Name : Rajesh Kankipati
Interview Before I may write anything, I take this opportunity to thank
1) Mr. K. Srinivasu IRS (IT) : My Interview Mentor.
2) Mr. R.C. Sinha- New Delhi IAS - He acclimatised me about many issues and made my approach towards interview more pragmatic and realistic.
3) My friends Aravind, Pradeep, Sandeep, Satish, Bindu and my intellectual friend Sai.
4) Mocks of Chanaknya IAS academy and the panel who made me realise my deficiencies and defects.
Background: B.Tech (Electrical and Electronics Engineering), Pondicherry central University.
Hobbies: Reading Books (Non-Fiction) and Story Telling.
Place of Birth: Rajahmundry
Place of Residence: Ramagundam (Telangana)
Optionals: Public Administration and Sociology
CHAIRMAN (CM): Purushottam Aggarwal
Time: 4.25 p.m-5.00 p.m
Me: Rajesh Kankipati
I was the last candidate for the day Bell ring and attendant opened the door
Me: May I come in sir?
CM: Yes Rajesh come in Went near the table and said "namaste Sir" (Confusion whether to say Good Afternoon or Good evening)
CM: Rajesh Take your seat
Me: Thank You sir
CM: Your hobbies is story telling (in an angry tone with large voice) Me: Yes sir
CM: Do you write or imagine stories?
Me: I don't write or imagine stories. I have a hobbies of reading books. So, whenever I read something that is worth sharing, I narrate it.
CM: Why do you do it?
Me: It would help in inculcating and imbibing good values
CM: Whom do you narrate to?
Me: No reservation against any age group. School going children, room mates, parents, professors, rickshaw puller, any one sir for that matter
CM: Can you say a story?
Me: A man came from America to deliver a lecture at Hyderabad. After the lecture was over he went to a nearby lake to enjoy the scenic beauty. On the other bank of the lake he saw a woman washing clothes. While she was washing, some of her body parts were exposed. Seeing this, he was tempted towards her. But being ethical and honest he tried to control his temptation. After washing clothes the woman went into the lake to have bath.
When she removed her clothes he was not able to control his temptations. So he jumped into the lake. Went near her, hugged and embraced her. Started mindlessly kissing her. She began to shout for help but no one came to her rescue. This man still goes on kissing her mindlessly. After some time of 2 min, he begins to feel some roughness over the surface of her body. To see what this roughness is he opens his eyes. He saw to his amazement that this lady was a blind and leper. And sir at that moment he said a word that really touched my heart, and he said "I never knew how leper my heart was till I touched this leper". Sir the moral of the story is that everybody in life suffers from a leprosy of heart, if addressed I believe, the world would be a better place to live
CM: (with a very satisfied look asked me) whose story is this?
Me: Malcomm Mug ridge
CM: Who is he?
Me: I don't know about him sir. I read about him in a book' Chairman passes it to the first member
M1: Rajesh do you know what is a apocryphal story?
Me: Sir, I never heard about this term.
CM: What story you said now is a apocryphal story. Then all the panel members laughed loud. I just gave a smile
M1: Rajesh when a story is of a doubtful authenticity but also carrying a prophetic message that is narrated with good dramatics is a apocryphal story.
Me: Thank you sir.
M1: Do you know India has a rich repository of ancient traditions of story telling. Can you name some of them?
Me: Sir Amarchitrakatha
CM: Don't talk about all this. what you are saying is a recent phenomenon. We are asking you about ancient traditions (in a very angry tone).
Me: Sir, I am extremely sorry. I am not aware about the literary aspects of story telling. But I know that in Andhra we have a tradition of "Harikatha, Burrakatha and Tholubomma" and in north we have stories of Panchatantra.(CM was looking for the same answer.He concurred with me when I said this and to my amazement he knew abot Andhra stories.So I gave command to my brain that I should not bluff to him.come what ever may).
M1: Ok, You are from Rajahmundry, why did you go to Pond cherry to study?
Me:Sir I appeared for the AIEEE and I got seat at Pondicherry engineering college. And it is a central university. So I believed that my career prospects would be brighter.So I was attarcted.
M1: What is your opinion about grading system in schools?
Me: Sir It is a good move. That would help in de-stressing of the student because we see many child suicides for marks in schools.
M1: I don't think it would make any difference. I was about to defend but he didnt allow me to reply.He wanted to de-motivate me.
M1: So you are an engineer, why I A S?
Me: Sir, I was inspired by many surrendered naxalaites to become an IAS officer. At a very early age of 12-3 years I came to know what an IAS officer can do. And sir apart from that I also understand that the career progression, prestige and esteem offered by these services are unparalleled.
CM: Rajesh What is this naxalism?
Me: Sir, naxalism is an extremist thought who believe in the doctrine of maoism
CM: what is this Maoism?
Me: Sir, they want to overpower and overthrow the state through an armed rebellion to establish a socialist state. They believe that power flows from the barrel of a gun and not the ballot
CM: So, do you think what they are doing is right?
Me: Sir, I have gone through the Planning commission document on Development challenges in extremist affected areas. And the report rightly acknowledges the good work done by the maosits.
CM: Do you feel they are also perpetuating injustice??
Me: Sir when their core interests get affected, they also join the corrupt political-bureaucratic-contractor nexus.
CM: U know one collector was abducted?
Me: Yes sir, Mr. Vineel Krishna
CM: Do you think the government was right in releasing the naxalaites for the release of collector
Me: Sir, Definitely the government was right. If he was not released it would be de-motivating for honest and sincere officers that government would not come to my rescue when I am in need
CM: But Rajesh, dreaded criminals were released
Me: Sir we need to have a anti-hostage policy and train the national disaster response force to deal with theses issues
CM: Do you know we have a anti-hijacking policy that says no negotiations. Do you support?
Me: Sir policies serve as a deterrent. But any decision should be taken based on the gravity of the situation.
M2: So, You are from Rajahmundry?
Me: Sir, I was born at rajahmundry, but I am from Ramagundam.
M2: So what is this Telangana movement?
Me: Sir it is a sub-regional movement, that should be seen in the context of demand for equity, development, empowerment and representation?
M2: Do you think Telngana is needed?
Me: Sir I strongly and sincerely feel that telangana state is needed?
M2: Why?
Me: Sir right from 1956 every provision and gaurantee was violated.4 cr people of telangana want it.And more importantly there is lack of representation of telangana leaders.
M2: Do you know 117 legislators go to state assembly from telangana?
Me: But thier representation in cabinet is very less.
M2: why?
Me: Sir while legislators are elected by people,cabinet is the prerogative of the CM.And CM is never from Telangana Region. Coastal Andhara and Rayalseema MLAs combined will have more number than Telangana. So representation is limited.
M2: Why no CM from Telangana?
Me: Sir a CM has to command the respect of the majority of people in the state and the support of the legislators, Which a telangana leader may fail to get because of his regional aspiration. And as Weber says there is a need of charismatic authority which a Telangana leader might fail to get because of the regional aspirations
M2: wanted to ask further, But CM intervened and stopped him and passed it on to the third member who was a lady. I felt M2 was from coastal andhra region. He was not agreeing with me. But it is the opinion and demeneaour when we say our opinion matters more than our answer.
