Status Quo - 2

I plan to write something about "how to handle extreme rumour pressure" very soon. As most of you know I have been in the eye of the Civil Service Exam storm for the past one month or so. For others let me explain what I meant - a national-scale rumour about the CSE results has been doing rounds for the past many weeks. It went to that extent that my colleagues here even wanted to have a photo session with me based on that rumour. Sundar/Rajan has topped this year's CSE. That was the rumour! Over the past few weeks not even a single day passed in my life without at least five people congratulating me for topping the exam. Such people also called me from diverse geographies like Chennai, Delhi etc. Most of them would also add, "Topping IAS exams is in your family genes", referring to my elder brother's feat a few years back. A few of them also concluded that IAS Rank.1 is a family property. And over the past four-five days the number of callers and the people who congratulate me had only increased. Some of them came to me and even said the marks I had (apparently) scored in the Mains and the Interview, with great authority. 

Combined with the speculation about the actual date of the results, my life was quite peculiar. Things reached the zenith today before dying out at about 4 in the evening. But overall I enjoyed the process. It made me learn a lot about people - individuals and groups. I will talk more on this later on a post fully dedicated to rumour - and rumour only. But for a very few people belonging to my inner circle, no one actually knows the adventures I undertook, the dreams I chased - after taking the prelims exam, last year. Looking back I'm quite happy about the way things turned out. But even in that little inner circle many actually expected some truth in that rumour. I'm terribly sorry for them, and really grateful to them for placing such a high level of confidence in my capabilities. Or is it their lack of confidence in the Exam system? I guess it was a blend of both.

I have been laughing away this rumour since the day it reached my ears for the first time. Also from some corner of my mind, Dr.Gopalakrishnan's (ED, Tata Sons) quote always flashed within me. It goes like this - Deserve before you desire. [Something more fundamental to that is - One should want something in the first place. Only after that deserve/desire rule sets in] No no...don't worry, am not trying to be philosophical. I generally believe in cause-effect and usually do not subscribe to destiny/fate etc. Probably had I got the Rank as per rumours I would have started believing in destiny etc. I am happy now. I had full faith in myself and I'm happy that I was able to uphold that faith. I genuinely believed that for the kind of treatment I meted out to the Mains exam this time, even getting the interview call was a great bonus for me; leave alone Topping the exam.  And I would have really got confused with my career, again!

I'm happy that I have not betrayed myself; My belief in myself; 

My belief that I do not deserve anything, as I did not want anything this time.

I'm also happy that no one can be a Topper just by some miracle.

Now, let me resume the Debit/Credit lessons!

Status Quo

Pune, July 2002.

Personal Account: Debit the receiver/Credit the giver

Real Account: Debit what comes in/Credit what goes out

Nominal Account: Debit all expenses or losses/Credit all incomes or gains

Nagpur, May 2009.

Personal Account: Debit the receiver/Credit the giver

Real Account: Debit what comes in/Credit what goes out

Nominal Account: Debit all expenses or losses/Credit all incomes or gains

Well, that is the surface-level summary of my life over the past couple of years. I'm still fighting it out with the Golden rules of accounting, as I did over seven years back. In between, many things like soda ash, Kolkata, geography, psychology, Mussourie, modern Indian history, Lalitpur, many exams, Prasad Studios etc have happened in my life...but the status of "studying/under training" remains unaffected. Unfazed. "I'm sure even after a year you will be getting trained or studying something somewhere", that's what Mayur told me this evening. Mayur is heading the sales function of western India (comprising of 4-5 states) for a leading sports apparel brand. We had shared a room for a year from July, 2002 during my MBA days. After passing out in 2004, over the past five years, he had gained an impressive work experience in sales and marketing with the leading brands like Airtel and Samsung. He has also helped his dad set up an edible oil factory and business. Also, my dear cousin brother who was in Class VIII-IX during my MBA is about to complete his BE degree in a year.

