Did you deliberately make bad decision?

Did you deliberately make bad decision?

Did you deliberately choose failure in life?

I really doubt that any person would ever deliberately make wrong decisions?

We always take decisions using our best abilities, but often the decision goes wrong and we suffer.

Let me give you an example.

I purchased a flat in 2012 in Noida after doing market survey for over two months. The flat was to be handed over to me in 2014 and we got it for a price of around Rs 60 lakhs. It was a great deal and many friends complimented me for my decision then.

However, my decision turned out to be a bad decision because,

• The flat was delivered to me in 2018, four years behind in the schedule due to financial problems of the builder.
• The prices of the flats have come down in real terms and today the same flat is available at Rs 55 lakhs. If I would have invested that same amount in bank, I would have got around Rs 1 crores by now and I would have purchased a same flat for just RS 55 lakhs and saved Rs 45 lakhs.

Should I repent for my decision of investing money in real estate, which caused me a loss of Rs 45 lakhs?

Would the things would change, if I repent?

The answer is no.

Should I learn from my mistake and stop making investment in real estate in future?

The answer is again no because this may be the best time to make such investment because real estate may go up in future.

It is important to understand that there was nothing wrong in my decision which was taken after due deliberation.

In 2012, I would not have foreseen that there would be a slump in the real market or that there would be demonetization or GST, which would adversely affect the real estate prices.

As a matter of fact, an identical decision fetched me good profit in the past.

• I purchased a flat in 1999 for Rs 12 lakhs, which was sold in 2012 for Rs 80 lakhs. There I made huge profit or over 550%.
• I considered myself smart when I purchased flat in 1999 and everyone complemented me for my decision.

However, I now feel that I was just lucky then because I invested at the right time and the market factors turned out to be in my favour.

It is important to understand that we can just make decisions based on our best understanding of the subject.

However, the success of decision depends on many variables, most of which are beyond our control.

Hence, there is no point blaming yourself for taking wrong decision, because you did not take the wrong decision deliberately.

Your decision turned out to be wrong due to the factors beyond your control.

You must learn the lessons of this so called bad decision and move ahead.

One of the greatest lessons that you should learn is to not give undue credit to yourself, when you succeed in life.

You must never forget that your success, like your failures, depends on so many other people and factors which are beyond your control.

You should thank your chance/luck when you succeed.

You should similarly learn to make your chance/luck responsible, when you fail despite your best attempt.

-Awdhesh Singh

Are you an average student?

Mistakes to be avoided during UPSC journey

 

The biggest mistake during UPSC preparation is not to learn from others mistake

Mistakes to be avoided during UPSC journey .

Failing to plan: Most candidates fail because they fail to plan their preparation. Faulty plan is biggest mistake. Let me give you example , most aspirants I talk to waste enormous time in answer writing without even covering the syllabus . This mistake costs many aspirants. Another faulty plan is giving preference to optional over GS.

Lack of discipline: Most aspirants do not have good discipline during preparation. They lack consistency.

Ignoring syllabus and pattern: It is important to know what is relevant and what’s not. Otherwise , you will waste your time doing something which is not important.

Neglecting current affairs: Current affairs is a major part of this examination from prelims to mains to interview. Most aspirants rely on yearly compilations.

Skipping revision: Revision is the backbone of your preparation

Not practicing enough mocks: Only when you practice, you know the level of your preparation. Most candidates do not practice mocks throughout the year. They wait till the end and pay heavily .

Judging yourself: UPSC offers a level playing ground for everyone. Comparing yourself with other aspirants is not a good idea.

Blindly following toppers: Most successful candidates give motivated strategies after selection as they are paid by institutes to do so . Don’t blindly follow them.

Finding success in this exam is hard, but not unattainable. Trust in yourself, your preparation and hope for the best. Take small victories and be happy no matter what the result is.

-Santosh Pandey

How much time to invest for UPSC Preparation ?

Before Starting Any Preparation... Go all out or Don't Start

SBI PO vs FCI Assistant

 This wasn't an easy decision at all. Infact I would count this as one of the toughest decisions of my life. Only I know what kind of feelings I was going through for those few days. SBI PO is a dream job for millions which comes with so much of societal respect, best salary package combined with good promotional opportunities. For me SBI PO was like a dream which I thought would never be a reality and now I was having the opportunity to join this prestigious organisation. I was getting prepared to join SBI when suddenly FCI released the result. I wasn't expecting any positive result and to my surprise I found my name in the final list PDF. From inside I was very much sure to join SBI but the very next day I started searching about job related information of FCI AG3. At the same time I interacted with so many SBI employees. I wouldn't go in much details. There is no comparison of FCI AG3 and SBI PO. SBI PO salary package cannot be compared with even Manager post in FCI. But what almost everyone said is “If you want a good work life balance then SBI is not the place for you”. At the same time FCI employees said that work-life balance is very good but promotion and salary is not that good.

