Dr. Hina Sikandar

dentist and civil servant

Compiled from 1 recorded interview. Every statement below is drawn from the passage cited beside it.

Dr. Hina Sikandar is a postal Group officer, Pakistan Civil Services at Pakistan Post. Sikandar was doing her house job when she first came across the idea of the CSS exam. She says that after qualifying she realised she was no longer enjoying the work.

Early life and background

Sikandar comes from a village. Her father completed intermediate and her mother completed matriculation. Her father spent most of his working life abroad, in Dubai. [1]

Her uncle and aunt were both doctors. She describes her bade abbu as a guardian figure throughout her life. She says her family was very, very supportive. [1]

Education

Sikandar placed third in matriculation. She graduated from a medical and dental college in Sialkot in 2016. She received a scholarship at dental college based on her merit score. [1]

She was in the pioneer batch of her dental college. She said her dentistry course cost her under 20 lakh rupees. [1]

Career

Sikandar was doing her house job when she first came across the idea of the CSS exam. She says that after qualifying she realised she was no longer enjoying the work. She asked for about six weeks of leave from her house job to study. This was her first attempt at the CSS exam. [1]

She says no centre was set up around her in Sialkot, so her exam centre was in Gujranwala. She says her writing skills helped her, because she had always enjoyed writing. She says she had a decent score, though not at topper level. She says her result came out in October, when she was not doing any job, and everyone was very happy. [1]

After her result she prepared for the FCPS exam. She sat the FCPS exam in Lahore but did not clear it. She also applied for the MCAT but did not make it. [1]

She says she was advised to take a gap year and study for a full year. She says she has been interested in politics for a long time. She says she cleared the exam after studying steadily. [1]

Civil service

Sikandar says she understood bureaucracy properly only after she entered the Civil Services Academy for training. She says she is from the 46th batch. She was posted as DS last year in a field role. She says she also had a Narowal division under her. [1]

She says the postal group is very underrated. She says their system has become somewhat redundant and obsolete. She believes there is still a lot of room for improvement. In her view, the main problem is that the lower staff is undertrained. [1]

She explains that the Specialized Training Program teaches candidates the subjects of their group. The postal group's Specialized Training Program is held in Islamabad. She said she was taking the final passing out exam (FPOE) at the time. She explains that officers stay on probation until they clear the FPOE. [1]

Views on the CSS exam

Sikandar says Pakistan's education system encourages cramming, so students do not learn the material. She says the reason candidates fail in English is weak English. She says 80 to 90 percent of candidates fail the essay paper. She scored 46 in the essay paper, where the passing score is 40. [1]

She says that in an essay she gives examples, references and evidence, and that an essay without any reference fails. She believes attending an academy is very important for CSS candidates. She advises candidates to choose optional subjects by interest and, partly, by scoring trends. She also advises aspirants not to tell others they are preparing, because people judge them differently. [1]

She says there are 12 groups in total and names PAS (administration), the police and the Foreign Service as three of them. The District Management Group is now called the Pakistan Administrative Service. One of the CSS groups is the Pakistan Police Service. She says the CSS exam has 12 subjects, six compulsory and six optional. [1]

Views on governance

Sikandar describes Pakistan as a relatively new country. She says the manuals they study are British Raj manuals. She says the bureaucracy should be stronger so that it does not change with each government. She says people do not understand how the system works, and that a leader will come from the same country and be like the ordinary Pakistani. [1]

She says the PM citizen portal is very active. She says complaints are now easier to register and resolve through the portal. She says there is a bulk-user registration under which a business can register and pay a lower fee or commission. She says more promotion may be needed for this, because people do not know about it. [1]

Public presence

Sikandar says most of her Instagram audience is female. She thinks people like her content because they can relate to it. She has posted content on empowerment and financial inclusion. [1]

Personal life

Sikandar says her husband and in-laws are very supportive of her. She describes herself as a very optimistic person. She says she cooks on weekends to learn, not because she is forced to. [1]

Personal views

Sikandar says opinions are subjective and neither right nor wrong. She says people should learn and unlearn, and that opinions can change. [1]

She says parents should educate their daughters so they can manage on their own. She says families should plan for the worst case, though it is hard to think about. She says these are human rights, granted by Islam and by the constitution. [1]

Timeline

2016
Graduated from a medical and dental college in Sialkot.[1]

Appearances

DateTitleWhere
2021-04-19 Why most CSS exam candidates fail at English Thought Behind Things

Frequently asked questions

What does Dr. Hina Sikandar do?

