YOUNG ACHIEVER: An Interview with Sunny Kharel

Welcome to Wandering Soul of Sikkim !

Civil Services Examinations are considered to be the toughest ones given the vastness of syllabus and the degree of competition. Specially, because of the bright career prospect and an opportunity to serve the society, that awaits an individual after clearing these examinations, enormously large number of young people prepare to compete in them. We had the honour of interacting with Sunny Kharel, an aspiring young officer who not only was able to clear the examination conducted by the Sikkim Public Service Commission for the post of Under Secretary, but also has the distinction of being the topper of the said examination. Pranay Khatiwara of Wandering Soul of Sikkim talked with him about his journey so far and his plans ahead as an officer. Here’s the excerpts:

Wandering Soul of Sikkim (WSOS): Would you like to share something about your growing up years and your education?

Sunny Kharel (SK): I was born in Rumtek, East Sikkim. I completed my entire schooling from Holy Cross School, Tadong after which I enrolled for B.Tech (Computer Science) in M.S Ramaiah Institute of Technology, Bangalore. After completing my degree in 2011 I joined ORACLE as a software developer for close to 3 years. It was during ORACLE days I realised that the corporate world is not where I belonged to and the startup bug hit me then. Along with my friends I became a part of a new venture NEXBUR which took me places for various assignments and it was during this period I decided to join the Government.

To Check out our page in Facebook Click here

WSOS: What inspired you to join Civil Services?

SK: Joining the Civil Services has not been something like a childhood dream but after my degree while working in the Corporate Sector and my stint in the startup world I longed to be a part of policy making team impacting the society at large. Although my family and all my near and dear ones always wanted me to be a civil servant it did take quite a while for me to set a firm mind and start working towards it. Among all my well wishers who recommended me to join the services I would like to mention about my uncle lovingly known as “Namaste uncle” who used to ferry us to school from Ranipool in his car. Soon after my school he was hell bent on asking me to prepare for the services for he always believed that I shall enjoy the job. Inspiration drawn from not one but many including my friend Rohit and my uncle who retired as an IPS officer helped me pursue the preparation.

WSOS: About your preparations for the exam.

SK: Coming from science background I had no whereabouts of the many humanities subjects one needs to prepare for the exam therefore I enrolled into a coaching centre in Delhi for basic preparation. After my coaching it was all self study and guidance from few friends preparing for UPSC.

WSOS: About the relevance of Coaching Centres in competitive exams. Coaching helped you or not?

SK: For me coaching centre just introduced me to the various subjects and getting a hang of each one. All that matters what I believe is self study and being aware of current happenings around that is impacting the society at large. Coaching centre alone is never instrumental in helping you clear the exam but the amount of time you put in during self study and understanding things is all that matters. Sincerity during preparation is the most important aspect.

To find us in Instagram Click here

WSOS: How are you looking forward to your career as a Civil Servant?

SK: Being a part of the vibrant and dynamic society like that of Sikkim I am really excited and nervous both. I look forward to a challenging career yet beautiful. What can be more exciting and interesting than to be a part of the team who shall be designing policies of the same society where one lives in. I look forward to help people at large in whatever capacity I can and help build Sikkim future ready.

WSOS: Your message to the youth of Sikkim.

SK: Always follow your heart. Do not negotiate with your dreams. Good things do take time but always stay positive come what may. The struggle for existence is real, and the struggle sometimes take you to rock bottom but positivity alone can give the thrust required to rise.