M3: Rajesh we had the fortune of listening a story from you. Now i will say a story and you should say the moral of the story. A young blind boy is begging on the road with a slate in his neck.The slate reads."I am Blind, Please help me". A man passes by the lane everyday and finds that noone drops any money in his plate ever. SO he rubs the text on the slate and writes, "The day is beautiful, But Sorry, I am not able to see. Please help me". Then everyone starts to give him money. What is the moral of the story?
Me: Madam may i use an analogy to explain the moral of the story?
M3: Oh Yes!
Me: Looked at CM and said, sir may i be allowed to use the pencil and paper.
CM: Go Ahead
Me: I wrote on the paper "GOD IS NO WHERE", and i said sir any number of times we see, we read it GOD IS NO WHERE. But the same sentence can also be read as "GOD IS NOW HERE" if we attach the "W" in Where beside the word "NO" and it becomes "NOW". So in life we need to acknowledge postiveness to grow high .So, the moral of the story is there is a power of positiveness if harnassed man can be successful like the blind boy.
CM: I am not convinced with you.It is the power of expression that said "The day is beautiful " but not the power of positiveness.
Me: Sir I agree with you. But i feel it is the power of the positiveness of the expression.Expressions are there everywhere.But when positive energy gets augmented, the face of the expression changes.
M3: What is social marketing?
Me: Sorry madam, i never heard about this.
M3: Do you know Amitabh bachchan comes on the TV to advertise for polio.
Me: Madam, No TV, Old Rajindernagar is very costly.
CM :No rajesh, even in print media we see Sehwag and Bollywood stars promoting social causes?
Me: Sir i understand it is Corporate social responsibility. But i am not aware if CSR and social marketing are similar in concept.
M4: Rajesh you are from rajahmundry?
Me: Sir i was born there, but i am from ramagundam.
M4: Do you know in rajahmundry tobacco grows?
Me: Yes sir.
M4: What is the kind of tobacco grown?
Me: Sir it is called Virginia tobacco.
M4: So in India the area under tobacco is decreasing. What is the reason?
Me: Sir in 2008 India signed the Convention on banning of tobacco substances. There is a mandate under the convention to decrease area cultivated under tobacco.
M4: Do you think it is justified?
Me: Sir while tobacco is causing many health hazards, it is also supporting livelihoods. So government has to provide altenative skills for livelihood. And the area should be decreased in a phased manner.
M4 :Do you know what ITC is doing?
Me: I don't know sir
M4: It is doing what you have just said.
Me: Thank you sir. I am humbled.
M4: Ramagundam has a power plant, do you think thermal energy should be encouraged?
Me: Sir thermal energy should be encouraged keeping in view our growth rates, infrastructure needs and keeping in mind the technology and efficiency aspects.
M4: Do you know the unit cost of a thermal and hydro power plant?
Me: Sir thermal is Rs2-Rs3/KWHr while hydro energy is Rs 1/KWHr
M4: So why cant we encourage hydropower?
Me: Sir,while there is every need to diversify our energy basket, thermal energy is an imperative to us keeping in view the needs.Apart from that hydropower plants involve lot of tribal displacement, submergence and huge gestation period.
CM: Ok, Rajesh, Your interview is over.
Me: Sir can i remove the paper i used and throw in the dustbin
CM: NO. NO. It is not your job.
Me: Thank you sir I walked without showing my back till the door. I bowed again in humility to the board at the door and came out. The lady member smiled. And I came out.
My Observations: Interview is not a question and answer session. It is about discussion. Always the question is from biodata and news papers. Interview is not about what you say but about how you say. It is about demeanor. Mark is not for knowledge. Mark is for confidence, honesty, intellectual integrity, knowing ground realities and variety and depth of your understanding. Trust the board. Don't have prejudices.
Finally assessment is from what you have answered not from the question that you have not answered. Board cant test your personality from a question you have not answered. So forget the question that you have not answered and answer the question to the best of your ability in a question you know.
The easiest question in an interview is the question that you don't know. so feel happy about it. Finally its all about the attitude one displays that pulls or pushes you on the ladder of marks.
All the best.
Thanks & Regards
Rajesh. K
Exam Interview Details:
Interview Marks: 190 marks, 103 rank
Subjects Taken: Public Administration and Sociology
Date:18-Apr-2011
Interview Board: Purushotam Aggarwal
Result of Interview: Qualified
City: Hyderabad
Name: Prabhasa Bhoi
State: Orissa
Work: NTPC as Sr. Engineer
Sports: Played cricket during school and college days
Hobby: Collecting Indian Coins, swimming
I was on Mr. K K Paul's board. I was the fist candidate to be interviewed on that day. I was bit nervous to be interviewed first. Anyway I managed to keep my cool. By 10.30, my interview was started and it lasted for 40 minutes. I could not impress the Chairman but somehow tackled the questions from other Board Members. I am not sure how much will I be getting in the interview.
First of all Mr Paul asked me about my Name, Roll No. and Date of birth. Then, as on the previous day World cup semi-final was played he inquired whether I had watched the match. I replied Yes but not fully.
Chairman: What was the turning point of the match?
Me: Tendulkar was dropped 4 times and almost all Indian bowlers picked up wickets.
(He was not convinced)
Chairman: Who was the captain of Indian on the first ever match played between India and Pakistan?
Me: No idea sir.
Chairman: Who was the captain of Pakistan on the first ever match played between India and Pakistan?
Me: No idea sir.
(Then the Chairman gave the answer and asked whether I know them. I nodded negatively.)
Chairman: Why the rainbow is always curved?
Me: Rainbows are formed by refraction of light from rain drops. Rain drops are spherical in shape and different colours have different wavelengths which are refracted differently and gave rise to curved shape.
(He was not convinced)
Chairman: Have u heard of Irom Sharmila?
Me: Yes sir. She is a social activist fighting for repeal of AFSPA (Armed forces special power act) from NE areas of our country.
Chairman: What is the specialty about her?
Me: She is on a continuous fast since last one decade to fight for this great cause.
Chairman: What is AFSPA?
Me: This act empowers armed forces with special powers such as to detain anybody without trial for indefinite period in certain disturbed areas to maintain peace and security of the region.
Chairman: What is the specific clause, she wants to repeal?
Me: Sorry sir, I don’t remember.
Chairman: You are working in NTPC since last 5 years. Then why are you planning to change ur job?
Me: Truly speaking NTPC is the inspirational source of mine for preparing for Civil Services. I a working in a generalised Dept., where I have to work with in sync with different Departments such as Engineering, Finance etc.
Gradually I felt that if I can contribute in a efficient manner here, why cant I use my talent in a bigger field for the service of the society.
Chairman: But, you are also now contributing to the society?
Me: Here Sir my scope is limited to only one filed. In civil service I will get a chance to serve in broader spectrum.
(He was not convinced. After that he asked a few more questions and then asked other members to ask questions)
Member1: You have mentioned that your hobby is collecting coins. What is it called?
Me: Numismatism.
Member1: What is the oldest coin you possess?
Me: It is of the year 1892, 2 Anna, Victoria series.
Member1: What is the present installed capacity of our country?
