Life in the time of Coronavirus - How to survive your quarantine?

Many people are getting bored in absence of human interaction, they are missing their office as they are working from home now. We can't change the situation but Following tips will help make us sail through this with positivity.

1. Be Creative and learn something new- Turn this downtime as an opportunity to learn something new. You can learn to paint, sketch, make some DIY home decors, or learn a new recipe.
2. Pursue some indoor hobbies- There are many things that you have long forgotten doing for not having enough time. Try doing it like Reading a book, writing fond memories of past in your diary, etc.
3. Music- Play soulful music and it will brighten your mood. Also, many videos of people dancing and singing while in quarantine will brighten your day.
4. Family Time- Many people got an opportunity to spend more time with family. Better to grab this opportunity and spend quality time inside your home.
5. Increase your knowledge- Get this time to increase your knowledge. Learn what ever fascinates you. I took a course on things to know about Coronavirus and got certificate of completion from Alison. Many MOOCs are offering abundant knowledge. We just need  an internet connection and a laptop/desktop or mobile to start learning.
6. Watch your favourite TV shows/ channels- It is quite possible that you didn't got enough time to watch your favourite TV shows, but now you can watch Discovery, National Geographic Channel or your favourite comedy shows.
7. Watch movies that are inspiring or funny or per your liking. You can find them on Hotstar/ Netflix/ JioTV/ or any other online platform and feel happy.
8. Keep positive outlook and enough food and essential items in house- Hope for the best and prepare for the worst. Keep stock of enough food for 1 month and essential commodities in your home so that you can survive without stepping outside. But don't panic and overstock.

History has seen numerous pandemics/epidemics and we as a civilization have survived all this. No matters what happens, always stay upbeat and put a brave face and fight this situation with courage and grace. We all will together sail through this situation.

Pic Source- Photo by Siavash Ghanbari on Unsplash

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So similar yet so different from each other

We are so similar yet so different from each other.

1. I have been a back-bencher and have always mocked at toppers, while my wife has been a topper throughtout her life.
2. My wife is an MBA silver medalist while I’ve never ever received a plastic medal even.
3. I am a blogger while my wife is a vlogger and runs her own YouTube channel.
4. My wife makes awesome paintings and I am awful at doing art but love adoring artists.
5. I am an Engineer turned Project Management Professional working on projects of national importance while my multi talented wife is currently self employed and is working for her own being her own boss.
6. My wife has awesome oratory skills while I’m more of a writer.
7. I am terrible at remembering directions but my wife is mindblowing in this regard.
8. My wife knows multiple languages including even foreign languages like French while I am happy with my okayish Hindi and English .
9. I love to cook but do so occasionally while my wife doesn’t enjoy cooking as such but cooks incredibly well for me.
10. My wife loves to drive a car and I am more comfortable riding a bike.
11. I am a Mechanical Engineer while she is a BioTechnologist+ MBA
12. My wife has bagged hundreds of awards and certificates for her academics as well as Creative side. However, for decades, the only certificate I was having was for donation to Helpage India.:)
13. I am her biggest fan and motivator, she is my lucky charm. Someone has rightly said that Truth is stranger that fiction. Our love story proves that.
14. My wife has done dissection of dead bodies as part of her academics while I’ve been the most unromantic guy before meeting her.
15. We both love photography…My wife loves to pose and I love to click her pictures all the time.

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3 Habits of Successful People

Meet my wife, Satyam who is an HR Professional. She is a silver medalist and a topper throughout her academic life. Not only this, she is an amazing painter and a wonderful person.

For last one year, she is making youtube videos as a hobby for her youtube channel- satyam vlogs. She makes videos on Art, Home Decor DIYs, Fashion, Lifestyle, travel, etc. Her Saree Lookbook, Maxi dress lookbook, Earring or Shopping hauls will definitely brighten day of any girl next door. But the kind of response she gets is nothing compared to her efforts.

When I asked her whether she feels demotivated as despite consistently making quality videos, she is not getting a very good response which she deserves.
She replied, “I make videos because I love doing so. I am giving my best and I believe that one day, my videos will be helpful to millions of people out there. Most people get disheartened and quit midway without putting much effort. I am motivated by the vision I have.” 

