Interview Date:– 08/05/17
Board:– Bhonsale Sir
Background: B.Tech IIT Kanpur (And Job at two Different places)
First to be Interviewed

Chairman Ring the Bell.
Peon opened the Door

I Entered -> Wished chairman after requesting to enter Than lady member and other Members together. they All smiled and Requested me to sit Down (I smiled)

Bhonsle Sir Was very Pleasant, to begin with

Chairman

You are Academically Good and Also creative You won this this Awards..So what do you think when one says that “Great Innovation are Simple”
Ans -> Sir Any Innovation which caters to the Demand of the people at the Grassroot levels are Great innovation and along with this it is also important to ensure that they are simple enough for the Understanding of the people.If the Innovations are Complex and people are not able to understand it than i think sir the utility of the same is not good enough

Chairman Replied -> VERY GOOD (With Smile) ..Ohk you have read todays Newspaper? Any Important news
Ans -> Yes Sir.Mr Emmanuel Macron has won the Election so the Wave of Protectionism and Anti globalisation, which could be seen from the Brexit and Us presidential elections ,could be seem platued
Sir along with these BCCI has said that India will participate in the ICC Champions trophy along with these sir there is also news w.r.t Corruption in AAP ,wherein charges of Corruption has been laid upon Honorable chief Minister of Delhi.These are, I think, three Important news of today.

Chairman -> Ohk what do you think is this wave of anti- Protectionism? Will Angela Merkel win in GERMANY?
Ans -> I think Sir the Wave of Anti-protectionism and Anti-globalisation has platued .people was Anti-regime due to Unemployment and Terrorist attacks so this wave may now fall and also the Semi-Final is won but The Final is still left in Germany .I think that Angela Merkel will probably win Sir

Member 1

M1 (A lady) -> Seems Pleasing -> You Have done NCC in college .Recently there was news that Girls doing NCC will directly join Army ?What are your views on that?
Ans -> Mam I think it is a Good Step to ensure the Equity in Forces as there has been a long standing demand for the same.Also Mam I think Along with it Proper Training should be provided to them

M1 -> So you are Happy with this move
Ans -> Yes mam I am Happy (Smiling again)

M1 -> You are From xyz what are some tourists places there If you Can suggest me few
Ans -> Listed out 1,2,3,4,-> And said Mam its a good tourist Place to visit (Mam also smiling with me)

M1 -> Ok Do you Follow Electoral news .(I said yes) you have Voter ID Card -(No Mam) -> Mam saying to Chairman -See People from Good Academic Background not Voting -> I Gave Biggest Smile and said -> Mam the First think after leaving from here would be to apply for a Voter ID Card (She smiled)
M1 -> Ok tell me some electoral Process
Ans-> Mam in the recent past there has been lots of hues and cries over the issue of EVM so govt has recently Sanctioned 16.2 lakh rs for bringing in VVPAT -Voter verifiable Paper audit trail-So EVM and VVPAT will be both used together .also when elections are done there are huge movements of Personnel and forces from one place to other ,so I think that could be done in smoother manner (Didn’t wanted to go into other issues as process was asked) >
M1 -> Mam with a different Face -w.r.t Political parties?
Ans -> Yes mam they should also be brought under RTI by amending Section 8 of RPA along with severe punishment for politicians with criminal record (should have spoken about R.K Nagar issue and EC ‘s Demands -but missed)
M1-> What are your views over Nuclear Energy
Ans -> Mam it has Deterrence value
M1 -> No No ..Ohk sry the Use of Nuclear energy for Civil Nuclear Energy – you must be knowing that in France and Germany they are moving away from it
Ans -> yes Mam it is good to have Nuclear energy but there are also harmful effects of it for e.g Chernobyl and Japan case .we have tremendous potential in Renewable energy of Solar and Wind recently the tariffs of these sources has went as low as 3.15 rs .So we should move both together Recently Kundankulam Plant in South India with the help of Russia has been commissioned So yes mam in the Long term our benefits lies in larger focus on solar and wind

M1 -> ohk your Hobbies is watching movies .Don;t you think movies in 1950’s and 1960’s where catering to the social evils in the society but now you see no such movies could be seen
Ans-> Mam I beg your pardon .I agree with you to some extent .Yes in 1950’s and 1960’s there were movies like Mother India and other with themes of social evils. and but know also we could see movies like Kaabil,Dangal ,though I agree the rate is lowered,but Mam i can see the wave of issue based movies Comming back and am Hopeful it will continue in the future also (With large smile -Mam also shaking head and Passed the Baton to other member)

Member 2

M2 -> Lets talk about Sports you have played many sports –> I said Sure Sir !
M2 -> What do you see condition of India in Sports -not able to win Medals at International Stages .what are your views on it
Ans -> I completely agree with you sir .If we keep cricket aside ,in which we are doing exceptionally well-the other sports are not -we should focus on sports like Archery ,Boxing,wrestling which is our strength.And sir Govt has set up recently 9 member under Chairmanship of Sport secretary to form a National Sports code .wherein focus is laid upon the administration part and less influence of politicians in sports bodies so i am hope..(Interrupted)

M2 -> but You see many committees are made in the past also but no changes
Ans -> Sir but in the Recent TOPS scheme (Target Olympic Podium scheme) they are trying to tap the local talent and groom them so there are changes this time sir (He was expecting something different -may be societal attitude towards sports)

M2 -> You have done Mechanical Engineering tell me few Materials which could be used in Aircrafts ?
Ans -> sir graphene could be used as it is light weight and sir we could also use Additive Manufacturing – 3D Printing (should have told Ceramics) –
M2 ->He told 2D or 3D
Ans -> Sir 3D -> as layer by layer is formed .
M2-> Ok ok

