Life as an Assistant in MEA

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ASO (Assistant Section Officer) in MEA is one of the best posts offered by CGL. There is a lack of genuine information about MEA and I am here to provide some first hand experience to you.

Many candidates enquired about the job profile, work-life balanace, foreign postings, etc. and this post covers them all. Consider it a motivational post for all the MEA aspirants :)

1. Joining - First things first, MEA is very notorious for offering late joining because it has some additional verifications like IB verification, BOS clearance, etc. But things have changed now. Recently DoPT came up with a circular which instructed all the ministries to give joining to all the selected candidates even if their police verification is not done. Now they will just make you sign a undertaking stating that your conduct has been flawless throughout your career. Result? Faster joining. You can expect to get your joining letters within three months of declaration of the result. Something to cheer about :)

2. Work Environment - THE BEST!!! without doubt. Most of the Assistants (not all) get to sit in Jawaharlal Nehru Bhawan (JNB), a newly constructed building at the heart of the city with all the latest amenities.

The entrance:

Greenery all around:-

Come to the terrace for a cup of coffee

3. Work desk:

My colleague, busy at work-

3. Promotions:

You join as Assistant Section Officer. After clearing departmental exam, you will get your first promotion as Section Officer (this will take 4-5 years), and you will get to sit on this-

Around 4-5 ASOs work under a Section Officer.
The second promotion will change your grade pay but the designation will remain the same. Your third promotion will make you Under Secretary(US) and you will get your own room. (this takes around 15 years minimum). After US, the hierarchy is Deputy Secretary -> Director (Dir)-> Joint Secretary, JS (the farthest an ASO can go)

4. Type of work:

All the assistants appointed through CGL(whether CSS or MEA) do the same work. i.e. making a Note and an Order. The type of the Note, depends on the section in which you work. All the sections have different work - a Section to manage the travel of diplomats, another Section to process the medical bills, etc. of the employees, Section to communicate with the Embassies, etc.
Consider for e.g. you have to process a loan application of an employee (All central government employees have to take prior permission of the government before raising any loan from a bank). The employee will give you an application mentioning his basic salary, date of joining, date of retirement, purpose of loan, etc. and you have to make a note out of it. In the note, you will state that employee X wishes to raise a loan from ABC bank. Then you will calculate the repaying capacity of the employee with a predefined formula. The employee cannot get a loan beyond his repaying capacity.
All the notes follow different paths - like for a loan, the note moves from SO->US->Dir-> and finally JS. Once the JS signs it, the note returns to you. If the above people haven't raised any objection, you will go on making an Order. Your SO will sign it and move forward. Once an order is issued, the employee can raise the loan.
This is the gist of your work.

5. Work-Life Balance:
It depends on the section in which you work. Mostly you have to work from 9:00 a.m. to 05:30 p.m, with one hour for lunch-break and 1 hour for tea-breaks (30 minutes, twice), although you can extend them if you want.

6. Subsidised food:
JNB has appointed Bikano as its caterer. The food is cheap and tasty. Most of the people eat thali, which costs them Rs. 60/-. Each floor has a coffee/tea vending machine, but you would have to shell out Rs. 5 for coffee and Rs 6 for tea.


7. The MEA edge:

Now the things that you wont find in other SSC posts-

7(i) MEA Quota(Welfare) in top colleges of India-
The MEA officials, when posted abroad, can avail MEA quota to enrol their children in top government colleges of our country (top NITs, NSIT, DTU, etc.). Your children can apply through this quota and can get a seat in these coveted colleges circumventing the formidable JEE exam (they will have to appear for SAT though). The competition through this quota is almost non-existent.

7(ii) Best work place
Population density at JNB is quite low. The whole building looks empty and there is no rush to get a lift or to eat at cafeteria, etc. The work place of most of the other ministries is crowded and doesn't give you that feeling of 'uniqueness'.

7(iii) MEA Quarters
Among all the SSC posts, MEA is the first one to offer you a government accommodation. You will get a 2-BHK flat in Dwarka after around 1.5 years of your joining. In CSS, you won't get government quarter even after 10 years of service.

7(iv) Temporary Deputations (TDs)
All over the internet you would find that MEA assistants spend 3 years in India and 3 years abroad. But there is more to that. MEA Assistants also go on Temporary Deputations (if you work in Protocol Division) for important international summits like SAARC, BRICS, India-Africa Forum Summit, etc.

7(v) Foreign Postings
ASOs generally get foreign postings for 3 years straight, but no one would force you to go. In some Sections you can avoid foreign postings altogether.
Most of the MEA officials are ready (and eager) for foreign postings, and the reason is simple - A hell of a lot of money! (besides the thrill of travelling)

Your allowances mostly depend on the country but they are always more than you need.
For poorer countries like Bhutan and Bangladesh
For a country like Bangladesh, you will get $2,200/month + Your basic salary in India (which after 7th pay commission would be around Rs. 45000). Total = Around 1,92,000/month. Now, you already get free government accommodation, so your biggest expense is already taken care of; you just have to spend on food and shopping. In a country like Bangladesh, even if you live a lavish lifestyle, your expenses wont cross 20,000/month
Savings = Rs. 1,92,000 -  Rs. 20,000 = Rs. 1,72,000/month

For rich countries
Your savings are almost same in all the countries. If you are posted in USA/UK/Japan, you will get around $2,700/month plus your Basic salary in India.
Earnings = 2,25,000/month
Savings = Your expenses won't exceed Rs. 50,000/month (my friend posted in Tokyo has never spent more than Rs. 40,000 in a month).
Savings = Rs. 2,25,000 - Rs. 50,000 =  Rs. 1,75,000/month
Even after adding some invisible costs over your extravagant lifestyle, minimum Rs. 1.5 lakhs/month are definitely going into your pocket.

