Doctor to Civil Servant… the journey of Dr Sahana Hadimani

Profile:

Name: Dr Sahana Hadimani

Qualification: MBBS graduate from Kempegowda Institute of Medical sciences

Achievement: Topped KPSC examinations in 2014 and joined service as Assistant commissioner, Karnataka Administrative Services in her 2nd Attempt. 

Optional: Anthropology

Here is an inspiring article written by Dr Sahana on her journey and preparation strategy… 

I was attending this Q&A on corruption as a probationary tahsildar in Sringeri when this young girl asked me as to what have i done to reduce corruption in my Taluk office. Suddenly I realised i hadn’t actually got the time to implement all the research and studying that we did during preparation time, when it actually came to work in the field.  That took me back a couple of years why i started preparation.

This is a story i generally dont tell people because its too cliched. But truth is, its cliche because it happens a lot. I was an intern at KIMS, Bangalore and i was excited since I was fulfilling my lifelong dream of being a Doctor and serving the needy.  Soon enough my excitement was buried in the sorrow filled stories we got to hear from people day in and day out ; the treatment to which wasnt in my medical books nor did our professors teach us.

What can i do to really make a difference in their daily lives? Just to see them a bit happier….not the entire world, but just that old man who recently had a stroke; just that mother whose son was suffering from a bleeding disorder……. They couldnt afford treatment. They were unaware of prevention. Their problems were beyond medicine.

Cut to 2018, I had an ID with Dr Sahana Hadimani, KAS written on it. It will be completing 2 years in service in few months now …but let me tell you guys, this 2 years has been empowering… satisfying…. gratifying… and much more…. I have realised… as Tahsildar of Sringeri or as a probationer Assistant Commissioner in Chikkamangaluru or as Deputy commissioner (Corporation-Shivamogga) where I am posted currently…. the job of an bureaucrat is that of a change agent… it is truly worth it…

Journey wasnt easy, nor was it short. But it was one that transformed me into a strong person ready to take on challenges irrespective of the outcome. One thing to remember is… have a goal and work towards it blindly, even if it means blood and sweat. In my journey one crucial person was my friend, senior and guide Dr Arjun Bopanna. His incessant energy and spirit guided me through the tough times. I have had a few poor experiences with so called fake ‘mentors’ earlier and it was he who embodied the spirit of mentorship. This is just a small thanks and open acknowledgement of his HUGE contribution in my success.

So if you are currently  planning on giving KPSC, remember few things

  • Syllabus is the bible. Have a clear idea how to complete the entire syllabus

  • Do not listen to the gossip vine. Beware, its quite strong; even if you are slightly ready to listen the whitewalkers will break the wall.

  • There is huge scope for merit and hardwork

  • Get guidance and mentorship. Again different people will need different guidance depending on where they stand currently. There is no one best way to clear the exam.

  • Have patience. It generally takes a little long.

Many aspirants approach me asking me various questions relating to this examinations. I have taken the liberty to select a few and answer them in this forum. Hope this will help the readers…. 

Q. Whether you can study  for UPSC and KPSC simultaneously?

Its definitely a YES

Its not quite different in terms of syllabus and the  and the kind of preparations that s required.

Syllabus is almost similar. The extras in KPSC are Karnataka related history, geography and current affairs which you can do before the exams. One can manage as the basics are similar.

Secondly learning Karnataka related issues and examples will give a lot of case studies and examples for your Upsc also

Current affairs is crucial to both the exams unlike the notion. Current affairs in your answers will fetch more marks

Also the exam cycles together will keep you busy the entire year .  So you wont be out of touch.

Q. What has been your preparation strategy?

I did study for long hours initially, when I was doing the basics and I was busy.

  1. For Prelims: There is enough sources for KPSC prelims and I just followed the standard text books and current affairs magazines. (I have given the list below).