M2 -> This modi school from where you did 12 th class -> Is this Narendra Modi – we all had a big Laugh – I said no sir ..That why this name –> I said sry sir I don’t know (School hi kitne baar gaye the Kota mai jo pata ho ) he said you must have connections with your old schools..
M2 -> Ohk tell me about your 2 Jobs –>
Ans -> I explained First Job -sir Worked in power sector for 6 months in xyz (pqrs state)
M2 -> What was the rating of power plant
Ans -> sir 500MW ..( Than continued ) than said In my second job i worked in an E-commerce firm based in Gurgoan catering to the demands of Suadi arabia and Dubai.so sir Back end office is in Gurgaaon
M2 -> You Were Assistant Manager -So what kind of Manager you were ? what are the qualities for a Manger
Ans -> Sir I coo-rdinated , cooperated ,and collaborated with other depts. to make sure work is one in smooth manner.Ans Sir leadership Quality is the Imp. quality required .Other than that sir Qualities like Compassion,equity,sympathy are few more
M2 -> So you were a leader who led from the front or stayed Behind ?
Ans -> Sir I led from the front (With a Big Smile)
Batton passed to M3

Member 3

M3 -> Ohk you talked about Power plant don’t you think thermal energy will get impacted by too much Focus on Renewable energy
Ans -> I completely Agree with you sir The Plant load Factor of thermal Power plants are decreasing sir ,from 60.And also sir the Bubble could be seen forming in the renewable sector .i think sir we should move in a phased manner by making use of the new technology comming in our way for e,g Recently the new graphene capacitor has been developed which are 30 % more efficient ,sry. 30 times more efficient …so along with renewable we should focus on thermal as well and move in a phased manner sir.

M3 -> Ohk you talked about E-commerce sector what do you think we should restrict the Outside companies like Amazon and behavi like swadeshi first or let the Market forces run it course
Ans -> Sir I think In the Long term there could be seen consolidation in the sector as seen in the telecom sector ,sir recently Flipkart acquired snapdeal so sir finally 3-4 companies will survive so than we should let allowe govt. forces to run

M3 -> But what our desi companies would do than?
Ans -> Sir flip-kart is doing excellent they have recently sign deal of $1.4 bn with softbank and acquired e-bay
M3 -> yes ..But what about retail store ( I was like –> Accha yeh bolo na)
Ans -> sir we have allowed 100% FDI only in Marketplace model and not in retail sector.and sir retail stores could also use digital technology to provide door-step services.
M3 .- Ohk so you are saying this na that Retail Market should also improve their Infrastructure
Ans -> Yes Sir.

M3 You worked in Steel plant .
Ans -> No sir Powe plant
M3 .Ohk than leave,But you can tell me the issues in Steel sector
Ans .Yes sir .(He shaked his head so I went ahead) Sir NPA worth of Rs 3 lakh crore is in steel sector. for that steps has been taken recently.ans sir govt. has recently initiated National steel policy (M3 happy and shaking his head ) wherein the govt ,has proposed to increase the production to 300MT and Investment of rs 10 lakh crore .along with sir the other issue was chinese dumping of steel at throwaway prices which led to decline in steel prices.and govt has taken steps to check it. But sir this year the conditions had improved we have exported more that 110 Mt of steels.And i am hopeful the sector will perform well in the future also
M3 .What should govt . do to check these Chinese dumping
Ans -Sir Countervailing Duties could be imposed.

Member 4

Baton passed to M4 (He was smiling like anything and than mee too ? ) than i realised I have seen him in Some discussion on RSTV on Foreign relations (Wanted to ask him for autograph)
M4 – Have you heard about OBOR – I shaked Head -he went ahead -One BELT ONE ROAD-what is it all about
Ans – Sir It has two parts SERB and MSR -than explained -regional development ,growth will pass through Eurasia ,china,africa etc etc..
M4 should India Join it
Ans -> Sir in Long term yes in short term no.(he shook his head and was watching keenly so I went ahead ) Sir our national sovereignty is in qn so in short term no . but in long term we can join it because roads and ports are national asset can be used if we talk bilaterally with other countries.sir also the Long term goal is nit clear of OBOR .recently US commander of Pacific fleet also said that the purpose of OBOR is not clear.so sir still there is no clarity in global order about it .China is having a meet on BRIF on May 14-15 -Thing would me more clear than sir
M4- What is sovereign issue that u said why India Opposing (I smiling – arey CPEC bolna bhool gaya –)
Ans -Sir beacause CPEC which is part of this project is passing thru Gilgit-Baltistan region which is the Integral part of India .So this is against our territorial integrity

M4 -> Ohk what is the issue of South China Sea last year there was issue with Arbitral court on UNCLOS- (I sad yes sir with Philippines)–> What is india stand on it why south china imp for india.
Ans -> Sir South china is imp for India since it is energy rich region.India has got oil rigs from Vietnam .Large amount of our trade passed through this region.And sir also the Laws of Navigation and air-flight should be followed by all -we are also having Malabar exercise with USA and Japan for the same purpose and Australia has shown interest in it.So sir we should push for this global order to be maintained
M4 -> what should be India’s Policy towards china?
Ans -> Sir right now we are following two pronged policy Both soft-power and Hard power( He smiling and shaking his head ) .Sir Hardpwoer id Imp. because we can that china is encerciling us Djiboauti in Africa,Hambantota in Sri-lanka ,2 submarines given to Bangladesh ,and Kyaukpyu port in Myanmar( he said submarines -what impact due to it-> sir chinese submarines docking there could map the sea -ocean floor -which will not be good for us in future )- I continued —-And also sir in the Boundary agreements due to the LAC issue we can see that they always want to maintain status -quo -as they can use their growing economic power to Bairgain hard in future for South Tibet .In soft power sir We need to make our neighbors understand the Hambantota port case.and push hard for our stakes in the Indian ocean region.

