Bureaucratic Reforms on the Anvil as Centre Hires Consultant to Map Bottlenecks & Draft Roadmap - Details Inside
MTNL
MTNL Defaults on ₹8,585 Cr Bank Loans from Seven PSU Banks; Debt Soars to ₹34,484 Cr
HSL CMD Khatri
Upskill to Stay Ahead: HSL CMD Cmde Khatri’s Call to Maritime Sector at BIMSTEC 2025
IPS A.B
HC Clears Former Top Cop: Andhra Ends All Legal Action Against IPS Venkateswara Rao
Minister Sonowal
Hydrogen Tug Project Gets Boost as Minister Sonowal Backs Hindustan Shipyard (HSL)’s Vision - Details Inside
IOCL and SJVN
PESB Invites Applications for Director Posts in IOCL and SJVN; Deadlines Set for August 11
IREDA logo 1
IREDA Seeks Shareholder Nod to Raise Borrowing Limit to ₹1.5 Lakh Crore; Pushes for Massive RE Financing
Indian Police Services IPS Officer
Punjab Promotes 8 IPS Officers to DGP Rank, Now Has Nation’s Highest Number of Top-Rank Police Officers
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
promila gupta
The Secret of The Secret – How To Make The Universe Conspire For You
AI 171 CRASH
AAIB Initial Probe In AI-171 Crash Questioned By Aviation Experts
Ravi Kapoor
Why Ex-IRS Officer Ravi Kapoor Walked Away from Power
ADVERTISEMENT
UPSC Stories
WhatsApp Image 2025-07-14 at 15.58
The Economist Who Became an IFS Officer
How Abhimanyu Gahlaut balanced global economics and civil services dreams to crack UPSC with AIR 38
Disha Dwivedi UPSC
How Disha Dwivedi Conquered UPSC on Her Sixth Attempt
Disha Dwivedi’s UPSC journey from five prelims failures to securing AIR 672 in 2024 showcases strategic...
Sushmitha and Ishwarya Ramanathan
Their Home Was Washed Away — Sushmitha & Ishwarya Built a Legacy Instead
Sushmitha and Ishwarya lost their home to the 2004 tsunami. But with books, belief, and each other, they...
Social Media
Standing Leopard
Leopard Stuns Internet by Standing on Two Legs Like a Meerkat
A rare video of a leopard standing on two legs in Kruger Park stuns viewers and goes viral across social...
G S Roshni
Kerala’s Fearless Forest Officer G.S. Roshni Rescues 16-Foot King Cobra with Bare Hands, Garners Praise & Critique
Beat Forest Officer G.S. Roshni’s first-ever king cobra rescue goes viral, earning her the title of ‘Green...
Kaziranga Baby Elephant
Chotu the Baby Elephant Reunited with Mother in Kaziranga: Retired IFS Officer’s Post Goes Viral
A baby elephant's emotional reunion with its mother in Kaziranga, shared by retired IFS officer Susanta...
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Latest
bureaucracy news
Major Bureaucratic Reforms on the Anvil as Centre Hires Consultant to Map Bottlenecks & Draft Roadmap - Details Inside
MTNL
MTNL Defaults on ₹8,585 Cr Bank Loans from Seven PSU Banks; Debt Soars to ₹34,484 Cr
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
promila gupta
AI 171 CRASH
Ravi Kapoor
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT