All 15 candidates who have cleared the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) from Bengal were invited to the Satyendra Nath Tagore Civil Services Study Centre in FC Block on Sunday. Of them, seven were students of the centre. They were felicitated by no less than three senior IAS officers, including the chief secretary, and an IPS officer, the police commissioner himself.
“Bengal used to be one of the major contributors to the civil services. But it is not so any more. So many students here are getting high marks in Madhyamik and Plus Two Board exams. I believe all of them are competent to get into the service — they are as good as any across the country. Nor do I believe that none of them have any interest in the civil services. Lot of talent is not coming to this service because of an information gap. Our aim is to provide information and motive aspirants all across Bengal,” said chairman of the centre Surajit Kar Purkayastha, a retired director general of the state police.
The resident of BB Block also dispelled the myth that one has to be good in English to crack UPSC. “Nowadays many examinees are taking the examination in Hindi. Many come from humble backgrounds,” he said, pointing to centre student Paramita Malakar who has ranked 812 on her second attempt with Bengali as her optional paper.
Chief secretary B.P. Gopalika looked back to his own initiation year. “In 1989, not a single person passed from Bengal. There was nothing available. The only successful Bengali in the batch was Atri Bhattacharya (the additional chief secretary in charge of Sunderban affairs, who appeared for the exam from Delhi).” Gopalika, a Bihar boy, undertook his preparations in Delhi. “The government has invested in the centre. This is the return we are getting,” he said, turning to the would-be civil servants.
He also pointed out that the syllabus for WBCS has been aligned with that of UPSC. “The suggestion came from this centre. In the next couple of years, the new syllabus will start. You can appear in both examinations then with the same preparation.”
State UPSC topper Jayasree Pradhan shares her journey with students of the Satyendra Nath Tagore Civil Services Study Circle on Sunday
He also underlined that there was no good or bad posting. “People will tell you there is nothing to do in a bad post. But that is because no one has done anything there. If you can do something and make a mark there, you will be remembered,” Gopalika said.
Bidhannagar commissioner Gaurav Sharma also had words of advice for the candidates. “You will find a lot of people years senior to you in age will be reporting to you. Do not be high-handed. Try to be humble as you are new and you will have to learn the job from those you give orders to,” Sharma said.
He too walked down memory lane. “When I passed CA my father asked me if I would get a job and start contributing to the family. I asked for a bit more time. In Ludhiana, I had not seen any IAS or IPS officer in our midst and used to wonder: ‘Are they for real?’” Sharma recalled walking in front of the bungalow of the SSP (senior superintendent of police) to motivate himself.
All eyes were especially on Jayashree Pradhan, who had stood 52 without any outside coaching. The Darjeeling girl has opted for Indian Foreign Service. “I was in tears after each stage, thinking I would fail to make the cut to the next stage. The competition is actually with one’s own self,” said Pradhan, who was on her second attempt. There were two others from the hills — Goutam Thakuri (391) and Siliguri boy Ajay Moktan (494).
Two girls from Calcutta were placed after Jayashree in a state-wide ranking — Khan Saima Serah Ahmed of Mominpur had come 165th and Diya Dasgupta of Dunlop 207th.