AMETHYST

Precious as gem, binding strings of hope

She, exult to cope.

Blessed! Is she, adorned by all

Such sweet accord, for when she call;

Warm and soft with a sweet voice,

And that sweet scent of hers makes you rejoice.

The innocent bright eyes;

How it feels like flying to the skies.

Her assurance makes you feel safe,

That amnesia had the best part of life.

The reminiscence to abide,

The altruism to ameliorate.

The author of the poem is Miss Sabrina Nemfelkim Kilong, student of Class-IX, Salt Brook School, Tuibong. The poem was selected for the first prize in school-level poetry writing competition in Churachandpur district on the occasion of International Womens' Day, 2021.

Civil Service Exam chule Experiences

Thumakai

India gam Union (centre) government noiya Class I or Group A public service hi All India Services chuleh Central Services in akilheh khen in ahi. All India Services hi 3 (Thum) aumin, hicheho chu ahile – Indian Administrative Service, Indian Police Service chuleh Indian Forest Service, ahi. Central Services hochu ahile - Indian Foreign Service, Indian Revenue Service, Indian Audit & Accounts Service, Indian Railway Traffic Service, Indian Defence Accounts Service, Indian Defence Estate Service, Indian Postal Service, Indian Information Service, Indian Trade Service leh adang phabep ahi. Hiche All India Services leh Central Services a Group A level direct entry hi Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) mopohna ahin kumseh leh dan 3 (Thum), tichu, Preliminary Exam, Main Exam chule Personality Test a themvetna abol a alhendohji ahi. All India Services hi vacancy dungjuiya 33 % tobang State Civil Services a kona seniority/merit dungjuiya promotion muthei ahi. Central Services Group A jong hi ama ama department a Staff Selection Commission (SSC) Exam’a kona lut natongsa hon promotion a amuthei ahi. Budget 2020 a chun India Finance Minister in Group B natoh kilahna recruitment agency jouse gopkhom’a National Recruitment Agency (NRA) khat semdoh ding tin phondohna aneiye. Group A level a natoh kilahna vang ima akikhel aumpon UPSC in mopohna lentah chu anei jinge.

Civil Services Exam chung chang’a thilto le experiences ho a koni’n lunggel, hetdan leh ngaidan phabep ana seikhom uhite. Abukim kei a kisei vang ahipoi. 

Civil Services – a great leveller

India gama cricket kichepna hi a popular lheh in, media ho jeng in jong India hi ‘cricket crazy nation’ atijiuve. Cricket thu akiseiteng seichah khat kit chu ahile, ‘cricket is a great leveller’, tihi ahi. Ipi dinga kiseiham itile – player khat chu game khat a 200-300 runs ajepdoh thei ahivanga aban game a ‘0’ run a jong out/thi thei; athemmo pen team in jong athempen team ajothei, athempen ho jong losam thei – hitia ajouding/result seithei ahilou jeh ahipene. Alangkhatna, koiham khat chu ‘cricket star’ ahiteng amidoh ahitan, hinkho kikhel lamdang sahthei tia ‘great leveller’ kiti ahi. Themjilna le lekhasimna jong hitobangma chu ahi. Koiham khat chu alekhasim gutchu najal’a natohpha ahinmuteng ama le a-insungmi socio-economic status asemphan, vaichat leh mi-hetphah lou kokhuh a konin adomdoh theiyin ahi. Civil Services Exam’a jong hin neijou insung jengseh hilouvin, neilou ngalou insunga kon tompan le kukalna jal’a lolhing tampi aumin ahi. Alolhing tamtah hi ivetleh – apa lampam’a chajoh, anu le apa lekha helou, anu le apa loubolmi, a-insung jingson-janson kiholthu te, govt. school a bou kaijou – hitihin thusim chom chom aumin ahi. Henge, sum le pai hahsa lou insung nomsa din advantage tampi aume, ahinla, lolhing noma angolpi leo hodingin kot akikhah dehpon ahi. Cricket star ho banga mi khat chu Civil Services Exam alolhin teng amidoh ahijeh in Çivil Services jong hi ‘great leveller’, tithei khat ahi.

