Success Story: judiciary topper interview | Saket Jain AIR10 MPCJ 2021 | civil judge topper

Welcome to today’s Success Story, where we have the pleasure of talking with Saket Jain, who has recently achieved a remarkable accomplishment by securing the AIR 10th rank in the Madhya Pradesh Civil Judge (Junior Division) exam 2021. Saket’s hard work and dedication have paid off, and we’re excited to learn more about his journey and the strategies that helped him succeed. Let us share the conversation between Saket and Judiciaryexam , which will definitely inspire and guide you.

Judiciaryexam:- First of all, congratulations from the entire team of judiciraryexam.com for your success in the Madhya Pradesh Judicial Services.

Saket: Thank you very much for your courteous wishes.

Judiciaryexam :- Who would you like to credit for your success?

Saket:- First of all, I would like to thank my parents who stood by me throughout this journey and extended their support at every stage. Moreover, I cannot emphasize more on the role played by my friends who have contributed significantly by motivating me and showing patience during all ups and downs of this process. Lastly and most importantly, my teachers and gurus have played a very important role in shaping my intellectual self to greater heights and I would like to thank them too.

Judiciaryexam :- When and how did you dream of becoming a civil judge?

Saket:- I was introduced to the judicial services at an early age as I come from a family of judges and ergo, I could relate to the life of a judge. Though my parents always encouraged me to consider other fields as well, my interest in the judicial service increased with time. Developments in the legal field always fascinated me and therefore after my 10th Class, I decided to pursue law as a career opportunity and after exploring various opportunities in the field, I finally decided to become a judicial officer in the later years of my college life.

Judiciaryexam :- When did you start preparing for the civil judge exam?

Saket:- In the first year of my college life, I decided to explore diverse aspects in the legal field before making up my mind regarding choosing a career in judicial services. After my 4th year of college, I decided to join judicial services and started preparing for it.

Judiciaryexam :- How many attempts did it take you to achieve this success?

Saket:- I became successful in my 2nd attempt. In my humble opinion, my preparation was not up to the mark in the first one and therefore in my second attempt, I worked upon myself and made amendments in my strategy to improve the areas which needed more work.

Judiciaryexam :- Were you doing any job or practice while preparing for Civil Judge?

Saket:- No sir, I was not working while preparing for the exam and was thus able to devote my entire time for preparation. Though I did not practice, once in a while I tried to visit court so as to be familiar with the practical aspects of law.

Judiciaryexam :- What special strategy did you adopt to make yourself stand out from other candidates and achieve success this time?

Saket:- In my humble opinion, the utmost important thing during preparation is to understand the demand of the examination and devise a strategy accordingly. Therefore, analyzing previous years papers becomes very important before starting preparation for the examination. I made sure that I made both brief and detailed notes of each subject. Short notes were really helpful to me a few days before the exam to revise the subjects. I used to make a schedule for myself in order to cover all the areas of the paper which really added value to my routine and day to day life.

I used to make sure that I remained confident even during the low phase and reminded myself of the capabilities I hold. This approach was able to give me a positive perspective regarding the exam. For me, it has been important to focus on the process rather than the result. Hence, I used to have smaller yet achievable targets everyday and therefore, their completion instilled a sense of satisfaction at the end of the day. Moreover, I constantly reminded myself of the goal I was pursuing and the aptitude which was required. Hence, this preparation helped me not only for clearing exam but also inculcating the right attitude as a judicial officer.

Judiciaryexam :- How did you prepare for the preliminary exam?

Saket:- Initially, I prepared for both Preliminary and Mains examinations in an integrated manner. This included reading all the Bare Acts thoroughly and understanding the subjects. Once my basic concepts were clear, I tried to learn the technical details regarding provisions. To achieve that, I solved various MCQs and previous year question papers which made me realize the demand of the exam and also provided me with a different perspective in which I could read the Bare Act. I also went through all the landmark and latest case laws from LiveLaw.

For current affairs, I used to make notes monthly from the magazine Pratiyogita Darpan and then supplement it in the last month with some other sources; so that every news could be covered comprehensively. I believe current affairs is an area where maximum accuracy can be ensured. For MP GK, there are many books available such as Punekar or McGraw Hill. I read Computer from a small book by Lucent and some other online sources. Being an English medium student, English did not pose a great difficulty to me yet for english practice, I referred to well-recognized English books available like Pearson, etc.

In the Preliminary examination, time management becomes very crucial and ergo, repeated practice is required. Sometimes, questions may be solved through a method of elimination as well. In the questions which have a tendency to create confusion, I usually used to go with my first instinct as in my humble opinion, it reflects your subconscious mind.

I made sure I was not following shortcuts during my preparation and that helped in clearing preliminary exams in every attempt.

Judiciaryexam :- After passing the preliminary exam, how did you prepare for the mains exam?

Saket:- The first thing I used to do after taking the preliminary examination was to analyze the paper and calculate my marks. I used to take one day off after the preliminary examination for myself and then consolidate the sources for the Mains examination. It becomes important to start preparing for the Mains examination as soon as after the preliminary exam so as to maintain consistency.

Since I made both the short and detailed notes of the subjects, they came handy while preparing for the Mains examination. I gave equal attention to all the subjects including essay, judgment writing and translation on a daily basis. I included a separate time in my schedule for essay, judgment writing and translation where I would either practice by writing or just read them. Practice is the key in the Mains examination which ultimately helps in remembering the details of subjects and also improves one’s time management. Every answer needs to be written within the time that is allocated for it as the time limit exceeded in any question can cost the time allocated for other questions. Time management was an essential part of my strategy which I incorporated throughout my journey in my second attempt and fortunately, it yielded good result by fetching me decent score in the Mains examination.