Her response reminded me that:-

1. Successful people have a bigger picture in mind.
2. They are not affected by intermediate gain or loss as their focus is always on learning and doing their best in any situation.
3. Successful people know that overnight sensation is result of years of hard work and patience.

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How can one justify low CGPA during an Interview?

Situation- Off campus drive of a MNC in Bangalore

Interviewer- Why should I hire you after seeing your low CGPA?

Candidate- My CGPA is just 6.02/10 and I am sure that it is less than 85–90% of the people who came for this drive.

(Pauses for 2 sec and makes eye contact with the interviewer)

Candidate-There must be more than 5000 people who wrote the written test for this opening. Almost 1000–1200 were called today for further rounds after clearing written test.

Out of 1200, almost 900 were eliminated after the Group Discussion.

Then top 300 went for Technical Interview and just 90 were selected in Technical Interview for the HR Round.

Even with the baggage of poor CGPA, I did better than 98% of the interested candidates. I wish that if I am suitable for the job, my CGPA shouldn’t affect your decision. ..however, that’s my opinion. You’re the best judge.

May the best candidates get the job…

Interviewer- Impressive!

Result- Selected

You can read my answer to interview questions on my Blog by searching hashtag- Career Consultant.

Picture Credit- Photo by Hunters Race on Unsplash

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My First and Last Email to Dr APJ Abdul Kalam

Now that you are gone, there is no point in writing this, but still, I want to say something to you.

Dear Sir,

I have got your email id few days ago, but despite getting happy. I feel sad, very sad. I am frustrated at myself. I truly admired you but I had stopped staying in touch with you. I don't remember the last time I searched what you are doing in life. I write  emails everyday to everyone. How could I forgot to write to you. I know that I am lazy but you have put the brake on the race I was running.

You made me sit down and make my priorities straight. I saw your website, abdulkalam.com. I never knew that it existed. I don't know why your death feels like a personal loss. How do I claim that I admire you. When you were alive doing great things behind the scenes, I was living in my own fool's paradise.

Now you are gone, everyone was paying tribute to you and while answering to a question on Quora. I realized that I will make a Quora blog to collect the wisdom left by you. I created the blog but I feel bad as I have no personal experience with you. I encourage my colleagues who were fortunate to meet you to write about their experiences.

I feel guilty every time I realize that it was not that difficult to meet you. You were very much approachable. I should have taken an initiative to meet you or write to you. 

Now, there is no point in weeping over my misfortunes. I have committed more sins. I have ignored my teachers and old relatives and I don't want to repent after they leave me.

Life doesn't give second chance, at-least in your case, I should have got an indication that you are going to leave.

You have taught me the hard way that I should not wait for death of someone to remember them.

Take care,

Rohan

Picture Credit- Photo by Kate Macate on Unsplash

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Lessons to be Learned from Sundar Pichai

1. Humble Background is not a disadvantage- Sundar Pichai comes from a middle class family. His father was an electrical engineer.  His father in an interview admitted that he never let their family background come in way of his education. Look at his family photo above, don't he look like the guy next door.
2. Passion is the Key to happiness and success- He was passionate about product management and would often discuss with his father about the challenges he faced at work. What does that mean? It means that he was so passionate about what he did that he discussed about it. How can I be so sure about it? I also discuss with my Parents when I write something nice on Quora or my Blog or when something nice happens at office, so I understand this feeling :)
3. Simplicity will make a comeback- Look at his hair style. My Mom will approve of the same as in school I had the same hair style. I should have retained it :P He looks like an epitome of simplicity. 
   