Baton Passed to Chairman Again

Chairman -> What are your Views on SC case on National Anthem case.?
Ans :- Sir I think It is Judicial Over-reach (Aur Interview ki hawa palti-Bhonsel sir ne jaise yeh Sun -liya ho Pakistan Jindabad) becuase each person has its own way to express nationalism -and sir this case the SC said that when National Anthem is played before movies start than all should start and during the movie if theres National Anthem than people should not stand so therre are …(Interrupted)

Chairman:– What do you mean by Judicial Overreach? (He looked a bit upset)
Ans -> State has three part -judiciary ,executive ,legislature – so sir when Judiciary …(Interrupted)

Chairman -> What do you mean by Judicial overreach – PIL was lodged supreme court found some issues in the act and they changed it — (M2 shaking his head with Chairman like I have done a crime )
Ans -> Sir Judicial overreach means if Judiciary moves into the vacuum created by political executives to fill that gap.
Chairman -> How Judicial overreach in this case …He said ohk you tell me You are sitting in a movie theater nad 4 goons are not standing when national Anthem is being played what will you do
Ans -> Sir I will go a request them to stand
Chairman -> no they don;t stand than
Ans -> sir I will go a lodge an FIR as you said sir that SC court verdict
Chairman -> (Smiling Again –> I was feeling I said Hindustan Jindabaad ) -ohk you will go after the movie or during the movie
Ans- > Sir Definitely during the movie
Chairman -> Smiled again

Ohk Mr XYZ your Interview is over.I said Thanks you sir

Chairman -> What will you do today
Ans -> sir my parents are here so will spend some quality time with them
Chairman -> Smiled Said Good..Thank You
I replied Thank you sir ,thank you Mam ,thank you sirs (by seeing towards all remaining ones) i SAW all replying in chorus Thank You and all were smiling.

So wanted to justify my Stand on Judicial over-reach by saying –> suppose an disable person is sitting or suppose some foreigners are sitting -> how and why should they stand- and if the same decisions would have come from Political executive I would have been happy sir.But haven’t got the Opportunity to say so..

Whole Interview Board were Cordial until That SC decision ON national Anthem..It was an excellent experience -hope the transcript will help few friends here.

Source: Telegram

Board: Arvind Saxena
Duration: 40 mins
Date: 20th Apr
Profile: IIT, IIM, 10+ yrs in consulting, analytics

Chairman

1. IIT and then IIM and now IAS. Why
– Answered. Focus more reverse of brain-draina and giving back to society
2. 30k in first job, 1.5L second job due to MBA. How MBA helps in getting higher CTC. Compare course (B.tech + MBA – 5 yrs) with MBA (2 yrs)
– Focused on multi-dimensions issues of a problem, alumni networking, brand name etc.
3. Is Universe finite or infinite
– Answered
4. How would you explain difference between Algebra and Calculus to a layman
– Answered
4. Indo – Nepal Relations
– Answered
5. Which newspaper do you read
– Answered
6. Name few authors of Op-ed in ToI
– Could answer only 2

Member 1

1. As a consultant, how Govt client different from private sector ones. Challenges and Solutions
– Answered
2. How below average work impact consulting agencies and how to cope it
– Answered
3. How GST will ensure compliance
– Answered. Value addition, input credit etc. at each stage
4. India trade policy
– Answered. Target of $900M, MEIS, SEIS, Credits, Merchant profile etc.
5. Quizing on Indirect taxation system in India: How VAT differnt from GST, DDB, EPCG, Dumping etc.
– Answered
6. What is SEZ. Examples of SEZ. How to re-invigorate SEZ, why no SEZ in ghaziabad, faridabad etc. Why MAT,
DDT in SEZ.
– Answered

Member 2

1. Foreign policies of India
– Answered. NAM, Panchsheel, Gujral doctrine, now focus more on economic and technical colloboration
2. Lifi, IoT
– Answered
3. How Mathematics relevant in Administration
– Answered. Example of Maths papers in Canadian civil services
4. Usage of analytics in Administration
– Answered. Law & Order, Healthcare, Education, Radicalization etc.
5. Name 5 Ramsar sites
– Answered
6. Tell me the details of Govt advertisement on Gurgaon
– Sorry, did not see any such ad today in newspaper

Member 3

1. Problems India facing and its solution
– Answered
2. Why youths committing suicides and solutions
– Answered. Peer/ Parent pressure, self-praising (social media) etc.
3. Your SWOT
– Answered
4. What additional changes will you suggest in Lokayukta bill
– Answered
5. What is problem Kashmir facing now and solution
– – Answered Partially, focused on unemployement, wrong guidance by separatists etc.
6. Solution for India – Pak and Indo-China issues
– Answered. First dialoure, offensive defensive doctrine.

Member 4

1. Communications medium of Police
– Answered. 100, PCR, Himmary App
2. Why Delhi Govt wants Delhi police & solution
– Answered
3. Why Delhi Govt want full statehood & Solution
– Answered
4. Police Reform, Election Reform, Political Reforms (recent changes)
– Answered
5. Was BRT a failure ? What could have been done to make it successful
– Answered. Weak institutional infra, lack of coordination between DITS and police
6. What is unauthorized colonies. How many (Number). What is the solution to such colonies
– Answered

Board was indifferent except lady members ( I tried to impressed them with my cooking hobby though). Fumbled a bit in foreign policy question rest of time, a smooth conversation.

Source: Telegram

This was my 3^rd UPSC and 2^nd IAS interview. So, I already knew the procedure. I am currently in IFS. But in such interview you never feel fully confident because of sheer pressure in those moments is quite high. As expectations are high not only your personal but also people who know you. And to do justice to those expectations create pressure on you.

After doing paper work and other formalities we were provided seats in the circular hall inside UPSC head office. We were already divided into groups. This time I was seeing a lot familiar faces from other services including IRS and IPS.

After some time I was called for interview. I came to know that it is board of an experienced diplomat. There were 5 members in the board.

Chairman

I entered into the room. Greeted all. Chairman told me to sit.
Ch. So Parveen you went to IISc bangalore and if I may say the top institute of India. As the latest ranking by government also shows. How many years you spent there ?

Me. Yes mam. I spent two years there.

Ch. What were you doing after that.

Me. Mam currently I am in Indian Forest Service as a probationer.

Ch. Ok. Parveen there is a debate in India between traditional outlook and modern technologies( she elaborated little bit more). How do you see it ?

Me. Mam I believe in synthesis of both. As they say sometime old is gold. But at the same time we should be rational and open to the new ideas.

Ch. But according to some people there is this debate also about investing in science by countries like India. (It was a long statement, she touched digitisation, cyberspace etc.)

Me. Yes mam, even it was very much in news when we went for moon mission. Here I want to touch upon one example. Back in 1928 Dr CV Raman while in a journey came up with the idea of Raman Effect. And now the same theory is used in wide fields including health care and cancer research. Research takes time but it provide fruits.

Ch. What do you think is India a traditional society ?

Me. (After thinking little bit) Yes mam. At least in rural areas it is traditional. But in recent years things are changing and youth is leading.