Dr. Hina Sikandar is posted at the International Mail Office. She was posted as DS last year in a field role. She also posts about CSS on social media.[1]

Where did Dr. Hina Sikandar study?

Dr. Hina Sikandar graduated from a medical and dental college in Sialkot in 2016. She completed her dentistry degree there in four years. She received a scholarship there based on her merit score.[1]

What did Dr. Hina Sikandar do before the civil service?

Dr. Hina Sikandar was doing her house job when she first came across the idea of the CSS exam. She says that after qualifying she realised she was no longer enjoying the work. She asked for about six weeks of leave from her house job to study.[1]

Why does Dr. Hina Sikandar say candidates fail in English?

Dr. Hina Sikandar says the reason candidates fail in English is weak English. She also says Pakistan's education system encourages cramming, so students do not learn the material.[1]

What does Dr. Hina Sikandar say about the CSS essay paper?

Dr. Hina Sikandar says 80 to 90 percent of candidates fail the essay paper. She scored 46 in it, and the passing score is 40. She says an essay without any reference fails.[1]

What advice does Dr. Hina Sikandar give CSS candidates?

Dr. Hina Sikandar believes attending an academy is very important for CSS candidates. She advises choosing optional subjects by interest and, partly, by scoring trends. She also advises aspirants not to tell others they are preparing.[1]