Interest & Initiative

Class X jouva pat in doctor hiding leh civil servant khat hiding hi kana thanome. Medicine kana simtheilou phat chun ka dream aumsun chu civil services ahung hitan ahi. Newspaper sim kalunglut in kasim teng thucheng kahet theilouho dictionary kaveji’n hitichun ka vocabulary khanding kana kisahlel piji e. Shillong a B.Sc. kahin sim chun Competition Refresher magazine subscribe kanabol in competitive exam chom chom solved paper ho kana vejin ahi. Chubanna, essay writing sample

kipe holeh current events ho chu kasimjin kaphatchompi e. Adeh in Civil Service Exam a Topper ho interview ho chu lunglut tah in kana simji e. Hiche ho a kon chun nasatah in kitilkhouna (motivation) jong kana mube in ahi. Alangkhatna, lekha jih hi matah in kana lunglut in, eipao chule English a article kana sun pantai. St. Anthony’s College magazine ‘Mosaic’, KSO Shillong publication ‘Ahsijolneng’, Chollha magazine, etc a article contribute kana bol’e. Class XII kachai jou chun district level Essay Writing Competition ho a kana pangjin prize jong kana sang jin ahi. Hitia essay writing leh article kanasutji hohin ka writing skill eisem hoipeh in khonunga civil service exam kahung tou tah tah phat in eikithopi’n apange.

No substitute for hard work

Lolhinna kiti phot phot hi natoh beiya umthei lou ahi. Mi pontho, mi gen ngai, mi gunchu khat chu abol atoh nalam’a lolhing tei anatohga amutei ahi. Civil Services Exam jong hi thepna chihna kivetna ahijeng vanga lekhasim pontho lou chu lolhing thei deh lou ahi. Kigon ding dan le asim ding dan ijat kisei jongleh apoimo pen chu kihabolna (hard work) ahi e. Hard work louvin koima alolhing theipoi. Civil Service Exam notification a khu syllabus kipe ahin hiche dung juiya khu phatah a kigon ngai ahi. Optional subject deh deh a chu ipi topic hung kidong jongleh full attempt boltei nadinga kigot ngai ahi. General Studies syllabus hi open-ended jep ahin het thei chan het ding simthei chan sim ding ahijenge. Kum 2/3 hoitah a competitive exam kakigon sung chun average in niseh leh 7-8 hours hi lekha kana simjin ahi. Iha sim nileh 15 hours sung isim ni jong aumin ilhahsam nileh 3 hours beh akisim ji e. Thomas Alva Edison in ‘Genius is one percent inspiration and ninety nine per cent perspiration’ ati chu adih a dih ahi. Consistency jong apoimon inop nop phat leh sim a lolhing dinga kinep vang bolkhiel thei ahi. Chuleh ‘pung ijat sung nasim ham tisanga pung jat a chu ijat nasimdoh/nahet doh em?’ tijong hi poimo tah khat ahikit e.

Discipline & Sacrifices

Thil khat bol doh inge itile discipline hi poimotah khat ahi. Discipline aumloule ei le ei akiham bollou tina ahimaiye. Aspirant tampi Civil Services a kigong amavang phat mandan (time management) themlou chule discipline neilou alolhing lou atame. Lekhasimna dinga phat mantam dan ahetdoh phat leh ache nom ajaonom naho jong sacrifice abol thei di ahitai. Hiche masanga chu alolhin nom vanga pan latah tah nomlou lai tia gelthei ahi. Civil Services Exam dinga serious tah a kakigot sung chun Sports Meet, Freshers Meet, etc kana jao khapoi kachenom lou ahipon phat kahomtho ka preparation kakhohsah joh jeh ahi. Sunday School teacher kana hijeh in ham ham in Sunday houkhomna/kikhomin kacheji e hiche jong chu pathienni seh leh kache jipoi. City sunga kikhoma iche leh phat akisumang tam in chuleh chele vale na sum alutjeh jong ahi e. Milah a iha lhat jongleh ilekhasimna/preparation na a distraction hin pethei jong aumji e. Eimite hi kitil khou kitosot themlou tejong ihiuvin eima preparation lhahsam sahthei jouse a kon kikangse chu phapen ahi.