Member 2

M2. Asked a long question on privacy and security. What do you say, should power be given to state for surveillance.

Me. Sir there should be privacy but if issues are of national security then there should be power with state.

M2. So do you think state can track your things on the name of security.

Me.Sir. I think proper procedure should be followed for it.

M2. And who will see the procedures.

Me. Court will do that.

M2. Court has already so many things to do. (He was adamant on grilling)

M2. What is Fiscal deficit and revenue deficit.

Me. Explained little bit. Half cooked probably.

M2.Can fiscal deficit be negative or positive if revenue deficit is negative.

Me. Yes Sir.

M2. Where is gulf of hormuj.

Me. (World map was revolving in my head. The statement of Manmohan Singh came into my mind when he said India’s extended neighbourhood lies from strait of malacca to state of hormuj. But didnt want to get into this area) I am sorry sir. I am unable to recollect now.

M5. Which is the longest river.

Me. Sir Nile river.

M5. Is it not Mississippi.

Me. Sorry sir this is what I remember.

M2.Where is Cape of good hope.

Me. It’s in Southern corner of Africa.

M2.Where is suej canal.

Me. Sir it’s in Egypt.

M2.Which two water bodies are joined by suej canal.

Me. Red sea and Mediterranean sea.

M2. How wide is Territorial waters of a country?

Me. Sir 12 Nautical Miles.

M2. After that?

Me. After that there is Contiguous Zone for 12 nautical miles.

M2. After that?

Me. Exclusive Economic Zone.

Member 3

M3. Parveen there is a concept called as Basin. What is basin improvement.

Me. Sir it’s like mapping of water quantity, maintaining quality in a river basin and at the same time managing the ecological flow of rivers.

M3. How they effect fisheries and local communities.

Me. Sir it will improve the quantity of fishes and so as the revenues of local communities.

M3. This is the problem we have …. we always talk about the revenues for people but forget that the basin will be so helpful for fishes and also providing them the nutrients.

Me. I am sorry sir I forget to mention.

M3. we have a debate in india which revolves around forest rights act which is hampering the forest protection. (He elaborated) How do u see it.

Me. Sir I think we can not do conservation without the role of local communities. As we have seen in case of Gir forests how Maldhari community is helping in conservation of lions.

M3.Parveen what do you think what was the role of Nehru in developing modern india. Why he should be called as maker of modern India ?

Me. Sir as my reading goes he made india a strong democracy.

M3. But was it in his hand. He was not the only one.

Me. Yes sir. But he was a strong leader at that time. He also listened to the opposition. He established various institutes including IITs, UGC and industries in 1st and 2nd five year plan.

M3. But there is a perception that PSUs are not doing any good and they are dead ships.

Me. This is true sir that many are not in good condition. But the reason being they have a mandate to provide services to people.

M3. Do you think some PSU should be winded up.

Me. Yes Sir if they are not profitable few can be winded.

M3.What is this new scheme about connecting the airports.

Me. Sir UDAAN scheme is about connecting various places by air. Government will do that viability gap funding up to the tune of 205 crore.

M3. He talked about corporate responsibility etc etc. Are they doing good or are there any provision for it.

Me. Talked about TATA doing CSR and then gave example of Sravoski helping in forest conservation in Bharatpur bird sanctuary.

M3. So you think they are doing find.

Me. Sir in recent years they are doing good but there is scope for improvement. Government has also introduced the role for CSR.

Member 4

M4.Again touching IISc…. Bla bla rank… And then coming to recent Rankings.. should any other criteria should be added.

Me. I touched upon existing criteria. She interrupted. We all know about these criteria. Would you like to add some new.

Me. Yes mam. Criteria like startup should be added. Then how much fund a particular institute is getting from industry.

M4.Why industry funding is important for universities.

Me. Currently government only providing funds. It will further increase funding to institutes at the same time it will solve industries practical problems.

M4. But then it will reduce power of institutes by private funding.

Me. No mam. It is only for specific projects. For example during my stay at college I was working on a a project related to agriculture sector funded from outside. It provided me knowledge about how projects should be handled including accounting.

Chairman – But there are no such projects in Humanities.

Me. Mam the research is also important in Humanities.

Ch. Parveen tell me what do you think. Do traditional societies provide enough scope for empowerment of women.

Me. No mam. They do not. For example problems like Dowry, Child Marriage, Low Labour Participation rate which is 35-37 % currently, and less properties on their name reduce the scope of empowerment.

M4. As u have written your hobby is blogging. So what do you blog.

Me. Mam I blog on contemporary issues. I give opinions on them. The prime reason for starting blogging was that I wanted to improve my english which was very week. As blogging give you luxury of getting reviews.

M4. You hobby is reading also. SO what do you read.

Me. Mam, I read non fiction books.

M4. So which last book have you read.

Me. Mam it was by Malcolm Gladwell called as The Outliers. (Both lady and chairman nodded in positive. )

M4. How was it. Was it good.

Me. Yes mam. It is a good book.

Member 5

M5. Tell me about Parliament vs Presidential system. And which is good for India.

Me. Sir parliament system is simple form of government. At the same time it is more accountable vis a vis presidential system. I prefer parliamentary system given the low level of education in country.

M5.Can president say no to a bill.

Me. Yes sir. In case of a state bill he can say no under article 200. (At that time this is the only thing came into my mind).

M5. Tell me about Powers of president.

Me. Sir there are various powers. He invites largest party after every eletion. He give a talk after every election and in first sitting of every year. (This is the only things I remembered at that time })

M5.How presidents election happen in India.

Me. It is by forming of college according to single transferrable vote system. Elected MPs and MLAs of states vote.

M5.How president is elected in America.

Me. Sir various Parties nominate their candidates. Then each state.. for example in USA there are some 50 to 52 states… They elect members and then further these members vote for president.

M5.Type of forests world wide.

Me. Sir there are tropical forests, temperate and Alpine. Evergreen, semi evergreen, dry deciduous etc etc

M5 Which are forests around equator.

Me. Sir they are evergreen forests. Tropical evergreen.

M5.What is the relation between Basins of amajon, Congo, Indus.

Me. I am sorry sir I am not aware.

M5. Where is Amajon.

Me. Sir its in South America.