I asked my inner self “what do I want in life” and got my answer. I know that I downgraded my professional career - From an Officer to an Assistant. I might be sounding like a fool but right now all in all I am satisfied with my decision.

Tomorrow I received an email from SBI to join the 2nd batch. This is the final call. Now I am going to send the refusal letter.

-Vishal Kumar Dubey

Are you an average student ?

I have been an average student all my life.

 I have been an average student all my life. After 5th standard I was never in Top 10. While in class 10th I started facing health issues which eventually affected my studies. In class 11th and 12th I was facing so many health issues and suffered emotional breakdown that broke me completely from inside. There was a big question on my survival. I was even thinking of how much more time I will be able to live. Days looked more darker than night. I lost all the hope and faith. But as it is said - MIRACLES DO HAPPEN. Fortunately I came out of that phase.

Owing to physical limitations, health problems and not so good financial condition, I took admission in a not so good college in home city. I was all alone, no childhood friend left (all went to bigger cities), no college friend and many things to manage. But this loneliness helped me a lot in realising my potential. First time in my life I realised the importance of studying and decided to complete my graduation with good marks. Overall I ended up scoring 67% in all the 3 years combined and 70% in the honours papers. This was not so good marks but I was satisfied with the amount of hard work I put in.

Now there was a big question of “What Next?”

After analysing everything, I decided to prepare for the UPSC CSE Exam. I don't know what was that thing which gave a person like me the courage to think of preparing for this exam. I started preparing for the CSE exam but later on switched to UPSC EPFO Exam and dedicatedly prepared for it. But Covid-19 hit and exam got postponed and in January 2021 I lost my maternal Grandmother. It was her dream to see me getting a government job. I was shocked and shattered from inside. I left preparation midway and I don't remember exactly what I was doing during that phase. Still I went to attempt the EPFO exam and failed miserably. Now I knew that I need a job as soon as possible because I could sense that concern of my family for me. Getting a government job was also very important for me to live a respectful life.

At this point of time, there was nothing for me to lose. I started my preparation for BANK exams and initially my target was just to get a job even if it is a clerk job. I prepared wholeheartedly for 1 year. Everyday I was praying and craving to get a job. I knew that RRB and SBI exams are not my cup of tea. So I solely targeted to crack the IBPS PO & Clerk exam and get settled. My family was also eagerly waiting to see me getting a job of CLERK in a bank and get settled.

On 11th June 2022 I attempted the ESIC SSO exam and failed to clear the prelims itself but It was my first banking pattern exam and I was able to know a lot of things regarding my preparation, my weak points and strengths only through this exam. I took this failure positively.

I corrected my faulty areas and attempted the RRB PO Exam on 1st October 2022. My exam didn't go as expected. While coming back I was literally crying. I thought I am destroying my life, I am a good for nothing fellow and I should quit the preparations. But as the luck would have it, I cleared the Prelims, thanks to normalization. After that there was no looking back. I went on to clear -

• RRB PO,
• IBPS PO,
• SBI PO,
• FCI AG3,
• NABARD DA Prelims
• SSC CGL MAINS
• RBI ASSISTANT (missed final selection by 0.25 marks)

And Now I look back and wonder how's it even possible. My maternal grandmother and grandfather are no more to see me climbing the ladder. That hurts the most. But I think if they are watching me then surely they must be feeling very proud of me. This is my Biggest Achievement in life.

On 17th August 2023, I joined Food Corporation of India as AG-III Accountant. Now doing my bit in Corporation's motive of Ensuring Food security of the NATION.

-Vishal

Low Income Family

I belong to a low income family

 I belong to a low income family. My father is a small farmer. We used to live in a small hut made with grass, sticks and farm residue at our farm. I completed my schooling from a small government school in my village. My school was 2.5km from our farm. Everyday I used to carry vegetables on my head and sell before school starts and was barely able to afford 2–3 grocery items like oil, salt, sugar. Sometimes we couldn't afford anything, we used to eat anything we can find on our farm like pumpkin, brinjals, tomatoes, etc for survival. Many times we slept empty stomach. My parents are uneducated but my mother strongly believe in education and used to tell me that you have to focus on education and I'll do anything but will never let you drop your schooling. She took loans from relatives for my education. I was aware of our financial situation so I used to work part-time along with studying.

