YOUNG ACHIEVER: An Interview with Gaurav Dhungel (Accounts Officer to the Government of Sikkim)

Welcome to Wandering Soul of Sikkim!

Gaurav Dhungel in 2015 passed the Sikkim Public Service Commission (SPSC) examination and was appointed as an Accounts Officer to the Government of Sikkim. His primary schooling began from St Mary’s Convent School, Gyalshing in West Sikkim and he completed his schooling from Tikalal Nirola Senior Secondary School, Central Pendam in East Sikkim and went on to graduate as a Civil Engineer from NERIST, Arunachal Pradesh. Arpan Sharma of Wandering Soul of Sikkim talked with him recently for our Young Achiever Series. Excerpts:

Wandering Soul of Sikkim (WSOS): To begin with would you like to share something about your childhood days?

Gaurav Dhungel (GD): I was born and raised in Gyalshing, West Sikkim, where my father was employed during those days. Later during 2001 we shifted to Central Pendam in East Sikkim, where we still reside. Apart from the usual hobbies of a schoolboy, I enjoyed taking part in competitive exams and did participate whenever I could, all of which I flunked. Positive impact of this is me overcoming the fear of failure very early in life. I failed a lot in the later years too.

WSOS: How you felt on being able to successfully pass the Sikkim Public Service Commission Examination?

GD: It was a feeling of contentment to know that the years of hard work had finally paid off but it was soon followed by the anxiety to leave my earlier job.

WSOS: How did you strategise your preparations and would you like to give a suggestion or two to future aspirants of Civil Services Examinations?

GD: I did not have a particular strategy in my mind and was rather preparing for many exams at a time. Sound knowledge of current affairs and good grasp of general knowledge is always required. One needs to be sincere in his/her approach and should avoid getting distracted/carried away, which is the biggest reason why many deserving candidates doesn’t make it through.

WSOS: As you have just told you had a job in hand while preparing for this examination, would you like to share how did you managed your time between your job and your preparation.?

GD: Whether being in job or not, it is two to three hours of daily study that matters. This can be easily managed (maybe by curtailing one’s social life if s/he is having a full time job). To avoid distraction, I kept myself busy by appearing for competitive exams (conducted by recruitment boards like SSC, RRBs, UPSC) frequently. I considered myself as a student who works, rather than a professional preparing for public service exams. For final round of preparations, which needs to be rigorous, I took a ten days leave from job.

WSOS: Your life before and after being an officer.

GD: While people recognising you, people seeking your suggestion and listening well to what you say, people not taking you for granted is a privilege to have, it is important that you don’t that let that feeling of prominence get the better of you. Unfortunately, I have become a lot lazier than I was a banker, 3 years ago, as this job demands lot less involvement than the earlier one. Apart from that, I wish to believe nothing has changed.

WSOS: Your Suggestions to future aspirants.

GD: Apart from preparing well (which is obvious), please do not get too emotional about the exam you are attempting. Please understand that it is likely for you to not get shortlisted despite your best efforts and you doing the exam well. Understand that it is the relative performance that matters and avoid the frustration that may come associated with failure. Also, shed the delusion that recruitments are done in an unfair manner.