Interview by : Florine Roche
Daijiworld Media Network-Mangaluru

Mangaluru, May 13: For 12 long years Nivya P Shetty nurtured the dream of cracking the civil service examination and to become an IAS officer. Her dream of cracking the prestigious civil service materialised recently as she secured 274th rank in the 2015 civil service examination, the results of which were declared this week. Despite her stupendous achievement of clearing one of the toughest examinations in her maiden attempt Nivya could not accomplish the second half of her dream of getting into the IAS as this requires a higher ranking than what she has achieved. But she is a fighter with a never say die spirit and does not want to rest until she achieves her main goal.

The result has been like a mix bag to Nivya as she has been successful in clearing civil service examination in her very first attempt though the other part of her dream of getting into the IAS remain unfulfilled. Nivya is certainly made up of a sterner stuff and now this petite girl, who can be mistaken for a high school student, is all the more impelled to give another try to get into the top list even as she is inclined to accept the present result and plans to join whatever cadre she gets. “I don’t mind working hard for another year side by side with the posting I get as per my present ranking”, she declared.

Speaking to Daijiworld.com she said she was inspired to get into civil service with the main idea of serving the society, the thought that got ingrained in her brain when she was in 6th standard.

Nivya says it was her dad Prakash Shetty, a Senior Standing Counsel for Central government and High Court lawyer who proved to be the initial inspiration, albeit indirectly. “My dad had contacts with many civil servants and I used to experience a different kind of vibe whenever I got a chance to interact with them. It kindled in me the spirit of patriotism and I wanted to serve my country in a similar way. The only option for ordinary people like us to serve the society is to get into the civil service”, she reasons. Nivya also says that grandmother was also a great source of inspiration for her.

Conscious choices

With the ambition of getting into civil service firmly in her mind Nivya had to make some conscious decision. She actively participated in all curricular and co-curricular activities, debates, discussions and she also kept abreast of current events by reading newspapers and magazines. On completing her SSLC she did not compromise opting for Science which is her favourite field despite knowing that humanities are compulsory for civil services. She chose computer science for engineering which gave her ample time to prepare for civil services. After completing her graduation in Computer Science from Sri Vishweshwaraiah College Bengaluru in 2014, Nivya joined a coaching centre in Delhi.

Despite her Engineering background she opted for Anthropology as her optional subject. “I chose this because Anthropology deals with rural issues and I wanted to get into the very root of rural India. It is not enough if we get into civil service just for the sake of doing it. Aspirants should be ready to do lot of hard work and dedication towards that goal”, she says with confidence.

When asked what her advice is for those aspiring to get into civil service Nivya says “The general feeling is that civil services is a tough examination and that itself is enough to give a mental blockade to many aspirants. Civil service is not something that is unattainable and there are many who have proved it. My sincere advice to all those who are preparing to get into civil service is that, you get out of that mental cordon and begin your preparation with a positive frame of mind and focus only on civil service. It is like winning half the battle”. The beauty of this examination she says is “It tests a candidate’s character and personality at every stage, be it the preliminary, the main examination or the interview. In the main examination a candidate is required to give his or her clear opinion on issues and that opinion makes the vital difference between success and failure.”

Positive approach

About the interview, which is the final but most crucial and decisive round, Nivya says that she did not make any special preparations. “Interview is nothing but personality test and therefore the interviewers expect honest, frank and neutral opinion from the candidates. I was confident and never harboured any qualms about my abilities and that proved to be my strength”, she avers.

With her uncle 

Nivya is confidence personified and she oozes nothing but oodles of confidence. Considering her perseverance and positive frame of mind, it can be deduced that she is sure to achieve her goal of getting into the IAS. She is now focusing on the areas that lacked her preparation for the 2015 exam and avoid the simple mistakes she made. Nivya also recalls the continued support of her parents and younger sister in her pursuit to achieve her goals. Without their dogged support she would not have been able to pass the civil service examination, she says.

Nivya and her family is settled in Bengaluru and she had her schooling and higher education there. But the family has roots in Kundapur and her grandparents are in Kundapur and she visits them whenever she finds free time.

Hats off to this Coastal Girl for bringing laurels to her native land.