4. Who said that IITians don't fall in love?- He married his college mate of IIT Kharagpur Ms Anjali. So, don't think IITian are only geek, they are also romantic. So, next time don't blame that beautiful girl for your poor academics.
5. Nothing is Permanent- He has rose from a lower middle class family to the boardroom of the most powerful Internet Services Company.  He rose to the top from the bottom and he makes me believe that nothing is permanent.
6. We are the architect of our future- Mr Pichai makes me understand that our past decides our present and our present acts decides our future. Hence, by getting involved in meaningful pursuits we can be the architect of our future. Don't you agree?
7. Good deeds pay off- Luck is the result of good karma and I am sure that the success of Mr Pichai is well deserved. He studied hard to get into IITs. Don't think that the competition was less because the seats were lesser and the pattern for IIT JEE was also more difficult at that time. When I was in Kota, I met an IITian was from the first batch that passed out from IIT. I told him, "Uncle at your time getting into IITs must be easy". He explained me that competition is never less. At his time there were fewer. I got the message that we must not rob others of the respect they deserve.
8. Commitment is respected everywhere- He has been devoted to various key projects at Google for 11 years since 2004. Google was less glamorous at that time compared to today. But, that doesn't means that he was lucky. He was working as a Management Consultant at McKinsey and Company prior to joining Google. Life is all about the choices we make in life.
9. Success is determined by Passion and the desire to push one's limit. It's all about coming out of one's comfort zone and play hard. There is no shortcut to success.
10. Learn to have a vision for your life and career- A CEO is a visionary, he has to be a cheerleader and an inspiration for getting enormous success. No one can buy respect. Business is all about People and those who respect people and are able to inspire them are the biggest leaders. He has all the ingredients to be a successful CEO. All these qualities should be learnt from him. 
11. Value People: Give Credit don't hoard it- He is a boss that one would love to have. He projects the works of his subordinates and even make sure that those working for him get the best performance appraisal. Employees working for him feels appreciated and love to walk the extra mile because he give credit to others who deserve it and don't rob them of what they deserve. Please learn this quality and your life will be amazing. Always respect people and make sure that you add value to their life and experience.

Picture Credit- Wikipedia Page of Sundar Pichai

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What is one Incident that changed your Life?

The journey of hundred miles begins with one step.

I failed in the Entrance Test of the best Institute (for IIT JEE preparation at my time), Bansal Classes (after my Class-Xth).  I was not surprised at my failure, in fact, I was happy as I never wanted to go to Kota. I could not have imagined staying away from home. But, that afternoon in my dreams, I saw that I have let my parents down as they wanted me to go there. 

So, I mustered the courage and asked my Dad if I can get into any other institute in Kota. 

I got admitted to a Coaching Institute in Kota and my Life had transformed by leaps and bound over the 3 years I invested there. If you are waiting for any exceptional story, I would request you to move to something better as it's not a rag to riches story, nor I was an underprivileged kid who made it to IITs.

This is an ordinary story

It is the story of an ordinary boy who has nothing extraordinary, neither good nor bad to showcase you. This is exceptional in it's own way. Not because I got into IITs but just because I learnt life lessons from my struggle and failure to get into IITs. It is an attempt to encourage all who are reading this to embrace their  failures and see them in a different light. It will make their life beautiful.

Inspiration to write this

On Quora, I got many personal message from students who have their own sets of problems. I felt that they are unable to share it with someone close to them or are finding it difficult to get over their failures. So, rather than telling a long story, I would share some life lessons from the biggest tragedy of my life (actually it is not a tragedy but ask someone who has been in a similar situation and they could relate). I feel a connected with all those who are struggling with their failures and it is dedicated to them.

Memories and Lessons Learned

(You don't mind working hard if you feel that it's worth it.)

Some days in Kota were really hard. I would wake up at 7:00 AM would rush for school from 8 AM to 12:00 PM and then comeback for  Lunch by 1:00 PM and then have to rush for Coaching from 2:30 PM to 7:30 PM. After that, I would go to doubt clearing faculties and would be at back to my room by 10:00 PM after a quick dinner.

After all this, minimum 3 to 4 hours of study was needed to brush up the class notes, finish assignments and to deal with backlogs. I never felt that I am burned out or tired, the energy at 10:00 PM was more than what I would have 07:00 AM as I loved what I was doing.

You cannot ignore your mother for your girlfriend or vice versa but don't forget your sister either.

Life is all about striking the fine balance between the different roles we play. So, make sure that you do justice to all the roles you have. I ignored Chemistry for Maths and she took the revenge in my first Attempt at JEE. I was cautious next time. I pampered chemistry and I loved it as I was learning from the the best faculties at Bansal when I dropped for a year after Class 12th. We called it 13th ( Anyone from Kota will smile at this). But, this time, due to overconfidence about Physics, I screwed it and again failed IIT JEE :) 

You learn many things when you are away from loved ones:

First and foremost, you learn about their importance in your life. So, yes, I value my siblings and parents more after moving out. 