References

  1. Why most CSS exam candidates fail at English . Thought Behind Things , 2021-04-19.
Show the source passages (78 statements)
  1. Her name is Dr. Hina Sikandar. In conversation with Dr. Hina Sikandar, this episode explores civil services of Pakistan.
  2. She graduated from a medical and dental college in Sialkot. I graduated from Islam Medical and Dental College. It is in Sialkot.
  3. She completed her dentistry degree there in four years. Toh chaar saal mein meri phir wahan se dentistry complete hui degree.
  4. She graduated in 2016. I graduated in 2016.
  5. She comes from a village. I belong from a village.
  6. Her father completed intermediate and her mother completed matriculation. My father did, my father did intermediate and my mother only did matriculation.
  7. Her uncle and aunt were both doctors. Aur my taya, he was a doctor, my tai amma was a doctor.
  8. She says her family was very, very supportive. And also my family was very, very supportive.
  9. Her father spent most of his working life abroad, in Dubai. Mere abbu basically saari zindagi rahe hain bahar. Woh job karte rahe Dubai mein.
  10. Her bade abbu has been a guardian figure throughout her life. Toh bade abbu hamare guardian rahe hain hamesha se
  11. She placed third in matriculation. Toh matric mein I was third, lekin mostly top chaar paanch mein mera naam hota tha.
  12. She received a scholarship at dental college based on her merit score. Also, I had a merit score so they also gave me scholarship
  13. She was in the pioneer batch of her dental college. I was from their pioneer batch.
  14. She said her dentistry course cost her under 20 lakh rupees. Lekin us time itna tha ke aap samjhein ke main 20 lakh ke andar mera ho gaya.
  15. She was doing her house job when she first came across the idea of the CSS exam. And then I was doing my house job when I came across the idea of doing CSS.
  16. She says that after qualifying she realised she was no longer enjoying the work. Main doctor ban gayi and then I realized ke mujhe maza nahi aa raha tha.
  17. She asked for about six weeks of leave from her house job to study. Ek dedh mahina maine kaha ke aap mujhe chhutti de dein house job se
  18. This was her first attempt at the CSS exam. This was my first attempt.
  19. She says no centre was set up around her in Sialkot, so her exam centre was in Gujranwala. Mere ird-gird wahan pe Sialkot mein koi center nahi banta toh it was Gujranwala.
  20. She says her writing skills helped her, because she had always enjoyed writing. So wahan pe my writing skills actually helped me because mujhe hamesha se likhne ka shauk tha.
  21. She says she had a decent score, though not at topper level. So I had a decent score. Right. Lekin aisa nahi tha ke topper level tha.
  22. She says her result came out in October, when she was not doing any job, and everyone was very happy. Phir beech mein jab mera result aaya toh I was not doing any job at that time. It was in October aur sab bahut khush the
  23. After her result she prepared for the FCPS exam. Toh phir maine apne result ke baad FCPS ki tayari ki.
  24. She sat the FCPS exam in Lahore. aur mera Lahore mein FCPS hota hai, wahan pe main gayi
  25. She did not clear the FCPS exam. But I couldn't make it in that FCPS so.
  26. She applied for the MCAT but did not make it. I applied for MCAT and I couldn't make it.
  27. She says she was advised to take a gap year and study for a full year. unhone mujhe kaha ki aap ek gap year le lo beta, pura saal padhna.
  28. She says she has been interested in politics for a long time. I was actually very interested in politics hamesha se.
  29. She says that after studying steadily, she cleared the exam. Padhte padhte padhte exam clear ho gaya.
  30. She says she understood bureaucracy properly after entering the Civil Services Academy for training. It was only when I entered Civil Services Academy for training, I realized what this whole bureaucracy is.
  31. She says she is from the 46th batch. Jaise I am from 46th batch.
  32. She is posted at the International Mail Office. I am right now I am posted in um International Mail Office
  33. She was posted as DS last year in a field role. For example I was last year I was posted as DS toh uske andar woh field work tha.
  34. She says she also had a Narowal division under her. toh mere Narowal wali division bhi mere paas thi.
  35. She says the postal group is very underrated. Postal group is a very underrated group basically.
  36. She says their system has become somewhat redundant and obsolete. um jo hamara hai na system woh thoda sa abhi redundant thoda obsolete ho gaya
  37. She says she believes there is still a lot of room for improvement. I still believe there is a lot of room for improvement.
  38. She says the main problem is that the lower staff is undertrained. Matlab main problem lies that your lower staff is undertrained.
  39. She explains that the Specialized Training Program teaches candidates the subjects of their group. jab aap STP mein jaoge, which is Specialized Training Program, to uske andar aapko woh wale subjects padhaye jate hain.
  40. The postal group's Specialized Training Program is held in Islamabad. aur postals ka Islamabad mein hota hai
  41. She said she was taking the final passing out exam (FPOE) at the time. final passing out exam, FPOE. That's what I am taking nowadays.
  42. She explains that officers stay on probation until they clear the FPOE. Jab tak aapka FPOE clear nahi hai toh aap samjhein ke aap probation pe hi hain abhi tak.