Self-belief & Confidence

Civil Service Exam hi 3 (thum) vei kapehna a kalolhin ahi. Prelims kapeh masat kum chu 2005 ahin chuleh Main exam kabol masat pen chu 2006 kum ahi. Main exam centre hi UPSC Hall kana chang jin ahi. Main exam kapeh masat pen kum chun kakigonna abulhin jeplou jeh in lolhin ding chu kakitahsan jep pon ahinlah question kidong ho chu phatah a kavetle ‘hiche exam vang hi ka lolhin thei ahi’ ti kitahsanna khat kahin nei thei jengin ahi. Hiche kitahsanna pa leh kinepna ahung umphat chun lekhasim jong itha anom cheh cheh e ajeh chu goal post chu kalhun thei ahi ti isunga kinepna lentah khat muchi kitulut ahitan ahi. Hitichun Pathen phatna leh keima kihabolna jeh in 2007 kum exam chun kalolhing tai. Hijeh a chu civil services exam a dinga ikigon tengleh hiche eima kitahsanna pa leh kinepna hi poimo tah khat ahiye. Ajeh chu nang le nang nakitahsan loule nakal gihtah a nase ding, nakigot got dan jouse kisonlelna khat naneiding chule thanopna sanga kigel gelna a phat namansah tamding ahi. Amavang, ihina idinmun kihet louva overconfidence nei jong aphadeh poi.

Over-confidence hi itoh ding isimding hetchen lou jeh a kon jong umthei ahi. Imelma akinoise ngaipoi kiti hi paochamtuh a imanu tonlaiya pat thudih hung kisei jing khat chu ahi. Ibol ding khat hetchen set a kajo ding ahi tia kison chu thilpha ahi.

Strength & Weakness

2004 a Bio-technology a post-graduation (M.Sc.) kahin chai phat a competitive exam kahung kigon pat ahi. Insungmite’n inatoh mukal angalel tahjeh chun competitive exam bolthei thei kana apply in, lha 6 tobang hoitah in kakigong in R.S. Agarwal sut Quantitative Aptitude lekhabu jong vel phabep kana khot chai in ahi. Khatvei Bank P.O. exam kagabol leh keidinga hiche exam a kalolhin ding ahahsat dan chu kahin kihetdoh in ahi. School a mathematics hoitah a eikihil lou jeh a basic arithmatic kalhahsam kakihet in bank exam chula accuracy jeng seh hilou speed jong poimo ahidan kahin mudoh in ahi. Hiche bank exam’a phat kasuh lut a kakigot sanga Civil Services ahilouleh akibahpi exam ho kabol’a ahile kalolhin joh ding ahi tichu kamuchen tan ahi. Natoh ihol ding tengleh eima thepna leh lhahsamna ho kihet hi thilpha ahi. Civil Service exam kigotna a jong hiche hi thil khohtah khat ahi. Ka academic background jong science stream ahin, UPSC syllabus kavetle Social Science sanga science subject a preparation ahahsat dichu kahin mudoh phatna Public Administration le Psychology optional a kahin lah ahi. Natoh kilahna exam hihen, exam a dinga kigonna hijongle eima thepna le boltheina line, tehse hon ‘iguchup kitona lam’ atiukhu kiholdoh angaiye.

