Judge Advocate General (India) is one of the premier law examinations in India. Just like any other examination, it demands persistence, dedication and a willing attitude. This interview features Mr. Akankshit Dahiya, a successful litigator who has topped JAG 2021. In this conversation with Desi Kaanoon, Mr. Dahiya extensively shares about his legal journey, preparation and more.
Q1 Please tell us a bit about yourself and life at law school.
A. Hello everyone, my name is Akankshit Dahiya I am 24 years old. I belong to Nahri, a village in the Sonipat District of Haryana. I have done my schooling at Motilal Nehru School of Sports, Rai and my graduation in law from Amity University, Noida. I am a huge fan of the football club Manchester United, and love to read and write poetry/Shayari in my free time. Life at law school is something I would always cherish with innumerable memories. I have no hesitation in saying that the kind of exposure I got at Amity across various spectrums, really helped in shaping my personality into what it is today. It played a huge role in my journey from a hesitant individual into a confident one, which in turn helped me achieve my ultimate goal.
Q2 You have interned at various law offices and assisted your senior with drafting and research work. Do you believe the work environment helps one to discover his abilities to the fullest? How can law students choose the right internships?
A. The work environment plays a very vital role, very decisive if you ask me. I will interrelate the other question about choosing the right internships with this one. It is very important, firstly, to know your area of interest. You can take an initial couple of years (maybe even the third year) to find that out and then the key is to stick to that and find internships related to that area. One needs to realise that at times, what is taught to us, in theory, is significantly different when you deal with the practical aspect of it. So, the right internships help you bridge that gap and eventually help you at the time of placements. Another suggestion with which few of my peers might not agree is, to initially look for internships at places that are comparatively small law offices. If you intern at a big law firm, you might be able to enhance your CV, but the learning would be comparatively lesser because the exposure and experience are limited with you playing second fiddle. To sum it up, going for the right internship would provide you with the work environment of your choice and it automatically helps you realise your full-fledged potential.
Q3 How did taking JAG come about? Did you receive guidance for the same?
A. Joining the army has been a long-standing dream of mine since my school days. The main reason behind this was my Grandfather, Late Choudhary Sukh Lal Dahiya. He had served in the army for 26 years and to see the kind of personality he had, the great qualities that he exhibited throughout his life, his discipline, his punctuality, his composure even in adversity, all of it really inspired me to be part of the organisation that instils these exemplary qualities in you. Another factor that bolstered my inspiration was my school, MNSS Rai, which has a long-standing tradition of sending young officers to the Forces batch after batch. But if you ask me specifically about JAG, it only came to my mind during my 4th year of law school. Many people ask me, Why JAG and not CDS? The answer to this is, I thought if there is a channel available to join the Army through something on which I have spent a considerable amount of time and money, then why not go for that?
That is when I thought of utilising the legal knowledge that I would be gaining after my graduation to fulfil my dream of joining the Indian Army. Now the golden question as to whether I have taken any coaching or not? I would like to state this very clearly that I HAVE. It is my humble advice to every aspirant to not hesitate in taking the coaching. It helped a great deal and I am sure it’d be of immense help to anyone who seeks it. A great amount of insight about the tasks that the aspirants will be undergoing at your SSB is provided at coaching centres. No one is going to judge you if you have taken coaching.
Q4 You have outshined at various competitions, securing the Semi-Finalist position at National Moot Court Competition, Lex Bonanza National Law Fest, Indore Institute of Law, Indore and 4th Arguendo Law Fest, National Trial Advocacy Competition at UILS, Punjab University. How did your approach differ in a regular moot competition and a trial advocacy competition?
A. To be very candid with you, I was never a fan of participating in Moot Court competitions or Trial Advocacy, but one should have an experience of these competitions, to know the basics of it. While not inclined towards participating, I have organised a lot of these during my time at law school. I have organised Amity International Moot as a Core Committee member for 2 consecutive years, being the Event President in my Final Year. I have also been a part of the Core Committee for organising the Indian Rounds of Philip C. Jessup International Moot Court Competition. I don’t think I have the requisite expertise or experience to answer your question in the best possible way but as per my experience, Moot Court is more about the theoretical aspect of your legal acumen while at trial advocacy, it is your practical aspect that comes into play. So that’s how I approached these, but I would recommend you take some expert advice in this particular arena.