When my parents left me in Kota, my brother who was my biggest enemy cried like anything and was almost inconsolable for weeks and would cry in bathroom as he missed me so much. I got to know about this when I went to home on Diwali. I scolded him for something and my parents made me realize that how ignorant I was of his love for me. 

Please don't repeat my mistakes and love your parents well. 

Are you upset about breakup? Are you feeling lonely? Have you failed to clear that exam? Pick up your phone and call your parents, siblings, friends and you will feel better. You can also ping me and offload your worries that you can't share with someone close. I think stranger are good for that purpose. Be open about your problems and share it with your parents. 

Sooner or later you will realize that your Mom & Dad are your most trusted friend. You don't have to undergo the trauma of breakup with them as they will never leave you. You will realize someday that they were always with you in your good as well as bad times. 

Are you feeling that you have let down your parents?

Don't feel that way, they only want to see their kids happy. Do what you love, they will always support you even if they tell you otherwise. It's always a happy ending :)

Are you waiting in a line and are feeling bored.

Can you remember any time when waiting was more fun and interesting. 

Let me share with you something from the lane of my memories. I used to come home on Diwali while in Kota, but the excitement back then was unmatched. It is not that I am not excited now but that joy was phenomenal. I didn't had Phone. Calling Home would last for 90 seconds and I think it costed 6-7 Rupees from STD Calling booths.  My target of Phone bills then was Rs.100/- per month. Today, how can I get the same excitement as I know every thing happening at home. I chat with them for as long as every minute thing has been discussed. And then WhatsApp ensures that we exchange  of anything and everything.

I used to keep the photo of my parents as it was the only thing when I remembered them and meeting them after 4-5 months was refreshing because we had no means to do a video chat. Guys! staying away from home was different then... it had the feel of real exile:)

My Mom's only regret is that we don't have any means through which we can send food like we can share pics on Whatsapp. For her, Food is the most important means to shower love. Her excitement is still the same for all these years as I can feel it every time I go home.

What about IIT?

Oh! I almost forgot the purpose for which I went to Kota.  May be I also got off-track while my preparation and hence I am writing about my failure instead of " How to crack IIT?".  My dream to get into IITs collapsed like Titanic and I took a lot of time to accept that I failed to get something I lived for 3 years. I am happy about my life now and I am glad that I went to Kota. I have embraced my failures and they are not shameful to me anymore. 

Read more at Kota, IIT and the Unfulfilled Dream 

  

Now, I know that Life is more than getting into your dream college or getting a plum job. I have wrote how Campus Placement is over-hyped in India. Harvard or Cambridge doesn't arrange for the same.  Strange for many Indian but true !

Read more at Is Campus Placement the most overrated and hyped thing in India? 

If you are interested to know more about me, connect with me on Quora or my blog Life is Beautiful

Picture Credit- Photo by Mantas Hesthaven on Unsplash

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19 Things that make me happy

We all want to be happy in our life. But, happiness cannot be a goal. A goal must be something which is more tangible and measurable. Happiness is just a perception. There have been studies in the past which proves that happiness is neither related to money nor health of a person, provided they have the minimum level of health and money to lead a modest life.

But there are things which make you happy. I am sharing the list of things which brings me to life; I would love to know about what makes you happy. Do mention about that in your comments.

19 Things that makes me happy:

1.     Reading Books - I am an avid reader. I love to read good books. They take us to their own beautiful world. I like books of various genres like adventure, fiction, self-help, biographies, classic, business, management, non-fiction, etc. I have read lots of books but my top 10 favourite books are The monk who sold his Ferrari, The Old man and the sea, Wings of Fire, The Alchemist, Blink, India Unbound, Corporate Chanakya, Rich Dad Poor Dad, The World is Flat, The diary of a young girl . I have started to write about my learning from the books I have read. (Click on the hyperlink to view the leanings from respective books.)

2.      Writing- I love writing because it De-stresses me. I practise it as a writing therapy and to understand my thoughts and introspection. Apart from this, I like to write about all the things which fascinate me like my other hobbies and interests. These days I am passionately blogging and am enjoying it. You can read about 6 things i learned on my writing spree.