Me: around 1,72,000 MW.
Member1: What is the share of each sector?
Me: Thermal=65%, Hydro=20%, Nuclear=3%, RES=12%
Member1: Recently Govt. has launched a new mission for renewable energy. What is the name of that programmer?
Me: National Solar Mission to generate 20,000 MW of solar energy by 2022.
Member2: What is the installed capacity of NTPC? (As I am working in NTPC)
Me: 33,194 MW.
Member2: Is it all coal based?
Me: No Sir, A major share (say 75%) comes form coal and remaining are gas based projects. Hydro projects are still to be commissioned. NTPC is planning to venture into Nuclear, Solar and Wind energy.
Member2: What is UMPP?
Me: Ultra Mega Power Projects, which are basically taken to bridge the large demand gap in power sector in our country.
Member2: What should be the minimum generating capacity of a power plant to be called a UMPP?
Me: 3000 MW
Member2: How many UMPPs are there in our country?
Me: Govt has already placed orders for 4-5 UMPPs such as Susan, Mudra etc. and Govt. is planning more.
Member2: How many of them are in operation?
Me: None of them have been commissioned.
Mmber2: Then, what is the present status of their construction?
Me: Sorry sir, I don’t have a detailed idea but some of them may be commissioned early in the next year.
Member2: Some of them are facing financial crunch? Do you know them?
Me: No idea sir.
Member3 (Lady Member): Why Orissa is so backward?
Me: There is lack of proper utilization of resources because of the poor level of human development and adoption of the top-down model of planning for development.
Member3: So you mean to say Orissa can never be developed?
Me: No Mam, these days lot of investments are coming and Orissa is poise to be the biggest investment hub in our country. Furthermore the planning is being with the involvement of the people.
(She was not convinced and then the Chairman interrupted)
Chairman: What can be done to improve the industrial Sector of your state?
Me: The Govt. should take the initiative to investment in a planed manner; Private players must be encouraged to play a greater role, central assistance is needed and wherever possible foreign players must also be given a chance.
(Chairman too was not convinced with the answer and asked the member to continue)
Member3: What can be done to improve the financial scenario of Orissa?
(I don’t remember what I answered)
Member4: These days there is a news regarding ‘Cricket Diplomacy’. What is the other sport in which the term Diplomacy is attached?
Me: No idea sir.
(The member asked me to try and I said ‘Hockey’. I think I made a big mistake here by guessing.)
Member4: It is ‘Ping-pong’ diplomacy. Have u heard of it?
Me: No Sir.
Member 4: How many languages are recognized in our constitution?
Me: 22
Member 4: Among them, which is the language that is not the state language of any state?
(I really had no idea and he asked me to guess. Again I guessed wrongly such as Bodo or Dongri. He denied and said that it is ‘Sanskrit’. However, later I found that Sanskrit is the 2nd state language (after Hindi) of Uttarakhand’
Member 4: Do you know Nitish Kumaar?
Me: He is the Chief Minister of Bihar.
Member4: Since how long he is acting as CM of Bihar?
Me: Since last 4-5 years.
(Jokingly he said that “ohh, since last 45 years he is serving as CM. I clarified again and said that it is around 4-5 years)
Member4: So you mean to say it is his first term as CM?
Me: No sir. May be its his 2nd term but I am not sure. (Later I found that it is his 3rd term)
Member4: What has he done for development of Bihar?
Me: He has improved the law & order situation and have made significant improvements in the infrastructure and social sector of the state.
Member4: What are specific projects and programmes launched by him?
Me: No idea sir.
Member4: You hell from Puri district of Orissa. Tell me what are the major natural disasters that affect you district?
Me: Flood, cyclone etc.
Member4: What the Govt. has done after 1999 super-cyclone to minimize the damage?
Me: Govt. has built Cyclone shelter centers along the coast and has launched many awareness campaigns to educate the people regarding the use of this. It has strengthened the SDMA (State Disaster Management Authority).
Member4: But why the people are not using these cyclone centers?
Me: (I could not answer this)
Member4: You district is a poor district. What could be done to develop your district?
Me: Puri district possess a vast tourism potential with Sun Temple, Konark and Jagannath Temple, Puri. Fishing and Agriculture can be encouraged given the irrigation potential of the district. Wind energy can be tapped from the vast coastline. Further, the tourism development of the nearby areas such as Chilka Lake, Similipal Tiger Resrve etc. should be encouraged to attract more foreign tourists.
(I think by mentioning Chilka Lake I made the biggest mistake and this attracted the intervention form the Chairman)
Chairman: What is the property of the water of what you called Chilka Lake?
Me: It is a salt water lake.
Chairman: Is it a lake or something else?
Me: Sorry sir, It is called Chilka Lagoon.
Chairman: What is the difference between a Lake and Lagoon?
Me: Lagoon is a water body having a connection to sea. But Lake is a fully enclosed water body.
(That was the last question to me. Then the Chairman me thanked me and stated that my interview is over. I thanked them all and left the room while thinking of the mistake made by me by mentioning Chilka Lake)
Exam Interview Details:
Subjects Taken : Public Administration, Geography
Date of Interview: 31.03.2011
Interview Board : K K PAUL
Result of Interview : Qualified
City : Noida
Name: Rajeshwari B Type: Interview
Interview: I do not remember the exact answers I gave in my interview so I will only give you the gist of my interview.my board was Rajni Razdan madam's.First thing she said was 'you don't look like you do in your photograph'.. I smiled and said, but ma'am it was only taken a month back. She showed the pic to me and said do you feel you look like this now. Immediately after your interview go and get new photos and give to my assistant. I said ok ma'am I will do the needful. All this time I kept my smile. Finally she asked me my name , roll number which I answered.
RR - What do you cook (my hobby)?
Me - Ma'am depends on what I feel at that moment.
RR - Don't tell me that , tell me what you prepare.
Me - Yes ma'am , rice is our staple food so I prepare rice items more, like veg pulav , fried rice , biriyani and some regionally specific dishes like bisi bele baat , vaangi baat.
RR - Tell me the recipe of that.
Me - Ma'am it is a brinjal based dish with spices. ( I was trying to give an introduction of the recipe before giving the details, like as if this was a written exam.P ).
RR - when you see a recipe book is that how you find the recipe, won't there be ingredients and measurements? Now tell us how you will prepare for the five of us (members).
Me - I started ma'am I will require 3 cups of rice. somewhere at the end she cut in and said ok, ( may be she din't find it that tasty..!! :P )
RR - You have done MA in Pol Sci & IR, tell me about the situation in Libiya right now.
Me - Presently the NATO forces are implementing the UNSC Resolution 1973. But the leader Muammar Gaddafi is not ready to let go of his power and is retaliating to these NATO forces. There is a lot of chaos going on. ( This was the weakest point of my interview. I could have given a much better answer.)
Then she gestured the next sir to ask. I was passed on.
Sir1 - Have you heard of Self Help Groups ?
Me - yes sir I have.
S1 - What do they do?
Me - Sir , they are a way of generating a regular income among women , especially in the rural areas. Women come together and form various enterprises through which they can gain some profit. Many small and cottage industries are based on this. Crafts and edible items.. etc are marketed by them.
