Pics: Joshwa D'souza
Johnas Sequiera/ Joshwa D'souza
Daijiworld Media Network-Mangaluru
Mangaluru, May 11: Hard work and determination to succeed certainly pays rich dividend and Mishal Queeni D’ Costa who secured 387th rank in the UPSC civil service examination 2015 is a perfect example of this. This chirpy girl who hails from Neerude of Niddodi Village in Mangalore Taluk did not allow an occasional self doubt and momentary loss of focus to come in the way of her intense preparation to crack the elite UPSC civil service examinations. Though she is happy to come out with flying colour she has set her goal post higher and want to give another try so that she can get into the IAS. “From the beginning my goal has been to get into the IAS cadre and because of my low ranking this time I am not selected for IAS or IPS. Though every service is good I would definitely give another try so as to improve my ranking and get into my favourite cadre”, she said in a interview to Daijiworld.
Mishal is the second among the three children of Lazarus and Nancy D Costa of Neerude. Her elder sister is a computer science engineer and works in Banglaore. Younger brother is a Mechanical Engineer and is also employed in Bengaluru. For many reasons Mishal’s achievement are noteworthy for myriad reasons. She comes from an agricultural family she studied in Kannada medium till 7th standard in her village. She completed her high school from Little Flower School Kinnigoli in English medium and PU from Alva’s College Moodbidri. Unlike those who dream or put foundation for IAS in high school or soon after SSLC she decided to take a plunge only after she completed her engineering graduating as an Information Science Officer from R V College of Engineering, Bengaluru.
A topper in class from her primary school days Mishal says it was her father who first sowed the seed of getting into the IAS. Her father Lazurus D Costa had graduated from Chennai and was working in Mumbai before domestic compulsions brought him back to Neerude. During his stay in Chennai Lazarus had the opportunity to watch IAS officials from close quarters and was highly impressed by the work and their contribution to the society. “It was my father who told me about the IAS and even suggested that I should give it a try. He used to show me those articles that highlighted the good work done by some of the civil servants and slowly I was motivated to give a try”, Mishal explains when asked what motivated her to try her hand in civil service despite completing engineering.
For civil service optional topics Mishal opted for Kannada literature and she says “my primary education in Kannada medium was a great help. Also I was greatly interested in Kannada literature”. She further adds “It wasn’t easy to get into the depth of the subjects which were totally new to me. For the main exams there are 9 subjects and since I did not have these subjects everything was new and I had to start from the scratch”. She had appeared for the prelims twice earlier but without success mainly because her preparation was not foolproof. .
Mishal began her preparation for Civil Service in 2012 when she went to Delhi and joined a coaching institute there. After 1 ½ years of coaching she began to prepared intensely on her own occasionally shuffling between Delhi, Bengaluru and Neerude. Apart from appearing for civil service examinations Mishal was simultaneously appearing for KAS and other examinations also. She worked hard for 10 hours a day as part of her preparation for the 2015 exams. On clearing the first hurdle of passing the preliminary, Mishal was determined to cross the other major hurdle of clearing the main and also get through the final round – personal interview. .And she did pass the main and got through the interview in her very first attempt.
When asked whether she called it quits any time in between, Mishal says that there were a few instances where she momentarily lost focus because of the uncertainty factor. “During the course of the 3 years of preparation I must admit I was a bit disconcerted a few times thinking what would happen in case I fail to make it. Credit goes to my. Parents as they were more positive than me and they gave me moral support and encouragement I needed to come out of that phase”.
On learning that she had cleared the main exam Mishal began intense preparation for the interview. She went to Delhi to the coaching centre and attended many mock interviews which came in handy. She says the interview was unlike what she had prepared for. “It was short, crisp and factual. She was asked questions on PIL, NAM and also on public administration and a few more questions. .
Mishal feels that hard work, parental support and interest of the candidate in the subject play a decisive role in ensuring success. She also says that awareness about IAS and civil service is very low and therefore schools, colleges and other educational institutions should make effort to create more awareness about the elite and prestigious civil service examinations.
Excerpts from her interview:
How long have you taken coaching for these exams?
I have taken one and a half years coaching in Delhi. Meanwhile I had also written KPSC exams twice and successfully passed them. I feel more than the coaching it’s the determination and support of my parents which proved instrumental in my success.
How was your study pattern?
Due to the irregularity in KPSC exams and regular travel from Bengaluru, I couldn’t follow a particular study pattern. But every day before I went to sleep, I studied whatever syllabus I had to cover for the day in my own pace. I feel understanding a subject is better than mugging it up. I used to collect the materials from various places and internet. I had to be updated with the current affairs and I did it in my own way like a marathon race.
Were you nervous on any day or while writing the exams as the questions are truly uncertain?
Yes definitely. You should be strong in your basics. Once you do that you will automatically gain confidence. Connecting things is the key aspect. Continuous revision works here.
At any point of time were you not frustrated about the hard work and efforts you had to put in? Did you feel like giving up?
Yes... Being without a job and studying something which has no limit can make you frustrated. But my family especially my father motivated me whenever I was in dilemma.
What would be your message to youth who want to pursue this stream?
Determination, commitment, will power, patience and grit are the keys to success. If you want to walk in this path start early, decide your goal and plan it systematically. Never let the focus get off from your goal. Success will be yours eventually.