UPSC Interview Transcript

20th JULY Afternoon session
Last person to go
Optional medical science

Smitha Nagraj Ma'am board

Chairman

Good evening
That's your seat doctor please sit down

Don't you miss working as a doctor especially with an ongoing pandemic?
Is the govt doing enough to protect the health care workers?
any scope for improvement?
Which step do you think is the most important step taken by govt for health care workers in the current situation?

1.
Many medical colleges organize fests. What's the use of these?
Do you know about Hambantota port? Why it's in news?
Is there any listening station in the Indian ocean?
What is China Pakistan economic corridor in news? What's its relevance to India?
What is BRI? Why China is pursuing it?

2.
Didn't to you get the idea of civil service before joining MBBS?
Did you get the service mentality from your school?
What do you think about the privatization of health care? Is it in the interest of the society?
Some follow up questions on that.

3.
Sir was talking very softly.
If you become health secretary what are the 3 things you will pursue?
Health care expenditure is to be increased, By how much?
Where did you get this exact number?
Something he asked about the privatization of health care and it's relation to a scene in 3 idiots movie
What is telemedicine? Uses

4.
which devotional songs do you listen to?
What is ayushman Bharat scheme?
Does this helping the people?
Many private hospitals are misusing it. What steps can be taken?
Are you suggesting something like health ombudsman? But this system also may involve such doctors like misusing ones from Pvt. Hospitals!

Chairman
What is integrity
Different between views and values?
Values may be different then what values constitute integrity?
Who comes to your mind when you think of a man of integrity?
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PK Joshi Board
1st to go
21/7/20

Optional: public administration
Graduation:ECE
Hobby: Endurance running, Playing football
State: Kerala

Chairman

1. How Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas are different from other schools?
2. Similar school exclusive for girls?
3. What criteria will you use to measure development? Compare two states.
4. What is HDI?
5. How electronics can be used in administration?

M1.
1. Difference between 1G,2G,3G,4G and 5G.
2. Why public administration after electronics?
3. What is Maslow's need hierarchy theory?
4. Herzberg's two factor theory?
5. What is the difference between endurance running and a marathon?

M3. (Less audible)

1. How covid affected Kerala economy?
2. What can be done to improve the economy of Kerala in the wake of Covid?
3. Favorite football club.
4. What is the status of Barcelona in European league?
5. What are your strengths which will help you as an administrator?
6. Do you think you'll be able to use electronics knowledge in civil service?

M4.

1. India's readiness in 5G.
2. Investments in electronics in the country.
3. What is data mining and data security?
4. Why the oil prices are increasing in India when the prices are reducing globally?

M5

1. India Bangladesh issue
2. What is Farakka barrage
3. Rohingya issue
4. Major global diplomatic trends that are happening.
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C B Rex
20th July 2020
B.Tech Computer Science and Engineering
Geography Optional
Jharkhand ( Native: Kerala)
Hobbies : Reading High Fantasy Novels, Playing Guitar

PK Joshi Board
Forenoon Session
Last one to go

Chairperson:
What is your full name?
(Chairperson reads my DAF)
Why did you choose civil services and not continue with engineering?
Why are Indian engineers not employable?
How to improve it?
What all things you learned in engineering that is useful now?
Difference between Assurance and Insurance

M1

Why is Kerala called God's own country?
How is Kerala's dealing of Covid different?
What factors helped Kerala?
How are other states performing now?
Why does Kerala have different administrative capital and HC at different place?

M2

Why are there less manufacturing industries in Kerala?
Why are the other states more successful in manufacturing sector like Eastern states, Southern (TN) and Western states?
Why does East India have more industries?
How is Kerala govt addressesing the problems faced by manufacturing sector?
Can you shed light on the recent issue related with Hagia Sophia? And how should international community resolve this?