Humble Roots

Class XII jouchun ka classmate le kaloi atamjo Delhi ahilouleh Shillong a college kaidin ana kalsong gamtaovin ahi. Kathanop lheh vang chun kana chethei tapon, 1998 kum lhung kei chun kanu koma Shillong’a lekasimin neisol in tin katao jin ahi. Akum kit in Shillong’a college kai in kache tan professional subject ahijeh chun North East Council (NEC) scholarship kamun, ka scholarship chu khatvei leh hostel admission le fees toh kasuto jin khatvei leh college admission le fees toh kasuto jin, khatvei tou Laitumkhrah a nehthei nehna tilou aval jong ana umjipoi. Graduation jouvin Hisar, Haryana a Post-Graduation kagasim in hilai ajong chu Department of Biotechnology (DBT) scholarship chu masang bangin University le Hostel fees toh kana subeh jin ahi. Delhi kahung uma competitive exam kakigon sunga chun lhakhat a Rs. 2000/- in kana ki manage ji e. 2006 le 2007 kum chu Hamdard Study Circle kaumphat in kimanchah dan le lekhasim na chu ahung kilem jep in ahi. Guwahati ka posting chun kaloi khat koma Delhi a lekha kasim laiyin lhakhat a Rs. 2000/- in kana ki manage e katile eitahsang mong mong poi. Hitobang dinmun hahsa chu kagal kai jouve tia kiletsahna a kasei ahipon, amavang genthei-hahsatna umjong leh determination le will-power ineile Civil Services Exam a lolhin thei ahi, tia tilkhouna kaneinom joh ahi.

Faith in God

Hinkho a hi, adeh a tup le doi khat inei tengle inner strength hi poimo tah ahi. Civil Services Exam kakigon sung chun niseh ahilou jongleh atamjon lekhasim kakipat masang in Bible kasimji e. Hiche Bible sim le taona routine chu keima determination le will-power suhat in apangi’n ahi. Inchen khosah hahsat naho igel’a chuleh mabaan a exam gaal sat ding akingaito leh Pathen chu kingapna le kinepna in ana kinei jenge. Hiche lai chun worship song ni (2) in eina tilkhou lheh e, khat chu ahileh Bob Fitts in asah ‘When you need a hand to hold, Everything’s gonna be alright in Christ’ ti la khu ahin khat chu ahileh Don Moen in asah, ‘Oh, God will make a way, Where there seems to be no way’, ti la khu ahi. Hiche worship song teni lachang (lyric) hi kitil khouna le thahatna in kana neilheh in ahi. Tuhin kanung vetleh Psalms 46:1 a ‘Pathen chu eiho dinga kinepna le thahatna ahin, genthei hesoh pet tah a eipanpi ahi’, atikhu dih kasalheh e. Civil Service Exam kigotna jong Pathen a kingai puma kigotna chu tha kipeh bena ahi.

Thuchaina

Tukhang hin social media ahat tan mijousen ingainom ivetnom ho jong smart phone a bailamtah a muthei ahitai. Civil Services Exam chung chang jong print material hihenlang audio le video material ho jong lhingsetna um ahitai. Toppers ho mock interview ho jong ivet le amaho thusei ho a kon tampi jildoh leh hetdoh thei ahitai. Hijeh chun exam kibol dan kahethempoi tina ding aumhih hel e. Lungvul tah a thanom khat chun social media mangcha a jong phatah a kalson dingdan kihetdoh thei ahitai. Apoimo pen chu chunga kisei banga hapanna/kihabolna (hard work) chu ahijenge hichu aumphot le adang chu aban ban in hung kiguol toh tante. McDonald’s hung kipat dan true story movie ‘The Founder’ a khun, McDonald’s chain hin pandoh pa Ray Kroc in hitin aseiye – “Nothing in this world can take the place of good old persistence.....Persistence and determination alone are all powerful”. ISTV Kuki Programme a Kuki Ahsi kihoulimna a Pu Paotinmang Doungel, IPS, ADGP in, ‘ken UPSC kamuthei le mijouse eimi amuthei louding kahe hi e’ chule ‘kihabol na hi akhoh beh seh e‘, tin ana seiye. Pathen a kingaiya akihabol pa chu thil jouse alampi pi umji ahi e.

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This article by Hauthang Kilong, IRS was published in Souvenir & History (1959-2019) of Thangkanphai Baptist Church Youth Department on the occasion of Diamond Jubilee Celebration.