  2. For Mains: KPSC mains was a challenge. When I gave my exam, it was the 1st time after the syllabus had changed. Hence there was no standard textbook for mains yet. What we did was, collect materials as per the content of the syllabus. This part of preparation involved cursory reading of the  material or content, understanding and consolidating the knowledge. Actually this part most of you can shorten as good material is now available both online and offline in book stores. Our material is also made available on this website in fact.

  3. For Interview: As such I did not prepare exclusively for KPSC interview, as I had given UPSC interview twice. Go through current affairs and learn about your hometown, graduation subject etc. 

A point of advice here- resist the temptation of hoarding material. Remember you should be able to revise on a single day before exams. So having many sets of material wont help that

And the next crucial step is to do with how well you use your material. My approach was simple

  1. I had a study partner. Choose well as his or her commitment or lethargy will brush off on to you.

  2. Smart study- using post-its, mnemonics, flow charts will ease your prep. Choose good material i.e. Simple and concise

  3. Test series is very crucial, both for prelims and mains. I cant stress more on how important is learning the art of solving MCQs  and its not just about reading more.

  4. Main area will be answer writing for mains. We used to write answers and correct each others mistakes. A good feedback answer wise is much more than studying hours together.

  5. Other pointers when it comes to studying with others

    1. Help each other. But prioritise you preparation

    2. Utilise each others strengths

    3. Constant discussion about various topics will help your analytical skills

  6. Customise study routines as to what suits you best. If something doesn’t help you learn to say NO.

  7. Be consistent in your strategy and dedicated to your preparation.

  8. For prelims- solve as many MCQs as possible and for Mains write and practice questions. you should at least write about 1 set of full test for mains before the exam 

Q. How to choose optional in Kpsc

I was given a lot of wrong advices when choosing optional. It did affect my preparation quite a bit

The idea behind optional is it should score. So obviously a lot of things affect your score.

First priority should be to check what optionals are available to you i.e, your areas from graduation, some generalised optionals like RD, Anthropology, sociology etc

Then check which of these interest you such that you can study revise and re-revise the subject

3rd from the list choose which have been scoring for the last few years. Check for success percentage and average scores, not just high scores

Some 2 to 3 optionals fit in the above category for everyone.  In that look for easy coaching availability, access to a senior who has scored quite well in that optional, easy availability of notes etc. These points can decide the optional for you.

Q. What are the materials you should refer for the examination?

Here a few suggestions from my end. 

  Prelims: 

  1. Indian polity and constitution: Laxmikanth Indian Polity 

  2. Indian economy: I referred many different books, finally current affairs helps. Arjun Bopanna’s notes was my text actually

  3. Geography: NCERT 11th

  4. History: Spectrum publications 

  5. Environment: I had my own notes from multiple sources. 

  6. Current affairs- One good source of magazine. Vision IAS or  Nammakpsc mahithi or GKToday

  7. Science and technology- Current affairs and online sources.

  8. News paper- The Hindu 

  9. Indian and Karnataka Economic survey and Budget

Mains 

  1. Ethics- Tata McGraw Hill by M Karthikeyan or Arihanth Publications 

  2. Rest of the topics — currently there is no standard text books for Mains. Hence internet is still the best source. I would recommend you to take up one source of test series.  

Q. Is coaching required for clearing the exam?

The answer is a BIG NO…. It is about individual choice. If you want a routine. You want some guidance.. want to get out of the house…. coaching will help.. but it not a must…and today you don’t have to go to Delhi. I would recommend you to stay in Karnataka and study in a comfortable environment. With internet all materials are easily available in the internet, watsapp groups and telegram groups. Make good use of them. 

My final take on civil services preperation- one that moulds you into a HUMAN BEING – humble, hustler, inspired, empathetic and most of all accept and love LIFE.

Have a GURI and GURU. Success is yours in life. To quote my favorite lines by Rudyard kipling,

If you can dream—and not make dreams your master;

    If you can think—and not make thoughts your aim;

If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster

    And treat those two impostors just the same;

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.

.

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If you can fill the unforgiving minute

    With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run,

Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,

    And—which is more—you’ll be a Man, my son!