M3

What are high fantasy novels? Which one would you suggest us to read? (Hobby)
Which was the last novel not belonging to high fantasy genre which you read?
Why did decentralisation work in Kerala and not other states?
How are the Himalayas important for India? 5 points
Is there any change in our approach in dealing with China now?
How is it different from earlier?
Is banning 59 apps any good?

M4
How many types of Guitars are there?(hobby)
Explain India to a person who hasnt been here in two minutes?

(There were one or two more questions here and there as part of cross questions)

Chairperson : Thank You, Your interview is over.
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Anupam

Manoj Soni
Pursing PhD
22.07.2020

Chairman
1. What is Geography in your research topic?
2. Tell 5 places related to lives of Babasaheb Ambedkar.
3. Any place related to his life in Uttar Pradesh or Madhya Pradesh?

M1
1. An old factory in Ghazipur?
2. From where raw material come to it?
3. Is Ghazipur peaceful place?
4. How you will deal with Mafia in Ghazipur?

M2
1. Who produces maps of India?
2. Who is produces satellite imagery?
3. How remote sensing can be useful in disaster management?
4. Any ministry of India that uses remote sensing in its working?

M3
1. Do think merger of banks is a good step?
2. Similar merger strategy you would like to suggest in any other affairs of govt?

M4
1. Is Mau sugar belt?
2. What issues sugarcane farmers are facing?
3. What could be it's solution?
4. What could be other use of sugarcane?
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N santosh kumar reddy

22nd July 2020

Smita nagaraj board

Tennis and science fiction movies
Comp science graduate osmania university
Telangana

CM:
1) How to deal with loss of employment due to lockdown
2) explain with respect to automobile sector
3) on one hand we promote public transport and on the other we need to boost demand in automobile industry, how to balance
M1)
1)opinion on 3 capital issue
2) which is more suitable according to u
3) why the present govt is pushing it
M2
1) how to ensure policy continuity
2) performance of anti defection law
3) what should we do to enforce the anti defection law
4)can sc intervene in speaker domain
5) how to ensure those checks and balances
M3
1) biggest internal security threat
2) what is insurgency and how is it different from naxalism
2) our performance in dealing naxlalism and insurgency
3) telangana and naxalism
4) even after 70 years of Independence why they still persist
5) have u visited any govt office and u r view on its functioning
6) how should we bring the change
7) if u r a dcp and corruption complaint on sho, what's ur plan of action
M4
1) why civil services
2) why not like sundar pichai or nadella
3) collector as karim nagar ,what r your priority areas and plan of action
4) should we make office of speaker similar to chairman of rajya sabha(didn't understand the question)
CM
1) should we interfere in tribal communities affairs
2) how to mainstream tribal society
3) what is mainstreaming according to you
4) do you know any successful example as such
Thank you
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Vikash raj

Date - 21/07/2020
4th to go (afternoon session)
Manoj soni board
Duration - 30 minutes
B. Tech Mining (IIT Dhanbad)
Working in coal India limited
Hobbies - teaching and badminton

Chairman read the DAF for 2-3 minutes
Chairman-
1) India since independence not able to drastically change the education system leading to slow growth of education. Comment
2) Three points about drafts education policy
3) Issues in draft education policy
4) You were involved in an NGO how was your experience?
5) Offered me tea 😜
M1-
1) What are alternatives of coal?
2) Are you afraid that your job in coal sector will be danged?
3) Impact of opening of coal sector
4) Alternative methods of extraction of coal with less pollution?
5) Is your home district a agricultural town or industrial?
6) Why no growth of industry in your hometown?
M2(lady member)-
1) Anthropology is an apology to primitive man. Your opinion
2) Underground coal mine fire in jharia
3) Why government not able to resettle the people there?
4) Law and order issue in settlement?
5) National reserve security
6) Coal gasification
7) Coal bed methane
M3-
1) Last movie you watched. How it impacted you?
2) Scheme related to restore the village tank
3) industrial discharge in gange near Patna
4) Which country is pioneer in water conservation?
5) How to handle huge protest as a head of district.
M4-
No question
Chairman asked to remove mask and face shield to match photo
Wished me all the best for result
Very few cross questioning
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Name : Mohammad Nadeem
( IRS(IT)/BE Civil/ PSIR/Karnataka)
TC Anant Sir's Board

Chairperson :
1)So you are Mohammad Nadeem ?
2) Which NCC you did (AirWing)? Why didn't you pursue Certificate B ?
3) When did you join IRS(IT) ? How long has it been ?
4) Why did you opt for PSIR ?