M5. Which are the states from which we will pass if we are travelling from Kerala to srinagar.

Me. Kerala, TN, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Punjab and Jammu Kashmir.

M5. Where are the good forests among these.

Me. Sir Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka,  J and K etc.

Ch. OK Parveen Your interview is over.

I thanked all and came out.

Source: Forum IAS

Board– Air Marshal Ajit Bhosale sir
Date – 7-04-2017 Afternoon session first one to be interviewed
Background–

So the day came and that moment came for what I had taken a great risk 4 years back by not joining capf and continued my studies, I reached UPSC gate 12.50pm, met Raju Bhaiya of ABVP, already positive environment started building.

Entered the UPSC building 2^nd time in my life, went to document verification got news that I am first one ? I was very happy to hear this because i didn’t want to sit all along till evening,

Went to main hall at 1.45pm and daavat came around 2.05. 2.15 tring sounds came and i entered the room after 2 min,

Inside the Room

I said “May I come in Sir? “

Yes please young man, please come inside “a confident voice came and I saw Air Marshal Sir and other members

There were 5 members, one very handsome and pleasant Air marshal as uniform officers often is and others were good people with one lady member,

It was a very big hall type room and  after walking 3-4 steps I wished Chairman sir first then lady member then others but in a low tone L ( I got little nervous that moment ) he said come come please , I went and took 2-3 sec pause and stand besides the chair.

Chairman

Chairman was looking at my DAF, suddenly he looked at me and said “good afternoon! I got confused and a little nervous as I thought did I make a mistake to wish him and lady member while coming? Then he said please sit down. I said thank you Sir.

C- Are you comfortable?

Me- yes sir with big smile

C- Good you are looking happy?

Me- I smiled only: O

C- You had something in lunch?

Me- yes sir I had my lunch

C- Oh you have had your lunch, so how will u say this in Sanskrit?

Me- (first jhatka of interview but controlled myself) sir “aham mam khadya padartham akhadat” ( it is incorrect but I said with beshrami smile )

c- ohhh this much to I can also speak yar ?

Me- smiled back with almost little laugh

C- Ok ….. Now we will begin your interview, the so called interrrvieww (said like this only with a sarcastic smile) but believe me it will be a conversation only ok?

Me- thinking that shuru karo na L

C- you have done soooooo manyyyy things in your life , you seems to be very engaging personality , u have done NCC , NSS and other things , i think you have  good time management skill, isn’t so ? How did u manage I mean it must have been quite challenging!

me- sir yes I prioritised my activities as in NCC we had go for parade only for 2 days in a week and in NSS we had to spent 240 hours in village community development activities in 2 years I was part of student council also so by putting them in time table I had managed my studies with my ECA

c- hmmm very good alright but I had a little regret had I got such opportunities in my early years to do such diverse things and (looking in to my DAF u are sprinter too hmm gave positive smile )

Me – (maaf kar do sir galti ho gyi aage se nhi kruga ) yes sir I was team member of school track event team

c- So ….. ! yar  in Sanskrit we have to rot very much , I had Sanskrit , I loved Sanskrit , it was very good subject , scoring also , but our modern education philosophies condemn this method, as educationist how do u see this , u must have an opinion about it , isn’t so ?

Me – sir in Sanskrit rot method of learning is an integral part of Sanskrit learning so if anyone want to learn he has to rot in initial years specially to learn Sanskrit grammar but after that we can teach in modern methods

c- What and how?

Me- sir like we are using ICT, we are developing textbooks in digital form and sir ONGC gave good projects under CSR to develop textbooks as digital material…..Something like that

c- Hmmm good

c- ……! This 1857 war of independence camp as team leader you organised? Smiled

me- sir I did not organise that camp but yes I participated in that camp as team leader of Uttar Pradesh contingent and it was organised by ministry of youth affairs and sports sir.

c- Oh I see you were team leader of this camp?

Me- sir I was team leader of my state team for which I got selected to participate in this camp which was organised to commemorate the 150^th year of 1857 war of independence.

c- Hmmm I see interesting smiled

c- You did NCC and other things so there must be a purpose?  You have done BA then other degree in education then JNU, why civil then?

Me- sir during my first year in BA I got a chance to work with civil administration and police administration there I got motivated to join civils.

c- Ok so in your first year of grad u decided? (Probing face)

Me- yes sir, he nodded with probing smile

Now pls aap (lady member se bole)

mam was smiling then she said ok ……

Member 1

M1- you use Patel and live in up, are you from Gujarat or migrant?

Me- mam I live in up and Patel title used by agrarian communities yes migration is also one of the factors

M1- so you are Gujarati too?

Me- yes mam I am Gujarati by Gotra and Patel title put on my name by them ( kya puche jar hi ho aunty L )

M1- why and who are “them”

me- It was a result of caste politics in nineties through which many communities started these kind of changes so it was put by my parents n community members i had no control over it ( kya kr rhi ho aunty )

M1- you have done masters from JNU so what are the issues going on in JNU , I mean what these so called protestors do there , other member laughed

me – (thnku mam ab mai batata hu ) – mam recently in jnu UGC announced seat cut in research programmes which instigated students there ,logic given by UGC and HON. Minister of Human Resource Development is it is a step to correct teacher student ratio

M1- so why they are protesting

Me- mam in JNU there are some misguided people who think that they are revolutionary so they oppose every act of govt ……cut short

M1- no no they must be very influential leaders otherwise why they get support?

Me- mam they instigate student on emotional issues like state or govt is going to take all the things from you…..Again interrupted

M1- and people join them?

Me- Mam in my 6 years i have seen only 5-6 big protests otherwise only 50-60 people usually come

M1- seemed satisfied and smiled and said o my god you r in jnu since 6 years?

Me- (what’s the big deal mam?) yes mam smiled I am doing my Ph.D. there

M1- oh u r doing phd but u didn’t mention that in your DAF?

Me- mam in online DAF form of UPSC only 2 Colum were there so i couldn’t

M1- oh hmmm koi nahi

M1- you have so many degrees and variety of knowledge with NCC NSS also so how you are going to use it, have you ever been interfaced with such situation?

Me- mam variety of knowledge can be used in different areas, cut short

M1- no gives me exp

Me- Mam for exp I can use my knowledge in madam how leakages happening, how social discrimination is happening

M1- no no have u ever been interfaced with it, I mean have u worked in these situation ?