  43. She describes herself as a very optimistic person. But I am a very optimistic person.
  44. She says Pakistan's education system encourages cramming, so students do not learn the material. hum cram karte hain aur humein aata kuch nahi hota
  45. She says the reason candidates fail in English is weak English. Aur uska reason sirf aur sirf yahi hai because hamari angrezi buri hai.
  46. She says 80 to 90 percent of candidates fail the essay paper. Essay mein jo uh kaafi matlab 80-90% fail ho jate hain
  47. She scored 46 in the essay paper. Aur main I had 46 and I take so much pride in it
  48. The passing score for the essay paper is 40. jo pass hote hain unke 40 number hote hain, which is the passing score.
  49. She says that in an essay she gives examples, references and evidence. I am going to give examples, I am going to give references, evidences
  50. She says an essay without any reference fails. Without any reference, to woh phir fail ho jata hai.
  51. She believes attending an academy is very important for CSS candidates. academies mein jana bahut zyada zaroori hai
  52. She advises candidates to choose optional subjects by interest and, partly, by scoring trends. aapko apna interest ke hisaab se aur thoda bahut scoring trends ke hisaab se choose karna chahiye
  53. She says there are 12 groups in total. To yeh total 12 groups hote hain
  54. She names PAS (administration), the police and the Foreign Service as three of the groups. woh PAS mein, matlab administration mein ya woh police mein ya woh um jate hain Foreign Service mein. Yeh woh teen groups hain.
  55. The District Management Group is now called the Pakistan Administrative Service. jisko ab um jo ki District Management Group tha aur ab usko Pakistan Administrative Service kaha jata hai
  56. One of the CSS groups is the Pakistan Police Service. Dusra jo hota hai woh police group hai, Pakistan Police Service.
  57. She says the CSS exam has 12 subjects, six compulsory and six optional. iske andar 12 subjects hote hain, six of them are compulsory, six are optional.
  58. She advises aspirants not to tell others they are preparing, because people judge them differently. aapne kisi ko nahi batana ke aap tayari kar rahe hain because people take you in a different perspective then.
  59. She describes Pakistan as a relatively new country. Pakistan is a relatively new country.
  60. She says the manuals they study are British Raj manuals. Main aapko bataun hum jo manuals padhte hain na yeh British Raj ke manuals hain.
  61. She says the bureaucracy should be stronger so that it does not change with each government. Bureaucracy thodi si strong honi chahiye. Thoda kyunke hamari government change hoti hai
  62. She says people do not understand how the system works. People just don't understand the system.
  63. She says a leader will come from the same country and be like the ordinary Pakistani. woh jo jo Pakistani aam hai usi tarah ka banda leader aake banega usi mulk se aaya hua hai
  64. She says the PM citizen portal is very active. Lekin ab jo hai hamara woh PM portal jo hai citizen portal woh bahut zyada active hai.
  65. She says complaints are now easier to register and resolve through the portal. Toh aap complaint register karna toh bahut aasaan ho gaya hai aur woh uski resolve resolve bhi ho jati hai
  66. She says there is a bulk-user registration under which a business can register and pay a lower fee or commission. Yeh hamare paas hota hai ke bulk user ke taur pe you get yourself business get your business registered aur phir aapko ek lower amount ke upar lower fee ke upar ya commission ke upar
  67. She says more promotion may be needed for this, because people do not know about it. Shayad promotion ki zyada zaroorat hai iske liye because people don't know.
  68. She says her husband and in-laws are very supportive of her. My father-in-law is a gem, my husband is a gem, my whole family they are very supportive.
  69. She says opinions are subjective and neither right nor wrong. But again, I also understand that opinions are never right or wrong. They are subjective.
  70. She says most of her Instagram audience is female. I have like a lot of my population or audience here on Instagram is female.
  71. She started posting about CSS on social media during her STP. right one day in STP I decided ke chalo yaar agar main baat karti hun toh thoda kar lete hain is bare mein baat. So I uploaded a picture and I started talking about CSS
  72. She thinks people like her content because they can relate to it. Shayad is wajah se unko shayad mera content pasand aata hai because they can relate to it.
  73. She says parents should educate their daughters so they can manage on their own. Aap apni betiyon ko padhao, unko pata ho ke duniya mein kaise move karna hai.
  74. She says families should plan for the worst case, though it is hard to think about. just because it is mushkil, toh aap worst case scenario ke liye prepare toh ho kam az kam
  75. She says these are human rights, granted by Islam and by the constitution. Yeh toh insanon ke haqooq hain, even Islam ne diye hain, hamare constitution ne diye hain.
  76. She says she cooks on weekends to learn, not because she is forced to. Ab main weekends pe khana banati hun, not because I am forced to, because I want to learn
  77. She says people should learn and unlearn, and that opinions can change. people should know how to learn and know how to unlearn
  78. She has posted content on empowerment and financial inclusion. her thought behind empowerment & financial inclusion content