PUNE: Candidates who have earlier appeared for the Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC) have said that aspirants should have a time frame in mind within which they wish to clear the exam and keep a plan B ready in case they fail to succeed.
Over 3.6 lakh students appear for the MPSC exam as per a rough estimate of the Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC) Students Rights organisation, a voluntary group of students working for the cause of candidates preparing for MPSC.
The written examination is cleared by around 6,000 students. From them, around 400 make it to the final list.
Despite this, students, especially from rural areas, spend 10-15 years of their life preparing for the exam. To provide for the cost of living in cities like Pune, many students are forced to sell farming land etc, building further pressure on them to succeed. TOI spoke to many past aspirants to understand what it takes to pass the exam and the difficulties faced by them.
Kiran Nimbhore and Mahesh Bade, who along with some other candidates started the MPSC students’ rights organisation, said that inordinate delay in holding the examination was the biggest problem facing aspirants.
“I prepared for the MPSC exams for three years. There were no advertisements in those years. The advertisement for class B and lower classes was announced two years ago but till now exams have not been conducted..
Kiran Nimbore, another MPSC aspirant who is now into business, said that the IAS, IPS and other officers who go to schools and colleges to give inspirational speeches to students and parents also need to give them a reality check as to how tough the competition is and why having a plan B is important.
Prerit Kothare from Gadchiroli prepared for three years and even cleared the preliminary exams, but not the next round. “I knew that it was too tough for my intellectual ability because I was poor in English and could not afford the best coaching. I got help from friends who were officers, secured a bank loan and started a hostel. I paid off my loans and started another hostel. Government jobs are not everything. The world is big, and we owe it to ourselves and our families to earn an honest living,” said Kothare.
Vijay Mate (30) tried various government examinations thrice before getting out of the rat race before becoming a poultry farmer. “People make fun of you for dreaming high and ending up as a small-time farmer in a remote village. We have started an outlet and branded it Desi Chicken and the business is going good,” he said.