Me- (knowing that i didn’t get her question right didn’t show any anxiety and smiled besharmly ) ma mam I participated in flood relief program as NCC cadet in villages i distributed food packets

M1- which village what was name of that village?

Me- Mam it was Ranjeetpur village it is situated in Balrampur district UP there a team of 10-15 cadets were assigned with district magistrate sir ( Bhosale sir looked at mam smiling probably he was satisfied that I answered that rapid fire question confidently)

M1- you do photography? Where you do it , how do you get enough subject to take photo ?

Me – mam i devp this hobby along with my another hobby of trekking, cut shot

M1- o yes you do trek where u went last time

Me- mam! I went to Triund, another member said where? I again said loudly sir Triund in Dharmshala distt in Himachal Pradesh.

Me – mam i get time and subject when I go to JNU there are enough jungle area so there and mam I prefer to take photos in social atmosphere we can say social photography

(She passed it on I don’t know whether she was satisfied or not but I replied back to back in positive and enthusiastic manner)

Member 2

M2-  jabardast uncle ,I have seen him in conferences but don’t remember his name anyways , he was reading my summary sheet very thoroughly and i saw he has marked 3 points in that , I got scared thoda sa

M2- you have opted lit of Sanskrit?

Me- yes sir

M2- why lit of Sanskrit why not lit in Sanskrit?

Me- sir it was written as it is that’s why

M2- no no is there any difference between two?

Me- sir one difference is that lit of Sanskrit means whole literature of Sanskrit and literature in Sanskrit means literature written in Sanskrit language.

M2- so what do you think is correct?

Me- sir literature of Sanskrit

M2- so in lit of Sanskrit all were written in Sanskrit, what u have studied in syllabus

Me- sir i have studied mahakavyas , natakas fumbled little bit and sir there were written in Sanskrit with eng hindi translation

M2- so why didn’t you choose to write in Sanskrit only, in which language you have written your exam?

Me- sir we have to write 2 question in Sanskrit in Devnagari lipi and rest in medium we have chosen i wrote my exam in eng medium

M2- why? Why not in Hindi?

Me- sir in these 6years i have converted myself from Hindi medium to eng medium , I worked hard all these years to learn English , so i just wanted to write in English

M2- but you have chosen your medium of interview too in eng, why?

Me- sir i wanted to study more and for that i had to learn English because there is no other option available  ,after that i always try to write and speak in English only specially in official matters

M2- why? You could have studied in Hindi medium too

Me- sir in JNU one has to study in eng medium only at masters level in social sciences

M2- what? Is it so, Bhaosale sir too said what? aisa hai kya

Me- smiled yes sir no alternative

M2- so it seems that you are putting Hindi and other languages as inferior to English , is it so ?

Me- sir to me it is not so but unfortunately in our education system since 70 years of independence this kind of system is prevailing so i had no option .

(In between Bhosale sir was showing something to member next to him, i too got distracted a little bit but kept giving my answer and suddenly he interrupted)

C- You got selected in CAPF? (Looked very happy and interested)

Me- yes sir (I was not ready for such kind of interruption anyway it was my achievement so I didn’t get nervous)

C-you got in to service?

Me- I got him wrong, first said yes then corrected myself , sir I got selected but didn’t join

C- Smiling and m2 asked what CAPF is :’(

C- Are it is armed police commandant exam

M2- oh nice,

chairman still looking at me smiling , I was not sure to tell him reason or just smile back , I preferred last one as my exp with armed forces officers has taught me that they don’t like faltu ka explanation

M2- ok yar chalo hindi me baat karte hain , ye women studies me kya kiya hai tumne ? ( I saw he had marked that women studies word )

Me- sir maine women studies me national eligibility test pass kiya hai ugc ke through

M2- ok, kya padhai kari iske liye ?

me- sir maine iskle liye feminism ko padha jisme 3 main wave hain feminist history , pahle wali to voting right se related hai aur sir dusri wali teesari wali ke sath mix krke dekhte hain nariwadi log jo baki  rights se related hain ,

(I said this only because I was not sure how much i should speak on this vast topic)

M2- hmm good enough ,chalo switch over to eng , ok ?

M2- ok …… tell me about dowry

Me- sir it is a social evil of our society …cut short

M2- Hamm, its origin? Smiling

Me- sir it can be originated in Rigveda era when Duhita which means daughter was given certain gifts by parents so it has been present since long in our society

Chairman smiled

M2- nope, if I say it is a colonial practice and in England during industrialization people used to give chastity to daughter, aur pata nahi kya kya bolte rahe WO………………….. akhir me bole to what do u say ?

Me- thank you sir, it is very new kind of info for me but I don’t know about it, smiled to him politely  (lo de lo bhashan han ni to L )

M2- ok what’s your view on inheritance laws and rights?

Me- sir according to Hindu code bill women have equal rights and now we have enacted law too so they can take and it should be given and sir for this Dr Ambedkar resigned from first cabinet of India J

M2- there is law for that, what is your opinion?

Me- yes sir now we have law for that and it should be implemented because patriarchal mindset people think women as their property and there lies the problem, kuch aur blabber kiya tha

M2- sister hain?

Me- yes sir smiled

M2- shadi ho gyi?

Me – yes sir smiling

M2- dahej kitta diya ?

Me- nai diya

M2- q nahi diya ,dena padta hai

Me- she was M.A.,  B.ed and was teaching

M2- oh yes dowry is problem of illiterate people hmmm?

Me- sir dowry is not related to illiterate people but we didn’t give because in our family it is not permitted and should be curbed at societal level also

M2- why?

Me- sir because in my district there was a social movement against it by some gandhian leaders they inculcated that practice aisa hi kuch aur bol rha tha but cut short

M2- babuji hain ?

Me- yes sir

M2- kamate hain ?

Me- yes sir smiled

M2- unke bad property doge bahan ko ?

Me- sir if she wants to take she can obviously take and moreover after sad demise of my mother 2 years back , my father has made a will and make a provision of 50.50

(chairman was listening very keenly ,I saw his face in between ,thank god I didn’t get provoked )

He passed it to another uncle

Member 3

M3- he had a serious face but I was smiling at him

M3- you did M.Phil. In which area

Me- sir I did my M.Phil on curriculum study of school text books of up

M3- what?

