Education : B.Tech , Materials and Metallurgical Engineering, IIT Kanpur
Home State : Bihar
Optional : Chemistry
Selected in IFoS 2017-18 ; Interview Board (IFoS) : Shri P K Joshi
Date of Interview : 14th March , 2018
Board (CSE) : Shri P K Joshi ; Duration : Approximately 45-50 mins
Chairman
- Started with his usual way. You belong to Patna ; you have done schooling in Patna , Bokaro and then did graduation from IIT Kanpur. Meanwhile you also did research internships. Have you also appeared for IFoS interview ?
- What was the result ? When the training begins ?
- What are your service preferences in Civil Services ? ( Reason wasn't asked )
- See if you go to students of class 11 or class 12 , they want to become engineers , doctors or civil servants. But rarely someone wants to become a farmer. What do you think are the reasons ?
- Suppose 10 years down the line , you have to shift this trend , what will you do ?
- What did you do during your research internships ?
- What did you learn ? What was the role of your graduation subject in the projects?
Member 1
- Suppose you are also selected here in CSE and get IRS (IT) , what will be your preferences ? Will you leave IFoS ? ( Service Preference in CSE as IAS > IFS > IRS (IT) )
- So you will stick with IFoS. Lets place IFoS in the preference list of CSE as well. Now preferences ? : Said : IAS > IFS > IFoS > IRS (IT)
- What are the reasons for such preference ?
- Where can you use your graduation subject knowledge in administration ?
- You have been associated in NCC ? What did you learnt ? What activities you contributed in ?
- Since NCC is associated with armed forces ; why didn't you took armed forces as a career option ?
- You were also associated with Security Team in your college . What exactly was your role ?
- Status of Defense manufacturing in India ? Where we are lacking ? Reasons
- We are not able to make engines for our military aircrafts. What do you think is reason ?
Member 2 ( Perhaps a Chemistry Prof , Only Chemistry was asked )
- The project you did as research internship ; is it commercially viable ? If not ? Why ?
- What is oxidation state of Chromium in Potassium Dichromate ?
- What are main group elements ?
- What are transition elements ?
- Name all 3d block elements ?
- Why the transition elements are colored in nature ?
- What is crystal field theory ?
- What is arrhenius theory in context of reaction rates ? Explain it on paper.
- Draw cyclopentadienyl anion and cyclopentadienyl cation ? ( The pencil nib broke down while drawing :D )
- Which one is aromatic in nature ? Why ?
- What is Huckel Rule of Aromaticity ?
- Are you aware of the Mendeleev periodic table ?
Member 3 ( Lady member)
- Your upbringing has been largely in urban areas. What are the common problems in urban areas ?
- How you can tackle the multiple problems you have mentioned ?
- Ask about few acronyms which I still can't decipher. She said its related to coastal management
Member 4
- What is the alloy used in soldering ?
- Suppose you have to join two gold plates. Here in we also use an alloy of gold and other element. Whether the melting point of the element used along with gold in the alloy should have its melting point greater or lower than gold. Take your time and then answer.
- Why the melting point of element being added should be lower ?
- What is certification used for gold jewellery ? ( Other member : arey let him get married first, then he may know :D )
- Shows me the kinley bottle on the table and asks Who gives the ISI certification.
Chairman : Thank you. Your interview is over.
Few takeaways :
- The interview is all about you. It mainly revolves around your DAF , so each and every word mentioned there should be thoroughly prepared.
- My interview took a technical turn probably because of my background and things the board chose to pick up from my DAF. Otherwise, generally there is considerably more focus on social issues rather technical ones.
- Communication skills are important to the extent that you should be able to say what you are thinking in a crisp manner. We don’t need to have corporate type soft skills , just a plain simple language which a common person can understand will do the job.
All the best to those who have interviews in coming days !