S1 - Do they have savings?
Me - Yes sir, they are encouraged to go for savings and they also give out loans to the newcomers to establish their own groups and enterprise. Now a days some banks like SBI (not sure if this is right) also give out loans to these groups.
S1 - You are from Karnataka , Recently the arecanut farmers from there visited the PM for some reason. What are their problems?
Me - (I forgot the more important reason and gave the general one first). Off late the arecanut yield is suffering due to insufficient irrigation and power cuts..etc. And recently the Kar. gov. has banned gutka and supari due to which the arecanut prices have taken a steep dip. Their demand is to bring some stability to the prices of arecanut.
S1 - Don't you think it is good that such a thing which causes oral cancer and all has been banned?
Me - Definitely it is a good thing sir. But arecanut itself is not the biggest cause of oral cancer. Tobacco is more hazardous ot heath but it has not been banned. and many people are dependent upon arecanut for their livelihood, so the issue has to be thought about.
S1 - Can't we encourage the arecanut farmers to go for alternative crops?
Me - We can do that sir, But we must keep in mind that arecanut is an intensive investment sector. A lot of investment goes into buying the plants and fertilizers. It also requires heavy irrigation facilities like drip irrigation which is quite expensive. So it will be difficult to convince them to go for a change now. And even if they do , they must be given adequate returns for their investment. also the soil suitablility has to be researched for alternative craops. So this will need more time and research.
S1 - Have you seen any arecanut farms?
Me - Yes sir my father comes from an agricultural family . So I have seen arecanut farms.
He nodded and said okay. then Sir 2. A really very old and sweet uncle.
S2 - You mentioned supari in you answer. Do you know the other meaning of supari? they say supari de dunga no....
Me - Yes sir (big smile). It means something like hired assasins.
S2 - said yes you are right, with a smile. And asked you have done your schooling in coorg and then you did it in Mysore. Why?
Me - Yes sir , my father was in govt service and we had changed a few schools during my early years in school. To bring some stability my parents thought it would be better to put us in a hostel.
S2 - why Coorg?
Me - When I was studying in Udipi , we (automatically I included my bro also but luckily he din't realize) were under the guidance of a particular principle who was very good.When he went to coorg to head another school we also shifted there as we wanted to continue to be under his guidance.
S2 - Then why Mysore?
Me - Sir after staying for so long in hostel , I wanted to be at home so decided to continue my studies in Mysore itself.
S2 - Smiled and said that explains everything. Looked at my application and asked , Why did you go for distance education for you degree?
Me - Sir I was diagnosed with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis during the final months of my plus two. And I had some difficulty with walking in the early mornings, but I wanted to continue my studies so decided to go for distance education.
S2 - Oh, that's very sad, are you still under medication?
Me - No sir, I was for one year but I am better now.
He said that's good. And Sir 3, sitting on my left started.
S3 - What you know about regional planning?
Me - Sir we are already having problems of regionalism in India. This is because of development disparities among regions. So to help in development of a particular region a particular plan is laid out keeping in mind the advantages and disadvantages of the region. India is a vast country with each region having different resources and different needs, so we cannot have a single plan for the whole country. That is why we have regional planning.
S3 - What are the benefits?
Me - By having regional planning we can give focus to every region and help in faster development of India itself. More importantly the local people will be involved in it. I think that just like grassroot democracy even administration must go to the grass root and regional planning helps in doing this.
S3 - People will take part more..?
Me - Yes sir. ( he was kind of acknowledging my answer so I did not elaborate).
S3 - What is diff between rural planning and urban planning?
Me - Sir , through rural planning we are still trying to give our rural areas some of the basic amenities such as electricity , water and schools. Some of our villages do not even have schools yet , so we are focusing on providing them these kind of development through the plans where as in urban area we are focusing on improving the infrastructure , increasing economic output and attracting more FDI..etc . this is the basic difference.
He said okay and passed me on to the nest Sir.
S4 - We have launched the PSLV recently (it was done just the previous day). Why do we need it , what is the use?
Me - Sir we have launched 3 sats through this launch. One is the resources at , the other two with foreign collaboration, one with Indonesia ( It was actually Russia.. :P ) and the other with Singapore. Firstly this will help us gain access to foreign technology which is superior to ours and also we can go for agreements and joint researches in the field of space and science..etc. There will be technology transfer which will have positive effects from india's point of view. And then satellites like resources at help us know about our resources which is helpful in many ways.
S4 - How knowing resources will be helpful?
Me - Sir India has great resource potential , but we are not bale to capitalize on these resources. By knowing which region has what resources, our planning will be better and when our planning is better, our rate of development will pick up. For example we have floods in one region but droughts in another. Knowing this we can build dams in the most suitable region so that the floods can be diverted and the water used to irrigate lands which face drought. Also knowing about rivers and their flow we can plan our hydel projects..etc. Knowing about our forests we can go for development in a sustainable manner such that forests are used for economic purposes but also conserved at the same time etc
S4 - Are you aware of the National Knowledge Network ?
Me - Yes sir , it is an initiatative to connect the various universities all over the country. to make a network of it......
S4 - What is the use of this Network?
Me - Sir this will help in over all development of higher education in the country. the top universities that have good infrastructure can help other universities to improve their infrastructure. Libraries and information can be shared, so there will be a flow of ideas between the universities. And ideas will lead to innovation and
development. Most importantly it will bring together the youth of the nation. Being a big country , it is physically impossible to meet, but through such a cyber network we can get in touch with our peers in various parts of our country.
S4 - How many times have you been to Delhi?
Me - Sir this is my second visit. I was here in 2007 for my coaching.
S4 - Do you see any change?
Me - (Was little confused with this q as I din't know what he expected) Not particularly sir.
S4 - They say they are using CNG and so pollution has come down etc . Don't you feel that?
Me - Sir I come from Mysore which has recently beed judged as the 2nd cleanest city in India. when I come from there to here I see a huge difference. I have not felt any significant change.
S4 - What is CNG?
Me - It is Compressed Natural Gas. It is a renewable source of energy ( made this mistake in my josh). I am sorry sir not renewable but a clean source of energy that is being used now a days.
S4 - why is it compressed?
Me - I was so comfortable that I blurted compressed because its compressed sir with a big smile on my face. Then I actually laughed and said I am sorry sir I don't really know why.
S4 - What is your dream?
Me - I smiled and said my dream sir? (he nodded) I know that India will be one of the most developed society in a matter of few years. My dream is to be a part of India's development process. To make a contribution in such a success.
S4 - Why civil services?
Me - I would like to quote Socrates here sir. ( he nodded ) . ' An unexamined life is not worth living'. And when I examine my life in the end , it will not be in terms of how much property , wealth and status I have made but it will be in terms of how worth while I have been to the society. This I can do as an NGO or social worker (S3 was kind of repeating my answer when I was at it.), but the confidence I require will be given to me only by civil services.
At this point RR said a stern THANK YOU (guess she was still angry that I don't wish her first). I kind of jerked out of my comfort zone after hearing her Thank you, I said thank you ma'am , thank you sirs and walked out confidently.