With a lot of hard work I graduated in Computer Engineering from University of Pune in 2013 and got my first job within a few months.

My 1st salary was 15k, My family was extremely happy and proud since I was the first computer engineer from my village.

After 6months I got first salary hike 21k.

After 1 year completion I was offered permanent role with 30k salary and I accepted that.

After completion of 2 years I started looking for job change and I got 2 job offers from reputed MNCs with 60k salary.

After that I kept learning new skills and looking for better job offers every 1–2 years. Now in 2022 my current Salary is 25 lakh per annum.

Since child hood I experienced such a tough financial conditions I respect money and spend it very carefully. My monthly expense is only 10k and rest of the money goes to investments. From last 2 years I have been living with my family at my farm in a 20 years old tin sheet house constructed by parents. This year I'm planning to build a big farm house for my parents. Till now I only invested my money in creating extra income source

1. Purchased new Farm land, Constructed a Big Farm pond for water storage, fish farming, etc and planted thousands of trees like coconuts, sweet lime, mango, papaya trees and started growing organic vegetables.

1. Construction business setup for my brother. Purchased Excavator, tippers and a Hyundai i20 Car.

Last year my brother completed construction projects worth more than 50 lakhs.

My total income from other sources is more than my salary so I don't need to work for money. But I'm still working and will continue to work in IT industry because I love to solve problems and develop software solutions which help millions of people.

In spare time I teach computer science to students in my village and try to motivate them.

The World is round.. whatever you do, comes back to you with an even greater impact. If you are an IT/CS student or IT Professional/Aspirant please feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn or Instagram.

If you have plans to visit Aurangabad, I invite you to visit my farm.

I'm Happy..

-Nakul Patekar

Average Student ?

Don't Abandon Your Dreams

Firstly I want to tell you little bit about my academic background I............

 Firstly I want to tell you little bit about my academic background I am from so called science maths background and I got 47% in 12th class in first time and second time I got 63%. The reason I did 12th second time because my father told me pass it with first division. After that I did graduation from RTU that too without my will.

After graduation I started convincing my father to help me financially to open a start up but he refused to give me a single penny.

So I thought of preparing for govt exam and started preparing for patwari in my state Rajasthan, I prepared seriously for that exam but unfortunately that exam got postponed and I got frustrated, so I thought of preparing for central govt exam.

SSC CGL was something which I thought of giving a try because in patwar I had covered almost everything in GK portion little bit of maths and English. I had almost 7–8 months before prelims of CGL.

I covered maths syllabus thoroughly from CGL persepective and English grammar portion too and I used to work very hard those days, ‘good understanding of English’ was a factor which played an important role because of which I didn’t face many problems in English section.

I started giving mocks initially my score was very bad in maths section I still remember I got 78/200 in my first mains maths mock and I was devastated although It was hard mock. But in prelims I used to get 150 plus which was a good score.

Finally I gave ssc cgl 2020 prelims in which I scored 168(normalised) and raw was-145 and in mains maths-152/200 and English-170/200 so far I had 490 marks and all I wanted was any 4600 gp post which I would’ve got if I had got 40 marks in written exam, and I was very happy because I wrote good in descriptive exam and hopeful of getting Inspector post from cgl-2020. By the way I am from OBC category.

Out of my surprise I got 34/100 marks in tier-3. For the first time in my life I was sad on my performance and there was sheer disappointment on the faces of my family members because they were expecting 3 stars on my shoulders. And I got a post of junior accountant in Punjab.

In the meantime I started preparing for CGL-2021,form of which I had already filed for backup. This time I worked on the nuances of maths like calculations skills, dealing a question with options, percentages calculations, pen free calculations and many more. I gave CGL-2021 and got 170 in prelims 170 in english 186 in maths. Now I was certain that if I get even passing marks in descriptive exam I will become Inspector of CGST.

I got 47 marks in written exam and my AIR was 1432 in which It was entirely impossible to get Rajasthan because vacancies were only around 15–20.

But right before the DV ssc increased the vacancies in Rajasthan to around 90. And I saw a ray of hope of getting my homestate with 4600 gp which most of cgl aspirants dream of.