For me, preparation for the Mains examination was the most important aspect of the examination due to the weightage of marks it holds in MPCJ and in my humble opinion, it is applicable to every aspirant’s journey.

Judiciaryexam :- How did you prepare for the judgment paper in the Madhya Pradesh Civil Judge exam?

Saket:- Firstly, I analyzed the previous year’s question papers. The judgment writing paper is the one which can provide you an edge. It is important to write detailed judgment with appropriate reasoning. One should take into consideration each and every evidence and argument presented by both the parties, and give reasoned observations in the judgment. The judgment should be written in such a way that the appellate court cannot overturn your decision on any point.

While writing the order of sentence, proper reasons should be given as to why the accused is being given lesser or graver punishment for any offence. At last, it is pertinent to give attention to the format of your judgment which also carries decent marks.

Judiciaryexam :- How did you prepare for the interview after passing the main exam?

Saket:- As there is a substantial gap between the Mains examination and Interview, aspirants often lose the touch of the law subjects. I would recommend everyone to fill up the Detailed Application Form (DAF) for Interview after taking the Mains examination irrespective of its result. If you prepare the DAF and its personal questions beforehand, it would save a lot of your time. And then, you can give time to the law subjects and current legal news. Newspapers are a must to make you aware of current affairs including the legal news. Students should also keep themselves updated of the legal developments and latest case laws of the last few years.

As the famous saying goes, practice makes a person perfect. My humble advice would be that one should try giving precise and concise answers to the questions asked. My suggestion would be to keep a positive environment around as negativity can have an adverse effect during the Interview stage. Hence, it becomes very important to stay positive. As the name suggests, the interview (Personality test) is more about one’s attitude, behavior and personality and less about knowledge. The goal one should aspire for must be to develop personality as that of an ideal judicial officer.

Judiciaryexam :- When and in whose board did you have your interview?

Saket:- My interview was scheduled on 10th February, 2023. The board members were Hon’ble Smt Justice Anjuli Palo, Hon’ble Shri Justice Vishal Dhagat and Hon’ble Shri Justice Vishal Mishra.

Judiciaryexam :- What kind of questions were asked in the interview?

Saket:- The difficulty level of questions asked varied. My interview followed a format of discussion more or less .The board members are very experienced personalities and they can understand each and every candidate. So, it is advisable to be oneself and not bluff. Generally, a lot of personal questions were being asked from the candidates like “Why do you want to be a judge”, “Why should we select you leaving behind other candidates”, “Why did you not practice”, questions related to hobbies, etc. But my interview was completely based upon law. So, it would depend on the board members as to in what direction they want the interview to go.

First question asked from me was with regard to my beard because I had shaved at the time of my interview and I had a beard in my DAF photo. Questions related to law were as follows:

(a) What is the difference between interested and related witness?

(b) What is their evidentiary value?

(c) Whose evidence would be weighted more?

(d) Example of interested and related witness.

(e) If a witness does not state the truth in Court, what will you do as a judge?

(f) What will be your considerations before making a complaint of perjury as a judge?

(g) What is permissive and actual possession?

(h) Can a suit for adverse possession be filed on the basis of permissive possession?

The key in Interview is to be positive and deal with one question at a time. It is natural to be nervous but one has to stay confident as confidence is the key. My humble advice to aspirants would be to think of yourself as a judicial officer while communicating with the board members and treat it just as a meeting. This will instill some confidence in you.

Judiciaryexam :- Do you have any good or bad experiences during your preparation that people can learn from?

Saket:- Competitive exam is all about consistency and dedication. One should focus on the process and not the result. This will give you a sense of confidence daily and make you more prepared for the examination. There were times when I didn’t feel good and did not feel like studying. But it is okay to take small breaks in between to make yourself fresh for the future. Taking a day off would only help you come back stronger the next day. Engaging in any other co-curricular activity is also a positive step and helps you keep your mind fresh for studies.

Judiciaryexam :- During your preparation, you may have faced many difficulties that may have demotivated you. How did you keep your enthusiasm alive and continue your preparation?

Saket:- During the preparation, everyone faces low as well as high phases. But one should always believe in oneself and believe that hard work always pays off. I used to tell my father that even if I don’t succeed in this examination, I will do practice and become a High Court judge as I always considered it as my backup option. Even though not succeeding would have broken my heart, this was our way to keep me motivated and push me to focus on my goal. My family and friends also played an important role in motivating me and believing in me throughout my preparation. So, I wanted to crack the examination for my beloved ones too, and this motivated me a lot.

Judiciaryexam :- Which books do you think are essential to read for success in the civil judge exam?

Saket:- Bare Acts are the most important books an aspirant has to read. Multiple and continuous readings are required. Every time we read a bare act, it gives us a different perspective and teaches us something new. If a person has taken coaching classes, it is important to go through those notes continuously. LiveLaw is also essential for updating oneself with current legal news which you can incorporate into your answers in Mains examination and Interview.

Following is the list of books/sources which can be read for every subject:

Note: It isn’t necessary to read the whole book. They can be referred only for the purpose of some understanding. However, reading these books is not sine qua non to crack the examination but they certainly do add value to content and enrich it.

Judiciaryexam :- What special advice would you like to give to those who are preparing for the civil judge exam?

Saket:- Just believe in yourself and keep working hard. Knowledge never goes in vain. If not this, you have greater things in life awaiting for you.

Judiciaryexam :- We wish for your bright future.

Saket:- Thank you .