You would be surprised to know that the places like Nepal, Bhutan, Pakistan, Bangladesh,etc. are more desirable than UK, USA, Italy, etc. because these places are near your home, hence reducing your travel expenses drastically. (MEA only pays for one visit per year)

That's all :)  I think I have covered all the doubts, but still if you have any queries about this job, feel free to drop a comment...


To buy the super-hit SSC Hack book, follow the below link-
Buy SSC-Hack Book

How to attempt Tier - 1 question paper?

As only 1 month is left for the examination, I would like to share the strategy that I followed for Tier-1. Although everyone has his/her own strategy but still some improvements can always be made.

My timeline looked something like this :

1. Quantitative Aptitude - 42 minutes
2. Reasoning - 28 minutes
3. Bubble filling for Quant and Reasoning - Around 6 minutes
4. English - 17-18 minutes
5. GK - 10 minutes
6. Bubble filling for English and GK - 6 minutes
7. Leftover questions - 10 minutes

Few Benefits that I find in this approach :

1. When you receive the question paper, your energy levels are high. You are mentally alert and there are no signs of drowsiness. Hence attempting quantitative aptitude and reasoning at the beginning will work in your favour.

2. Attempting GK at last is wise in my opinion. If you take up GK at the beginning, you may end up giving more thought to each question and as a result the section which should ideally not take more than 10 minutes would hog your 15+ minutes.

3. Attempt english after Quant and Reasoning, but make sure to complete it within 20 minutes. If you think your reading speed is slow, leave the comprehension and attempt it after you have finished the complete paper.

4. While attempting quant, you should be aware of your strengths and weaknesses. If you think you take more time in solving Mensuration, or Profit/Loss, etc. just leave them for the last. First attempt those questions which you think you can solve quickly.

5. I have assigned last 10 minutes for questions that you leave in your first reading, like Reading Comprehension or a difficult Quant question, etc..When you mark any question for later, don't circle/cross it. Just write that question number at the front/back of your paper. And when you reach step 6 (after you have filled all the bubbles), just go through the back of your paper and attempt those questions. As soon as you successfully attempt any question, cross it. This activity saves a lot of your time. If you circle/tick any question, you end up scanning your entire question paper for "circles/ticks". This will unnecessarily waste your limited time. But if you have written all the question numbers at the back, you can quickly go through all of them at one glance (without scanning the complete question paper).

Devise your own strategy or follow mine (if you liked it). My Tier-1 Score-card is given below:

In the mean time, I will continue writing Quant/Reasoning posts.
Keep reading :)


To buy the superhit SSC Hack-Book, follow the below link-
Buy SSC Hack-Book

[Q] Fast Calculation Tricks

There are some fast calculation hacks that can come in handy. Let's see them one by one -


1. Squaring a number with lightning fast speed

       Well you might have come across various tricks to find the square of a number, but I can bet you that my trick is the simplest and the fastest :)
Firstly memorize squares of numbers upto 25. I think many of you might be knowing it already, but for those who don't, please mug it. Now this trick will help you in squaring numbers upto 125 and trust me, for SSC you need this much only.

(a) For numbers close to 50

      (i) Numbers less than 50

        (ii) Numbers greater than 50
                  The process is almost same -  Compute (N - 50)
                  Add this difference to 25
                  E.g. 56*56=
                   1. 56 - 50 = 6
                   2. Last two digits = 6 * 6 = 36
                   3. First two digits = 25 + 6 = 31
                 Therefore, 56 * 56 = 3136

(b) Numbers close to 100

     (i) Numbers less than 100

      (ii) Numbers greater than 100
              The process is almost same -  Compute (N - 100)
              Add this difference to N
              E.g. 107*107=
              1. 107 - 100 = 7
              2. Last two digits = 7 * 7 = 49
              3. First three digits = 107 + 7 = 114
          Therefore, 107 * 107 = 11449

2. Squaring a number containing only '1'. E.g. 111, 1111, 1111111, etc.        Just count the number of ones. Like in 1111, there are 4 ones. So the square of 1111 is 1234321 (go from 1 to 4 and then back). Similarly, the square of 111111 = 12345654321

3. Finding product of two numbers of the form ab and ac, such that b+c=10. E.g. product of 43 and 47Last two digits = 3*7 = 21
First two digits = 4*(4+1) = 20
Hence 43*47 = 2021

4. Finding product of two numbers close to 100

(a) 103*109

Last two digits = 3*9 = 27

First three digits = (103 + 9) or (109 + 3) = 112

So 103*109 = 11227

(b) 92*97

Last two digits = 8*3 = 24  [100 - 92 = 8 and 100 - 97 = 3]

First two digits = (92 - 3) or (97 - 8) = 89

Hence 92*97 = 8924

Bonus Hack :

A very common question if SSC - 

I will tell you a formula that no 'paramount' will tell you :P

Note : Always take the difference between numerator and denominator as positive.