M1
1) What's Capital Gains Tax ? And a follow up question .
2) How's the rate decided ?
3) What's Form 26A ?
4) What's Indexation ?
5) Do we tax Agricultural Income ? and a follow up.

M2)
1) What's your favourite topic in PSIR ?
2) What happened in Cuban Missile Crisis ? Who was the leader of Cuba ?
3) How did it impact the International Relations ?
4) What was NAM and its relevance ?
5) Who were the leaders of NAM ?

M3)
1) Tell me about Bidar. What's it famous for ?
2) Water Crisis in Bangalore, Capetown Water Crisis.
3) What's Water Mining ?
4) What did Capetown do to solve the problem ?

M4)
1) Is it a good idea to Abolish Income Tax ?
2) Other ways to raise the revenue ?
3) Share of Taxes to total revenue . Share of Income Tax to Total Revenue.
4) What's an Ideal Tax ?

The board was very cordial and the interview went for 20-25 mins.
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Chairperson : Sujatha metha
22 July AN
B.E. CSE ( TRICHY) - 2015
Tamil literature
Rotaract club member and symposium organiser


Chairman:
Introduce yourself
What are you doing all these years?
Ans: preparing for CSE from 2015 in Chennai.
Did you attempt any other government exams?
During Chennai floods what were you doing?
What is fake news?
If someone sends you fake news what would you do?
How to stop spreading of fake news?

Member 1 :
Why suicide rate is high in Tamil Nadu?
Is bigamy present in Tamil Nadu? (I couldn't understand his accent, he said small house and big house)
Tamil have rich literary tradition. Tell me something about it?
It's relevance today?
How will you improve governance if you're posted as DM?

Member 2 :
ICJ rulings were not followed by many countries ( unable to understand why he is asking. Then he said in context of kulbhushan jadav).
What can be done?
(I will ask some easy qsn. Looked my DAF and asked)
What is the topic of symposium you organised?
Reason for the topic?
Ans: To encourage new technologies among young graduates

Member 3: (He was watching TV all the time after I entered the room. Then went to loo. After asked qsns he started to watch TV again)

How Sangam literature helped in socio economic development of people at that time?
(Follow-up question I forgot)
Age group of Rotaract members?
Motto of rotary international?
Activities done under Rotaract?
Ans: Cleaned Cauvery river
What is target year to achieve ujjwala Yojana? ( I couldn't hear him clearly, I told the target count 8 crores. He asked again the target year)


Member 4 :
(He asked questions from my previous answers)
Does river require cleanup?
Then why are cleaning it?
How can we reduce the pollution? (He specifically asked for technological solution for which I said I don't know)
Your state face lot of tsunami. How will you use your CSE knowledge to warn people?
Any technology to receive warnings quickly?
What is block chain technology?
Is it safe? How?

Chairperson:
Anything you want us to ask?
Thank you.
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Name : KARTHIKEYAN S
IRTS 2017
Home town : Madurai
Hobbies : Travelling and Reading


Chairman: Are you comfortable, if not you can remove either one of them ( shield or mask )

1. Where are you right now ? Why did you not go back to madurai during lockdown

2. How is your IRTS life ? what did you learn ?

3. If it so happens that you are made to continue in railways will you be happy?

4. Tell me something interesting that happened during your childhood. Anything that comes to your mind.


Member 1.

