IAS 2008 Interview Transcripts #19

My Civil Services Exam Interview

It had been a long wait. Almost two years ........since I decided to have a go at this exam. This being my first attempt at civils exam I was very happy and felt satisfied to get a call for interview as the preparations for mains exam had borne fruit.

My interview was scheduled in the afternoon session. As it was Delhi afternoon I decided not to opt for suit but instead preferred formals with just a tie. So with all the external cosmetic effects that I had given to my personality I arrived outside the UPSC building on Shahjahan road. I was completely at ease and was eager to perform and give my best during the interview. I did not want to waste this opportunity of lifetime.

Finally at 1.15 pm we were allowed to enter UPSC building and after series of checks we were asked to wait inside the waiting hall. The paperwork including verification of documents, cadre preference forms and travelling allowance took an hour extra and around 2.30pm the process of informing board to all the groups started.

We were informed by the peon that we had panel of IMG khan. I had not heard about this panel as i had not cared to dig out the information of UPSC members. Later on other members of my group informed me that it is a cordial panel and it is also sitting for the first time. I didn't care as I had decided to perform to the best of my abilities irrespective of panel. I was to be interviewed fifth in my group and so I had almost two and a half hours before my interview.

At around 5.00pm I was called by peon and was made to wait outside the panel room. As the bell rang I was called inside. There were five members including chairman. Let's call them CM, M1, M2,M3,M4 and myself as SUB.

It all started with basic formalities and after that I was asked to have a seat and then the interview began.

CM: So your name is shailesh ....?

SUB: Yes Sir..(cut in the middle)

CM: Unmesh....??

SUB: its my fathers name

CM: Balkawade.....???
(taking a cue)

SUB: Sir it's my Surname

CM: oh is it your family name.......

SUB:yes sir
(I wondered what he is trying to prove)
(As I was wondering what he is going to ask me next he was glancing thru my mains biodata form and suddenly he came up with his "doosra")

CM: It seems that you have studied only in Pune that means you have not travelled outside. But as a bureaucrat u need to know ur society well and for knowing your society you must have travelled outside. Dont u think that there is a gap between our requirement and ur profile?

SUB: Yes sir I accept your view that a bureaucrat needs to know his society and I also accept that it is my weakness that I have not travelled outside Pune. But Sir I am improving on it and recently after completion of my mains exam I have visited many places like Ralegaonsiddhi, hiwre bazar, and also I did a 10 days study tour of Akola district and melghat region in Maharashtra to know how the administration works.

CM: (seemed very happy) gr8!! So what all u did in Akola?

SUB: I met various district level administrative functionaries like district collector, chief executive officer of zilla parishad, superitendent of police , chief medical officer; also I visted few model villages and few underdeveloped villages to understand the gap between their levels of development.

CM: So what did u learn?

SUB: Sir I learnt that whenever there is positive participation of community and wherever there is a strong local leadership those villages have developed better........ ( Cut in between)

CM: Why do u think Akola is not developed as much as Pune is?( Then followed a lot of questions as to comparison between Akola and pune, vidarbha and western maharashta and should vidarbha be granted a status of seperate state?)

CM then asked M1 to proceed.( M1 who was more interested in sleeping suddenly woke up. He continued with his habit of sleeping thoughout the interview)

M1 : There is a theory coming up in Maharashtra that "Maharashtra is for Maharashtrians". Do you subscribe to this theory?
( I had expected question on this controversial issue of MNS and Raj thackerey and had decided to take a constitutional stand)

SUB: Sir I do not subscribe to this theory.

M1: Is it a political move?

SUB:Yes sir , it seems that it is a political move.

M1: Why the state government did not act then?

SUB: Sir I would like to clarify that the state goverment did act but it did not act promptly. Almost 32 cases have been registered against the person who flared up this issue last year.

M1: so why do u think that the state government acted late?

SUB: Sir I think that state government did nt want to look as a villain in the minds of people during its peak support period as it was a pre poll scenario.

M1: Who do you think are supporting Raj Thackerey?

SUB: Sir he is garnering support from those sections of youth who are unemployed as he is raking up issues concerning this section when all other parties have neglected them.

Chairman asks M2 to proceed.

M2: You have stayed in Pune. What kind of local government exists?

SUB: sir there is Pune Municipal Corporation.

M2: what functions does it perform?

SUB: Sir according to 74th Constitutional amendment there are some mandatory and some optional functions......(cut in the middle)

M2: Tell us what u have seen.

SUB: Sir few functions performed are supply of safe drinking water, primary health centres, sanitation, public transport, street lighting, disposal of Municipal solid waste(MSW).

M2: ok tell us what constitutes MSW?

SUB: (instantly) human excreta..........
(Everybody started laughing. It was then I realised that I had commited an error)

SUB: Sir I want to correct my answer as I was confused.(Member nods) Sir MSW constitutes garbage, construction material, plastic and broken glassware, waste papers......

M2 : what is the current method of disposal of waste in ur city? is it ecofriendly?

SUB: I explained the current method and finally said that it is not ecofriendly.

M2:What methods you can suggest?

SUB: Segregation of MSW into organic and inorganic. Conversion of organic waste into fertiliser by composting and compacting inorganic into bricks.

M2: Can u suggest any technology for ecofriendly disposal of waste?

SUB: Sir organic waste can be compacted into large pits. these pits should be refilled with pipes inserted in it.Methane produced during the process should be piped and be used to generate electricity.

M2: can u qoute some example?

SUB:yes sir, this is used to supply electricity to general motors plant in US.

M2: had u visited this plant?

SUB: No sir, I watched it over discovery channel.
(At this moment chairman nodded and said good.)