Answer : 3/(4-3) * 20 = 60 minutes

Next question - 

Rakesh runs at 5/4 of his usual speed and reaches the playground 5 minutes earlier. What is his usual time? Answer : 5/(5-4) * 5 = 25 minutes To buy the super-hit SSC Hack-Book, follow the below link- Buy SSC Hack-Book

How to approach Quantitative Aptitude section

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I would like to share some tips for Quantitative Aptitude section. The questions asked in CGL are very basic and anyone can solve them, but the difference lies in the fact that how much time you are taking in each one of them. Try to solve the questions just by looking at the options(without writing a single word). For e.g. let's take the questions that appeared in CGL 2015 tier-2 - 

Now this an easy question and everyone can solve it by making linear equations or any other method. But first see if this question really deserves your rough space. Since the monthly incomes of A and B are 8x and 5x, their difference will be 3x (or a multiple of 3). Rs. 42,000 is the only option possible because it is the only multiple of 3.

Next question -

Among the given options, 24 is the only number in which the units place digit is twice the tens place digit. No need to form equations.

Next-

HCF of the numbers is 21, hence both the numbers are divisible by 21. By looking at the options we find that 84 is the only number that satisfies this condition.

At least 15 questions can be solved by this method, and the time saved here can be utilized in solving other complex questions...

How to prepare for SSC CGL ? (Book-list and Tips)

Even one month of serious studies can prove fruitful for CGL. But you will have to use your days judiciously. Some tips from my side-

1. Your most important source is the previous year question papers because many questions are repeated as it is. I just purchased a single book(Kiran Prakashan) containing previous year papers and solved it 3-4 times. After completing that book, I got the feeling that 75% syllabus is al ready covered.

2. General Awareness - This section has the least benefit-cost ratio. You will invest more time, but your return will be low. I will recommend you not to waste much time here(at max 1 hour daily). Moreover I have found that Lucent's GK book/Manorama Year Book has the best compilation, especially for CGL. So instead of referring multiple sources and wasting your limited time, just go for them(either of the two).

3. Reasoning - Most scoring section of Tier-1, because the questions are pre-defined. Just practise the question papers, and you will definitely score well (you should at least get 40+ here, in less than 30 minutes).

4. Quantitative Aptitude - Most important part of the syllabus. This is the section where you should devote most of your time. Just purchase any good book (Kiran's Quickest Mathematics is fine) and practise thoroughly. Mugging shortcuts will help you to get an edge over others. Try solving every question within 1 minute.

5. English - Most tricky portion. Every section of this portion is unpredictable. You can't guess which idioms, antonyms, synonyms, phrasal verb, etc. will be asked.
   Error correction - at least prepare the rules used in previous year papers
   Idioms, One word substitution, Synonyms, etc. - Learn 10 words each, daily.
   Direct- Indirect and active-passive- Very scoring. Just mug the rules
   Comprehension - You can't do much here. Reading news paper can help.

I think I have touched every portion and I will re-iterate, don't ignore the previous year question papers.

Book-list

First of all, own publicity :)
I wrote an ebook containing all the shortcuts one needs to know for clearing CGL. It covers all the topics of quantitative aptitude, reasoning and some important topics of english. You can purchase it from here-

SSC Hack book

Moving on to other books-

1) Quantitative Aptitude

         (i)
             
             OR

              

          (ii)
                

2) English

           (i) Main reference book

                 

             OR

                 

              (ii) For vocabulary
                   Normal Lewis
                    
                 OR
                 MB Publication (good for Idioms, Phrasal Verbs, One Word Substitution, etc.)
                    

                (iii) For grammar
                    

3) General Awareness

              (i)

                   

               (ii)
                   

4) Previous Year Papers (a single book for both Tier-1 and Tier-2) - HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

                    

5) Ultimate Guide to SSC CGL (covers entire syllabus including Reasoning)

                   

I would recommend you to buy only one book for each section (unless you can finish both). For English, I have mentioned two books : Plinth to Paramount covers grammar rules well and SP Bakshi is good for idioms, phrasal verbs, vocabulary, etc. You can buy both the books if you want. Moreover, I haven't explicitly mentioned any book for Reasoning section, as it will be covered by Ultimate Guide to SSC CGL (book no. 5 above) and previous year papers. But still if you think your reasoning in poor, you can go for either of the two books given below(although they are more suited for Banking exams)-

6) Reasoning

       (i)

                    
        (ii)

                    


Finally to give final touch to your preparation, solve mock tests, that will help you in time-management during the exams-

(7) Mock Tests

           (i)

                   

            (ii)

                    

Although both the books contain errors, but these are the only ones available in the market. So buy any one of them.

Best of Luck :)