3.     Joy of Giving/Social Work/Volunteering- Somewhere I read that when your income increases then don't spend the extra amount completely on enriching your lifestyle. Rather, spend a bit more on causes you believe in. I don't want to elaborate much on this because charity, whether in cash or kind should be done selflessly and not to grab attention from others. ASCI has featured me as their Ambassador to acknowledge my volunteering works to combat misleading advertisements on Television.

4.      Nature- I am a nature lover. I love all that is natural, be it trees, grass, plants, flower, birds, animals, sky, earth, moon, sun, the universe and humans, of course. I really love the chirping of birds. If we pay attention to our surrounding then we can find many things which are beautiful. We don't need to sold our possession and go to an exotic place to feel the nature. We only need to slow down a bid and enjoy what we are doing. I have slowed down to figure out 22 things which fascinates me.

5.     Morning Walk- I am not much into physical exercise. So, walking comes to me as a natural preference to keep myself fit. Walking is one of the best exercises and if you do it in the morning, you feel the scenery of the surrounding. When most people sleep , you can go out and feel the heaven.

6.     Surfing Internet to Know or learn something new- Surfing Internet is normally considered a pass time generally done for entertainment, but if done effectively can help you learn many things. If you want to brush up an existing skill or learn a new hobby, you can find some good website or blog and learn what you wanted for free. Now, ignorance can be converted into new learning in  just a few clicks. Just couple of days ago, I didn't knew anything about Search Engine Optimization (SEO), but I surfed the internet, found a very good Presentation (PPT), I studied it and watched some youtube videos and got a reasonably good amount of idea about SEO. Websites like Coursera provides a platform where you can do a course online from the professors of best Universities and that too from the luxury of your home.

7.     Photography- I am a amateur photographer and I really enjoy taking photos of nature. Who are not these days? I want to learn the nuisance of photography and shall update you more about it.

8.     Travelling- I love to travel. Thanks to my parents that I have explored most parts of India and few countries like Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand. I plan to explore the road less travelled. I want to do some adventurous trips in future. Read about my maiden trip to South East Asia in my post " Travel Diary: Once upon a time in Singapore"

9.     Food- I love eating good tasty & healthy food. I really feel happy if my stomach is pleased. Also, I cook occasionally. For me, cooking is like an art, as we are creating something.

10. Lift someone’s spirit - Nothing makes me happier that lifting someone’s spirit. I often interact with colleagues, friends, family who are feeling sad or are going through a tough phase in Life. I believe that helping others really help me overcome my insecurities and  my fears. Learn How to stay motivated at all times.

11. Art and Craft- I am not good at art, craft and similar art forms. But, good art work really touch my heart. I admire people who are good artists and crafts-person.

12. Making Lists- I am someone who is so much fond of lists that you can say that I am obsessed with lists. I prepare lists for literally everything. If you will go through this blog you will know about my love with lists. I have list for shopping, travelling, study, office, to-do, reading list, writing list, learning list, and the list of my lists are endless like 6 things I learnt on my writing spree, 6 Practical tips to start a blog, Challenged myself to write 111 posts in 30 days, 7 Tips to a Startup Entrepreneur, 5 ways to be in Present moment and so on.

13. Mentor someone - I am eldest among my siblings. So, mentoring them is something which I am doing for past 15 years. One key thing I learned while mentoring is that role of a mentor is not to spoon feed everything. Rather, their role is to inspire and kindle the flame of learning. Once the spark is ignited in the mind of your pupil then they are going to excel in their chosen field. Learn Lessons from a bad Mentor to be a good mentor.

14. Watching good movies & documentaries- I am not a regular movie-goer. But, I really appreciate good cinema, documentaries and short films. These act as a mode of entertainment, learning and motivation.

15. Playing Table Tennis/ Badminton/Cricket- I have played and enjoyed playing these 3 sports/games. Apart from these, I liked to play chess and carom. But, I get the chance to play all these stuffs occasionally. Now, gaming means all about playing mobile games.

16. Gardening- For me gardening means purchasing flower pots from market and planting flowers in it through someone. I don’t know much about gardening. But, I would love to do proper gardening at some point of my life.

17. Home Decoration- People get bored with their old furniture and they purchase new one. Seeing this trend grow in my hometown, I decided to get furniture remodeled in minimum cost, also I found that if you shuffle the location of your furniture then the look and feel of your home gets changed and trust me you will love this idea by which you can get a new look without spending a penny or by shedding a paltry sum. I have shared the pictures of my experimental home decoration at my post Jugaad- A way of Living.