M2: What is india's largest source of electricity production?

SUB: Coal based thermal power plants.

M2: is this method eco friendly?

SUB:Sir no

M2: is there any latest technological improvement?

SUB: Yes sir there is use of supercritical boiler technology.

M2: what is its pressure?

SUB: Sir around 220 bar

M2: what are its advantages?

SUB: Overall plant efficiency is higher.

M2: Why???

SUB: Steam is at high pressure hence it has high energy content. Also there is effective combustion of coal.

M2: good!!

M1 woke up and asked abrupt question: What is the maiximum efficiency of mechanical device?(May be he had a dream of mechanical devices)

SUB:Sir about 80-90%

M1: tell exactly

SUB: Sorry sir I dont know.

M1 seemed satisfied that he was able to prove how intelligent he was even during his sleep while I seemed dumb even though I was alert. He then proceeded with his sleep further .

(M2 asked m3 to proceed. M3 was more interested in hobbies section of biodata form.)

M3: Cooking is your hobby..

SUB: yes sir

M3: what do you like to eat?

SUB: non veg dishes..

M3: what in non veg ?

SUB: Tanddori chicken

M3 : Can u prepare it?

SUB : no sir

M3: where do you eat then?

SUB: In hotel...
( Suddenly all members started laughing. I also joined them)

M3: what do you blog?( I answered what I blogged abt)

M3: what do you read?

SUB: Sir I have not read any literature but I do read daily newspapers.

M3 : What you did in dramas?

SUB: Explained him in detail.I did lights

M3: how important is role of a backstage person? In your future career as administrator u shall always need to work as a backstage artist? Ur experience shall help u.....

SUB: Sir drama is a team event and mistake at any level whether front stage or backstage mars the performance. hence backstage is also equally important as it complements the frontstage. Sir and as an administrator this quality of working in a team shall surely help me to work alongside political executives.
(Chairman nodded his head)

Chairman asked M4 to proceed.

M4: Should government divest itself of its role as implementer of midday meal(MDM) and instead give certain amount to parents and ask them to send their children to school.

SUB: Sir I think that the MDM scheme is working very well and alongwith providing basic
nutrition to children it has helped to decrease school drop out rate. Morever if amount is giiven then there is a possibiity that it might be spent on other activities of basic existence by the BPL families hence the education of children would suffer.

M4: How as planning commission Dy. chairman you would ensure effetive implementation of MDM schme.

SUB: Sir I would go for decentralisation of funds

M4: what if sarpanch irregularies these funds?Suggest other method

SUB: Sir SHG's can be promoted in implementation .

M4: what if sarpanch and SHG's collude?

SUB: sir there has to be a third party audit in form of social audit.

M4 was not giving up and he persisted with his if's and but's

M4: what if all three of them :sarpanch, SHG and third party auditors collude? what u will do as district collector?

SUB: Sir here I have to step in as district collector and look to it that the funds are not siphoned off and culprits are booked.

M4: No..No..tell as a budding IAS officer what you would do ? suggest some technological solution.......

SUB: at this stage I could not think of any better solution ....I kept my smile and politely said that At this point of time I cannot come up with any other solution.

(M4 still wanted to persist with his question but was stopped by Chman)

M4: Is Sarva shisksha bhiyaan successful?

SUB: sir it has succeded in building up the quanititaive infrastructure within the country but the quality of infrastructure has not developed much.( I wanted to direct the discussion towards quality of education but M4 with looks like that of Brajesh Mishra proved smart. He curtailed discussion on this topic.)

M1 who was sleping all the time , suddenly woke up again.

M1: there is a view that instead of investing huge sum of money in PHC's under NRHM government should invest that money in building institutions like AIIMS as no. of fatal diseases like cancer , heart diseases have increased. What do u think?

SUB: Sir I think that PHC's have to remain mainstay of our primary health infrastructure within the country as for the marginalised and poor section of the society government is the only organised hope. For them PHC's are the only source dusing epideimics, snake bites, etc. Also the quantum served thru PHC's all over the country is much more than what is served thru institutions like AIIMS. PHC's also provide local relief saving in transportation costs.
As fatal diseases are also important to cure but as government cannot provide free healthcare, government should create awareness for promotion of health insurance. Morever government can also subsidise premium on health insurance.

Chairman seemed satisfied he then took back the reigns of interview in his hands and proceeded with his set of questions.

CM: tell us history of pune?

SUB: Sir,...( cut)

CM: tell us how much time Peshwas ruled?

SUB: About 80-90 years

CM: What is the period?

SUB:1731-1818

CM: How peshwas were defeated?

SUB: British came and they defeated Peshwas.
(I failed to answer to the essence of question and just gave a blank answer. All the members including chairman laughed. I then understood what he wanted and then I responded back.)

SUB: Sir there were two main reasons. There was internal struggle for power between Peshwas and also there was struggle for dominance within Maratha confederacy. In 1817 there was war between Peashwas and holkars, this lead to weakening of Maratha empire.

CM: So internal struggle has always lead to downfall of empire. So what should we learn from history to apply it in current context?

SUB: Sir internal divisions always lead to downfall of a state. Hence though regional aspirations should be promoted pan national view should prevail.

CM: so you are promoting unity of india?

SUB: yes sir I am promoting unity and integrity of india.

CM: Thank you Shailesh.

I thanked all the members and came out of the room. It was about 5.35pm. So I had persisited for alll about 35 min. I am happy with my performance. I do not know how much marks this inteview shall fetch but yes I shall always be happy that atleast I was able to perform to my satisfaction.

Now there is gruelling wait for result. Let's hope everything turns out positive.