National Civil Service Day 2023: WBCS Officer, Gargi Das Shares Her Civil Service Journey and Message For Aspirants

National Civil Services Day 2023: Every year on 21 April, we celebrate this day to honour the contributions made by the officers who work for the nation's multiple public service departments. This day serves as a reminder for civil service officers to manage the nation's administrative structure cooperatively and with a commitment to helping the people.

On 21 April 1947, Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel, the then Home Minister of Independent India, addressed the probationary officers at the All India Administrative Service Training School in Metcalfe House. He gave a stirring speech that inspired the civil servants to abandon their prior experiences and take on the actual purpose of national service. In his speech, he referred to civil personnel as the "steel frame of India." Fifty-nine years later, the first event for National Civil Service Day took place on 21 April 2006 in Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi. Since then, 21 April has been celebrated as National Civil Service Day every year.

On the occasion of National Civil Service Day, Edugraph reached out to Gargi Das, Executive Officer of the West Bengal Civil Services (W.B.C.S) for an engaging conversation about her career in administration, her preparation for one of India's most challenging exams, and her advice for civil service aspirants.

Gargi Das

The Journey from the Private to the Government Sector

Being a bright student in school, I made the decision early on to pursue an engineering degree, thus I joined the B.Tech programme at Jadavpur University. I've always been interested in academics, and I had planned out my long-term career ambitions, which include obtaining higher education. I began to prepare for GATE, but I was unable to pursue a PhD owing to personal circumstances. I ended up applying for a job through campus placement instead, where I was hired by one of the best companies. I had absolutely no intention of working for the government up until that point.

When I had to wait a long time to complete a task during one of my visits to a government office for personal reasons, the idea crossed my mind, "If only I were in that position, I'd have done it faster and could save people's time." The impulse to sit on the other side of the table in a government office developed after that point. My private job mainly involved going back and forth from home to the office. I eventually grew to disapprove of the everyday difficulty of commuting to work, constant job pressure, and irregular shifts. Due to personal reasons, I was unable to leave my job, so I began studying for the WBCS exam while working a full-time job, eventually landing my dream position.

The Preparation for WBCS Examination

Saying "I am a WBCS Executive Officer" still seems surreal in 2023. [The memory of] 7 years of challenges and preparations, and finally working in the career of my dreams still sends chills down my spine.

Within 6 months of [joining] my private job, I started preparing for the examination. The glory of a private job didn't suit me. I used to regularly stay up late at work and didn't have enough time for my family or for myself. Because of the extensive WBCS syllabus, which covers subjects like history, geography, science, mathematics, and English, among others, exam preparation was challenging and started taking its toll on me. Being a student in the science stream, studying politics and economics was new to me. To learn some subjects, I had to start from scratch.

I had to study throughout my commute to and from work because the WBCS has a massive syllabus. My health slowly began to suffer as a result, and I made the decision to go from studying for the civil service test to studying for one-day exams like the SSC, India Post, etc. Besides WBCS, I also used to fill out applications for other competitive government examinations.

I was unable to dedicate as much time as I would have liked to the exam preparation because I spent most of my time working and travelling. When I initially took the WBCS exam in 2013, the result was incredibly disheartening. I kept trying to get work with the government, so I didn't give up. The India Post results were released in 2015, and I passed with flying colours, leaving my private job after 3.5 years.

After entering the postal service, I learned to genuinely comprehend the idea of public service, and I also had ample time to prepare for WBCS. I continued to study on my way to and from work. I concentrated entirely on WBCS and stopped looking for other jobs. It's worth noting that the WBCS format and material were modified in 2014, but I was motivated to crack and adapt to the new exam pattern, which I fortunately did. I didn't stay with India Post for long because I passed WBCS Group C and was hired as a Revenue Officer in 2017.

As a tax officer, I worked in a rural area, and the difficulty of going by train began, which was really exhausting. The desire to be a WBCS Executive Officer remained, and I was not one to give up easily. As a result, I continued to study while commuting. One of the reasons I wanted to be a WBCS Executive Officer was to escape the hustle and bustle of travelling by rail and bus. After three years, I was eventually selected for the WBCS Group A Services interview round in 2018. After 7 years of hard work, on 31 December 2019, the WBCS Group A category's final results were announced, and I was selected as a WBCS Executive Officer.

My 7-year WBCS journey was purely motivated by my own self-motivation to clear the examination and acquire that job

- Gargi Das

The role of a Block Development Officer (BDO)

I am currently a Block Development Officer (BDO) for the Howrah District. An individual known as a BDO serves as a link between the public and the government. It is my duty to carry out all government initiatives in my block after receiving them. I frequently engage the residents of my block in conversation to assist them by delivering better services. BDOs are in charge of enforcing the law, managing the block's finances, and monitoring the needs of the general populace. The ground-level building couldn't function well without a BDO.

Why choose Civil Service?

[This is] the most common question in any civil service interview round, and I'd like the applicants to be aware before responding to this question. I diligently responded, "I want to work for the common people," to that question as an aspirant.

And today, as a WBCS Executive Officer, I want to express that there is too much work and pressure in my line of work, which is being a BDO. Although I occasionally manage 10–12 tasks at once, work load keep me on my toes, and while occasionally I make mistakes of my own, the happiness and satisfaction on the faces of the people in the block make me feel like it was all worthwhile.