18. Reduce- Reuse- Recycle- I am more of a minimalist as I believe in simple yet decent living. It’s my personal choice and I respect different viewpoints on this subject. I try to follow the principle of reduce, reuse and recycle in my life.  I will write in detail about this afterwards.

19. Spending quality time with family and loved ones- I have kept the best for the last. I love to spend quality time with my family, friends and loved ones. It is really the true investment of our life. Happy Father's day, Dad!

BY- Rohan Sinha

This article was part of my challenge to myself that I will create 111 beautiful articles in 30 days.

Picture Credit- Unsplash

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Lessons from Ira Singhal: The UPSC Topper in 2015

Originally written on 7th Aug,15

Photo via Times of India

I am fortunate to have watched the interview of Ira Singhal on the show “Prime Time” by Mr. Ravish Kumar of NDTV. I have not seen someone so positive and upbeat about life for quite some time. For those who don’t know her, I will try to provide an apt biography. She is the topper of UPSC this year. She is differently able and it felt so good to listen to her. I thank her for radiating positive vibes which I can feel and which motivated me to write about it. I have got the following insight from her interview and am presenting the same point-wise as I believe that it will help many people on this planet.

1.    I found her very optimistic about life. She never looked as a victim of the circumstances even when she faced tremendous struggle as a person with special needs.

2.    Despite getting a rank in UPSC and getting selected in Indian Revenue Service (IRS), she was denied a posting as they felt that she was not physically fit for it. But, she took her fight to the Central Administrative Tribunal and got a favorable ruling.

3.    She is an avid reader. No, she is not a stereotyped topper. She reads a lot of novels and watches TV series of US/UK. According to her, one should study smartly by understanding and analyzing stuffs rather than being glued to books all the time.

4.    She wants to serve people and that’s why she wanted to be an IAS officer. Mr. Ravish Kumar asked whether she wanted to prove something through UPSC. I thought she would say something like she wanted to show people that her physical condition didn’t came in way of her dream or something like that. I was pleasantly surprised when she told that she had nothing to prove. She wanted to be IAS officer as this will give her a bigger opportunity to serve people.

5.    She is crystal clear about what she wants in life. I am happy to be able to get a chance to see her speak. I had read few articles about her as she topped this year’s UPSC result. But, those articles were far from giving me a picture about this lady.

6.    I am touched by her way of living. I felt she has transformed herself into someone who is so much engrossed in learning, knowing and exploring what is around her that she has no time to bother about her physical condition or anything else.

7.    I have realized that disability is the inability to identify ability. She made me realize how disable I am when I was feeling sad for her physical condition. We worry about getting in a good school and then we have to get into a good college. After that we need a plum job and god forbid if something is not happening as per our wish then we feel as if the whole world has come to a standstill.

8.    Despite topping one of the toughest competition exams in the world, she told it was just another exam. She told that an exam cannot decide who you are. Life is more that an exam. Great thoughts! At least, what I had learned by the hard way from my failure to clear IITJEE is reciprocated by this brilliant lady.

9.    She got 99.7 percentile in CAT. She told that Maths is tough or easy depending on your perception. It’s all in mind. She felt that a better teacher can make Maths easier and fun.

10. She knows various languages like English, Hindi, German, Spanish and many more that she told in her interview. It is the positive attitude that we can take from her. She is definitely an inspiration for me and many from my generation who often bother about petty things.

At the end, I thank my favorite anchor Mr. Ravish Kumar to go to her house and let us see and understand who she is. Like her, you are also an inspiration and have reached to great height in journalism by sheer hard work and passion. I really enjoy watching Prime Time. Thanks for bringing out the positive things that are happening in and around us.

Edit:- I am not yet finished and hence have posted another post " My tribute to Ira Singhal: UPSC Topper- 2015" . She is a wonderful lady who has definitely inspired me and whenever I would want to take a short cut , I will be reminded of her. I want my blog readers to watch her interview by Mr. Ravish Kumar, host of the show Prime Time on NDTV 

PS- If you are a student or are looking for a job. I feel you should have a look at Career Advice & Guidance Forum

Edit2- Watch the Interview of Ira Singhal with Ravish Kumar

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