1. Other than meenakshi temple, what other temples are there in madurai.

2. Industries of madurai

3. Organ donations myths ( DAF )

4. Have you met any recipient of organ donation

5. Technologies of railways

6. Mandate of CRIS


MEMEBER 2

1. Who audits Banks.

2. Who is an external auditor

3. Tell me one sector that has never progressed since independence

4. Labour laws

5. What drove you to civil services

6. ICAI vs NFRA

Member 2

1. Safety in Indian railways

2. Again cutting edge technology in Indian railways

3. IOT applications

4. Difference between ICF and LHB

5. What are thick web switches ( follow up to 4th )

6. Covid and Indian Railways


Member 4.

Made fun of my accent ( in a funny wat5 though)

1. Problems in making calender year as Financial year

2. Where all you've travelled

3. What's the last but one book you've read

4. Jim Corbett

5. Man eaters - Avni episode

6. If you're made chairman of CWC how will you solve KN TN water dispute - tell me 3 principles

7. I give you 100 crores , where will you invest in railways


Chairman PK Joshi

Please show me your face ( for verification )

Thank you your interview is over - god bless you.
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Name - Aman Mittal
Afternoon session , 5th April
Board - vyas sir
Optional - PSIR
Hobby - teaching
Duration - 25 to 30 mins
Home state - Delhi
Grad - Btech CSE

Utility of mocks - Helps in learning how to speak in front of a experienced panel and how to Carry yourself.

Questions asked-

Chairman-

1. What have you been doing since 2017.
2. What do you understand by diplomacy?
3. What can you tell about 2+2 diplomacy.
4. What is AI and what is machine learning, are they both same ?
5. What is EI ,what are its components and can we learn EI ?
6. India and Israel got independence at the same time..then why india is so backward. Can we say india has failed?
7. What is comprehensive national power ?
8. What do you understand by soft state , deep state ?

Member 1 :

1. What do you think about Rajasthan and status of its women.
2. How have local self governance has helped women in Rajasthan
3. Suppose you are IAS Rajasthan Cadre, what will you do to uplift their status.
4. Do you think policy makers have failed Rajasthani women.

Member 2 :

1. What is 5G ?
2. Why are people protesting against it ?
3. What was the motivation for skill india ?
4. What so much focus now on skilling , can't we go with business as usual?
5. Do you think these steps have been successful ?

Member 3 :

1. Can you name 2 GOI programme I which NSS has played prominent role?
2. Do you know about youth mobilization by NSS for election participation ?
3. Har ghar nal se jal - which scheme is this ?
4. Has it been successful ?
5. What can you do to make it successful?

Member 4 :
1. India banned Chinese app etc, do you think we are giving a befitting reply to our neighbors for their wrong actions ?
2. By your answer it appears we should abolish armed forces. Should we abolish them ?

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KA
Date and session of interview- 5/04/22 9:am forenoon session
Board- Smitha Nagaraj maam
Optional- history
College- civil engineering from DTU, MA in modern history from JNU
Hobbies- reading travelling numismatics
Your experience in interview-
No hi hello or questions on personal info,

Nagaraj ma'am
- why do you think about freebies
-Should they be discontinued, or modified in any manner
-Farmers and electricity
- do freebies encourage individuals to not work, remain dependent on govt
-
#2
- how can civil engineering (graduation subject) help in civil services.
- issues behind time and cost overruns
- insisted on giving practical and on ground problems faced(follow up) rather than theoretical/bookish issues in civil engineering
- difference and similarities in crisis going on in Pakistan and Sri Lanka
-
#3
- how can we keep the bureaucracy motivated?
(A number of follow up questions on similar lines)
Issues about bureaucracy, I
Why the image is bad ?etc
#4
Don't remember specifically but questions related to application of civil engineering on problems in infrastructure
Why India's infra growth is shabby when compared to that of china.
#5
Just asked about comparison between the response of indian and Canadian govt to protests in respective countries
Reasons behind why Canada is considered liberal and India is considered authoritarian
Were the measures used by Canada authoritarian or democratic ( follow up )

Experience- no hi hello no chit chat no questions related to daf( apart from grad subj- civil Engineering)
I felt the questions were really good, especially the ones related to infra and civil engineering. I wasn't able to satisfy the demands with respect to practical issues, a point that was raised twice during the interview. Not unnecessary grilling if a person could answer these questions he/she would definitely make a really good addition to services.

