2017 interview ( 5 kg lighter!!)
- Once you reach UPSC office on Shahjahan road , you are made to stand in a line outside the gate for verification by showing summon letters. For me this moment for the first time was in 2016 and it was really mesmerizing. I was like Aamir Khan ’s character in “3idiots” movie where he couldnt stop smiling because it felt like a dream.
- After all verification candidates are made to sit in a room for document verification. There are 6 tables with 6 candidates each. All the 6 candidates on one table go to same interview board. After document checking candidates are moved to a central hall. Here we are finally told which board we are assigned.
- Candidates are called one by one for the interview and headed towards respective members 's rooms. A candidate is called 5 minutes before the previous candidates 's interview is over. So you are made to sit outside the interview room. This is the most unnerving moment. My strategy used to be: to sit and gaze around so that I don't think about the impending interview and calming myself in the process. And finally after few minutes the peon asks you to GO INSIDE!!
DURING THE INTERVIEW
Here I will narrate my 2017 CSE interview held on 24 th April 2018:
I entered the room I wished everyone good afternoon ( it was around 1:30 pm ). I was asked to take seat. The interview board had chairman (Air Marshal Ajit Bhonsale Sir in my case) and 4 other members seated around a table. There was a member seating very close to me and watching my every action, most probably he was psychoanalysist or something like that.
So finally the interview started :
CHAIRMAN
Chairman : Shilpa sit down. Feel comfortable. Take a deep breath. I see a young and smart lady in front of me who has a very good academic background. Are you nervous?
Me: No sir ( I smiled)
CHAIRMAN : Ok then we will start with the interview.
Which areas you are expecting that we would ask from DAF ( detailed application form , it is like a CV which contains information about you, your qualification, your hobbies etc).
Me: Sir about my graduation i.e. BDS , my birthplace Chandigarh and hobbies
Chairman : What do you derive from making greeting cards? ( Apart from reading , teaching/ mentoring , I mentioned “making handmade greeting cards” as my hobby in DAF)
Me: Sir, it is a form of creative expression for me which gives me immense pleasure.
Chairman : Ok shilpa.
MEMBER 1
M1 : What are your views on death sentence for rape accused in case victim is below 12 years? Accused are generally known to victim in cases of child abuse cases.
Me : Sir ,you are right. NCRB records state that in child sexual abuse cases 94% of accused are known to victim. This may lead to non reporting or victim turning hostile due to pressure from family.
Secondly, death penalty is not a deterrent. It has been proven from many reports.
Thirdly , now rape and murder have same punishment so now the rapist will not leave his victim alive .
(M1 : good point Dr. Shilpa)
M1 : Have you heard about euthanasia? What is the recent SC judgement.
Me: Euthanasia in common terms means mercy killing. It is of two types : active and passive euthanasia. Recently SC has allowed passive euthanasia in case patient is in permanent vegetative state.
M1: Who decides it is time for euthanasia?
Me: Sir , It consists of three layered mechanism . A mechanism for living will has been given which is accessed by the doctor. If he feels that there is need for go ahead the permission is send to a special medical board which consists of four specialists. After approval it is forwarded to district collector.
M1: What is living will?
Me: It is a directive by a patient that in due course of his treatment if stops responding to treatment or is in permanent vegetative state he be considered for passive euthanasia.
MEMBER 2
M2 : Comment on our relations with our neighbours with respect to Bangladesh , Nepal.
Me: Sir , Neighbourhood first policy has been major component of our foreign policy.
Good relations with Bangladesh for example recently land boundary agreement was signed very amicably. There is just one irritant in form of teesta water treaty.
Nepal we have historical and cultural ties. 'BETI AND ROTI' ka rishta. A buffer state. But due to unprecedented foray of China into south asia and Nepal playing China card due to its domestic compulsions , relations have taken toll right now.
( I wanted to summarize but M2 said ok shilpa fine)
M2 : Chinese president XI Xingping and PM modi will be meeting recently. Where?