Me- sir curriculum study……

M3- oh you did that in education field

Me- yes sir

M3- you said you are doing Ph.D.

Me- yes sir

M3- what is your topic

Me- sir my topic is rationalism in india: a study of arjak sangh

M3 and chairman said what sangh ?

Me – sir Arjak sangh (made a poker face , didn’t explain because  they didn’t ask though they were looking at me)

m3- hmmm you said you do trek, where you have been and since when u r doing it

Me- sir since school days when i was class 9^th we went with associationship of YHAI in nainital

M3- where ?

me- sir I don’t remember exact place now

m3- ok after that smiled cunningly like he caught me

me- sir recently I went for triund ,

m3- before that again probing eyes stern looks

me- sir I went to kedarnath for religious purpose and before that i went to gurmarg with my senior and before that ……..

M3- ok ok , what is jaat ?

Me- I told him something about varna system

M3- no what is concept of caste , u should be aware of it , there are some caste groups who are same in terms of their origin but they live in different places and have no relation so you have heard about substantialization of caste in our social system ?

Me- I told him about political mobilization and caste as institution but he was not satisfied or pretending so

then I told him that according to some scholars like Dirk ha said that caste is a colonial product and scholars like M.N. Sriniwas has given concept dominant caste in which certain caste become affluent in society and political system , I blabbered but mentioned these terms and scholars just for the sake of speaking confidently ( he was looking at  table )

(After that i checked the fact term was given by Dumont but luckily Dirk has also said something on this and MN sriniwas too used that, so i hope unko laga ho ki ladke ko wo pata nahi hai but use related relevant baate bol rha hai )

M3- what is varna and jaat give me one exp

Me- Brahman is varna goswami is caste among Brahman

M3- hmmm (finally satisfied shayad ) so you must be knowing about Jamindari abolition act so  how Jamindari abolition affected this in eastern up and western up ?

me- sir in eastern up mainly small land holders are there , Jamindari abolition provided a chance to landless labourers to get some land and live with dignity and to contribute in nation building, (I fumbled a bit but tried my best that I didn’t stop abruptly while speaking  )

M3- tell me about west up?

Me- sir! There are still large farmers but situation has changes too though i have no depth knowledge

M3- ok pass

Member 4

M4- While looking at your form I found that you are from Akbarpur? Smiled.

Me- yes sir smiled and looked at m3 again and gives him smile too

M4- so yar there is so much dispute in our curriculum these days about Akbar and Aurangzeb, who was great, why Akbar is called great not Aurangzeb what do u think

Me- sir! Akbar tried to understand India , he formulated his policies not as administrator but as learner of culture and showed empathy while Aurangzeb was no doubt had more resources than Akbar and he was capable sir but he lacked empathy ,

So sir in India empathy is very imp to run administration

(Chairman smiled, madam too nodded other khali bali ko mai dekh ni rha tha jyade jo bagal me baithte hain )

M4- nope, muslim call Aurangzeb great, he followed sharia , he destroyed music , u must be aware that when music lovers were taking procession he told them to dig so deep

me- (forgot to tell that Aurangzeb was himself a great veena player anyways ) sir I beg to differ here , I have many Muslim friends and no one called Aurangzeb great , it is Akbar who holds greatness sir because of his policies

M4- what r you saying, if people are so nice then why kashmiri pundits migrated from valley, you know the reason? Tell me

Me- sir reason is depletion of Sufi culture and arrival of wahabism in valley but now people have realised their mistake and apart from misguided people many want kashmiri pundits to return

M4- u think situation is like that?

Me- sir though current situation is not like that but govt is making its best efforts

M4- but what about Kerala and Bangladesh border where Hindus are minority and they are facing threats?

me- sir India is large country , in some part a community can have majority and in other another can have , what bind us is our composite culture , our constitutional values like secularism , sir in policies secularism should prevail , our policies should be like this that no community face anxiety based on numbers in particular area , secularism should be guiding principle for everyone in administration , sir in India it is not possible for a Hindu to live without Muslim and for Muslim to live without Hindu , we have composite culture and we should always put secularism at front in decision making,

M4- Hamm so what about that survey in which only 33% Hindus have a Muslim friend, if your views are correct if people are so good if there is composite culture  then why it is so ? Smiled

me- sir this survey was conducted by CSDS , ( I told him purposefully ,he nodded smiling ), so sir first we should see their questionnaire , how they have framed their questions , what kind of data they got , what was the methodology and we should scrutinise their findings further to get a sound analysis ,

M4- hmmm alright

He passed to chairman

Chairman: so …… you did NSS (again chairman sahab looking in my daf and smiling) and NCC, so in JNU is there NCC and NSS kind of thing?

Me- (almost laughing but control uday moment sustained and said) sir we have nss in jnu and not NCC and made again poker face

c- ohhh , chalo suppose you have to do something as NSS volunteer to bring back situation to normal in JNU from what happened , what will you do , take your time then speak , then started smiling

Me- 4-5 sec thought process only and started – sir as NSS teaches us community development , I would like to first start dialogue between teacher and students which has gone missing for quite some time , sir nodded positively ,

C- But as NSS cadet what will you do? you are talking about JNU problem not NSS , smiled

Me- got confused little bit but smiled , sir I would organise a discussion session and will try to question those students or revolutionaries according to their terms that what kind of leadership is that , you should have been there whether u supported those slogans or not , but you hided and other people suffered , what is this , this not leadership , you can protest , you can question govt that our democratic system gives you right but only under constitutional rights and unity and integrity of India should be maintained ,

Sir! these people take name of Dr Ambedkar in their protests but they forget that he himself was against all these kind of thoughts and said that we have enacted political democracy but what we need is social democracy ……ok said chairman

( thoda sa bhashan type bola but i thought ye akhiri mauka hai bol do dil ki baat )

Chairman Sir and specially lady member nodded very pleasantly

C- Do you agree with govt policies made in domain of education and social sector , what is your view ?

me- sir it is matter of great satisfaction that we have a stable govt with full majority at centre through which many decisions have been taken which would have been not possible in coalition govt , sir i support govt schemes in education and social sector and i am very optimistic about future of my country , smiled positively to sir .

