Newspaper reading habit, planned preparation and effective time management were crucial for clearing competitive examinations in general and civil services examinations in particular, said V.P. Jeyaseelan, IAS State topper and Assistant Commissioner of Income Tax, Nagpur.
Interacting with students at Gandhigram Rural Institute here on Wednesday, he said newspapers should be Bible for civil services aspirants. It would feed them with a lot of information. Every aspirant should read at least three newspapers and two weekly magazines regularly to update one’s knowledge, he said.
“What you should not do is more important than what you should do while writing competitive exams. First, you should know what to study, how to study and what not to study. Writing skills should also be sharpened because you have to answer many questions within a short time,” Mr. Jeyaseelan said.
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Role of coaching centres was just three per cent. Internet, as a treasure trove of knowledge, played 50 per cent of the role.
For common papers such as history, geography, economics and political science, candidates could get study materials, guides and guidance easily.
Clarity in thought was important because most of the questions would be opinion-based. Above all, empathy was most vital for a government servant to provide better solutions to problems of common man.
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While writing bank exams, students should concentrate on aptitude, reasoning and English, he said.
Tsunami rehabilitation measures taken by the Nagapattinam district administration had inspired him to become an IAS officer. “A good teacher is one who motivates students. The rest will fall in place automatically. Chase your dream and achieve it on your own strength,” Mr. Jeyaseelan said.