Finally the day came and I got my homestate. I was the second last person to get jaipur zone that means there was someone who was luckier than me.

Now I have been working here for last 10 months and I am looking forward to achieving the goal of financial freedom for which I am saving 70 to 80% of my salary and investing in safest place(my father’s shop❤️) from where I will surely get good returns.

I am 28 years old. Can I get a job as a fresher in the IT sector?

Yes Definitely. If you are from IT background then it will be easy for you but you need to work very hard to get an opportunity to enter in IT sector.

in 2017, I was in the same situation you are now. I have completed my B.tech from IT branch in 2014 and then I was preparing for government exam. Unfortunately i did not get selected in any government exam. And I had given almost 3 year for preparing government job but did not get any success in this. Then I decided to move to Bangalore and there I started applying in every company for job. but did not get a single offer because lack of my IT skills and 3 years career gap. Then I talked to people who is already working in IT sector and also staying in my PG. then I decided to learn Android. And I joined one couching for Learning Android. it was almost 4 months but did not get any job that that time. Then after finishing my Android course I got one call from small startup. And that time I decided this is my first and last opportunity and anyhow i need to get this job. And I started preparing for Interview. And When I reached for Interview, there was almost 30 people came for the interview. There was 3 rounds: 1st round was quant aptitude and this was the easiest for me because i had already prepared for qant and aptitude for 3 year while preparing for government job, and i was selected for the second round. And 2nd and 3rd round was technical. In last Hr came to me and told me your intervie got well. we will let you know. 1 week passed they did not call me then I called to Hr and asked my status. Then he replied that you are selected. That time I literally started crying, and called to my sister and parents. Then next day I reached to office as discussed with HR and there I met with manager, I was very happy. Manager told me that you are selected but you need to work for 6 month without pay. I was shocked, I was thinking like I have done everything for getting this job. I means job without pay. I was laughing on my self. Even I accepted that offer. I completed my 6 month on that company without pay. after six month I got my first salary 15k. and Now I am getting 10+ lpa in another startup company. And now I am very happy. I have upgraded my skills and Now I am working as a full stack developer with Angular and node.

moral: work hard, keep patience, never lose your hope. And keep an eye to grab the opportunity.

Best of luck,

Amit Singh

Another Story :

Pooja Kumari Singh wrote : 

I am btech 2013 pass-out from ECE Background.but wasted several years for PSU's.then i decided to go into IT Sector and moved to Hyderabad to do Java course…Now i am a Java developer…the company for which I am working is gurgaon based startup…recently on 26th April 2022 I joined.My current package is 1.8lpa. package is less but i am learning new things. Also there is lot of startup in gurgaon and Noida who are hiring year gap graduates …the thing only need is u must have knowledge to crack interview…

Thanks for reading…all the best 🙂

{ You can do MCA/MBA/PG Diploma/C-DAC but try to do from decent college and see the placement stats , It takes courage to start fresh. If not selected in government Job don't you want to live a good life ? Then do start and change the direction Try to think and create your path }

How much time to give for Government Job Preparation?

Why are we poor and others rich ?

How much time to give to government Job Preparation ?

For those who have not done well in prelims despite putting much effort:

1. This is just an exam, not life. Do not give more importance to UPSC or IAS than your life.
2. Take a break. And spend some time with your family how ever bitter you may feel from inside.
3. Ponder why you failed to score.
4. Remember to qualify prelims you need skill and luck. Some 100 odd questions can not judge your ability.
5. Prepare for Mains this year as if you are going to write this year mains. This will help you next year both in mains and prelims

Those who have given 2–3 prelims, yet they have not done well yesterday:

1. Please have a back up option. Some alternative career choice. Or higher study or anything. This exam is extremely unpredictable.
2. If you join a job still you can give UPSC. With a job security and lesser family pressure you can do in fact well.

Those who are new and planning to join the preparation ocean:

1. Take a time frame how many years you can give for this
2. What's your alternative plan if not upsc? Choose few since UPSC has very high failing rates.
3. Ensure that you do not create extra pressure on parents in terms of money and all.
4. If you are in college first year or second year, then do not start reading The Hindu. It does not help. Instead participate in quizzing, debate, and other events in college.
5. For 11th and 12th student focus on your 12th and college first.
6. Finally never ever consider IAS Or IPS as life. It's a job only, little glorified one though :) :)

-Abinash Mishra, IAS

Watch here : How much time to invest in preparing for government job ?