My accountancy book is still open. I have to start studying ledger posting in a while. We have some tests coming up soon. I will also be doing a bit of the Income Tax Act 2008 tomorrow. (Wow!! It is a great way to spend a Sunday... you may also try)

And it does not end there. Similar to children of love, this blog is a blog of frustration. (Here is the link to my opening post). (Almost) Exactly two years ago I founded this blog, unable to do anything else, especially preparing for the then approaching prelims exam. I was impatiently waiting for my first attempt result. 

Cut to two years forward.

I am waiting for my third attempt result. Nothing else has changed drastically. Of course, I have gained a lot of patience over the past two years and am very well able to focus on the job at hand.

Personal Account: Debit the receiver/Credit the giver

Real Account: Debit what comes in/Credit what goes out

Nominal Account: Debit all expenses or losses/Credit all incomes or gains

CSE Interview - Deja vu

Unlike two years back, I was more relaxed and probably a bit complacent this time. But I can't say for sure whether I was wiser or not. Most likely not. Unlike last time now both the Chairman as well the Secreatary, UPSC dropped in the waiting room to pep us up. It was really nice of them. I don't know when was the last time the Chairman came to the waiting room. "Some of you will be working here (UPSC) in another 20 years or so...just remember this day. I too was here waiting for my interview many years back.... There is nothing to get scared. All the best". The secretary said something like this. But his mere presence made me feel better. Happier.

Unlike last time, I did not want an escort from home to Dolphur House this time. Omni's Punjabi driver was the lone man with me. It was Sasi last time....he had come to be with me after fighting it out with his bosses for leave, from some jungles in Himachal. This time my onsite support team was Ravi, Sadai and Sunny. 

I could see some familiar faces in the waiting room. I had the last slot in the forenoon session. 31st March 2009.  After chatting and joking around, I got someone to explain me the Tibet issue. I had a hunch that I'll be asked that. I tried helping a few with "Why do cyclones occur only on the Eastern coasts of continents?" and that day's EcoTimes editorial that talked about the corporate tax rates in our country. I wanted to know about Coastal Regulation Zone and coral reefs, but I could not find someone who could tell me about them. I had a feeling I was throwing away my marks. After convincing myself that I won't be asked on those topics I rehearsed my answers for the most expected question - "Why IAS after IRS?"

Now cutting it short, here are the questions that came my way between 1:00 and 1:30 PM:

Chairman:

How is your training going?

How is Nagpur?

Which is better in terms of cleanliness, your hometown or Nagpur?

How do you get back the money from Swiss banks?

How to estimate black money?

Member 1:

What are Towers of Silence?

What do you know about vultures?

What are national parks?

Is India a country rich on biodiversity?

What about other countries that are rich on biodiversity?

What is our forest cover?

Are you aware of the legislations (Acts) related to environment?

How is that estimated?

Who is the authority to estimate that?

Member 2:

You are a chemical engineer. (I was terrified to hear that!) You will be working in big industrial units that create pollution....in that context what is COD/BOD?

What is bioremedy?

Assume you are a shoe company owner and you are sending two sales persons to a country where no one wears shoes. One comes back to you saying there is no market for your shoes, while the other one says there is a huge market. Who is right? What do you do?

Member 3:

What is transactional analysis?

How will you use psychology (my optional) in IRS?

How to initiate community to participate in the developmental process?

What is the role of NGOs? (I had kind of goofed up here that the Chairman also intervened now)

What is the % of tax payers in our country?

What is the role of IRS during elections?

Member 4:

Don't you think the Election Commission is over-controlling the election process?

Do you see any patterns in the recent Assembly elections results?

What is carbon trading?

What is vote-on-account?

Are you not satisfied with IRS?

Why IAS after IRS? (I was happy on hearing this question. I had prepared it so well you know. But the answer delivery was so poor that the member said - Since you are from IRS I thought you will give a new answer....Anyway you would have expected this question) !!!

Of course, unlike last time I was not satisfied with my answers. However I was extremely happy with my answers to chemical engg questions.... in fact this was the first time ever in my life I have answered to questions on chemicals engg!!

But just like last time I have to wait for a few more weeks to know what's in store...!