C- Hmmm ……. it was nice talking to you now your interview is over  , and I must thank you specially that you did not choose your medium of interview as Sanskrit and laughed , others too smiled

You may go now good all the best.

I stand up, left the chair said thanku sir, thanku mam , and thanku to sirs , pushed chair little ahead , and turned back , walked slowly opened the door and closed it gently. (forget to wish other member)

P.S.-

I don’t know how it was , what substance in it , one thing is clear that I responded in straight forwarded manner and in those tricky questions like which village dowry or trekking I tried to be frank and truthful yet polite , though it was very unexpected interview , no as such big and tough questions as our great coaching mafias ask and terrorise the students , I revised almost all the syllabus of my Sanskrit , was scared like hell for economics but see how things unfold in those 30 minutes,

I did some minor mistakes too I think like wished chairman and lady member while entering and then went till table , thanked chairman and lady member in last and then other 2 members in low tone but didn’t looked at another member ,

Put my forehand on handles of chair and palm in my lap then after 20 min I adjusted them on thighs, these kind of things I hope don’t matter in big way L

I was cheerful, confident , spoke confidently , admitted that I have learned English only in 6 years and improving myself , though I didn’t answer some questions in that manner like they were probably expecting but I didn’t get blank or confuse and just shut up , I spoke on almost all questions , tone was polite yet I was putting emphasis on those key terms on secularism, leadership etc and where taking stand was required I took and remained firm on that for instance from Akbar to CSDS survey panel member tried to trap me and unsettle me on my stand on secularism but somehow I replied him while maintain my stand .

Don’t know where will I land, but can hope for at least minimum 165 barrier, I hope they didn’t mind my opinion based answers and some silly mistakes like forgetting one member to wish while leaving L !

Baki  JAB TAK FODEGE NAHI TAB TAK CHHODEGE NAHI ?

Source: Telegram

Posting my interview transcript.
Medium: Hindi( was waiting ki english me kuch to puche par pure interview kuch nahi pucha. )
Board: shri chatar singh ji. Forenoon

Chairman

why is @$# famous for
Me: Garment industry and export of that product in international markets
Ch: but why your city, not others in india
Me: sir might be due to moisture factor……
Ch: mind what u r saying( meri jaan atak gayi ki hua kand ab. Gussa gaya chairman). Ludhiyana and other have no moisture.
Me: sorry sir. I am not aware of those promoting factors in that city where I am working nowadays
Ch: ok. So u lived here and there……Now I am going to ask from your graduation.(7 saal ho gaye the graduation ko,wo bhi electrical se btech. Line ,ground ,neutral me difference bhi bhul gaya tha mai )
…..So chairman said that what should I ask. Theory or applied.
Me: sir I like electrical machines……
Ch: transformer is a machine or not
Me: yes. It is
Ch: working of transformer
Me: step up and step down the voltage..
Ch: what’s the need of these all. Why not to transfer voltage at a high current
Me: sir current losses are very high of high current is there.
Ch: ok. But I am very rich person and I can afford losses. Now what……Any technical barrier for transmitting power at a high current.
Me: took a pause…..And suddenly said that sir the size of conductor would be very large if current will be very high…Chairman nodded and said yes that is the reason and asked other mem to ask

Member 1

M 1: you are from bundelkhand. What is the major problem of bundelkhand .
Me: sir it is a agrarian economy but due to monsoon failure and rains in winter , from past 3 years agriculture is not a matter of profit anyMore and fue to that migration and suicide is becoming a common phenomenon there.
M1 : do u have any solution for it.
Me: yes sir.
Everyone got surprised…. I said that govt is also trying to do the same…….Like reducing the cost to farmers. Fasal bima and all that stuff.
M1: but what about the livelihood stocks. Aren’t they helpful.
Me: yes sir they are. But due to lack of fodder and water animal are dying and causing a burden on farmers.

Member 2

M 2 : job profile se mostly pucha. Thoda bataya, thoda nahi to khud kaha ki jyada time nHi hua hai to itna deep nahi pata hoga.
I smiled and was feeling relaxed…☺☺☺ Income tax ka mujhe abc bhi nahi pata tha.
M2 : so why demand of bundelkhand. Is it the solution for all backwardness?
Me: sir development is the main agenda and also no public pressure for demand of bundelkhand. So that in near future is no big demand, and also MP is saying that it doesn’t support the demand of bundelkhand. So on near future bundelkhand might not be a separate state.
M2: but why bundelkhand is so backward. And what are the areas in bundelkhand.
Me: I explained that mp part is now developing and up has also started giving power supply and ……..
M2: interrupts and said that ki do u have any plan to develop bundelkhand.
Me: yes sir. ( They might be thinking ki har cheej ka solution hai mahashay ke pas)
Sir tourism is a big opportunity for bundelkhand. As jhansi is well located In heart of bundelkhand and connectivity is nice , so we can promote tourism in jhansi and nearby areas

Member 3

M3: jhansi fort is good but any new change there.
Me: yes sir. Now gardens are well maintained and light and sound show also takes place there.
M3: why people go khajuraho but not jhansi.
Me: sir tour operator don’t take much interest in jhansi……
M3: kyon ……Unki koi dushmani hai kya jhansi se…..
Me: hehe. Sir aisa nahi hai but their schedule is tight and also they don’t fi d suitable place to live in jhansi as no good hotels are there.

Member 4

M4: what are your service preferences.
M4: do u think u are suitable for ips or ias.
Me: sir for both. As I am flexible to the problems which come to me and I am ready to learn the training for any service. No prejudice in my mind for any service.
M4 was not convinced at this reply.
M4: if my son wants to join army, can you motivate him and how will you.
Me : yes sir. First he must think that his choice is very nice and you stand with your son. So that he might feel good. And then he must do whatever is required in order to qualify for army entrance, but he must enjoy that process as that enjoying the process factor is key to success.

Overall it was a very nice experience. Chairman ne end me koi question nahi pucha so dar lag raha hai…..Rest I think that it will help some other aspirants as guys like me , who dont have guidance of other mentors and coaching and learn through this forum. So you all also post your experience and help each other. All the best to everyone.

Source: Forum IAS