Mr. Abhay Kumar, holds M.Sc. in Molecular Biology and Biotechnology from prestigious Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), New Delhi and qualified fellowship exams, GATE and CSIR respectively. Currently he is continuing Ph.D. research in IARI it self. There has been a stream of requests from the hB members to interview someone who are successful in these exams and we could think of no better person than Abhay, in fact he qualified CSIR 3 times. Abhay came about as humble and motivated person during the interview. He shared his tricks and trade in CSIR exam and on Biotechnology/research in general.
Q. Tell us about your background?
A. I was born in a small village Birnawan, in Nalanda District, Bihar and did my XII from Science College in Patna, B.Sc. from Banaras Hindu University.
Q. After your M.Sc. in Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, why did you opted for a research?
A. Well I didn't wanted in first place. I am from a family of Doctors, so I too wanted to be in the same line. But unfortunately things didn't work out as planned and joined BSc without any plan. Then I realized that in the research field there is hardly any competition. So it just happened, I didn't plan........
Q. You have qualified CSIR 3 times, what an achievement. hB is curious to know about the secret of your success?
A. Secret is my efforts devoted in preparation for my medical exam. After my XII, I devoted entire time to study for state and national medical entrance, which sadly I could not clear, but then the hard work put was certainly utilized at a later time!
Q. Do you have any regrets, because you wanted to become doctor?
A. I don't have any regrets anymore and have achieved more than what I could have achieved otherwise.
Q. How would you visualize and attribute your success?
A. I knew that if my seniors can qualify I am no different from them. My seniors and especially one my seniors "Aashiah Kr. Ranjan", who opened/introduced and guided me to the academics stream.
Q. How did your parents, family and friends contribute to your success?
A. Well my parents & family were always supportive........ My friends have a greater role, for they were my compatriots, my greatest critic and off course my greatest support for ready answers and suggestions.
Q. Which books did you read for the theory part?
Biochemistry:
Lehniger's Principle of Biochemistry
Instant Notes in Biochemistry
Genetics:
BD Singh - Genetics
Snustad and Simmons - Principles of Genetics
Ecology- PD Sharma , Ecology unit from Dinesh's Objective Biology
Molecular Biology:
Lodish- Molecular Biology
Immnology:
Janis Kuby- Immnology
Biotechnology:
BD Singh Biotechnology- Expanding Horizon, Old & Primose- Gene Manipulation
One does not has to read everything. Some selected chapters as many contents do overlap.
Q. What was your daily timetable during the preparation?
A. I have no time table as such........... I read as and when I feel to do so.
Q. What do you think is the better way of preparation between selective, intensive study and wide, extensive study?
A. Well a combination of these. For example, as I am from biotechnology background this part should be thoroughly prepared as the case maybe (depending on the aspirants major subject in B.Sc. and M.Sc.). Immunology should be covered only that part which is Basics (no one asks advanced Immunology). Ecology is a must because this is a scoring subject. Only one book covers and that too which is basically easy and questions are of very elementary type in Part I, besides one can have one extra choice in subjective part.....
Besides, a lot depends on which month you are appearing for CSIR, June month's exam are easy generally speaking compared to December one (from the side of Biochemistry and Biotechnology). Also June exam has greater content of Ecology. I don't know if that has changed, but I am pretty sure it hasn't, because the questions for the exams are prepared by the genre of people.
One doesn't have to answer all the questions, If one gets 60% correct in first part, half to the task is done. The crucial part is the first 30 questions which are compulsory (most of these are class XII level), one needs to get 50 % right i.e. 15 question but even 12 question would do, no one know the exact cut off, but I figured it out be hovering around 12 questions here and overall 60 - 65 % in part I.
For the second part there too many options, the first question should be answered as it is of 20 marks, Out of the rest 15, one would easily find 6-8 question which would be related to the aspirants major subject, so 8 questions done. Now for others, go for those which one knows partially because each question is subdivided in several options. Even if one knows a single e word just write so. If one able to write 8 full answers 5 partial answers and rest even a few sentences, you have won the battle. Always answer to the point, there is no need for large sentence framing. Further, if you believe me, even if you think that your answer to the question is merely a guess and mayn't be write, DO WRITE IT, it does not have any adverse effect on the examiner's perception as ALL THE ANSWERS ARE CHECKED BY DIFFERENT EVALUATORS AND NOT ONE, so even if you wrote a terrible wrong answer it's not going to adversely affect marking of others.
Q. Did you attend any coaching? Were they useful?
A. If you attend a quality college/institute there's no need for coaching. At this age if you need someone to coach you..... there is really something wrong........ one should have the will power to study......... there should not be absolutely no need for some one to force you to do so............ unless there's some really genuine reason. I never studied in any coaching institute of any kind.
Q. How important you think is Internet in preparation?
A. Believe more on your seniors who have qualified the exam and good friends who are better teachers. Internet can be provider of information but never a guide or a teacher.
Q. What was your strategy for the exam day?
A. I have no strategy for exams, I take them as my semester exam only. Don't make big strategies, never read new matters the penultimate day of exam, sleep well and have good dreams. Be normal on the exam day, don't take YOUR PARENTS with you to the exam center. Chat around with the people around and feel as confident as you are the only one to pass and others are fools. Don't be in hurry to enter the center, be casual in approach, 5 minutes difference hardly makes any impact, 2 and half hours is more than sufficient to answer any damn question on earth of objective type, more so if its related to Life Sciences.
Q. Had you not been successful in CSIR, what would have been your reaction? Did you have a backup plan?
A. There are others to follow, DBT and ICMR and then CSIR comes twice in a year......... where is the need for contingency plan..........?
Q. What is your opinion about hB?
A. I found it recently, a few months back. It's probably the world's largest swimming pool page from the blog on biotech affairs directed towards the aspirants. A wide, diverse range of quality material is here at hB. It's always worth checking in to see what's new on this side of the Web.
Q. What is your advice to the future aspirants?
A. Start early in planning from the first year of MSc itself. Take the first exam in first year of MSc in December, you would get the feel of what the hell this exam is all about. Make a well note of all that is being asked and "dissect" your self as to what all you know. The next coming June and December exams would be cake walk if you understood your shortcomings and lacunae in your TRIAL first attempt.
If you fail in all three attempts, I suggest to rethink over your capabilities and plans of doing Phd and Academics. Don't be just lured by the "Biotechnology Buzz" that's being created in the minds of people, this field is not a life of roses, in fact it's time and emotionally demanding.
What I feel is that one should be mentally as well as emotionally prepared to stand up the stiff realities in academics , the high standards and the fact that there NO SHORT CUTS HERE........... its a very tough world here but the silver lining is that there is hardly any competition at PhD level at least.............
Q. What are the future plans?
A. As I seldom plan things, I am not so certain,..........but I do have aspirations to go for PDF abroad.
Abhay Kumar,
Ph.D. Student.
Ph.D. Student.
# 217, L.B.S. Building,
National Research Centre on Plant Biotechnology,
Indian Agricultural Research Institute (I.A.R.I.),
Pusa Campus,
New Delhi 110 012.
National Research Centre on Plant Biotechnology,
Indian Agricultural Research Institute (I.A.R.I.),
Pusa Campus,
New Delhi 110 012.
e-mail : abhay_iari@yahoo.co.in , abhayiari@gmail.com
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