A chat with Nand sir

HJS: Tell us about your general experience of Phase I

Nand Sir (NS): Phase I made me realise the importance of friends I had made in FC. Phase I started with Bharat Darshan, which is a very hectic exercise. For me, the highlight was army attachment, north east attachment, and island attachment. We also got to see many factories. Once we came back with a lot of fatigue, we eventually settled in into the real academic Phase I. I also made new friends and picked up a few sports.

 HJS : How did you like the studies during  Phase I?

NS : Economics was my favourite. Least favourite were the general type of courses. I used to enjoy sitting both in the front rows and the back seats. But I never slept in class. Not that I was very attentive. Faculty was also bit lenient so I could read novels and other books while in class. That I did regularly.

 HJS : Any interesting memories of Bharat Darshan ?

NS : In one of our Bharat Darshan travels, our vehicle met with an accident. One of my friends suffered a major hand injury. That was a horrific memory. But Bangaram island was a very good experience. Made great friends, had to endure the standard cribbing of many group members regarding rooms etc. BD actually is a great eye opener as you can get to see real nature of many people. We travelled mostly in trains, so had a lot of time to talk to friends. And the conversations were deep.

 HJS : Have you talked to the current OTs about their Bharat Darshan experience ?

NS : What I understood is that these days OTs are much more aware as they have social media and Google. So planning is easier. But it also has a flip side, and that is that people tend to explore less and less of new friendships.

 HJS : Something about yourself that you want to tell the readers ?

NS : I was not very serious in classrooms, I secretly read books in class , like “Fooled by randomness” by Nassim Nicholas Taleb. It’s a great book and I got to finish it in class. The area below Ganga hostel was my favourite, not the area above Ganga. Also, I got less memos as I somehow reached classes on time. Also, I loved horse riding and badminton. I made most of my friends on the playing field.

 HJS : What’s the secret to your coolness and great sense of humour?

NS : Firstly, thank you for saying that. Everyone has their own way of looking at things and so do I. Maybe I look at things at perspective. Also, I have always tried not to take myself so seriously, as I think that if we take ourselves too seriously, then we only limit ourselves as we are scared of being laughed at by others. We are all learners in this world. If we take ourselves too seriously, our work will be more difficult for us. Hence, we will be at a disadvantage.

 HJS : If you had a chance to talk to your younger self just starting their career as a civil servant, what would you say ?

NS : I would say that you talk to your friends more and listen to them more. Do not just be worried about how you are perceived by others. That will take the juice out of your life. Do not get bogged down by situations.