When comparing the earnings of senior government officials with those in top corporate roles, it becomes evident that public sector salaries are significantly lower.

 When comparing the earnings of senior government officials with those in top corporate roles, it becomes evident that public sector salaries are significantly lower.

For instance, the highest salary attainable by IAS, IPS, IRS, or IFS officers—excluding the cabinet secretary—is the Apex Scale, with a base salary of ₹2,25,000, amounting to around ₹3,50,000 per month. Along with their salary, these officials receive government-provided vehicles for official use and high-quality housing. As a result, the total compensation for senior government officers is estimated to be around ₹60 lakh per annum.

In contrast, private sector executives earn far more. As of December 2024, the highest-paid CEOs in India included:

• Sunil Nayyar – Sony India (₹7.62 crore)
• Pradeep Bakshi – Voltas India (₹7.2 crore)
• Sudhir Singh – Coforge (₹105.1 Cr)
• Rajeev Jain – Bajaj Finance (₹101 Cr)
• Nithin Kamath – Zerodha (₹72 crore)

Clearly, the compensation for top corporate executives far exceeds that of senior government officers. However, while only a handful of professionals reach CEO-level positions in the private sector, almost all Class-I officers in the central government eventually progress to Apex Scale roles. There are approximately 1,000 such positions in the government, and most officers retire at or near this level.

Government jobs offer particularly strong financial security at lower levels. A driver in a government department may start with a salary of around ₹30,000 per month, with added benefits like housing, travel allowances, LTC, medical coverage, and child benefits. With annual increments of at least 3%, experienced drivers can earn close to ₹1,00,000 per month. Similarly, senior stenographers may also reach a six-figure monthly salary before retirement.

A major advantage of government employment is the pension system, which ensures lifelong financial support for the employee and their spouse, a benefit that private-sector employees typically do not receive.

The wage gap between government and private sector roles is significant. The salary ratio between the highest-ranking IAS officer and the lowest-ranked government employee (such as a peon or constable) is around 4:1. In contrast, private companies exhibit extreme disparities—Wipro’s CEO, for instance, earns approximately 1,702 times more than the company’s lowest-paid worker.

Overall, while corporate salaries can be exceptionally high at the top, government salaries provide better financial stability across various levels. This is why many senior Class-I officers leave public service for more lucrative corporate opportunities, whereas lower-level government employees rarely switch careers, as private-sector jobs rarely offer comparable salaries or benefits.

So the bottom line is if you are doing low paying jobs in private sector such as driver, peon, helper then please try to prepare and find such jobs in government or try to go to foreign such as Dubai, Saudi for these jobs if you can live far from home 

Read this : This Might Hurt but its better that you Know

This reminds me of a Commissioner of Customs & Central Excise department, who used to be extremely honest.

This example pertains to an IRS officer, but equally valid for IAS/IPS officers as well.

He was so honest that even as a Commissioner, he would not use his government vehicle for any personal work.

He used to fetch vegetables and other groceries by riding his own old scooter.

In short, he was an epitome of honesty.

However, he was not willing to take any responsibility.

I remember a specific case when he was the Commissioner of Customs, and Annual General Transfer (AGT) Order was to be issued.

His junior had prepared the list on the direction of the Chief Commissioner (who had the reputation of being extremely corrupt) and it contained the names of many corrupt officers for important assignments even against the policy.

Hence, the association of officers met him and asked him to post the offices according to merit and integrity, rather than posting corrupt officers in important charges.

He told them very bluntly that he won’t be able to do anything because these people were the ‘men’ of Chief Commissioner.

And finally the order was issued with his approval (in the file) according to the wishes of the Chief Commissioner and many corrupt officers got sensitive postings.

He did not have the guts to even write dissent notes or reject the names suggested by the Chief Commissioner.

In my opinion, his honesty was nothing but a shield of cowardice.

These officers are the most useless officers of the government.

However, this story is not complete unless I mention you the story of his successor Commissioner, who was not as copybook honest, but was quite professional.

The same Chief Commissioner (CC) tried to play the same trick with him and asked him to post many corrupt officers in the important charges.

The new Commissioner told him clearly that he can’t accept such request verbally. He told the CC to recommend the names in writing.

The CC then recommended the names of officers in writing grudgingly.

When the recommendation was received by the Commissioner he wrote: “Considered the recommendation of CC. REJECTED.”

This became the talk of the town (department) and the CC never dared to mess with this Commissioner.

-Awdhesh Singh

Read more here : Don't Abandon Your Dreams