Exam Interview Details :
Subjects Taken : Sociology and Political science
Date : 21-Apr-2011
Interview Board : Rajni Razdan
Interview Before I may write anything, I take this opportunity to thank
1) Mr. K. Srinivasu IRS (IT) : My Interview Mentor.
2) Mr. R.C. Sinha- New Delhi IAS - He acclimatised me about many issues and made my approach towards interview more pragmatic and realistic.
3) My friends Aravind, Pradeep, Sandeep, Satish, Bindu and my intellectual friend Sai.
4) Mocks of Chanaknya IAS academy and the panel who made me realise my deficiencies and defects.
Background: B.Tech (Electrical and Electronics Engineering), Pondicherry central University.
Hobbies: Reading Books (Non-Fiction) and Story Telling.
Place of Birth: Rajahmundry
Place of Residence: Ramagundam (Telangana)
Optionals: Public Administration and Sociology
CHAIRMAN (CM): Purushottam Aggarwal
Time: 4.25 p.m-5.00 p.m
Me: Rajesh Kankipati
I was the last candidate for the day Bell ring and attendant opened the door
Me: May I come in sir?
CM: Yes Rajesh come in Went near the table and said "namaste Sir" (Confusion whether to say Good Afternoon or Good evening)
CM: Rajesh Take your seat
Me: Thank You sir
CM: Your hobbies is story telling (in an angry tone with large voice) Me: Yes sir
CM: Do you write or imagine stories?
Me: I don't write or imagine stories. I have a hobbies of reading books. So, whenever I read something that is worth sharing, I narrate it.
CM: Why do you do it?
Me: It would help in inculcating and imbibing good values
CM: Whom do you narrate to?
Me: No reservation against any age group. School going children, room mates, parents, professors, rickshaw puller, any one sir for that matter
CM: Can you say a story?
Me: A man came from America to deliver a lecture at Hyderabad. After the lecture was over he went to a nearby lake to enjoy the scenic beauty. On the other bank of the lake he saw a woman washing clothes. While she was washing, some of her body parts were exposed. Seeing this, he was tempted towards her. But being ethical and honest he tried to control his temptation. After washing clothes the woman went into the lake to have bath.
When she removed her clothes he was not able to control his temptations. So he jumped into the lake. Went near her, hugged and embraced her. Started mindlessly kissing her. She began to shout for help but no one came to her rescue. This man still goes on kissing her mindlessly. After some time of 2 min, he begins to feel some roughness over the surface of her body. To see what this roughness is he opens his eyes. He saw to his amazement that this lady was a blind and leper. And sir at that moment he said a word that really touched my heart, and he said "I never knew how leper my heart was till I touched this leper". Sir the moral of the story is that everybody in life suffers from a leprosy of heart, if addressed I believe, the world would be a better place to live
CM: (with a very satisfied look asked me) whose story is this?
Me: Malcomm Mug ridge
CM: Who is he?
Me: I don't know about him sir. I read about him in a book' Chairman passes it to the first member
M1: Rajesh do you know what is a apocryphal story?
Me: Sir, I never heard about this term.
CM: What story you said now is a apocryphal story. Then all the panel members laughed loud. I just gave a smile
M1: Rajesh when a story is of a doubtful authenticity but also carrying a prophetic message that is narrated with good dramatics is a apocryphal story.
Me: Thank you sir.
M1: Do you know India has a rich repository of ancient traditions of story telling. Can you name some of them?
Me: Sir Amarchitrakatha
CM: Don't talk about all this. what you are saying is a recent phenomenon. We are asking you about ancient traditions (in a very angry tone).
Me: Sir, I am extremely sorry. I am not aware about the literary aspects of story telling. But I know that in Andhra we have a tradition of "Harikatha, Burrakatha and Tholubomma" and in north we have stories of Panchatantra.(CM was looking for the same answer.He concurred with me when I said this and to my amazement he knew abot Andhra stories.So I gave command to my brain that I should not bluff to him.come what ever may).
M1: Ok, You are from Rajahmundry, why did you go to Pond cherry to study?
Me:Sir I appeared for the AIEEE and I got seat at Pondicherry engineering college. And it is a central university. So I believed that my career prospects would be brighter.So I was attarcted.
M1: What is your opinion about grading system in schools?
Me: Sir It is a good move. That would help in de-stressing of the student because we see many child suicides for marks in schools.
M1: I don't think it would make any difference. I was about to defend but he didnt allow me to reply.He wanted to de-motivate me.
M1: So you are an engineer, why I A S?
Me: Sir, I was inspired by many surrendered naxalaites to become an IAS officer. At a very early age of 12-3 years I came to know what an IAS officer can do. And sir apart from that I also understand that the career progression, prestige and esteem offered by these services are unparalleled.
CM: Rajesh What is this naxalism?
Me: Sir, naxalism is an extremist thought who believe in the doctrine of maoism
CM: what is this Maoism?
Me: Sir, they want to overpower and overthrow the state through an armed rebellion to establish a socialist state. They believe that power flows from the barrel of a gun and not the ballot
CM: So, do you think what they are doing is right?
Me: Sir, I have gone through the Planning commission document on Development challenges in extremist affected areas. And the report rightly acknowledges the good work done by the maosits.
CM: Do you feel they are also perpetuating injustice??
Me: Sir when their core interests get affected, they also join the corrupt political-bureaucratic-contractor nexus.
CM: U know one collector was abducted?
Me: Yes sir, Mr. Vineel Krishna
CM: Do you think the government was right in releasing the naxalaites for the release of collector
Me: Sir, Definitely the government was right. If he was not released it would be de-motivating for honest and sincere officers that government would not come to my rescue when I am in need
CM: But Rajesh, dreaded criminals were released
Me: Sir we need to have a anti-hostage policy and train the national disaster response force to deal with theses issues
CM: Do you know we have a anti-hijacking policy that says no negotiations. Do you support?
Me: Sir policies serve as a deterrent. But any decision should be taken based on the gravity of the situation.
M2: So, You are from Rajahmundry?
Me: Sir, I was born at rajahmundry, but I am from Ramagundam.
M2: So what is this Telangana movement?
Me: Sir it is a sub-regional movement, that should be seen in the context of demand for equity, development, empowerment and representation?
M2: Do you think Telngana is needed?
Me: Sir I strongly and sincerely feel that telangana state is needed?
M2: Why?
Me: Sir right from 1956 every provision and gaurantee was violated.4 cr people of telangana want it.And more importantly there is lack of representation of telangana leaders.
M2: Do you know 117 legislators go to state assembly from telangana?
Me: But thier representation in cabinet is very less.
M2: why?
Me: Sir while legislators are elected by people,cabinet is the prerogative of the CM.And CM is never from Telangana Region. Coastal Andhara and Rayalseema MLAs combined will have more number than Telangana. So representation is limited.
M2: Why no CM from Telangana?
Me: Sir a CM has to command the respect of the majority of people in the state and the support of the legislators, Which a telangana leader may fail to get because of his regional aspiration. And as Weber says there is a need of charismatic authority which a Telangana leader might fail to get because of the regional aspirations
M2: wanted to ask further, But CM intervened and stopped him and passed it on to the third member who was a lady. I felt M2 was from coastal andhra region. He was not agreeing with me. But it is the opinion and demeneaour when we say our opinion matters more than our answer.