ME: Sir there will be an informal meeting in City of Wuhan , China. Here wide array of issues will be discussed.
M2 : China is saying it will be sharing data on satluj river. What is that?
ME: Sir basically hydrological data. Water levels and dams to be constructed.
M2: Sociolgists are better administrators. Why? (Sociology is my optional subject)
ME: Sir, it is basically study of social groups , social institutions and their dynamics. And as civil servant you are basically dealing with these institutions and groups. For eg : as a sociologist one knows laws decide where society SHOULD GO but Societal norms decide where society actually GOES. It serves a great value as a civil servant.
MEMBER 3
M3 : Dr. Bhatti you were talking about China right now. How are we same ?How does it poses a danger how India is responding? Can we learn something from China?
( it was a long question so I broke it into parts)
Me: China and India are same with respect to thriving economies. China is second largest economy in terms of nominal GDP and India is 7th.
Both are populous nations with huge human capital potential.
Dangers : China 's unprecedented foray into South Asia. Increasing footprint in Indian ocean.
Learn from China: China has emerged as workshop of world. Its manufacturing sectors contributes around 34% to its GDP where India its just 17% ( Member said good Dr.Bhatti)
MEMBER 4
M4 : Social media is turning a place for spreading wrong news and all ( long lecture) . How to address this?
Me: Sir in the post truth era social media is turning into menance where fake news are being spread. (M4 interuppts)
M4 : You used word post truth. Very interesting word. What is that?
Me: Sir it is an era where facts are considered less and beliefs and emotions shape the public opinion.
M4 : Very good Shilpa. Continue with your answer. How to address?
Me: Sir we can address first at legal level. For eg : EU has .......( M4 interuppts.)
M4: Shilpa talk at a more local level. Like you are Chandigarh DC.
Me: Sir first we can use social media itself. These days every administration has official twitter , FB accounts. From this we can give correct info n allay fears.
Secondly in Chandigarh during Ram Rahim case SMS were sent as precaution. We can use this platform
Thirdly , involving civil society to create awareness to not accept any news at face value before confirming it from standard source.
M4 : Did you choose Medical field by choice ? You are no longer pursuing it?
Me: Sir , Civil services was always on my mind but idea wasn't very concrete at that time. I choose medical field because of my love for science and I have always performed good in academics.
Also while working as a dentist I realized that civil services gives much larger platform to bring a change plus job diversity it offers is unparallelled.
CHAIRMAN
CHAIRMAN : Tell me where woman bureaucrats or officers in general can be of great help?
Me : Sir , in police administration for example if the cutting edge officers or bureaucrats in general are woman we can make our police services more gender sensitive.
Chairman : yes ok. Continue.
Me: Sir I cant think of other areas right now.
(Chairman smiled and said ok)
CHAIRMAN : Ok Shilpa tell me one last question before we go for lunch. You have heard about tussle between delhi chief secretary and chief minister?
Me: yes sir.
CHAIRMAN : So now bureaucrats blame its ministers who hamper work and politician blame bureaucrats. What to do?
Me: Sir the permanent executive and the elected executive has work in tandem.
CHAIRMAN : Yes tell me solution?
Me: Following SOP and due process of law.
Secondly, Sir transperant administration. Egovernance to cut down bureaucratic red tapism and also ensuring the executive is pro active in various people centric schemes or policies.
Thirdly , we can have informal meetings in form of ‘chintin shivirs' or organising sports events for breaking the ice and acting as confidence building measures.
CHAIRMAN : Ok Shilpa your interview is over. So now you will go back to Chandigarh or stay back.
Me: Sir I will stay back for medical and leave on 26th.
Chairman : Ok. Thank you Shilpa.
Me: Thank you Sir. ( I thanked other member too)
Interview lasted around 25 minutes. Members were extremely cordial and I had a feeling that it went well.
And I got a good score of 187 :) I was able to secure 712 rank UPSC CSE 2017 and currently Iam preparing for rank improvement :)
I hope this answer conveyed what happens in UPSC interview :)
Source- QUORA
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