The Upsc Odyssey Daring To Dream An Ias Officer

This is the thrilling story of an IAS aspirant whose journey began in the humble settings of a modest village. The story runs through four crisscrossing streams. First, is an ambitious but reluctant youth embarking on a journey to achieve the unimaginable. Second, is a vulnerable human being hanging between the contrasting pulls of choice and destiny. The third stream is a silent student of the book called life, where in the course of this odyssey, some invaluable and timeless lessons of wisdom dawn on the traveller. The fourth stream is that of an experiential guide and master who has insightful lessons to share with his fellow travellers and their guardians. The narrative has a universal appeal, resonating with the quest of all who dare to dream and desire to achieve.

This is the thrilling story of an IAS aspirant whose journey began in the humble settings of a modest village. The story runs through four crisscrossing streams. First, is an ambitious but reluctant youth embarking on a journey to achieve the unimaginable. Second, is a vulnerable human being hanging between the contrasting pulls of choice and destiny. The third stream is a silent student of the book called life, where in the course of this odyssey, some invaluable and timeless lessons of wisdom dawn on the traveller. The fourth stream is that of an experiential guide and master who has insightful lessons to share with his fellow travellers and their guardians. The narrative has a universal appeal, resonating with the quest of all who dare to dream and desire to achieve.

This book was written, hoping to save the valuable lives of human beings. Several cases of suicide occur every day. Those who have been born in the world deserve to live until their natural end. Some lose heart and end their lives. This should be stopped. This book contains guidelines on the duties and responsibilities of each individual and how they ought to live. These are based on the author’s experience, knowledge and understanding of life. The author believes that by reading this book, people will derive some inspiration to save this country from corruption, misuse of power, violence, religionism, regionalism and casteism. Good relationships, love and understanding will prevail in the families, society and country, as a result. The author hopes that this book will be kept in all places and read by all.

If you do not become what you once aspired to become, does it matter? ‘The Aspirant’ looks for an answer to this perennial question. It is the story of a young man who once wanted to become a Carmelite monk, but ended up becoming a monk of a different order - a civil servant. The disillusionment with the way monastic life was practiced, made him take this new direction. The journey ahead as a bureaucrat in CAG’s institution took the author to many places across the globe and caused him to meet several people – ordinary people with extraordinary stories – and those stories add extra layers to this memoir. And all through his life’s varied voyages, a part of him remained as a monk. ‘The Aspirant’ attempts to demystify two venerable institutions - the church and the bureaucracy - with a tinge of irreverence but without an iota of malice.

Sundar (S.Sundar Rajan) is an Indian Revenue Service officer, hailing from one of the southernmost districts of our country, Tiruneveli, Tamil Nadu. Before joining the civil services in year 2007, Sunder had a brief stint with Tata Chemicals Ltd. An engineering graduate from BITS, Pilani, and the author completed his MBA from SIBM, Pune (2004). A person with no specific interest, Sundar is fond of many things in life like – movies, writing, a bit of reading, traveling, photography, some cricket, music etc. Married to one of his IRS batch-mates, Jayanthi, the author is currently serving as an Assistant Commissioner of Income Tax in Goa. This is the author’s first work of fiction. Earlier he had co-authored along with his elder brother, S.Nagaranjan IAS, a preparation guide for the civil service exam – “Topper’s Tips”.

I had no water and was still burning hot. This phase of my life was also called the Archeozoic. Even in those conditions, the first life evolved. I will unravel the magic here... Diary of Earth answers all the main questions about Earth and its life’s history. • How was the Earth formed? • Which was the first dinosaur? • How did humans evolve? Also, meet insects the size of buses, mushrooms the size of buildings, plants the size of your thumb and much more in this book.

When Alok Shirke decided to prepare for the mother-of-all-exams – UPSC Civil Service – little did he know that the journey would turn out to be much more than just books and classes. He moves from the comfort of his home to the crowded lanes of Old Rajinder Nagar. A chance encounter with Sarah seems like destiny’s compensation for all his hard work. He also meets buddies for a lifetime. Their life-stories of love, regret, friendship and shattered dreams take him through Kashmir and Turkey; from brothels to hospitals; and from dingy quarters to the hallowed halls of UPSC. When life finally seems to be coming back on track, he stumbles upon a truth that is bound to change him and the rest of his life. Will Alok crack the exam, or will be just one of the many soon-forgotten aspirants? Will a strange revelation make him see his life as A Pleasant Escape?