M3: Rajesh we had the fortune of listening a story from you. Now i will say a story and you should say the moral of the story. A young blind boy is begging on the road with a slate in his neck.The slate reads."I am Blind, Please help me". A man passes by the lane everyday and finds that noone drops any money in his plate ever. SO he rubs the text on the slate and writes, "The day is beautiful, But Sorry, I am not able to see. Please help me". Then everyone starts to give him money. What is the moral of the story?
Me: Madam may i use an analogy to explain the moral of the story?
M3: Oh Yes!
Me: Looked at CM and said, sir may i be allowed to use the pencil and paper.
CM: Go Ahead
Me: I wrote on the paper "GOD IS NO WHERE", and i said sir any number of times we see, we read it GOD IS NO WHERE. But the same sentence can also be read as "GOD IS NOW HERE" if we attach the "W" in Where beside the word "NO" and it becomes "NOW". So in life we need to acknowledge postiveness to grow high .So, the moral of the story is there is a power of positiveness if harnassed man can be successful like the blind boy.
CM: I am not convinced with you.It is the power of expression that said "The day is beautiful " but not the power of positiveness.
Me: Sir I agree with you. But i feel it is the power of the positiveness of the expression.Expressions are there everywhere.But when positive energy gets augmented, the face of the expression changes.
M3: What is social marketing?
Me: Sorry madam, i never heard about this.
M3: Do you know Amitabh bachchan comes on the TV to advertise for polio.
Me: Madam, No TV, Old Rajindernagar is very costly.
CM :No rajesh, even in print media we see Sehwag and Bollywood stars promoting social causes?
Me: Sir i understand it is Corporate social responsibility. But i am not aware if CSR and social marketing are similar in concept.
M4: Rajesh you are from rajahmundry?
Me: Sir i was born there, but i am from ramagundam.
M4: Do you know in rajahmundry tobacco grows?
Me: Yes sir.
M4: What is the kind of tobacco grown?
Me: Sir it is called Virginia tobacco.
M4: So in India the area under tobacco is decreasing. What is the reason?
Me: Sir in 2008 India signed the Convention on banning of tobacco substances. There is a mandate under the convention to decrease area cultivated under tobacco.
M4: Do you think it is justified?
Me: Sir while tobacco is causing many health hazards, it is also supporting livelihoods. So government has to provide altenative skills for livelihood. And the area should be decreased in a phased manner.
M4 :Do you know what ITC is doing?
Me: I don't know sir
M4: It is doing what you have just said.
Me: Thank you sir. I am humbled.
M4: Ramagundam has a power plant, do you think thermal energy should be encouraged?
Me: Sir thermal energy should be encouraged keeping in view our growth rates, infrastructure needs and keeping in mind the technology and efficiency aspects.
M4: Do you know the unit cost of a thermal and hydro power plant?
Me: Sir thermal is Rs2-Rs3/KWHr while hydro energy is Rs 1/KWHr
M4: So why cant we encourage hydropower?
Me: Sir,while there is every need to diversify our energy basket, thermal energy is an imperative to us keeping in view the needs.Apart from that hydropower plants involve lot of tribal displacement, submergence and huge gestation period.
CM: Ok, Rajesh, Your interview is over.
Me: Sir can i remove the paper i used and throw in the dustbin
CM: NO. NO. It is not your job.
Me: Thank you sir I walked without showing my back till the door. I bowed again in humility to the board at the door and came out. The lady member smiled. And I came out.
My Observations: Interview is not a question and answer session. It is about discussion. Always the question is from biodata and news papers. Interview is not about what you say but about how you say. It is about demeanor. Mark is not for knowledge. Mark is for confidence, honesty, intellectual integrity, knowing ground realities and variety and depth of your understanding. Trust the board. Don't have prejudices.
Finally assessment is from what you have answered not from the question that you have not answered. Board cant test your personality from a question you have not answered. So forget the question that you have not answered and answer the question to the best of your ability in a question you know.
The easiest question in an interview is the question that you don't know. so feel happy about it. Finally its all about the attitude one displays that pulls or pushes you on the ladder of marks.
All the best.
Thanks & Regards
Rajesh. K
Exam Interview Details:
Interview Marks: 190 marks, 103 rank
Subjects Taken: Public Administration and Sociology
Date:18-Apr-2011
Interview Board: Purushotam Aggarwal
Result of Interview: Qualified
City: Hyderabad
Name: Prabhasa Bhoi
State: Orissa
Work: NTPC as Sr. Engineer
Sports: Played cricket during school and college days
Hobby: Collecting Indian Coins, swimming
I was on Mr. K K Paul's board. I was the fist candidate to be interviewed on that day. I was bit nervous to be interviewed first. Anyway I managed to keep my cool. By 10.30, my interview was started and it lasted for 40 minutes. I could not impress the Chairman but somehow tackled the questions from other Board Members. I am not sure how much will I be getting in the interview.
First of all Mr Paul asked me about my Name, Roll No. and Date of birth. Then, as on the previous day World cup semi-final was played he inquired whether I had watched the match. I replied Yes but not fully.
Chairman: What was the turning point of the match?
Me: Tendulkar was dropped 4 times and almost all Indian bowlers picked up wickets.
(He was not convinced)
Chairman: Who was the captain of Indian on the first ever match played between India and Pakistan?
Me: No idea sir.
Chairman: Who was the captain of Pakistan on the first ever match played between India and Pakistan?
Me: No idea sir.
(Then the Chairman gave the answer and asked whether I know them. I nodded negatively.)
Chairman: Why the rainbow is always curved?
Me: Rainbows are formed by refraction of light from rain drops. Rain drops are spherical in shape and different colours have different wavelengths which are refracted differently and gave rise to curved shape.
(He was not convinced)
Chairman: Have u heard of Irom Sharmila?
Me: Yes sir. She is a social activist fighting for repeal of AFSPA (Armed forces special power act) from NE areas of our country.
Chairman: What is the specialty about her?
Me: She is on a continuous fast since last one decade to fight for this great cause.
Chairman: What is AFSPA?
Me: This act empowers armed forces with special powers such as to detain anybody without trial for indefinite period in certain disturbed areas to maintain peace and security of the region.
Chairman: What is the specific clause, she wants to repeal?
Me: Sorry sir, I don’t remember.
Chairman: You are working in NTPC since last 5 years. Then why are you planning to change ur job?
Me: Truly speaking NTPC is the inspirational source of mine for preparing for Civil Services. I a working in a generalised Dept., where I have to work with in sync with different Departments such as Engineering, Finance etc.
Gradually I felt that if I can contribute in a efficient manner here, why cant I use my talent in a bigger field for the service of the society.
Chairman: But, you are also now contributing to the society?
Me: Here Sir my scope is limited to only one filed. In civil service I will get a chance to serve in broader spectrum.
(He was not convinced. After that he asked a few more questions and then asked other members to ask questions)
Member1: You have mentioned that your hobby is collecting coins. What is it called?
Me: Numismatism.
Member1: What is the oldest coin you possess?
Me: It is of the year 1892, 2 Anna, Victoria series.
Member1: What is the present installed capacity of our country?
Me: around 1,72,000 MW.
