EMN
Dimapur, May 13
Tetso College has conducted a special one of a kind face – to – face informal interactive session with top IAS, IPS and IFS officers of Nagaland for students on May 13 wherein the former have enlightened on basic principles to enable them achieve their goal in life.
The programme witnessed the presence of Commissioner of Taxes - Asangba Chuba Ao, (IAS), Samual Changkija (IFS), K Thavasaleen (IAS), and Imnalensa (IPS), who have divulged threadbare on information relating to their background, how they ended up trying for government service, preparation techniques for the NPSC and the UPSC, challenges they faced at work like corruption, pressure from politicians, pros and cons of working for the government and more.
The session began with an introduction of the members by Samuel Changkija (IFS) who introduced himself as a pure indigenous Naga product since he studied from Class A to M.Sc (Botany) in Nagaland without going outside the state for further studies. He dispelled the myth that one needed to study outside Nagaland to be successful by clearing both the NPSC in 2002 and UPSC in 2003. He spoke about having the dedication and belief in oneself to accomplish it. Asangba Chuba Ao (IAS), Commissioner of Taxes, gave the keynote address where he stressed on the 3D’s – Determination, Dedication and Discipline. He stated, “Pursuing a career in the civil services needs to be done with the right reasons and responsibilities in mind”. According to him, the extent of change a person can bring about in society is immense and there does exist a certain prestige.
The civil service provides exposure in fields ranging from medical, education, police, etc. in a way no other career can match. However, a key part of getting into the civil services and also while being there was learning to say “no” to friends because you need to study and focus or say “no” when being asked to do something illegal.
A powerpoint presentation detailing the basics of the civil service exams, its structure and content was presented by K Thavaseelan (IAS), who cleared the service in 2012. Originally trained as an engineer, he went on to IIM Ahmedabad for his MBA/ PGDM, joined the corporate sector but eventually left it to join the IAS. He described the UPSC exam as a marathon race and not a sprint since the UPSC exam takes a year.
Thavaseelan, who is also a member of the Society for Social Services and mentors other IAS aspirants, donated resource material to the students.
Imnalensa (IPS) kicked off his session by highlighting his average academic record. He was never a topper but secured either 2nd division or 3rd division until his post graduation when he decided to focus and finalised on what he really wanted to do. From that point onwards he worked hard and cleared both the NPSC and eventually the UPSC exams as an IPS officer. He stated that his faith in God with hardwork and determination was the reason why he was able to clear the exams. He also stressed upon the importance of pursuing one’s passion and dreams in order to succeed.
The session concluded with a question hour where the resource persons fielded questions ranging from details of the UPSC and NPSC to tough questions like how they dealt with corruption and political pressure. Students also asked about the relative fairness of the NPSC and the rumours about having to pay money to secure an NPSC job.
