Hey, aspirants!
Welcome to Lawctopus’ Judiciary Corner.
Preparing for judiciary can sometimes feel like a very lonesome process. But it doesn’t have to be true. You can always rely on us to provide you with expert guidance and tips to make you better prepared for this journey. In today’s interview, we talk to Raghavi Govil, a judicial officer from Rajasthan. Raghavi shares her journey and important tips on how to ace Rajasthan judiciary.
Read on!
Q. Please introduce yourself to our readers (Name, Rank, previous job experience, etc.,)
I am Raghavi Govil. I hail from Bulandshahr, Uttar Pradesh. I completed my integrated course of law at Universal School of Law and Legal Studies, GGSIPU, Delhi. During my last year in college, I appeared for RJS, and was fortunate enough to crack the exam in my first attempt securing 16th Rank.
Q. Where did you get the idea to pursue judicial services? Please tell us about your preparation journey for Judicial Exams.
My father is a lawyer, so the ideas of how the court functions and, what is the role of the judiciary in the social system were seeded in me well before time. It was my parents’ utmost desire to see me serving as a judicial officer, and undoubtedly it was my biggest motivation to pursue these competitive exams.
It was in my fourth year when I saw my seniors preparing for the judiciary, and at that time, I got access to the information through them as to how exams happen, what is the syllabus, etc. Since there was no turning back, I started my journey towards it.
Q. Did you take any coaching to clear your exam?
I joined Rahul’s IAS. I think it was the most important step in my preparation journey since it helped me prepare in a more structured way and also helped me recognize the focus areas of every subject.
Q. You are a Judicial Officer in Rajasthan. Was this your first preference?
Rajasthan is a Hindi-speaking state. Language of the state being no barrier, it was definitely one of my preferred states. Rajasthan Judiciary is also one which has time and again shown great performance with impeccable standing. It is indeed a privilege to be part of the esteemed judicial system of the state.
Q. How many other states have you attempted before Rajasthan?
I was in my fifth year when I appeared for Rajasthan Judicial Services and also, the only state which at that time allowed final year students to sit for the exams, provided the candidate has a provisional degree by the time they appeared for the Mains examination. Hence, I was eligible for only this state at that time. I didn’t appear for any other state before RJS.
Q. What motivated you to opt for judiciary as a career option?
During my college days, I interned with various legal institutions ranging from litigation firms to corporate offices. As much as I enjoyed working there, I realized my personality was best suited to be a judicial officer.
Also, my father being a lawyer, I am very fortunate to get the best guidance from him whenever I falter. Weighing in all the factors, I decided to go ahead and prepare for judicial services. It will be a sin not to mention how amazing it is to see the faith a common man has in our judicial system.
It was one of the major factors which motivated me to pursue a career in judiciary.
Q. The exam is conducted in three stages. What was your approach? Did you prepare in stages or the focus was always Mains oriented from the beginning?
I approached each stage as it came. I believe every stage of the exam tests a different skill set of a candidate. So, it is best to adopt a different strategy for every stage. For instance, Prelims are more of threadbare know-how of the Bare Acts.
Mains, on the other hand, requires more than Bare Act knowledge. It is about how well one can put across his views on the proposition asked with the help of judicial precedents and legal acumen.
The interview is an altogether different experience as it is a personality test. Therefore, one needs to do some rote learning of Bare provisions and important Sections when it comes to Prelims, whereas, the same is not required for Mains.
For Mains, one requires good conceptual knowledge of subjects accompanied by landmark judgments to stand out with one’s answers.
Q. Many aspirants don’t know how to handle interview questions. Nervousness, anxiety, and underconfidence are common before the interview. What is your suggestion for them?
Firstly, it is important to acknowledge the fact that it is very normal to feel anxious and nervous before the interview. It happens with almost every candidate. However, what is important is that you should prepare well before the interview because preparation reduces anxiety and nervousness.
Be aware of the current legal updates, revise the subjects thoroughly, and brush up on procedural law subjects. What is even more important is to modestly accept what you don’t know instead of bluffing your way out of it.
The interviewers have far more experience & knowledge than the candidate, so bluffing is the last thing one should do.
Be confident in the medium you belong to and try, and answer fluently in the same medium, be it English or Hindi. The last and the most important thing to be kept in mind is appearance and posture while sitting before the interviewer. You should sit upright and appear tidy and non-clumsy.
Q. Indeed, many aspirants do not know what to expect when they join the service. We want to know what your day as a judge is like. Can you share your day-to-day schedule with us?
Judicial service is very different from other jobs existing in the legal industry. There is much more than what meets the eye. It requires one to be compassionate towards the society you are aiming to serve, and at the same time, one needs to be objective in approaching any case and act within the legal framework.
Daily life mainly involves reaching early to the courts and making preparations for the day lying ahead. The regular working day consists of conducting the hearing on matters listed for the day, managing some administrative work on the side, and giving dictations for the judgment.
Q. Ma’am, the reader will surely want to know what kind of cases you hear regularly.
There are various kinds of matters involved. They include excise matters, matters related to illegal arms, cases involving forgery and cheating, and matrimonial offenses. On the civil side, there are matters related to electricity disputes, property disputes, money recovery matters, suits for specific performance, etc.
Q. You were once a law student. And now you are a judge. How did you adapt the qualities of a judge? Is there some training involved?
Yes, once I got selected for Rajasthan Judiciary, I went through a year-long training program. The training program was designed by Rajasthan State Judicial Academy, involving field training and institutional training.
In the field training, we sat under the shadow of a presiding judicial officer. It is a vital phase of training. You get to observe the qualities you are required to develop in yourself to mould your personality best suited to that of a judge.
The next phase is institutional training, wherein we receive lectures on important procedural aspects of courts, how to effectively do order writing, etc.
Q. Please share some tips for our young minds who want to be part of the Judiciary.
Do your research properly before jumping right into preparations. Once you have decided to prepare, give all that you have to the preparations. Be sincere in it and keep revising and re-revising what you have studied. Never doubt your self-worth due to unfavorable results that may come your way during preparations.
Q. Three qualities you think are necessary for any aspirant to become a successful judicial officer.
Perseverance, curiosity (in moderation), and self-control.
Q. Last question is for your female readers. Some of them are apprehensive about joining judicial services. As a woman who is now a successful judge in Rajasthan, what would you say to them?
I think the recent results have shown that the number of female judicial officers has increased with every passing year. Having said that, I think both girls and boys have the potential to ace these exams if their hearts and minds are in the right place.
Never give in to circumstances that discourage you from preparing for the exams. Instead, take it up as a challenge and ace the exams. Also, have complete faith in your abilities and never get stuck in the vicious cycle of self-doubt irrespective of the results.
Found this interview useful? Read more interviews of Civil Judges/Judicial Magistrates here.
Source: Lawctopus