Member1: What is the share of each sector?
Me: Thermal=65%, Hydro=20%, Nuclear=3%, RES=12%
Member1: Recently Govt. has launched a new mission for renewable energy. What is the name of that programmer?
Me: National Solar Mission to generate 20,000 MW of solar energy by 2022.
Member2: What is the installed capacity of NTPC? (As I am working in NTPC)
Me: 33,194 MW.
Member2: Is it all coal based?
Me: No Sir, A major share (say 75%) comes form coal and remaining are gas based projects. Hydro projects are still to be commissioned. NTPC is planning to venture into Nuclear, Solar and Wind energy.
Member2: What is UMPP?
Me: Ultra Mega Power Projects, which are basically taken to bridge the large demand gap in power sector in our country.
Member2: What should be the minimum generating capacity of a power plant to be called a UMPP?
Me: 3000 MW
Member2: How many UMPPs are there in our country?
Me: Govt has already placed orders for 4-5 UMPPs such as Susan, Mudra etc. and Govt. is planning more.
Member2: How many of them are in operation?
Me: None of them have been commissioned.
Mmber2: Then, what is the present status of their construction?
Me: Sorry sir, I don’t have a detailed idea but some of them may be commissioned early in the next year.
Member2: Some of them are facing financial crunch? Do you know them?
Me: No idea sir.
Member3 (Lady Member): Why Orissa is so backward?
Me: There is lack of proper utilization of resources because of the poor level of human development and adoption of the top-down model of planning for development.
Member3: So you mean to say Orissa can never be developed?
Me: No Mam, these days lot of investments are coming and Orissa is poise to be the biggest investment hub in our country. Furthermore the planning is being with the involvement of the people.
(She was not convinced and then the Chairman interrupted)
Chairman: What can be done to improve the industrial Sector of your state?
Me: The Govt. should take the initiative to investment in a planed manner; Private players must be encouraged to play a greater role, central assistance is needed and wherever possible foreign players must also be given a chance.
(Chairman too was not convinced with the answer and asked the member to continue)
Member3: What can be done to improve the financial scenario of Orissa?
(I don’t remember what I answered)
Member4: These days there is a news regarding ‘Cricket Diplomacy’. What is the other sport in which the term Diplomacy is attached?
Me: No idea sir.
(The member asked me to try and I said ‘Hockey’. I think I made a big mistake here by guessing.)
Member4: It is ‘Ping-pong’ diplomacy. Have u heard of it?
Me: No Sir.
Member 4: How many languages are recognized in our constitution?
Me: 22
Member 4: Among them, which is the language that is not the state language of any state?
(I really had no idea and he asked me to guess. Again I guessed wrongly such as Bodo or Dongri. He denied and said that it is ‘Sanskrit’. However, later I found that Sanskrit is the 2nd state language (after Hindi) of Uttarakhand’
Member 4: Do you know Nitish Kumaar?
Me: He is the Chief Minister of Bihar.
Member4: Since how long he is acting as CM of Bihar?
Me: Since last 4-5 years.
(Jokingly he said that “ohh, since last 45 years he is serving as CM. I clarified again and said that it is around 4-5 years)
Member4: So you mean to say it is his first term as CM?
Me: No sir. May be its his 2nd term but I am not sure. (Later I found that it is his 3rd term)
Member4: What has he done for development of Bihar?
Me: He has improved the law & order situation and have made significant improvements in the infrastructure and social sector of the state.
Member4: What are specific projects and programmes launched by him?
Me: No idea sir.
Member4: You hell from Puri district of Orissa. Tell me what are the major natural disasters that affect you district?
Me: Flood, cyclone etc.
Member4: What the Govt. has done after 1999 super-cyclone to minimize the damage?
Me: Govt. has built Cyclone shelter centers along the coast and has launched many awareness campaigns to educate the people regarding the use of this. It has strengthened the SDMA (State Disaster Management Authority).
Member4: But why the people are not using these cyclone centers?
Me: (I could not answer this)
Member4: You district is a poor district. What could be done to develop your district?
Me: Puri district possess a vast tourism potential with Sun Temple, Konark and Jagannath Temple, Puri. Fishing and Agriculture can be encouraged given the irrigation potential of the district. Wind energy can be tapped from the vast coastline. Further, the tourism development of the nearby areas such as Chilka Lake, Similipal Tiger Resrve etc. should be encouraged to attract more foreign tourists.
(I think by mentioning Chilka Lake I made the biggest mistake and this attracted the intervention form the Chairman)
Chairman: What is the property of the water of what you called Chilka Lake?
Me: It is a salt water lake.
Chairman: Is it a lake or something else?
Me: Sorry sir, It is called Chilka Lagoon.
Chairman: What is the difference between a Lake and Lagoon?
Me: Lagoon is a water body having a connection to sea. But Lake is a fully enclosed water body.
(That was the last question to me. Then the Chairman me thanked me and stated that my interview is over. I thanked them all and left the room while thinking of the mistake made by me by mentioning Chilka Lake)
Exam Interview Details:
Subjects Taken : Public Administration, Geography
Date of Interview: 31.03.2011
Interview Board : K K PAUL
Result of Interview : Qualified
City : Noida
Name: Rajeshwari B Type: Interview
Interview: I do not remember the exact answers I gave in my interview so I will only give you the gist of my interview.my board was Rajni Razdan madam's.First thing she said was 'you don't look like you do in your photograph'.. I smiled and said, but ma'am it was only taken a month back. She showed the pic to me and said do you feel you look like this now. Immediately after your interview go and get new photos and give to my assistant. I said ok ma'am I will do the needful. All this time I kept my smile. Finally she asked me my name , roll number which I answered.
RR - What do you cook (my hobby)?
Me - Ma'am depends on what I feel at that moment.
RR - Don't tell me that , tell me what you prepare.
Me - Yes ma'am , rice is our staple food so I prepare rice items more, like veg pulav , fried rice , biriyani and some regionally specific dishes like bisi bele baat , vaangi baat.
RR - Tell me the recipe of that.
Me - Ma'am it is a brinjal based dish with spices. ( I was trying to give an introduction of the recipe before giving the details, like as if this was a written exam.P ).
RR - when you see a recipe book is that how you find the recipe, won't there be ingredients and measurements? Now tell us how you will prepare for the five of us (members).
Me - I started ma'am I will require 3 cups of rice. somewhere at the end she cut in and said ok, ( may be she din't find it that tasty..!! :P )
RR - You have done MA in Pol Sci & IR, tell me about the situation in Libiya right now.
Me - Presently the NATO forces are implementing the UNSC Resolution 1973. But the leader Muammar Gaddafi is not ready to let go of his power and is retaliating to these NATO forces. There is a lot of chaos going on. ( This was the weakest point of my interview. I could have given a much better answer.)
Then she gestured the next sir to ask. I was passed on.
Sir1 - Have you heard of Self Help Groups ?
Me - yes sir I have.
S1 - What do they do?
Me - Sir , they are a way of generating a regular income among women , especially in the rural areas. Women come together and form various enterprises through which they can gain some profit. Many small and cottage industries are based on this. Crafts and edible items.. etc are marketed by them.
S1 - Do they have savings?
