This Commissioner mentored aspirants for 'Police Forces' exam over WhatsApp

Bhagwat, a 1995 IPS batch officer, through a WhatsApp group mentored 70-80 CAPF aspirants, who had reached their interview rounds, The Better India reported.

Candidates from Maharashtra, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh were added to the group, where Bhagwat coached them for questions on their graduation subjects, hobbies/interests, the different divisions of CAPF, naxalism, cross-border terrorism, right and left-wing extremism, so on and so forth.

Bhagwat told TBI, "For the last couple of years, I've been mentoring civil servants aspirants, particularly for the interview stage."

He added, "In March 2019, we decided to start a WhatsApp group for CAPF aspirants. For the CAPF interview, you have the same UPSC panels that conduct interviews for the civil services. The quality of questions is also more or less the same."

Further, Bhagwat said that he got the idea for coaching students over WhatsApp from his colleague in Customs, Nitesh Patode.

Reportedly, Bhagwat maintains six other WhatsApp groups- five for the different civil services, and one for forest services.

In the groups, he shares important news articles, and other resource materials.

Around 100 civil services aspirants get selected each year, thanks to his mentoring.

Explaining why he does what he does, Bhagwat said, "When I was preparing for civil services, I also received similar mentorship. This is my way of giving back to society," adding that aspirants usually don't get a chance to speak to seniors to acquire insight.

He said, "Some candidates come from very humble backgrounds, and I help them dodge potential landmines during the interview."

Interestingly, one of the candidates mentored by the Police Commissioner, Akshay Pangarikar, went on to attain an AIR of 3.

This was his fourth attempt, whose parents are farmers from Parbhani district, Maharashtra.

Another of Bhagwat's student, Bapusaheb Gaikwad said the police official help candidates by framing interview questions and writing model answers.

Gaikwad is the son of a watchman and a domestic help.

"A lot of the questions I was asked during the interview were posed to me by Sir during our preparations," Gaikwad told TBI. "Despite his busy schedule and the international prestige he has earned, he would share 15-20 articles on the group every day."

Pangarikar said, "He called me within 10 minutes of the declaration of results, and was the first to wish me."