Mocks- focussed majorly on daf, and I felt the interview was of a whole another level- they knew what they knew what they were looking for.
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5th April, afternoon session
IT background
Hobbies: Reading books; Writer's head
Smita Nagaraj Maam

M1:
1. Tell me something innovative that can happen with IT in the next 25-30 years.
2. Can blockchain be used safely for elections?
3. Why EVM issue is raised? Have we properly addressed It? What will you do to address it?
4. Why VVPATs aren't used and checked in every district?

M2:
1. Role as writer's head.
2. On what issues you wrote the play?
3. Talk about a recently read book.
4. What is appeasement in the context of WW2?
5. Similarities b/w WW2 & Russia-Ukraine war.
6. Why is the US not intervening?

M3:
1. Solutions for stubble burning
2. How can MSP be helpful?

M4:
1. Recent Birbhum incident from anthropological and economic angles.
2. What will you do as IAS, IPS, and IFS for cryptocurrency?

M5:
1. Difference between 4th and 5th Industrial Revolution.
2. What is IoT? How it can be used in civil services?
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Board: Bharat Bhusan VYAS sir
Work ex: taxation department
Optional: Sociology
Btech: Mechanical engineering
Home state: Haryana (GGN)
+++

Chairman:
(Cordially told me to settle and asked to pull down the mask to chin level but faceshield was intact and gloves were ON too 😪😪)

1. Meaning of name then counter questions on meaning itself.. (this made all members cordial except member 2)
2. Asked question abt GST, VAT, Sales tax [as I am working in GST department and sir told me that he has also worked in VAT]
4. Excluded items from GST
5. Should these items be brought under GST?
6. Recent 3 changes in Gst ?
7. difference between accuracy and reliability( from sociology)
8. Poverty definition
9. is poverty just economic aspects?
10.Measurement of poverty means?

Member 1: (lady)
(Gave a long monologue abt tribals in India)
1. Took cue from poverty definition and asked about exclusion and inclusion w.r.t. scheduled tribes.
2. Tribals should be left untouched as this would prevent there culture from external influence. Asked my views on this?

(NOTE: the chairman joted down sth in a diary .. i believe marks were alloted at this moment itself)

Member 2: (was constantly staring at my hand and shoes the whole time.. .probably a psychologist... 😀)
1. Asked about economic effect of Ukraine-Russia war on India?
2. Some counter questions regarding crude oil price from Russia w.r.t. other sources of crude oil of India
(Asked a few other questions .. cant recall those rite now)

Member 3:
1. Asked about precision vs. Accuracy? (Didnt know)
2. Few factual current affairs e.g. meghdhoot.. (did not know)
3. Corona effects on vulnerable sections?
4. how to bring normalcy in such sections.. made me IAS of my home state.. then what steps would you take? (though my first choice was IPS.. probably did not read my DAF)
(Looked dissatisfied with my answers)

Member 4:
1. About Customs duty uses? (I deliberately brought in India-australia FTA In this answer)
2. Why should we not go for FTA with other nations as well as this would reduce custom duty and eliminate tarriff barriers altogether?
3. some counter questions? (I Handled these effectively using facts)

Chairman: Interview is over
...... ....
...... ....

