Board: M Sathyavathy Ma’am
Optional: Physics
Hobbies: Hindi Poetry and Teaching


Chairperson:

  1. What is Quantum Tunnelling?
  2. Why does it occur?
  3. Where do we use it?
  4. Upto what limit can we downsize electronics devices?
  5. You are already in a well paying job, why do you want to join a job which is not so rewarding financially?

Member 1

  1. Questions from my home town and work profile
  2. Qualities of a good teacher?
  3. On a cold evening, metals are comparably more colder than wood, why so?
  4. Why does a symmetric top keep spinning?
  5. (Conservation of angular momentum, he looked less satisfied wanted more)
  6. Why were you awarded Hostel – Freshman of the year award (IITB)? What was contribution? Did you direct the play?
  7. Why did you leave research?

Member 2

  1. Have you read Kavi Jaishankar Prasad’s Poem (said no)
  2. What is …. (i said peotry came naturally to me, i am not aware of such details and technicalities)
  3. He had to turn the page of his diary (probably i pissed him off, he wanted to ask more on poetry)
  4. Changed tone, asked me what has been impact of demonetisation on Economy? ( i talked about digital economy etc)
  5. Was it successful?
  6. Do you think that it was a planned experiment and part of government’s strategy to promote digital payments, may be they factored CBDC and bitcoin before hand?
  7. What is hybrid warfare?
  8. (Couldn’t explain neatly, thoda hugga kiya hoon is ke answer mein)
  9. What is a cyclotron?
  10. Where is it used?
  11. What is Kirchoff’s law?
  12. Can we use Kirchoff’s law in Spirituality? (Every member including Chairperson stunned and laughed on this ques, my answer was yes and laughter intensified, my explanation, I think satisfied my yes, atleast i hope it did )

Member 3

  1. Many a times coaching institute’s claim results which they don’t produce (giving money and kind *presents* to students? Do you think it is wrong?
  2. I said it is wrong but has become a marketing strategy. He said it is not marketing but a fraud. This coachings must be tried under relevant law. (I kept mum)
  3. Long Monologue on how drama, media, cinema etc was used for promoting one culture and themes according to political parties. Alot more on the same subject. I hardly understood what the respected member was saying. I asked again. He asked me in one line if i was under some influence when i was making drama at IITB?

Member 4

  1. What is UPI? Examples of some apps built on UPI?
  2. Who developed UPI?
  3. Challenges it is facing?
  4. Impact on payment industry?
  5. What do you understand by expenditure reform?
  6. What steps government has taken?
  7. What is sunset clause?
  8. Has government taken any reforms in procurement?
  9. Do you know gem? I was like
  10. He said if i have heard about GeM? (Gave me hint) i explained.
  11. He asked me what is it’s impact?

Chairperson said interview is over. (I felt garam kar k thanda chd diya)

Overall board was cordial. I was unable to hear what two of 4 members were saying, couldn’t grasp the demand of questions they asked. I asked them to repeat twice or thrice i think.

Ma’am was helpful and smiling in between.

30% DAF + 40% Physics and 30% Contemporary issues.

Best wishes for those who have interviews in coming days.

(I wanted to recite one of my poem but didn’t get any opportunity, instead they were asking me questions from types and forms of poetry as if it’s not my hobby but subject of my Academic interests or my optional is literature)

P.S. i have withheld some questions which were based on personal profile like job, hometown etc. to maintain anonymity.

Utility of mocks: use them to cover DAF and get a fair set of questions, apart from this mocks have no utility, if you are confident and know how to calm your nerves, keep your answers short, give 2-3 mocks. I gave one at Rau (completely factual) and one at Samkalp (good informal discussion).


Source: Forum IAS