Q5 What went behind securing AIR 1 in JAG 2021? How did you handle the pressure and low points?
A. The journey to AIR 1 hasn’t been easy. Most people know about AIR 1 but not about the AIR 7 and AIR 11 in the first two attempts. Dealing with such close failed attempts was very difficult, not because you aren’t capable (I mean I was recommended both times) but because there are hardly 5 or 6 seats at the Pan India level. Every bit of hope had been drained from me after the second attempt. There was also this extra added pressure at the SSB of being a previously recommended candidate. Contrary to what many aspirants might believe, the tag only makes it more difficult to perform consistently at every attempt. There are very fine margins to improve upon when you have already been recommended twice. Identifying those and improve upon them is a daunting task. Despite all the obstacles and hindrances, the reason I kept going was the fact that we don’t give up on our dreams, do we? I knew this is what I wanted to do, no matter how many attempts it took. I think my parents and a few of my close friends had a huge role to play in keeping me motivated to try again and again. I highly doubt it would have been possible without the constant emotional support that they provided during the times when I felt like giving up. Dedication to join the Indian Army, perseverance to not give up despite setbacks and the support system I found in my family and friends is what finally made AIR 1 possible in my 3rd attempt and it was worth all the struggle.
Q6 Would you suggest a certain approach for studies for our readers?
A. If you’re particularly looking at appearing for JAG or any SSB interview for that matter, I do have some pointers. Most important of all is to have a routine that encompasses all the aspects which would be tested or assessed at your SSB. So, there has to be ample time for reading the newspaper, making notes on the news you have read, keeping yourself fit through daily basic exercises, giving time to your hobbies/interests etc.
Make sure you are not doing just the bare minimum during the day and there is something in your routine which reflects your personality. Another thing I would recommend to the readers would be to incite curiosity within yourself. Be curious about anything and everything. It will assist you in more ways than you can imagine, and it will help you in dealing with counter questions that the interviewer might throw at you.
There is a reason we were told to write down whatever we read when we were kids. I realised the importance of it in the last 2 years. Whatever preparation you are doing, do it by writing. Even write down your interview again and again. This habit will turn into a personal brainstorming session and would give you better ideas every time. I am again going to stress the importance of sticking to the routine that you make for yourself.
Q7 How will your training period be like?
A. Thank you for asking this question because there is a misconception in the majority of aspirants in the case of JAG. Let me be crystal clear that the training that you undergo for the period of 49 weeks at OTA Chennai after getting into merit is strictly MILITARY TRAINING. It is like training for any other entry, be it CDS, NCC or Tech. It will focus on pushing your physical, mental and emotional limits and has absolutely nothing to do with LAW. Moreover, you will be surprised to know that JAG entry candidates are attached with the Infantry for a period of roughly two years and are given field postings. It is only after you have successfully completed your field posting that you trained for the JAG branch of the Indian Army.
Q8 Before appearing for JAG, you were working as the Senior Executive (Legal) at Tata Power Delhi Distribution Ltd. Do you think here’s where you learnt about managing time between work and your preparation?
A. Yes, that is true. I joined Tata Power-DDL in 2019 as Senior Legal Executive and had been working there until very recently. Preparing for a competitive exam while working full time is indeed a difficult thing to do, but I have already explained the importance of following your routine and I am again going to emphasise that. Routine is the only thing that can help you manage your full-time work and your preparation simultaneously. It also creates a positive impact on the minds of the assessors that a certain individual has excellent time management skills, which has enabled him to shuffle between his job and exam preparation. So, make that routine already.
Q9 Would you like to share any other piece of advice that you have for all JAG aspirants?
A. Do not overthink, do not over-prepare. It is all about working on yourself and your personality so enjoy it. Please enjoy your college life and don’t start to stress about preparing for it in your initial years of law school. If it helps anyone, I only started preparing towards the latter half of my final year. Although there is one habit that you can, or I should say, you must inculcate no matter which year you are in and that would be to start reading the newspaper. The amount of confidence you will get by knowing about what’s happening around you is inexplicable.
Q10 Where do you see yourself in the next 10-15 years?
A. Without any doubt, rising through the ranks within the Army.