In my opinion, doing a private job at one of the Big 4 or top MNCs is done mostly to appease those around you or to project a high-class image. However, serving the public as a civil servant provides the greatest sense of fulfilment. In contrast to high-paying MNC positions, the praise and admiration you receive from the general public is nothing. A civil service career is an ideal choice for those seeking a secure, tranquil, and meaningful life.

We always hear how the government is operating inefficiently or is delayed in completing certain tasks. If you are genuinely committed to helping the public, dedicated to serving them, and convinced that you could make their lives simpler, then take the first step and begin preparing for the civil service exam.

A civil service career is an ideal choice for those seeking a secure, tranquil, and meaningful life

- Gargi Das

The Civil Service Examinations are Difficult to Pass: Myth or Truth?

It's clear that it's not a myth. Candidates must be focused, diligent, and patient if they hope to pass any civil service exam. Having the aforementioned quality will help you pass the examination on the first attempt and if not then you must keep trying until you get that job.

The similarity between UPSC & State Civil Service Exams

The aspirants are where the UPSC & State Civil Service share the most similarities. Those who are persistent, hardworking, and patient in their quest for employment in the government sector.

These two exams have very similar syllabi because both are so extensive. The degree of difficulty varies. State Civil Service Exams feature simple questions, whereas UPSC has more analytical ones. Before beginning the preparation for any of these exams, aspirants must always review the syllabus and exam pattern.

The Journey at Notebook

I didn't enrol in any courses or take any coaching to get prepared for the WBCS. My 7-year WBCS journey was purely motivated by my own self-motivation to clear the examination and acquire that job. Throughout my travels, I encountered numerous hopefuls who travelled from rural areas to the city to enrol in coaching educational institutions. Some applicants relocate to the city, while others decide to travel from their homes to urban areas each day to attend classes. All of these things have an adverse effect on students' mental and physical health, which ultimately causes them to perform disappointingly in the exam.

I made the decision to share my path with other aspirants in hopes of inspiring them because I have completed self-study and achieved my goal of working in the government sector. I started using YouTube as my primary source of student motivation, and I got a ton of positive feedback online. However, I realised that merely motivating them wasn't going to suffice for it; I also needed to provide them with useful information to help them in their WBCS exam preparations, which is how Notebook came to be.

I took out time from my office schedule and conducted live Daily Current Affairs on YouTube. It is one of the subjects that I like and had the most difficult time preparing for the examination. With time, I got around the subject and understood which part is important for which exams (such as WBCS, SSC, Banking, etc). I won’t consider myself a subject matter expert but as much as Current Affairs is helpful for students it is helpful for me in my job too. Since I am in an administrative position, I have to regularly keep myself updated with current affairs and teaching aspirants helps me grow & learn too.

Notebook began covering everything, from studying for an exam while working a full-time job to sharing information on which chapter is essential for this year's exam. The channel gradually began receiving positive feedback, and rural students greatly benefited.

The majority of students from rural areas want to work in WBCS, therefore I thought it would be a good idea to develop a course on it. For candidates who come from poor financial backgrounds, it offers a reasonably priced course and good preparation. With an annual fee of INR 365, it is one of West Bengal's least expensive WBCS courses. Over 12000 students are currently enrolled in the batch and obtaining a top-notch education.

Notebook has come a long way, from motivating students by sharing my journey to educating and helping them in the WBCS Examination preparation. Over the past seven years, I have been increasingly aware of the fact that not everyone has the financial means to move to a city, join coaching institutions, and sit for government examinations. Launching this channel has been one of the best decisions.

It’s been 3 years of Notebook and we would continue as long as we can. I enjoy imparting my knowledge and helping aspirants to achieve their dreams. It gives me immense satisfaction. And if you love doing something you can always take out time for it despite your busy schedule.

New schemes and faster services

Being the communication link between the public and the government in my role as a Block Development Officer, I am responsible for a number of programmes and committed to providing the public with services that are easier and more rapid. The West Bengal government is currently attempting to simplify government work for people by offering online services so they can avoid the hassle of going to offices to do their tasks. With the goal of providing services to residents' doorsteps, another initiative called "Duare Sarkar" has also been introduced.

All women are inspiring

I find inspiration in all women, but I particularly admire working women who skillfully balance their personal and professional lives. I take inspiration from and learn from every woman I meet as I navigate managing my professional and personal lives. And my biggest inspiration is my mother, who works tirelessly every day of her life to improve the lives of my siblings and me. She is the reason I am where I am in life today.

Message for aspirants

Before imparting a message, I would like the aspirants to have clarity about being a WBCS Executive Office. First of all, since it's a government job, don't expect it to be an easy one; you may have to deal with challenges at first, just like in any profession; Second, as it is a transferable position and the location of posting is always a rural area, one must be persistent and adaptable in this regard; Thirdly, there will always be job pressure, but it will all be worthwhile when you see how the work you perform contributes to the development of all those around you.

WBCS Examination is not a hard nut to crack, aspirants must be patient, hardworking and focused and nothing would come in the way.

- Gargi Das