By Mumtaz Alam Falahi, TwoCircles.net,
Patna: M Rafi is a Calcutta University graduate from Arts stream. Fifteen years ago he came to Patna with a dream. He tried and again tried for Indian as well as Bihar Civil Services. Many times he cleared Preliminary as well as Mains but could not clear interview. Then he set up a coaching institute in Bihar’s capital so that the dream of others like him is not broken. This year his centre created a history – its 17 Muslim candidates got success in Bihar Public Service Commission examination 2010. Some of them will become SDM and some others DSP.
In an exclusive interview with Mumtaz Alam Falahi of TwoCircles.net M Rafi talks about his Sarvodaya Civil Services coaching institute, his coaching modules and techniques and his own life.
In total 82 Muslim candidates faced the interview for Bihar Public Service Commission 2010, 46 were from Sarvodaya Civil Services. Of 82, 37 got success, 17 were from this coaching institute. This is the greatest success ever of any coaching institute in Patna that coaches for Bihar Public Service Commission. Excerpts from the interview:
How did you get this big success?
The guideline of the institute, devotion and guidance of the faculty and the quality students – all three factors ensured this success. For final success, the marks of Mains play a crucial role. Our students got very good marks in the Mains. However, marks obtained in interview are also key to ensure your success. For this, we hired cream of teaching faculty in Patna. We put the teachers before the students to clear all their queries about the interview. We conducted 10 rounds of mock interview at our institute. We taught them skills to present their views in a clear and impressive way, and to come out of the net created during interview to confuse students. I am grateful to Allah for this great success.
After Mains 2.5 students against one seat are selected for interview. In total 46 students from our institute sat in the interview, of which 17 got success, that is almost in line with the official ratio for interview. No other institute has got success in that ratio. I am happy that all 17 are minority students.
My education, My dream
I studied from primary to graduation in Calcutta. I did graduation from Calcutta University. When I was in class 8 I read an interview of a newly recruited civil servant in a CSR magazine. I got inspired and dreamt to be like him. After graduation I moved to Patna in 1995 and started preparation for civil services. I cleared preliminary and mains many times but could not clear interview. In 1999 I thought when I could not achieve my dream how I can face my parents. I also felt sad while thinking about others like me and then decided to do something so that the dream of youngsters is not broken. And I set up a coaching institute.
About the institute, and its history of success
We established this institute in 1999. Then it was IAS Study Centre. In 2002 we shifted location in the city and changed name also. It was now Sarvodaya Civil Services. In the beginning we faced great difficulty. In the beginning we got success in railways examinations and SSC examinations. My first student Pervez Akhtar competed CISF also. Now I think our students have entered in all railway boards in India. Last year we coached 250 youths for head constable posts and 106 got success.
We started the institute with one student. Today we have 200 students in all batches. Of them 50 are sponsored by central govt — 30 for SSC and 20 for IAS. In 2008 Bihar govt sent 50 students, 13 of them have got success. Two have qualified for UPSC.
Suggestion for subjects
Candidates should chose subjects for which they can get teachers, books and peer guidance easily. He prefers History, Anthropology, Public Administration and Geography to other subjects.
Your message to the educationally backward community
The Muslim community will have to give some dream to their kids. They themselves have to have a dream. If they set a high goal before their kids, they will of course walk towards that. They will face difficulty but will get success. If one could not get success, the younger will push him or take his place. The community needs to send their kids to civil services to improve their presence in administration. I appeal to the community to send their kids to administration and spend on them.