^^^My Experience and observations^^^: Surprised as NO question asked on Hobbies, Home state, IPS as first choice ...
Overall board was cordial and chairman tried to make the atmosphere peaceful initially.
My observation is that the DAF was not read properly (or at all) because as soon as the previous candidate left I was called in (within seconds) ... asked about where i work.. and questions started from there and revolved around job and then basic optional knowledge(sociology)

Main observation: "A lot of Supplementary Questions were asked based on the answers i gave"
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👆Today's Interview transcript

Board- R.N. Chaubey
Optional- Economics

Chairman
Was extremely extremely cordial. The moment I sat down, he asked me if I had any covid symptoms. As I answered no, he asked me to remove my mask and gloves if I wanted to.
Then he made me very comfortable by saying that he would want me to leave the room smiling and tell my friends and family how much I enjoyed the process. He also told me this wasn't a police cross examination so I don't need to be afraid. And if there is anything I don't know, i should honestly tell the board about it.

1. In 1 minute tell us about yourself
2. Situation based question- bribery related
3. Another situation based- Me too movement/ platform
4. Couple of counter questions on the above


2nd member (was an IFS officer, had seen him on RSTV)

1. Tell your service preferences
2. What made you choose IFS as the second option since many keep it on the 5th position?
3. Something about tilt-(western or russian) replied with national interests to be kept as priority (this part of the interview was very conversational, so I don't remember it verbatim)
3. Vaccine maitri- success or not
4. Vietnam case study - shifting to sinofarm from covishield
5. QUAD vaccine policy (as I used the term geopolitical implications in my last answer)
6. Again about, geopolitics or health as an idea behind the above?
7. Suddenly shifted the topic and asked me, how will I describe myself?
8. "Lurid Orientalism of the West" was seen when they showed the mass burning of funeral pyres during the second wave.
9. I told the board that I don't know what lurid meant, so the member explained what he meant by the statement and what he refered to it.
10. After I put forth my point, he pointed out the fact that such potrayal disrespected the dead.
(Which I politely agreed to and said sorry for not recognizing it earlier)

(Here since I mentioned I have certain flaws too, the Chairman chipped in and asked me to list 2 of those)

3rd member
1. Do you know about the Vikram samwat?
2. Which year is it right now?
3. Which is the first month of it?
4. Opinion on all women police stations
5. Wouldn't sensitization be better?
6. Do you think women officers are capable of dealing with all the risks?
7. Do you know what confirmation bias is?

4th member
1. Work from home related
2. The productivity of work has been reportedly remained the same, would you still not prefer work from home?
3. Regulations required?
4. Are they practical?

5th member
1. Reasons why farmers were agitating
2. Was is political, social or economic?
3. Was the government correct to withdraw these laws?
4. You are a DM in a district where the CM has asked you to bring down farmer suicides. What will you do?

Chairman Sir
We are done with asking al what we wanted to. We would love to hear you talk about anything, if you want.

I talked about my inspiration -my mother.

Then the Chairperson and the board seemed a little moved, and said a few good things and the interview was done.

It was an extremely pleasant experience.
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Name: Dwij Goel
Date: 6 April Forenoon
Board - Mr. R.N. Choubey
Optional - Anthropology
College- NIT Bhopal
Hobbies- Versification, Quora reading


Chairman -1) about yourself background, job , qualification.
2) what are the leadership styles
3) what's the meaning of your name
4) do you think you have become dwij i.e. have you reached that stage
5) situation based - government has to sell natural resources - what should be the methodology. Follow up question on that
6) what was your job profile?(work ex). What did you worked on?

Member 1 - 1) tell me about MSP, what are the challenges in msp. What are the solutions.

Member-2 -1) Nanotechnology, it's use in drone.
2) Integrated missile guiding programme - started in, at what stage it is currently,

Member 3 - 1) about solar vehicle, what are the challenges in industrial transition to electrical vehicle.
2) how company will come in profit
3) what are the changes you see in rto office, is there corruption prevailing in rto office.

Member -4 - 1) how are India China relations?
2) galwan issue, how many rounds of talk, if you are made foreign minister how will you tackle China
3) AUKUS, is there any country which is not in favour of AUKUS
4) About quora reading (hobby)
5) About Versification (hobby)

Cordial board, no cross questioning. 2 members were speaking very slow so had difficulty in decoding questions. Very different from mocks, they wanted just to have conversation.
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