Me - Yes sir, they are encouraged to go for savings and they also give out loans to the newcomers to establish their own groups and enterprise. Now a days some banks like SBI (not sure if this is right) also give out loans to these groups.
S1 - You are from Karnataka , Recently the arecanut farmers from there visited the PM for some reason. What are their problems?
Me - (I forgot the more important reason and gave the general one first). Off late the arecanut yield is suffering due to insufficient irrigation and power cuts..etc. And recently the Kar. gov. has banned gutka and supari due to which the arecanut prices have taken a steep dip. Their demand is to bring some stability to the prices of arecanut.
S1 - Don't you think it is good that such a thing which causes oral cancer and all has been banned?
Me - Definitely it is a good thing sir. But arecanut itself is not the biggest cause of oral cancer. Tobacco is more hazardous ot heath but it has not been banned. and many people are dependent upon arecanut for their livelihood, so the issue has to be thought about.
S1 - Can't we encourage the arecanut farmers to go for alternative crops?
Me - We can do that sir, But we must keep in mind that arecanut is an intensive investment sector. A lot of investment goes into buying the plants and fertilizers. It also requires heavy irrigation facilities like drip irrigation which is quite expensive. So it will be difficult to convince them to go for a change now. And even if they do , they must be given adequate returns for their investment. also the soil suitablility has to be researched for alternative craops. So this will need more time and research.
S1 - Have you seen any arecanut farms?
Me - Yes sir my father comes from an agricultural family . So I have seen arecanut farms.
He nodded and said okay. then Sir 2. A really very old and sweet uncle.
S2 - You mentioned supari in you answer. Do you know the other meaning of supari? they say supari de dunga no....
Me - Yes sir (big smile). It means something like hired assasins.
S2 - said yes you are right, with a smile. And asked you have done your schooling in coorg and then you did it in Mysore. Why?
Me - Yes sir , my father was in govt service and we had changed a few schools during my early years in school. To bring some stability my parents thought it would be better to put us in a hostel.
S2 - why Coorg?
Me - When I was studying in Udipi , we (automatically I included my bro also but luckily he din't realize) were under the guidance of a particular principle who was very good.When he went to coorg to head another school we also shifted there as we wanted to continue to be under his guidance.
S2 - Then why Mysore?
Me - Sir after staying for so long in hostel , I wanted to be at home so decided to continue my studies in Mysore itself.
S2 - Smiled and said that explains everything. Looked at my application and asked , Why did you go for distance education for you degree?
Me - Sir I was diagnosed with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis during the final months of my plus two. And I had some difficulty with walking in the early mornings, but I wanted to continue my studies so decided to go for distance education.
S2 - Oh, that's very sad, are you still under medication?
Me - No sir, I was for one year but I am better now.
He said that's good. And Sir 3, sitting on my left started.
S3 - What you know about regional planning?
Me - Sir we are already having problems of regionalism in India. This is because of development disparities among regions. So to help in development of a particular region a particular plan is laid out keeping in mind the advantages and disadvantages of the region. India is a vast country with each region having different resources and different needs, so we cannot have a single plan for the whole country. That is why we have regional planning.
S3 - What are the benefits?
Me - By having regional planning we can give focus to every region and help in faster development of India itself. More importantly the local people will be involved in it. I think that just like grassroot democracy even administration must go to the grass root and regional planning helps in doing this.
S3 - People will take part more..?
Me - Yes sir. ( he was kind of acknowledging my answer so I did not elaborate).
S3 - What is diff between rural planning and urban planning?
Me - Sir , through rural planning we are still trying to give our rural areas some of the basic amenities such as electricity , water and schools. Some of our villages do not even have schools yet , so we are focusing on providing them these kind of development through the plans where as in urban area we are focusing on improving the infrastructure , increasing economic output and attracting more FDI..etc . this is the basic difference.
He said okay and passed me on to the nest Sir.
S4 - We have launched the PSLV recently (it was done just the previous day). Why do we need it , what is the use?
Me - Sir we have launched 3 sats through this launch. One is the resources at , the other two with foreign collaboration, one with Indonesia ( It was actually Russia.. :P ) and the other with Singapore. Firstly this will help us gain access to foreign technology which is superior to ours and also we can go for agreements and joint researches in the field of space and science..etc. There will be technology transfer which will have positive effects from india's point of view. And then satellites like resources at help us know about our resources which is helpful in many ways.
S4 - How knowing resources will be helpful?
Me - Sir India has great resource potential , but we are not bale to capitalize on these resources. By knowing which region has what resources, our planning will be better and when our planning is better, our rate of development will pick up. For example we have floods in one region but droughts in another. Knowing this we can build dams in the most suitable region so that the floods can be diverted and the water used to irrigate lands which face drought. Also knowing about rivers and their flow we can plan our hydel projects..etc. Knowing about our forests we can go for development in a sustainable manner such that forests are used for economic purposes but also conserved at the same time etc
S4 - Are you aware of the National Knowledge Network ?
Me - Yes sir , it is an initiatative to connect the various universities all over the country. to make a network of it......
S4 - What is the use of this Network?
Me - Sir this will help in over all development of higher education in the country. the top universities that have good infrastructure can help other universities to improve their infrastructure. Libraries and information can be shared, so there will be a flow of ideas between the universities. And ideas will lead to innovation and
development. Most importantly it will bring together the youth of the nation. Being a big country , it is physically impossible to meet, but through such a cyber network we can get in touch with our peers in various parts of our country.
S4 - How many times have you been to Delhi?
Me - Sir this is my second visit. I was here in 2007 for my coaching.
S4 - Do you see any change?
Me - (Was little confused with this q as I din't know what he expected) Not particularly sir.
S4 - They say they are using CNG and so pollution has come down etc . Don't you feel that?
Me - Sir I come from Mysore which has recently beed judged as the 2nd cleanest city in India. when I come from there to here I see a huge difference. I have not felt any significant change.
S4 - What is CNG?
Me - It is Compressed Natural Gas. It is a renewable source of energy ( made this mistake in my josh). I am sorry sir not renewable but a clean source of energy that is being used now a days.
S4 - why is it compressed?
Me - I was so comfortable that I blurted compressed because its compressed sir with a big smile on my face. Then I actually laughed and said I am sorry sir I don't really know why.
S4 - What is your dream?
Me - I smiled and said my dream sir? (he nodded) I know that India will be one of the most developed society in a matter of few years. My dream is to be a part of India's development process. To make a contribution in such a success.
S4 - Why civil services?
Me - I would like to quote Socrates here sir. ( he nodded ) . ' An unexamined life is not worth living'. And when I examine my life in the end , it will not be in terms of how much property , wealth and status I have made but it will be in terms of how worth while I have been to the society. This I can do as an NGO or social worker (S3 was kind of repeating my answer when I was at it.), but the confidence I require will be given to me only by civil services.
At this point RR said a stern THANK YOU (guess she was still angry that I don't wish her first). I kind of jerked out of my comfort zone after hearing her Thank you, I said thank you ma'am , thank you sirs and walked out confidently.
Exam Interview Details :
Subjects Taken : Sociology and Political science
Date : 21-Apr-2011
Interview Board : Rajni Razdan
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